🇮🇹🇧🇷 October 12th – The intertwined roots between Italy and Brazil

October 12th is a very special date in Brazil.

It celebrates Nossa Senhora Aparecida, the country’s patron saint and symbol of faith and protection, and on the same day, the Italian Immigrant Day in Brazil — honoring the millions of Italians who, between the late 1800s and early 1900s, left their homeland to build a new life across the ocean.

Did you know that Brazil is the country with the largest Italian-descendant population in the world?
And that in São Paulo — my home state — lives the largest Italian community in Brazil?

It all began in 1874, when many Italians brought with them their dreams, roots, and traditions.
Among them was my great-great-grandfather Francesco, who arrived in Brazil with hope in his heart and skilled hands ready to create.
Hands like his helped shape the Brazil we know today — a nation built from encounters, colors, and diversity.

Italian influence can be felt everywhere: in art, architecture, music, gastronomy, and, of course, in craftsmanship — that timeless knowledge of transforming materials into beauty.

And why am I telling you this?
Because, in a way, I’m an immigrant too.
Even though I’m Italo-Brazilian, I lived in Brazil until 2012, the year I decided to move to Italy.
Since then, my heart has remained perfectly divided between these two worlds 🇧🇷🇮🇹.

From this union, Casa Pitanga was born: a space where Brazilian artistry meets Italian tradition, where hands and materials converse, and where every piece of jewelry tells the story of two cultures embracing each other.

Like my ancestor Francesco, I too have built a bridge — made of metal, leaves, colors, and symbols.
A bridge that connects roots and future, nature and design, past and contemporary creativity.

Casa Pitanga, like Brazil itself, was born from the blending of cultures — Italian, Indigenous, African, Portuguese — and many other souls that have turned our land into a mosaic of beauty and inspiration.

Today, on October 12th – Italian Immigrant Day in Brazil, we celebrate this wonderful weave of stories, hands, and hearts.
We honor multiculturalism, because together we are truly stronger.
Every culture leaves its unique mark on the world — and in our diversity, we find our most authentic beauty.

Luisa
Founder of Casa Pitanga