Twenty year old, Clarissa Marchese, who resides in Ribera, Sicily, was crowned Miss Italy in September 2014 at the 75th Annual Miss Italy Pageant in Jesolo, Italy.
This is the third consecutive year in which Miss Italia hails from Sicily and the 11th Sicilian winner overall.
Ms. Marchese arrived to the United States on December 6th and chose Elizabeth as one of her stops during her visit, so that she could explore the community in which her mother was born and raised.
“It is an honor to host Ms. Marchese during her visit to Elizabeth,” said Mayor J. Christian Bollwage. “Ribera, Sicily is one of our sister cities and through this partnership, has demonstrated a willingness to exchange ideas as well as share best practices and experiences in order to build better communities. The City of Elizabeth looks forward to its continued relationship with the City of Ribera.”
While in Elizabeth, Ms. Marchese visited the Ribera Italian American Cultural Center in Elizabeth, attended a Gala/Dinner dance at the Renaissance Hotel, in which she was honored by the County of Union and City of Elizabeth, as well as visited hospitals, veterans and other non-profit organizations.
“Ms. Marchese’s visit to Elizabeth was not just for leisure, but it also helped support her mission to raise awareness regarding those in need, throughout the world,” said Council President Manny Grova, Jr. “Elizabeth has always been a place of destination and I would like to thank Clarissa for choosing to visit us. It was with great pleasure to show her our wonderful City.”
For more information about Ms. Marchese’s visit, please call (908) 820-4124.
Photos: City of Elizabeth