1. Data Controller

This website is maintained by the Franciscan Family of Mary Immaculate (Famiglia Francescana di Maria Immacolata — FFMI).

The Data Controller responsible for personal data collected through this website is:

Private Association "Famiglia Francescana di Maria Immacolata", represented by its Legal Representative pro tempore.
Registered and Operational Address: Via di San Teodoro, n. 34, B/L, 00186 Roma (RM), Italy.
Email: privacy@franciscanfamilyofmaryimmaculate.org

2. What Information We Collect

We collect only the information you voluntarily provide or that is automatically generated by your visit:

• Contact form submissions — your name, email address, and any message you send us, including the branch of the community you are inquiring about.
• Navigation data — pages visited, time of visit, browser type, and approximate geographic region (country/region level), collected anonymously through standard server logs or analytics tools.
• Cookies — small files stored in your browser to remember your preferences and support the functioning of the site (see Section 5).

We do not collect sensitive personal data (such as health information, political opinions, or financial data), and we do not knowingly collect information from children under the age of 16.

3. How We Use Your Information

The information you provide is used exclusively to:

• Respond to your inquiries or requests submitted through the contact form.
• Direct your message to the appropriate branch of the community (Sisters, Friars, or Families).
• Understand how our website is used in order to improve its content and accessibility.

We do not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

For visitors in the European Union, our legal basis for processing personal data is:

• Your consent — when you submit a contact form, you consent to us using your data to reply to you.
• Legitimate interest — for anonymous analytics data that helps us improve the site.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us (see Section 8).

5. Cookies

Our website uses the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies — required for the site to function (e.g., form security tokens). These cannot be disabled.
• Functional cookies — remember your language or display preferences during your visit.
• Analytics cookies — collect anonymous data about how visitors use the site (e.g., most visited pages). No personal identification is involved.

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings at any time. Disabling non-essential cookies will not affect your ability to browse the site.

6. How We Store and Protect Your Data

Your data is stored on secure servers hosted by our web hosting provider (Hostinger), located within the European Economic Area. We apply appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse.

Contact form messages are retained only for as long as necessary to respond to your inquiry, after which they are deleted. Anonymous analytics data may be retained for up to 24 months.

7. Sharing of Information

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties, except:

• Our hosting and email service providers, who process data solely on our behalf and under strict confidentiality agreements.
• When required by law or a legitimate legal authority.

8. Your Rights

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable Italian law, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten").
• Object to or restrict the processing of your data.
• Receive your data in a portable format.
• Lodge a complaint with the Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali) at garanteprivacy.it.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external sites (for example, EWTN or other Catholic organizations). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to read their own privacy policies.

10. International Visitors

This website is operated from Italy and governed by Italian law and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union. If you are visiting from outside the European Union — including from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, or any other country — please be aware that your information will be transferred to and processed in Italy, where data protection laws may differ from those of your country of residence.

By submitting information through this website, you acknowledge that your data will be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable EU/Italian law. We do not sell personal data, and your information will be used solely to respond to your inquiry or to improve the functioning of this site.

UK visitors may also direct complaints to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.