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On the occasion of Italian Research Day in the World (Giornata della Ricerca Italiana nel Mondo, or GRIM for short), the Embassy of Italy in Washington, together with the Italian consular network and the Italian Cultural Institutes in the United States, has promoted a series of initiatives to highlight the contribution of Italian research at the gl...

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The American Italian Cultural Society is best known for its monthly spaghetti dinners and for throwing one of the Joliet area's biggest weekend summer festivals every August. But now there's even more news to share. In recent weeks, the Italian club underwent its most extensive remodeling project since it opened back in 1988. The new bar and new...

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A suburban woman is marking a milestone many of us may never reach: 107 years old. Nancy Rossi, born April 10, 1918, in Chicago, has lived through two world wars, the Spanish flu, and 19 different U.S. presidents. But it’s her passion for dancing that she credits with keeping her youthful. "When I hear music, my feet does not stay still. I think da...

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Among the most distinctive landmarks in Chicago's northwest suburbs is Niles' unexpected Leaning Tower. This architectural curiosity is a precise half-scale version of Italy's famous Pisa tower, rising 94 feet tall with a 28-foot diameter and leaning a significant 7.4 feet, according to the town's website. But what led to this striking Italian trib...

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The middle of five children, Mark Evangelista was born in Wheaton, Illinois, to Mark and Suzanne Logan Evangelista. His great-grandparents emigrated from the Abruzzo region. Evangelista grew up close to his large extended family. “We were always by family,” he says. “Sundays were either at our house, Grandma’s or my aunt’s house.” His aunt and gran...

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For nearly 60 years, the Manzella family has cooked Italian food in Champaign. Before he opened his own restaurant, Frank Manzella made pizzas at the old KAMS, using his own recipe. His from-scratch pizza was so popular that he started his own business, first selling home-baked pizzas out of his vehicle. He opened his first brick-and-mortar restaur...

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From June 18 to 30, Arvedo Arvedi will return to Chicago for his solo exhibition “LINGUAGGI DIVERSI – Antiche Memorie” (Different Languages – Ancient Memories), hosted by the Mooney Foundation. This is a return to his artistic roots in a city he calls “my artistic home,” where, thirty years ago, he began his international career alongside John Davi...

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Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (CGS), Italy’s longest-running traditional music ensemble, will mark its 50th anniversary with a U.S. tour in spring 2025. The tour, running through March and April, includes performances in Chicago, New York City, and appearances at both the Big Ears and Savannah Music Festivals. Founded in 1975 by writer Rina Durant...

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This year, Anichini Brothers celebrates 100 years of their family-operated business. The company has grown from a small grocery store with prime cuts of meat and high-quality sausages to a wholesale food-distribution company based at 545 N. Wells St. in Chicago. Silvio Anichini started the business with his brothers after emigrating from Lucca, in...

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“I always say I was born here, but my heart was truly born in Italy.” Those are the words of Anna Izzo, who studied in Italy, traveled the country extensively, and now teaches Italian at Elk Grove High School in suburban Chicago. Izzo, who calls herself “a student at heart,” holds several degrees. She has undergraduate degrees in Italian, Spanish a...

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