Migrant women living in Milan have created a guide on migrant communities in Milan in collaboration with the Istituto iBVA Girogiromondo. The guide points to sites of cultural and historic value.
Migrant women have created a guide for multi-ethnic Milan named 'Girogiromondo' which aims to highlight the contribution of foreign communities in a city that is ever more international. It also aims to foster a greater sense of belonging for new arrivals, according to the iBVA institute.
''Knowing the place in which you live, its history, what is behind the symbols and meanings is the first step towards loving it, respecting it, preserving it, protecting it and valorising it, developing new awareness, a sense of belonging and a desire for civic participation,'' said Milena Angius, a Centro Italiano teacher for iBVA, in the introduction to the guide.
History and resources for the city's migrant communities
The guide is divided into chapters on the basis of the native countries of the main migrant communities in Milan: Egypt and Morocco for Africa; Brazil and Peru for South America; Moldavia, Poland, Romania, Russia and Ukraine for Europe. Every chapter is introduced by a brief history of migration from that country to the city, followed by the main zones in which the community is most strongly rooted, places of worship and official institutions.
Major associations, cultural centers and schools for every nation in the city are listed, alongside with libraries and archives. Girogiromondo also provides information on magazines, newspapers, and radio and TV programs linked to the migrants' countries of origin, on artistic and cultural exhibitions and festivals, restaurants and ethnic shops.
Discover the sites of multi-ethnic Milan
''The image of Milan that emerges from this work is that of a 'polyphonic' city, with innumerable cultural loans, exchanges and interactions between populations,'' Angius said. ''The face of a modern metropolis shines through, one which has always been and is becoming ever more welcoming and cosmopolitan.''
The guide came out of a three-year project for female migrants in the city. The women involved in drafting Girogiromondo come from different countries and have all attended Italian language and culture courses at Milan's Centro Italiano per Tutti dell'Istituto Beata Vergine Addolorata iBVA.