2024 has been declared the Year of Italian Roots, drawing attention to the phenomenon of Italian emigration, which was particularly intense between the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. Many people from the Marche region have left their homeland in search of fortune, facing difficult journeys and leaving behind dreams and hopes. Argentina was one of the main destinations for these emigrants, and today the Marche maintains a special bond with this country, thanks to the many descendants who have distinguished themselves in various fields and activities.
One of these descendants is the Argentine poet Mario Manlio Renato Federico Vecchioli. Born in Sunchales on 25 March 1903 and died in Rafaela on 20 November 1978, Vecchioli has a deep bond with the Marche region. His father, originally from Camerano, decided in 1913 to take Mario and his brother Nolfo (two years younger) to Italy to study at the Campana Boarding School in Osimo.
From a very young age, Vecchioli showed a particular talent for writing, filling his school notebooks with adventure novels in Italian, which earned him excellent grades. This early literary activity marked the beginning of his career and the discovery of a passion for literature and music. At the end of 1920, after the death of his father, Mario returned to Argentina, where he began to devote himself seriously to poetry.
Vecchioli’s poetic works often deal with the theme of emigration, reflecting his personal experience and that of many other Italians. His poetry celebrates Argentine culture and pays homage to the first Italian immigrants, who with their hard work helped build the future of Argentina, together with their own and that of their children. Nostalgia for his native land and distance from his family are recurring themes in his works, making him the “poet of nostalgia“.
A particularly fond memory of Vecchioli is that of his teacher Carlo Grillantini, who described him as a young man with an open spirit and great intelligence, finesse and personal elegance.
Here is one of his poems that captures the emotion of saying goodbye to the port, a symbolic moment of departure and nostalgia:
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Aquí nos despedimos,
¡Cómo está triste el puerto!
Cuando me aleje
No agites el pañuelo,
Si una emoción te turba,
Aléjala at the moment.
I was a ghost
Que te azoró los sueños…
Puerto. Tiempo de amor.
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Here we say goodbye,
How sad the port is!
When I leave
Do not shake the tissue,
If an emotion troubles you,
Remove it immediately.
He thinks it was a ghost
That disturbed your dreams…
Port. Time for love.
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This celebration of the cultural heritage of Marche emigrants in Argentina reminds us of the stories and roots that bind us inextricably. Mario Vecchioli, with his poems, remains a symbol of this eternal bond between the Marche and Argentina.
