Watch: RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's TOM MORELLO Receives Key To Family's Ancestral Italian Hometown

On Sunday, July 23, Tom Morello was honored in his family's ancestral hometown of Pratiglione, Italy.

The 59-year-old RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist shared the news in an Instagram post, writing: "I just became an honorary Italian citizen & received the key to the city of the Morello ancestral hometown of Pratiglione, Italy! Bands played! Children frolicked! Dozens of Morello cousins partied! The mayor wore blue! Awesome guitar statue erected in town square next to the memorial for local partisans who died fighting the Nazis! Grazie, Pratiglione!"

The honorary citizenship was given to Morello by the mayor of Pratiglione, Giovanni Trucano, by virtue of the guitarist's Pratiglione origins. In fact, a century and a half has passed since Tom's great-great-grandfather, Carlo, left Pratiglione for the United States.

In an interview with Rolling Stone talking about his recent collaboration with Italian rockers MÅNESKIN, Morello said: "I'm very proud of my Italian heritage … I've always felt a very strong connection with that country."

Morello is a founding member and guitarist of the rock bands RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE. The two bands are responsible for multiple Grammy Awards and a combined more than 30 million albums sold worldwide. Morello has also received critical acclaim as a solo artist known as THE NIGHTWATCHMAN. Widely celebrated for his unique voice as a master electric guitarist, he is recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the "100 Greatest Guitar Players Of All Time."

Morello graduated from Harvard University with honors as a political science major and has been a widely recognized political activist throughout his career. With SYSTEM OF A DOWN's Serj Tankian, Morello formed Axis Of Justice, an organization whose purpose is to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice.

Photo courtesy of The Press House