Providence, Rhode Island and Florence, Italy have more in common than you might think. Residents of both share a love of art and music, historic architecture, and an outstanding culinary scene. Unfortunately, both cities also share a history of devastating floods and remain at high risk for repeated incidents in this era of climate change. This mon...
Dear friends, I am pleased to announce that the program of the Festival of Italian Creativity is online! See Full Program Here. We have organized a number of activities to promote Italian creativity in its various expressions, from culture (music, cinema, theatre) to science and technology, research and innovation, food and gastronomy, including It...
On the tenth anniversary of his passing, Boston City Hall was lit up green to honor the life of Boston’s longest-serving mayor Tom Menino. Mayor Michelle Wu took to Instagram Wednesday to honor one of the city’s most beloved mayors. “To know Mayor Menino was to see how much he loved Boston and its people,” Mayor Wu said. “Mayor Menino’s big heart a...
There are a handful of foods that people from Maine recognize as signature items from their state. Whether that be a red snapper, blueberry pie or a simple but delicious Italian sandwich. Credit for that Italian sandwich is given to Giovanni Amato. More than 120 years ago, he opened a sandwich shop with the idea of serving something quick and easy...
In 1999, the Splendor of Florence event may have done more to put Providence on the map than any single event. Press coverage was global. The success of Joyce Acciaioli Rudge’s first festival in 1999 in Providence became the blueprint for subsequent city-wide festivals in Philadelphia and New York as well as art and photo exhibits throughout the US...
In the world of sport there is constant debate over who qualifies as the Greatest of All Time. In basketball, is it Jordan or LeBron? In soccer, Messi or Maradona? In Formula 1 racing, Lewis Hamilton or Ayrton Senna? In the world of glassblowing, however, there is no debate. The GOAT title unquestionably goes to an amiable Italian by the name of Li...
On Friday, Laura Sacco and her mom, Anna Maria De Zolt, came to Middletown Town Hall from Italy to meet with Mayor Tony Perry and to help trace their family's connection to Middletown. At 83 years old, De Zolt made her first trip to the United States to check out a sculpture her long-lost relative, Geremia Grandelis, made for his son’s tombstone in...
As we celebrate Italian Heritage Month this October, it is fitting to highlight an institution that has become a cornerstone for the Italian American community in Massachusetts: Fitchburg State University's Center for Italian Culture. Funded by a $1 million endowment from Fitchburg State alumna Amelia Gallucci-Cirio in 1999, the center has been ins...
Sardella’s Italian Restaurant will be honored at the 41st Annual Taste of Newport (Rhode Island) on October 27th for their support of Child & Family by being inducted as the first member of the Taste of Newport Hall of Fame, commemorating their participation as a tasting station for all 41 years the event has been running. Sardella’s Italian Resta...
The Vermont Italian Cultural Association (VICA) has named one of our three annual scholarships in honor of VICA members, retired Senator Patrick Leahy and his wife, Marcelle Leahy. The naming recognizes the Leahy’s enduring commitment to promoting and sharing Italian history and cultural heritage in Vermont. The Leahys have been VICA members since...
Who is your favorite Italian American in history? Whether it be an athlete (Joe DiMaggio), founding father (William Paca, signer of the Declaration of Independence), actor (Robert Di Niro), singer (John Francis Bongiovi Jr. aka Jon Bon Jovi), scientist (Enrico Fermi, father of nuclear science in America), explorer (Amerigo Vespucci who our continen...
Mark Consorte was feted as West Haven’s Italian American of the Year at the Greater New Haven Italian American Heritage Festival on the city’s historic Green on Saturday, Oct. 12. Consorte, a longtime social studies teacher and department head at West Haven High School, served double duty as the festival’s grand marshal and the city’s top Italian. ...