D’Andrea helps Oklahoma National Guard plan Thunderbird Trail to honor WWII vets
Eighty-two years ago, the Allied invasion of Italy began in Sicily. The operation preceded landings at Salerno in the Campania region, and with it the push to take Rome. In May, leaders of the Oklahoma National Guard revisited that same terrain along with Oklahoma State University Department of History professor David D’Andrea. Stopping at sites i...
Seven Hills to host Italian sister city with gala event
Mayor Simone Costanzo of Coreno Ausonio, Italy, is coming to Seven Hills. The mayor of the Italian municipality will be hosted by his sister city counterpart, Seven Hills Mayor Anthony D. Biasiotta, at a special gala event Aug. 2 at the Community Recreation Center. The upcoming international visit so far has exceeded Biasiotta’s expectations.“Worki...
The case of the pink Gronchi: how a mistake turned a stamp into a collector's item
In the panorama of Italian philately, stamp collecting, there is a representative case in which an error led to the birth of one of the most sought-after collectibles. This is the Gronchi rosa, a postage stamp issued by the Italian postal service on April 3, 1961, and withdrawn almost immediately from circulation because of a graphic error concerni...
We Have a New Home!
Dear Friends of the Italian American Veterans Museum,Great news! The Italian American Veterans Museum has landed at its new location in Addison, Illinois. And better yet, we have allies to help us make the transition, including you! We are pleased to announce that we will occupy a splendid new space in a stately 100-year-old building situated acros...
Minneapolis nonprofit takes travelers across rural Italy: ‘Walk with your hearts’
On a brisk spring morning in Rimini, I stood in a hushed cathedral with 11 other hikers, waiting for a bishop’s blessing. Ahead lay days of strenuous trekking through Italy’s mountainous Emilia-Romagna region to the Sanctuary of La Verna, a Franciscan monastery in Tuscany. Together we would climb and descend for 75 miles on paths, some rugged and s...
Forza Campioni, a bocce league for special needs athletes, kicks off season at South Beach (photos)
On a warm Wednesday evening at South Beach, roughly 15 bocce teams gathered not just to kick off their 16 week-season, but to celebrate community, inclusion and the spirit of teamwork. Forza Campioni — meaning “Strength of Champions” in Italian — is more than a bocce league; it’s a family for young adults with intellectual disabilities on Staten Is...
In the Footsteps of Horace: A Visit to Venosa
Venosa is a small town in southern Italy that quietly holds an outsized place in the country’s history and cultural heritage. Located in the northern part of the Basilicata region, it sits roughly halfway between Potenza and Foggia, with the latter being the larger and better-connected city. The town is situated at approximately 400 meters above se...
Italian folk-jazz ensemble Alla Boara bringing unique sound to Rochester
A nationally celebrated ensemble is bringing new life to traditional Italian folk music — and they’re performing right here in Rochester later this month. Alla Boara, known for blending centuries-old Italian folk songs with modern jazz and improvisation, will take the stage at the Garden Vibes series at George Eastman Museum on July 23. Formed near...
Roccasecca: the hidden village in Lazio to discover if you love philosophy
Nestled in the lush hills of the Lazio region, Roccasecca is a beautiful medieval village, one of the most interesting and lesser-known in Central Italy. Far from the crowds of Rome and just two hours away by car, this picturesque town offers a peaceful, authentic Italian experience where history, nature, and culture meet. Located in the wonderful...
N41 Studios launches in Los Angeles: a new film production company redefining the Italian American narrative
A new voice has emerged in the world of cinema: N41 Studios, an independent film production company founded in Los Angeles, is setting out to rewrite how Italian and Italian-American stories are told—boldly, truthfully, and far from cliché. Born from the collaboration between producers Emanuele Scamardella and Davide Ippolito, with the extraordinar...
How an Italian scientist is bringing fusion energy closer to reality
In 1951, American physicist Lyman Spitzer introduced a bold idea: a magnetic device capable of trapping superhot plasma to replicate the power of the Sun here on Earth. He called it the “stellarator,” aiming to harness nuclear fusion as a clean, safe, and virtually limitless energy source. But the concept was far ahead of its time—too complex to bu...
Terry Francona gets his 2,000th managerial win as the Reds beat the Rockies 4-2
Terry Francona has added another milestone to his impressive career. Francona became the 13th manager in major league history to reach 2,000 wins when the Cincinnati Reds beat the Colorado Rockies 4-2 on Sunday. “I don’t think I’ve ever tried to delude myself. I mean some of those names up there are kind of like baseball royalty,” Francona said. “I...