La nuova legge permette a chi ha perso la cittadinanza italiana prima del 15 agosto 1992 di riacquisirla tramite il consolato di riferimento, ma la domanda deve essere presentata prima del 31 dicembre 2027. Chi ha perso la cittadinanza italiana prima del 15 agosto 1992 può richiederne il riacquisto presentando domanda al Consolato General d'Italia di Chicago tra il 1° luglio 2025 e il 31 dicembre 2027, dietro pagamento di 250 euro.

La procedura riguarda chi è nato in Italia o vi ha vissuto almeno due anni e l’ha persa, ad esempio, acquisendo un’altra cittadinanza. Dal 1° gennaio 2028 non sarà più possibile riottenere la cittadinanza con queste regole.

It's been a long time since the last non-stop flight from St Louis to Italy during TWA's heyday when there was a direct flight from St Louis (STL) to Rome (FCO). After American Airlines bought out TWA in 2001 and subsequently downsized their St Louis hub in 2003, there wasn't a direct flight from STL to Europe until 2022 when Lufthansa began their direct flights to Frankfurt, Germany. Today it was just announced that starting April 19, 2026, British Airways will begin non-stop service from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to London Heathrow Airport (LHR), connecting St. Louis travelers to one of the world’s largest global hubs.

What does this mean for St Louisans wanting a direct flight to Italy? While it would be a dream for many to have a direct flight to Rome or Milan, the probability of that happening is slim. We'll take what we can get. More non-stops from STL to Europe is definitely something to be grateful for.  

But can't you transfer in Atlanta, New York, or Chicago? Sure, but then you'll have to contend with the massive crowds and the long wait times for security and customs. Having flown to various destinations in Italy on the Lufthansa flight via Frankfurt five times in the past two years, I can attest that it's much easier returning directly to St Louis without having to transfer through airports like Houston, Philadelphia, or Newark.  

With just one stop in Frankfurt (FRA) on Lufthansa, you can fly directly to Italy's three major airports: Rome (FCO), Milan (MXP), and Venice (VCE). There are also direct flights from Frankfurt to the majority of Italy's smaller airports, Florence (FLR), Bologna (BLQ), Trieste (TRS), Verona (VRN), Pisa (PSA), Torino (TRN), Naples (NAP), Bari (BRI), Cagliari (CAG), and Catania (CTA) and flights to many other Mediterranean destinations such as Pola (PUY) and Fiume-Rijeka (RJK).    

With just one stop in London (LHR) on British Airways, you can fly directly to many of the same destinations with the additions of Rimini (RMI), Olbia, Sardinia (OLB), Brindisi (BDS), and Perugia (PEG), the airport closest to Assisi. 

Demand from St Louis to Europe has grown as Lufthansa increased the route’s frequency to five days a week for next year. British Airways will fly its STL-LHR route four times each week starting April 19, 2026. Visit their website for flight information.  

While St Louis may not have a direct flight to Italy, enjoying the "dolce vita" just got a bit closer to home.