On May 28th 2003 the encounter between relatives of Argentina and Italy who has Ropolo as surname took place.
The twinning between Ataliva and Pancalieri took place between May 28th and June 10th 2003 in Pancalieri, allowing the yearned encounter of Ropolo family members of the mentioned countries.
The retinue of Ataliva was integrated by a member of the Family. Between the local participants who concurred to the twinning, there were the Ropolo families resident in that locality.
This encounter allowed the meeting between an Italian descendant, original an immigrant of Pancalieri, who took root in Felicia Province of Santa Fe and his Italian relatives.

A piece of History

The encounter took place after more than 100 years of isolation between Ropolo families of Italy and Argentina. This event followed the sporadic trips of the immigrants to their native country and to the visits to Pancalieri that in the last years some members of the Argentina family made but without getting in touch with their relatives.
All this began to take shape when, at the beginning of 1998, Ruben Manuel Ropolo wrote a letter to Maria Teresa Ropolo, that was answered on April 30th 1998 by his brother Giuseppe.
Soon, with the advance of the Internet, by the end of the year 2000 began a fluid contact between Eduardo Jose and Giuseppe which slowly extended to other members of the family.
For different reasons in 2002 the Ropolo of Italy could not participate to the twinning between Ataliva and Pancalieri occurred in Argentina in August of the same year and to the first encounter of the Ropolo Families in Felicia on October 12th 2002.
During the 2002 Olga Teresa Ropolo was in Pancalieri but she could not get in touch with any one of her Italian relatives. Also Hipolito Pavia was in Pancalieri with Giovanni and Angelo but he didn't get to establish any familiar bond.

Activities

The encounter occurred on May 28th 2003 when in the airport of Turin Giuseppe Ropolo and Eduardo José Ropolo met for the first time, being uncle fourth and nephew fourth their kinship.
Then, in the main Square of Pancalieri the delegation of Ataliva was warmly received by the inhabitants of Pancalieri; among them, there were Angelo Ropolo, his wife Maria Caterina Parizia and their daughter Paola Piera, uncles fourth and cousine fourth of the mentioned Eduardo José Ropolo.
That same day he also met Teresa Ropolo (aunt fourth), and her children Edoardo and Barbara Ferrero (cousine fourth). Then, he knew Giuseppe's children, Cristiano and Chiara, (cousine fourth).
Also he had the opportunity to meet Bartholome Ropolo and his sister Francesca, uncle third - grandfather.
They took him all around Pancalieri. He lived, during all those days, in the same land where his great-grandfather and other ancestors were born and lived, he was in the Church where they were baptized, and went around the streets where they walked.
He hasn't the words to describe his feelings in being in those places where his ancestors lived.
A dinner was organized on June 13th 2003 where the members of the Ropolo family of the zone participated. He was in Pancalieri until June 16th 2003. All his trip developed in a familiar atmosphere, being treated as a relative by all the members of the Ropolo family, as a person they have being known for years, although he met many of them in that occasion.
For the inhabitants of Pancalieri he was one Ropolo more, he received attention and friendship from all of them and he will always remember it.
This nonsingle trip was not only to encounter his Italian relatives and narrow the familiar bonds of the Ropolo family, but also to know and to create a friendship with the inhabitants of Pancalieri, people he will never forget in his life.