Italian culture is embedded into the daily lives of Philadelphians, whether they know it or not.

“We are now in Center City, which is a translation of centro cittá,” said Andrea Canepari from his office that overlooks Independence Hall, Washington Square and the bustling intersection of 6th and Walnut streets. “It’s an Italian and European concept. In a center city, you live, you work, you shop. For so many years, people here interact with Italian culture even if it’s not so obvious.”

Canepari, the consul general of Italy in Philadelphia, thought he would become a lawyer in Italy. That was before he studied abroad at the University of Pennsylvania in the late ’90s and fell for the City of Brotherly Love.

In 2013, Canepari was offered a position in several cities in the United States, but without hesitation, he knew he wanted to return to the energy and vibrancy of his beloved Philadelphia. The city—and Temple—feel the same way about him. Canepari is a recipient of Temple’s 2016 Global Philadelphia Award.

“The award is a symbol of Temple’s willingness to partner with international actors. It’s a sign of commitment,” Canepari said. “It gave me more visibility in the Temple community, I am very thankful.”


Photography by: Shefa Ahsan  
Canepari (center) said he could feel the energy in the room that was filled with professors, students and Temple leadership—President Richard M. Englert (left) and Provost JoAnne Epps (right)—during the 2016 Celebration of Globalization sponsored by the Office of International Affairs.

Canepari has made an incredible impact on internationalizing Philadelphia through the promotion of political, economic, educational and cultural relations between Italy and the United States. Canepari’s office processes every visa that students must obtain to study abroad at Temple University Rome—more than 500 visas a year.

“The Temple Rome campus is now becoming more and more open to engineering, science, law and other disciplines,” Canepari said. “It’s perceived as a bridge with the reality of the Italian capital city.”

Temple Rome’s impact floats—or jets—back to Philadelphia. More students are now coming from Italy to study at Temple. 

“Temple is a great partner to Italy. Of course, we are providing services to American students, but it is much more,” Canepari said. “The university was a partner in so many diplomacy activities such as the Italian culture month, ‘Ciao Philadelphia.'”

Creating bridges between Italy and the Philadelphia region is a continuous goal for Canepari, and Temple Rome’s 50th anniversary is helping him make more connections. 

“I’d love to go to the celebration in Rome,” he said. “It’s important to use it as a way to engage Italians and explain even more about opportunities at Temple and Philadelphia.”