Kimbell Museum Acquires Ultra-Rare 17th-Century Still Life by Mysterious Painter
The Kimbell Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, just put on view a major Old Master painting that it has added to its collection of masterpieces. Still Life with Melon, Watermelon, and Other Fruits (circa 1610–20) was created by the Italian artist known only as “Pensionante del Saraceni” (“lodger of Saraceni”), as their identity remains unknown. That shad...
Private Docent Tour of the Dallas Museum of Art's European Collection
Summer has arrived, and there is no better way to beat the heat than enjoying great art in a beautiful museum. Plan to join your ICD friends on August 18 for a private Docent Tour of the Dallas Museum of Art's European Collection, including works by a variety of noted Italian artists including Umberto Mastroianni, Renaissance painter Bacchiacca, Am...
Oklahoma’s Little Italy
Just a couple of hours by car from OKC or an hour and a half from Tulsa, Krebs shines as a dining destination, a foodie stock-up spot, a historical beacon and an overall entertaining trip for Oklahomans and out-of-state tourists to boot. Once a mining town with more than a dozen coal mines in the 1870s, Krebs drew a mix of English, Irish, Mexican...
126 Years of Fun: Why Arkansas’ Grape Festival is a Must-Do
Summer will soon be winding down, but if you are looking for a great family event to check out before school starts, then be sure to check out Arkansas’ Grape Festival August 5 through August 9. The Tontitown Grape Festival has been going on for 126 years and was voted the best festival in Northwest Arkansas. Tontitown is known for its grapes and v...
Impressing the Natives
We don’t usually associate Italians with the “winning” of the West. But some 828,000 sq. miles of middle America, known as the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, had Italian connections. The area was claimed by France starting with the voyage of Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524 when he reached the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. Later French explorers and...
Mount Carmel’s Msgr. Cariglio retires
Much of Msgr. Michael J. Cariglio Jr.’s secular life and sacred life has revolved around his Italian heritage. Cariglio retired earlier this month after 39 years as the pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Youngstown, which later became the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Anthony of Padua Church. The Roman Catholic parish is known for...
Italian Consul General visits New Mexico to strengthen cultural and scientific ties
In recent days, Italian Consul General in Los Angeles, Raffaella Valentini, made her first official visit to New Mexico, accompanied by Emanuele Amendola, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute. Consul General Valentini expressed her gratitude to New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for hosting a “fantastic reception” at the Governor’s Ma...
From Italy to Arkansas, the buried archives unearthed in film
America is a melting pot of people — and today — more than one million Italian Americans can trace their history back to colonization in Arkansas. That’s according to historians with the Italians of Sunnyside. On this Independence Day, many are happy to call the natural state home — but they haven’t always felt so free. Anthony Borgognoni — raised...
Festa della Repubblica celebrated in Texas
On June 2, 2025, the Consulate General of Italy in Houston celebrated the 79th Anniversary of the Italian Republic with an official ceremony— a special occasion to honor Italian roots and culture. On this occasion, Houston Mayor John Whitmire issued a proclamation, presented by Council Member Mary Nan Huffman and Mayor's Office of Trade and Interna...
Cabrini High celebrates ties to Popes Leo XIII and XIV
When Pope Leo XIV was elected on May 8, Cabrini High School excitedly began reflecting on possible ties the city and the high school might have to the new pontiff. The first thing that caught the attention of teachers was that Pope Leo gave his first official address in Spanish and Italian, and his main theme was about immigration. St. Frances Xavi...
Pope Leo’s New Orleans Italian Ancestry
Much is being written and on TV about Pope Leo's connection to New Orleans. Little is being noted that one of his maternal great-great-grandfathers, Giacomo Martino, was born in 1806 in San Remo Italy. Louisiana-Italians are celebrating this connection to the Vatican. Giacomo Martino’s name became Jacques Martinez in the 1820s after he arrived i...
City of McAlester hosts 53rd Annual Italian Festival
The City of McAlester hosted the 53rd annual Italian Festival at the Southeast Expo Center last weekend. The event, held since 1971, celebrates the heritage of Italian immigrants who settled in southeastern Oklahoma during its coal-mining era in the 1870s. The Festival featured everything from car shows to carnival rides and contests, as well as t...