Switzerland in Rome for Turismo delle Radici: Trofeo CONI 2026 gets under way

The event organised by CONI in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) took place at Piazzale della Farnesina in Rome on 14 June 2026, celebrating the conclusion of the first phase of the Turismo delle Radici project and launching Trofeo CONI 2026. The stars of the day were the delegations of under-14 athletes from the Comunità Italiane all'Estero of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, the United States, Switzerland and Venezuela.

The youngsters were accompanied by CONI CIE Delegate coaches and by more than one hundred Mayors of the Comuni delle Radici. Around a thousand people took part in the day in all, among them the Consuls of Italy around the world who had come to Rome for their Conference, held on 12 and 13 June 2026. Serena Autieri hosted the event. The pictures are collected in the photo gallery of the event.

Giochi CONI Fair Play on the square

After the parade and the performance by the musical ensembles that won the 2026 competition for the promotion of folk and amateur music, the young athletes completed a Giochi CONI Fair Play circuit, multidisciplinary sporting activities inspired by the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) of the International Olympic Committee. At the end they received plaques naming them "Giovani Ambasciatori della Diplomazia dello Sport".

The programme continued with a cooking demonstration by Michelin-starred chef Alessandro Circiello and a tasting as part of the launch of the Day of Italian Pasta in the World, the screening of the video story of Trofeo CONI and of the Viaggi delle Radici, the Inno di Mameli, Italy's national anthem, performed by the Band of the Carabinieri Corps, and institutional speeches. The day was arranged in thematic segments: Sports Diplomacy, Solidarity, Roots, the Italian Constitution in the world, and the best of Made in Italy.

On the square were Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi, CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, the President of the Italian Swimming Federation Paolo Barelli, the head coach of the Settebello Sandro Campagna and former cycling star Vincenzo Nibali.

What the institutions said

These are the statements reported in the CONI press release of 14 June 2026.

"We are celebrating Turismo delle Radici and launching a phase 2 of the project", said Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. "We are happy to let these young people feel the call of Italy, to allow them to speak Italian, to go and discover where their grandparents or their parents who went to live abroad set out from". And again: "Sport is an instrument for bringing people together".

For Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi, "Turismo delle Radici is something unique that is handed down across time and space. With figures of between sixty and eighty million people, Turismo delle Radici is a strategic lever for development".

CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio recalled the role of sport: "Once again Minister Tajani has involved sport and has paid attention to sport and its values. Sport is playing a leading role. Sport has great value in making the world a better place".

The project and its numbers

Turismo delle Radici is the initiative promoted by the Farnesina and funded under the PNRR to strengthen ties with the more than 80 million Italians and people of Italian descent around the world and to promote Italy's small municipalities and villages. It has enabled girls and boys to take part in both the summer and the winter edition of Trofeo CONI. To expand the programme, 200 million euros from the Development and Cohesion Fund may be used. In 2024 roots tourists numbered around 6.6 million; in 2026 the figure is expected to exceed 7.4 million travellers, with total spending that could pass 5.5 billion euros.

What it means for Switzerland

For the Italian community in Switzerland, one of the largest in Europe, the presence of a Swiss delegation carries particular weight. The under-14 youngsters who set out from the Confederation were born and raised far from their families' countries of origin: bringing them to Rome wearing a sports kit is a concrete way of keeping that bond alive, and sport remains one of the most immediate channels for doing so.

Trofeo CONI 2026 in Puglia: applications open

The journey continues with Trofeo CONI 2026, scheduled in Puglia from 4 to 7 October, between Bari and Capurso. The Swiss delegation is expected as a guest in the Comunità Italiane all'Estero section: the number of athletes and the disciplines depend on the arrangements with the Organising Committee.

Applications for the Swiss delegation remain open until 10 September 2026. Requirements, disciplines and submission details are on the call for applications page.

Sources: CONI press release of 14 June 2026 and press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.