On the evening of Wednesday 6 September, in Gioia del Colle, a municipality in the Apulian hinterland in the province of Bari, the actor Sylvester Stallone was proclaimed an honorary citizen. The city of Gioia del Colle is the municipality of around 20 thousand inhabitants where the grandparents Silvestro Stallone (town barber) and Pulcheria Nicastri were born and lived, having emigrated overseas in the early 1930s with their son Francesco, father of the actor of Hollywood and his brother Frank, who was also present at the proclamation.
The citizens welcomed the Hollywood star and his brother Frank, also an established actor and musician in the world of entertainment, to the sound of ‘Rocky! Rocky!’
The President of the Region, Michele Emiliano, recalled the actor’s success in a speech dedicated to him:
“The presence of Sylvester Stallone in Gioia del Colle, his town of origin, excites all the people of Gioia and all the people of Puglia, the search for lost time is always one of the most moving and interesting things in the life of each of us. We are honored by the presence of such an important person, capable of making cinema a moment of revolution, of passion for us all. His films are not seen just once, they are seen continuously and seen again even when you know them by heart and it is the sign of success and humility, of a determination and ability to work that is typically Apulian”.
The two Stallone brothers were thus awarded honorary citizenship of the town of Gioia del Colle, but not before having also stopped at number 49 in Piazza XX Settembre, where their grandparents Silvestro Stallone and Pulcheria Nicastri once lived.
Sylvester Stallone, moved by the affection of the inhabitants of Gioia del Colle who welcomed the actor with the sound of choirs, posters and banners, greeted and thanked the inhabitants of the small village in Bari with few but sweet words:
“It’s an honor to be part of such a strong population. One hundred years ago my grandfather worked here, he was a barber. Then he left this country and had the courage to undertake a journey that changed his life. It is because of that journey that I am here today with my family. I will always make you proud. And as Rocky would say: I love you, and keep fighting!”
The ceremony took place in Piazza del Plebiscito, and was probably filmed by the cameras of the television series The Family Stallonethe docu-reality focused on the actor’s family which also saw his wife Jennifer Flavin and his three daughters: Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet alongside the face of ‘Rocky’.
After offering unmissable moments and a special look at the private life of the famous actor and his sui generis family, after a first season that was well received by the public, the reality show will return to the streaming platform Paramount+ with a second season next year.