Una chiesa italiana e cattolica nel Greenwich Village, Manhattan: storia delle origini e memoria di Sant'Antonio da Padova

This article seeks to reconstruct the historical narrative of the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, situated in the Greenwich Village region of Manhattan, New York, in order to illustrate a microhistory characterized by a dual minority identity – encompassing both Catholic and immigrant experiences – within the framework of Italian migratory patterns. The narrative reveals a thematic polyphony of memories surrounding the Church of Saint Anthony, which is acknowledged not only as a figure of global significance and multicultural relevance but also as a local icon deeply intertwined with northeastern Italy, and, more broadly, with Italian identity. Through the complex relationship between history and memory, the article delineates the processes by which this church has emerged and continues to be acknowledged as the inaugural church for Catholic Italians in New York. By exploring the convergence of religious history and the collective memories associated with this community, the article provides a historical account of the church’s Italianization, which serves a neighborhood characterized by its demographic diversity, rather than exclusively by its Italian heritage.