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| Kozeli receiving the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by Mattarella's representative |
Knight, Senior Officer, Knight of the Order of San Silvestro of the Holy See, Ambassador of Albania in Mantua and in the world, and from yesterday officially the Commendatore of the Italian Republic (Order of Merit of the Italian Republic).
He is Petrit Kozeli, a former photographer in Albania and already naturalized in Mantua where he opened the well-known shoe store, also known for his shoes, a symbol of harmony between humanity with the slogan "For a road to peace".
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Kozeli received the certificate of appreciation on an important day for Italy by President Sergio Mattarella. In the official ceremony of June 2, the day of the founding of the republic.
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| Kozeli holding a pair of shoes in the colors of the Italian flag and his friend holding a pair of shoes colored in the Albanian flag |
Petrit Kozeli has been living in Mantova, Italy for almost 30 years, where he is known by Albanians and Italians. There are those who remember him as the "Pope's shoemaker", or as the maker of shoes with the colors of the Italian and Albanian flags. This is true, but Petrit Kozeli's story does not start with shoes. His first love was photography. Before the '90s, he practiced the profession of the photographer and even had the good fortune to witness important moments in the transition of systems in Albania. Do you remember the portraits of the fugitives with the embassies? Petrit Kozeli took the passport photos of all Albanians, which were inserted inside the railings of the German embassy. Upon leaving for Italy he acquired another craft, that of shoemaker. Today there is a shop in "Via Orefici", where customers come and go, which Petrit waits for and follows with his particular smile and with a joke always ready.