Italian scholar Luciano Pizziconi visited Binghamton University last Friday after receiving recognition from area politicians for his international work with the region and his donation of works to the University.

At the conclusion of Binghamton University’s guest Italian scholar Luciano Pizziconi’s stay in the United States, the romance languages and literature department held a ceremony on Oct. 19 in Academic Building B.

Pizziconi said his pieces focus on open communication and unity between people, despite racial differences.

‘My work is done to find a common denominator so we can all communicate together regardless of nationality,’ he said. ‘People have been very open to receive other people. It is good to see that they still know the language of the fraternity, the fellowship of man.’

Pizziconi spoke to an audience of approximately 20 about his work and read some of his poems during the ceremony honoring the writer for his extensive work in poetry.

The reception also celebrated the romance languages and literature department faculty members ‘ Antonio Sobejano-Moran, Rosemarie LaValva, Dana Stewart, Dora Polachek and Carrol Coates ‘ for their dedication to the department.

For the past four years, Pizziconi has worked with the department’s Professor Sandro Sticca in an attempt to establish a ‘sister city’ relationship between the city of Ocre, Italy and Binghamton University as a way to further his beliefs about multi-cultural relations. BU currently has sister cities in Russia, El Salvador and France.

Because of his endeavors, Pizziconi received honorary citizenships from the town of Vestal’s supervisor, Peter Andreasen, and Binghamton Mayor Matthew T. Ryan during his 10-day visit.

Tarik Abdelazim, the Mayor’s executive assistant, said that an honorary citizenship from the city was a prestigious way to acknowledge the poet’s work, and held no legal implications.

‘Any effort you can make with the sister cities will enrich our cultural understanding and our appreciation through cultural diversity,’ Abdelazim said in reference to Pizziconi’s work.

Pizziconi has donated recent volumes of his writing to Glenn G. Bartle library. According to Sticca, only two other universities aside from BU ‘ Harvard and Yale ‘ have his most recent poems.