Catalogue Reviews of the Volume ''The Italian legacy in Philadelphia''

Reviews of the volume:

“The

Italian Legacy in Philadelphia. History, Culture, People and Ideas.”

Edited by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode. Italian edition published by Treccani, 2023.

American edition published by Temple University Press, 2021.

1. Broad Street Review, Pamela J. Forsythe, January 18, 2022. Philadelphia’s Italian heritage is like savory red gravy bubbling in a South Philadelphia kitchenmore complex than it appears. In their book The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, and Ideas, editors Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode blend a chorus of voices to chronicle a connection that predates the nation. Canepari, currently Italian ambassador to the Dominican Republic, was Italy’s consul general to Philadelphia from 2013 to 2017. While here, he founded Ciao Philadelphia, an event series organized with civic, academic, business and arts leaders to display Italian and Italian American contributions to the region’s international character. Ciao Philadelphia grew from Canepari’s observation that young Italian Americans, while intimately connected to their heritage in popular culture and family traditions, “did not feel personally connected to other internationally renowned dimensions of their Italianity such as art, science, design, opera, architecture, and fashion.” The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia caps that effort with interdisciplinary perspectives and a wealth of illustrations. Goode, co-editor and Temple University professor emerita of anthropology and urban studies, is an authority on Philadelphia’s postwar development, with particular emphasis on South Philadelphia. In addition to writing several entries, she organized the book’s 40 essays around four key eras in city history. From Madison to the Academy of Music

There is a lot to explore, and no matter how knowledgeable, every reader will find a surprise or two. Temple’s Stephen A. Willier surveys Italian contributions to opera and instrumental music in an essay that cradles a spectacular center-stage photograph taken at the Academy of Music.

Deep in a discussion of the musicians who graced local stages, the turn of a page delivers a breathtaking view of crimson tiers and twinkling lights that is usually seen only by performers.

University of Pennsylvania professor William B. Ewald introduces us to perhaps the most important Italian we’ve never heard of: Cesare Beccaria, whose legal philosophy influenced America’s founding generation. Beccaria, an 18th-century criminologist and legal reformer, “was one of the first to argue that laws must be clear, public, and intelligible to the common people [and for] a total abolition of the death penalty,” Ewald says. Beccaria’s writing was studied by, among others, James Madison, principal author of the US Constitution. Carmen Croce of St. Joseph’s University traces how Jesuit priests enhanced religious and academic development here, founding St. Joseph’s University, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, and in 1733, Old St. Joseph’s Church, the city’s first Roman Catholic parish. Croce links the order’s intellectual tradition to American liberty, writing, “…with the Jesuits came libraries, scientific instruments, and an appreciation of art, science, music, theater, and culture - the very treasures that distinguished Philadelphia in the colonial era.”

Italian art at home and abroad

As the 19th century began, Philadelphia was no longer the nation’s capital nor its economic heart. Yet the city was becoming a manufacturing center and expanding geographically. A wealthy class was growing, and for cultural polish, elites set off on what became known as “the Grand Tour.” According to Lisa Colletta of the American University of Rome, “The aim was to acquire classical learning, but one was obliged to retain a healthy skepticism toward the Old World because European culture was educational, but morally perilous.” On their return, the travelers invested time and treasure in home-grown institutions, spurred by a desire to democratize access to culture.

Ann Blair Brownlee, Penn Museum associate curator, tells the story of department-store magnate John Wanamaker, who in 1905 gifted Penn Museum bronze reproductions of artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum, so inspired was he by the sites suspended in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Philadelphia Museum of Art benefitted from Italian art acquired by attorney John G. Johnson in his travels. According to Jennifer A. Thomson, curator of European painting and sculpture and the Johnson Collection, the bequest of more than 1,200 paintings, sculptures, and other objects “gave Philadelphia an Italian art collection rivaling that of many European cities.”

The South Philly connection

Between 1890 and 1920, more than 60,000 Italians settled in Philadelphia, but immigration laws soon tightened, driven by anti-immigrant sentiment, Italy’s post-World War I turn toward fascism, and the Great Depression.Italians lived in South Philadelphia even before immigration peaked, explains Jeffrey A. Cohen of Bryn Mawr College. Newly arrived Italians often rented housing built for earlier Irish immigrants, and shoehorned new housing into existing gaps to accommodate “complex constellations of relatives and boarders … on well-traveled streets, the first-floor front was easily adapted to commerce, with a second door and a shop window.” The original core area for Italian immigrants ran from Christian to Carpenter, between 7th and 9th Streets. Goode discusses the resiliency of South Philadelphia’s Italian identity. Noting the section’s history as an immigrant gateway, she says Italians made the congested neighborhood their own through institutions of daily life that enshrined the area as a touchstone even as Italians were replaced by immigrants from other lands. Ethnic parishes were created, including St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi in 1853, the first Italian national parish in the nation. Italian-owned businesses provided goods for Italian households; Italian-language newspapers provided information and a link to home; while banks and mutual-aid associations arose for financial support.

Food and architecture

Foodways strengthened Italian identity. Goode writes about the “social glue” of shared meals, gravy-making, and growing figs for drying. Italians resisted adopting American foods, shopping in what the city officially named the “Ninth Street Curbside Market” in 1915. Ironically, Goode explains, the area’s more common title, “Italian Market,” was not formalized until 2009, by which time many other new immigrants shared the space. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Italian immigrants and their descendants continued to shape, and to be shaped by, Philadelphia. William R. Valerio of Woodmere Art Museum highlights how nascent artists and artisans in the community received encouragement and training from local institutions such as Fleisher Art Memorial, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, DaVinci Art Alliance, and Philadelphia’s public schools, which provided art instruction. “This was a period of both intense immigration from Italy and ambitious architectural growth and civic aggrandizement in Philadelphia,” Valerio

writes, “with attendant opportunities for artists, including stonecutters, stained-glass makers, ironworkers, and decorative painters.” Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron provides her shortlist of Philadelphia buildings which, while not necessarily well known, are “Italian to their core,” from corner banks to exquisite churches, to a little-known replica of Venice’s Bridge of Sighs—hidden in an alleyway behind the Cast Iron building, once home to Lit Brothers department store.

“Living bridges”

From architectural echoes, inspiring art, and elevating music, to haute and home cuisine, intellectual exchanges, commercial links, and semesters abroad, Italy and Philadelphia benefit mutually from what Canepari calls “living bridges”: people on both sides of the Atlantic who know home is sensibility, as well as geography.

To read the review on the magazine website please click here: https://www.broadstreetreview.com/reviews/the-italian-legacy-in-philadelphia-historyculture-people-and-ideas-edited-by-andrea-canepari-and-judith-goode

2. Italian-American Herald, Al Kemp, February 1, 2022.

When Andrea Canepari was a student at University of Pennsylvania Law School studying for his Master of Laws degree, and later representing Italy as the Italian consul general from 2013 to 2017, he found himself a keen observer of the rich culture surrounding him. One social constant he observed was that while the Italian influence in Philadelphia was impossible to ignore –indeed, Italian culture and heritage seemed woven into the city’s DNA – there seemed to be no clear roadmap linking the past and present. Canepari has now tried to fill in what was missing with an impressive coffee-table book, “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia”. Co-edited by Canepari and Judith Goode, professor emerita of Anthropology and Urban Studies at Temple University, the book is a collection of 31 interdisciplinary essays examining the Italian influence as far back as America’s Colonial era, lavishly illustrated with more than 200 photographs. Canepari and Goode divide the essays into four sections: Independence and Early Republic; The Expanding Industrial Metropolis; Made in America; and Contemporary Philadelphia. Jennifer Thompson’s essay, “A Dazzling Array”, looks at Italian art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Jeffrey Cohen’s “Making Place” examines building patterns in South Philadelphia. Dr. Fred

Simeone contributes an essay on the Simeone Foundation Auto-motive Museum. Inga Saffron contributes “Recalling Italy in Bricks and Mortar”. Sidebar articles are sprinkled throughout the 400-page volume, examining topics ranging from the Italian Americans of south-ern New Jersey to filmdom’s Rocky Balboa. When Canepari represented Italy as the Italian consul general, he spearheaded an Italian cultural month, Ciao Philadelphia, in partnership with area civic, academic, cultural and business leaders. Ciao Philadelphia grew into a series of more than 700 events at its peak, highlighting the area’s cosmopolitan and sophisticated character while also recognizing the vital contributions of its Italian and Italian-American community. In a foreword to the book, former diplomat and state treasurer of Pennsylvania Joseph M. Torsella describes it as “a continuation of [Canepari’s] diplomacy”.“It unearths and highlights centuries of connections – in the arts, commerce, science, the built environment, politics, and so on”, he writes. “Though some are well known, many are surprising, and collectively they are staggering in their breadth and impact”. Under the stewardship of Canepari and Goode, this impressive volume is an epic undertaking that is not content to merely examine the history of the Italian legacy in Philadelphia. Much more than that, taken as a collective, the essays answer a higher calling, chronic-ling the everyday practices and traditions of earlier generations that have become integral parts of American culture, a legacy that thrives today in Philadelphia and beyond.

To read the review on the magazine website please click here: https://digital-editions.todaymediacustom.com/IAH/feb-2022/#p=9

3. Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine, Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin, vol. 48, No. 3, 2022.

This recent volume is comprehensive and interdisciplinary, featuring essays from a variety of contributors. It is organized into four sections that focus on important periods of Philadelphia’s history. Section one explores the colonial period and the Ameri- can journey toward independence. Readers learn of the role Philadelphia played in import- ing, embracing and transmit- ting Italian ideas (topics include Palladian architecture, Cesare Beccaria’s legal theories, and the Founding Fathers’ interest in Italian thought). Section two considers the 19th and 20th centuries, industrialization, and the European “Grand Tour.” It shows how travel and contacts with Italy influenced the city’s intellectual, aesthetic and artistic identity (topics include

scholarly enterprises, museums and exhibitions, singers, composers, and the Curtis Institute of Music). Section three focuses on immigration, the building of communities, and the Italian American experience. Essays discuss how immigrants assimilated into their new city through institutions, positions of leader- ship, and creative endeavors (topics include South Philly, the Italian Market, artists, musicians and other prominent Philadelphians). Section four is dedicated to contemporary Philadelphia and the impact of deindustrialization and globalization. It explores urban planning, the Italian legacy at local universities (Temple, St. Joseph’s, Drexel and Penn), the sociocultural role of Italian cuisines, architectural vestiges (such as Philly’s “Bridge of Sighs”), and initiatives for strengthening the relationship between Philadelphia and Italy (like Ciao Philadelphia). Editors Canepari and Goode explain that their book considers “the flow of ideas, people, objects, and cultural prac- tices between Italy and the United States” and aims “to highlight gems heretofore overlooked.” The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia succeeds in this endeavor and is a rewarding read and trove of information. It brings into clearer focus the breadth and complexity of Italian cultural heritage in the United States through the unique experience of Philadelphia and its residents. With its well-structured format, pleasant-to-read essays, and wealth of images (211 color photos, 29 halftones), this book is of equal value and interest to scholars, students and lovers of all things Italian.

To read the review on the magazine website please click here: https://shoppaheritage.com/collections/pennsylvania-heritage-magazine/products/summer2022

4. Journal of American Planning Association, David P. Varady, vol. 89, No. 1, 2023, pages 155-156.

The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia emerged from Ciao Philadelphia (created by Canepari in 2014 when he was Italy’s consul general in Philadelphia), a citywide series of events including operas, film screenings, and food celebrations aimed at highlighting the contribution of Italians and Italian Americans to greater Philadelphia. Ciao’s goals were to better link Philadelphia with contemporary Italy to enable newer generations of Italian Americans to connect with their ancestors and to promote enhanced trade and commerce between Italy and Philadelphia. The book aims to share the wealth of Italian heritage in a structured manner. The 40 essays written by

experts from cultural insti- tutions from throughout the Philadelphia area are organized into four sections: “Independence and the Early Republic,” “The Expanding Industrial Metropolis,” “Made in America, Immigration and Industrialization,” and “Contemporary Philadelphia.” The numerous color photographs and the eight sidebars, which highlight notable individuals and sites, make this an enjoyable and easy read. Italian ideas and designs were incorporated into colonial America through key Renaissance and Enlightenment texts as well as the presence of a surprisingly large, transient, highly educated Italian elite such as diplomats, artists, large-scale traders, and members of religious orders. Palladian architec- tural designs influenced many colonial buildings such as Carpenter’s Hall, a key meeting space. Cesare Beccara’s treatise On Crimes and Punishments (1764) condemned torture and the death penalty and influenced penal codes. By the mid-19th century, Philadelphia was a major industrial powerhouse and transportation center. Wealthy families took the Grand Tour of European culture and assimilated Italian ideas that provided the basis for the new City Beautiful. We learn about the story of John Wanamaker (department store magnate) and his roles as a board member of the University of Pennsylvania Museum and donor of funds for Italian excavations focused on Etruscan and Roman cultures and how the Philadelphia Museum of Art was generated by the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition (1876), benefiting from Grand Tour collections. Philadelphia’s Italian population exploded between 1880 and 1920 in response to America’s expanding economy, and by the 1920s Italians numbered 150,000, with roughly half settling in South Philadelphia over a few decades. “Visually, this can be seen in the symbols of vernacular [row] housing, ... the market space, and the turn-of-the century Italian churches” (p. 205). In 2009 the city named the market space “the Italian Market,” solidifying this space as Italian. Nevertheless, South Philly is a diverse community, with Italians sharing the area with Asian and Latin American immigrants and gentrifiers, many of whom are returning younger generations of the original Italian families. Philadelphia’s playbook responded to deindustrialization by restructuring the economy from manu- facturing to professional service or technical jobs and attracting creative workers and tourists by branding the city as diverse and cosmopolitan. Philadelphia “eds” and “meds” play a role in this restructuring via the connection to contemporary Italy. The University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, and Jefferson University’s medical schools have attracted topflight Italian researchers. Food plays a surprisingly important role in changing Philadelphia’s image. Italian food checks all the “foodie” boxes: a) people take the iconic cheesesteak

sandwiches seriously, b) pizza and pasta restaurants abound, c) Italian food is inspired by Italian agrarian and South Philly’s past, and d) the chefs of Queen Village (a gentrifying section of South Philadelphia) demonstrate ways in which Italy’s food legacy is broadened and goes deep in the city. The challenge for planners, say the authors, is to unite the high and popular cultures of Italian Philadelphia. The coexistence between these two poles can be seen at the Philadelphia Art Museum, with Rocky Balboa’s bronze statue standing atop the steps of the museum with a collection that boasts Italian artists from early Renaissance to contemporary. The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia makes a fine cof- fee table book, but I expect it to accomplish much more. Canepari and Good have not only helped us better understand Philadelphia’s Italian heritage, they have laid out a cultural strategy to simultaneously strengthen Italian Philadelphia and to enable this diverse city to successfully compete with other globally aspiring cities. Though the book should be of interest to planners in general, those specializing in historic preservation, urban design, neighborhood upgrading, and tourist/cultural planning will find it especially useful.

To read the review on the magazine website please click here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01944363.2022.2070411

5. Journal of Urban Affairs, Anthony J. Filipovitch, vol. 24, No. 1, 2023, pages 107-108. The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia is several things at once. It is a coffee-table book, with fullcolor photographs of street scenes, architecture, art, and people with ties to the Italian and Italian-American community in Philadelphia. It is an appreciation of “Ciao Philadelphia,” an annual celebration since 2014 of the influence of Italy and Italian-Americans, sponsored in part by the Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia. And, taken as a whole, it is an interesting sketch of urban ethnography of one ethnic group in one American city (albeit a large ethnic group in a major American city). The primary editor, Andrea Canepari, was formerly the Consul General of Italy in Philadelphia (he is currently ambassador to the Dominican Republic); the second editor is professor emerita of anthropology and urban studies at Temple University in Philadelphia. Canepari was also the editor of an earlier volume, The Italian Legacy of Washington, D.C. (Molinari & Canepari, 2007), although that volume is more narrowly focused on the legacy in art and architecture. With 31 chapters, eight “sidebars,” four section introductions, a prologue, an introduction, and an afterword all in 385 richly illustrated pages,

most of the articles are brief. The first section covers the early days of Philadelphia into the mid19th century, when there were few Italians in the city but classical influences were strong. There is a nice review of Palladian influences on some of the estates around Philadelphia (Mt. Pleasant, Cliveden, Walnut Grove, and Frankford), and on the design of Carpenter’s Hall. Other essays sketch the influence of Cesare Beccaria on the early Founders; the several Italian influences on the thinking of Thomas Jefferson (including the friendship with his Italian landlord when, as secretary of state, he was resident in Philadelphia); the role of Italian Jesuit emigres in establishing Catholic parishes and St. Joseph College in the mid-19th century; and the influence of Italian muralists Brumidi and Costaggini on 19th century Philadelphia. The second section covers the role of Italian Americans and Italian influences on high culture as new wealth was created by industrialization in the mid- to late-19th century. Several essays explore the connection of the 19th- century Philadelphia leisure class with Italy, through the “Grand Tour” of Europe (which usually began in Italy, often in Rome) or through correspondence with counterparts in Italy. Others explore the Italian influence on Philadelphia artists and arts institutions established during this era, including the Union League, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the University of Pennsylvania Museum, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Still others explore the Italian influence on landscape design, opera, and instrumental music (including the founding of the Curtis School of Music). The third section looks at the impact of the great Italian immigration to Philadelphia in the late-19th and early- 20th centuries. Here, the focus shifts to vernacular culture, including the formation of Italian neighborhoods and the building patterns that shaped them, and the contributions of Italian immigrants and their children and grandchildren to the arts and business. There are surveys of Italian- American business leaders, Italian-American artists and musicians, and Italian-American architects (Jody Pinto, Romaldo Giurgola, and Robert Venturi). And the final section considers the role of Italy and Italian-Americans in in the last half of the 20th century as Philadelphia shifted from manufacturing to knowledge work (“eds and meds,” as Judith Goode calls it) and tourism/hospitality. There are essays on the role of the University of Pennsylvania in bringing Italian influences into Philadelphia and preparing Italian Americans to contribute to Philadelphia. Another traces the influence of Dr. Giuseppe Gonnella in shaping American medical education as dean of Jefferson Medical College. A third looks at the Italian connection with Temple University and its campus in Rome. Other essays trace the role of hospitality and tourism

through the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Italian gastronomy in Philadelphia (from street food to gourmet dining), and 20th-century architecture by and for Italian-Americans in Philadelphia. The weakness of this work is that while it provides a wealth of detail, it does not place those details in their larger context—either of other ethnic groups in Philadelphia, or of the Italian-American experience in other American cities. It is as if the editors were informed by James Mease’s Picture of Philadelphia when he wrote, “In composing a work like the present, the author is of the opinion that the chief object ought to be the multiplication of facts, and the reflections arising out of them ought to be left to the reader” (Mease, 1811, p. xi). The audience of this journal will be primarily interested in this work as urban ethnography (and, more narrowly within that, the Italian and Italian-American influence on architecture). The sketches are mostly too brief to inform detailed scholarship, although most include footnotes and some provide extensive bibliographies. The book could be particularly useful as a model and a reference for an introductory course built around Bernice Braid’s “City as Text” design for urban reconnaissance (Braid & Quay, 2021).

To read the review on the magazine website please click here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07352166.2022.2079359

6. Voices in Italian Americana, Jerome Krase, vol. 33, No. 2, 2022, pp. 107-111.

I have always been pleased when asked to review books on Italians in America, especially those poor and working-class Italian women and men who by the sweat of their brows, contributed so much to making our country what it is today. To my surprise, when I started reading The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, and Ideas I discovered that it was not really about Italians or Italian Americans. It was about how Italy, as a global conduit for western culture in all its magnificent forms, contributed so much to the creation, development and maintenance of one of America’s greatest cities — Philadelphia. Of course, it also informs the reader of the significant contributions of particular Italians and Italian Americans over the centuries, as framed in reverse historical order in Chapter 31 by Paolo Valentine from “Rocky to Botticelli.” But, the main thrust of the book is Italy as a “Muse.” Over the decades I have come across many publications celebrating the accomplishments of Italians who have to come to American cities at one time or another. Most, including one of my own (The Staten Island Italian

American Experience 2007) have been more celebratory than informative. When I was asked to review what I thought would be a huge coffee table book, I was anticipating more of the former than the latter. Thankfully, this informative, well-written and extremely well-illustrated volume offering two-hundred and fifty images, edited by Andrea Canepari, Ambassador of Italy to the Dominican Republic and Judith Goode, Judith Goode, Professor Emerita of Anthropology and Urban Studies at Temple University, was a pleasure to read. Although I might have guessed, given my knowledge of the impacts of the revolutionary political ideologies such as those of Thomas Jefferson’s friend Filippo Mazzei, and other less political traditions, of the nascent nation of Italy during colonial times, I was barely aware, as was revealed by this ambitious book, of the enormous impacts of Italian arts and culture on the “City of Brotherly Love.” For example, while cognizant of the impact of Andrea Palladio’s architectural genius on Jefferson’s Monticello, I was less aware of the wider influences of his and other Italian architects, as well as the decorative building styles (especially Italianate) that grace the streetscapes many of Philadelphia’s more and less famous civic, commercial and residential neighborhoods. As informed by the book’s contributors, many valuable samples of Italian art, music, and architecture were imported from Italy to the city throughout the post- colonial periods as the more and less wealthy, or otherwise prominent, Philadelphians made Italy an important part of their de rigueur Grand Tour of Europe. Many of these exquisite, privately-owned objects and collections, later became the impetus for the establishment of Philadelphia’s major cultural institutions. The editors and contributors chronicle, via a wide variety of inter and multidisciplinary number essays the changing dynamics of the city as different classes of Italian immigrants established themselves and exploited their deep connections to Italy for their own and the benefit of the city as whole. In order to efficiently cover so much historical and cultural ground, The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia, was carefully divided by the editors into four periods in order to mimic the major developments which changed the city’s political, economic, and social structures. Each period is given equally careful scholarly, and sometimes reverential, treatment by the thirty-two contributors in addition to the two editors. They are: “Independence and the Early Republic;” “The Expanding Industrial Metropolis: New Wealth, New elites, and New Institutions of Knowledge, Arts, and Culture;” Made in America: Immigration, Community Formation, and Varieties of Creative Italian American Experience;” and “Contemporary Philadelphia: Experiencing the Italian Legacy in the Branded Global City.” As a left-leaning

social scientist, I have been less interested in learning about the laudatory accomplishments of American elites than those oppressed by them, especially during the 1880-1920 mass immigration period. However, as this volume clearly demonstrates, it is more than reasonable to learn about the lofty contributions to America of Italy, Italians, and Italian Americans. This is especially true since the lower and middle brow impacts of Italian Americans have been overly done, especially in the mass media. I must admit that, given my biases and my study of urban neighborhoods, especially Little Italies I was most comfortable with Chapter 17, “Marking Place,” by architectural historian Jeffrey A. Cohen, where he writes on how Italian immigrants in South Philadelphia created “. . . streetscapes that are insistently varied, marked by incremental celebrations of hard-won economic successes of individual families at different moments and in different ways (p. 184). Chapter 18 “How South Philadelphia became known as Italian,” was also up my academic alley. In it, Judith Goode puts more historical meat to the bones of this long term process. Another favorite was Chapter 30 “Recalling Italy in Bricks and Mortar” There, architectural critic for the Philadelphia Enquirer, Inga Saffron, rather than looking at the most famous classic buildings, carefully reflects instead on ten more modest structures that reflect their Italian heritage to core, before moving on civic monuments, and then to how Italian architecture is present in Philadelphia’s most modern buildings. I have visited and extensively photographed the changing neighborhood since the 1970s as it has been invaded by gentrifiers and transformed into what I call and “Ethnic Theme Park” (Krase 2017) in recent decades. In this regard, will present a few of my most recent images at the end of this review. As to the volume’s high-level scholarship, as opposed to “coffee table” books, I must register my pleasure in that my esteemed close colleagues Richard Juliani and Stefano Luconi were major sources for the discussion of the Italian Americans in Philadelphia. Finally, given the value of this volume and its potential for other American Cities which sorely lack projects of this quality and scope, I think it is extremely important to understand how this impressive book came to be. As outlined in the “Preface” by the editors, I would say it was the genius, of one of the editors, Andrea Canepari. He is the current Italian Ambassador to the Dominican Republic and had been consul general in Philadelphia. Ambassador Canepari recognized the need for documenting, in a multivolume series, how the presence of Italians abroad, Italian ideas, and indeed Italian ideals, have contributed so much to the cultural and other development of other lands. The first was of 12

Washington D.C. and the second of the Dominican Republic. I look forward to Ambassador Canepari stimulating scholars in other cities to follow suit.

7. Italian Canadiana, Robert Zecker, vol. 36, No. 2, 2002, pages 214-217. It is easy to fall in love with Italy, perhaps even to over-romanticize the land of Dante and Verdi. More counterintuitively, Philadelphia is another locale that surprisingly charms residents or visitors, not least courtesy of South Philadelphia, the site of the Italian Market, Rocky Balboa and the Montagues and Capulets of Passyunk Avenue, Geno’s and Pat’s Steaks. This edited volumme, The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia, therefore, is a welcome exploration of enduring Italian influences on the City of Brotherly Love, including both “high” and folk culture. Some surprising insights into Italian contributions to the city are revealed via stories of business and political prominenti as well as more working-class influences, in an ambitious framework exploring three centuries of Italian accomplishments. The thirty-one chapters in the book are divided into four sections. The first and second sections examine Italian influences during different periods: “Independence and Early Republic” and “The Expanding Industrial Metropolis.” Section three, “Made in America,” explores immigration and community formation, and section four is entitled “Contemporary Philadelphia.” Some of the cultural crosspollinations lean towards elite culture, focusing on artistic models somewhat tenuously related to campesino society. Jeffrey Cohen, in “Palladians in Philadelphia,” documents the emulation by wealthy “culturally and socially ambitious Americans of many stripes” of the British aristocracy. The building of residences in the Palladian style “ideally defined classical orders” (33). Architectural ideals of grace and refinement were ar- ticulated by Palladio in the late sixteenth-century Venetian republic, evoking the grandeur of ancient Rome. But as Cohen notes, it was the panache of British gentry that Philadelphians were looking to claim in the New World, not necessarily something Italian. Cohen points out that residents of estates such as Cliveden hoped their homes “struck notes of consonance that asserted a social kinship, creating disconnected points in a landscape of gentility” (39). While some builders, and owners, of these estates knew of the Italian connection, the salient connection was to Britain and the tastemakers embraced by that country’s landed gentry. Direct Italian influence was felt in the early republic, with Andrea Canepari, former Italian consul general in Philadelphia, tracing the enduring diplomatic presence in the city – although, he notes, emissaries from the 1790s to 1860 actually represented

independent Genoa, Piedmont-Sardinia, or the Kingdom of the Sicilies, as a unified Italy did not yet exist. More direct influences on the early republic, and Philadelphia, are explored in William Ewald’s eye-opening chapter on the influence that legal reformer Cesare Beccaria had on Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and other founders, with Ewald remarking that Jefferson marked up – in Italian – his copy of Beccaria’s treatises while drafting the Constitution of Virginia. Likewise, Jefferson, who had enjoyed travelling through Italy while ambassador to France, maintained a friendship with Milanese transplant Joseph Mussi once back in Philadelphia. Before the late nineteenth century, Philadelphia had few Italian residents, and most of these early migrants were, like Mussi, of a wealthier, transnational mercantile class as compared with the later migrants. Most Philadelphia–Italy interactions of the nineteenth century were of an elite, high-culture nature. Wealthy Philadelphians sent sons on the Grand Tour, where some men developed a love of Rome. How atypical such elite dalliances with Italianitá were may be judged by Lisa Colletta’s description of William Camac, who “[i]n an incomprehensible act of eccentricity [...] spontaneously decided to pack up the whole family, servants and all, for a journey to the Mediterranean” (89). This was not your great-grandparents’ vacation. Some Philadelphians such as scholar Henry Charles Lea developed epistolary friendships with continental prominenti, and department store magnate John Wanamaker acquired artistic Italian treasures for the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Such high-culture connections had only a tangential effect in Philadelphia at large. Colletta writes, “The aim [of the Grand Tour] was to acquire classical learning,” as well as confirming a sense of American superiority to decadent old Europe. Sons were “sent [...] to Europe to get a little culture, but the point was to return better able to manage and build a nation” (88). Bourdieu’s “distinction” meets Yankee jingoism. These were personal Italian influences, not radiating too far into greater Philadelphia. But if one couldn’t make the Grand Tour, the Grand Tour could come to Philadelphia. In 1903 an Italianthemed Panadrome offered hoi polloi a “120-mile trip through Italy,” with glimpses of ancient Rome as well as con- temporary Italian culture and art (125). At a time when more than 100,000 Italian migrants had settled in Philadelphia, the Panadrome offered a virtual peek at Italy without requiring a Camac-style Grand Tour. Some Italians had already made an impact on the city. Italian Jesuits played an outsized role in the development of Saint Joseph’s College (now University) and the city’s Catholic archdiocese. Artist Constantino Brumidi provided aweinspiring decorations for Philadelphia’s Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, as well as

Washington’s Capitol Building. Later religious architecture creatively adapted Mediterranean models to give an old country feel to the city’s St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi Roman Catholic Church. As Ingrid Saffron states, soaring towers on a constrained city block emulate “huge churches stumbled upon in unexpected places” and “look more Italian than American” (329). A later church, Our Lady of Loreto, playfully blended futurist homages to flight and peans to a saint well-known overseas. And even as South Philadelphia has always been multi-ethnic and increasingly accommodating of non-European newcomers, Judith Goode and Saffron note that the Italian marking of the landscape through busi- nesses, restaurants, and landmarks such as the Ninth Street Market (now officially the Italian Market) claimed the turf as Italian. Although, as Hasia Diner reminds us in Hungering for America (Harvard University Press, 2003), it is unlikely the “traditional” bounty of contemporary South Philly restau- rants, bakeries, or Sunday dinners was typical for poverty-stricken émigrés. The current reviewer’s Avellino ancestors rarely enjoyed repasts available at Philadelphia icons Termini Bakery or Esposito’s Meats. Still, the chapters detailing the marking of South Philadelphia as Italian space are compelling reads. Tailoring of modest rowhouse fronts by Italian residents, Cohen provocatively writes, gave the neighbourhood a distinctly Mediterranean feel to supplement Italian American spaces of consumption. Facades of long-vanished storefront immigrant banks still proclaim “Banca d’Italia” and “Banca Calabrese” decades after the buildings have moved on to new uses (329–331). These chapters focusing on the humbler but vibrant aspects of migrants moving into Philly are some of the strongest features of this volume. At other times, the volume verges on filiopietism. The foreword by Pennsylvania Senate President Joseph Scarnati speaks of ancestors who “came in search of the American dream,” forebears who were “ambitious and hardworking individuals” (xi). With all respect (and with no knowledge of this family’s history), a more grounded story of migrants might point out that nearly 50% returned home after a few years, that rates of naturalization for South and East European migrants who remained here were extraordinarily low, and that “old stock” Americans viewed newcomers as threats to the country, not contributors of new, valued cultures. Some writers suggest an almost triumphal, inevitable quality to Italian achievements and influences. While this volume rightly celebrates one ethnic group’s achievements, more nuanced consideration of the messy, circuitous route anonymous Philadelphians trod might more firmly ground the work in an Italian-American historical context. Still, The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia is replete with fascinating stories of influences and

connections, high and folk, that Philadelphia continues to have with Italy. For lovers of Immigration and Ethnic Studies, with or without personal connections to the Mezzogiorno, this book is an absorbing read.

To read the review on the magazine website please click here: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/italiancan/article/view/40633/31073

8. Journal of Modern Italian Studies, Alyssa M. Brophy, vol. 28, No. 4, 2023, pages 514-516. The experiences and influences of Italians in Philadelphia is a complex and dynamic history that scholars had yet to weave together in a cohesive history until the publication of Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode’s 2021 volume The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, and Ideas. In nearly 400 pages, the series of essays touches on several topics, with the bulk ranging from the sixteenth century to the twenty-first century, but with most of the focus on the American colonial period until the present day. The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia is a collected work divided into four main themes. The first section is focused on Italians throughout the Early Republic and the networks and connections with Italian thought and culture of Italy. The second section highlights Italian art and culture as an emergent influence within the city of Philadelphia and the city’s expanding industrial metropolis as elite Europeans travelled to the U.S. The third section discusses immigration and the social construction of community. The fourth section examines the collective memory of Italians and Italian-Americans in Philadelphia and their founding of organizations and institutions or their inclusion and participation. Visual elements included throughout the essays help to construct a cohesive narrative of the Italian legacy in Philadelphia. Images include architectural sites, art, manuscripts, portraits, posed photographs, organizational event photos, and historic landmarks. Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode include individuals from various disciplines to contribute essays to The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia, including essays by Philadelphia Inquirer journalist, Igna Saffron; Italian Maurizio Valsania, Professor of American History; politician, Joe Torsella. This interdisciplin- ary effort highlights the dynamic relationship Italians have had in the U.S. The volume presents the historical legacy of Italians in a more dynamic light than historians have previously portrayed. Canepari served as the Italian consul in Philadelphia from 2013–2017 and Goode is Professor Emerita at Temple University. The acknowledgements capture the network of organizations, institutions, and

individuals involved in the volume, including Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Center for Italian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Sons and Daughters of Italy. In her introduction, Goode emphasizes that there is no such thing as a singular ‘Italian-ness’, but that a multitude of peoples and experiences have been formed by the ethnicity and its influences in Philadelphia history. In its first section, ‘Independence and Early Republic’, The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia includes several essays on the influences of Italians in early America. Italians’ involvement in colonialism and the Early Republic are often overshadowed by American Revolution history because Italians contributed through ideas, art, and culture instead of as active military participants. Italian elites, politics, and philosophies reached the colonies prior to the massive wave of Italian immigrants from Renaissance and Enlightenment thought. In ‘Palladians in Philadelphia’, Jeffery A. Cohen explains how Renaissance thought influenced the founding fathers and the buildings of Italians including how Andrea Palladio shaped the architectural design of Philadelphia. William B. Ewald writes in ‘Cesare Beccaria’s Influence on the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention’, about the influence of Enlightenment thinkers, including Beccaria, on the development of the Constitution. Both Maurizio Valsania, ‘Thomas Jefferson and Joseph Mussi: Enjoying the Milanese Life in Philadelphia’ and Barbara A. Wolanin, ‘Artists of the Capital in Philadelphia’ include artwork in relation to Italian architecture. Valsania examines the relationship of Joseph Mussi, an Italian merchant, and Thomas Jefferson, which stemmed from Mussi’s ability to create comfort for Jefferson through Italian interior design to furnish the Declaration House in Philadelphia. Wolanin writes about Catholic church altar- pieces and murals created by Italian artists, Constantino Brumidi and Filippo Costaggini. By exploring the works of Mussi, Brumidi, and Costaggini, the authors of section one highlight examples of Italian architectural influences in Philadelphia’s infrastructure. The second section, ‘The Expanding Industrial Metropolis’, in The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia dives into Italian ideologies and material culture while also pro- gressing the timeline of Italians in America. Italians helped to globalize the U.S. as they travelled to the geographic location. Although not mentioned in this section, the collective essays suggest the Consolidation Act of 1854 created a boom in new wealth as the geographic expansion of Philadelphia capitalized on the absorption of local town mills, the economic reach of the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers, and transportation gained a greater land reach in Philadelphia. The act also allowed elite Italians to more easily travel within the U.S., expanding their business

capacities to Philadelphia. The third section, ‘Made In America’, covers the most researched area of Italian and Italian-American history – immigration. Massive numbers of immigrants entered the U.S. between 1880 and 1920, but the federal government halted migrants’ relocation through various legislative actions such as The Immigration Act of 1917 and 1924. The limiting of Italian immigration to the U.S. cut off familial and commune ties between Italian-Americans and their kin in Italy. Initially, the hinderance of Italian immigration was a result of nativists who argued that Italians were in a lower hierarchy than other European nations. The Italian immigrants and their descendants built roots in America and over time became recognized as an ItalianAmerican ethnic group as these individuals built a strong community in Philadelphia. The final section, ‘Contemporary Philadelphia’, incorporates contemporary Philadelphia history and the modern Italian community. In a chapter by Goode, the author highlights Temple University’s role among the Italian-Americans and the university’s promotion of the Italian legacy. The book is published by Temple University Press emphasizing the role the university plays as an important institution in the social network of the Italian legacy in Philadelphia. Goode details how the school became a private university and implemented a program in the 1960s to connect Americans and Italians, a program that continues to this day and further globalizes the two countries with cultural ties. The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia makes clear that Philadelphia is a city with rich Italian/Italian-American influences evident in its arts, culture, and organizations. The book will be a vital source for historians of Italian-American history and those of other disciplines interested in this topic.

To read the review on the magazine website please click here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1354571X.2023.2204775

9. Annali d’Italianistica, Corie Mrshall, vol. 41, 2023, pages 665-667. Philadelphia is the setting for a centuries-long series of encounters between Italy and the United States in Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode’s substantial volume. Spanning over three hundred years, the history between the Mid-Atlantic city and Italy is presented in all its diverse aspects, from the traditional look at Italian immigration to Philadelphia in the last decades of the nineteenth century to more obscure cultural junctions, such as the impact of Palladian principles on colonial Philadelphian architecture and the influence of Italian Jesuits within the city’s

expanding education system. The volume was written in promotion of “Ciao Philadelphia,” the Italian cultural month first organized by Canepari in 2014 while serving in his role as Consul General of Italy in Philadelphia. As a result, the contributions, provided by a mixed group of scholars, professionals, diplomats, and artists, take on a celebratory air. In keeping with this tone, the work contains numerous photos and images to complement its essays. The promotional nature of the work somewhat inhibits nuanced discussion of the more controversial inclusions. The references to Christopher Columbus, who is depicted as a symbol of Italian American pride, call for a more critical analysis, for instance. Nonetheless, Canepari and Goode’s volume serves as a well-intentioned homage to the sociocultural partnership between Philadelphia and Italy, in addition to a compendium of topics relevant to the broader field of Italian American Studies. The work presents its thirty-one essays in roughly chronological order and divides them into four temporal periods, starting with Philadelphia’s colonial past and the years it served as the first capital of the fledgling United States. This section, entitled “Independence and Early Republic,” aims to complexify the longstanding relationship between Philadelphia and Italy by demonstrating how this connection is rooted in a number of crucial interactions that preceded the decades of mass Italian immigration to the United States. This section’s contributions discuss the early American interest in Italian architecture, the presence of Giuseppe Garibaldi’s brother in Philadelphia, and Thomas Jefferson’s friendship with the Italian merchant Joseph Mussi. Because of its understudied nature, the sparser historical record, and the small number of native Italians actually living in the United States at the time, this period is the shortest of the four presented in the volume. Furthermore, some essays, including the chapter on Cesare Beccaria’s impact on the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention, are slim, numbering just a couple pages. The uneven length of the contributions is a feature of each of the work’s four periods, with some essays representing little more than a tantalizing snapshot of their featured aspect of the relationship between Philadelphia and Italy. The next period, which is given the title “The Expanding Industrial Metropolis,” examines the link between Philadelphia and Italy from the perspective of affluent, nineteenth-century Philadelphians, whose appreciation for Italian art and visits to the country ultimately enriched the city’s cultural institutions. This transfer of Italian patrimony to American shores was enabled, as the essays in this section explain, by Philadelphia’s status as an industrial powerhouse, which led to the creation of enormous fortunes and a class of privately funded art enthusiasts. The resulting collections of Italian statuary and

paintings in Philadelphian museums are a lasting reminder of Philadelphia’s cultural embrace of Italy’s artistic traditions. Among the essays dedicated to Italian art are two spotlighting the Italian influence on the Philadelphia Opera House and the Curtis Institute of Music. As the volume demonstrates in this section, Italy’s influence on Philadelphia begins to make itself felt in the contributions of Italian immigrants and their offspring. Philadelphia’s music scene, for example, is revealed to be shaped by the presence of Italian American composers and musicians. In “Made in America,” its third section, the volume heads into more familiar territory with its examination of mass Italian immigration to Philadelphia, beginning in the final decades of the nineteenth century. The character of neighborhoods such as South Philadelphia owes itself, in large part, to Italian immigrants, whose arrival left a visible mark on the city’s local architecture, social institutions, and food scene. Many of the essays covering this period are substantially longer than those featured in the preceding two periods, attesting to the increased documentability of the topics at hand and to the crucial way in which they promote Philadelphia as still vibrantly connected to Italy due to its large Italian American population. The fourth section, “Contemporary Philadelphia,” highlights the contributions of the city’s Italian American community to its civic and educational landscape. Topics discussed in previous essays— universities, architecture, and gastronomy—return in a modern context. Stressing the ongoing nature of the relationship between Philadelphia and Italy, this section pays particular attention to the cultural and academic bonds that the city’s two most prominent universities—University of Pennsylvania and Temple University—have established with Italy through their Italian programs and study abroad initiatives. The volume makes a case for the central role that American universities play in shoring up the country’s relationship with Italy through their partnerships with Italian institutions and their temporary export of American students through study abroad programs. In the afterword, Canepari declares that the volume “aims to put together under one roof all the Italianity woven into the social fabric of the Philadelphia region, even if it is still difficult to see that unity” (378). With its holistic approach, the book succeeds in assembling the seemingly disparate proofs of Italy’s long and lasting impact on Philadelphia, from the city’s early days as the nation’s capital to its present status as an important educational and cultural center. The volume’s take on the historical and sociocultural connections between Philadelphia and Italy is less scholarly than it is laudatory. Nevertheless, a critical question haunts the final section: in the face of ever-increasing globalization and shifting demographics, how can

Philadelphia maintain not just its links to Italy, but also its identity as a city with an unmistakable Italian American flavor? A certain degree of tension thus underlies the volume’s exultant act of commemoration.

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10. Italian Studies, Michele Magri, vol. 79, num. 2, 2024, pp. 236-238.

The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia, co-edited by Andrea Canepari, an Italian high diplomat, and Judith Goode, Professor Emerita in Anthropology and Urban Studies at Temple University of Philadelphia, presents a diverse and passionate contribution about the enduring influence of Italian and Italian American cultural influence on the city of Philadelphia. Released by Temple University Press in 2021, this volume is closely linked to Canepari’s commitment to fostering and strengthening Italian American connections, as demonstrated during his tenure as Italian consul in Philadelphia from 2013 to 2017. The tone of the book is at times passionate. It builds upon the acknowledgement that Philadelphia was one of the major destinations in the United States for Italian immigrants, and its urban area has been, until very recently, one of the regions in the United States with the largest population with Italian ancestry. As stated in the introduction, the volume aims to ‘go beyond the well-known images of mass migration’, adding ‘depth and complexity to the relationship between Italians and Philadelphia’ (p. 8). In my view, this aim is successfully achieved through an exploration of heritage ‘via the flow of people, ideas, objects, and cultural practices’ to elucidate ‘the material and nonmaterial forms of Italian heritage’ (p. 8). The book shows the collaborative effort of private and public institutions in bringing this project to life and offers a compilation of contributions that are readily comprehensible and accessible to a broad audience. These essays represent a range of disciplines, methodologies, and viewpoints, encompassing a diverse group of authors from various scholarly and non-scholarly backgrounds within and beyond the Italian American community. This diversity enhances the narrative with diverse perspectives and insights, including lesser-known and intriguing stories, ultimately giving the book the character of an encyclopaedic collection. The volume is structured chronologically, albeit not systematically, as periods can sometimes overlap. It is organised into four sections spanning from colonial times to

the present, comprising 31 chapters supplemented by various sidebars, which serve to recount specific events or narrate curious stories. Navigating through the multifaceted layers of the Italian immigrant experience, elucidated by historians such as Richard Juliani and Stefano Luconi, the book also delves into broader Italian-originated relations and influences on Philadelphia’s arts, culture, society, and urbanisation. Each chapter explores different facets of this legacy, ranging from contributions to high culture, academia, museums, art and music institutions, and business to the everyday experiences of immigrant inhabitants, encompassing aspects like food, housing, and social interactions. Moreover, the book leverages its visually curated presentation, featuring a wide selection of photographs interspersed throughout the text, providing readers with a tangible element to grasp the materiality and diverse manifestations of Italian influence. The first section, ‘Independence and Early Republic’, explores the earliest examples of connections during a period when the Italian Peninsula was not yet unified. During this era, Philadelphia held a prominent position in America, first during colonial times and later as the capital and one of the main cities of the new state. The Italian legacy of this period consisted of elements such as the aesthetics of classicism, as evidenced by Palladian models of architecture, and the ideas of the Italian Enlightenment, which permeated Philadelphia through the first affluent migrants or the travels of wealthy Philadelphians to the Old Continent. The substantial second part, titled ‘The Expanding Industrial Metropolis. New Wealth, New Elites, and New Institutions of Knowledge, Arts, and Culture’, spans from the mid-nineteenth to the end of the century. It continues to underscore the Italian artistic and cultural influence, particularly emphasising the role of Italian history and art in shaping esteemed cultural institutions in Philadelphia, including the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the University of Pennsylvania Museum, and various music institutions. This era coincided with the city’s economic and industrial expansion and the gradual increase of the Italian population. The demographic growth of Italian-born citizens reached its peak during the period between the expositions for the centennial of U.S. independence in 1876 and, more significantly, the sesquicentennial in 1926, during which Italians ultimately found a way to assert their belonging to the American nation (p. 174). The surge in the Italian population became substantial in the first decades of the twentieth century, marking the onset of the third part, titled ‘Made in America. Immigration, Community Formation, and Varieties of Creative Italian American Experience’. This section extends well into the latter half of the century, focusing on Italian immigrants’ economic, social, and cultural

creativity. It delves into their contributions through art, architecture, and music, as well as their involvement in business ventures. Concurrently, it examines how Italians deeply embedded themselves within the city, forming formal and informal communities and gradually undergoing a hybridisation process into an Italian American identity. The concluding section, ‘Contemporary Philadelphia. Experiencing the Italian Legacy in the Branded Global City’, investigates the evolution of Italian heritage in the latter part of the twentieth century and present-day globalised society. Specifically, it focuses on the academic system and cultural initiatives, underscoring their connections with modern-day Italy. Furthermore, it explores the emergence of new values associated with Italianness, such as the popularity of Italian cuisine, and follows the enduring traces of Italian influence still visible in the urban landscape. While the book presents a noteworthy collection of vibrant and diverse contributions, two minor critiques may be advanced. Firstly, there appears to be a limited examination of the hardships of the Italian migratory experience. Although these difficulties are acknowledged, a more thorough analysis could enhance the reader’s understanding of their implications. Additionally, despite Judith Goode’s commendable recognition, in the book introduction, of the dynamic and evolving nature of Italy, Italianness, and Italian culture – suggesting their flexibility and susceptibility to transformation through interactions and exchanges and reflecting the evolving social and urban landscape of Philadelphia – this perspective appears somewhat subdued throughout the volume. There seems to be an implicit assumption of Italian culture as a preconceived and fixed entity, thus potentially overlooking the intricacies and fluidities inherent in Italian identity, particularly regarding pre-unification Italy and the experiences of rural immigrants. Nonetheless, The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia contributes valuable insights to the discourse on Italian-American history and culture, as well as the broader impact of Italian influences in America. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the transnational dimensions of ItalianAmerican experiences and their footprints on Philadelphia, deftly capturing echoes, frames, suggestions, and reverberations. The book presents a readable portrayal of the exchanges across the Atlantic and the resulting hybrid culture they engendered. In this sense, it will appeal not only to academics but also to curious readers, serving as an evocative bridge connecting the two sides of the ocean and linking past and present migrants, echoing the vision outlined by Canepari himself in his afterword (p. 377).

To read the review on the magazine website please click here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00751634.2024.2370657

11. International Journal of Arts Management (IJAM), Alex Turrini, 2024, pp. 88-89.

In one of his famous contributions, Joseph Nye underlines how public diplomacy has the task of mobilizing the resources that produce soft power such as, for example, the values that a country expresses in its culture or in relations with other States (Nye 2008). However, Nye continues, a country’s culture, its values, and its policies must be attractive so that public diplomacy transmitting them can be effective in producing soft power (Nye 2008, 95). The fascination and attractiveness that is elicited by reading the 31 chapters of The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia. History, Culture, People, and Ideas by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode clearly confirms Nye’s hypothesis. Not unused to similar studies in other contexts where Canepari has worked (Molinari and Canepari 2007; Canepari 2021) this Italian diplomat invites scholars, experts and key players of the Italian-American cultural scene in Philadelphia to write about those traces of what we can call “italicity” that have accompanied the urban development of the city over the last two centuries.

However, thanks to the wise support by Judith Goode, emerita anthropologist at Temple University, the book represents an interesting source of inspiration for scholars of cultural policies and arts management for at least three reasons. The first reason concerns the choice of the field in which this book is placed, that of cultural diplomacy. This area of study and research has only recently experienced its own independent development. The practices of building international relations through arts and culture are certainly not new, but the institutionalization of these practices occurred only at the beginning of the twentieth century with the establishment of public agencies for the promotion of national languages and culture (i.e.: Alliance Française) and the labeling of this policy field as “cultural diplomacy” occurred only in 1959 by the Department of American State (U.S. Department of State 1959; Grincheva 2024). Today, one of the most interesting questions in this field concerns the role of the State in cultural diplomacy, as arts and culture should be left free from any political influences (Clarke 2020). Canepari and Goode offer an indirect response to this question as they focus on countless examples that have effectively contributed to the development of the Italian-American cultural capital in

Philadelphia (and throughout the United States), and that are away from official bilateral relations between States and from the logics of hard power. They describe the influence of informal reciprocal relations and friendships emerging in farmers’ markets, in schools, in neighborhoods, in parishes, or thanks to the generosity of Italian-American philanthropists. They show how these informal networks have contributed more than any government initiatives to affirm the importance of the Italian- American culture in the city and beyond. In this perspective, Thomas Jefferson’s documented friendship with some Italian- Americans (like Philip Mazzei, his neighbor in Monticello or Joseph Mussi, a cultured merchant who hosted Jefferson in the famous Declaration Graff House) nourished Jefferson’s love for the Italian language (which he spoke fluently), his passion for the writings of Cesare Beccaria, and for European democratic values (chapters 2 and 3). At the same time, the stories and souvenirs from the Grand Tour of the Philadelphian elites travelling to Italy in the early nineteenth century colored Philadelphian tastes and values (chapters 6 and 7). The informal network of Italian-American community institutions (such as parishes, mutual aid societies, or small businesses) in South Philly (chapters 17 and 18) helped in hybridizing Irish traditions with the values of Italian culture. In their investigations about how cultural networks have helped the civic success of a community of migrants, Canepari and Goode also achieve a further objective, which is also dear to the debate of cultural policy scholars. In fact, the two curators manage to “unite Rocky (the popular Italian-American icon played by Sylvester Stallone) with Botticelli (his Renaissance paintings in the Philadelphia Museum of Art)” (chapter 31, p. 364), documenting and connecting a more popular Italian character (some would label it “low culture”) with the “high culture” initiatives typical of the most illustrious Philadelphian cultural institutions (read for example chapter 11). A second source of inspiration of the book concerns a current debate on the characteristics of the italicity grounding the success of Made in Italy also from an economic point of view. In the introduction to the volume, Judith Goode warns that there is “no attempt to find a definable ‘essential’ italicity” (Introduction, p. 36) and that “being ‘Italian’ does not have an immutable meaning but varies over time, in places, in life experiences, and in the social networks of people, institutions, and communities” (ibidem). However, after reading the volume, the more astute reader has an understanding of why being Italian might be a source of charm and attraction (and therefore of soft power, Nye would say). It consists not only of an innate ability to produce beauty thanks to the Italian artistic tradition, but also of the “vernacular” character of being Italian. Intriguing in

its etymology (verna was a word introduced into the Latin language by the first Asian emigrants to the Italic soil, interpretable today only with the help of Sanskrit) the “vernacular” indicates what belongs to the “servants born in the house”. It is therefore synonymous with domestic, local, rustic. Like when one builds a puzzle and the entire image is seen only at the end, the individual stories described in the book speak, in fact, of an Italian ability to “produce a sense of “domestic” even when building a cathedral, to welcome and make people feel at ease, to look at the great Roman temples and bring them back to the garden of a villa” (Molinari 2024). And from the theoretical point of view, italicity might be a trait which is not exclusive of those who speak Italian or were born in Italy, but a universal attribute that might be investigated in all the countries that have seen strong Italian immigration. Might this theoretical exercise be applied to any national identity? Might these explorations be helpful in grounding a discussion on the hybridity of national identities against any nationalism? Confined to the exploration of italicity, the book presents many examples of the cultural artifacts that are the products of the amalgamation of this sense of beauty, hospitality, and familiarity: we might appreciate the architectural adaptations of the principles of Palladian architecture in the villas of the Philadelphian elites of the eighteenth century (chapter 1), the Italian-American culinary hybridizations – described in a wonderful chapter by Judith Goode – of the red gravy sauce (the American classic meat and tomato sauce) and the Philly cheesesteak (created in the ItalianAmerican neighborhood of South Philly) (chapter 18), the modern architectural reinterpretations of the Venetian Ponthi dei Sospiri or of the Torri of San Gimignano around the city (chapter 30), the influences of Italian sound and music in the more traditional and American jazz music (chapter 22), or in the postmodern Philadelphian columns by Robert Venturi (chapter 24). Finally, Canepari and Goode’s book acts as a strong intellectual stimulus for cultural policy scholars when we think about the work of the diplomat today. For sure, great diplomats have “the ability to see the connections, or even better the potential connections between people, spheres of interests and places that are invisible to others” (Institutional Presentation, Torsella, p. 17) but what Canepari and Goode demonstrate with this book is that this very particular public leader is in the end a cultural leader whose job is similar, to some extents, to that of “an archaeologist faced with a treasure that had to be rediscovered in its fullness from the dust of time” (Afterword, p. 361). A type of intellectual brokerage, which brings together pieces of

history (or, as the subtitle of the book states, history, culture and ideas) describing a very precious legacy to be treasured for a respectful and peaceful living in the present.

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COURTESY TRANSLATIONS FROM ITALIAN

1. Altreitalie, Stefano Luconi, No. 64, 2022, pages 126-127.

In Philadelphia, a city that saw the settlement of Ligurians as early as the mid-eighteenth century and today ranks as the second-largest metropolitan area in the United States in terms of ItalianAmerican residents, the influence of Italy is intricately linked to the flow of people and ideas across the Atlantic. Thus, while the study of Italian immigrants and their descendants is not the primary focus of this anthology, the presence of expatriate Italians, the cultural elements they brought from their homeland, and the narratives of their descendants are themes that run throughout the essays in the volume. The diverse backgrounds of the editors - Andrea Canepari, who served as the Consul General of Italy in Philadelphia from 2013 to 2017, and Judith Goode, an expert in urban anthropology - enhance the heterogeneous nature of the contributions: some

are based on original research, while others adopt a more popular or journalistic style, or rely on the conclusions of previous studies. The book is organized into four sections: the era of American independence, industrial development, mass immigration, and contemporary times. These divisions reflect the different phases of Italian contributions to the life of the city rather than simply revisiting the now-canonical periodization of the city’s history as outlined in the monumental Philadelphia: A 300-Year History (edited by Russell F. Weigley, New York, Norton, 1982). Aside from curiosities that approach erudite anecdote such as Maurizio Valsania's chapter on the brief acquaintance between the Milanese merchant Giuseppe Mussi and Thomas Jefferson at the end of his term as Secretary of State in the Washington administration - the Italian legacy in Philadelphia initially derived mainly from cultural influences: the Palladian echoes in the architecture of some colonial buildings, the operatic music introduced to the city by artists passing through in the mid-eighteenth century, well before Lorenzo Da Ponte's arrival in the early nineteenth century, the influence of Cesare Beccaria's thought on the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention, the frescoes by Constantino Brumidi, an exile from the collapse of the Roman Republic, in the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, the contributions of Jesuits like Pietro Folci to education, and the allure of Italy for the local elite embarking on the European Grand Tour. When the influx of immigrants from the Peninsula reached massive proportions between the late nineteenth century and the early post-war period, driven by a substantial demand for labor in sectors such as construction, manufacturing, and the clothing industry, the significance of Italians to Philadelphia shifted from the cultural sphere to the economic realm. An awareness of this transition could have prompted a collective reconstruction of the history of the Italian-American community during the decades when the city’s growth significantly depended on labor from the South. However, aside from Goode's essay on the transformation of the South Philadelphia neighborhood into the city’s Little Italy, the editors’ intent appears to be to showcase a gallery of local Italian-American excellence. Thus, in addition to a lengthy interview with Giuseppe Salvatore Gonnella, a Lucanian who became the dean of Jefferson Medical College, there is a chapter featuring portraits of distinguished Italian-American leaders in business and politics. The celebratory tone of these pages tends to illuminate positive figures. For example, the text includes a profile of Rosemarie Greco, the daughter of Neapolitan immigrants who began as a secretary at Fidelity Bank and ultimately became its CEO, embodying the quintessential American rags-to-riches narrative, as well as a brief biography of

Thomas M. Foglietta, a congressman and ambassador to Rome during the second Clinton administration. In contrast, there is no mention of Vincent Fumo, a powerful representative from South Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania Senate and president of First Penn Bank, who was imprisoned for corruption in 2009. Similarly, the abuses of power committed against African Americans by the city’s only Italian-American mayor, Frank Rizzo, are counterbalanced by his commitment to expanding infrastructure. In the cultural context, the absence of writer Jerre Mangione, a distinguished literature professor at the University of Pennsylvania who taught there from 1961 to 1978, is striking, even though one essay centers on the academic institution where he taught. This omission can be attributed to the volume's tendency to prioritize the more popular manifestations of culture since the post-war period, such as the iconic statue of Rocky Balboa in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Italian cuisine. The latter, now enjoyed even by consumers of non-Italian descent, serves as a paradigmatic example of Italy's more recent influences in Philadelphia and their implications. In full alignment with Piero Bassetti's reflections on the notion of Italians (in Svegliamoci italici!, Venice, Marsilio, 2015), albeit without directly referencing it, Canepari highlights the existence of "friends of Italy" - people who, while not Italian-American, seek out and appreciate everything inspired by Italian culture and lifestyle - and suggests that enhancing their interest presents ample opportunities, not merely commercial ones, for Italy in the United States. In this context, Canepari himself operated in his role as Consul General, particularly with the launch of “Ciao Philadelphia” a series of events initiated in 2014 to promote Italian culture broadly in the city. It is within the framework of these initiatives that the publication of “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia” fits, complete with its beautiful and numerous images printed on glossy paper.

To read the text in Italian please click here: https://journals.openedition.org/altreitalie/315

2. Bollettino d’Arte, Olimpia Niglio, Ministero della Cultura, No. 58, 2023, pp. 145-149. The history of migrations preserves and passes down very complex adventures, not always marked by a happy ending; however, the difficulties faced laid the foundation for achieving great projects. In recent decades, many scholars have analysed the productive and evolutionary outcomes of these migrations, especially those promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and

International Cooperation, which has spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at understanding and valuing the creativity, industriousness, and cultural richness of Italian migration worldwide. This phenomenon has been crucial in various countries, fostering development in many productive and educational sectors. It is interesting to explore the utopian purposes that led many of our migrants to seek fortune beyond their national borders. When we analyze the concept of utopianism, it is easy to recognize that it represents an individual’s rejection of the possible and a clear escape toward the impossible; it is precisely in this continuous search for the place of wellbeing that the original root of the term utopia is found. This aspiration, which has driven Italians since the mid-19th century, brought artists, engineers, architects, craftsmen, professionals, and entire families to cross the various bridges over the ocean, ideally constructed to reach destinations that were largely unknown, except through the stories of some fellow countrymen who had returned home or through superficial reports in local bulletins and newspapers. Italian emigration has a centuries-old history that dates back to the conquest of the New World. Many of the Italians who arrived on the shores, especially in Central and South America, were primarily associated with religious orders or in the service of the Spanish Royal House, and they left important traces such as churches and convents built from the late 16th century onwards along the main routes of Spanish and Portuguese expansion. The exodus has also been closely tied to the social and economic characteristics of the regions with the most migration. Before the unification of Italy, migration flows were already active but poorly documented, which has made it difficult to gather useful information for writing a well-documented history. Political exiles, wars, famines, itinerant labor, and economic depression were undoubtedly the main causes that, since the 16th century, have generated continuous migratory movements, initially towards central and northern Europe and later predominantly towards the lands of the New World. The lack of work opportunities during the pre-unification period explains why so many Italians left their homeland: in most cases, they were skilled workers who ended up in low-skilled jobs. However, this widespread trend, especially in countries like those in the Americas, where there were greater opportunities for urban growth and development, led to significant recognition of Italian ingenuity. Obviously, economic factors were accompanied by more dramatic reasons, such as political or religious issues, especially during the first half of the 20th century, when history shows us that political exiles and religious refugees (particularly Jews) sought refuge in the New World. By the first half of the 19th century, the port of Genoa had become an important

hub for emigration, and the events of Italian unification were fundamental in understanding the subsequent geography of Italian emigration, which followed routes already established, especially towards South and North America. Work difficulties primarily affected northern Italy, which had relied on temporary migration to Austrian territories until that route ended after Italy's unification. Thus, from regions like Veneto, Trentino, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Piedmont, and Liguria, many inhabitants, particularly from agricultural areas, left for the New World, never to return. These were the significant reasons why, even before Italy’s unification, the states most affected by migration began taking steps by establishing agreements with destination countries. We can certainly see this as the beginning of diplomatic policies first implemented by the Kingdom of Savoy. An interesting example is the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation signed in 1855 with some American countries, as well as the founding of the first Transatlantic Steam Navigation Company (1852–1858), which primarily handled migration routes to the Americas. Although the company's history was short-lived - it ended in 1857 due to financial bankruptcy - this did not halt the increasing flow of Italians, who even today continue to look across the ocean for opportunities. Thanks to interdisciplinary studies, over the last two decades, it has been possible to conduct detailed research in historical, administrative, diplomatic, and ecclesiastical archives across various American countries, uncovering significant documents about the professionals who, starting from the mid-19th century, played a crucial role in the development and success of these new territories. There is no doubt that the arts and culture of Italy have left a profound legacy, particularly in the United States, especially along the East Coast and in Pennsylvania, where Philadelphia stands as the largest city preserving Italian heritage. It was Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), President of the United States, politician, and architect, who greatly encouraged the spread of Italian culture through projects that adopted styles from the major architectures of Italy. Thanks to these initiatives, many Italian professionals began to establish themselves in Philadelphia, making significant contributions in various fields, especially in the arts and culture. This found further support among wealthy families who, after traveling to Europe and particularly Italy, brought back to the U.S. Italian artistic and architectural traditions, building homes, public buildings, and setting up museums and libraries. These families also helped create cultural and educational institutions that still play a crucial role today in the study and dissemination of Italian culture abroad. This lengthy introduction is essential to better present the volume edited by Andrea Canepari and Judith

Goode, with contributions from distinguished scholars. Initially published in English in 2021 by Temple University Press in Philadelphia, the volume was released in its Italian version in 2023 by the Istituto dell’Enciclopedia Treccani in Rome. This significant research project celebrates the history of Italians in Philadelphia and the impact that Italian creative genius has had on this dynamic Pennsylvania city. The volume, which begins with some institutional presentations, opens with the curators' foreword, highlighting the process and goals pursued through an important network of scientific and diplomatic relations. This effort was inspired by a book coedited by Luca Molinari and Andrea Canepari in 2008, titled “The Italian Legacy in Washington, D.C. Architecture, Design, Art and Culture”. Additionally, in the prologue of the volume, Canepari offers an insightful analysis of the Italian Consulate General in Philadelphia, beginning with Giuseppe Ravara, who was the first Italian consul in the United States (1791). The author emphasizes (p. 38) that the consular office, now located at South Independence Mall West, "remains the most important resource for all Italians and their ancestral homeland, while also maintaining the solidarity network that characterizes their communities in an increasingly globalized world". In the substantial and well-researched volume, structured in four sections introduced by Judith Goode, 42 interdisciplinary essays and over 200 photographic reproductions explore the changing perspectives of Italian works and contribute to shaping the image of the city of Philadelphia in various fields. This was made possible not only by the ingenuity of Italian professionals but also by American travelers to Italy and their descendants, who, over the decades, transferred important practices, traditions, and experiences to the U.S. East Coast and beyond. These exchanges led to the creation of Italian-American cultural syncretisms, of which Philadelphia, a metropolis in Pennsylvania, is particularly rich. Today, the city reflects this heritage even within a contemporary and global context of great interest. In the first section of the volume, titled “Independence and the Early Republican Era”, five essays retrace the Italian cultural influence in Philadelphia. In this regard, Jeffrey A. Cohen’s study introduces the neoclassical world of Palladian architecture, which had a strong influence throughout the American continent, particularly in the construction of private homes and public buildings during the Republican era. Thomas Jefferson and Joseph Mussi, a learned merchant of Italian origin, were deeply interested in Italian history and traditions and their dissemination in the U.S., as explored in Maurizio Valsania's essay. This cultural influence is also evident in the spread of literary works and political thought, particularly those of Milanese philosopher and jurist Cesare

Beccaria (1738–1794), whose ideas, as described in William B. Ewald's essay, found great resonance with the Justinian Society, an Italian-descendant association founded in Philadelphia in 1935. The section continues with Carmen R. Croce’s text on the role of educational institutions founded by Jesuits from the second half of the 19th century, offering an interesting insight into the fundamental role Italians have always played in education, particularly through religious order schools, which are still very active today as colleges and universities in many countries across the Americas. This first section concludes with an engaging essay by Barbara A. Wolanin, detailing the works of Roman-origin artists Costantino Brumidi (1805–1880) and Filippo Costaggini (1839–1904), both of whom created important frescoes in the U.S. Capitol in Washington and various Catholic churches in Philadelphia (figs. 1–2). The second section, titled “The Expanding Industrial Metropolis”, presents an important aspect of this Pennsylvanian city, which, beginning in the mid-19th century, experienced rapid urban growth, annexing many rural areas and significantly expanding industrial and manufacturing activities. This section features 11 essays, the first of which, by Cam Grey, discusses a significant correspondence between entrepreneur Henry Charles Lea (1825–1909) and Italian aristocrat Count Ugo Balzani (1847–1916). The text highlights the businessman’s keen interest, despite never visiting Italy, in the culture and traditions of the "Bel Paese". This theme continues in Lisa Colletta’s essay, which addresses the Grand Tour undertaken by Philadelphia's elite and how many sought to emulate the nobility and ideologies from Italy. The subject is further explored in Barbara J. Mitnick’s contribution, which provides a detailed analysis of the spread of Italian culture through exclusive clubs such as The Union League of Philadelphia, where artworks by American artists inspired by Italian art were prominently displayed. The section includes a group of five essays by Albert Gury, Ann Blair Brownlee, Jennifer A. Thompson, Raffaella Fabiani Giannetto, and Joseph F. Chorpenning, which discuss the legacy of Italy in the city's main institutions, all founded between the end of the Civil War (1861–1865) and the early 1920s. Collectively, the essays highlight the educational value of Italian art and the interactions between wealthy city patrons and Italian and American intermediaries who purchased large collections of artwork from the Old Continent, particularly from Italy. Many wealthy families commissioned American artists trained at Italian academies, especially in Milan and Florence, to acquire valuable works and establish major galleries and museums to display these collections, such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, founded in 1876 (fig. 3). This gave a strong impetus to the learning of the arts

and the training of new artists. However, the focus on art also extended to music. As described in the essays by Stephen A. Willier and David Serkin Ludwig, the Italian musical legacy in Philadelphia arrived with opera companies. Venues like the Academy of Music and the Metropolitan Opera House (now known as The Met) soon became major centers for cultural events, sponsored by both American and Italian entrepreneurs, who also supported this education with instructors from Italy. By the early 20th century, Italian instrumental music was in high demand, and the Philadelphia Orchestra gained worldwide fame for its major operatic performances. The second section concludes with Steven Conn’s essay on the 1876 Centennial Exposition of the United States Declaration of Independence (1776–1876) and the sesquicentennial in 1926 (1776–1926), a topic that allowed the author to reflect on political and cultural relations between the United States and Italy. It is important to note, however, that during those years, Italy was in the midst of its national unification process, which significantly contributed to delays in its participation in these expositions. Although Italy's presence at these events was less than ideal, the exhibitions were somewhat disappointing due to the low turnout. Some themes from the previous section are revisited with a "bottom-up" perspective, where the main actors are represented by the actions taken by the Italian-American community. What emerges in the essays of this part of the volume is a clear and evident dynamism of the popular masses and the tremendous growth in industrial, infrastructural (especially railway), and construction production. This period spans from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century when a large wave of Italian immigrants arrived in the United States. These immigrants were not primarily skilled professionals but rather unskilled laborers, especially workers, farmers, and artisans, who introduced important trades, such as stone and ironwork, masonry techniques, and more. These social classes contributed significantly to the construction growth of the nations where they were welcomed. This was the phase of mass migration, which was also the result of a series of bilateral agreements between the United States and Italy, as well as regulations to manage and sometimes limit the uncontrolled influx of migrants. Nevertheless, as highlighted in the contributions by Jeffrey A. Cohen, Judith Goode, Scott Gabriel Knowles, Maegan Madrigal, and Isabella Sangaline, during this period racial theories developed and took root, with Southern Europeans (and therefore some from Italy) being placed in less affluent areas compared to those from Northern Europe. However, during these decades, Philadelphia became one of the major American cities with near-equal representation of white and Black citizens,

which fostered economic prosperity and social mobility. This phenomenon grew significantly, especially after World War II. In conjunction with political and economic leadership, by the mid20th century, there was a strong interest in Italian arts and music. The essays by William R. Valerio, Jody Pinto, and Chris William Sanchirico clearly describe the success of the arts and the remarkable careers of many young Italian-Americans. Indeed, this period saw the first achievements of artists and professionals of various kinds, who, although born in the United States, had clear Italian roots. The final part of this third section of the volume is dedicated to the Philadelphia School of Architecture. Two essays, by Alan Greenberger and Luca Molinari, describe the prominence of the Philadelphia School of Architecture, highly regarded at the University of Pennsylvania, where notable Italian architects emerged, such as Romaldo Giurgola, from Puglia, who emigrated to the U.S. and later to Australia, and Edgardo Contini, from Ferrara, who, as friends, designed buildings in Los Angeles in dialogue with the culture of the International Style. The school was also renowned for many Americans who studied in Italy, such as Robert Venturi and Louis I. Kahn, whose architectural inspirations were heavily influenced by Italian tradition, particularly the post-war Roman school of architecture. The fourth and final section of the volume, titled Contemporary Philadelphia, offers an interesting snapshot of the relationships between Philadelphia and Italy during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Like major cities around the world, the American metropolis did not hesitate to revamp its image and renew its brand, while never losing sight of the value of Italian culture, which remains a cornerstone of its harmonious development. During this period, another class of Italian immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania—highly educated workers with specific scientific skills, who gave a strong boost to sectors such as medical and pharmaceutical research, higher education, and the economy. This opened up important job and entrepreneurial opportunities, even in the hospitality and cultural sectors, to meet new lifestyle demands. The last seven contributions, written by Chris William Sanchirico, Salvatore Mangione, Judith Goode, Fred Simeone, Inga Saffron, and Paolo Valentino, highlight how the city of Philadelphia was able to capitalize on these new resources and, through an interesting synergy based on close dialogue between the city and its universities, support and develop urban renewal projects. This ensured access to education and reaffirmed the long-standing value of academic institutions. Moreover, there was a commitment to the healthcare and cultural sectors, with the implementation of new museums, auditoriums, theaters, concert halls, and multicultural spaces. Within this

cosmopolitan city, Italian gastronomy also plays a key role, with the presence of leading companies in the production and export sector. The volume concludes with an intriguing afterword by Andrea Canepari, in which the author pays tribute to the capital of Pennsylvania, recalling its key institutional and cultural events, as well as his meetings with prominent figures that marked his tenure as consul (2013–2017). Among these is the launch of projects aimed at promoting the Italian community and its traditions, such as the "Ciao Philadelphia" initiative, which began in October 2014 and is also the title of the last pages of the volume (fig. 4). This project was conceived to emphasize the importance of bringing together the Italian-American community with new and emerging Italian migrants and American friends of Italy, affirming the enduring respect and friendship between the two countries. This summary of the volume does not intend to exhaustively cover the complex reality of Italian migration, which has produced so many important productive and design results. Rather, it seeks to introduce the reader to a complex and articulated subject, which is also extraordinarily interesting for understanding the history of Italians overseas. It recounts a development introduced to America during difficult years by people who operated almost independently of the socioeconomic, political, and ideological-cultural processes of the government systems of individual countries, producing an unparalleled cultural heritage. In reviewing these themes, the accomplishments of Italians in the United States have not only led to utopias and unfulfilled dreams but also to programs and projects that, in many cases, have achieved significant recognition. It is on these utopias that singular works were created by many Italians who, despite their high professional and creative value, did not always succeed in realizing their dreams in their homeland. The editors of this volume and all the authors deserve credit for providing insights into the meaning of migration and the great opportunities that this exodus still offers today, because it is through the points of convergence, and thus the exchange and sharing between different cultures, that important developments and innovations arise - fundamental for the growth of all communities and the evolution of our common home.

To read the text in Italian please click here: https://www.delucaeditori.com/prodotto/bollettino-darte-2023-58-aprile-giugno-anno-cviiiserie-vii/

3. Gazzetta Diplomatica”, Stefano Baldi, 5 december 2023.

The volume “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia” edited by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode, has just been released by Treccani. Canepari, who previously held the position of Italy's Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, also served as the Consul General of Italy in Philadelphia. During his tenure in this role, he delved into the historic presence and influence of Italians in the city. The preface is penned by Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He asserts, “The Italian legacy in Philadelphia successfully combines the necessary remembrance of Italian emigration - a true vehicle of Italian identity in the world - with the promotion of the many initiatives undertaken by the ministry and its network of offices abroad to promote Italy beyond stereotypes.” According to the publisher's description: “Italian arts and culture have profoundly influenced Philadelphia, dating back to Thomas Jefferson and the colonial era. In the decades that followed, Italian artistic and architectural styles flourished. Wealthy Philadelphians traveled to Italy, returning with objects that enriched the city's emerging institutions of art and culture. The new wave of immigration led to the formation of neighborhoods - such as South Philly, home to the Italian Market - where Italian business leaders, politicians, artists, musicians, and athletes rose to prominence, weaving themselves into the city’s social fabric. This remarkable volume celebrates the history, impact, and legacy of this vibrant community, tracing four key periods of transformation within the city’s political, economic, and social structures. The editors and contributors articulate the evolving dynamics of Philadelphia as Italian immigrants settled, continuously engaging with people and institutions in Italy. Featuring forty-two interdisciplinary essays alongside nearly 250 stunning images, the book examines the shifting perspectives and styles of those who contributed to the Italian influence. As travelers to and from Italy, the colonists and their descendants brought cultural practices, memories, and traditions that created diverse Italian-American experiences - an enduring legacy that continues to thrive in contemporary, globalized Philadelphia”. “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia”, edited by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode, was published by Treccani in Rome in 2023 (the U.S. edition was released by Temple University Press in 2021). The book will be presented on December 6, 2023, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM in Rome at the Istituto dell’Enciclopedia Italiana, located at Piazza della Enciclopedia Italiana, 4. Andrea Canepari is an Italian diplomat who has previously served as Ambassador to the Dominican Republic and Consul General in Philadelphia. He has also held

the position of Head of the Commercial Office at the Embassy in Turkey and has worked at the Embassy in Washington, D.C. As a promoter of synergies between foreign communities and Italy, he has initiated public diplomacy efforts, receiving the biennial Global Philadelphia Award from Temple University in 2016 and an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the American University of Rome in 2022. He is co-editor of “The Italian Legacy in Washington, D.C.: Architecture, Design, Art, and Culture” (Skira 2007), editor of “The Italian legacy in the Dominican Republic History, Architecture, Economy and Society” (Allemandi, 2021, and St. Joseph University Press, 2021), and co-editor of “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, and Ideas. (Temple University Press, 2021). Canepari holds a degree in Political Economy from Bocconi University, a law degree from the University of Parma, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Pennsylvania. Judith Goode is an Emerita Professor of Anthropology and Urban Studies at Temple University. She is co-editor of “The New Poverty Studies: The Ethnography of Power, Politics, and Poor People in the United States”, and co-author of “Redesigning Ethnic and Racial Relations in Philadelphia: Immigrants in a Divided City” (Temple) and “The Anthropology of the City: An Introduction to Urban Anthropology”. In 2000, she received the Distinguished Recognition Award in North American Critical Studies from the Society for the Anthropology of North America.

To read the text in Italian please click here: https://gazzettadiplomatica.it/leredita-italiana-a-filadelfia-nel-libro-curato-da-andreacanepari-pubblicato-da-treccani/

4. L’opinione delle Libertà, Antonio Saccà, 1 march 2024.

While it may not be impossible, writing about the book “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia” is certainly challenging. The purpose of spreading knowledge, preserving memory, and representing the city, and its Italian citizens, as well as the ties between the two countries (USA and Italy), is achieved with striking clarity. This is also due to the book’s impressive physical presentation: thick, glossy pages, stunning illustrations, and portraits of faces, characters, and places. It is a delightful experience to browse through familiar surnames, recognizing the prestige of their professional accomplishments and the narrative of a successful immigration that preserves its origins - especially poignant given the distance and the risk of being forgotten. The

principal author of this volume, Andrea Canepari, currently serves as the head of international promotion for our country at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Alongside professor Judith Goode, he diligently explores all aspects of the city’s Italian presence, both past and present. They delve into the relationships between Italians and Americans, including Italian-Americans. Philadelphia plays a pivotal role in American history. It stands as the constitutional, legal, and democraticliberal heart of America. The historical references, accompanied by images of notable figures and documents, reveal the essence of bourgeois aristocracy. The entire book presents a vivid depiction of this social history. While the United States did not develop an aristocracy like that of Europe, it did forge a bourgeois class that, for brief periods, created its own unique form of bourgeois aristocracy. In this context, Philadelphia became its emblem. The connection between the portrayals of figures, environments, buildings, and structures - through the efforts of Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode - serves to bridge the United States and Europe, particularly Italy. This reflects a yearning for civilization that extends beyond economic power to encompass culture and art. In this regard, Italy enriches the world. This is a book to be both read and admired. It will be presented at Palazzo Madama on March 6 at 12 PM.

To read the text in Italian please click here:

https://opinione.it/cultura/2024/03/01/antonio-sacca-filadelfia-libro-andrea-caneparijudith-goode/

5. Studi Emigrazione, Centro Studi Emigrazione

Roma, No. 235, 2024.

The history of the Italian community in Philadelphia is arguably the best known in the context of the United States. However, the format of this book, a classic "coffee table book" allows it to enhance our understanding of the immigrant community, which is dedicated a third of the volume. It features a remarkable array of illustrations and delves into seemingly marginal yet significant topics. Noteworthy subjects include the history of the consuls, first from the House of Savoy and later Italian; the contributions of Italian artists who traveled overseas for work; the network of Jesuit colleges; the Italian Grand Tour undertaken by various affluent Philadelphians; and the art collections. Overall, while the work is somewhat scattered, it is enjoyable to read and rich in information.

To read the text in Italian please click here:

https://www.cser.it/studi-emigrazione-n-235-2024/

6. Il Politico, Filippo Alberto Cotta, vol. 260, No. 1, 2024, pages 165-168.

The distinctive Italian and European character of the city of Philadelphia is quickly revealed to visitors through the presence of an area known as Center City, which immediately evokes the Italian concept of “centro città” rather than the typical American downtown. Andrea Canepari, the mastermind behind this impressive volume - whose original edition was published in the United States in 2021 and garnered significant attention - sought to rediscover the potential of this identity by fostering strong connections among the various facets of the Italian community in the city during his tenure as Consul General of Italy in Philadelphia from 2013 to 2017. Despite Greater Philadelphia being the second largest metropolitan district in the United States in terms of Italian-American residents, Canepari observed that these different facets often did not communicate with one another. Thus, the work represents an attempt to unite the descendants of the Italians who arrived in large numbers in Pennsylvania between the 19th and 20th centuries with young professionals who have recently moved to Philadelphia to work in some of its 103 universities or in the city’s numerous centers of healthcare excellence. It also connects with a category he defines as “friends of Italy” - Philadelphians who, despite lacking direct ties to the “Bel Paese”, are captivated by its culture, art, and lifestyle. Canepari aimed to reconnect Philadelphia with contemporary Italy while also linking the formal cultural dimension of the city with its informal aspects. In this light, all resources and hubs of the Italian community were systematically integrated, enhancing cultural richness through relationships that synthesize the fragmentation and variety that are, in fact, among Italy's greatest strengths. For this reason, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia, describes the work, in his preface, as a “service book”. Conceived during Canepari’s tenure at the Italian Consulate General in Philadelphia, it showcases the efforts made to promote Italian cultural heritage, narrating and creating those connections that are part of the daily activities involved in representing one’s country abroad. In this context, Ciao Philadelphia - a diplomatic program for integrated public promotion created in 2014 and developed over the years, which is extensively discussed in the volume’s afterword - serves as a notable example of cultural and public diplomacy, illustrating how the widespread Italian presence in the world can, if properly valued,

lead to precious soft power. Cultural diplomacy thus becomes, both through this collection and similar initiatives, a means to root Italian identity in the world, enhancing the role of the diaspora as a valuable resource.

Part of the extensive collection of works written or edited by Italian diplomats published in recent years (Canepari himself has edited similar volumes on the city of Washington and the Dominican Republic, other locations where he represented his country), this book invites exploration of the fascinating Italian heritage in Philadelphia, which permeates both its past and present, shaping its future. While it does not strictly adhere to a chronological framework, the work is structured as a journey through the various epochs of Philadelphia’s history, allowing readers to discover and appreciate the contributions made by Italian culture and community at each historical moment. The organic structure of the collection as a whole thus contrasts with the uniqueness of each of the forty-two essays that comprise the volume. The first section explores the role of Italians during the Early Republic, when Philadelphia was the capital of the newly formed American nation. The presence of aristocrats and intellectuals from the Peninsula in colonial and cosmopolitan Philadelphia of the 18th century gave rise to a surprising influence on the Founding Fathers and, consequently, on the early United States, characterized by the ideas and architectural projects of the Italian Enlightenment and Renaissance. Jeffrey A. Cohen, in his essay, highlights the significance of Palladian works in the city’s architectural development, while William B. Ewald analyzes the role of Cesare Beccaria’s legal theories in the “Philadelphia Convention” that in 1787 approved the Constitution of the United States, which remains in effect today. Thomas Jefferson himself was a great admirer of Italian culture and maintained a close correspondence in Italian - a language that the third president of the USA mastered - with a Milanese merchant. The Italian influence in Philadelphia, rooted in its colonial history, continued to thrive, shaping not only the architecture of the thirteen colonies and the legal ideas of the early republican period but also leaving a significant mark on the city’s social and intellectual fabric in the centuries that followed. The second section of the volume thus focuses on the contribution of Italian art and culture to the growth of Philadelphia, particularly during the period that marked its transition from the political and financial center of the country to an important industrial hub. This process was accompanied by an increasing involvement of the elite in “Italian affairs”. Lisa Colletta, in her contribution, investigates the influence Italy had on wealthy Philadelphians, many of whom participated in the Grand Tour. The Italian legacy can

also be discerned in the numerous cultural institutions present in the city, from the Philadelphia Academy of the Fine Arts to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Curtis Institute of Music, the city’s main conservatory. In the subsequent chapter, the themes analyzed in the first two sections are revisited, presenting the new dynamism brought about by mass immigration and the social construction of Italian communities in Philadelphia. This exploration delves into the spread of artistic and cultural practices that are made in the USA yet clearly rooted in Italian origins, as well as the role of Italians in city governance. Men and women arriving from the Peninsula established new settlement patterns within the area known as South Philadelphia (the first two essays in this section address this topic), often starting from humble beginnings and rising to prominent roles in various sectors of society, fully embodying the “American dream”, as described in subsequent contributions. The fourth and final part addresses the theme of collective memory among the Italians and Italian-Americans who populate present-day Philadelphia, a global destination and globalized city where deindustrialization and the increased specialization of the workforce have given new value to design, culture - illustrated in the article about the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum - and Italian cuisine. Philadelphia’s history serves as an example of how Italians have often made significant contributions to the development of foreign countries. The two curators have played a fundamental role in the cohesion of the work: the Italian diplomat, formerly Ambassador to the Dominican Republic from 2017 to 2021 and currently head of Office VII of the General Directorate for the Promotion of the Country System at the Farnesina, is recognized for his efforts to identify connections within Philadelphia’s social fabric, as well as for his extensive research. For his contributions to cooperation between Italy and the United States, he received the Global Philadelphia Award from Temple University in 2016 and an honorary doctorate from the American University of Rome in May 2022. The co-editor of the book is Judith Goode, Emerita Professor of Anthropology at Temple University and a former president of the Society for the Anthropology of North America. A profound expert in urban anthropology, particularly concerning the communities and urban development policies that have characterized post-war Philadelphia, it is through her contribution that a particular attention to the parallel evolution of the city’s urban structure and the various phases of Italian presence emerges throughout the work. The volume, as will be understood, presents a varied approach due to the contributions of authors from different disciplines and nationalities. This embrace of perspectives undoubtedly

enriches the reading experience, welcoming writings from diverse academic fields that may initially seem distant but actually share a common thread in the heritage of Italy and Italians. The collection also stands out for the centrality of its visual aspect: the richness of the iconographic structure, composed of approximately two hundred fifty images, is undoubtedly one of the features that highlight the meticulous research behind this text, making it appealing not only to academics but to all categories of readers. The visual elements do not simply serve as decorative objects; rather, they invite readers to “search for the history”. Thanks to its multidisciplinary approach, the volume can be useful and interesting to readers from various fields: in addition to being an evident historiographical source concerning Italian communities abroad, it can easily captivate those interested in architecture, art history, gastronomy, music, and society. Its relevance for those engaged in diplomacy has already been discussed, due to its nature as a “service book”. However, this collection is an “open” and “for everyone” book: its coffee table book character makes it accessible not only to historians, urban planners, architecture experts, and diplomats, but also to anyone wishing to gain an overview of the impact that both high and popular Italian culture has had on the development of this great American metropolis. Furthermore, the variety of themes addressed allows readers to fully grasp the dimension of the influence of the Italian community in Pennsylvania, while also providing opportunities to explore topics that may not initially appear connected to their primary interests. In conclusion, this work, whose commendable historiographical value has already been highlighted, has the potential to influence the perception of the history of Italy and Italians in the United States, as well as to reshape and strengthen connections among the various groups that comprise (and have in the past comprised) the Italian community across the ocean - “from Rocky to Botticelli”, as titled by Paolo Valentino, deputy director of Corriere della Sera, in an article written in 2014 on the occasion of the first edition of Ciao Philadelphia (reproduced in full from page 354). Joseph M. Torsella, former treasurer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform, emphasizes in his presentation how Canepari has assumed, in this volume as in his work to promote and enhance Italian culture worldwide, the role of connector, discerning and bringing to light potential connections. The diplomat from the Farnesina embodies the three characteristics that, according to Ambassador Guariglia, represent the essential qualities for anyone in this profession: curiosity, enthusiasm, and pride. This work thus builds bridges between the past and the future, and between the two sides of the Atlantic,

revealing to the public and scholars the precious and centuries-old web of ideas and exchanges between Philadelphia and Italy. Discovering this heritage is indeed a duty; its richness is fully unveiled only if passed down through generations.

To read the text in Italian please click here: https://www.pagepress.org/socialsciences/ilpolitico/article/view/928/912

7. Rivista di Studi Politici Internazionali, Antonio Saccà, vol. 91, No, 361, 2024, pages 151152.

The text narrating The Italian Heritage in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, Ideas is a bibliographic sculpture; it echoes, in an updated manner, the ancient illuminated manuscripts. Obviously, the photographic image replaces the brush, but the purpose remains the same: to unite writing with images in a mutually representative manner. People and places, in short, are part of the remembrance and memory. Philadelphia perhaps contains more memory—indeed, perhaps more exponentially than any other city in the United States—highlighting the crucial fact that the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in Philadelphia, laying the legal foundations of the country. The city’s origin is Quaker, European, and immigrant; it rises in the state of Pennsylvania, founded by William Penn. The Quaker conviction has the utmost openness to freedom that includes others, embodying the spirit of an Enlightenment that viewed man as rational, thus capable of rationality in individual relationships and among peoples. Although it is a religion and may seem more mystical than rationalist, the religious inspiration was realized in rational, moral, and inclusive behaviors. Moreover, the term Philadelphia, understood in the Greek sense, indicates a disposition toward brotherly love, a determination for brotherhood, as all men should be inspired by a rational and fraternal God. It was the triumph of the bourgeoisie. The United States was largely born of bourgeois and Enlightenment ideals; freedom was intertwined with Enlightenment principles—if man is rational or inspired by God, he has the right to freedom as long as he can enact and exercise it. The absence of an aristocratic heritage implies that the new citizen must 'make it on their own.' While in Europe, self-reliance was long viewed negatively, in the United States it was and remains a virtue, a sign of personal achievement, even though over time, the successful bourgeoisie tended to adopt European aristocratic traits. In these historical, social, and artistic folds, The Italian Heritage in

Philadelphia draws on an inspiring vein. Andrea Canepari, former Consul General in Philadelphia, now a promoter of our country globally, along with Professor Judith Goode, have uncovered every possible aspect of city activities and the Italian contribution. While it is impossible to say whether we can achieve perfection, the book is, until proven otherwise, perfect —a totality. Moreover, it is enjoyable to read and view in every aspect: the bright, clear images, the thick, smooth paper, reproductions of decisive places, especially the people—both past and present, particularly the Italians—who remain connected to their homeland, never renouncing their Italian identity, and never hesitating to embrace their American identity. In presenting, also visually and through succinct biographies, the characters of Italians capable of affirmation, Canepari and Goode have accomplished a significant sociological representation. We perceive the secret, if you will, of the United States. By welcoming people from all walks of life, often in less than advantageous circumstances in their places of origin, and placing them in situations requiring survival amid difficulties, this process generates communities that strengthen in competition and achieve progress step by step. From a meager immigrant, the third or fourth generation can produce a magistrate, a parliamentarian, or an entrepreneur. The section dedicated to this ascent deserves to be noted with passion and devotion; it is a part of the book that remains impactful—images and small biographies stand out: the names of ancestors and then those American names within Italian surnames! At the book's presentation at Palazzo Madama, alongside Maria Grazia Melchionni, there was a friend of hers who coined a phrase that gives the golden seal to this work: 'A book written with pride. And rightly so.' This was stated by Mary Diane, daughter of poor Italians, who, as Maria Grazia Melchionni tells me, were proud of being Italian and capable of asserting themselves. Here are the United States, a mosaic of ethnicities that honor their origins, assert themselves, and by asserting their identities, where it is possible, they honor both their new country and their country of origin. This book is held in hand and viewed with pride and the emotion of countless stories to attain a dignified existence. Canepari, Goode, their fellow collaborators, and Treccani have added honor to Italian honor; it is a work to read and contemplate, a reading experience and a spectacle. As I mentioned, it conveys a better understanding of the 'mind' of America than works that are exclusively essayistic. It is a biography of biographies.

To read the text in Italian please click here:

http://rspi.it/rspi-20241/

8. Il Pensiero Storico, Danilo Breschi, column “Anglo-American thought”, 2024, pages 1-8. Even those who do not know its name and have never seen it are, in some way, familiar with it— provided they have watched the Oscar-winning film Rocky, which won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing when it was released in December 1976. Or perhaps they have seen Rocky II, the second installment in what later evolved into a cinematic saga and a true myth within contemporary collective imagination, particularly in the West. I am speaking of the city of Philadelphia. What could be more iconic than that staircase leading up to the Museum of Art, which the Italian-American boxer portrayed by Sylvester Stallone runs up - slow, laborious, and somber at the start; fast, explosive, and exhilarating by the end? The connection between Philadelphia and Italy is far deeper, more substantial, and enduring than what is revealed in the series of films featuring the boxer Rocky Balboa, “the Italian Stallion”. This is demonstrated in a beautifully edited volume by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode. Canepari, the first of the two authors, is an Italian diplomat who previously served as the ambassador to the Dominican Republic and as Consul General in Philadelphia from 2013 to 2017. He has consistently promoted synergies among foreign communities, especially along the eastern coast of the United States, and Italy. This is evident in two previous publications, one of which is dedicated to Washington D.C. For his work on this volume, Canepari received the biennial Global Philadelphia Award from Temple University in 2016, along with an honorary doctorate in Human Letters from the American University of Rome. He is currently assigned to the General Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) for the Promotion of the Country System. The second editor, Judith Goode, is a renowned American academic, a professor of urban anthropology, and a founding president of the Society for Anthropology of North America. Together, they have compiled around forty contributions that narrate the long, multifaceted, and fascinating history of the relationship between Italy and Philadelphia. Philadelphia was a fundamental center in the British colonial economic system and became the political leader in the rebellion during the war for independence from Great Britain. It served as the official venue for congresses and the drafting of key political documents, which led to the birth of the United States of America and the establishment of a democratic federal republic between the mid-1770s and late 1780s. Thus, Philadelphia should be regarded as both

the epicenter of American institutional construction and the longest-lasting, most fruitful point of contact between Italy and the United States - perhaps as significant as New York, if not more. The volume is divided into four sections. The first examines Philadelphia’s role in the independence and early republican period. As a scholar of the history of political thought, I wish to highlight the excellent contribution by William B. Ewald regarding the influence of Cesare Beccaria on the Philadelphia Convention. This confirms that the Enlightenment was a transnational cultural phenomenon, driven by authentically cosmopolitan inspirations and outcomes. The intellectual influences on the American Founding Fathers were not limited to English, Scottish, and French thinkers but also included German, Dutch, and Swiss ones. Ewald emphasizes that "Italian influences are found everywhere", particularly in the intellectual sphere, starting with the study of Latin and ancient Roman history that characterized the figures of American independence. Notably, some Founding Fathers could read Italian, including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and James Madison. Jefferson, a major contributor to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, named his residence “Monticello”. His close friendship with the Tuscan physician Filippo (Philip) Mazzei is another example. Mazzei maintained correspondence with the first five U.S. presidents: Washington, Adams, Madison, Jefferson, and James Monroe. We should also remember Gaetano Filangieri, who counted Franklin among his admirers. Beccaria’s seminal work, “Dei delitti e delle pene”, published in 1764, was soon translated into all the major European languages and received enthusiastic approval from Jeremy Bentham in the English-speaking world. Consequently, it was likely read by figures such as Franklin, Adams, and Madison. Jefferson, in particular, was deeply influenced by Beccaria in his role as a legislator in Virginia. Ewald argues that Beccaria's legacy significantly impacted "the creation of the new American legal order, especially in criminal law, where it has no rivals". Jefferson also established important ties with another influential Italian figure, the Milanese Giuseppe Mussi, who escaped Austrian rule and settled in Philadelphia around 1784, becoming a citizen of Pennsylvania a few years later. Maurizio Valsania provides ample documentation on this. In summary, the strong Italian imprint on the early steps of the young American republic is clear, with Philadelphia often serving as its center of influence. The longstanding Italian presence in Philadelphia is also reflected in architecture and art, as evidenced by contributions from Jeffrey A. Cohen and Barbara A. Wolanin included in this volume. For instance, the First Bank of the United States, the Atheneum, and Carpenter’s Hall

are all buildings inspired by the Palladian model. This Italian heritage resonates through the Jesuits and their interconnected network of colleges, which spread primarily across the eastern United States, as shown by Carmen R. Croce in his dense contribution. The second section explores Philadelphia during the nineteenth century, when it became a continuously expanding industrial metropolis. This section delves into the emerging elites of a rapidly ascendant manufacturing bourgeoisie, as well as the new institutions arising in the fields of knowledge, art, and culture. Numerous contributions examine the relationship between Italian art and museums from various angles, as well as parks and gardens that in Philadelphia evolved and expanded due to this relentless cultural exchange, fueled by both individual Italian immigrants and the lasting allure of the Renaissance myth. Italian art encompasses classical and popular music, as well as opera. The third section focuses on the period from roughly 1880 to 1920, a time when, as Goode highlights in her introduction, "the massive wave of migration from Eastern and Southern Europe that flooded the factories of the new industry [...] was met with increasing hostility [...] and a legal cessation of immigration in the early 1920s". Nevertheless, before the more challenging years of Italian-American relations that followed - especially during the 1930s and World War II - those four decades at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries witnessed significant growth in both the quantity and quality of the Italian community in Philadelphia. Many creative experiences emerged from this Italian-American mix. Of particular interest is Goode’s comprehensive essay, which explores how South Philadelphia became known as an Italian neighborhood. Through her examination of the social dynamics of this neighborhoodspecifically, the roles played by key institutions such as the church, businesses providing goods and services, political district structures, banks, mutual aid societies, and brotherhoods - she traces the evolution of the settlement over time, the occupational choices made, and the social mobility of Italian immigrants. By incorporating oral testimonies for the more recent period, her study confirms a relative ability to preserve certain traditions within the family unit, such as the celebration of religious holidays or eating habits. This resilience persists despite significant homogenization processes that began in the 1980s, as well as the arrival of immigrants from different geographical and cultural backgrounds, which produced a considerable erosive effect. In another contribution to the fourth section, Goode highlights how today Italian food serves "as an important component of the media competition between Philadelphia and other global cities, which aspire to present themselves as special places to live and experience the best of culture

through history, art, architecture, music, and food". The most successful and fascinating aspect of South Philly, as the neighborhood is colloquially known, lies in its ability to maintain its original Italian imprint while welcoming new immigrant communities that have introduced their markets and restaurants. This fusion has transformed the area and the entire city of Philadelphia into a leading destination for culinary experimentation, combining traditions from many parts of the globe, from Latin America to Asia. This is a prime example of creative preservation in a cosmopolitan world. More generally, the fourth and final section, titled “Contemporary Philadelphia: Living the Italian Legacy in a Global Brand City”, examines the transformations of the city from the post-war period to the present day. The United States was the first to experience the new process of globalization, set in motion by the expansion of air transport and the development of media and communication technologies that facilitated and accelerated the circulation of people, ideas, goods, and investment capital. Concurrently, new immigration and refugee laws were enacted, favored by global competition against the Soviet bloc during the Cold War. Starting in the 1970s, new migrants and refugees began to arrive in Philadelphia from diverse regions of the planet, including both high and low-wage workers. Following the broader phenomenon of deindustrialization in the Western economy, the city - like others in the Rust Belt - adopted a restructuring strategy aimed at transitioning to professional services, particularly in the so-called "eds and meds" sector, a term that refers to higher education, medical and pharmaceutical training, and healthcare. The fields of tourism and cultural hospitality also saw significant increases in both investments and outcomes. Consequently, the humanities, sciences, and arts became predominant. In summary, Philadelphia has increasingly established itself in recent decades as a cutting-edge center in the knowledge-based economy. In terms of urban reconfiguration, the city has witnessed the reclamation and transformation of old neighborhoods into new trendy areas. In this context, new ties between Italy and Philadelphia have been created and strengthened through art and culture in its broadest sense. The American city boasts some of the major centers of education and training in the United States, from Penn State to Jefferson (Medical) University, from Temple to St. Joseph’s, and on to Drexel. In the long and thoughtful afterword, Canepari discusses the initiative he spearheaded to enhance, if not revive, the Italian presence in Philadelphia, which has returned to being the epicenter of cultural exchange between the United States and Italy. A few months after his arrival in the American city as Consul General, he recognized the importance that a greater focus on the Italian heritage in the city

would have for the relationship between the consular jurisdiction and Italy. Thus, “Ciao Philadelphia” was born, through which Canepari recounts the numerous activities and events organized since 2014. The original idea was to establish a triangular connection - so to speakbetween the present of Italian-Americans in Philadelphia and contemporary Italy, while also recovering the historical Italian presence in that city and, more generally, in the U.S. This history was not always rosy, but it certainly included many Italian-Americans who achieved remarkable success. The book I am presenting here represents another significant milestone in the “Ciao Philadelphia” project. Canepari's goal has been - and continues to be - to connect Rocky to Botticelli, to borrow a highly effective phrase used by Paolo Valentino in a brilliant article that appeared on October 24, 2014, in the Corriere della Sera, and is now reproduced in this volume. It is important to remember that in the Museum of Art, which stands atop the iconic staircase featured in Rocky’s training scenes, Italian Renaissance art is on display. The sense of beauty and artistic creativity merges with the fighting spirit of a determined underdog who refuses to accept defeat, instead responding with a humble yet resilient work ethic. Even when facing challenges, the character remains unbroken. Hence, the significance of that image of Rocky triumphantly standing at the top of the staircase: it symbolizes the ideal of dignity earned through perseverance. The most eloquent line in this regard is the most memorable line from the first film, where Rocky speaks with his beloved Adrian on the night before the big match: "I was thinking, who cares if I lose this fight? I don't care, not even if he breaks my head... because the only thing I want is to last. No one has ever lasted with Creed. If I can last the distance, and when the final bell rings I'm still standing... if I'm still standing, I'll know for the first time in my life that... I'm not just a bum from the neighborhood". Finally, it is worth mentioning the wonderful iconographic apparatus that enriches the volume, comprising numerous archival photos and more recent images, all in vivid colors, along with drawings, sketches, and other valuable documents reproduced in high-definition graphics. This enhances the book's quality, making it not only an excellent editorial work but also an artistic one. In conclusion, I must affirm what John Dunlap wrote in his introductory greeting to the volume: what animates Canepari's work, excellently supported by Judith Goode's scholarly expertise, "is the idea that Italy, as a global ambassador of Western culture in all its magnificent forms, has greatly contributed to the creation, development, and preservation of one of the most important and historically rich American cities" namely Philadelphia. A better promotional tool for a

historically aware and culturally informed visit to this city could not have been conceived. This serves as a testament to the invaluable role of diplomacy in general and the high quality of Italian diplomacy in particular.

To read the text in Italian please click here:

https://ilpensierostorico.com/il-genius-loci-di-filadelfia-e-italoamericano/

9. Il Borghese, Antonio Saccà, No. 8-9, 2024.

Our country, I believe along with very few others, is multinational in this sense: millions, millions of Italians live abroad and in turn constitute small nations. The motives for these departures and relocations are varied: the need to find a means of living and survive; an attempt to assert oneself in new, challenging environments that stimulate adventure; seeking more dynamic settings... For a long time, the United States, and to some extent still today, has represented an essential destination, a vast, highly active, and propulsive country. It has thus given the realistic impression of moving to a place with prospects for individual daring, selfreliance, and the admiration of those who succeed, without egalitarian fantasies. This is how the American myth was, or at least it used to be, attracting many Italians from all directions—not just from the North of the Americas, but also from the South and Central America. I do not know if anyone has ever attempted to narrate the entire migratory phenomenon; it would be a majestic and terrible history of Italy outside its borders. The integration process was extremely costly; each group opposed the others—foreigners against foreigners, or they attempted to subjugate one another. The Italians paid the price like everyone else, of course, but they arrived in societies already populated by residents speaking English, French—a guerrilla warfare; American individualism was forged: fight, rely on yourself, move, take initiative, know how to defend yourself, and win. As often happens, there were and still are defamations and accusations— Italians as criminals, Italians as camorristi, Italians as mafiosi, Italians as anarchists. In a not-sodistant past, these accusations were whispered about, often with political and economic intersections, featuring notable names of local origin. Yet while Coppola, Luciano, Sacco, and Vanzetti were negatively highlighted or represented as such, Petrosino and La Guardia shone brightly; there were Italian-Americans who honored themselves. I mean this in the common sense. A guerrilla warfare, I repeat. From survival to life. In fact, a saint flourished: Francesca Cabrini, a passionate defender of immigrants and Catholicism. It is worth noting that the United

States maintained slavery; even after abolition, racial segregation persisted, only formally ended in the last century. Regardless, struggles emerged, but ultimately, Italians also breathed in places with broad perspectives throughout the Americas. We have a recent volume that reflects this successful Italian identity; behind it lies the period of struggle for survival, and now the results show smiling, proud, affirmative faces. The text narrating The Italian Heritage in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, Ideas is a bibliographic sculpture; it echoes, in an updated manner, the ancient illuminated manuscripts. Obviously, the photographic image replaces the brush, but the purpose remains the same: to unite writing with images in a mutually representative manner. People and places, in short, are part of the remembrance and memory. Philadelphia perhaps contains more memory—indeed, perhaps more exponentially than any other city in the United States—highlighting the crucial fact that the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in Philadelphia, laying the legal foundations of the country. The city’s origin is Quaker, European, and immigrant; it rises in the state of Pennsylvania, founded by William Penn. The Quaker conviction has the utmost openness to freedom that includes others, embodying the spirit of an Enlightenment that viewed man as rational, thus capable of rationality in individual relationships and among peoples. Although it is a religion and may seem more mystical than rationalist, the religious inspiration was realized in rational, moral, and inclusive behaviors. Moreover, the term Philadelphia, understood in the Greek sense, indicates a disposition toward brotherly love, a determination for brotherhood, as all men should be inspired by a rational and fraternal God. It was the triumph of the bourgeoisie. The United States was largely born of bourgeois and Enlightenment ideals; freedom was intertwined with Enlightenment principles—if man is rational or inspired by God, he has the right to freedom as long as he can enact and exercise it. The absence of an aristocratic heritage implies that the new citizen must 'make it on their own.'

While in Europe, self-reliance was long viewed negatively, in the United States it was and remains a virtue, a sign of personal achievement, even though over time, the successful bourgeoisie tended to adopt European aristocratic traits. In these historical, social, and artistic folds, The Italian Heritage in Philadelphia draws on an inspiring vein. Andrea Canepari, former Consul General in Philadelphia, now a promoter of our country globally, along with Professor Judith Goode, have uncovered every possible aspect of city activities and the Italian contribution. While it is impossible to say whether we can achieve perfection, the book is, until proven otherwise, perfect—a totality. Moreover, it is enjoyable to read and view in every aspect: the

bright, clear images, the thick, smooth paper, reproductions of decisive places, especially the people—both past and present, particularly the Italians—who remain connected to their homeland, never renouncing their Italian identity, and never hesitating to embrace their American identity. In presenting, also visually and through succinct biographies, the characters of Italians capable of affirmation, Canepari and Goode have accomplished a significant sociological representation. We perceive the secret, if you will, of the United States. By welcoming people from all walks of life, often in less than advantageous circumstances in their places of origin, and placing them in situations requiring survival amid difficulties, this process generates communities that strengthen in competition and achieve progress step by step. From a meager immigrant, the third or fourth generation can produce a magistrate, a parliamentarian, or an entrepreneur. The section dedicated to this ascent deserves to be noted with passion and devotion; it is a part of the book that remains impactful—images and small biographies stand out: the names of ancestors and then those American names within Italian surnames! At the book's presentation at Palazzo Madama, alongside Maria Grazia Melchionni, there was a friend of hers who coined a phrase that gives the golden seal to this work: 'A book written with pride. And rightly so.' This was stated by Mary Diane, daughter of poor Italians, who, as Maria Grazia Melchionni tells me, were proud of being Italian and capable of asserting themselves. Here are the United States, a mosaic of ethnicities that honor their origins, assert themselves, and by asserting their identities, where it is possible, they honor both their new country and their country of origin. This book is held in hand and viewed with pride and the emotion of countless stories to attain a dignified existence. Canepari, Goode, their fellow collaborators, and Treccani have added honor to Italian honor; it is a work to read and contemplate, a reading experience and a spectacle. As I mentioned, it conveys a better understanding of the 'mind' of America than works that are exclusively essayistic. It is a biography of biographies.

To read the text in Italian please click here: https://www.culturelite.com/categorie/scritture/l-eredita-italiana-a-filadelfia-storia-culturapersone-idee-a-cura-di-andrea-canepari-e-judith-goode-ed-treccani-di-antonio-sacca.html

10. Bellunesi nel mondo, Gioachino Bratti, year LIV, No 8, 2024, page 12.

Andrea Canepari, the former Italian Ambassador to the Dominican Republic and Consul in Philadelphia, whom we previously encountered in the splendid volume “The Italian Legacy in the Dominican Republic” (see “Bellunesi nel Mondo” from last July), along with Prof. Judith Goode from Temple University in Philadelphia, presents us with this equally magnificent work on the presence and contributions of individuals, works, ideas, and ideals from the Italian or Italian-origin community in Philadelphia - a city that is both rich and emblematic in the history and reality of the United States. This volume is preceded by important introductions from prominent figures in American and Italian institutions and features contributions from dozens of authors—scholars, cultural figures, artists, scientists, economists, and more—from both the American and Italian spheres. In its four substantial sections (“Independence and the First Republican Era,” “The Expanding Industrial Metropolis,” “Made in America,” “Contemporary Philadelphia”), the book presents every facet of Philadelphia’s vibrant Italian soul, showcasing significant achievements. It includes descriptions and commentary on the numerous initiatives that express the Italian spirit in the city, such as the magnificent “Ciao Philadelphia,” which was promoted by Canepari himself along with the Consulate and various associations and institutions. The editorial design and iconography reflect the high quality of this publication, which has been produced by the prestigious Treccani with the support of several generous sponsors.

To read the text in Italian please click here https://www.bellunesinelmondo.it/in-anteprima-bellunesi-nel-mondo-n-8-settembre-2024/

11. Mediterranea Ricerche Storiche, Rossella Cancila, No. 61, 2024, pp. 424-426.

The volume The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia. History, Culture, People, and Ideas, edited by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode and published by Treccani in 2023, can be considered an example of what it means to propose a "connected history," that is, a history between different cultures of the world, interpreted on a global scale. The relationship established between Philadelphia and Italy develops complex, multifaceted connections of a cultural, religious, commercial, and financial nature, spanning centuries from the late 18th century to the present day. However, it is not always possible to categorize long-term processes by specific dates, as they often bring about broad changes through layered developments. At the same time, global

events interfere at the local level, generating new social, economic, and cultural specificities. The result is the profile of a contemporary city – Philadelphia -cosmopolitan and culturally vibrant, enriched by the flow of people and ideas from across the Atlantic, which has undeniably left a significant mark, contributing to the city's distinctive character and originality. The book unfolds across four key themes, considered pivotal moments in Philadelphia's history. These are extensively developed through the contributions of 33 authors, all connected to American academic and cultural institutions, and introduced by Judith Goode, Professor Emerita of Anthropology and Urban Studies at Temple University, where a previous English-language version of the volume was published in 2021. The mastermind behind the project is diplomat Andrea Canepari, Italy's ambassador to the Dominican Republic since 2017 and former Consul General of Italy in Philadelphia in 2013, who is dedicated to promoting Italian culture overseas and, in particular, creating connections between Italy and Pennsylvania, for which he has received prestigious academic awards. The aim of the volume is to enhance awareness of the ties between Italy and Philadelphia by recovering history and rediscovering the many dimensions in which these relations have taken shape. This objective is closely linked to the "Ciao Philadelphia" experience (first edition in 2014), a festival of cultural events organized to rediscover the Italian and Italian-American spirit of the city, starting from Columbus Day, which is increasingly celebrated in America as Italian American Heritage Day. This has become a moment of inclusion and openness, an opportunity to recognize the role of minorities, and no longer a symbol -now seen as oppressive - of European colonialism. The volume traces the stories of individuals and their families, reconstructs connections and relationships, and revisits key moments of the migration waves, but above all, highlights the numerous Italian cultural influences that are still visible in contemporary Philadelphia. Consider, for example, the Palladian-style buildings, particularly sought after by the new wealthy class of the late 18th century, both in the city and in country estates. This style, introduced from England, became widely popular in colonial residences from New England to Georgia and had a significant influence on the Founding Fathers as they designed new civic spaces in Philadelphia (as explored by Jeffrey A. Cohen). Another example is the frescoes by Costantino Brumidi, considered one of the best painters in Rome, who emigrated to America after the 1848 revolution and decorated the U.S. Capitol as well as the enormous Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, some of which were destroyed during the building’s expansion (as discussed by Barbara A. Wolanin). It

is also worth mentioning the Italian-style gardens of the Delaware Valley from the early 20th century (Raffaella Fabiani Giannetto) and the museum collections: the plaster casts from Italy housed at PAFA, Philadelphia's oldest art institution, founded in 1808 (Albert Gury); the bronze statues from Pompeii, cast in a foundry in Naples and part of the Wanamaker collection at the University of Pennsylvania Museum (Ann Blair Brownlee); or the private collections and the interest in Italian architectural styles at the Union League (Barbara J. Mitnick); and finally, the Italian art on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, "a stunning assortment," which today benefits from an ambitious program of temporary exhibitions (Jennifer A. Thompson). We must also mention the book collection of Henry Charles Lea, now housed at the Kislak Center for Special Collections at the University of Pennsylvania. Despite never having visited Italy, the historian had a profound interest in the country, which he cultivated through networks of academic collaboration and friendships conducted almost exclusively through correspondence (Cam Grey). To this legacy, we can add another equally impactful one: the intangible heritage of ideas, such as the influence of Cesare Beccaria on the Founding Fathers of the American Republic - Franklin, Adams, Madison, and especially Jefferson, who frequently and extensively cited his writings (William B. Ewald). We should also remember the impact of Italian opera in a Philadelphia that, by the mid-19th century, was already considered a "musically cosmopolitan city," producing in the 20th century a host of renowned Italian-American singers such as Mario Lanza and Anna Moffo, as well as composers like Vittorio Giannini and Vincent Persichetti (Stephen A. Willier), and others like Rosario Scalero and Gian Carlo Menotti, within the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia (David Serkin Ludwig). Jesuit contributions to the fields of science and the humanities in the 19th century also had a significant impact on education, strongly influencing Catholic higher education in Philadelphia, despite initial suspicion from the Founding Fathers (Carmen R. Croce). It is impossible to cover all the stories included in the volume, which is rich with information and beautiful images. The third section highlights the formation of a flourishing Italian-American community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in South Philadelphia (Jeffrey A. Cohen), which maintained distinctive Italian cultural traits (culinary habits, Italian-language press, festivals, etc.) (Judith Goode) and distinguished itself by developing a leadership class that integrated into every sector and profession in the city. However, this was not primarily the first generation of immigrants, who were generally excluded from leadership roles in business and politics. Rather, it was their

children and grandchildren who, in many cases, broke through these barriers, excelling in many fields: from business to politics (Scott Gabriel Knowles, Maegan Madrigal, Isabella Sangaline), as well as in art, music, sports, and architecture. The final section focuses on contemporary Philadelphia and its integration into a highly globalized system, with its prestigious academic and museum institutions, its cultural vibrancy, and a city that perhaps more than any other in the U.S. "embodies the Italian soul within the American identity" a city "where the 'American dream' speaks our language" (Paolo Valentino).

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12. Studi Politici, Alex Turrini, forthcoming.

In one of his famous contributions, Joseph Nye underlines how public diplomacy has the task of mobilizing the resources that produce soft power such as, for example, the values that a country expresses in its culture or in relations with other States (Nye 2008). However, Nye continues, a country’s culture, its values, and its policies must be attractive so that public diplomacy transmitting them can be effective in producing soft power (Nye 2008, 95). The fascination and attractiveness that is elicited by reading the 31 chapters of The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia. History, Culture, People, and Ideas by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode clearly confirms Nye’s hypothesis. Not unused to similar studies in other contexts where Canepari has worked (Molinari and Canepari 2007; Canepari 2021) this Italian diplomat invites scholars, experts and key players of the Italian-American cultural scene in Philadelphia to write about those traces of what we can call “italicity” that have accompanied the urban development of the city over the last two centuries.

However, thanks to the wise support by Judith Goode, emerita anthropologist at Temple University, the book represents an interesting source of inspiration for scholars of cultural policies and arts management for at least three reasons. The first reason concerns the choice of the field in which this book is placed, that of cultural diplomacy. This area of study and research has only recently experienced its own independent development. The practices of building

international relations through arts and culture are certainly not new, but the institutionalization of these practices occurred only at the beginning of the twentieth century with the establishment of public agencies for the promotion of national languages and culture (i.e.: Alliance Française) and the labeling of this policy field as “cultural diplomacy” occurred only in 1959 by the Department of American State (U.S. Department of State 1959; Grincheva 2024). Today, one of the most interesting questions in this field concerns the role of the State in cultural diplomacy, as arts and culture should be left free from any political influences (Clarke 2020). Canepari and Goode offer an indirect response to this question as they focus on countless examples that have effectively contributed to the development of the Italian-American cultural capital in Philadelphia (and throughout the United States), and that are away from official bilateral relations between States and from the logics of hard power. They describe the influence of informal reciprocal relations and friendships emerging in farmers’ markets, in schools, in neighborhoods, in parishes, or thanks to the generosity of Italian-American philanthropists. They show how these informal networks have contributed more than any government initiatives to affirm the importance of the Italian- American culture in the city and beyond. In this perspective, Thomas Jefferson’s documented friendship with some Italian- Americans (like Philip Mazzei, his neighbor in Monticello or Joseph Mussi, a cultured merchant who hosted Jefferson in the famous Declaration Graff House) nourished Jefferson’s love for the Italian language (which he spoke fluently), his passion for the writings of Cesare Beccaria, and for European democratic values (chapters 2 and 3). At the same time, the stories and souvenirs from the Grand Tour of the Philadelphian elites travelling to Italy in the early nineteenth century colored Philadelphian tastes and values (chapters 6 and 7). The informal network of Italian-American community institutions (such as parishes, mutual aid societies, or small businesses) in South Philly (chapters 17 and 18) helped in hybridizing Irish traditions with the values of Italian culture. In their investigations about how cultural networks have helped the civic success of a community of migrants, Canepari and Goode also achieve a further objective, which is also dear to the debate of cultural policy scholars. In fact, the two curators manage to “unite Rocky (the popular Italian-American icon played by Sylvester Stallone) with Botticelli (his Renaissance paintings in the Philadelphia Museum of Art)” (chapter 31, p. 364), documenting and connecting a more popular Italian character (some would label it “low culture”) with the “high culture” initiatives typical of the most illustrious Philadelphian cultural institutions (read for example chapter 11). A second

source of inspiration of the book concerns a current debate on the characteristics of the italicity grounding the success of Made in Italy also from an economic point of view. In the introduction to the volume, Judith Goode warns that there is “no attempt to find a definable ‘essential’ italicity” (Introduction, p. 36) and that “being ‘Italian’ does not have an immutable meaning but varies over time, in places, in life experiences, and in the social networks of people, institutions, and communities” (ibidem). However, after reading the volume, the more astute reader has an understanding of why being Italian might be a source of charm and attraction (and therefore of soft power, Nye would say). It consists not only of an innate ability to produce beauty thanks to the Italian artistic tradition, but also of the “vernacular” character of being Italian. Intriguing in its etymology (verna was a word introduced into the Latin language by the first Asian emigrants to the Italic soil, interpretable today only with the help of Sanskrit) the “vernacular” indicates what belongs to the “servants born in the house”. It is therefore synonymous with domestic, local, rustic. Like when one builds a puzzle and the entire image is seen only at the end, the individual stories described in the book speak, in fact, of an Italian ability to “produce a sense of “domestic” even when building a cathedral, to welcome and make people feel at ease, to look at the great Roman temples and bring them back to the garden of a villa” (Molinari 2024). And from the theoretical point of view, italicity might be a trait which is not exclusive of those who speak Italian or were born in Italy, but a universal attribute that might be investigated in all the countries that have seen strong Italian immigration. Might this theoretical exercise be applied to any national identity? Might these explorations be helpful in grounding a discussion on the hybridity of national identities against any nationalism? Confined to the exploration of italicity, the book presents many examples of the cultural artifacts that are the products of the amalgamation of this sense of beauty, hospitality, and familiarity: we might appreciate the architectural adaptations of the principles of Palladian architecture in the villas of the Philadelphian elites of the eighteenth century (chapter 1), the Italian-American culinary hybridizations – described in a wonderful chapter by Judith Goode – of the red gravy sauce (the American classic meat and tomato sauce) and the Philly cheesesteak (created in the ItalianAmerican neighborhood of South Philly) (chapter 18), the modern architectural reinterpretations of the Venetian Ponthi dei Sospiri or of the Torri of San Gimignano around the city (chapter 30), the influences of Italian sound and music in the more traditional and American jazz music (chapter 22), or in the postmodern Philadelphian columns by Robert Venturi (chapter 24).

Finally, Canepari and Goode’s book acts as a strong intellectual stimulus for cultural policy scholars when we think about the work of the diplomat today. For sure, great diplomats have “the ability to see the connections, or even better the potential connections between people, spheres of interests and places that are invisible to others” (Institutional Presentation, Torsella, p. 17) but what Canepari and Goode demonstrate with this book is that this very particular public leader is in the end a cultural leader whose job is similar, to some extents, to that of “an archaeologist faced with a

treasure that had to be rediscovered in its fullness from the dust of time” (Afterword, p. 361). A type of intellectual brokerage, which brings together pieces of history (or, as the subtitle of the book states, history, culture and ideas) describing a very precious legacy to be treasured for a respectful and peaceful living in the present.

13. Giunia Gatta, Bocconi University, forthcoming.

This book is beautiful. From the cover onwards, it is filled with stunning photographs, and the graphic design is carefully crafted. However, it would be a mistake to confine this text to the category of coffee table books, merely meant for display in the living rooms of the upper bourgeoisie. Although its format, weight, and size do not make it ideal for reading on public transport or in flight, it certainly deserves a “table read” more than a “coffee table glance.” The articles within are highly engaging and come from a wide range of academic disciplines. They are tied together by the central theme of Philadelphia, a major U.S. city, serving as the anchor for reflections and explorations on how a rich network of relationships developed between this political and cultural center and Italy. The book examines, in particular, Italy’s influence on the city’s history, architecture, cuisine, art, culture, and society. Readers are thus offered a truly broad perspective and come away having learned a great deal. Indeed, while the book’s starting point is the interweaving of Italy and Philadelphia, it also tells the story of Philadelphia itself— from its prominence during the colonial era to its industrial development, deindustrialization, and reinvention as a center of academic and cultural excellence. Moreover, the book is filled with fascinating insights about Italy. For instance, in an essay by Carmen Croce on the influence of Jesuits who emigrated from Italy in large numbers in the mid-19th century, we are reminded of the reason for their migration: the flight of these religious figures during the Risorgimento. The result of this convergence of knowledge and imagery is a happy marriage of aesthetic pleasure and intellectual contribution, with each page offering unexpected insights, even for someone like me, who has spent much of my life studying in both Italy and the United States. Who would have imagined that American and Italian students can enroll and earn a dual degree in medicine, offered in cooperation between the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome and Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia? And who knew that Giuseppe Garibaldi’s brother, Angelo, was an ambassador for the Kingdom of Sardinia in Philadelphia, where he died at just thirty-one? Or that Garibaldi himself declined Abraham Lincoln’s invitation to join the Union troops

because slaves had not yet been emancipated? Or that Thomas Jefferson, while serving as a diplomat in Paris, visited Cuneo, Turin, and Milan? The book belongs to the field of cultural diplomacy, and it is certainly aimed at promoting Italy. In particular, one of the two editors, Andrea Canepari, former Italian consul in Philadelphia, sought to expand the perspective on the ties between the city and Italy beyond the mass migration to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I must admit that I initially had some skepticism about this attempt, as though there were an effort to downplay the central experience of so many Italian migrants to the U.S. in favor of presenting a more polished image of our country. Yet, despite a tendency to gloss over some of the darker moments in our history and this cultural intertwining—such as the period of fascist dictatorship before World War II, the war itself, and the many episodes of racism against Italians in earlier decades—I must confess that the work ultimately convinced and surprised me, expanding my understanding beyond the more obvious and well-known connections. But the diplomatic effort goes beyond promoting Italian culture worldwide and highlighting the various ways in which Italian art and culture have shaped unexpected places, institutions, and relationships. It also lies in the editors' skill in involving an incredible number of institutions, groups, and authors from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds. In this regard, the collaboration between an Italian diplomat and an academic scholar of Italy has produced a truly successful outcome. The chapters dedicated to architecture are particularly notable, tracing Palladio’s influence—via his impact on English architecture—on the construction of villas for the wealthier classes in the area, including the most famous of them, Monticello, built for Thomas Jefferson. However, the theme of Italian influence on architecture is developed throughout the text, extending to Italian design in recent decades. Significant contributions also examine the connections between many of Philadelphia’s institutions, such as museums and theaters, and Italian culture, particularly artistic culture. Great attention is also paid to Philadelphia’s social development, including the recurring desire of the upper classes to visit Italy and collect prestigious objects. At the beginning of each of the four sections into which the book is divided (the Republican era, the period of industrialization, the era of mass immigration, and contemporary Philadelphia), we find introductions by Judith Goode, one of the two editors, who provides a historical overview for the individual chapters. As a scholar of political philosophy and an Italian who has lived in the United States for many years, I am left with some perplexity regarding the emphasis on Christopher Columbus as a focal point of Italian identity in

the U.S. I am not referring to the recurring debates about Columbus’s actual nationality, but rather to the choice of this increasingly controversial figure as the standard-bearer for our essence, culture, and contribution to the U.S. Given that this book highlights the countless ways in which Italy and the U.S. have intertwined, I remain unconvinced by Andrea Canepari and Steven Conn’s decision to crystallize this entire rich legacy around Columbus. With so many alternative figures and dates, why choose to celebrate the connection between Italy and the U.S. starting with Columbus, instead of distancing ourselves from him and what his legacy increasingly represents, particularly for Native Americans and, indeed, for any country that has suffered from colonialism? Moreover, Conn notes that the promotion of Columbus Day took place in a fascist context, during a time of colonial reaffirmation. Do we really want to continue evoking these aspects? Nevertheless, as an Italian, I am proud of this book and the stories it tells, and I am also proud that an Italian diplomat representing me conceived and embraced so many facets of my country’s culture. This book will appeal to a wide range of academics across various disciplines, as well as a cultured public interested in both U.S. and Italian culture. And I reiterate that even those simply seeking beautiful images and a “coffee table book” will not be disappointed.