The Italian Postal Service offers free WiFi in more than 3,000 branches across the country.
It is possible to connect up to 3 devices; smartphones, tablets, and PCs from 8 am to 8 pm.
PADOVA VIA TIZIANO ASPETTI
Fifty years at the service of foreign citizens
Nkou Luc Dieudonne, 27-year-old from Cameroon, is a student in Computer Science: “I am here thanks to a Study Visa tied to an international cooperative project for which I lived in Ancona and now Padua. My impression is that Italians are more welcoming than Northern European countries, and this Post Office branch confirms that. I have encountered very competent people who also speak my language – and that is no minor detail.” Many others agree with Luc when it comes to the Via Tiziano Aspetti branch in Arcella, Padua which employs dual nationals who speak Italian, Arabic, French, Albanese or English. At the entrance, customers are directed towards desk clerks who speak their language and it should come as no surprise that 50% of the clients are foreign.
On the same street, for the past 50 years, the ‘Padua 7’ branch has a long-standing tradition of helping those who don’t speak Italian with bureaucratic matters, even as the demographics of the neighbourhood changed around the office. According to director Maurizio Contin, “50% of our customers today are elderly people and the other 50% are foreigners.” The majority of foreigners are from Eastern Europe and Africa as well as Asia (mainly China and Bangladesh) and a small percentage are from the Americas. “On some occasions, I have personally assisted customers in filling out confusing forms when they were yet to master the Italian language. And the response is always gratitude. It’s easy for Italians to forget that while we often take other cultures and customs for granted, immigrants are choosing to adopt Italian traditions. This Post Office branch is a bridge between cultures.” Mohamed, 33, from Senegal has been working in Italy for 12 years as a porter and lives in Arcella, where he opened his account. “I have come here to renew my permanent residency permit several times and I can now share my knowledge with my friends and colleagues. The possibility of speaking French is helpful especially for those who have recently arrived in Italy. Friends of mine have appreciated this, and have therefore decided to open an account here.”