Newport’s Italian community traces back to the late 19th century, when immigrants—largely from the Apennine highlands around Bardi—arrived seeking work in coal, steel, docks, and iron industries . By 1911, over 20,000 Italians lived in Wales, many settling around Newport and the South Wales valleys .
The newcomers brought something more than labour: they introduced cafés, ice‑cream parlours, and fish‑and‑chip shops. These “Bracchis,” named after early café‑owner Giacomo Bracchi, became social hubs—serving coffee, ice cream, and warmth during the Great Depression—numbering over 300 in Wales by the 1930s .
World War II disrupted life: many Italians without British citizenship were interned (on the Isle of Man or deported), and tragically 53 Welsh‑Italians died when the Arandora Star sank en route to Canada . Meanwhile, women often kept the cafes alive .
Post‑war, Italian culture remained vibrant. Families like Sidoli’s and Conti’s sustained cafes, chip shops and other businesses through the generations. Ristorante Vittorio, opened in 1989, is a testament to the ongoing legacy . Today, about 40,000 people of Italian descent live in Wales, with Newport still home to notable community landmarks—including Italian restaurants, Catholic parishes, and cultural societies .
This rich heritage—rooted in entrepreneurial spirit, family, and cultural fusion—continues to flavour Newport’s social and cultural life.