In the central Italian town of Pesaro, the mayor held a ceremony for all of the locals who had become citizens in 2019.
During the event on January 25, Pesaro mayor Matteo Ricci gave a copy of the Italian constitution and an Italian flag to 150 people living in the city who became citizens in 2019. They group hailed from 21 different countries originally.
"Citizenship is feeling part of a community,'' the mayor said, ''without differences of gender, race, or religion. In cities, security is better if integration works."
He told the newly naturalized citizens: "You are contributing to Pesaro's active life."
Of the 150 new Italians, some 48% had acquired their citizenship through residence and 17% through marriage.
34% were born in Italy to non-Italian parents and aquired their citizenship because their parents became citizens (28%) or because they reached adulthood thus became eligible to become citizens a year later (6%).