PRESENTATION SHEET
The Volume
Italian arts and culture have been a significant influence on Philadelphia dating back to Thomas Jefferson and colonial times Throughout the ensuing decades, Italian art and architecture styles flourished, and wealthy Philadelphians traveled to Italy and brought back objects to display in emerging institutions of art and culture New immigration formed neighborhoods such as South Philly, home to the Italian Market and Italian business leaders, politicians, artists, musicians and sports figures came to prominence and became part of the social fabric of the city.
This glorious volume, “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia”, celebrates the history, impact, and legacy of this vibrant community, tracing four periods of key transformation in the city’s political, economic, and social structures. The editors and contributors chronicle the changing dynamics of the city as Italian immigrants established themselves and as they continue to have lively interactions with people and institutions in Italy.
Interdisciplinary essays, along with nearly 250 gorgeous images, explore the changing perspectives and styles of those who contributed Italian influences. As travelers to and from Italy, settlers and their descendants brought everyday cultural practices, memories, and traditions, they created different Italian-American experiences that became important parts of American culture, a legacy that is thriving in contemporary, globalized Philadelphia
Introductory greetings
Fra’ John Dunlap,
Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Preface
Riccardo Guariglia, Secretary General of Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Institutional presentations
Samuel Anthony Alito Jr.,
Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States
Massimo Bray,
General Director of the Institute of the Italian Encyclopaedia Treccani
Joe Scarnati,
Former President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate
Joseph M. Torsella, Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and former Ambassador to the UN for Management and Reform
ISBN: 8812011179
American academical edition
The Italian legacy in Philadelphia. History, Culture, People, and Ideas.
Edited by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode. Temple University Press, 2021.
ISBN 10: 1439916470
ISBN 13: 9781439916476
Reviews
- Edward G. Rendell
Former Governor of Pennsylvania
"Italian Americans have been crucial to the growth of Philadelphia in many ways: as business leaders and entrepreneurs, as patrons and artists, as guides to 'living well' and good cuisine. But, above all, these individuals and communities, lovers of art and culture, have formed social relationships that have made our city a better place. Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode have captured all of this and much more. “Italian Legacy in Philadelphia” is an excellent read for people with Italian ancestry or for those who simply love Italians."
- Richard N. Juliani
Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Villanova University
"This anthology provides an elegant testimony to the profound impact of the Italian presence in Philadelphia. Through authoritative essays and evocative images, it offers a precious tribute to what Italians have brought to the city, how they have altered its physical and cultural environment, and how they have contributed to making Philadelphia what it is today. It is a unique volume that deserves the attention of all readers who seek to learn more about the exchange between people and places."
- David P. Varady, Journal of American Planning Association, vol. 89, No. 1, 2023, pages 155-156.
"The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia makes a fine coffee table book [ ] Canepari and Goode 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."
- Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin, Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine, 2022. vol. 48, No. 3.
"[C]omprehensive and interdisciplinary [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-toread essays, and wealth of images, this book is of equal value and interest to scholars, students and lovers of all things Italian."
- Alyssa M. Brophy, Journal of Modern Italian Studies, vol. 28, No. 4, 2023, pages 514-516.
"The book will be an essential source for historians of Italian-American history and those from other disciplines interested in this topic "
- Anthony J. Filipovitch, Journal of Urban Affairs, 2023, vol. 24, No. 1, pages 107-108.
“The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia is several things at once It is a coffee-table book, with full-color 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 ItalianAmericans, 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) "
- Jerome Krase, Voices in Italian Americana 2022, vol. 33, No. 2, page 107.
"This informative, well-written, and extremely well-illustrated volume [...] has been a pleasure to read [...]. The curators and contributors narrate, through a wide and varied array of inter- and multidisciplinary essays, the changing dynamics of the city as different classes of Italian immigrants settled there and leveraged their deep connections with Italy for their own benefits and for the well-being of the city as a whole."
- Robert Zecker, Italian Canadiana, vol. 36, No. 2, 2002, pages 214-217.
"[A] welcome exploration of enduring Italian influences on the City of Brotherly Love, including both 'high' and folk culture “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."
- Michele Magri, Italian Studies, vol. 79, No. 2, pages 236-238.
"[...] 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 Italian-American 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"
- Antonio Saccà, Rivista Studi Politici Internazionali, vol. 91, No, 361, 2024, pages 151-152.
“Andrea Canepari, former Consul General in Philadelphia and now a promoter of Italy worldwide, together with Professor Judith Goode, personally and through contributions, uncovered every possible branch of the city’s activities and the Italian contribution. [...] The book is, until proven otherwise, perfect, a totalization. [ ] This book is held in hand and in view with the pride and emotion of so many stories striving for a worthy existence. Canepari and Goode [...] have added honor to Italian honor, a work to read and behold, both reading and spectacle And, as I said, it gives a better understanding of the ‘American mind’ than purely academic works It is a biography of biographies ”
- Danilo Breschi, Il Pensiero Storico, column “Anglo-American thought”, 2024, pages 1-8.
“[...] What animates Canepari's work, excellently supported by the scientific expertise of Judith Goode, «is the idea that Italy, as as a global ambassador of Western culture in all its magnificent forms, has contributed so much to the creation, development and conservation of one of the most important and historically rich American cities" , Philadelphia precisely. A better tourist promotion for a historically aware and culturally updated visit to this city could not have been devised Demonstrating the precious function of diplomacy, in general, and the high quality of Italian diplomacy, in particular.”
- Corie Mrshall, Annali d’Italianistica, vol. 41, 2023, pages 665-667.
"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 [...]. 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."
- Alex Turrini, Studi Politici, forthcoming.
"The charm that emanates from reading the 31 chapters of [the book] edited by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode for Treccani clearly confirms this hypothesis: 'the culture, values, and policies of a country must be attractive for the public diplomacy that conveys them to be effective in creating soft power. ' [...] The volume narrates the past and present of the Italian-American community in Philadelphia [ ] It is not easy to turn a coffee table book [ ] into a source of inspiration for scholars of cultural policies "
- Stefano Luconi, Altreitalie, 2022, No. 64, pages 126-127.
"In full alignment with Piero Bassetti's reflections on the notion of italici (Svegliamoci italici!, Venice, Marsilio, 2015), [...] Canepari highlights the existence of 'friends of Italy' people who, though not Italian-Americans, seek out and appreciate everything inspired by Italian culture and lifestyle (p. 357) and suggests that enhancing their interest offers broad opportunities, not just commercial ones, for Italy in the United States. In this regard, Canepari himself has worked as Consul General, particularly through the launch of 'Ciao Philadelphia' , a series of events held since 2014 to promote Italian culture in a broad sense in the city. It is within the framework of these initiatives that the publication of “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia” with its beautiful and numerous images on glossy paper is situated."
- Filippo Alberto Cotta, Il Politico, 2024, vol. 260, No. 1, pages 165-168.
"This work therefore builds bridges between the past and the future, as well as between the two sides of the Atlantic, revealing to the public and scholars the valuable and centuries-old network of ideas and exchanges between Philadelphia and Italy. Discovering this legacy is indeed a duty: its richness is fully unveiled only when passed down."
Articles
- Al Kemp, Italian-American Herald, February 1. 2022.
"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, chronicling 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."
- Pamela J. Forsythe, Broad Street Review, January 18, 2022.
“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.”
- Sante Blasi and Antonio Saccà, July 19, 2024.
"This book is held in hand and viewed with pride and the emotion of so many stories of striving for a worthy existence Canepari, Goode, the other contributors, and Treccani have added honor to Italian honor this is a work to be read and admired, both a reading experience and a visual spectacle. And [...] it offers a better understanding of the American 'mind' than works that are purely analytical. It is a biography of biographies."
“The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia has the merit of combining the necessary remembrance of Italian emigration, true carrier of Italian identity in the world, with the promotion of the many initiatives undertaken by the ministry and its network of overseas offices to promote Italy ”
- Andrea Canepari, Aspenia, July 27, 2023
"Italians have written fundamental pages of the Philadelphia region’s history. Since Independence and early Republic, the Italian community has indeed been instrumental in forming a number of the identifying characteristics of Philadelphia, the first capital and most important commercial and industrial urban center of the North America before the rise of New York City. The Italian community helped to build the political, social, economic, and cultural structures that played a part in moulding what Philadelphia is today, a city with so many Italian influences that does not even have a central business district called “downtown” , as the majority of US cities do, but a “center city” that reminds of the Italian “centro città” . [...] The book is inspired in many ways by “Ciao Philadelphia” , a series of Italian themed events realized by the Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia from 2014 in the framework of the cultural and public diplomacy activities promoted by the Italian Embassy in Washington, D C Originally planned as a three-day Italian cultural event, “Ciao Philadelphia” then upgraded to a month-long initiative and finished as a year long calendar of hundreds of events. [...] Sometimes the Italian-American community is perceived as fractured by cultural, economic, and even geographical divides due to the multiple backgrounds of immigrants coming from various regions of Italy, especially before the 1861 unification or in the decades immediately after. We now need to reconnect the components of that perceived fracture through a unitary vision. [...]"
To read the full article, please visit: https://aspeniaonline.it/italians-in-philadelphia-and-beyond/
b. Stefano Baldi, Gazzetta Diplomatica, December 5, 2023 .
Book launch events
Centre for American Studies in collaboration with the American University of Rome May 25, 2022, Rome ----------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings:
Giusy De Sio, Associate Director - Centre for American Studies
Scott Sprenger, President - American University of Rome
Panel:
Andrea Canepari, Co-editor
Lisa Colletta, Director of the “English Writing, Literature, and Publishing” ProgramAmerican University of Rome
Joseph Torsella, Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Chris William Sanchirico, Samuel A. Blank Professor of “Law, Business, and Public Policy”, and Co-Director of the Center for Tax Law and Policy at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
Moderator:
Neil Tanner, AUR Trustee, SVP and General Counsel, Finance, Strategy and International Markets at Cigna
Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl7MeUe-TYY
Info: https://www einpresswire com/article/573917434/consigliere-andrea-caneparipresenta-the-italian-legacy-in-philadelphia-centro-studi-americani-oggi-25-maggio-2022
Festival of American Culture: Italians in America
September 23, 2022, Center for American Studies, Rome
Panel:
Andrea Canepari, Co-editor
Ignazio Marino, Executive Vice President of Thomas Jefferson University
Emilia Zankina, Dean of Temple University Rome
Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl7MeUe-TYY
Info: https://centrostudiamericani.org/festival-della-cultura-americana-23-settembre/
Charles Library, Temple University November 3, 2022, Philadelphia, PA, USA
In conversation with editors Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode:
Cristiana Mele, Consul General of Italy Consulate General in Philadelphia
Inga Saffron, Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer
William Valerio, Director of the “Woodmere Art Museum”
Domenic Vitiello, Professor of “Urban Studies” - University of Pennsylvania
Moderazione:
Richard Englert, former President and current Chancellor of Temple University
Recording: https://www youtube com/watch?v=T2uZ20XwH5E
Info: https://news.temple.edu/news/2022-11-30/new-temple-press-book-celebratesphiladelphia-s-italian-legacy
Institute of the Italian Encyclopaedia Treccani
December 6, 2023, Rome
Opening remarks:
Franco Gallo, President of Treccani and Chief Justice Emeritus of the Italian Constitutional Court
Fra’ John Dunlap, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Gian Marco Centinaio, Vice President of the Italian Senate
Maria Tripodi, Italian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
In conversation with co-editor Andrea Canepari:
Samuel A. Alito Jr., Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi
Gilda Rorro, New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission
Paolo Valentino, Diplomatic Correspondent for “Corriere della Sera”
Conclusion:
Giuliano Amato, Chief Justice Emeritus of the Italian Constitutional Court and Former Italian Prime Minister
Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf9hF5124NU
Info: https://www.treccani.it/magazine/atlante/cultura/ciao-philadelphia.html
Triennale
March 20, 2024, Milan
Greetings:
Carla Morogallo, General Director of Triennale Milano
Marco Sammicheli, Director of the Italian Design Museum at Triennale Milano Verónica Crego, Dean of the Consular Corps of Milan and Consul General of Uruguay
In conversation with co-editor Andrea Canepari:
Luca Molinari, Director of the magazine “Platform, Architecture and Design” Carlo Secchi, Vice-President of the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) and Professor Emeritus of “European Economical Politics” at Bocconi University of Milan
Moderator:
Maria Vittoria Dalla Cia, Editor in Chief of the magazine “La cucina italiana”
Recording: https://www youtube com/watch?v=H1y58tsU2OE
Info: https://triennale.org/eventi/eredita-italiana-filadelfia
Istituto Lombardo - Accademia di Scienze e Lettere
May 23, 2024, Milan
Info: https://istitutolombardo.it/attivita/eventi/evento/37
About the editors
Andrea Canepari is an Italian diplomat, former Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, and Consul General in Philadelphia. He has served as Head of the Commercial Office at the Embassy in Turkey and has worked at the Embassy in Washington. A promoter of synergies between foreign communities and Italy, he has spearheaded public diplomacy initiatives, for which he received 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 the co-editor of “The Italian Legacy in Washington, D.C.: Architecture, Design, Art and Culture”, published by Skira in 2007, editor of “The Italian Legacy in the Dominican Republic. History, Architecture, Economy, and Society”, published by Allemandi (in Italian) and St Joseph University Press (in English) in 2021, and coeditor of “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, and Ideas”, published by Temple University Press in 2021. He holds a degree in Political Economy from Bocconi University, a degree in Law from the University of Parma, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Pennsylvania.
Judith Goode is Professor Emerita of Anthropology and Urban Studies at Temple University. She is the co-editor of “The New Poverty Studies: The Ethnography of Power, Politics, and Impoverished People in the United States” and co-author of “Reshaping 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 was awarded the Distinguished Recognition Award for Critical Study of North America by the Society for the Anthropology of North America.
Authors
Gilda Battaglia Rorro Baldassari
Ann Blair Brownlee
Joseph F. Chorpenning
Jeffrey A. Cohen
Lisa Colletta
Steven Conn
Carmen R. Croce
Joseph V. Del Raso
William B. Ewald
Jean M. Farnsworth
Pietro Frassica
Raffaella Fabiani Giannetto
Jeremy Goode
Alan Greenberger
Cam Grey
Albert Gury
Scott Gabriel Knowles
David Serkin Ludwig
Salvatore Mangione
Barbara J. Mitnick
Luca Molinari
Jody Pinto
Inga Saffron
Chris William Sanchirico
Fred Simeone
Jennifer A. Thompson
Paolo Valentino
William R. Valerio
Maurizio Valsania
A Willier
Barbara A Wolanin and the editors
Web resources
Website of the Italian publisherTreccani:
https://emporium.treccani.it/it/l-eredita-italiana-a-filadelfia-storia-culturapersone-e-idee-3012588 html
Website of the book:
https://italyphiladelphiab.wixsite.com/my-site
Website of the American academical publisher -Temple University Press :
https://tupress.temple.edu/books/the-italian-legacy-in-philadelphia
Youtube Channels:
@italianbridges6876
https://www.youtube.com/@italianbridges6876 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@italianlegacies3861
https://www.youtube.com/@italianlegacies3861
Instagram: @italianbridges
https://www.instagram.com/italianbridges/
Table of contents
11 Introductory greetings, S A Em Ma Fra’ John Dunlap
13 Preface, Amb. Riccardo Guariglia
Institutional presentations
15 Samuel Anthony Alito Jr.
17 Joe Scarnati
18 Joseph M Torsella
19 Massimo Bray
21 Forward, Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode
29 Prologue - Linking Philadelphia to Italy: A History of the Italian Consulate General in Philadelphia, Andrea Canepari
43 Introduction, Judith Goode
49 I Independence and early Republic
51 Introduction, Judith Goode
55 Palladians in Philadelphia, Jeffrey A. Cohen
65 Cesare Beccaria’s Influence on the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention, William B Ewald
69 Thomas Jefferson and Joseph Mussi: Enjoying Milanese Life in Philadelphia, Maurizio Valsania
74 SIDEBAR 1 - Garibaldi’s “American Brother” and Piedmontese Consul: The Philadelphia Story of Angelo Garibaldi, Salvatore Mangione
76 Rome, Italian Émigrés, and Jesuit Education in Nineteenth-Century Philadelphia Carmen R. Croce
87 Artists of the Capitol in Philadelphia, Barbara A Wolanin
95 II The expanding industrial metropolis. New Wealth, New Elites, and new Institutions of Knowledge, Arts, and Culture
97 Introduction, Judith Goode
103
Henry Charles Lea’s Italy: A Philadelphia Businessman and Scholar’s “Grand Tour from Home”, Cam Grey
108 Philadelphia Society and the Grand Tour, Lisa Colletta
117 The Union League of Philadelphia: The Italian Legacy, Barbara J Mitnick
127 David at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: Italian Influences on Curriculum and Art Making, Albert Gury
134 “Pompeii Comes to Philadelphia”: The Wanamaker Bronzes in the University of Pennsylvania Museum, Ann Blair Brownlee
141 “A Dazzling Array”: Italian Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Jennifer A. Thompson
154 The Italian Legacy in the Gardens of Early Twentieth-Century Philadelphia, Raffaella Fabiani Giannetto
162 The Neapolitan Presepio at the Glencairn Museum, Joseph F Chorpenning
166 The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: Opera and Instrumental Music, Stephen A.Willier
178 The Curtis Institute of Music and Italy, David Serkin Ludwig
182 Italy on Display: Representing Italy in the 1876 Centennial and the 1926 Sesquicentennial, Steven Conn
191 III Made in America. Immigration, Community Formation, and Varieties of Creative Italian American Experience
193 Introduction, Judith Goode
199 Marking Place: Brief Notes on Building Patterns in Italian American South Philadelphia, Jeffrey A. Cohen
204 How South Philadelphia Became Known as Italian, Judith Goode
223 SIDEBAR 2 - From Southern Italy to Southern New Jersey: Italian Success in the Garden State, Cav. Dott.ssa Gilda Battaglia Rorro Baldassari
225 Italian American Leaders in Business and Politics, Scott Gabriel Knowles, Maegan Madrigal e Isabella Sangaline
239 Drawn from the Boot: The Italian Artists of Philadelphia, William R Valerio
252 SIDEBAR 3 - The D’Ascenzo Studio, Jean M. Farnsworth
255 A Family of Italian American Artists, Jody Pinto
258 Jazz in the Neighborhood and the World, Chris William Sanchirico
262 SIDEBAR 4 - South Philly Musicians Remix Mural, Jeremy Goode
264 SIDEBAR 5 - Two Iconic Sports Figures, Jeremy Goode
266 Romaldo Giurgola, Architect: “The Reluctant Master”, Alan Greenberger
273 CHRISTOPER COLUMBUS MONUMENT
275 An “Extremely Emotional Love Affair”: Robert Venturi, Rome, and Italy
Luca Molinari
281 IV Contemporary Philadelphia. Experiencing the Italian Legacy in the Branded Global City
283 Introduction, Judith Goode
289 Italy, Philadelphia, and the University of Pennsylvania, Chris William Sanchirico
300 SIDEBAR 6 - Vittorini’s Threads of Life Lives On, Pietro Frassica
303 Dr Gonnella’s Journey from the Mountains of Basilicata to the Medical Wards of Philadelphia, Salvatore Mangione
309 Temple University and Its Italian Connection, Judith Goode
316 SIDEBAR 7 - NIAF and Its Links to Philadelphia, Joseph V. Del Raso
319 The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Fred Simeone
324 Italian Gastronomy and Its Many Roles in a Cosmopolitan City, Judith Goode
334 Recalling Italy in Bricks and Mortar, Inga Saffron
354 From Rocky to Botticelli, Italian Philadelphia: Concerts, Shows, Exhibits, and Conferences in a City in Pennsylvania Where the “American Dream” Speaks Our Language, Paolo Valentino
359 SIDEBAR 8 - Rocky Balboa: Icon of the City, Judith Goode
360 Afterword - Ciao Philadelphia: Creation of an Italian Cultural Initiative and Volume, Andrea Canepari
388 List of Contributors
392 Name Index