https://www.wetheitalians.com/default https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/interested-italian-history-learn-more-lecture-series-metairie https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/interested-italian-history-learn-more-lecture-series-metairie Sat, 27 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000 A series of lectures on the early history of Italy, by Cyril M. Lagvanec, Ph.D., the curator of the American-Italian Research Library , will take place during June, July and August. Each lecture occurs at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. Each begins at 7 p.m. June 5 — In the first lecture, Lagvanec will focus on the Revolution of 1848 and the First War of Italian Unification, 1848-1849.  July 17 — The topic is the Second War of Italian Unification and the creation of a modern Italy, 1859-1870. Aug. 14 — The final topic is the Hellenistic Age from Alexander to Cl...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/photographer-valerio-geraci-arkansas https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/photographer-valerio-geraci-arkansas Fri, 26 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000 The museum was happy to host researcher and photographer Valerio Geraci originally from Palermo, Italy, now residing in Paris, France. Valerio arrived in America and began his travels through the south documenting Italian communities for his book, starting in Little Italy, AR and then from Tontitown he journeyed to Lake Village, AR and onwards out of Arkansas, with plans for future visits. During this visit we spent time at the museum taking photos and chatting about Tontitown and what makes our story unique. While driving through town we stopped at the old Morsani house on Mantegani Road, whi...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/volunteers-getting-ready-italian-festival https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/volunteers-getting-ready-italian-festival Thu, 11 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Live music, vender booths and lots of Italian food are being readied as volunteers worked to finalize preparations for the 51st McAlester Italian Festival. It's set for Friday, May 12, and Saturday, May 13, at the Southeast Expo Center, with free admission to the festival and vender booth sites. Once again this year, there will be no festival on Sunday, so volunteers can have am opportunity to spend time with with their families on Mother Day. Plans call for the festival to open on Friday, May 12, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. It officially opens again on Saturday, May 13, at 10 a.m. and is expect...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/first-annual-festa-italiana-historic-downtown-bryan-texas https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/first-annual-festa-italiana-historic-downtown-bryan-texas Wed, 10 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000 As Mayor Bobby Gutierrez likes to say, “Leave Bryan better than you found it,” and the local Italian community in Bryan, Texas, is doing just that!  Owner of Zeitman’s Grocery, Blake Zeitman, is helping plan the first annual Festa Italiana, a food and heritage festival celebrating Bryan’s rich Italian culture. In the late 1880s, Italian-owned businesses in the area began to grow after a large influx of Sicilian immigrants settled in the Brazos Bottoms in search of fertile land and a shared community. Today, the small town in the heart of the Brazos Valley in eastern central Texas is proud to...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/april-1862-when-italian-brigade-saved-new-orleans https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/april-1862-when-italian-brigade-saved-new-orleans Fri, 28 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000 During April 25th to May 1st of 1862, the Italian Brigade of New Orleans which consisted of former Italian Soldiers was chosen to police the city of New Orleans during the transition to the Union occupation. During that week, Algiers was looted and burned. The Italian Brigade kept order in the French Quarter. The Italian Brigade of New Orleans in 1862 numbered 286 police officers. The Bersaglieri Society was formed in New Orleans in 1870. Many are buried in Metairie Cemetery on Italian row. The Bersaglieri, are a troop of marksmen in the Italian Army's infantry corps. They were originally crea...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/iap-276-confederates-famiglia-italian-aamerican-family-mystery https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/iap-276-confederates-famiglia-italian-aamerican-family-mystery Fri, 28 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000 An Italian American with Confederates in the famiglia? The branches of our family trees often contain mysteries and secrets that are lost until future generations decide to investigate them. This is precisely the case with this week’s episode as we talk with Joe Elia, one of the delegates to the inaugural Italian American Future Leaders Conference. Joe explains that during his genealogical sleuthing, he discovered that one of his ancestors was a post-Unification Bourbon prisoner of war who was sent to serve with the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Our Bourbon history expert, Lo...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/kenner-festa-italiana-2023-italian-heritage-festival https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/kenner-festa-italiana-2023-italian-heritage-festival Fri, 07 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000 April 21 - April 22, 2023. Most visitors only know Kenner, Louisiana from the street signs near the Louis Armstrong International Airport, on their way in to New Orleans. Little do they know that it is one of the state’s richest areas of Italian heritage! “The city of Kenner at one time was the center of the community for many Italian families,” said Nick Congemi, Retired Kenner Police Chief and Chair of Festa Italiana. The family-reunion-style day was inspired by the customs shared by many Kenner residents. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the 2022 festival was cancelled. This year, it return...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/sam-grecos-mom-prayed-st-francis-son-hes-now-giving-saints-statue-san-antonio https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/sam-grecos-mom-prayed-st-francis-son-hes-now-giving-saints-statue-san-antonio Tue, 04 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Sam Greco’s mother was blessed with two daughters and desired a son.  After five miscarriages, she prayed to San Francesco di Paola, the patron saint of Italians and Italian-Americans. She said if she could carry a child to full term, she would dress her son as a monk each Sunday for five years. And she did. “She made the promise — like an Italian mother would — and the son had to carry it out for her,” said Linda Kohnen, 76, Greco’s friend. Kohnen said the saint has long been the source of miracles for Greco and his family. The retired Italian-American businessman is now sharing his faith wit...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/iap-272-we-stand-shoulders-monument-sicilian-sugar-cane-harvesters-louisiana https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/iap-272-we-stand-shoulders-monument-sicilian-sugar-cane-harvesters-louisiana Fri, 31 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Louisiana native Charles Marsala has done a lot to promote the history of Italian life in the Bayou State.  From creating hours of documentary videos to a mobile app that provides a free walking tour of over sixty Italian American points of interest in and around the Crescent City, the President of the American Italian Federation of the Southeast never rests in his efforts to promote the immense Italian heritage of his home state. His latest project is one that clearly has a special place in his big Sicilian heart because Charles is one of the many Louisianans who can claim an ancestor amongst...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/bryan-museum-honors-johnny-carrabba-buck-n-ball-award https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/bryan-museum-honors-johnny-carrabba-buck-n-ball-award Wed, 29 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Dignitaries, elected officials, bankers and other luminaries from Galveston County and Houston gathered Friday and Saturday to honor restaurateur Johnny Carrabba III as this year’s “Buck N’ Ball” award winner in an event at The Bryan Museum celebrating the Italian-American contribution to Texas history. Teamwork, staying hungry, perseverance and family all were keys to his success, Carrabba said during a question-and-answer session Friday with J.P. Bryan, founder of the museum, 1315 21st St.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/emilia-romagna-texas-open-new-bridge-us https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/emilia-romagna-texas-open-new-bridge-us Wed, 29 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Emilia-Romagna is in Houston, Texas, to open a new bridge to the United States, where the region's exports have registered +74.6 percent in the last three years and a positive trade balance between exports and imports of more than 9 billion euros.In the great city of Texas - a state that if it were a nation would represent the ninth largest economy in the world - the institutional system mission of the Region has begun together with innovative companies and startups, particularly in the aerospace sector, large Groups such as Dallara Automobili, Barilla and Technogym, Universities, Research Cen...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/st-josephs-day-weekend-new-orleans-louisiana https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/st-josephs-day-weekend-new-orleans-louisiana Sun, 19 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 For over 50 years the proud members of the Italian American St. Joseph Society have been marching through the streets of New Orleans in celebration of St. Joseph’s Day… and this incredible event might just be the BEST Italian American weekend in the nation (think Mardi Gras… but for Italian Americans). So grab your fanciest red clothes, because the gang from Greetings From Italian America is back in the Big Easy, preparing the world’s largest bowl of Pasta con le Sarde, and taking our place in the long-awaited return of the Saint Joseph’s DayParade through the historic French Quarter of New Or...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/celebrate-feast-day-st-joseph-churches-or-home-your-own-altar https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/celebrate-feast-day-st-joseph-churches-or-home-your-own-altar Sat, 18 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Soon enough, if not already, fig cookies, lemons and fava beans will adorn pied St. Joseph Altars at local Catholic churches to celebrate the feast day of the saint. The tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, when the people of Sicily commemorated the end of a drought-caused famine. The islanders attributed the abundant rain and crops to prayers to St. Joseph, and a celebration grew into a tradition. People would supply the altars with grains, fish, sweets, flowers, meatless Sicilian dishes and religious articles to give thanks for the intercession of St. Joseph. Sicilian immigrants brought...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/iap-270-celebrating-st-joseph-altars-history-recipes-and-symbols-new-orleans-tradition-special-guest-sandra-scalise-juneau https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/iap-270-celebrating-st-joseph-altars-history-recipes-and-symbols-new-orleans-tradition-special-guest-sandra-scalise-juneau Fri, 17 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Buona festa di San Giuseppe, everyone! This week’s episode takes us to New Orleans, where our guest, Sandra Scalise Juneau, introduces us to Louisiana’s very special commemoration of one of Italian America’s most beloved holidays… St. Joseph’s Day! Sandra is the author of “Celebrating with St. Joseph Altars: The History, Recipes, and Symbols of a New Orleans Tradition,” which tells the story of how these altars came into being, why the New Orleans Italian community is so dedicated to honoring St. Joseph, and how this Italian American devotion continues to grow and evolve in Louisiana and throu...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/columbus-gone-statue-saint-take-its-place-piazza-italia-park https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/columbus-gone-statue-saint-take-its-place-piazza-italia-park Thu, 16 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Three years after a statue of explorer Christoper Columbus was vandalized and ordered removed from a downtown park, a new statue will go up in its place. The new statue of a Catholic saint, which was sought by a retired construction company executive, will be erected on the pedestal where the Columbus statue stood in what used to be known as Columbus Park. Approved by the Historic and Design Review Commission on Wednesday, the 6-foot bronze statue of St. Francesco di Paola, commissioned and financed by Sam Greco, will be installed on the 5-foot-tall pedestal left bare when a city crew removed...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/st-josephs-day-traditions-trumpet-his-protective-role https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/st-josephs-day-traditions-trumpet-his-protective-role Thu, 16 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 I’m pretty sure that almost everyone who lives in the New Orleans area has heard of and or visited a St. Joseph altar. But, for those of us who are Catholic and Italian, St. Joseph’s Altars are steeped with family tradition, delicious food, recipes handed down through the generations and an anticipation of visiting various churches to view the beautiful offerings to St. Joseph. Growing up, my mother would make the traditional altar cookies, and we would always pray to St. Joseph in a special way. Once we settled in the New Orleans area, we started visiting altars at local churches. It wasn’t u...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/roman-landscapes-visions-nature-and-myth-rome-and-pompeii https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/roman-landscapes-visions-nature-and-myth-rome-and-pompeii Wed, 15 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii is the first exhibition in the United States to explore landscape scenes as a striking new genre of ancient Roman art. These works depict a fascinating, yet imaginary vision of a countryside dotted with seaside villas and rural shrines, where gods and mythological heroes mingle with travelers, herdsmen, and worshippers. The exhibition features sixty-five wall paintings, sculptures, mosaics, and cameo glass and silver vessels created in Roman Italy between 100 BC and AD 250.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/taste-italy-coming-dickinson-weekend https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/taste-italy-coming-dickinson-weekend Wed, 15 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 If you're wanting to know more about Italian culture then Dickinson is the place you want to be this weekend. On Saturday, the city is hosting its 4th annual "Dickinson Little Italy Festival of Galveston County." There will be a huge market at the festival featuring more than 30 vendors who will be offering an assortment of food, information and wares.  The event, which is FREE to attend, will have plenty of activities and attractions that will make you feel like you just took a flight to Italy, including: Grape stomping competition; Spaghetti eating contest; Bocce ball tournament; Authentic I...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/post-war-italian-culture-both-new-orleans-and-sicily-stars-2-new-local-books https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/post-war-italian-culture-both-new-orleans-and-sicily-stars-2-new-local-books Tue, 14 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Two local authors, Elisa Speranza and Vincent B. “Chip” LoCoco, will talk about their new books at 7 p.m. March 22, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. The Italian Prisoner - By Elisa Speranza Set in 1943 New Orleans, the book follows Rose Marino, who lives with her Sicilian immigrant parents and helps in the family grocery store. Her older brother and sister both joined the Army, and Rose prays for their safety as World War II rages overseas.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/how-one-rural-town-became-louisianas-little-italy-it-was-just-big-part-life https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/how-one-rural-town-became-louisianas-little-italy-it-was-just-big-part-life Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Louisiana’s cultural heritage is often characterized by its French roots, with its common family names like “Thibodeaux" and “Hebert,” etc. And parts of the state are known for their Creole, African or even Spanish influences, like architecture in the French Quarter. But what’s less well known is the prominent Italian population residing in Southeast Louisiana. Tangipahoa Parish, for example, houses the largest rural Italian population in the United States, according to Sam Hyde, director of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies at Southeastern Louisiana University.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/duncanville-delegates-visiting-italian-sister-city-june https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/duncanville-delegates-visiting-italian-sister-city-june Wed, 08 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 A delegation of Duncanville travelers and friends are planning a trip to Italy in June. They will enjoy an event-packed visit to their Sister City, Monasterolo di Savigliano, in northern Italy. The trip marks the 26th anniversary of the Sister City relationship and cultural exchange program between these two small cities over 5,000 miles apart. Delegates visiting Monasterolo di Savigliano will depart on June 12 and return June 24. While in Italy, they will stay in the homes of local host families where they are treated “like family.” They will be taken on tours of local businesses, cathedrals,...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-american-community-san-antonio https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-american-community-san-antonio Tue, 07 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Italian immigrants began arriving in San Antonio in the 1870s. By 1890 a number of families had established an Italian neighborhood northwest of downtown. In April of that year a small group gathered together in a fruit store at the corner of Commerce Street and Plaza de Armas to organize a benevolent association. They obtained a charter for the Christopher Columbus Italian Society on May 14, 1890. Meeting in a variety of locations, the society conducted a fund-raising campaign and in 1926 purchased property at the corner of Morales (now Piazza Italia) and Concho (now Columbus) streets. Part o...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/exhibition-showcasing-artwork-ancient-rome-debuts-san-antonio-museum-art-week https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/exhibition-showcasing-artwork-ancient-rome-debuts-san-antonio-museum-art-week Sun, 26 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000 The San Antonio Museum of Art's latest exhibition features 65 wall paintings, sculptures, mosaics, silver vessels and pieces of cameo glass created in Roman Italy between 100 B.C. and A.D. 250. "Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii" aims to introduce visitors to the cultural and archaeological contexts of Roman art, demonstrating ancient Romans' perspectives on the natural world, their relationships with the gods and the empire's political and social upheaval.Many of the pieces are on loan from museums in Italy, France and Germany and are being shown in the U.S. f...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/new-orleans-2023-mardi-gras-honor-sienas-historic-palio https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/new-orleans-2023-mardi-gras-honor-sienas-historic-palio Mon, 20 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000 New Orleans and Siena are, in many ways, spiritual sister cities. The Palio and Carnival are both important civic rituals that bring their communities together in celebration. Just as the foundation of Mardi Gras is religious, celebrated on the day before Ash Wednesday, the same is true for the Palio, as each race is run on a feast day honoring the Virgin Mary. Just as Siena is a city of neighborhoods, so too is New Orleans. Serendipitously, Siena is divided into 17 contrade, just as New Orleans is partitioned into 17 wards. The floats of Rex’s 2023 Parade artistically represent each of Siena’...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/sicily-louisiana-memory https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/sicily-louisiana-memory Sat, 18 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000 My mother's father's father, Francesco Bruscato of Vicari Sicily, came to America twice. Once at age 18 in 1900 through Ellis Island in steerage with his 15-year-old sister, and a friend whose last name was Zagone. There were 1,300 other Sicilians on the boat pictured. He arrived in America with $4.00 to get from New York to Clarks, where his sponsor was waiting and a job at the sawmill. He worked for 6 years, saved his money, and in 1906 he returned to Sicily to find his bride, Benedetta Pollina. They returned in 1907 through New Orleans. The couple had $42.00, which was more than many of the...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/monument-sicilian-sugarcane-harvester-immigrants https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/monument-sicilian-sugarcane-harvester-immigrants Thu, 09 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Donations have launched our Fundraising Campaign to erect the 16' High Monument to the Sicilian Sugar Cane Harvester. Please Place Your Order Here. Sixty-Thousand Sicilians were recruited to work in Louisiana's Sugar Cane fields from 1870-1920. We have started fundraising for a 12' high monument to be placed on a 4' pedestal to honor those whose shoulders we stand on. Please click here to see a video on the Sicilian Sugarcane Harvester. Location is Houmas House & Gardens on 35 acres in Darrow Louisiana. Houmas House has the adjoining 30,000 square foot Great River Road Museum, which has a disp...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/judge-robin-m-giarrusso-announces-retirement-civil-district-court-bench https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/judge-robin-m-giarrusso-announces-retirement-civil-district-court-bench Thu, 02 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000 The Honorable Robin M. Giarrusso – the Judge of Orleans Parish Civil District Court Division G – announced her intention to retire, effective May 1, 2023, following the completion of her landmark 35th year on the bench. Judge Giarrusso first took office on April 29, 1988 and served as Civil District Court’s Chief Judge from 1998-2000. She will retire as the second most senior state court judge in Louisiana. “These last 35 years on the bench have been incredibly fulfilling,” said Judge Giarrusso. “I am proud of running an efficient docket, being accessible, and being a mentor to younger lawyers...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/lake-villages-annual-spaghetti-dinner-tradition-began-1896 https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/lake-villages-annual-spaghetti-dinner-tradition-began-1896 Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000 The Ladies Altar Society of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church (Lake Village, AR) are in full swing preparing for this year’s annual spaghetti dinner which will be held Sunday March 5th. This will be the 113th annual event hosted by the Altar Society. This very society was formed in 1910 to officially make the Spaghetti Dinner a part of the Catholic Church’s outreach mission to introduce everyone to their faith in Jesus Christ. This event features original recipes handed down by the Italians of Sunnyside immigrants who arrived in the Arkansas Delta in 1895. Everything is made from scratch in...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/jewish-life-rome-three-chapters https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/jewish-life-rome-three-chapters Mon, 16 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000 When: Fri, January 20, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM CST - Where: ICCC Houston 1101 Milford St Houston, TX 77006 United States Each year on January 27, the United Nations remembers the many people of Jewish origin affected by the Holocaust and this day is officially called the "International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust" (Il Giorno della Memoria).
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/michelangelos-sistine-chapel-recreates-creation-adam-oklahoma-city https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/michelangelos-sistine-chapel-recreates-creation-adam-oklahoma-city Fri, 23 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000 The trend of immersive art experiences has found its way to Oklahoma, inspiring visitors to experience iconic masterpieces that have been revitalized to capture attention and draw in larger audiences. Sailor & The Dock is hosting an immersive art show, titled “Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition,” which has come to Oklahoma City for a limited time, showcasing the Italian master’s renowned artwork. The exhibition features life-size replicas of 33 of Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes, art pieces that he painted onto wet plaster. While the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City is...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/heart-and-soul-lenardo-remembered-longtime-mcalester-italian-festival-organizer https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/heart-and-soul-lenardo-remembered-longtime-mcalester-italian-festival-organizer Thu, 22 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Longtime Italian Festival organizer Bob "Bobby" Lenardo, of McAlester, is being remembered as a man who worked tirelessly for the annual event that celebrates the Italian heritage of the McAlester and Krebs area. Lenardo, 69, of McAlester, died Saturday, Dec. 10, at McAlester Regional Health Center. He's closely identified with the McAlester Italian Festival, serving as a member of the Festival Committee for 28 years, including eight years as chairman.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/sicilian-sugarcane-harvester-monument-italian-american-federation-se https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/sicilian-sugarcane-harvester-monument-italian-american-federation-se Tue, 13 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000 American-Italian Federation of the Southeast has started the Fundraising Campaign to erect the 16' High Monument to the Sicilian Sugar Cane Harvester. Sixty-Thousand Sicilians were recruited to work in Louisiana's Sugar Cane fields from 1870-1920. We have started fundraising for a 12' high monument to be placed on a 4' pedestal to honor those whose shoulders we stand on. Location is Houmas House & Gardens on 35 acres in Darrow Louisiana. Houmas House has the adjoining 30,000 square foot Great River Road Museum, which has a display on the history of the Louisiana along the Mississippi River and...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/welcome-new-italian-consul-general-houston-tx https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/welcome-new-italian-consul-general-houston-tx Fri, 09 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Mauro Lorenzini is the new Italian Consul General in Houston. Mauro Lorenzini is an Italian diplomat with 24 years of experience in the field of international relations. Born in Livorno in 1967, he graduated in Political Science fom the University "Cesare Alfieri" of Florence in 1993 and joined the Italian Foreign Service in December 1998. Between 1998 and 2000 he worked at the Directorate General for Multilateral Political Affairs and Human Rights. Between 2000 and 2004 he served at the Consulate in Newark, as vicar of the Head of Mission. Subsequently, from 2004 to 2008 he was assigned to th...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/unico-nationals-celebrates-99th-annual-convention-presents-special-achievement-award-espn-chairman-james-pitaro-gala https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/unico-nationals-celebrates-99th-annual-convention-presents-special-achievement-award-espn-chairman-james-pitaro-gala Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 UNICO National, the largest Italian American Service Organization in America, held its 99th Annual Convention July 27-30 at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN & Sports Content, received the Special Achievement Award, which was presented by Sal Paolantonio, ESPN national correspondent at the Gala. UNICO National Gala Awards Dinner celebrates the achievements and contributions of Italian Americans in the United States. James Pitaro was named Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content in 2020. In 2018, he was named ESPN president and co-chair, Disney Med...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/law-order-ancient-rome https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/law-order-ancient-rome Fri, 23 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 7 PM. Italian Cultural & Community Center of Houston - 1101 Milford Houston, Texas. Price: $10 ICCC Members | $15 Non-members. Buy tickets here. Roman Law stands at the heart of the Civil Law traditions worldwide, as distinct from the Common Law we know in the United States. The Romans developed their systems of law over many centuries, as Rome grew from a city state to an imperial republic and then later an imperial monarchy ruled by dynasties of emperors. In this lecture, we will explore the differences between our ways of legal thinking on a variety of subject...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/93rd-annual-spaghetti-dinner-october-2nd-11am-3pm https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/93rd-annual-spaghetti-dinner-october-2nd-11am-3pm Sun, 18 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 St. Francis of Assisi 93rd Annual Spaghetti Dinner: Sunday October 2nd. After a 2 year hiatus, the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church Spaghetti Dinner in Little Italy, Arkansas has returned and hope to see you there! ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC CHURCH ADDRESS: 33223 Highway 300, Little Italy, Arkansas 72135. Reserve Now here. The dinner this year is by online reservation only and limited to 600. Please don't delay and reserve your dinner now. You may pay online or at-the-door. Also enjoy Bingo and Kid's booths. Serving from 11:00am - 3:00pm. The dinner is approaching fast and we’re makin...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/symposium-tulane-university-september-23-24-italian-immigrant-experience-between-black-and-white https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/symposium-tulane-university-september-23-24-italian-immigrant-experience-between-black-and-white Wed, 14 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 September 23 - 24, 2022. A symposium sponsored by: The Department of French & Italian at Tulane University and The Calandra Italian American Institute at Queens College/CUNY. The Lavin-Bernick Center Stibbs Room (203). 311 Newcomb Hall, 1229 Broadway, New Orleans, LA. LIvestreaming and in person. Register for the Zoom webinar! Like many other U.S. cities, New Orleans has been plagued by a history of ethnic and racial discrimination, riots, hate crimes, and violations, particularly targeted against the African-American community. Issues of discrimination and violence against Italian Americans i...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/local-author-speak-creole-italian-food-metairie-library https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/local-author-speak-creole-italian-food-metairie-library Sat, 10 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 A local author will be visiting the East Bank Regional Library in Metairie (4747 W Napoleon Ave) to talk about her book, exploring a local nonfiction theme. Elizabeth Williams, founder and president of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, will discuss her "Nana’s Creole Italian Table: Recipes and Stories from Sicilian New Orleans" at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14. "Nana’s Creole Italian Table" tells the story of Sicilian immigrants and their communities through the lens of food, exploring the ways traditional Sicilian dishes such as pasta and olive salad became a part of ― and were in turn chan...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/rep-nicholas-muscarello-helps-independence-italian-cultural-museum https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/rep-nicholas-muscarello-helps-independence-italian-cultural-museum Mon, 05 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 As the Independence Italian Cultural Museum is an important part of our community and has grown to be one of the largest Italian Cultural Museums in the State, State Representative Nicholas Muscarello presented a donation to the museum to help their ongoing marketing efforts. “I am proud to support the efforts of Donnie Orlando, Libby Rose, Larry Calmes, Mayor Jim Paine and their volunteers by donating to help create a new museum brochure, website and promoting their Sotto Le Stelle, Night Under the Stars Dinner on Saturday, Sept. 17,” said Rep. Muscarello. “This museum has an outstanding coll...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-pows-were-sent-new-orleans-world-war-ii-and-love-bloomed-writer-has-story https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-pows-were-sent-new-orleans-world-war-ii-and-love-bloomed-writer-has-story Tue, 30 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Like so many things in New Orleans, the story behind local writer Elisa Speranza’s debut novel, "The Italian Prisoner," (Burgundy Bend Press) begins with a party and food. While attending an event in 2003, Speranza, then a new transplant to the city, was chatting with local chef Joe Faroldi about their mutual Italian American roots when Faroldi shared the unusual meeting of his father and mother during World War II: He was an Italian prisoner of war in Jackson Barracks in the Lower 9th Ward, and she was a local Sicilian American girl living with her family in the French Quarter.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/padua-new-orleans-1970-pipes-find-home https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/padua-new-orleans-1970-pipes-find-home Fri, 05 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000 There are 1,970 pipes, 50 “speaking” stops, 34 pipe “ranks” and even 12 tiny bells, but the 3D musical jigsaw puzzle being pieced together by a team of Italian craftsmen inside Notre Dame Seminary Chapel will coalesce in a pipe organ that both honors the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ French heritage and produces a resonant sound matched to the chapel’s size and acoustics. The new Fratelli Ruffatti pipe organ – designed and built from scratch in Padua, Italy, and then disassembled and shipped, slowly, by boat to New Orleans – will replace a century-old organ that dates to the seminary’s establish...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-celebration-galveston-island-texas-honors-st-john-baptist https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-celebration-galveston-island-texas-honors-st-john-baptist Thu, 21 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Each June, for more than 60 years, dozens of Italian Americans on Galveston Island in Texas have gathered at Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Holy Family Parish in Galveston to honor the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. The annual event carries on a Sicilian tradition of honoring St. John the Baptist for his intercession during a storm that endangered the Sicilian fishing village of Aci Trezza. The villagers were spared. The survivors promised to honor the saint in thanksgiving for their miraculous survival with a celebration. The Galveston events were inspired by this Sicilian tr...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/amon-carter-museum-american-art-showcases-american-artists-love-affair-venetian-glass https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/amon-carter-museum-american-art-showcases-american-artists-love-affair-venetian-glass Sat, 09 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000 During the 19th century, Venice romanced American artists, collectors, and tourists with sparkling glass goblets. The Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth chronicles this seduction with the nationally touring exhibition organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano, now on view through September 11. The exhibition features more than 140 artworks by an array of American artists such as John Singer Sargent, James McNeill Whistler, Robert Frederick Blum, William Merritt Chase, Louise Cox and Thomas Mor...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-culture-in-new-orleans https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-culture-in-new-orleans Tue, 28 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000 The majority of Italian immigrants in New Orleans were from Sicily and started to arrive in large numbers in the 1880s to escape a homeland that had fallen into a corrupt, dangerous, and unlawful state. They arrived in a city where previous Italian immigrants had established a decent-sized community, dating back to the French era. In fact, the Italian-born Henri de Tonti, as part of a French expedition, explored Louisiana even before New Orleans existed and later became a leader in the fledgling colony. A street named after Tonti is still here.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/roman-artisans-created-colorful-new-technique-blowing-glass-2000-years-ago https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/roman-artisans-created-colorful-new-technique-blowing-glass-2000-years-ago Wed, 15 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000 These palm-sized wine cups in the New Orleans Museum of Art's collection were crafted during the time of the Roman Empire, sometime around 100 BCE to 100 CE. Roman craftsmen developed new glass techniques, advancing a craft that had been cultivated over thousands of years in Middle Eastern and Egyptian cultures. Romans invented ways to blow glass on a rod, and developed a technique for the intricate mosaic pattern as shown on these three wine cups. This colorful ornament in green, black, red, white and yellow glass is called “millefiori,” after Italian words for thousand and flowers.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/congratulations-deacon-chris-dorer https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/congratulations-deacon-chris-dorer Tue, 14 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Join us in congratulating Deacon Chris Dorer, who was ordained to the Diaconate for the Diocese of Little Rock by Bishop Anthony Taylor on Saturday. Chris, his wife Samantha and daughter Allison have faithfully served Little Italy for over 40 years. Today, we celebrate the commitment of this servant leader as Deacon Chris continues to serve St. Francis Catholic Church - Little Italy, Arkansas, now as the first vocation produced within the church and community.  In explaining the Ordination to his fellow parishioners, Chris shared from the heart, saying, "concerning my ordination, in a lot of w...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/dallas-celebrated-76th-anniversary-italian-republic-day https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/dallas-celebrated-76th-anniversary-italian-republic-day Thu, 09 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000 The 76th anniversary of the Italian Republic, "Italian National Day", was celebrated in Dallas, Texas. More than 230 participants attended the event, attended by the Consul General of Italy in Houston, the Honorary Consul in Dallas, various Representatives, of the Parliament, CGIE and Comites,of the State of Texas, Local Authorities and the European Chamber of Commerce in America, the Bishop of Dallas, and Italian Associations operating in Texas. In a lively atmosphere, characterized by a spectacular showcase of Italian products represented by Eataly, the place where the celebration took place...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/les-bonano-passionate-new-orleans-based-boxing-manager-and-promoter-dies https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/les-bonano-passionate-new-orleans-based-boxing-manager-and-promoter-dies Tue, 24 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Practically until the end of his life, Les Bonano was engaged in his passion for boxing. Just days before he died Sunday at age 79, Bonano completed negotiations with Don King for Jonathan Guidry of Dulac to fight for the NABF heavyweight championship on June 11 in Miami. “I’m not doing too good, but we were able to make the deal because King likes talking to me,” Bonano said last week. It was the way Bonano wanted it. “His doctor kept asking him why didn’t he just relax and retire,” Kaitlyn Redondo said of her grandfather, who suffered from kidney problems for the past year that had him in an...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/food-fun-and-music-italian-festival-preps-50th-anniversary-celebration https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/food-fun-and-music-italian-festival-preps-50th-anniversary-celebration Thu, 12 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Much more than food will be available at the McAlester Italian Festival’s 50th Anniversary celebration — although there will be plenty of food, too. Everything from music to arts and crafts, a car show, carnival and helicopter rides are part of this year’s event. This year’s two-day festival is set for Friday and Saturday, May 13-14, at the Southeast Expo Center and the Pittsburg County Fairgrounds, with the festival starting in the morning and continuing into the night. It marks the first time the Italian Festival has been held in three years, with the 2020 and 2021 festivals canceled due to...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/ancient-roman-sculpture-likely-looted-during-wwii-turns-texas-goodwill https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/ancient-roman-sculpture-likely-looted-during-wwii-turns-texas-goodwill Mon, 09 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000 An antiques seller for about a decade, Laura Young knows what it means to sift through piles of objects in the hopes of finding one unique item. But an August 2018 trip to a Texas thrift store exceeded her expectations on almost every level. When Young first noticed a marble bust under a table at an Austin Goodwill store, she was captivated by its aesthetic. The sculpture weighed roughly 50 pounds. “Clearly old,” she tells Matt Largey of KUT 90.5. “The hairstyle … looked kind of Greco-Roman. And he was gorgeous—he looked great.”
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/nola-council-member-harris-issues-misinformation-press-release-renaming-tivoli-place-park https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/nola-council-member-harris-issues-misinformation-press-release-renaming-tivoli-place-park Wed, 27 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000 New Orleans City Council through Lesli Harris’s office was issued a misinformation Press Release to deflect from the council’s retaliation to the Italian Community along with missed opportunities to honor US Military and increase New Orleans Tourism. Most local and national media were complicate in reporting the misinformation. Some tried to make sense of the improperly written Ordinance 33,687.   New Orleans City Council Ordinance 33,687 clearly states Tivoli Circle is being renamed numerous times. The slide on the monitor at the City Council meeting read: “An Ordinance to change the name of...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/passport-mission-new-orleans-la-may-11-12 https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/passport-mission-new-orleans-la-may-11-12 Sun, 24 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000 The Consulate General of Italy, located in Houston, will be sending an officer to the AICC in New Orleans in 537 S Peters St. on May 11, 12 to collect biometric data (fingerprints, photo and signature) of Italian citizens interested in obtaining a new passport. This service is for Italian citizens residing in the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Italy (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas). Citizens must be registered with this Consulate and in the Register of Italians residing abroad (A.I.R.E). Citizens must be in compliance with the registration of their vital records (marriage, b...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-festival-returns-tickfaw https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-festival-returns-tickfaw Thu, 21 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000 After almost three years, the wait is over for fans of the Italian Festival and the royalty who were originally chosen in 2019 to represent the 2020 festival. The Italian Festival in Tickfaw will kickoff at 5 p.m. Friday and last through 6 p.m. Sunday, held on the festival grounds on U.S. Highway 51. “We are so excited to finally get to celebrate our Italian heritage after almost three years of not being able to have our festival” said Veda Abene, co-chairperson of the festival and publicity chairperson. “Our royalty certainly deserves this weekend. They have stood by us throughout the pand...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/iconic-and-ancient-italian-structures https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/iconic-and-ancient-italian-structures Tue, 19 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Join us on Tuesday, May 10 at 7 PM for an insightful evening of analyses, health-monitoring, and curating of iconic and ancient Italian structures! Organized by the Italian Cultural & Community Center of Houston - 1101 Milford Houston, Texas 77006. Register here. In this talk, Prof. Roberto Ballarini will provide a glimpse of issues associated with the safety of famous structures including Brunelleschi’s Dome, St. Mark’s Campanile, and the Tower of Pisa. Along the way, he will also highlight the creativity and innovation reflected by modern structures, including (as time allows) Aula Paula VI...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/new-orleans-council-members-helena-moreno-and-leslie-harris-insensitive-italians https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/new-orleans-council-members-helena-moreno-and-leslie-harris-insensitive-italians Sat, 09 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000 On March 26th, 2022, the New Orleans Italian groups hosted an event at Tivoli Circle to honor Italian Aviator Francesco de Pinedo who left Rome, crossed the Atlantic, and landed on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on March 29, 1927.  Two months before Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic Ocean. At the following City Council meeting on April 7th, Council Members Moreno and Harris introduced Ordinance 33, 687 to remove Tivoli Circle as the name of the street and park. This follows a lawsuit by the American-Italian Federation of the Southeast requesting Declaratory Action by the Civil Courts to req...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/nanas-creole-italian-table-new-book-sicilian-cooking-new-orleans-iacc-partner-liz-williams https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/nanas-creole-italian-table-new-book-sicilian-cooking-new-orleans-iacc-partner-liz-williams Mon, 04 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000 The Italy-America Chamber of Commerce South Central couldn’t be more thrilled to share the news: IACC partner and founder of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans, Liz Williams, has published a new cookery book this month, Nana’s Creole Italian Table (LSU Press 2022). Not only is Liz a leading authority on Italian-American cooking in the U.S. She is also the director of the IACC’s New Orleans office, which opened in early 2020. “In a kaleidoscope of flavors and fragrances,” says IACC director Alessia Paolicchi, “Liz Williams reveals Nana Elisabetta’s secrets in marrying authenti...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italians-celebrate-first-crossing-atlantic-air-tivoli-circle https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italians-celebrate-first-crossing-atlantic-air-tivoli-circle Tue, 29 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 The American-Italian Federation of the Southeast celebrated the 95th Anniversary of the historic transatlantic flight of Italian aviator Francesco de Pinedo on Saturday, March 26 at Tivoli Circle. Accompanied by a navigator and a mechanic, de Pinedo began a four-continent flight from Rome and landed a seaplane on the Mississippi River at Canal Street on March 29, 1927 – two months before aviator Charles Lindberg crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Thousands of Italians, the majority of Sicilian descent, lined the Mississippi River to greet de Pinedo. In 1925 de Pinedo had previously flown to Australia...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italians-celebrate-important-anniversary-saturday-tivoli-circle https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italians-celebrate-important-anniversary-saturday-tivoli-circle Sat, 26 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 The American-Italian Federation of the Southeast will celebrate the 99th birthday of Italy’s Air Force as well as the 95th Anniversary of the historic transatlantic flight of renowned Italian aviator Francesco de Pinedo Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m. at Tivoli Circle, commonly known as Lee Circle. Accompanied by a navigator and a fuel man, de Pinedo began a four continent flight from Rome and landed a seaplane on the Mississippi River at Canal Street on March 29, 1927 – a full two months before aviator Charles Lindberg crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Thousands of Italians, the majority of Sicilian...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/st-mary-catholic-church-invites-community-saint-joseph-altar https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/st-mary-catholic-church-invites-community-saint-joseph-altar Sat, 19 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 St. Mary Catholic Church leaders in Orange are inviting the public and parishioners to the Celebration of the Saint Joseph Altar, honoring the Feast Day of St. Joseph. This year’s Altar and Prayers are being dedicated to and for Peace in Ukraine. It will be held Sunday at St. Mary Catholic Church Parish Hall, 912 Cherry Avenue in Orange. The Altar will be open for viewing as early as 8 a.m. Sunday.
The Prayer and Blessing of the Altar will begin at 10:30 a.m. given by the Rev. Joseph P. Daleo, pastor. The Representatives of the Saints will be served at 11 a.m. The General Public begins to be s...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/where-when-see-new-orleans-italian-american-st-josephs-parade https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/where-when-see-new-orleans-italian-american-st-josephs-parade Sat, 19 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 The St. Joseph's Society will celebrate St. Joseph's day with a parade through the French Quarter. The parade starts at 6 p.m. at the Canal and Chartres, then winds it's way through the French Quarter on Saturday, March 19. This year's parade features 16 floats, nine marching bands and plenty of marchers in tuxedos! The parade returns this year after COVID-19 cancelled what would have been the 50th annual St. Joseph's day parade in 2020 and 2021. Louisiana's St. Joseph's Day traditions date back to the Middle Ages, when a devastating famine led Sicilian farmers to pray to St. Joseph for his i...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/guide-st-josephs-day-altars https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/guide-st-josephs-day-altars Thu, 17 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Saturday, March 19, is the Feast Day of St. Joseph, and the lavish altars celebrating the day are truly a feast for the eyes. The altars offered as thanks for relieving hunger are overflowing with food: fish, pasta, pastries, breads in symbolic shapes. You won’t find any meat; St. Joseph’s Day always falls during Lent. The altars are also laden with symbolism, from the palm frond over the door as you enter to the swag bag handed out as you leave. The altar itself is traditionally constructed in the shape of a cross with three tiers to represent the Holy Trinity; a statue of St. Joseph is place...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/metairies-irish-italian-parade-sunday-shower-vets-crowds-veggies-snacks-trinkets https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/metairies-irish-italian-parade-sunday-shower-vets-crowds-veggies-snacks-trinkets Wed, 16 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 The Louisiana Irish-Italian parade will be back on Veterans Memorial Boulevard on Sunday (March 20) celebrating the organization's 40th year as well as its return from a three-year hiatus. The giant procession sets out at noon from Veterans and Houma boulevards with 31 floats, 58 truck floats, 15 walking clubs and a flag-throwing group from Italy, said Jason Renton, the captain.  John Theriot and Desi Vega will serve as grand marshals. Floats will be packed with throws, Renton promised. Besides the traditional paper flowers and beads handed out by the marchers, he listed "coozies, produce, kin...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/st-josephs-altar-recipes-passed-down-bakers-family-carry-sacred-tradition https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/st-josephs-altar-recipes-passed-down-bakers-family-carry-sacred-tradition Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Sandra Scalise Juneau has lived St. Joseph's Altars all her life. At age 5 in 1945, she portrayed the Virgin Mary in the "tupa tupa" ceremony, representing the Holy Family knocking on the door, at her Nonna Accardo’s dining room altar. She learned from her two Sicilian grandmothers how to prepare and bake the special foods, and she has passed that knowledge on to thousands in classes, lectures and now a cookbook. Juneau conveys the magic of the sacred ancient tradition in “Celebrating with St. Joseph Altars” ($29.95), part of The Southern Table series from LSU Press. This is, without question,...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/mother-daughter-duo-reigns-over-sicilian-fest https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/mother-daughter-duo-reigns-over-sicilian-fest Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 For the first time in the festival’s 14 years, a mother-daughter duo was chosen to reign over the Independence Sicilian Heritage Festival this weekend. Brenda Liuzza, the festival’s madre, and her daughter and festival queen, 21-year-old Faith Liuzza, said they’ve been involved in the celebration all their lives, and the opportunity to serve on the court together gives them an elevated platform to represent their Sicilian culture. Brenda said her husband cooks the spaghetti gravy each year. As a child, Faith helped her parents set up decorations and run their booth and, of course, enjoyed the...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/st-josephs-day-parade-italian-american-st-joseph-society-nola-back https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/st-josephs-day-parade-italian-american-st-joseph-society-nola-back Fri, 04 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 The St Joseph’s Day Parade is BACK! March 19, 2022. It's FREE. For more info visit: www.iasjs.org Honoring the end of a famine in Sicily by prayers to St. Joseph. The 50th Annual St Joseph's Day Parade presented by the Italian American St Joseph's Society and its Post-Parade Gala, are the premier Italian-American events held post-Mardi Gras in the historic New Orleans French Quarter. Come witness our beautifully decorated floats adorned by our Queens and her sixty, plus, exquisitely dressed, Maids. Our hundreds of tuxedo-ed Italian-Americans handing out green, white and red beads, silk flowers...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/st-josephs-altar-returns-immaculate-conception-church-denham-springs https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/st-josephs-altar-returns-immaculate-conception-church-denham-springs Thu, 03 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Preparations are underway for the return of the traditional St. Joseph’s Altar at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Denham Springs that will once again be open to the public after two years of interruptions brought on by concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. Members of the Friends of St. Joseph organization have already started baking the thousands of Italian cookies associated with the altar, and Rosy Moak, a leader of the group preparing for the celebration, said that between 400-500 area residents are expected to view the altar and partake of the traditional meal that is part...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/how-sicilian-merchants-new-orleans-reinvented-americas-diet https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/how-sicilian-merchants-new-orleans-reinvented-americas-diet Mon, 28 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000 When I started writing a book exploring the crucial contributions that Sicilians had made to New Orleans food culture, I sat down to talk with fabled restaurateur Salvatore “Joe” Segreto. “You’re not going to do one of those “who killa da chief?” histories, are you?,” was the first question he asked me. Segreto referred to a familiar catcall heard by Italian kids growing up in New Orleans, forged in the bloody aftermath of the assassination of the city’s police Chief David Hennessy in 1890—and the acquittal and mob-lynching of 11 Sicilians for his murder five months later.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-heritage-events-beauregard-keyes-house-march-13-16-18 https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-heritage-events-beauregard-keyes-house-march-13-16-18 Mon, 28 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000 The Beauregard-Keyes Historic House & Garden, home to the Corrado Giacona Family from 1904-1925, will again honor the Patron Saint of Sicily with its annual St. Joseph’s altar March 16-18. The public is welcome to join staff and volunteers in marking this sacred Sicilian tradition, which has been celebrated in the French Quarter since Sicilian immigrants began arriving in the city in the late 19th century.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/we-have-proud-tradition-after-100-years-crewe-columbus-celebrate-its-mobile-mardi-gras-roots https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/we-have-proud-tradition-after-100-years-crewe-columbus-celebrate-its-mobile-mardi-gras-roots Tue, 22 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000 When Neil Diamond’s “America” cues up inside the Mobile Civic Center, and the Crewe of Columbus marches out Friday for their 100th anniversary tableau, Terry Ankerson will be dancing right along with them. It’s a fellowship the 75-year-old retired banker from Mobile has been involved with since 1974. His family has been linked to the mystic society since its inception in 1921. According to Ankerson, one of his great uncles is a charter member. The century celebration is set for Friday, after having been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its theme is “Constellations Navigating by the S...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italians-delta-pioneers-monroe https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italians-delta-pioneers-monroe Thu, 17 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000 The Italians in Monroe, Louisiana, are a small, tight-knit group of successful, family-oriented people who have established deep roots in the Delta while maintaining a connection to each other and to their home country, despite pressures to become mainstream Americans. Even though Italians were the largest immigrant population of turn of the 19th century Louisiana, they have remained understudied. Surprisingly, the Italians once comprised the biggest immigrant population in Louisiana, totaling 20,233 in 1910 (Cordasco and Bucchioni 40). 
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/oro-macht-frei-gold-will-set-you-free https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/oro-macht-frei-gold-will-set-you-free Mon, 17 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Each year on January 27, the United Nations remembers the many people of Jewish origin affected by the Holocaust and this day is officially called the "International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust" (Il Giorno della Memoria). To remember the victims of the Holocaust, on Thursday, January 27, 2022 the ICCC in collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in Houston will screen the documentary Oro Macht Frei (Gold will set you free).
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/about-st-dominic-churchs-blessed-john-vercelli-shrine https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/about-st-dominic-churchs-blessed-john-vercelli-shrine Mon, 10 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000 St. Dominic Catholic Church was originally a mission parish of St. Anthony of Padua Church on Canal Street. As Lakeview grew, St. Dominic was established as a separate parish in 1924. According to its website, the church at that time was located at Harrison Avenue and Catina Street, in a building that also housed St. Dominic School. A new church building (now the school gym) was erected in 1944. The present school building was opened in 1950. For more than 100 years, St. Dominic Catholic Church and its school the church and school have been overseen by the religious order known as the Dominica...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italians-sunnyside-holds-historic-presentation-historic-arkansas-museum-jan-19 https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italians-sunnyside-holds-historic-presentation-historic-arkansas-museum-jan-19 Fri, 07 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Wednesday, Jan. 19 from 6 - 7 p.m. in the Otteneheimer Theater, Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E 3rd Street, Little Rock, AR. They came looking for the promised land. They found a nightmare. And they built it into a new life. This is the story of the Italians of Sunnyside. Lured from Italy to buy parts of Sunnyside Plantation, instead they were little more than slaves. Their plight led to a federal investigation, quashed by a powerful senator. The Italian government eventually began discouraging emigrants from coming to Arkansas, instead steering them to other parts of the country. Many died. O...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/farewell-charlotte-piazza https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/farewell-charlotte-piazza Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000 It is with heavy hearts that the Tontitown Historical Museum (THM) Board shares the passing of our co-founder Charlotte Piazza. We truly have Charlotte and her husband, Henry Piazza, to thank for having a museum at all. Charlotte was born and spent her early years in Kansas. She and Henry visited many small-town museums as they traveled through her home state. From these museums, they developed a vision of something similar for Tontitown and worked to make it happen in the mid-1980's. After opening in 1986, Charlotte served as the THM Curator for 30 years, retiring in 2016. She poured her hear...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/albuquerque-italian-culture-and-language-group-back https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/albuquerque-italian-culture-and-language-group-back Tue, 07 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000 The mission of the group is to preserve, celebrate and advance the culture, language and heritage of Albuquerque’s Italian community by providing a welcoming and supportive environment for Italians and lovers of Italian culture and language to network and share, speak the language, and form friendships. Meetings will be based on several different aspects of the Italian culture: literature, language, food, customs, travel, and more. With great enthusiasm we announce the revival of the monthly meetings of the Albuquerque Italian Culture and Language Group beginning in January! Thanks to the gene...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/dickinson-little-italy-festival-galveston-county-2022 https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/dickinson-little-italy-festival-galveston-county-2022 Sun, 14 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000 The Dickinson Little Italy Festival of Galveston County is preparing for our 3rd annual event, which will occur on Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Dickinson City Hall from 9:30am-7:30 pm. Our mission is to regenerate a sense of community and stimulate vitality and nostalgia of local Texas history by preserving, honoring, and celebrating the vast Sicilian–Italian history and culture which has been prevalent in Galveston County for over a century. The support of the community has been instrumental to the success of our event, and your support will help fulfill our vision to assist the community in...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/young-immigrant-joe-gallucci-turned-surprised-draft-notice-long-military-career https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/young-immigrant-joe-gallucci-turned-surprised-draft-notice-long-military-career Fri, 12 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Joe Gallucci was a teenager when his family immigrated to New York City from Italy. So later, in 1965, as the U.S. was sending combat forces to Vietnam, that draft notice came as a scary surprise. Joe's student deferment was over. So he took that induction notice to an Air Force recruiter. "I said, 'I don't want to go in the Army, I'm not a citizen.' He said, 'You will be a citizen, not a problem,'" Joe recalled with a laugh. Today, with his dual citizenship, the veteran proudly flies the U.S. flag above that of his homeland outside his home.  
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-american-federation-sues-nola-city-council-over-tivoli-circle https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-american-federation-sues-nola-city-council-over-tivoli-circle Fri, 05 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Charles Marsala, President of the Italian American Federation of the Southeast, addressed the New Orleans City Council Government Affairs Committee on October 28, 2021. During an agenda item reviewing the Inspector General for the City of New Orleans, Marsala suggested the IG Office review how the City Council and its committees and commissions are limiting and restricting public input.  Earlier in 2021, the State of Louisiana Attorney General’s office advised the New Orleans Street Renaming Commission State laws were being violated in the manner in which it was limiting public comment. Marsal...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/why-save-venice https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/why-save-venice Wed, 03 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000 An illustrated presentation on why Venice’s artistic patrimony must be saved and the preservation efforts of Save Venice, Inc. Among the sites to be toured virtually are the basilica of Santa Maria Assunta on the island of Torcello and the church of San Sebastiano. About the presenter: An expert of European art of the Renaissance and Baroque, C. D. Dickerson III serves as curator and head of the department of sculpture and decorative arts at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Prior to joining the curatorial staff of the Gallery in 2015, he spent eight years at the Kimbell Art Museum in...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/sicilian-heritage-festival-names-new-royalty https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/sicilian-heritage-festival-names-new-royalty Tue, 19 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000 The Independence Sicilian Heritage Festival has named new royalty for the 2022 festival season. Queen XIII Faith Liuzza was crowned Saturday during the 13th annual Miss Pageant at Mater Dolorosa School Gym. Also introduced were King Larry Cardaronella XIII, Queen XIII Faith Liuzza, Madre Brenda Liuzza, Grand Marshal Donnie Orlando. The 13th annual Baby, Youth and Teen Pageant was also held. The court includes Baby Miss Cambrynn Nicole Carter, Toddler Miss Collins Terrell, Tiny Miss Joanna Oliphant, Little Miss Lyla Spitale, Petite Miss Ava Kate Torres, Deb Miss Kaelynn Coslan, Junior Miss Isab...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/columbus-day-texas-dallas-i-leaders-della-comunita-italiana-chiedono-al-sindaco-e-alla-giunta-di-ripristinare-il-columbus-day https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/columbus-day-texas-dallas-i-leaders-della-comunita-italiana-chiedono-al-sindaco-e-alla-giunta-di-ripristinare-il-columbus-day Mon, 11 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Si sono riuniti nel tradizionale luogo Continental Avenue Bridge West Dallas Gateway dove si svolge di consueto la celebrazione del Columbus day e l'Italian Festival, i Rappresentanti delle varie Associazioni Italo Americane, assieme al Cons.del Cgie Vincenzo Arcobelli, per una breve conferenza stampa, dove si annuncia per il prossimo anno l'evento dedicato soprattutto alla comunità Italo americana, richiedendo al Sindaco e all' intero Consiglio di ripristinare il Columbus day, dopo che il giorno 8 di Ottobre del 2019 con il metodo di seguire il trend "di cancellare una cultura ", fu sostituit...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/american-italian-cultural-center-offers-unique-experiences-honor-past-present-and-future-american-italian-culture https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/american-italian-cultural-center-offers-unique-experiences-honor-past-present-and-future-american-italian-culture Fri, 08 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Located adjacent to the Piazza d’Italia in the CBD, the American Italian Cultural Center provides a place for Italians to reconnect with their heritage and where non-Italians can learn more about a culture that is an important part of New Orleans. Founded in 1985 by Joseph Maselli, today his son, Frank Maselli, is chairman of the American Italian Cultural Center that honors and celebrates the American-Italian culture— past, present, and future. In 2020, the museum went through a renovation and the board is excited to show off the exciting things happening at the center.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/illuminating-dante-exhibit-dantes-divine-comedy-and-its-legacy-mullins-library https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/illuminating-dante-exhibit-dantes-divine-comedy-and-its-legacy-mullins-library Sat, 02 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000 "Illuminating Dante," an exhibit celebrating both the seventh centenary of Dante's death (1265-1321) and Italian American Heritage and Culture month in October, is presented by Special Collections and the Italian Program in the World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Department at the U of A. Running from Oct. 5-31, the exhibit consists of 22 items organized in two cases and in expository columns on the first floor of Mullins Library. It features a recently acquired 1520 exemplar of the Divine Comedy, various illustrated editions of Dante's masterpiece in Italian and English, works connecte...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/37th-italian-fest-coming-collinsville-friday-saturday https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/37th-italian-fest-coming-collinsville-friday-saturday Fri, 17 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000 This weekend Collinsville celebrates food and city history with the 37th Italian Fest. Hosted by the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce, the event is from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. The festival takes place in Uptown Collinsville on Main Street. According to the Italian Fest website, Collinsville has been celebrating the Italian culture and heritage of the city since 1984. Admission and musical entertainment are free. Opening ceremonies begin at 11 a.m. Friday and are immediately followed by the grape stomping competition. A Kids Korner with free activities for ch...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/little-italy-arkansas-heritage-society-call-volunteers-2nd-annual-christmas-little-italy https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/little-italy-arkansas-heritage-society-call-volunteers-2nd-annual-christmas-little-italy Sat, 21 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Last year the Little Italy Arkansas Heritage Society and Museum Board approved forming an annual “Christmas in Little Italy” event to return traditions of old to our beloved community and the current Board has approved continuing this event! The inaugural event provided toys and books to over 50 children during a drive through visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Afterwards, the museum made financial donations for holiday meals to area churches and placed non perishable food items in Wye Mountain United Methodist Church’s emergency food box. It was a huge success and fun was had by all! Join us in...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/master-class-authentic-italian-foods-and-pompeii-painters-oklahoma-city-august-26 https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/master-class-authentic-italian-foods-and-pompeii-painters-oklahoma-city-august-26 Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000 The Consul General of Italy in Houston and the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce South Central cordially invite you to “Iconic Authentic Italian Products and Exhibition.” Oklahoma City Museum of Art August 26, 2021. 5:30-7:00 p.m. Click here to register. Chef Giancarlo Ferrara, owner of Amalfi Ristorante in Houston, will lead master class participants through a tasting of a wide variety of regional Italian food products and wines, many of which have never been available before in Oklahoma. He was also be preparing light bites to be paired with the wines (provided by Margaux and Associates, Dal...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/la-tradizione-continua-con-il-ferragosto-italiano-dallas https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/la-tradizione-continua-con-il-ferragosto-italiano-dallas Tue, 17 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Si è svolto  in Texas il consueto appuntamento tradizionale del Ferragosto Italiano. Pur con le ultime maggiori restrizioni per il Covid emanate dalle autorita' della citta' di Dallas e con una giornata caratterizzata da avverse condizioni meteo, numerosi italiani ed Italo americani hanno partecipato all'evento conviviale grazie all'iniziativa dell’Associazione dei Siciliani in Texas (Saat) e dal Comitato Tricolore per gli Italiani nel Mondo (CTIM), ospitati presso i locali di Cibo Divino Market. L'evento ha visto Vincenzo Arcobelli rappresentante al Consiglio Generale degli italiani all'ester...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/tontitown-tradition-homemade-spaghetti-returns-grape-festival https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/tontitown-tradition-homemade-spaghetti-returns-grape-festival Fri, 06 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Jettie Franco recently spent hours running dough through a roller to make spaghetti for her town's annual grape festival. It's a tradition she has been participating in for about 60 years and that has been in the Franco family for generations. Franco worked alongside family members and other prominent Tontitown families to prepare the dinners for the 122nd Tontitown Grape Festival this week. The spaghetti dinners, which cost $12 for adults and $6 for children 10 and younger, are being served today through Saturday from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/volunteers-begin-cooking-spaghetti-tontitown-grape-festival https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/volunteers-begin-cooking-spaghetti-tontitown-grape-festival Sat, 17 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000 For the 122nd time, the annual Grape Festival is coming to Tontitown. The festival started all the way back in 1898 when the Italian families who immigrated to Arkansas held a tasty meal to celebrate the harvest. The Grape Festival will feature free live music, a carnival, the grape stomp, and of course, the famous spaghetti dinners. Volunteers have already started making the homemade pasta for those dinners even though the festival doesn’t start until August 3. Ryan Pianalto, co-chair of the Tontitown Grape Festival explained the early start. “It takes two weeks to make all of it,” Pianalto s...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-society-mausoleum-cleaning-saturday-july-17th-9am-noon-metairie-cemetery https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italian-society-mausoleum-cleaning-saturday-july-17th-9am-noon-metairie-cemetery Fri, 16 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000 This Saturday from 9am to noon at Metairie Cemetery "we" will continue the cleaning of the 15+ Italian / Sicilian Mausoleums. Please share this to your Italian Organization's members. We are being assisted by a dozen volunteers from http://www.SaveOUrCemetery.org and a crew from the Monumental Task Committee http://www.MonumentalTask.org  Please volunteer. On November 1st for the past 35 years the Contessa Entellina Society has hosted an All Saints Day blessing. We should expand this annual event and honor our ancestors on Italian Row.  
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/s-gary-polozolas-newly-released-how-stuff-italian-collection-family-recipes-passed-down-through-long-line-sicilian-cooks https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/s-gary-polozolas-newly-released-how-stuff-italian-collection-family-recipes-passed-down-through-long-line-sicilian-cooks Tue, 06 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000 “How to Stuff in Italian”: a delicious collection of family recipes. “How to Stuff in Italian” is the creation of published author S. Gary Polozola, a native of Baton Rouge who currently resides in Arlington, TX with wife, Kathy. Polozola earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Texas A&M School of Law and an MBA from Southeastern Louisiana University. The author recently retired from practicing immigration law in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Polozola shares, “One of six children born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, S. Gary Polozola grew up with an appreciation of his faith, family, and food...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italians-and-jazz-former-italian-culture-center-esplanade-avenue-doubles-jazz-landmark https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/italians-and-jazz-former-italian-culture-center-esplanade-avenue-doubles-jazz-landmark Fri, 25 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000 As New Orleans jazz landmarks go, it’s an unlikely one. For starters, it’s still standing, somehow having survived that period in history in which the idea of preserving the city’s cultural landmarks simply didn’t exist. Also, there’s its location. It’s not Backatown, that then-unfashionable area behind the French Quarter where the city’s Black population largely lived — and where so much of the city’s culture was born. Rather it stands eave-to-eave with the grand mansions lining the French Quarter end of Esplanade Avenue. It’s the Italian Hall, or “Unione Italiana,” as is carved in stone on i...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/once-lifetime-show-okc-museum-setting-scene-ancient-rome-exhibit-art-food https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/once-lifetime-show-okc-museum-setting-scene-ancient-rome-exhibit-art-food Wed, 16 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000 An Italian summer is coming to Oklahoma City, with legendary art, luminous landscapes and long-awaited feasts.  For the first time, the National Archaeological Museum, Naples is sending show-stopping selections from its impressive Roman antiquities collection to North America in a landmark new show — and that exhibition will be presented exclusively at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art before returning to Europe.  “The Painters of Pompeii: Roman Frescoes from the National Archaeological Museum," which will include more than 80 ancient Roman artifacts and artworks that were buried and preserved f...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/usa-texas-la-comunita-italiana-di-dallas-festeggia-litalia https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/usa-texas-la-comunita-italiana-di-dallas-festeggia-litalia Tue, 15 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Domenica 13 Giugno la Comunità Italiana ed Italo-Americana si e’ riunita nell’area  metropolitana di Dallas/Ft Worth in Texas (dopo 18 mesi dall’ultimo evento avvenuto di presenza, causa Covid)a seguito dell’iniziativa del Rappresentante del Cgie Vincenzo Arcobelli che in cooperazione con le Associazioni che operano sul territorio Texano, la CSNA, il CTIM, l’Italian Club di Dallas e la SAAT, per celebrare due anniversari di alto significato, il 75mo Anniversario dalla nascita della Repubblica  Italiana ed il 160 mo anniversario dell’Unità d’Italia. L’evento si e’ svolto presso la sala cerimoni...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/oklahoma-family-remembers-passing-decorated-wwii-pilot-and-pearl-harbor-survivor https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/oklahoma-family-remembers-passing-decorated-wwii-pilot-and-pearl-harbor-survivor Tue, 15 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000 On this Flag Day, friends, family and fellow military are remembering a very special veteran in Northwest Oklahoma City. Airforce personnel performing a full military funeral for the passing of a 100-year-old World War II veteran that embodied the essence of America’s greatest generation, a man that fought for that flag across two oceans in the air and on the ground.  William Bonelli was a true American hero. “He was a decent and honorable man who served his country,” said Bonelli’s daughter, Geralee Wood. KFOR was lucky enough to spend some time with Retired Lt. Colonel Bonelli back in 2017....
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/welcome-new-logo-and-new-webpage-italian-cultural-community-center-houston https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/welcome-new-logo-and-new-webpage-italian-cultural-community-center-houston Thu, 10 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000 The Italian Cultural & Community Center (ICCC) is pleased to introduce the launch of our new logo and brand identity as part of the ongoing evolution of our center by refreshing our look to better reflect who we are. The Board of Directors has chosen a dynamic new logo that is both modern and represents Houston’s cultural diversity and the embracing of Italy and the ICCC. The Italian Cultural & Community Center advances, celebrates and preserves Italian culture and heritage. The ICCC actively serves Italians who have relocated to Houston, Americans of Italian descent, and those who are interes...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/painters-pompeii https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/painters-pompeii Sun, 06 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000 The Painters of Pompeii: Roman Frescoes from the National Archaeological Museum, Naples will see a number of collection highlights travel to North America for the first time. Opening June 26 and running through October 17, this historic presentation of the art of painting in ancient Rome will be presented exclusively at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art before returning to Europe. Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, burying much of the countryside around the Bay of Naples, including the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The eruption preserved the cities until excavations began in the...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/sicilian-heritage-ushers-return-festivals https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/sicilian-heritage-ushers-return-festivals Wed, 02 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000 The first of Tangipahoa Parish’s traditional festivals to make comeback from the pandemic is happening this weekend – the Independence’s Sicilian Heritage Festival. Usually held the second weekend in March, the Sicilian Festival may be a little warmer than usual, but it is returning with all the favorite traditions – live music, the spaghetti eating contest, the meatball toss competition, Italian dancers, dancing in the streets and the opportunity to win a trip to Sicily. An open house reception is scheduled for Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Independence Cultural Museum, 524 W. Pine St. The mus...
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/sicilian-fest-returns-june-making-lost-festival-season-tangipahoa-parish https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/sicilian-fest-returns-june-making-lost-festival-season-tangipahoa-parish Fri, 28 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000 For two years now, the Louisiana festival season has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the return of the Independence Sicilian Heritage Festival, happening the first weekend in June, will make up for lost time, said organizer Robin Taylor Abrams. “We know it’s going to be hotter than usual this year but we were dedicated to making sure we would not go another year without this festival as long as conditions were safe,” Abrams said.
]]> https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/pope-francis-names-italian-born-somascan-priest-auxiliary-bishop-texas https://www.wetheitalians.com/default/pope-francis-names-italian-born-somascan-priest-auxiliary-bishop-texas Fri, 21 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Pope Francis on Tuesday named an Italian-born Somascan priest as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. The pope appointed Fr. Italo Dell’Oro, C.R.S., on May 18 to the post in the archdiocese that serves more than 1.7 million Catholics in 146 parishes across 10 counties in southeastern Texas. The 67-year-old bishop-elect was born in 1953 in Malgrate, northern Italy. Growing up in the town of Valmadrera, situated on Lake Como, he was a keen rock climber and mountaineer.
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