Ciao, New York! Buongiorno, Italia!
Mayor Bill de Blasio is ditching the Big Apple and embarking on a 10-day trip to Italy — one of the longest overseas vacations taken by a recent mayor.
Hizzoner will depart with his family on July 18 to visit his ancestral homeland with stops in Rome, Naples and Venice.
Former Mayors Mike Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani rarely left Gotham for more than a few days at a time.
His mom, Maria de Blasio, has Italian roots. As part of the trip, the de Blasios will visit Grassano and Sant’Agata del Gotti, the birthplaces of his maternal grandparents.
The Italian press and leaders celebrated de Blasio’s successful campaign and are closely following his actions as mayor — from shoveling snow to the controversy over his plan to ban horse carriages in Central Park.
“Returning to Italy this summer will be a homecoming for our family. It will be a moment to humbly express our gratitude to the family members and local residents who supported us and cheered us on over those long months. And, as our first family trip together since we went to Niagara Falls in 2012, it will be a moment to enjoy some much-needed time with Chiara and Dante,” said first lady Chirlane McCray, referring to the first daughter and son.