Italy has announced it will grant citizenship to American author Frances Mayes, whose memoir Under the Tuscan Sun captivated readers worldwide. The honor comes just weeks after the government tightened its citizenship laws.
The Italian government announced Friday its decision to grant honorary citizenship to American author Frances Mayes, known globally for her best-selling memoir Under the Tuscan Sun. Officials cited “exceptional merit” as the reason behind the move.
In an official statement, authorities confirmed that the Italian Council of Ministers had approved the proposal, put forward by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.
Frances Mayes, 85, a Georgia native, lives primarily in North Carolina but spends part of each year in her home in Cortona, Tuscany.
Her memoir, published in 1996 and later adapted into a hit film, recounts the purchase and restoration of a crumbling villa in the hilltop town of Cortona. The book remained on The New York Times best-seller list for more than two years and became an international phenomenon.
This recognition comes just weeks after Italy imposed stricter rules on citizenship by descent, limiting eligibility to only children and grandchildren of Italian nationals. Previously, applicants could trace their ancestry back four generations.
With AFP
Comments