Estepona will celebrate Italian Culture Day on the upcoming May 31st.

The Deputy Mayor of the Outskirts Area, Begoña Ortiz, and the event coordinator, Simona Sorrenti, introduced the Italian Culture Day, a new activity aimed at promoting the integration and participation of foreign residents in the locality.

"During the event, visitors will be offered a unique view of Italian culture with stands featuring typical food from the country, its finest wines, crafts, and fashion, and a cultural program full of performances that will enliven this celebration. Additionally, there will be a play area for children managed by Bloggeria," explained the councilwoman.

In Estepona, there are 135 different nationalities, with 1,490 residents of Italian origin. "We want to honor them during this event by showcasing the different customs, festivals, and cuisine of the foreign population residing in Estepona," Ortiz explained.

As a new feature this year, the program will be expanded with a reading promotion activity, a free storytelling session for children on Thursday, May 29, at 6:30 PM on the first floor of the Contemporary Cultures Library at the Mirador del Carmen Cultural Center, led by teachers Laura Raimondi and Claudia Cappelletti who will sing songs and tell the most outstanding stories from Italian literature, such as Pinocchio.

The event coordinator, Simona Sorrenti, detailed the planned program for May 31, which will begin at 6:00 PM with a toast with 'Pasta la vista'; at 6:30 PM, performances will take place featuring Francesco Fernández, followed by Inés Hrdlickova and Eric Costa, an Italian culture quiz, Gianluca, and will end with the musical duo 'Doble Juego'.

"Both the stands and the performances will be managed by local establishments and artists of Italian origin," she concluded, encouraging the entire population to participate in all these activities that will take place on Avenida de España in Estepona, next to the Monumento a la Peseta.