Meet the Team: Carla, Italian Records & Comuni Coordinator at ViaMonde

If you’ve ever experienced Italian bureaucracy- you know. You know that things only ever get done at a leisurely pace, at the grace of the government official working the desk, only if they’re in a good mood, and only if they like you. Piano piano, they say (slowly, slowly). If they don’t like you, maybe they make up their own rules, they ask for documents that aren’t legally required, they shoo you away and tell you to come back another day. How does anything in Italy ever get done, you may wonder? 

Our answer: Carla. 

ViaMonde’s Italian Records & Comuni Coordinator.

A native Sicilian, who spent several years living in the US when her father served as the Detroit Italian Consulate General, Carla speaks multiple languages. But deeper than language fluency, Carla’s true superpower is culture. It’s the knowledge and understanding that comes from living and experiencing how things are done. Carla knows how the Italian government officials think, how they work, what they expect. And she comes prepared.

Carla’s kind touch helps her navigate administrative hurdles with ease. She knows when to push and when to pull back. She knows what time to arrive at a busy office for an optimal outcome, what days and times to avoid. Her respectful, yet confident attitude greases the wheels of authority.

As a mid-life, mother of two, Carla is an expert at multitasking, planning, thinking ahead, and getting the job done. Every morning begins with a workout, by mid-morning she is onto in-person appointments at various administrative offices, or non-stop phone calls to the comuni hunting down your family’s Italian documents. She relentlessly pursues each vital record by call, PEC email, and in person when her Sicilian charm is needed to win over the most stubborn government employees. By mid-day Carla is at home for pausa and pranzo, feeding her family.

On the flip side, Carla just gets us, too. She understands our American frustration with what appears to us as "nonsensical" whims of Italian bureaucracy. Carla’s cultural mix allows her to translate expectations not only from English to Italian, but from Italian to English; helping guide us and demystify the Italian system.

Don’t let bureaucracy deter your dreams of la dolce vita. With ViaMonde, you can rely on our expertise in cultural translation to make your transition seamless.