Rome (CNN) Six months after the death of their son Beau in 2015, Jill Biden and then-Vice President Joe Biden could not bear the thought of going to Nantucket, Massachusetts, for the traditional Biden family Thanksgiving. For Jill Biden, Italy was a country where they could "escape," as she described it, and the familiarity of the religious symbolism also served as a comfort to the devoutly Catholic Biden family. While he meets with leaders, discussing contentious topics such as the environment, global economics, possible threats from China and Russia and the pandemic, Jill Biden will handle a few diplomatic bilateral meetings of her own. The first lady's family has deep roots in Italy, and the Italian culture has long played a role in Jill Biden's life. Her Sicilian ancestors are responsible for a historic note: She is now the first, and only, Italian American first lady of the United States.

Source: CNN October 29, 2021 21:12 UTC