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Celebrating Women History Month Live from Italy: Meet Italian Real Estate Guru Nikki Taylor For Women’s History Month, join us on Tuesday, March 15 at 7 pm as Nikki Taylor, an Italian Real Estate Guru and CEO of Italy Property Consulting, shares her invaluable expertise when it comes to buying property in Italy. Nikki will walk us through the real-life scenarios of purchasing overseas. She will share the best spots to invest in Italy right now and why it is crucial to obtain independent specialist advice when thinking of purchasing property in Italy. If you are thinking of making the leap and purchasing a home to live “la dolce vita,” this is an event you won’t want to miss. -
“Festa della Repubblica”: How Italy Became a Republic Presented by Francesco Ranci The “Festa della Repubblica” is celebrated on June 2nd because on that very day, in 1946, the Italian people went to the polls. For the first time after 20 years of Fascism, after World War II had largely destroyed the country, they had an important choice to make. “Monarchia” or “Repubblica” ? Women were also allowed to vote, for the first time in Italian history, and so they did. Credit is usually given to Alcide De Gasperi for the remarkably consequential decision to call the entire population to a vote on such a huge and controversial issue. The choice was “Repubblica” by a close margin, and King Umberto II went into exile. In this presentation, we will look into the significance of this turning point in Italian history, for internal stability and international prestige. The message De Gasperi wanted to convey through the June 2nd referendum was that Italy could, and should be considered a trustworthy partner by the U.S. and their allies, now facing the Cold War against the Soviet Union. In 1950, official celebrations included the Italian Army’s parade in Rome. In 1961, the parade was joined by the “Frecce Tricolori”. -
Bye-Bye Winter … Hello Spring!
Learn the best gardening tips for getting your garden ready for the season!
In this short presentation, professional Landscape Designer and Garden Coach Carmen De Vito shares her best advice for preparing your garden for a successful growing season. Whether you have a small plot or an acre of space, you will learn gardening practices that will boost your confidence. You will be able to plan and plant a garden that brings you joy and is good for you and for the environment.
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Discover the surprising backstories behind some of our most cherished holiday traditions from Saint Nicholas (Babbo Natale) and the nativity to candy canes and Christmas lights. We’ll explore how both the pagan and Christian magically merged into the holiday that we celebrate today as well as a few less familiar uniquely Italian customs such as the Epiphany and wearing red underwear! Intrigued?!? Andiamo! Join us, and let’s celebrate Natale and Capodanno together. Award-winning author, lecturer and photographer, Carla Gambescia, will be our guide to the holiday festivities! -
Celebrating Dante Alighieri: Spectacular Illustrations of Dante's Inferno Presented by Dr. Snjezana Smodlaka
Much has been said about the great influence and impact that Dante Alighieri’s masterpiece - Divine Comedy - had on the Italian language and on Italian and world literature. Dante’s decision to write not in Latin, but in the dialect of his native Florence, contributed to the linguistic unification of Italy several centuries before its political unification. In addition, the literary value of Dante’s masterpiece inspired many writers and poets around the world.
Less is mentioned about artworks inspired by Dante’s trilogy. Many painters, sculptors and composers, throughout centuries, were emotionally and artistically affected and moved by the episodes in Divine Comedy, especially the tragic destiny of sinners in Hell, the place of immense, eternal pain and suffering. Perhaps Dante never envisioned that his picturesque descriptions would be transferred to another media such as drawing, painting, sculpture and music.
In this presentation, we will see some of the most remarkable episodes from Hell, illustrated by artists from the 15th to 20th century: Botticelli, Zuccaro, Sardano, Dore’, Blake, Rodin and Dali. Dante’s poetic words inspired their creative imagination, and they depicted faithfully and in detail Dante’s vision of Hell’s horrors and his emotional reaction
Presented in partnership with:
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Celebrating the Neapolitan Presepio A Christmas Tradition in the Italian American Community by Anita Sanseverino & Lou Barrella Get ready to begin the Holy Day Season at Casa Belvedere! Explore the origins of the Neapolitan Presepio tradition and its endurance by talented artisans who create this art form, both of old and of today. This lecture and video presentation will feature photos taken in the shops of Via San Gregorio Armeno in Naples, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and in churches and homes throughout the metropolitan area. They portray a variety of expression that keeps the Presepio a vibrant symbol of Christmas. Appropriate music sung by Renata Tebaldi, Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, among others, will enhance your visual enjoyment. -
Umbria and Valnerina – Cascia, Norcia, Castelluccio and More With Anne RobichaudDo you know what a norcineria offers? Ever tasted the famous “lost beans” of the Valnerina? Ever heard of Preci and a curiosity that makes it famous? Enjoy this visit to Umbria’s captivating Valnerina (Nera River Valley) area, famous for black truffles, lentils prized by the Slow Food Foundation, pecorino cheeses, prosciutto di Norcia - and much more! The tour starts with the inviting late-January Cascia festivities and then head to Norcia, a medieval mountain gem and birthplace of St. Benedict in the 5th century. Not far away, the Piano Grande ("Great Plain”) spreads out below the medieval castle-village Castelluccio, devastated in the October 2016 earthquake. Anne’s talk was recorded live from Italy and will have you ready for your next trip to our bellissima Umbria. -
A Mangiare: A Cultural History for Foodies. with Carla Gambescia Test your knowledge about Italian cuisine while discovering little-known facts and the origin stories behind some of the Italian cuisine's most iconic ingredients and dishes. An interactive and entertaining "salon" exploring Italy's culinary heritage from antiquity to the present day. Even the most sophisticated Italophile and foodie will come away with new insights! -
Trivia Night – A Carnevale Evening in Venice, with Carla Gambescia Venice, the most enchanting and improbable of cities, has given us many "gifts” such as Mardi Gras, the delicious Bellini cocktail, delectable carpaccio served in fine restaurants – and so much more! In an engaging question-and-answer virtual session led by award-winning author and cultural expert Carla Gambescia, discover little-known backstories of the canal city often called La Serenissima; its opulent, often decadent, and captivating history; and the inventiveness of its residents. Carla is author of “La Dolce Vita University: An Unconventional Guide to Italian Culture from A to Z,” a Silver Prize winner of Best Travel Book of the Year. The book is an eclectic compendium of all things Italian and a joyful celebration of why we love Italy and, of course, Venice! -
Italy: The World’s Lifestyle Superpower Italians have always been masters of reinvention. In this fascinating exploration of post World War II Italy, we will explore how the country rose from the ashes and devastation to transform from the face of Il Duce to La Dolce Vita, and how “Brand Italy” came to conquer the world through its passion and excellence in the realms of film, fashion and design, gastronomy, and viticulture. The program will be presented virtually by lecturer and award-winning author Carla Gambescia, who has been an advertising and marketing executive, entrepreneur and restaurateur. She co-created the Giro del Gelato bike tour which won OUTSIDE Magazine’s "Best Trip in Western Europe." -
La Settimana Santa: Holy Week and Easter Traditions Presented by Anne RobichaudIn Assisi on Good Friday night, locals and clergy begin La Processione del Cristo Morto, beginning at the Cathedral of San Rufino and following a statue of the Sorrowful Mother to the Basilica di San Francesco, where La Madonna meets her Son.On Easter Sunday, Umbrians feast (logicamente!) on “Blessed Food” before Mass. A decadent breakfast includes robust red wine; Torta di Pasqua, a savory cheese bread, often topped with homemade salami, prosciutto and/or capocollo; hard-boiled eggs drizzled with the family’s olive oil and a bit of lemon juice squeezed on top; and sweet cakes with sprinkles. The ingredients used to make these foods are blessed by local priests on Holy Saturday afternoon, making them literally “Blessed Foods.”This presentation was recorded live from Assisi to explore ancient traditions connected to Holy Week. -
Celebrating Dante Alighieri: The man, the era he lived in, and his impact on Western civilization Presented by Prof. Louis Leonini Homer, Dante and Shakespeare are considered giants of world literature. Of all three, however, Dante's Divine Comedy is considered one of the greatest literary masterpieces of all time. In this lecture, Professor Louis Leonini will defend this critique as he takes you back in time to explore Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), his romantic poetry, his study of Italian dialects (De Vulgari), and Florentine Italian - which later became what is now called Standard Italian. We can often judge a man and his work by his admirers. The professor will tell how Boccaccio and Michelangelo idolized Dante, and Petrarch, Chaucer, Milton, and Shelley were strongly influenced by him. Botticelli made drawings for the Divine Comedy, and William Blake (a 19th century English romantic poet) actually learned Italian so he could read Dante's great work in the original. This lecture will examine what motivated Dante's great work, how it was written, and its impact even today, 700 years after his death.
