Panoram Italia Montreal Aug-Sept 2013

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THE ITALIAN-CANADIAN MAGAZINE MAILED TO HOMES IN THE GREATER MONTREAL AND OTTAWA AREAS

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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2013 • VOL.8 • NO.4

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER 2013 Volume 8 Number 4

PUBLISHER’S NOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

14 ITALIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL Italian Language in Montreal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 La Lingua italiana a Montreal: Il Punto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Italian Instruction in Montreal: A Case in Point . . . . . . . . . 20

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Tony Zara

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Filippo Salvatore

Italian Heritage School: For or Against? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Italian Studies At Home and Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Cover Story: Elementary Italian

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

FOOD Chef Danny Smiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 A Guide to Homemade Pasta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

EDITORIAL DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Adam Zara MONTREAL WEB MANAGERS MANAGING EDITOR Gabriel Riel-Salvatore Gabriel Riel-Salvatore Claudio Ortu TORONTO MANAGING EDITORS Rita Simonetta Viviana Laperchia

PROOFREADERS Claudio Ortu Aurélie Ptito

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

ART DEPARTMENT FASHION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

ART DIRECTION David Ferreira Gabriel Riel-Salvatore GRAPHIC DESIGN David Ferreira

PHOTOGRAPHY Vincenzo D’Alto Michel Ostaszewski Fahri Yavuz MAKEUP Emmanuelle Blanchard

FIRENZE Flagship City of the Renaissance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Storica Firenze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Florence d’une rive à l’autre du Ponte Vecchio . . . . . . . . . 42 Florence gourmande . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

ADVERTISING VICE PRESIDENT – ADVERTISING SALES MARKETING & SALES TORONTO EXECUTIVE MONTREAL Earl Weiner Frank Crisafi

Firenze, la culla del Rinascimento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 À la santé de Botticelli! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

CONTRIBUTORS

40 GRADUATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

33

EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Pasquale Artuso Julie Aubé Rosanna and Peter Bozzo Giuseppe Continiello Alessia Sara Domanico Jeremy Filosa Fabio Forlano Anders Jensen Sabrina Marandola Franca Mazza Monica Regalino Danny Smiles Francesca Spizzirri Valérie Vézina

SPORTS Arturo Gatti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Does Montreal’s Italian Community Really Want or Need an Italian Heritage School?

Dear Readers, This issue deals, once more, with the question of an Italian heritage school in Montreal.

Before giving you my take on this, I would like to define the mission of such a school.

An Italian heritage school is a private school like any other, except for the fact that it includes within its curriculum at least one hour per day of teaching the Italian language, as well as culture and history, using Italian as a language of instruction. The assumption is that a student who begins in pre-kindergarten and attends until secondary V would acquire a deep understanding of the great culture of Italy and become fluent in three languages in the process.

I commend my staff for having had the passion to reopen this subject once more.

Interviewing community leaders, educational civil servants, our ambassador to Canada and our Consul General in Montreal, among many others, is all fine and dandy. But what lessons can be drawn from the answers given? Our community leaders have tried and aborted the mission, arguing that “the time has passed.” Italian educational civil servants and the parallel system of teaching they have established on Saturday mornings have the proverbial axe to grind and are not willing to support any initiative that would lower their own enrollment, even though they have been steadily losing students. Our diplomatic core seems to give lip service, but in the end, they either cannot or will not do anything concrete to help this project along.

The online survey Panoram conducted in June of 2013 revealed that of the more than 800 respondents (mostly second and third generation Canadians of Italian origin), over 86% of them would enrol their children in a private Italian heritage school if such a school existed.

So what is the tentative answer? After having gone through the process in the fall of 2008 without a positive outcome, I am convinced that this project will materialize only if one or both of these two conditions occur: a group of philanthropists join together and put up the money to found this school, or one or more members of the business community see an opportunity in having a private school with an Italian component and invest for a return.

Let us hope that our survey findings and research will encourage one or the other source of financing. However it happens, if it happens, I do not doubt that it will be a resounding success. There is indeed a deeply felt yearning for it throughout Greater Montreal’s Italian community. The rest is up to you, people of good will and foresight. Now is the time to show in concrete terms your pride as Italian-Canadians!

On another note, I am happy to report that our first Treasures of Italy Tour was a great success. Please enjoy the pictures and testimonials within our pages. Be sure to look for announcements for next year’s trip in our October/November issue. If you’d like to win a pair of tickets like Mr. and Mrs. Iacampo did, I invite you to subscribe to Panoram Italia magazine and receive it in the comfort of your home.

Best regards, Tony Zara, Publisher

Treasures of Italy Tour winner Maria Iacampo with Publisher Tony Zara, left, and president of Expertours Domenico Calabretta, right. Be sure to look for an announcement of next year’s trip in our October/November issue.

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ITALIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL

Italian Language in Montreal: A Crucial, Irreversible Crossroads

By Filippo Salvatore

As renowned writer and Roman civilization scholar Hugh MacLennan once said, Italians proved to be a model of harmonious social integration and probably the best immigrants Canada ever received. The Italian community of Montreal not only contributed to building this great city, but also managed to integrate itself in every way, never losing its traditions, roots and culture. However successful we have become, we now stand at a crucial, irreversible crossroads that will decide whether we will continue to play an integral role in Canada’s cultural mosaic. Irrespective of our demographical importance, the Italian language and consequently the culture it embodies, has been experiencing a steady demise since the 1970s. Is this an irreparable movement or the sign that stronger actions are rapidly needed to reverse the trend and give Italian the rightful place it deserves as a coveted language tied to one of the world’s most illustrious cultures? We believe that the time has come to push forward with the idea of creating an Italian heritage school that would provide our youth with the tools it needs to learn and in turn teach future generations our beloved language of origin.

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ITALIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL

We have existed as an acknowledged community in Canada since 1885 and it seems incredible that we have not yet been able to set up a permanent Italian heritage school to teach Italian language and culture as a regular subject to our sons and daughters. Judging by the state of the Italian language, the few existing efforts put forward in the public school system are simply not enough.

In favour of an Italian school to keep the culture alive for future generations We believe that in order to ensure that new generations learn Italian and in turn are able to pass on their heritage to the future members of our community, an important step must be undertaken. We consider it mandatory to establish an Italian private heritage school, where Italian language and Italian-Canadian culture would be taught by skilled teachers along with other subjects in French and/or English. Such a school would range from kindergarten to secondary V. While many are skeptical about the feasibility of such a school, the conceivable enrollment of several thousand students does not seem exaggerated for an established and prosperous community like ours that numbers nearly 300,000.

To test the waters, we conducted our own online survey to find out if there is in fact a need or interest for a private Italian heritage school in Greater Montreal.

Close to 87% of the 854 respondants were in favour of such a school. A resounding yes. The primary reasons for sending their children would be the learning of proper Italian language and culture, and the maintenance of their Italian heritage.

Regarding the question of such a school’s location, the answers confirm just how widely the community is represented across Greater Montreal: St. Leonard (25%), Laval (15%), Downtown (14%), West Island (14%), RDP (13%), Ahuntsic (9%).

If such a school were to be established, it would obviously need to be located in a geographically convenient and easily accessible area. There are several empty or near-empty schools that could be recycled and used for such an initiative.

Moreover, private schools are not an alien concept to most ItalianMontrealers. As a matter of fact, a great number of us choose to send our sons and daughters to private schools. We travel far and wide to make sure they get what we perceive to be a good education. It is not unusual for teenagers from Laval, for instance, to travel to Montreal to attend private schools such as Villa Maria, Loyola High School, Regina Assumpta, Mont St. Louis or Queen of Angels Academy.

These schools heavily rely on Italian-Canadian enrollment.

However, many respondents acknowledged the fact that high tuition fees might constitute a serious limitation to sending their kids to such a school.

According to our poll, 86% of parents would spend $3,000 or less for tuition.

Therefore, an understanding with the Québec government to obtain funding, like other private ethnic schools do, is essential to making this project accessible to as many students as possible.

s Photography by Fahri Yavuz

Question 1.

(854 respondents)

olely relying on the efforts of parents and grandparents to instill our language and culture of origin in children hailing from the third and fourth generation of Italian-Canadians now seems to be a mere leap of faith. It is natural that English and French have become the main languages for most second and third generation Italian-Canadians. What’s concerning is that very rarely will we speak to our children in Italian at home or even with our peers, siblings and in some cases to the elder generation within our families. Writing in Italian is also an art that is rapidly fading away. While many second generation Italian-Canadians are still able to speak Italian, fewer and fewer of them are actually able to read it, even less write it. Many young parents of Italian origin do not even bother teaching their children their nonni’s language anymore, deeming it too challenging or even pointless; especially if their ties with Italy are a distant memory. Moreover, how can we ask someone that does not properly master a language to teach it to his or her kids? This is without counting the difficulties encountered by mixed couples that need to choose between different languages of origin for their children.

The article “Losing your parent’s language”, published one year ago within our pages, clearly expressed the generational gap our community has been experiencing by exposing the results of a 2011 Statistics Canada report. In 1981, 52% of children under 18 born in Canada to Italian immigrants spoke the same mother tongue as their parents. By 2006, this proportion fell to 20%. More alarming were the figures that expressed how first generation Italian-Canadians had 100% Italian language knowledge, while third generation had only 11%.

Other ethnic communities have understood early on that if one does not preserve the language, all would eventually fade away. The Jewish, Greek and Armenian communities of Montreal have always understood that the best way to preserve their respective cultures is to create their own schools where pupils would not only be imparted a great education but would also graduate being perfectly trilingual.

S

If a private Italian heritage school (a private school with most of the curriculum taught in English and/or French, with a minimum of one hour per day dedicated to Italian language and culture) were to be established in Greater Montreal, would you send your child or teenager?

86.6% Yes

13.4% No

PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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ITALIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL Community support: An essential ingredient to success

Getting involved: A winning strategy

Since the rules for third language schools have recently changed, some may argue that we missed the boat as a community, contrary to the Greek, Armenian and Jewish communities that had made applications years ago under different circumstances, when it was much easier to get a license. Let’s take this on as a challenge that can be overcome through dedication and a clear demonstration of our mobilization power relative to our demographic weight.

Furthermore, this project could help unite the community and ensure we act as an effective lobby capable of reaching the goals we set for ourselves. In this way, the role of several organizations that speak on our behalf would be put to the test. The Canadian Italian Business & Professional Association (CIPBA) and the ItalianCanadian Community Foundation (FCCI), for instance, could participate actively by funding the project and helping kids from all backgrounds access the school by granting scholarships.

All in all, this project must start from the grassroots level. As some officials and experts in the field have pointed out, the demand has to come from the parents and the community as a whole if we really want this endeavour to take shape. As a first concrete step to enact the project and to push both Italian and local governments to help, Panoram Italia will launch an online petition.

Five years have passed since Panoram Italia launched a campaign to set up a private Italian heritage school in Greater Montreal where one or more subjects would be taught directly in Italian. Back then, the readers’ reaction towards this initiative was very enthusiastic, at times overwhelming. The results of our survey have shown that this feeling has not changed one iota.

At the time, some of the most representative leaders of our community were ready to play a role in this lofty enterprise and a consensus had emerged: Italian could and would be preserved only if it became a vehicle in teaching several subjects in high quality private schools. We had proposed the idea of creating in the short-term one or more private daytime schools, and a fundraiser with the FCCI, raising a substantial amount, was even organized to reach this goal.

While these funds were originally destined to launch a private Italian heritage school, they were recently allocated to the promotion of Italian through the PELO program in local public schools of the English school board. Although we believe these initiatives and the creation of a private heritage school are not mutually exclusive, we feel that this money could have been more effectively invested. Far is our idea aimed at eliminating the efforts that have already been deployed, yet we want to push for the promotion of the Italian language among our youth to another level. Much money will be needed to reach this goal, so we once again urge concerned parents and lovers of our illustrious Italian culture, as well as our community leaders, to give moral and financial support to this much needed and inspiring project.

Yet, on top of seeking money and a location, one more vital component is needed to achieve our objective. It will be of crucial importance to form a dedicated working committee made up of people of various backgrounds that carry a deep understanding of the academic field and the potential problems and limitations involved in creating such a school.

The time has come to make it our number one collective cultural priority for the next decade. It is central for the safeguarding of the Italian language. The dividends in human, social and financial terms will be very rewarding.

Visit www.panoramitalia.com to sign the petition.

“

Beyond strictly functional communication purposes, the learning of Italian carries a much loftier intent. First off, we believe that Italian should cease being promoted as

Panoram Italia offers to act as a mediator/facilitator between people interested in getting involved in building such a school and the local authorities. You want to get involved? Please voice your opinion, concern, availability or support to: info@panoramitalia.com

a language of immigration and be given the prestige it deserves by creating a

“

serious institution promoting one of the world’s most

Question 2.

What is main reason you would send your child or teenager to such a school?

beautiful cultures.

3.72% Other

34.81% To maintain Italian heritage in Canada

Moving from a language of immigration to a language of culture Beyond strictly functional communication purposes, the learning of Italian carries a much loftier intent. First off, we believe that Italian should cease being promoted as a language of immigration and be given the prestige it deserves by creating a serious institution promoting one of the world’s most beautiful cultures. This is the only way we will be able to attain serious academic standards and create a valid, respected institution that will overcome the fear or forming an ethnic ghetto or a white elephant.

This in turn would attract the best elements from both within and outside the community.

To achieve this, we need an integrated program that will provide a strong level of teaching based on quality and merit. We have been able to become a prosperous community by adapting to local ways and business methods. We can now do the same by creating our own schools, based on North American standards of excellence, instilling some Mediterranean flavour into the equation. A real showcase of our hybrid nature.

This would require reaching an understanding with the Quebec government, to enable teachers from Italy to come teach Italian, in order to have a staff of well-versed professors that carry the proper credentials. This would require granting these teachers the “equipollenza” (equivalence) for their diplomas to avoid limiting the selection of candidates to local teachers that might not be up to par with the task of teaching accurate Italian with authority and professionalism.

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32.99% To speak proper Italian

28.48% To learn about Italian culture

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ITALIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL

La Lingua Italiana a Montréal: Il Punto Claudio Ortu

La crisi economica che ha investito il mondo occidentale, America prima ed Europa poi, ha costretto i governi a tagli e revisioni delle spese. L’Italia non è stata da meno e, soprattutto da quest’anno, i finanziamenti per la cultura sono stati drasticamente ridotti. Il risultato? Pochi, pochissimi, sono i soldi arrivati dal Belpaese per il mantenimento e la diffusione della lingua italiana. In queste righe si è cercato di ricostruire il quadro complessivo del progetto che la comunità italiana di Montréal sta testando per non perdere le proprie origini e di analizzarne i presupposti per farsì che la nostra lingua non diventi un lontano ricordo. ercoledì 23 gennaio 2013, presso la Scuola Pierre de Coubertain, si è svolta la conferenza stampa di presentazione dell'accordo, stipulato tra la Fondazione Comunitaria Italo-Canadese (FCCIQ) e l'English Montréal School Board (EMSB), per la promozione e la diffusione della lingua italiana in alcuni istituti scolastici di primo ciclo per gli anni accademici 2012-2013 e 2013-2014.

L'insegnamento della lingua italiana viene così offerto tre volte la settimana con lezioni di 30 minuti all'interno del curriculum scolastico di quattro istituti: Dante, East Hill, General Vanier e Pierre de Coubertain. L'ammontare del finanziamento è di 110 mila dollari l'anno che saranno utilizzati per "garantire la continuità dei programmi PELO – Programme d'Enseignement de la Langue d'Origine” –, come si legge nel sito web della Fondazione Comunitaria Italo-Canadese.

Entusiastici i toni dei rappresentanti delle istituzioni. Il Console generale d'Italia, dottor Enrico Padula, sottolinea che: “Questo accordo è di grandissima importanza.

Per la prima volta la comunità supporta sé stessa decidendo di finanziare, in un momento in cui l'Italia sta tagliando le spese, l'insegnamento della lingua italiana integrata nelle scuole pubbliche”. Il direttore dell'Istituto Italiano di Cultura, professor Martin Stiglio, lo definisce: “Un accordo storico. Si tratta di qualcosa di innovativo, non solo lingua, ma cultura italiana. Proprio quest'ultima permetterà ai giovani italocanadesi, e no, di diventare uomini moderni in un mondo ormai globalizzato”.

Erano presenti anche i vertici dell'EMSB, della FCCIQ, del ComItEs, del PICAI – l'ente gestore che per quarant'anni si è occupato dell'insegnamento dell'italiano a Montréal – e gli eletti italo-candesi all'Assemblea nazionale e al Parlamento federale.

Lo scopo dell'accordo, ci spiega la direttrice dei Servizi didattici dell'EMSB, Alessandra Furfaro, “è continuare con l'insegnamento della lingua italiana nelle nostre scuole”.

La somma pattuita “servirà per gli stipendi degli insegnanti e per i loro corsi di aggiornamento”, precisa Carmine D'Argenio, presidente della Fondazione. In totale, i docenti sono nove, ma non tutti hanno i requisisti richiesti. Nella sezione Elementary School Teachers del sito web del Governo del Canada è precisato che gli Employment Requirements stabiliscono che un insegnante deve avere almeno un bachelor degree in Education. Furfaro ci ha confermato, inoltre, che gli insegnanti “devono avere il grado che noi accettiamo qui per insegnare nelle scuole inglesi e francesi: bachelor in Education”.

Aloisio Mulas, che per quarant'anni ha gestito il Picai, la “scuola del sabato”, e che conosce bene tutti gli insegnanti, ha specificato: “C'è un'insegnante che fino a pochi anni fa lavorava per noi – e che oggi insegna italiano nell'EMSB – che come titolo di studio ha poco più della terza media”.

Mulas sottolinea, poi, un aspetto importante dell'insegnamento dell'italiano integrato. “L'apprendimento di una lingua è un fenomeno di pratica. Tre ore la settimana sono poche, se si riduce il tempo a un'ora e mezzo, l'esposizione è zero”. Anche D'Argenio ammette che è un problema da risolvere: “Anch'io penso sia poco, ma non è facile. Adesso abbiamo queste quattro scuole, ma vogliamo espanderci, andare in altre scuole dove possiamo fare qualcosa in più”.

Sembra complesso trovare una soluzione perché “per integrare il corso di lingua italiana abbiamo allungato la giornata scolastica degli alunni di 18 minuti rispetto alle altre scuole. Questo per rispettare le leggi del governo del Québec”, precisa Furfaro.

Se con una spesa di 220 mila dollari, gli insegnanti non sono propriamente qualificati e le lezioni di mezz'ora, tre volte alla settimana, sono insufficienti per apprendere una lingua, si pone una questione: tutti questi soldi potrebbero essere spesi per un progetto duraturo e più efficiente che raggiunga risultati migliori?

Sono diverse le comunità che hanno, con successo, istituito le proprie scuole: armena, ebraica, greca e tedesca. E la comunità italiana?

D'Argenio dice: “Oggi è molto difficile. È un progetto che esiste da molto tempo

M

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ma ci sono alcuni problemi logistici: dove mettere la scuola? Sarà elitaria? Chi si iscriverebbe?”. Ma continuando l'analisi, per D'Argenio, forse, il problema di fondo è un altro: “La scuola doveva essere costruita una generazione fa, è un po' tardi oggi”.

Sylvia Lo Bianco, vicepresidente dell'EMSB, ricorda: “Attraverso la Fondazione, qualche anno fa, si è sondato l'interesse per una scuola privata italiana. Le famiglie la vogliono, però non è stato evidente. Noi eravamo pronti a livello pedagogico. Abbiamo gli esperti e siamo una commissione scolastica riconosciuta dal Governo”. Angela Mancini, presidente dell'EMSB, sintetizza così: “La scuola deve nascere da un bisogno e forse noi non ce l'avevamo”.

Su un possibile progetto di scuola privata italiana, il caporedattore di Panoram Italia, professor Filippo Salvatore, ha sentito il parere dell'Ambasciatore d'Italia in Canada, dottor Gian Lorenzo Cornado, che così ha risposto: “È un progetto molto valido, ambizioso e costoso. Naturalmente, in qualità di Ambasciatore, il mio compito sarà quello di appoggiare ogni iniziativa che la comunità italiana voglia intraprendere per promuovere la propria lingua, identità e cultura. Quello che ci vorrebbe è una raccolta fondi attraverso i grandi esponenti della comunità, ed è inutile dire che in un caso come questo io sarei vicino a tutti loro”.

Il futuro dell’insegnamento della lingua italiana in Québec secondo professor Dario Brancato Per analizzare in maniera oggettiva la situazione attuale dell'insegnamento della lingua italiana e per conoscere quale potrà essere il futuro della favella di Dante, abbiamo intervistato il professor Dario Brancato, docente presso il Dipartimento Classic, Modern Languages and Linguistics della Concordia University.

Qual è la fotografia dell’insegnamento della lingua italiana a Montréal?

L'insegnamento della lingua italiana si è sempre basato sull'apporto del Governo italiano, e ora che i soldi non ci sono più diventa fondamentale appoggiarsi ai privati.

E’ sufficiente il numero di ore in cui si insegna attualmente l’italiano?

Le tre ore della "scuola del sabato" sono insufficienti. L'ora e mezzo a settimana prevista dal PELO, dal punto di vista pedagogico, non ha nessun fondamento, alla fine non si impara niente. Servono almeno cinque ore distribuite nell'arco della settimana.

Ritorna, allora, la questione della scuola privata italiana. È tardi?

No. Ci sono tanti Italiani qui e c'è una nuova ondata migratoria di persone che parlano italiano. Poi, finché non si entra nel mercato non si può sapere.

Conosce esempi di comunità che hanno una propria scuola?

Sì, quella tedesca (la Alexander von Humboldt School, n.d.R.). Ci sono stato e tutti i ragazzi parlano tedesco. In più, gli insegnanti sono selezionati in maniera seria.

A proposito, qual è il livello minimo accettabile per insegnare l'italiano?

Chi non ha una formazione accademica e professionale presso istituzioni riconosciute e all'avanguardia, come l'Università per Stranieri di Siena, di Perugia o altre, non è tagliato per l'insegnamento. Anche la laurea non è sufficiente senza una specifica certificazione di capacità pedagogiche.

Per quanto riguarda gli insegnanti di italiano a Montréal...

Spesso utilizzano teorie didattiche obsolete e la partecipazione ai corsi di aggiornamento è molto scarsa.

Quindi come sarà il futuro della nostra lingua senza una scuola privata italiana?

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ITALIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL

Italian Instruction in Montreal: A Case in Point

By Claudio Ortu

When the economic crisis hit the Western world, first in America, then in Europe, governments were forced to undertake audits and cutbacks in spending. Italy was not spared and, particularly as of this year, funds allocated to culture have been drastically reduced. The consequence? Very little money was sent from Italy to maintain and increase the diffusion of the Italian language across borders. In this context of limited means, Panoram Italia decided to evaluate the overall efforts put forward by Montreal’s Italian community to increase the quantity and quality of Italian instruction throughout elementary schools of the East End English School Board. The end goal is to determine whether this strategy does enough to truly ensure a bright future for the Italian language in Montreal. press conference was held on Wednesday, January 23, 2013, at the Pierre de Coubertin School to announce an agreement between the Italian-Canadian Community Foundation (ICCF) and the English Montreal School Board (EMSB), for the promotion and diffusion of the Italian language in some Cycle One schools during the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 academic years.

As a result, four schools – Dante, East Hill, General Vanier and Pierre de Coubertin – offer Italian language instruction in 30-minute lessons, three times a week, within their curriculum. As stated on the Italian-Canadian Community Foundation’s website, the annual funding of $110,000 will be used to “ensure continuity for the PELO programs (Programme d’enseignement des langues d’origine).”

Representatives of various institutions have voiced their enthusiasm. The Italian Consul General, Enrico Padula, points out that: “This agreement is of great importance. For the first time, at a moment when Italy is cutting expenses, the community is taking charge by deciding to fund the integration of Italian language instruction in public schools.” Martin Stiglio, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute, defines it as “an historic agreement. It is something new, being not only about language, but also about Italian culture. The latter is precisely what will allow Italian-Canadian youth, and others, to become modern men and women in a globalized world.”

Also present were representatives of the EMSB, the ICCF, the ComItEs, PICAI (the institution that, for forty years, has managed Italian instruction classes in Montreal), and elected Italian-Canadian members of the National Assembly and the Parliament of Canada.

Alessandra Furfaro, EMSB Director of Pedagogical Services, explains that the purpose of this agreement “is to continue teaching Italian in our schools.”

The granted sum “will be used both for teachers’ salaries and for their refresher courses,” says Carmine D’Argenio, President of the Foundation. There are nine teachers in total, but not all of them have the required credentials. The Elementary School Teachers section of the Government of Canada website states that Employment Requirements for teachers include at the very least a Bachelor’s degree in Education.

Indeed, Furfaro has also confirmed that teachers “must have a degree that we accept here to teach in regular English and French schools, that is a Bachelor in Education.”

“There is a teacher who had worked for us up until a few years ago – and who now teaches Italian at the EMSB – whose formal education is just barely at the eighth grade level,” admits Aloisio Mulas, who has managed the PICAI “Saturday school” program for forty years.

Also, Mulas stresses another important aspect regarding the integration of Italian instruction. “Learning a language is all in the practice. Three hours a week is already very little time, but if this weekly schedule is reduced to an hour and a half, the exposure is zero.” D’Argenio too admits that this is a problem that needs to be solved: “I also think it is not enough, but it is not easy. For now, we have these four schools, and we want to do more, by expanding, and going to other schools.”

Yet, finding a solution is a complex task, explains Furfaro, because “to integrate the Italian class, and to comply with the law of the Quebec government, we lengthened the school day by 18 minutes, in comparison with other schools.”

If, with a considerable expenditure of $220,000, teachers are not properly qualified, and 30-minute lessons, three times a week, are insufficient to learn a language, then the obvious question arises: could all this money be spent on a more efficient long-term project that would achieve better results?

There are several communities (Armenian, Jewish, Greek and German) that have successfully created their own schools. What about the Italian community?

“Today, it is very difficult,” says D’Argenio. “This is a long-standing project that has also been discussed for a long time, but there are some logistical issues: where to locate the school? Would it be elitist? Who would enrol?” But, continuing the analysis, D’Argenio believes that perhaps the underlying problem is a different one: “The

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school should have been built a generation ago; it is a bit too late now.”

Sylvia Lo Bianco, EMSB Vice-Chairwoman, recalls: “A few years ago, the Foundation survey confirmed that there was an interest in the project for a private Italian school, especially amongst families within the community. We were ready at the pedagogical level, we had the expertise, and our school board is recognized by the Government, but this was not a straightforward issue.” Angela Mancini, EMSB Chairwoman, suggests, “The school has to emerge out of necessity, and maybe we didn’t have this need.”

Concerning a possible project for an Italian private school, Panoram Italia editor-in-chief, Professor Filippo Salvatore, interviewed the Ambassador of Italy in Canada, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, who replied: “It is a very valid, ambitious and expensive project. Of course, as Ambassador, my duty will be to support every initiative that the Italian community will undertake to promote its own language, identity and culture. What we would need, and, needless to say, I would fully support, is a fundraising appeal among the major representatives of the community.”

Q&A with Professor Dario Brancato on the future of Italian instruction in Montreal In order to objectively analyze the current situation of Italian instruction in Montreal, we interviewed Concordia University’s Professor Dario Brancato, head of the Classics, Modern Languages and Linguistics department.

What are the sources of funding for Italian instruction in Montreal?

“Italian language courses were always dependent on the Italian Government’s financial contribution, and now that the money is no longer available, it is fundamental to rely on private individuals.”

Is the current amount of time dedicated to teaching Italian enough to effectively learn and maintain the language?

Three hours of Saturday school is not enough. The PELO’s weekly hour and a half schedule has no pedagogical basis, and, eventually, you don’t learn anything. It would be necessary to have at least five hours per week.

Is it too late to create a private Italian school?

No. There are so many Italians here, and there is a new wave of Italian-speaking immigrants. Moreover, until you enter the market, you can never tell. And there are also many Italian-Canadians who are eager to improve their Italian language skills.

Do you have examples of communities with their own schools?

Yes, the German one (Alexander von Humboldt School, Ed.). I have been there and every pupil speaks German. Moreover, teachers are selected in a professional manner.

What are the minimum requirements to teach Italian?

One who does not have academic and professional training from a recognized and avant-garde institution, such as the University for Foreigners in Siena, or Perugia, or similar institutions, is not cut out for teaching. Even a university degree without a specific certification of pedagogical skills is not enough. As for teachers of Italian in Montreal, we also need to focus on their use of obsolete teaching methods, and their very poor participation in refresher training courses.

So, how would you describe the future of our language without a private Italian school?

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ITALIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL

Italian Heritage School: Filomena Rotiroti (Quebec MP Jeanne-Mance-Viger) Generation: Second Parents from: Simbario and Vibo Valentia, Calabria Raised in: Ville d’Anjou and St. Leonard Where did you learn to speak Italian?

At home with my grandparents.

Have you ever studied Italian in school?

My grandfather on my mother’s side spoke perfect Italian. So instead of going to Saturday Italian school on Saturday morning, I was taught how to speak and write in Italian by him.

Do you consider Italian a language of immigration and/or culture?

It’s a bit of both, because once you learn the language, you want to learn about the culture, the traditions and it becomes a win-win situation for everybody.

Should the Italian community have a private Italian heritage school in the same way that the Armenian, Greek, Jewish and German communities have private heritage schools?

In terms of teaching the Italian language, the Italian community has taken charge of this through the PELO program (Programme d’enseignement des langues d’origine) that teaches Italian in English and French Schools. I attended a presentation where the Italian community (the FCCI) in collaboration with the English School Board were able to fund this program at East Hill and Pierre de Courbertin. It was interesting to see kids from all origins get up and present themselves in Italian. Some even did a whole conversation in Italian. I was really impressed with what I saw. I think that the Italian community contributes a lot to make sure that the Italian language and its culture survives and stays alive.

Is an Italian private school really what we need to promote the Italian language?

I personally don’t think we need to go to that extent. I think we should continue what we are doing to make sure that different schools offer that option if someone wants to learn Italian.

Any other reasons why we should not do it?

It takes a lot of money and a lot of mobilization too. But obviously, if the Italian community decides that this is what we need, when we get to that point we will see what we can do.

Where is the best location for such a school?

It would have to be a more central area, accessible by public transport. To make it here in St. Leonard, only because it is an Italian riding, would kind of turn it into a ghetto. I don’t think that the objective is to get only people of Italian origin, but to open our horizons and make it accessible to other people that want to know about our culture and language.

Should a private school receive public funding from the Quebec Government?

We would have to see what kind of project it is; what are the criteria; what is the Italian community’s objective with such a project?

In terms of private schools, we had a lot of trouble with the Greek schools. They were privately funded and they were subjected to the regulations of the Ministry of Education.

They were against it because they were private and argued they could teach their kids all the subjects in Greek without having to comply with the Ministry’s regulations.

I don’t think that’s where we want to go as a community. I think the objective, if we reach that point, is that the Italian language survives and continues to grow and be present to keep the culture alive.

What does the future holds for the Italian language in Montreal?

It’s our responsibility that within our families, with our children, we instill our language and our culture. I don’t think we should put the responsibility on the society only. I think that as parents we have a responsibility. I have people of my generation, who I have been to school with, that don’t see the necessity to speak Italian to their kids, so they speak English or French to them.

If there was a proposal for a private Italian heritage school, would you support it?

I don’t see how I cannot support it, but obviously I would have to know what the project entails and what it’s all about. Is it really a school? Is it more a place where kids go for an hour like a Sunday school, where they learn about their heritage and their culture?

Would it be a full day, five days a week? These are all things that need to be looked at. I cannot be against promoting the Italian culture and the Italian language. I think it is the most beautiful and romantic language in the world. I am very proud to be Italian and I am very proud of my origins.

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ITALIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL

For or Against?

By Gabriel Riel-Salvatore Photography by Vincenzo D’Alto

Massimo Pacetti (Canada MP Saint-Léonard / Saint-Michel) Generation: Second Parents from: Duronia, Molise and Bagni di Lucca, Tuscany Raised in: St. Michel and St. Leonard

Where did you learn to speak Italian?

My parents spoke Italian at home. I spoke only Italian until I went to elementary school.

Have you ever studied Italian in school?

I used to attend la “scuola di lingua Italiana” on Saturdays. I remember going, but not taking it too seriously. It was mainly for writing. My dad came from Tuscany, so we didn’t grow up speaking dialect.

Do you consider Italian a language of immigration and/or culture?

Both. Italian is still a language of immigration for the Italians that immigrated here. I always speak Italian with Italians of the older generation and even with some of my friends from my generation. But obviously it becomes a language of culture when people from other cultures try to understand it. Italy is always first as a tourist destination and people mention how they would love to learn Italian.

Should the Italian community have a private Italian heritage school in the same way that the Armenian, Greek, Jewish and German communities have private heritage schools?

Yes, and it’s long overdue. It would be a good project, because there would be a sense of community belonging. However, it would probably be difficult to service enough kids with only one school, because the population is now so scattered. People of Italian origin now live all over the Island. How do you accommodate or provide a service to all these people?

Moreover, the rules for third language schools have changed. So we kind of missed the boat as a community, compared to the Greek schools and Jewish schools or some of the other ethnic groups that had made applications years ago under different circumstances, when it was much easier to get a license.

I was on a four-five people committee that looked at putting a project together. In order to make it happen, you need to have somebody that’s going to steer it. You need money. But most importantly you need a location.

Where is the best location for such a school?

Probably somewhere close to downtown, but not exclusively downtown.

Any other reasons why we should have an Italian private school?

I don’t know if it has to be a private school. But it has to be a school dedicated mainly promoting our Italian heritage, the Italian culture and the Italian language. Again, it would also keep the Italian community united.

Should a private school receive public funding from the Quebec Government?

It is important that it gets funding from the Quebec government to limit the fees, because if they’re too high, you will be excluding a portion of the population. This is especially true considering that Italian is being taught in some of the elementary schools here in St. Leonard.

For the cost difference, it would probably be unaffordable for some parents.

Moreover, even though you were to open up an Italian school, it would probably be an unattractive option for some parents. A lot of the Italian teaching would be done outside of official school hours. So it would require a commitment from the students and of course the parents, in conjunction with a financial commitment.

What does the future hold for the Italian language in Montreal?

I think it is very promising because Italians want to maintain their culture. My children always refer to themselves as being Italian, even though their main language is English and they go to French school. The ability to speak Italian is important for them. Initially, it’s the Italian language and going back to the roots that makes us Italian. This is what sets us apart from everybody else.

Do you speak Italian at home with your children?

Very rarely. My parents speak Italian, but we speak mainly English, which is unfortunate. Even with my brother and sister, we speak English. But with my parents I try to speak Italian.

Once you start talking to someone in a specific language, you will continue to speak to them in that language — be it French, English or Italian. It’s a matter of habit.

If there was a proposal for a private Italian heritage school, would you support it?

Absolutely, I believe it is a project that the entire Italian community should support and that it is something that is long overdue, even though there are many barriers in terms of location, cost or hours necessary to teach. But once you can get past those difficulties, it’s a project that the community should definitely look into.

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ITALIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL

Italian Studies At Home and Abroad

By Sabrina Marandola

The Back-to-School sales are on, and store aisles will soon be filled with parents and children shopping for school supplies. But imagine a shopping list made up of words like zaino, quaderno, gomma per cancellare or righello. ere in Montreal, gearing up for daily Italian-language instruction is not a reality. While Italian is present in Quebec schools to some degree – there are Saturday morning PICAI lessons and Italian PELO (Programme d’enseignement de langues origine) classes taught during students’ lunch-hour – the demand for additional, more in-depth instruction is not there.

According to officials and experts in the field, fewer people are speaking Italian at home, and the demand for Italian courses is on the decline.

In a past interview with Panoram Italia, former president of the Associazione dei Professori di Italiano del Quebec (APIQ) Jacqueline Samperi said, “There is no demand. If the demand comes, then the communities can work together to get more funding.” That funding could possibly lead to more Italian classes, or even Italian schools. For examples of this, you don’t have to look any further than the achievements of other cultural groups in Montreal.

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According to officials and experts in the field, fewer people are speaking Italian at home, and the demand for Italian courses is on the decline.

For instance, the Greek, Jewish, German and Armenian communities all have their own heritage schools which they say have become the pride of their communities.

Greeks opened their first school in 1910 – just four years after the first immigrants arrived in Montreal. Today, there are five Greek schools in the greater Montreal area. French is taught as a first language, while English and Greek are secondary languages. The schools are private – with parents paying for English- and Greek-language instruction. But the schools do have an agreement with the government, which entitles them to be subsidized the same way public schools are.

Montreal’s first Jewish school was also founded in the early 20th century. Now 99 years later, students learn four languages: English, French, Yiddish and Hebrew. Ten hours per week are dedicated to Yiddish and Hebrew alone. Like the Greek schools, many Jewish schools in Montreal are also private, subsidized institutions, with the government and parents splitting the costs.

The Armenian community followed in the footsteps of the Greek and Jewish populations. Montreal’s first Armenian school was created in 1974 and offered only 24

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kindergarten classes at first. By 1985, Armenian parents could choose to have their children educated in an Armenian heritage school from kindergarten up to Secondary V. Today, there are four private-subsidized Armenian schools in Montreal. Their curriculum is reviewed and approved by the Quebec Ministry of Education. French is the main language of instruction. English is the second language, and children learn Armenian as their “cultural language.”

The German community is not as large in Montreal, but that hasn’t stopped them from founding their own school. An entirely private school was opened in 1980 by German ex-patriots and with support from the German general consulate. It’s an international school and one of 130 German schools around the world. It receives subsidies from the German government as well as private donors.

With a German population of only 60,000 in Montreal, the school is open to anyone – not just German-speaking students. In fact, the majority of students are not of German descent. Children learn the language from pre-kindergarten, and then English and French are phased in.

While Italian heritage schools are absent in Montreal, Italian communities in other countries around the globe have established schools that teach the language of Dante within their education systems.

In Australia, the very first school to offer a bilingual education program in English and Italian was founded in 2002. The school now has its own campus, but classes started off on the first floor of the Casa d’Italia near Sydney, in New South Wales. It’s a private school, with tuition at about $7,000 per year. Fundraising campaigns are held throughout the year to help lower tuition fees. Besides learning the Italian language, the school focuses on culture and traditions as well. The school offers international menus, and authentic Italian recipes sometimes cooked by the students’ parents and grandparents.

Argentina and Venezuela also have private bilingual schools, where Spanish and Italian are taught. In Venezuela, the Italian government has been trying to promote the Italian language since 2002. It would like it to be mandatory that some private and public schools teach Italian as a second language.

More Italian is also on the way very soon in South Africa (there is a considerable Italian population given that during World War II the British held roughly 100,000 Italian prisoners of war there). Today, there are about 35,000 Italians living in South Africa. Thanks to the former Italian Consul General, a new school will be built in Johannesburg in January 2014. It will offer 30 minutes of Italian classes daily. Students will also learn how Italians contributed to the world of science, arts and technology, as well as how Italians helped shape their country into what it is today.

The Italian government considers such heritage schools priceless, for not only is the Italian culture and tradition maintained and passed on, but political, economic and cultural ties with the old country are strengthened for generations to come.

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ITALIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL

Elementary Italian

By Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

I can feel something special in the air as I prepare to meet a group from East Hill Elementary School's 2013 graduating class on this beautiful day in mid-June. Final exams are over and a sense of excitement is palpable in the students and teachers I cross in the hallway. The end of school has arrived and the hot sun is reminding everyone that the long awaited summer break is finally within reach. verywhere, young students are either busy tidying up their classrooms and workshops, or revelling in the periods of unstructured activity, which have by now replaced regular classes. From the toddlers in the nursery, to the older students dancing in the gym or playing in the school yard, the students here seem truly happy and greet me with impish smiles.

Perched atop a small hill at the eastern tip of Perras Boulevard, this lovely elementary school with a colourful facade seems quite normal at first glance. But, once inside, a discerning eye notices something different.

Hanging on the walls of a sixth grade classroom are scenes familiar to history and art aficionados. Here a bell tower, there a gondola. My gaze lingers on a handwritten text on a large poster adorned with a green, white and red tricoloured flag. The title reads Fratelli d'Italia! (Italy’s national anthem). “It's from the language class,” boasts Giovanna Giordano, my cicerone on this day. “You know, my students can all recite the Italian national anthem by heart,” she adds before mentioning that she has taught Italian at East Hill Elementary for nine years now.

In the school's kindergarten wing, a beautiful mural with hand-crafted collages of students' likenesses catches my eye. Underneath each image, children's names are displayed in colourful letters: Christina, Julia, Joe, Sienna, Mia, Joey, Luca ... No need to know their last names to know that they too probably end in vowels! We are in the heart of Rivière-des-Prairies, where a sizable Italian community has set down roots.

Although East Hill Elementary is part of the English Montreal School Board, all students here take French courses. In addition, Giordano's tireless work, which has received support from many parents, has made it possible to provide 90 minutes of Italian language lessons weekly to each one of the school's 550 students. “We were initially met with strong opposition from management and certain teachers” recalls Giordano, who previously taught at PICAI, more familiar to some as the Saturday Italian language school.

The initiative is made possible thanks to funding from the Quebec government's Heritage Language Program (aka: PELO). With hindsight, the experience seems fairly positive. To date, no parents have withdrawn their children or prevented them from attending the Italian language courses offered by the school.

“Quite the opposite, even non-Italian parents are very excited about their children learning another language and being immersed in the culture of Commedia dell'arte,” says Giordano.

After meeting with a dozen or so sixth graders, all of Italian origin, it becomes clear how this group of bright and enthusiastic boys and girls embodies Giordano's efforts and those made by her three colleagues: Eduardo Rodà, Antonella Andricciola and Teresa Longo.

When I ask the students (in Italian) if they consider themselves “Italian,” they all raise their hands.

They are, however, quick to add (in English) that they are Canadian too. Unconflicted by their mixed heritage, these third generation Italian-Canadians fully embrace their origins and consider themselves trilingual.

None of the students seems surprised that Italian is taught in their school. They live after all, by their own admission, in an “Italian” neighbourhood. At home,

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however, it’s English that prevails. The Italian they speak, or at least hear, comes almost entirely from their nonni (grandparents), who take it upon themselves to teach the language to their young nipotini (grandchildren). Yet, despite these students' fond recitals of popular songs by Laura Pausini and Tiziano Ferro, and their passing knowledge of Venice, Rome and Florence, I am surprised to learn how few of them have ever walked in the land of their ancestors.

The students seem well aware that their environment bears little resemblance to the narrow streets of Naples' Quartieri Spagnoli or the chaos of Palermo’s Mercato del Capo, which some of their ancestors may have experienced in another life. They self-indentify as “Italian,” without really having deep roots. They are “Italian,” but not completely.

Still, around here, one does sense something of the spirit of an Italian campanilismo transposed onto the wide boulevards, right angled intersections, dead-end streets and friendly rows of bungalows that these students claim as their own little Italy. Connections to the old country are visible here in the many bakeries, “caffè” and reception halls, which thrive all around. Moreover, many students appear to have acquired a familiar fondness for arguing during family meals, dominical gatherings and sports events, especially those featuring the Nazionale and its famous Azzurri.

Throughout our conversation, it seems clear that these young people are attached to their Italian roots in a way that transcends mere clichés. In addition to learning another language, these Italian courses have awakened students to a rich and unique heritage from which they have come to draw pride. And yet, as I hear them speak Italian with broken accents or as I read their assignments, it becomes obvious how fragile their achievements are.

As early as next year, these students will attend high school. Whether or not they pursue their learning of the language of D'Annunzio is anyone's guess. While such decisions depend without a doubt on the individual dispositions of students and their families, it is also clear that Montreal's Italian community can provide support to ensure that the Italian tongue remains a valued part of their identity.

Italiano Elementare Quando mi appresto ad incontrare il gruppo di studenti della scuola East Hill, classe 2013, in questa bella giornata di metà giugno, si respira un’atmosfera particolare. Gli esami sono finiti, ma c’è ancora un palpabile entusiasmo tra gli alunni e gli insegnanti che incontro nei corridoi. La fine vicina delle lezioni e i caldi raggi di sole sembrano ricordare a tutti che le vacanze estive tanto attese siano finalmente a portata di mano.

Giovanna Giordano

giovani studenti sono indaffarati nel riodinare le classi e gli atelier di pittura, e le attività libere hanno rimpiazzato i corsi curricolari dispensati durante l’anno. Vengo accolto dallo sguardo curioso degli alunni che mi salutano con un sorriso sospettoso. I più piccoli giocano nell’asilo, mentre i grandi danzano nella palestra o si divertono all’interno del cortile.

Posizionata su una piccola collina a est di Boulevard Perras, questa bella scuola elementare con la facciata colorata sembra del tutto normale. Una volta dentro, se fate attenzione ai dettagli, vi renderete conto che questo istituto ha qualcosa di diverso rispetto agli altri.

I disegni incollati sul muro della classe di una seconda elementare mostrano delle figure familiari agli amanti dell’arte e della storia. Qui un campanile; lì una gondola.

Il mio sguardo si sofferma su un testo scritto a mano su un grande manifesto decorato con una piccola bandiera tricolore: verde, bianca e rossa. Nel titolo si legge chiaramente: Fratelli d’Italia!. “E’ la classe di lingua”, mi spiega fieramente la professoressa Giovanna Giordano, che mi fa da cicerone per tutta la giornata. “Sai, tutti i miei studenti recitano l’inno nazionale con il cuore”, continua fieramente Giordano, che da ben nove anni insegna italiano in questa scuola.

Più lontano, nella zona dedicata all’asilo, un grazioso murales composto dai ritratti degli studenti fatti con la carta attira la mia attenzione. Il nome di ogni bambino è scritto con lettere colorate sotto ogni ritratto: Christina, Giulia, Joe, Sienna, Mia, Joey, Luca... inutile scrivere i cognomi per sapere che, anche questi, finiscono per vocale.

Siamo nel cuore di Rivière-des-Prairies, conosciuto per la sua numerosa componente italiana.

Nonostante la East Hill faccia parte dell’English Montréal School Board, i suoi studenti seguono tutti i corsi di francese. Grazie allo sforzo di Giordano, appoggiata da numerosi genitori, la scuola offre anche lezioni di italiano, di 90 minuti a settimana, a tutti i suoi 550 studenti. “All’inizio abbiamo riscontrato una forte opposizione da parte della Direzione e da certi professori”, rivela Giordano che ha già insegnato italiano al PICAI, meglio conosciuto come “scuola del sabato”.

Questa iniziativa è stata possibile grazie al Programme d'Enseignement de la Langue d'Origine (PELO), finanziato dal governo del Québec. Con il senno di poi possiamo affermare che questa esperienza è positiva.

Ad oggi, nessun genitore ha mai ritirato o impedito ai propri figli di seguire i corsi di italiano offerti dalla scuola. “Al contrario, anche quelli non italiani, sono entusiasti dell’idea che i loro figli possano apprendere un’altra lingua e che si immergano dentro la cultura della Commedia dell’arte”, afferma Giordano.

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ITALIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL Quel giorno incontro una dozzina di studenti del sesto anno, tutti di origine italiana. Il gruppo è composto da giovani ragazzi e da brillanti ed entusiaste ragazze che incarnano tutto l’ottimo lavoro che fanno la Giordano e i suoi tre colleghi: Antonella Andricciola, Teresa Longo e Eduardo Rodà.

Tutti alzano la mano quando chiedo loro, in italiano, se si considerano “italiani”. Non tardano a precisare, in inglese, che sono anche canadesi. Un riflesso senza dubbio normale per questi ragazzi di terza generazione ormai trilingue.

Nessuno di loro è stupito del fatto che si insegni l’italiano nella loro scuola. Dopotutto vivono, per loro stessa ammissione, dentro un quartiere italiano. A casa, invece, l’inglese fa da padrone. Parlano l’italiano, o almeno lo sentono parlare, quasi esclusivamente con i loro nonni che molte volte si impongono di comunicare solo così con i nipoti. Nonostante questi ragazzi sappiano recitare le canzoni più famose di Laura Pausini o di Tiziano Ferro e abbiano sentito più volte parlare di Venezia, Roma e Firenze, con mia sorpresa, la maggior parte non ha mai visitato i luoghi d’origine dei propri antenati.

Non sono ingenui, sono tutti coscienti che la loro quotidianità è lontanissima da quella nei stretti vicoli dei Quartieri Spagnoli di Napoli o dal caos del Mercato del Capo di Palermo. Luoghi che i loro lontani parenti hanno probabilmente frequentato in un’altra vita. Sono italiani, ma non completamente.

Come una trasposizione oltreoceano del famoso campanilismo italiano, il quartiere in cui vivono, con le sue larghe carreggiate e le strade ad angolo retto disseminate di vicoli ciechi e graziosi bungalow ben ordinati, è per loro una piccola Italia. Il Vecchio Continente lo si vive qui attraverso le numerose pasticcerie, caffè e sale di ricevimento. Ma anche, mi assicurano i ragazzi, con il cibo che si mangia in famiglia, gli incontri domenicali e il tifo per gli Azzurri della Nazionale.

Conversando con loro appare evidente, al di là dei luoghi comuni, che questi ragazzi hanno un forte attaccamento alle origini italiane. Oltre ad aver appreso un’altra lingua, il corso di italiano si è rivelato un ricco patrimonio di cui vanno molto fieri. Ma c’è da dire che nell’ascolto della lingua e nella lettura dei loro compiti mi è parso che le competenze che hanno acquisito siano fragili. L’anno prossimo inizieranno un nuovo ciclo scolastico; difficile dire se continueranno a praticare la lingua di D’Annunzio durante il resto del loro percorso di studi o della loro vita.

Questo dipenderà dai ragazzi e dalle loro famiglie, ma certamente anche dagli sforzi che la comunità italiana di Montréal farà per per valorizzare questa lingua, ancora oggi componente fondamentale della loro identità.

L’Italien élémentaire Une atmosphère particulière règne dans l’école primaire East Hill lors de cette belle journée de mi-juin, alors que je m’apprête à rencontrer un groupe de finissants de la cohorte 2013. Les examens finaux sont terminés, mais une fébrilité demeure toujours palpable chez les élèves et les professeurs que je croise dans les corridors. La fin des classes approche et les chauds rayons de soleil semblent rappeler à tous que le congé estival tant attendu semble finalement à portée de main.

es jeunes s’affairent à nettoyer les salles de classe et les ateliers de peinture, et les périodes d’activités libres ont remplacé les cours généralement dispensés pendant l’année.

Au fil de ma visite, je suis accueilli par le regard curieux des élèves qui me saluent d’un sourire suspicieux. Les tout-petits jouent dans la crèche, alors que les plus grands dansent dans le gymnase ou s’amusent dans la cour d’école.

Perchée sur une petite colline à la pointe est du boulevard Perras, cette belle école primaire à la façade colorée semble de prime abord tout à fait normale. Une fois à l’intérieur, si l’on prête attention aux détails, on se rend tranquillement compte que cet établissement d’enseignement diffère quelque peu des autres. Des dessins collés sur les murs d’une classe de deuxième cycle révèlent des scènes familières aux amateurs d’arts et d’histoire. Ici, un campanile, là une gondole. Mon regard s’attarde sur un texte écrit à la main sur une grande affiche décorée d’un petit drapeau tricolore : vert, blanc, rouge. Le titre tracé en gras se lit : Fratelli d’Italia! « C’est le local de langue », m’explique fièrement la professeure Giovanna Giordano qui me sert de cicérone ce jour-là. « Vous savez, tous mes élèves savent réciter l’hymne national italien par cœur », poursuit fièrement celle qui enseigne l’italien dans cette école primaire depuis maintenant neuf ans.

Plus loin, dans la section de la maternelle, une jolie murale composée de portraits d’étudiants faits en bricolages de papier construction attire mon attention.

Le nom de chaque enfant apparaît en lettres colorées sous chacun des collages : Christina, Giulia, Joe, Sienna, Mia, Joey, Luca... Inutile de connaître leurs noms de famille pour savoir qu’ils se terminent probablement tous, eux aussi, par des voyelles. Nous sommes en plein cœur du quartier Rivière-des-Prairies, notoire pour sa forte composante italienne.

Bien que l’école East Hill fasse partie d EnglishMontréal, ses étudiants suivent tous des cours de français.

Grâce aux efforts de Giordano, appuyée par de nombreux parents, l’école dispense désormais, à mesure de 90 minutes par semaine, des leçons d’italien à tous ses 550 élèves, sans exception. « On s’est d’abord buté à une forte opposition de la part de la direction et de certains professeurs, » révèle Giordano qui enseignait auparavant au PICAI, mieux connu par plusieurs comme « l’école italienne du samedi. » C’est grâce au Programme d'Enseignement de la Langue d'Origine (PELO), financé par le gouvernement du Québec, que cette initiative est aujourd’hui possible.

Avec le recul, cette expérience s’avère plutôt positive. À ce jour, aucun parent n’a jamais retiré ou empêché ses enfants de suivre les cours d’italien offerts par l’école. « Au contraire, les parents, même ceux qui ne sont pas italiens, sont très enthousiastes à l’idée que leurs enfants apprennent une autre langue et qu’ils baignent dans la culture de

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la Commedia dell’arte », affirme Giordano.

J’ai rendez-vous ce jour-là avec une dizaine d'élèves de sixième année, tous d’origine italienne. Le groupe est composé de jeunes garçons et filles allumés et enthousiastes qui incarnent en quelque sorte tout le travail accompli par Giordano et ses trois collègues : Eduardo Rodà, Antonella Andricciola et Teresa Longo.

L’ensemble du groupe lève la main lorsque je leur demande (en italien) s’ils se considèrent comme « Italien ».

Ils ne tardent pas à me préciser (en anglais) qu’ils sont aussi Canadiens. Un réflexe sans doute normal pour ces jeunes de troisième génération qui se jugent tous trilingues.

Aucun d’entre eux ne s’étonne qu’on enseigne l’italien dans leur école. Après tout, ils vivent, de leur propre aveu, dans un quartier « italien ». À la maison par contre, c’est l’anglais qui prime. L’italien, ils le parlent, ou du moins l’entendent parler, presque exclusivement chez leurs nonni (grands-parents) qui pour la plupart se font un devoir de le communiquer à leurs nipotini (petitsenfants). Et bien que ces jeunes sachent réciter les chansons populaires de Laura Pausini ou de Tiziano Ferro et qu’ils aient maintes fois entendu parler de Venise, Rome et Florence, à mon étonnement, la majorité d’entre eux n’ont jamais foulé la terre de leurs ancêtres.

Loin d’être naïfs, ils ont tous conscience que leur réalité quotidienne est à mille lieues des ruelles étroites des Quartieri Spagnoli de Naples ou du chaos ambiant du Mercato del Capo de Palerme que certains de leurs lointains parents ont probablement côtoyé dans une autre vie.

Ils sont « Italiens », mais pas complétement.

Comme une transposition outre-Atlantique du fameux campanilismo italien, leur quartier avec ses larges boulevards et ses rues à angles droits, parsemées de culs-de-sac et de jolis bungalows en rangée, évoque une petite Italie bien à eux. Le vieux continent s’exprime ici de façon ostentatoire à travers les nombreuses boulangeries, « caffè » et salles de réception du secteur. Mais aussi, m’assurent-ils, lors des repas en famille, des rencontres dominicales et des communions sportives mettant notamment en vedette les Azzurri de la Nazionale.

Au fil de la conversation, il appert évident, au-delà des clichés, que ces jeunes possèdent un attachement certain à leurs racines italiennes. En plus de leur avoir permis d’apprendre une autre langue, leurs cours d’italien leur ont révélé un patrimoine riche et unique dont ils s’estiment encore très fiers. Mais, il semble aussi clair en les entendant parler italien avec un accent cassé ou en lisant leurs devoirs que leurs acquis sont fragiles. Ils entameront dès l’année prochaine un nouveau parcours scolaire. Difficile à dire s’ils cultiveront encore la langue de D’Annunzio pendant le reste de leurs études, voire de leur vie. Cela dépendra surtout d’eux et de leurs familles, mais sans doute aussi des efforts consentis par la communauté italienne de Montréal pour valoriser cette langue encore aujourd’hui partie prenante de leur identité.

Standing from left Joey De Santis Davide Agostino Gianpaolo Di Dio Micheal Ferraro Top row from left Julia Mouyal Elisabetta Ercole Gabriella Occhiuto Bottom row from left Samantha Cristallo Lexia Iapalucci Jenna Izzi Photography by Fahri Yavuz PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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FOOD

By Adam Zara Photography by Vincenzo D’Alto

Chef Danny Smiles Sous vide lamb loin with rapini, pickled lamb heart and red wine lamb glaze; maple and bacon dashi with lingcod and Manila clams; beef tartare with parmesan, bone marrow dressing and pork crackling – a sampling of the 5-course menu that Montreal’s Danny Smiles (né Francis), 28, dazzled the judges with in Top Chef Canada’s third season finale. “The final dinner was written on the plane on my way to the competition in Toronto,” says Smiles. “It’s really about cooking a meal that best represents you.

I’m really happy about every single dish that I made.”

s fate would have it, Smiles would come within an inch of claiming the coveted title and $100,000 prize. He’d have to accept second place after serving a world-class Quebec-inspired menu, one that a four-judge panel had a very difficult time finding fault in.

Back at home, it’s at celebrity Chef Chuck Hughes’ restaurant Le Bremner that Smiles plies his trade. The Old Montreal joint is a few steps below street level, doesn’t have a sign, and serves up a short menu of creatively tweaked fresh seafood fare with old school Hip Hop bumping in the background – and Smiles runs the show. “I came to eat here two days into the opening and I really loved what he (Hughes) was doing.

There was an opening in the kitchen, so I started as a line cook. Three months in I became the sous-chef, and then six months later I became chef de cuisine. They were taking a chance just throwing me a new restaurant still trying to find its groove,” says Smiles.

But pressure-filled environments are where the talented Italian/EgyptianCanadian seems to thrive. “I didn’t sleep for the first six months; I was terrified. But I knew this was what I wanted to do. I’m 27 (at the time). It’s my first real gig. People are ready to throw the axe down; ready to judge.” And much like his 13-episode TV competition, Smiles seized the opportunity and stepped up when it counted.

Leading up to Top Chef ’s season opener, Smiles had come off Le Bremner’s biggest catering events of the year, music festivals Osheaga and Heavy MTL. “I finished on a Sunday at 2 am, jumped on a plane at 6 am and started filming from there. It was a bit intimidating meeting all the chefs. Some had been preparing for one month and I hadn’t even slept the night before. So it was very stressful. You’re there for 6 weeks. They take away your phone. No contact with the outside world other than a few phone calls to your family and girlfriend here and there,” he reveals.

Like many other chefs, Smiles got his start washing dishes before earning the

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chance to handle food. After studying at the St. Pius X Culinary Institute, he pursued two residencies in Italian fine-dining establishments in Soverato, Calabria and Desenzano del Garda, Brescia. He credits his Italian/Egyptian background for opening him up to so many different flavours from a young age. His mom is from Montreal with parents hailing from Frosinone, Lazio and his dad comes from Alexandria, Egypt, but worked for airline company Alitalia his whole life and by Smiles’ admission, “speaks better Italian than most Italians.”

His first real stare-down with adversity came in 2010 while vacationing in Thailand with his girlfriend Jenny. “We wanted to backpack across Southeast Asia. It was always something I wanted to do. And I absolutely love Asian food even though I don’t cook it. Six days into our trip, we got onto an overnight double-decker bus to get to Chiang Mai, 12 hours north of where we were. All flights and trains were completely booked because it was Mother’s Day, which is the biggest holiday in Thailand. Two hours into the ride, our bus flipped. Five people died. My girlfriend Jenny went to the hospital and underwent surgery,” he recalls. “My life flashed before my eyes, and it was then that I really asked myself what it was that I wanted to do with my life. It’s when I realized nothing else matters besides doing what you love. I got a second chance. It was like a rebirth – just crazy.”

“I feel like in this business there needs to be a rebirth. We’re such fighters. You always hear about guys that were alcoholics, coming out of rehab and becoming great chefs. Like Anthony Bourdain who was a heroin addict and then became a great writer and TV personality,” he says. “I don’t know what it is, but it seems like this business brings people together that have gone through the wringer.”

From escaping death on a Thai bus, to running a hot restaurant and coming in a close second on Top Chef Canada, it’s safe to say the three years since Smiles’ re-awakening lend to his assertions rather nicely.

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FOOD

CORNBREAD WITH ROCK SHRIMP

FLUFFY PANCAKES

Ingredients (makes 4 servings) ¾ cup unsalted butter • 1 ½ cup sugar • 2 cups of milk • 2 cups of cornmeal • 4 eggs • ¾ tsp. baking soda • 1 dash of kosher salt • 10 oz of rock shrimp (or Laughing Bird shrimp) • 1 oz cooking brandy • 50 g celery • 50 g leeks • 25 g ginger • 50 g roasted garlic • 2 tbsp. butter

Ingredients (makes 3 servings of 4 to 5 pancakes) 1 cup of all-purpose flour • 1 cup of milk • 30 ml of vinegar • 3 tbsp. of sugar • 1 tsp. of baking soda • 2 tsp. of baking powder • 3 tbsp. of melted butter • 1 pinch of kosher salt • ½ of a vanilla bean

Cornbread instructions 1. In a saucepot, bring butter, sugar and milk to a boil.

Whipped vanilla butter ingredients ¼ cup of milk • 250 ml of softened butter

2. Once brought to a boil, bring down to a low simmer and add the cornmeal. Cook lightly until a thick consistency.

Pancake instructions 1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to sour.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and baking soda.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk butter into soured milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.

4. Once the cornmeal mixture is thick, add to the eggs and continue mixing.

5. Once fully incorporated, pour into hot molds and bake in oven at 375°F for approximately 20 minutes.

Rock Shrimp instructions 1. In a hot cast iron skillet, sauté rock shrimp with celery, leeks, ginger and roasted garlic for two minutes, then deglaze with cooking brandy.

2. Once deglazed, throw in butter until smooth sauce consistency.

3. Season with salt, pepper and a bit of Korean red chili flakes, and pour over cornbread and serve.

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3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with unsalted butter. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Whipped vanilla butter instructions 1. Let butter soften and beat in the ¼ cup of milk with vanilla bean until fluffy.

2. With a small ice cream scooper, scoop out one ball and place over the stack of pancakes.

3. Drizzle with good quality maple syrup and serve.

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www.plazapmg.com

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FOOD aking homemade pasta is easier than it seems. All it takes is a bit of practice and the right tools and ingredients. With 15-20 minutes to make the dough, 30 minutes to let it rest, 10 minutes to extend and cut the pasta, it should take you approximately one hour to get the job done.

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Pasta dough ingredients • • • •

2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour 2 eggs 1/4 tsp (1 ml) table salt Water as needed

*The traditional Italian pasta dough recipe is 1 egg per etto (100g) of flour. This recipe does not necessarily require the use of water. Some even add a tablespoon of olive oil, which in turn will give more elasticity to the dough and make it less sticky. This general rule of thumb might vary depending on the size of the eggs and the flour used (durum wheat flour is considered the best).

Tools • Traditional pasta roller machine • Manual pasta extuder • Pasta rack or clean broom stick

Instructions Mound the flour on your work surface (marble or granite is best) and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs, salt and ½ cup of water into the well and beat the eggs using a fork or your fingers. Gradually incorporate the flour into the egg mixture from inside the inner edge of the rim, expanding the well and making sure it retains its shape until the dough starts to form.

A Guide to Homemade Pasta

Once the dough starts coming together, start kneading for about 6 minutes, using the palms of your hands, until you obtain a soft, elastic texture. Roll into a ball, discarding any bits of dough left on the work surface.

Divide into three pieces to make handling easier. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature. Roll or shape as desired.

Shaping pasta Recipes by Chef Franca Mazza

Photography by Michel Ostaszewski

Agnolotti, bucatini, cannelloni, cavatelli, farfalle, fettuccine, linguine, manicotti, pappardelle, rigatoni, spaghetti, tubetti, vermicelli, ziti, are only a fraction of the diverse pastas that characterize the Italian culinary genius. There are over 450 pasta shapes in Italy and practically as many types of sauce. Pasta is available in two forms: lunga (long) and corta (short). Pasta corta can also be divided into two subcategories: liscia (smooth) and rigata (furrowed), which is able to hold more sauce. Despite some variations, the dough just about always remains the same and it is cut depending on the desired effect of the finished product. But remember, pasta should always be eaten al dente, literally meaning “to the tooth,” which not only makes it tastier, but easier to digest.

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On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the pieces of dough into a 5-inch (12 cm) long strip. Knead the dough through the pasta machine at the widest setting three to four times, or until edges form a smooth line, folding the dough in half and lightly flouring it after each pass through the machine (dough may crumble slightly at first but will hold together after two to three rollings).

Set machine to next narrowest setting; run dough through once without folding the strip. Continue running the dough through rollers until next-to-finest setting is reached, cutting the dough in half if it is too long. Lightly flour dough and run through the finest setting. Repeat with remaining dough. Let dough stand 5 to 10 minutes until slightly dry, using a pasta rack or a broomstick balanced between two chairs (if dough dries, remove from rack and pat with damp cloth).

Attach desired shape and size of pasta roller (fettuccine, linguine, etc.) to your pasta maker. Cut pasta into lengths of up to 10 inches (25 cm) and feed dough through, catching finished pasta with your free hand as it emerges. Repeat kneading and rolling with reserved dough pieces.

Lightly flour pasta strips to prevent them from clumping or sticking to each other and let rest 5 to 10 minutes until dry, using a pasta rack or a broomstick balanced between two chairs.

Boil pasta for about 5 to 10 minutes until al dente and serve with your preferred type of sauce.

MTL August September 33-48_Layout 1 13-07-29 10:54 AM Page 33

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FOOD

Squid Ink Fettuccine with Cream and Shiitake Mushrooms Squid ink fettuccine Ingredients (makes 4 servings) • 2 cups flour • 1 cup water • 3 tsp (15 ml) squid ink

Instructions When dough is still a bit clumpy, add one teaspoon of squid ink to the mix. Add another two teaspoons during the kneading process, sprinkling the dough with flour if needed to help the ink combine thoroughly.

Make sure you knead it longer than usual to ensure the squid ink is uniformly incorporated into the dough and to prevent getting a two-coloured pasta.

Add dough to pasta roller machine and start rolling it into sheets. The end result should be uniformly black.

Then pass pasta through the roller’s fettuccine cutter.

Cream and Shiitake mushroom sauce Ingredients (makes 4 servings) • ½ diced onion • 12 oz. (350 g) rehydrated Shiitake mushrooms • 1/4 lb (115 g) salted butter • 500 ml 35% cooking cream • Salt & ground pepper to taste • 500 g black fettuccine

Instructions Start boiling pasta. In a pan, sauté diced onions at high heat. Incorporate mushrooms and butter to the mix. When butter is half melted, pour in the cream and add salt to taste. Cook at medium heat for another five minutes until mixture comes to a boil, giving colour and thickness to the cream. As soon as the fettuccine are ready, transfer them to the pan and coat pasta with the sauce.

Rigatoni and Tomato Sauce Rigatoni Adjust die to proper shape. Place fresh pasta dough into the pasta extruder’s aperture and turn handle. After the rigatoni are fed through the machine, cut them to 2-3 inches. Set aside on a flat surface sprinkled with flour to prevent them from sticking to each other. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes until dry.

Tomato sauce ingredients • 1 chopped onion • 4 chopped garlic cloves • 12 vine-ripe red tomatoes • Fresh basil to taste • 4 tbsp. (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil • Coarse sea salt to taste • 500 g fresh rigatoni

Instructions Start boiling pasta. In a skillet over high heat, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and salt, reduce heat, and cook for 15 minutes. Run sauce through a food mill until smooth. Place sauce in pot and cook for 5 more minutes. Top with fresh basil. As soon as the rigatoni are ready, transfer them to the pot and coat with sauce.

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LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

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Monica Di Pasquale

Nickname: Edward Scissor hands Occupation: Men’s hairstylist & owner of Salon Studio 84 Age: 28 Generation: Third Dad’s side from: Santa Maria Del Molise, Campobasso, Molise Mom’s side from: Pietra Ligure, Savona, Liguria Speaks: English, French and Italian Raised in: Montreal

Nickname: Mon Occupation: Student at Concordia University & working at my mom’s insurance firm, Assurexperts Age: 22 Generation: Third Dad’s side from: Teramo, Abruzzo Mom’s side from: Miglierina, Catanzaro, Calabria Speaks: English, Italian & French Raised in: RDP & Laval

Clothes: Zara pants and blazer, Tony Vernucci Design shirt, Moschino shoes, Gucci belt Boutique: Harry Rosen Designer: Gucci Fashion idol: Tom Ford Passion: Men’s grooming Goal in life: I have recently accomplished one of my main goals which was to open my first hair salon. My future plans will be opening several other locations, including a men’s trendy barbershop.

Pet peeve: When clients show up late for their appointments Restaurant: Prima Luna Favourite dish: Seafood pasta Best pizza in Montreal: My nonna’s focaccia Best panino in Montreal: Cavallaro Anjou 36

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Favourite vino: My dad’s Best nightclub in Montreal: Old L’Action Italian saying or quote: “Non é tutto oro quel che luccica.”

You know you are ItalianCanadian when or if: Your father owns five houses, has $300,000 in the bank and still drives a ‘76 Monte Carlo.

Best Italian song: C’est Venise by Toto Cutugno Italian soccer team: Juventus Best way to feel Italian in Montreal: Jean Talon Market on Sunday mornings.

Most common name in your family: Tony (4) Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: When my mother used to chase me with la Cucchiara (wooden spoon).

Clothes: Imperial shorts, Style Exchange top, Michael kors shoes Boutique: Ogilvy, Maska and BCBG Designer: Gucci Fashion idol: Lauren Conrad Thing about you that would surprise most people: How well I interact with children.

Pet peeve: Ignorance and hypocrites Restaurant: Rib & Reef Favourite dish: My nonna’s pasta al forno Best caffè in Montreal: Café Milano Favourite vino: Tignanello Best nightclub in Montreal: Buonanotte Italian saying or quote: “Chi dorme non piglia pesci.”

You know you are ItalianCanadian when or if: You start drinking wine with your nonna at the age of 8.

Favourite Italian city: Tropea, Calabria Best Italian song: Come vorrei

by Ricchi e poveri Italian soccer team: AC Milan Sexiest Italian: Monica Bellucci Best way to feel Italian in Montreal: Taking a stroll in Little Italy during Italian Week.

What you like most about Panoram: It connects us to our Italian heritage and helps us learn about our Italian community.

Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: Helping my nonna & nonno make the tomato sauce, wine and cheese.

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Photography by Vincenzo D’Alto

Makeup by Emmanuelle Blanchard

Location: Café Milano & Passion Soccer

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

Simon Savoie-Gargiso

Amanda Vincelli

Occupation: Aspirant policier Âge: 25 Italien de: Deuxième génération Père originaire de: Gildone, Campobasso, Molise Mère originaire de: Laval, Québec Grandi à: Ville Saint-Laurent Parle: Français, Anglais, Italian

Occupation: Project Coordinator / Junior Engineer at Broccolini Construction Age: 23 Generation: Second Dad from: Larino, Campobasso, Molise Mom from: Gesualdo, Avellino, Campania Speaks: English, French & Italian Raised in: Montreal

Vêtements: Souliers Hummel, pantalon Benetton, chandail Live Breathe Futbol (gracieuseté de la Boutique Passion Soccer) Restaurant préféré: Da zia Franca...oui oui, chez ma tante!

Plat préféré: Cavatelli fatti in casa Drink préféré: Rhum & Coke Dernier séjour en Italie: Été 2011 Tu sais que tu es italo-canadien quand: Tu ne rates pas un seul match de la Squadra Azzurra, et ce, peu importe l'enjeu.

Meilleure façon de se sentir italien à Montréal: Faire un tour dans la Piccola Italia.

Meilleur café à Montréal: Caffè San Simeon Nom le plus commun de la famille: Giuseppe (4) Meilleur souvenir d’enfance en tant qu’italo-canadien: Dîner religieusement chaque dimanche

chez les nonni.

Ce que je déteste: L'injustice et le mensonge.

Italienne la plus sexy: Elisabetta Canalis Ce que tu apprécies le plus à propos de Panoram Italia: La diversité des sujets et, surtout, l'accessibilité avec les trois langues utilisées pour la rédaction.

Tu sais que tu as été élevé à l’italienne quand: Tu parles beaucoup trop fort et en utilisant tes mains.

Ville préférée en Italie: Cremona, Lombardia, où j'ai étudié un an en 2004-2005.

Dessert italien préféré: Tiramisù Chose que tu apprécies le plus à propos d’être italo-canadien: L'importance accordée à la famille et toutes les valeurs qui en découlent.

Clothes: Dress & Belt: H&M Shoes: Zara Favourite designer: Dolce & Gabbana Boutique: 1861, Zara, BCBG, XXI, H&M Passions: Travelling, architecture, food, yoga and designing jewelry Restaurant: Le Vieux Four Manago Favourite dish: Gnocchi Poutine Favourite drink: Amaretto Sour Favourite Italian saying: "Chi va piano, va sano e va lontano."

Best pizza in Montreal: Bottega Thing about you that would surprise most people: I’ve been designing and creating my own jewelry since the age of 7.

Musical preference: David Guetta Sexiest Italian: Milo Ventimiglia Best Italian movie: Johnny Stecchino

What you like most about Panoram Italia: I recognize at least one person every issue.

You know you were raised Italian-Canadian when: There are some words that always come to you in Italian first.

Pet peeve: People who have no consideration for others.

Most common name in your family: Maria (4+) Best nightclub in Montreal: Somehow we always end up at Rouge (Thanks Steph!)

Favourite thing to do in Montreal: Night on the town with friends. Montreal has the best nightlife!

Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: World Cup 2006 PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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FASHION

A Modern Renaissance

Legend

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1. Escada 2. Cruciani C 3. Escada 4. Vivienne Westwood 5. Guess 6. Dior 7. Dior 8. Louis Vuitton 9. Burberry 10. Vivienne Westwood 11. Vivienne Westwood 12. Salvatore Ferragamo 13. Dior 14. Givenchy 15. Givenchy 16. Ermenegildo Zegna 17. Dior 18. Vivienne Westwood 19. Piaget 20. Dior 21. Giorgio Armani

By Alessia Sara Domanico

In honour of this Florencethemed issue, we take a look at the fashion of the city’s most iconic era and the revival of these past trends.

Visitors who wander through 2. the many twists and turns of Florence’s enchanting stone streets can’t help but get swept up in thoughts of the city’s past with its frescoed 5. buildings, regal hilltop gardens, rustic and opulent churches and outdoor statues depicting the great men of the past and the women they adored.

he Renaissance was a glorious moment for Florence where it was an epicenter of art and culture in all its forms. The encouragement from patrons for the creation of abundant beauty led to the greatest masterpieces of our time and the garments of the day were among these.

Clothing said a lot about the social standing of a person in the Italian Renaissance. It drew a fine line between aristocrats, bourgeoisie, merchants and working classes. The affluent wore expensive fabrics such as velvet, satin and cotton, which was a prized commodity at the time as it was imported from places as far as India. The lower classes wore materials that could easily be spun, such as flannel and wool Even tweed was considered a poor fabric, a far cry from the high price tag of a Chanel jacket today.

The rise of the intellectual and an emphasis on the study of Humanities saw an influence in more simple and airy cuts. Women started wearing gowns that were cut above their ankles, making it easier for them to walk around the city. For balls and social functions, women donned finely decorated and embroidered gowns. Men often braided their long hair, wore fine shirts tucked into trousers and topped it off with a vest and paired boots.

Especially in the summer season, today’s designers will take cues from the luxe-with-less approach of the Renaissance, by shaping light and uncomplicated pieces with high quality materials typical of the Renaissance. At Givenchy, Italian designer Riccardo Tisci examined the act of First Communion in his men’s collection using the iconography of the Madonna and child on men’s shirts to give a sense of the period. Vivienne Westwood also added fine art graphic elements to her menswear line, placing laurels on their heads for the runway show. Ermenegildo Zegna proposed long silk jackets and leather bags that pay homage to the fine tradition of Italian leather craftsmanship, while Louis Vuitton embraced the many bags and looks of the travelling man.

Airy feminine gowns and embellished jewels are also Renaissance-inspired musts for the season. Raf Simons added floral and tulle decorations to the romantic gowns of his Haute Couture collection for Dior. Brands such as Giorgio Armani, Victoria Beckham and Escada used royal shades such as dark blue and sheer satin fabrics for tight bodices that fan out into wide skirts, evoking a fuss-free princess appeal.

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FIRENZE

Piazza Santa Croce, Firenze

Giuseppe Continiello

Firenze Santa Maria Novella: Fior all’occhiello del Rinascimento Santa Maria Novella: Flagship City of the Renaissance

«Gente che va giurandoti un ritorno perché a Firenze, sulla mia parola, non vedi niente in una volta sola» canta il toscano Enzo Ghinazzi, in arte Pupo, per raccontare il suo amore per il capoluogo toscano. Firenze, la meravigliosa città che il mondo intero ci invidia, di ritorni ne merita, eccome! ungo le sue vie, nelle sue piazze, all'interno dei suoi palazzi, nel Quattrocento prese vita uno straordinario fenomeno destinato a imprimere una svolta decisiva nell'arte e nella cultura: il Rinascimento. Con esso, il senso del bello pervase l'intera città.

La storia di Firenze è la storia della famiglia de' Medici. Sotto il suo domino la città visse il suo miracolo economico, tanto da diventare una delle città più ricche e potenti del mondo. Lorenzo de' Medici, detto il Magnifico, eccellente banchiere, politico raffinatissimo e poeta lui stesso, fu generoso mecenate di tanti artisti e intellettuali che fecero di Firenze il fulcro della vita culturale del suo tempo.

A Firenze, «museo a cielo aperto», non si contano le meraviglie frutto dell'ingegno dell'uomo. Proviamo a raccontarne solo alcune: La cupola del Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore, realizzata da Brunelleschi con l'intento di stupire il visitatore tanto da dargli l'impressione di essere giunto in una città straordinaria. La cupola, la più grande in muratura mai costruita, ottagonale, di 46 metri di diametro, alta 91 metri di altezza che diventano 114 se si calcola anche la lanterna, è doppia perchè autoportante, composta, com'è, da due calotte sovrapposte e separate da un'intercapedine; Il Ponte Vecchio, luogo di passaggio obbligato e, pertanto, di commerci.

I macellai vi costruirono le prime botteghe per poter sfruttare la vicinanza dell'acqua per pulire gli utensili e i banchi e per gettare nell'Arno le interiora degli animali. Solo in seguito si installarono gli orefici, che costruirono i tipici retrobottega all'esterno del ponte; La Galleria degli Uffizi dove sono allineate opere di inestimabile valore che rappresentano il momento più alto della pittura di tutti i tempi, quella italiana tra il Quattrocento e il Cinquecento, che annovera i nomi di: Masaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Beato Angelico, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio e così via; La Biblioteca Laurenziana, progettata da Michelangelo, con la sua scalita che porta, non solo idealmente, dal buio alla luce della conoscenza. La sua sala principale è immensa, lunga 46 metri e larga 10, tanto da farne una cattedrale del sapere; Per concludere con Palazzo Vecchio, centro del potere della Signoria e, ancora oggi, cuore pulsante di una città museo.

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«Gente che va giurandoti un ritorno perché a Firenze, sulla mia parola, non vedi niente in una volta sola» (People leave you promising to return, because in Florence, take my word for it, you don’t see much in only one visit), sings the Tuscan singer Enzo Ghinazzi, aka Pupo, to tell about his love for the Tuscan capital. Florence, the wonderful city that is the envy of the world, deserves many returns, for sure! long Florence’s streets and squares and within its palaces, arose in the fifteenth century an extraordinary phenomenon, marking a turning point for arts and culture: the Renaissance. Thus, the sense of beauty permeated the entire city.

The history of Florence is also the history of the Medici family. Under their hegemony, the city lived an economic miracle, becoming one of the richest and most powerful cities in the world. Lorenzo de’ Medici, known as the Magnificent, was an outstanding banker, a sophisticated politician and a poet himself; he was a generous patron for many artists and intellectuals who made Florence the centre of the cultural life of his time.

In Florence, an “open air museum,” one can’t count all the wonders created by man’s mind. Let’s try to describe a few.

The cupola of the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore was engineered by Brunelleschi with the intent to astonish visitors by giving the impression of having arrived in an amazing city. The octagonal cupola, the largest brick dome ever built with its 46 meters in diameter and 91 meters in height, which measures 114 meters if we also include the lantern, is a double self-sustaining structure made of two shells placed one on top of the other with a hollow space in between.

The Ponte Vecchio was an inevitable thoroughfare for merchants. Butchers built the first shops and took advantage of their proximity to water to clean utensils and tables and throw animal entrails in the Arno River. Later on, goldsmiths took their place and built the typical back shops on the outside of the bridge.

The Uffizi Gallery shows a collection of invaluable artworks that represent the peak moment in painting of all time, the Italian paintings between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, by artists such as Masaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Beato Angelico, Botticelli, and Ghirlandaio.

The Laurentian Library was designed by Michelangelo with a staircase leading up – not only figuratively but literally – from darkness to the light of knowledge. The main hall is huge, 46 meters long and 10 meters wide, so as to make it a cathedral of knowledge.

And finally, Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of power of the Signoria was, and still is today, the beating heart of a city museum.

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FIRENZE

Storica Firenze

Giuseppe Continiello

Bernardo Bellotto The Piazza della Signoria in Florence C. 1742

Nei secoli, quella che fu una colonia romana di secondaria importanza è diventata libero Comune, sede del Granducato e capitale del Regno d'Italia.

Nel 50 a.C., la Florentia dei Romani, l'attuale centro della città, fu pensata alla confluenza di due fiumi, l'Arno e il Mugnone, secondo lo schema a pianta quadrata del castrum, l'accampamento militare chiuso dalla cinta fortificata.

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el XII secolo, la città si sviluppò come libero comune i cui traffici di lana e di tessuti, favoriti da un complesso e modernissimo sistema bancario, ne permisero una straordinaria crescita. I panni semilavorati provenienti dalle Fiandre e dalla Francia venivano tinti dai Fiorentini che li rendevano tanto preziosi e ricercati da essere rivenduti all'estero con notevoli guadagni.

Divenuta economicamente forte, come attesta nel 1252 l'immissione del fiorino d'oro nel mercato finanziario internazionale (l'antica moneta che portava impresso il giglio, emblema della città, e la figura di San Giovanni Battista), Firenze fu in costante crescita fino alla metà del Trecento. Il periodo comunale fu caratterizzato, anche, dalle durissime lotte civili tra le opposte fazioni dei guelfi, sostenitori della supremazia del papato contro gli interessi imperiali, e dei ghibellini, avversari della politica temporale della Chiesa.

I dissidi sul piano politico si riflettevano anche su quello sociale che vide lo scontro tra il gruppo delle arti maggiori, rappresentato da mercanti e banchieri, e quello delle arti minori, che faceva gli interessi dei piccoli artigiani. Le grandi famiglie di mercanti e di banchieri (i Medici, gli Strozzi, i Pazzi, i Rucellai e così via), fra le quali una si distinse per prestigio e mecenatismo, la potente famiglia de' Medici, fecero più grande Firenze.

A due Medici in particolare, Lorenzo il Magnifico (1449-'92) e Cosimo I il Grande (1519-'74), va il merito di aver fatto della città uno dei centri artistici e culturali più importanti d'Europa. Essi furono capaci di ripensare la città. Con loro, infatti, Firenze passò dall'età comunale a quella della signoria e si aprì, definitivamente, agli scambi e alle idee originali, i principali elementi di una ricchezza solida e duratura.

Lorenzo le assicurò la stabilità politica, in forza dell'alleanza con Milano e Napoli.

Grazie a Cosimo I, dal 1569 granduca di Toscana, Firenze, che nel frattempo aveva esteso le sue conquiste territoriali, divenne da città-stato a Stato regionale e assoluto, e la sua storia cominciò a identificarsi con quella dell'intera Toscana.

Nel 1737 ai Medici si sostituirono gli Asburgo-Lorena. Lungimiranti e avveduti, a loro si deve un'intensa stagione di riforme economiche e amministrative fino al 1860 quando la Toscana fu annessa, con un plebiscito, al Regno d'Italia, del quale Firenze, dal 1865 al 1871, fu la capitale. Da Torino, la Corte e il Governo si trasferirono in alcuni dei palazzi più belli della città, come Palazzo Pitti e Palazzo Vecchio, rispettivamente dimora dei Savoia e sede del Parlamento.

Palazzo Pitti fu edificato nel 1458 da Filippo Brunelleschi, secondo quanto riferisce Giorgio Vasari (autore, nel 1550, delle Vite dei più eccellenti architetti pittori et scultori italiani da Cimabue insino a' tempi nostri; la prima opera moderna di storiografia artistica). Il suo committente, il banchiere Luca Pitti, volle che il palazzo di famiglia fosse il più bello di tutti e per questo chiamò l'architetto che dai suoi stessi contemporanei era riconosciuto come tra i fondatori del Rinascimento.

Nello splendido Salone dei Cinquecento di Palazzo Vecchio si riuniva, invece, la Camera dei deputati, mentre il Senato ebbe sede nel Teatro Mediceo edificato all'interno dei contigui Uffizi (celebre palazzo che ospita, con l'annesso Gabinetto dei disegni e delle stampe, la Galleria; tra le più importanti raccolte mondiali di opere d'arte).

Segnata dalle importanti trasformazioni politiche, sociali ed economiche del Novecento, la sorte della città, è sempre stata legata a quella del resto del Paese e no.

Degno di nota ciò che accadde il 4 novembre del 1966 quando l'inondazione dell'Arno provocò danni incalcolabili al patrimonio storico e artistico della città suscitando un vasto moto di solidarietà non solo nazionale ma anche internazionale, a dimostrazione del fatto che Firenze, luogo di tesori infinitamente preziosi, appartiene all'umanità.

1525 Hymus a Dorval 1 min. dall’Aut. 40 Lun-Ven: 10h-17h Sabato su appuntamento 514-421-5891

www.mondobebe.com

Venite ad ammirare i nostri nuovi prodotti fatti in Italia!

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FIRENZE

Par Valérie Vézina

Florence d’une rive à l’autre du Ponte Vecchio Véritable témoin de la Renaissance, Florence, la capitale toscane, conserve un des plus importants patrimoines du Cinquecento. Ici, une sculpture, réplique du célèbre David dont on trouve l’original au musée du Bargello.

Là, un palais typique du XVIe siècle italien. Autant dire que si l’on ne s’intéresse ni à l’art ni à l’architecture, on n’a pas d’affaire à Florence.

Quartier Lungarno Même les plus férus d'art risquent l'indigestion pour cause d'abondance de Vierge à l'enfant dans cette ville de musées! Par où commencer? Par le plus grand : la galerie des Offices ou Uffizi (réservation recommandée) où l’on peut notamment admirer Le Printemps de Botticelli, L'Annonciation de Leonardo da Vinci, La Sainte Famille avec saint Jean-Baptiste enfant de Michel-Ange.

Moins connu, le musée de l'Histoire de la science fascine les petits et grands visiteurs avec ses vieux scalpels et ses instruments astronomiques, certains encore utilisés de nos jours.

Pour s’aérer le corps et l’esprit entre deux musées, faites un détour Piazza della Signoria. C’est le centre de Florence où trône le Palazzo Vecchio dont la crête crénelée sert de point de repère à travers la ville.

Le Duomo et son battistero Une initiation aux charmes florentins passe absolument par la cathédrale Santa Maria del Fiore (mieux connue sous l’épithète du Duomo) et son baptistère adjacent.

Un bar localisé tout près du baptistère offre à sa clientèle le privilège d’accéder à un balcon perché à un jet de pierre du célèbre immeuble octogonal. La vue est magique lorsque la lumière chaude du couchant fait miroiter l’habillage extérieur de l’édifice, incrusté de marbre vert de Prato, et ses portails de bronze richement décorés.

Repérez la Porte du Paradis, ainsi nommée par Michel-Ange. Un chef-d’œuvre doré de huit tonnes que l’artiste Lorenzo Ghiberti mit près de trente ans à réaliser. La porte en 42

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question représente dix scènes de l’Ancien Testament. L’originale, patiemment restaurée au cours des dernières décennies, est conservée dans le musée de l’oeuvre de la cathédrale de Florence.

La construction de la cathédrale résume à elle seule la grandeur et le génie florentins. D’abord en raison de sa coupole : un exploit technique du célèbre orfèvre et sculpteur Filippo Brunelleschi qui pour concevoir son chef d’œuvre, s’était inspiré des techniques d’architecture de l’antiquité en étudiant des monuments romains tel que le Panthéon. Quant à l’intérieur de la cathédrale, il est grandiose.

Quartier Santa Croce Michel-Ange vécut dans Santa Croce, un charmant quartier un peu à l'écart des masses de touristes et du Duomo. Sa dépouille et celles de Galileo et Machiavelli reposent dans l'église Santa Croce dont les portes principales, immenses, de bois sculpté, sont à voir également. Ne vous étonnez pas si vous voyez sur son parvis des chevalets et des étudiants à l’œuvre; une école des beaux-arts est située à proximité.

Pour une expérience gastronomique authentique, direction Teatro del Sale. Les Ristorante, Caffè et Trattoria Cibreo appartiennent tous à l’exubérant chef Fabio Picchi. Imaginez Martin Picard du Pied de Cochon faire la cuisine pour 70 convives rassemblés dans le théâtre du Rialto, avec un jeune artiste prometteur en spectacle après le souper. Le tout offert à environ 50 $, nourriture et vin à volonté. L’homme barbu se distingue aussi en faisant de la réinsertion sociale dans son Teatro del Sale, fort couru des locaux.

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Fontana del Nettuno, Piazza della Signoria

Duomo et Baptistère

Quartier Oltrarno et magasinage Direction Oltrarno en passant par le fameux Ponte vecchio de Florence, où joailliers et orfèvres brassent des affaires depuis la Renaissance. Entièrement piéton, il constitue la plus ancienne galerie marchande de la ville.

Avec ses nombreux chefs-d'œuvre, la galerie Palatine du Palazzo Pitti demeure un incontournable à Florence. Les cimaises de la salle de l'Iliade, l'une des plus fastueuses du palais, sont entièrement tapissées de somptueux tableaux.

Impressionnant!

Le vaste jardin de Boboli adjacent, réelle oasis au cœur de Florence, offre un panorama remarquable sur la ville et ses environs. Sa collection de sculptures romaines et florentines des XVIe et XVIIe siècles vaut aussi le détour.

Le domaine fut d’abord la résidence des Médicis, puis des Habsbourg-Lorraine et des Savoie. Les anciens appartements royaux sont d’ailleurs accessibles aux visiteurs. Majestueuse, la salle du Trône paraît toute droite sortie d’un film. Pour les amoureux d’histoire, plusieurs collections de costumes et d’objets d’époque (argenterie, carrosses, porcelaine) sont aussi accessibles.

Le quartier Oltrarno s’avère un peu plus tranquille que les environs du Duomo, notamment la piazza San Spirito – à quelques pas du Pitti. Une halte charmante pour boire ou manger, bordée par l’église San Spirito dont la façade dessinée en 1440 (par Brunelleschi) demeure inachevée.

Le marché San Lorenzo situé à proximité de la gare constitue un endroit idéal pour faire du magasinage avant son départ. De nombreux étals y présentent divers articles : maroquinerie, belles ceintures et tutti quanti. La partie abritée du marché offre une panoplie de produits frais et de plats à emporter.

Adresses utiles http://www.uffizi.com/ http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en/ Visitez panoramitalia.com/travel pour davantage d’articles de voyages

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FIRENZE

Florence gourmande 10 saveurs florentines à ne pas manquer par Julie Aubé

Avec ses origines modestes, la cuisine florentine s'est développée autour d'aliments frais issus des campagnes environnantes. Les ingrédients locaux sont simples et rustiques, et les plats qui les mettent en valeur offrent une cuisine haute en saveurs. Voici 10 incontournables à mettre au menu lors d'un passage dans la splendide ville de Florence, en Toscane.

1. Populaires antipasti Le repas florentin débute généralement par quelques antipasti, parmi lesquels on compte des bruschettas et des crostini aux garnitures variées. Un de ces antipasti typiques de Florence est le crostini di fegato composé de croûtons garnis d'une tartinade au foie (veau, poulet, oie, canard...) aromatisée aux anchois, aux oignons et aux câpres. La cuisine florentine fait la part belle aux abats, comme en témoignent aussi les spécialités présentées plus loin.

2. Omniprésent : le pain Le pain est très important dans l'alimentation des Florentins et des Toscans. En plus d'être utilisé de façon classique en sandwichs et de servir de base aux antipasti, il est aussi utilisé comme ingrédient dans les soupes et les salades. Le pain toscan (appelé pane sciocco, soit pain fade) est traditionnellement cuit au four à bois, possède une croûte épaisse et est caractérisé par son absence de sel.

L'origine de cette recette remonterait au Moyen-Âge, alors que la rivalité entre Florence et Pise aurait nui à l’approvisionnement en sel de la ville des Médicis.

Une autre version de l'histoire, toujours à l’époque médiévale, rapporte que le sel, fortement taxé, serait devenu trop cher pour les habitants qui cessèrent alors de l'utiliser pour faire le pain.

3. Ribollita & Pappa al pomodoro En Toscane, même le pain sec est à l’honneur. Ce dernier occupe une place de choix dans plusieurs recettes de soupes rustiques typiques de la région. Une de ces spécialités populaires florentines est la ribollita (littéralement rebouilli), une soupe faite à base d'une variété de chou noir local, de haricots (souvent les cannellini), de tomates et/ou autres légumes, auquel on ajoute du pain rassis et rebouilli (d'où le nom). La pappa al pomodoro est une autre soupe tradionnelle de 44

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la région faite à base de tomates, de basilic et d'ail, et à laquelle on ajoute du pain rassis et de l'huile d'olive.

4. Panzanella Vous avez davantage envie d'une salade que d'une soupe? La cuisine florentine a encore là quelque chose à proposer... toujours avec du pain! La panzanella composée de cubes de tomates, de cubes de pain légèrement rassis, d'oignons, de basilic, d'huile d'olive et de vinaigre, est en quelque sorte la version « salade » de la pappa al pomodoro. Une recette simple et délicieuse!

5. Bistecca alla fiorentina Côté secondi piatti (plat principal), la pièce maîtresse de la cuisine florentine est sans doute la bistecca alla fiorentina, un steak de style « T bone », entre le filet et le fauxfilet, pesant de deux à huit livres. Les carnivores seront charmés par ce bifteck épais, bien rôti à l'extérieur, mais rouge et juteux à l'intérieur, provenant généralement de bœuf de race Chianina. Ces biftecks sont cuits à la braise (traditionnellement de châtaignes) et servis bien saignants avec sel, poivre et huile d'olive, accompagné d’un quartier de citron. Parmi les autres spécialités florentines qui sauront plaire aux carnivores, mentionnons le stracotto (une daube de boeuf), l'arista di maiale (du porc rôti avec une sauce au romarin et à l'ail), ainsi que le pollo alla fiorentina (poulet à la ricotta, parmesan, épinards et citron).

6. Tripes alla fiorentina Les Florentins raffolent des abats et les plats de tripes ne sont pas en reste. La trippa alla fiorentina figure parmi les nombreux classiques de la ville. Pour cette recette, les tripes sont sautées à l'huile d'olive avec des oignons et des tomates, puis servies avec abondamment de parmesan.

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Ribollita

Panino con lampredotto

7. Lampredotto Le lampredotto est une autre façon typique de servir les tripes à Florence. Tranchées finement, les tripes sont cuites au court-bouillon et ensuite servies telles quelles à l'assiette ou encore en sandwich. Les lampredotti sont un exemple typique de la cuisine de rue de Florence. On les trouve à plusieurs endroits, dans de petits kiosques de rue ou encore dans les marchés publics. Vous avez le choix de les aromatiser d'une sauce rouge (piquante) ou verte (aux herbes), ou bien de les commander bagnato (le pain mouillé avec un peu de jus de cuisson).

une sauce au lièvre qui peut également être cuisinée avec d'autres viandes comme l'oie ou le lapin.

8. Pappardelle sulla lepre Si la viande est omniprésente dans la cuisine florentine, les pâtes, comme partout en Italie, s’en accommodent aussi très bien, comme en font foi les pappardelle sulla lepre.

Cette recette typique de pappardelle (longues pâtes plates et larges) se prépare avec

10. Schiacciata alla fiorentina Côté sucré, vous pourriez aussi opter pour la schiacciata alla fiorentina, une sorte de pâtisserie de style gâteau éponge, couverte de sucre vanillé et parfumée au citron. C'est une douceur particulièrement populaire en période de carnaval.

9. Cantuccini S’il vous reste encore un peu de place pour une note sucrée, vous pouvez terminer un copieux repas en toute simplicité avec quelques cantuccini (biscuits secs aux amandes) à tremper dans un petit verre de vin santo (un vin de dessert de la région) ou accompagnés d’un bon caffè ristretto.

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FIRENZE

Firenze, la culla del Rinascimento Nascita di Venere - Sandro Botticelli (1486)

“

Gli omaggi, le commemorazioni nella cappella, la messa nella cripta, il rinfresco: tutto è stato realizzato nello stesso posto in una giornata. Tutto è stato perfetto.

Esattamente come mio padre lo desiderava.

Ancora una volta, grazie mille!

“

Marco V.

Salone funerario e cimitero “Tutti sotto lo stesso tetto” Urgel Bourgie / Athos, Laval 2500, des Perron, Auteuil

450 735-2025 | 24/7 www.urgelbourgie.com

46

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FIRENZE

Fabio Forlano

Capitale dell’arte dal XV secolo, la città custodisce i tesori di grandi maestri come Botticelli, Michelangelo e Brunelleschi Se l’Italia è la patria del Rinascimento, Firenze è la città che più di tutte ne ha incarnato l’essenza. Un laboratorio a cielo aperto dove arte, scienza e letteratura sono rifiorite dopo gli anni bui del Medioevo. La Renaissance è stata un’esperienza di rottura, concretizzatasi nel ritorno alle origini e nella riscoperta del mondo classico, greco e romano.

Come tutto è iniziato Convenzionalmente, gli storici fanno coincidere la fine del Medioevo con la scoperta dell’America (1492) da parte di Cristoforo Colombo. In realtà il cambiamento nel mondo occidentale era in atto già da qualche decennio, tra la fine dell’Impero bizantino e il divampare della riforma protestante. In tutto questo, Firenze viveva un periodo di lenta crescita, governata dalle famiglie borghesi della città. Le uniche minacce alla pace dei fiorentini arrivavano dalle mire espansionistiche dei Visconti, signori di Milano. La svolta avvenne con la presa del potere da parte della famiglia de’ Medici. Prima Cosimo e poi Lorenzo, detto il Magnifico, garantirono un periodo di pace e prosperità, finanziando l’opera di artisti e pensatori tra i più grandi della storia.

L’uomo al centro del mondo Il Rinascimento affonda le proprie radici nel superamento dell’ideologia medievale.

Al centro di ogni discorso venne posto l’uomo, soggetto capace di autodeterminarsi e dominare la natura con la propria volontà. La ricerca del piacere e della felicità non sembravano più essere un peccato. Così come il confronto e l’impegno sociale furono intesi quali percorsi obbligati verso il miglioramento della condizione umana.

Chiese e palazzi L’impronta che il periodo rinascimentale ha lasciato su Firenze si nota soprattutto in ambito architettonico. Una passeggiata tra le chiese e i palazzi più belli della città mostra chiari i segni dello stile quattrocentesco, quando la riscoperta dell’armonia e delle forme geometriche di stampo romano chiusero definitivamente l’esperienza gotica. Il primo grande architetto del nuovo corso fu Filippo Brunelleschi, che già nella Cupola del Duomo aveva anticipato alcuni elementi del cambiamento.

Tuttavia è con lo Spedale degli Innocenti, e poi con le basiliche di San Lorenzo e Santo Spirito, che il Brunelleschi raggiunse il momento più compiuto dell’architettura rinascimentale fiorentina. Altre testimonianze importanti dell’epoca sono le facciate di Palazzo Ruccellai e di Santa Maria Novella, di Leon Battista Alberti, e Palazzo Medici Riccardi, di Michelozzo.

I grandi mecenate Molta della produzione artistica del ‘400 fiorentino si deve alle commissioni dei grandi mecenate presenti in città: su tutti quelli della famiglia de’ Medici. Quando Cosimo tornò dall’esilio nel 1434 manifestò subito un gusto spiccato per il raffinato: per lui Donatello realizzò il David, sua opera più celebre che oggi è conservata nel Museo Nazionale del Bargello.

La stessa propensione ha accompagnato il governo di Piero e Lorenzo de’ Medici.

Negli anni ‘70 del XV secolo in città si contavano decine di botteghe e laboratori. E Lorenzo, come a voler ripercorrere il mito di Atene, cercò di diffondere l’arte fiorentina in tutta Italia inviando i suoi migliori artisti nelle corti più ricche della Penisola. Il pittore simbolo del periodo laurenziano è Sandro Botticelli, capace di rendere gli ideali classici di armonia e bellezza in capolavori come la Primavera e la Nascita della Venere, entrambi custoditi presso la Galleria degli Uffizi.

L’età dei geni Dopo la caduta dei Medici e la travagliata esperienza di Girolamo Savonarola, Firenze tornò alla calma sotto il gonfalonierato di Pier Soderini. In quegli anni ripresero le grandi committenze e in città lavorarono, seppur per un breve periodo, tre grandi maestri come Leonardo, Michelangelo e Raffaello.

Al periodo fiorentino di Leonardo da Vinci risale la realizzazione della Gioconda, ritratto di Lisa Gherardini moglie del mercante Francesco del Giocondo. Sebbene sia l’emblema del Rinascimento italiano, la Monna Lisa non ha mai avuto una collocazione stabile in città, essendo stata portata in Francia dallo stesso Leonardo già nel 1516.

Michelangelo Buonarroti, invece, tornò a Firenze nel 1501, ritrovando il clima dei suoi primi anni toscani. Il segno più evidente del suo secondo periodo fiorentino è senza dubbio il David, l’enorme statua di marmo oggi esposta nella Galleria dell’Accademia. Dal 1910, per ricordare la collocazione originaria dell’opera, in piazza della Signoria campeggia una copia del David, che riproduce fedelmente i lineamenti perfetti scolpiti dal Buonarroti.

Ultimo e più giovane dei tre geni che hanno servito Firenze all’inizio del XVI secolo fu Raffaello Sanzio. Marchigiano d’origine, Raffaello ha lasciato alla città la magnifica serie delle Madonne tra cui spicca la Madonna del Baldacchino, visitabile presso la Galleria Palatina.

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FIRENZE

À la santé de Botticelli!

Le ravissement d’un verre de Chianti Par Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

Plusieurs vous diront qu’une visite à Florence ne peut s’avérer complète sans avoir goûté un bon verre de Chianti. Que ce soit dans un gobelet de plastique accompagné d’un sandwich au lampredotto (le street food florentin par excellence), ou dans une coupe de cristal au chic restaurant trois étoiles Michelin de l’Enoteca Pinchiorri, Chianti et gastronomie forment depuis des lustres un binôme gagnant dans la capitale toscane. Pratiquement vinifié dans sa cour, ce fameux vin contribue derechef à la renommée culturelle de la reine de la Renaissance. Si vous comptez demeurer quelques jours dans la ville des Médicis, une excursion dans la région du « Gallo Nero » (le symbole du Chianti Classico) vaut assurément le détour. Incursion au cœur d’une tradition typiquement toscane.

Un peu d’histoire

Un vin pour toutes les bourses

Les Étrusques, puis les Romains ont tout d’abord occupé le territoire du Chianti qui suite au déclin de l’Empire, fut le théâtre de guerres incessantes entre les cités-États de Sienne et Florence. Cette succession de campagnes militaires a contribué à modeler le territoire sous sa forme actuelle. Les nombreux châteaux et forteresses caractéristiques de la région font d’ailleurs office de témoins tranquilles de cette période belliqueuse.

Leurs silhouettes s’ajoutent désormais au charme paisible des environs où le cépage Sangiovese est aujourd’hui roi.

Au milieu des terres où s’enchevêtrent bosquets, oliveraies et colonnades de cyprès, les pieds de vignes recouvrent sans ménagement le galbe enchanteur de cette contrée pittoresque, considérée comme l’une des plus belles du monde. Les nombreux bourgs et villas Renaissance essaiment sur le territoire une aura qui contribue à la ruée vers l’or que vit la région ces dernières années. Surnommée pour cause le « Chiantishire », nombreux sont les Britanniques ou les Russes fortunés à y posséder une résidence secondaire.

N’en déplaise aux nostalgiques, nous sommes aujourd’hui bien loin du temps où l’on coupait sans égard le Chianti avec du vin blanc et l’affublait d’un costume clownesque en forme de fiole nichée dans un nid de paille. Bien que la qualité soit variable d’un secteur à l’autre de l’appellation, voire d’un producteur à l’autre, tous les types d’amateurs y trouvent leur compte.

Le coût d’une bouteille de Chianti est généralement un bon indicateur de la vertu du vin qu’elle contient, même si la réputation du domaine importe souvent davantage.

Alors que les Chianti et les Classico d’entrée de gamme se détaillent à quelques euros pièce, les Riserva, plus prisés, s’élèvent à une vingtaine d’euros et frisent parfois même le double. Petite mise en garde aux chasseurs d’aubaines. Si les vins sont souvent beaucoup moins chers en Italie, le prix de certains grands crus ne diffère pas substantiellement de celui rencontré chez nous, à moins que ne vous vienne l’idée lumineuse d’aller vous les procurer directement au domaine. Pavé dans la mare, vous ne serez en mesure de ramener que deux de vos précieuses trouvailles de ce côté-ci de l’Atlantique sans devoir payer un supplément.

Au registre des bonnes nouvelles cette fois, les vins à la carte sont généralement très accessibles dans les restaurants en Italie. Nul besoin de défoncer votre budget pour accompagner comme il se doit le biftek à la fiorentina que vous dégusterez avec appétit dans l’une des bonnes tables des environs.

Pour les plus branchés d’entre vous, Florence regorge de bar à vins et d’oenothèques dont le personnel souvent qualifié saura à coup sûr répondre à vos attentes en matière de contre étiquettes. Or, rien de tel pour apprécier un bon vin qu’être en bonne compagnie. À ce chapitre, Florence n’est pas en reste. Vos voisins de tables arboreront peut-être les traits singuliers des personnages rencontrés sur les toiles de Botticelli ou de Raphaël. Ne serait-ce pas là une raison suffisante pour lever votre verre?

Le territoire À mi-chemin entre Sienne et Florence, le territoire du Chianti se décline sous diverses appellations. Une distinction s’impose d’emblée entre la zone du Chianti Classico et celle des sept Colli (collines) composant les Chianti dit communs. Le territoire du Classico, plus ancien, jouit d’un pedigree historique qui lui confère les meilleures parcelles. C’est là d’ailleurs qu’à la moitié du XIXe siècle, le baron Bettino Ricasoli aurait élaboré la première mouture de ce vin désormais reconnu à travers le monde. Quant au Chianti et ses humbles Colli, le Montalbano et le Rùfina en sont les plus dignes émissaires.

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MTL August September 49-64_Layout 1 13-07-29 10:57 AM Page 49

Planifier votre visite dans le Chianti Tout d’abord, déterminez les producteurs que vous affectionnez particulièrement et concentrez-vous sur une région donnée, de préférence le Chianti Classico. Limitez-vous à trois producteurs, voire deux. Car apprécier la valeur d’un vin à la course n’est jamais de bon augure. Un trop-plein de visites peut aussi vite devenir redondant. Le site Internet du Consorzio del Vino Chianti Classico recèle une foule d’informations utiles, notamment des cartes et une liste incluant les coordonnées des vignobles qui offrent des dégustations. http://www.chianticlassico.com Producteurs recommandés: Barone Ricasoli: Pour la vue sur le Castello di Brolio, ses chais titanesques, son bar à vins et ses vacances de charme. www.ricasoli.it Marchesi Mazzei: Pour la visite au cœur du joli bourg médiéval de Fonterutoli (Presque en totalité la propriété du domaine), son Osteria et la villa familiale qui offre une vue exceptionnelle vers la cité de Sienne. www.mazzei.it Castello di Ama: Pour sa collection d’art contemporain implantée dans un décor rustique et pittoresque, la beauté de ses chais et la passion de ses propriétaires. www.castellodiama.com Le Miccine: Pour y entendre parler avec l’accent québécois. Les propriétaires Rita et Jim Cook, originaires de Saint-Bruno dans la Belle Province, ont fait le grand saut il y a quelques années en se procurant cette propriété une fois la retraite venue. Leur fille Paula Papini Cook est désormais le maître de chai du vignoble. www.lemiccine.com Bonnes adresses à Florence: Le Volpi e l’Uva Probablement le meilleur bar à vin de Florence. Savamment reclus dans une piazzetta de l’Oltrarno, il est situé à un jet de pierre du Ponte Vecchio. Sa sélection est extraordinaire et les découvertes y sont monnaie courante.

Adresse: Piazza dei Rossi 1r, 50125 Firenze.

Contact: 00 39 055 2398132, www.levolpieluva.com Prix: Verres à partir de 5 euros.

Heures d’ouverture: Lun-Sam, 11h-21h.

Procacci Incontournable de l’élégante rue Tornabuoni, ce bar historique est désormais la propriété des Antinoris. Seules trois petites tables côtoient le marbre et l’acajou du décor, contribuant à l’expérience unique de la maison. Nul doute que leurs fameux panini tartufati vous ferons apprécier votre verre de Chianti encore davantage.

Adresse: Via Tornabuoni 64r, 50123 Firenze.

Contact: 00 39 055 211 656, www.antinori.it Prix: Comptez environ 14 euros pour un verre de vin et un panino.

Heures d’ouverture: Lun-Sam, 9h-20h.

PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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ADVERTORIAL

The Presti Experience

By Aicha Cissé

Home Building Reinvented Purchasing a new house or condominium is a meaningful milestone and a myriad of decisions have to be made. Choosing the right builder is as important as choosing your home. Your satisfaction will depend on their experience and commitment to your project. You want to choose a building contractor that will meet the industry's quality standards, while bringing your ideas and vision to fruition.

or over a decade, Presti has been building beautifully designed homes that many Quebec residents have cherished. The award-winning family-owned and operated business has earned a solid reputation based on exceptional quality, unique craftsmanship and unwavering attention to detail. Paolo Presti, who founded the company in 2002 with his father Pasquale, a native of Cattolica Eraclea, Sicily, prides himself in everything the family business has accomplished since its inception.

“I studied engineering and computer science and my dad has an extensive background in construction. It was only natural that we combined our talents. This definitely gave us an edge for creating that perfect blend of new technology and quality craftsmanship,” explains Presti.

Team Presti provides a personal attention to each home and ensures every client takes possession of a house they have always dreamed of. Each customer can design their own personalized home to meet their style and budget. The architect and designer will work closely with the client to ensure that the final product is everything they had hoped it to be. One of the main concerns people have when dealing with building contractors is the lack of communication and attention to the details. Presti has resolved this issue with an innovative personalized online portal; certainly a client favourite.

Home buyers have a secure online access to a customized web portal with all the details and selections for their home. They can track the building progress, ask questions as well as communicate with the director of operations. This can be done whether they are at home, work or even away on vacation! From the early planning stages to the final touches, homeowners play an active role in the process. They practically become part of the Presti family!

“We want our clients to be involved in the process and comfortable with every

F

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New Homes are not always associated with cutting edge technology, but for Presti, energy-efficiency and innovation is second nature.

“All our homes and condos are built to the standards of l'Agence de l'efficacité énergétique of Quebec. Presti Homes are inspected, tested and certified by the government as energy-efficient homes.”

The company injects the right blend of traditional and contemporary design in creating timeless pieces that incorporate all the modern conveniences homeowners want. Some of Presti’s notable clients include Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty and former Habs Michael Cammalleri.

Presti is currently working on several residential projects. “Le Domaine des Berges” in Ste-Dorothée is a waterfront project with luxurious environmentally friendly homes with customized architecture in a nature preserved area. Presti can also build a customized home on your own lot, anywhere on or off the island.

Some of their current condominium projects include “La Perla”, a luxurious 58 unit-condo development with modern architectural style, close to all services, located on the corner of Lacordaire Boulevard and Jean-Talon Street East. Future residents can enjoy rooftop gardens and swimming pool and cantinas in the basement.

“Esprit,” located in the prestigious area of Val-Des-Brises, Laval, is a condominium project which boasts six exquisite buildings with plenty of amenities to satisfy. With the success of Phase one, Phase two is currently in pre-sale.

For the Presti family, when clients buy one of their homes, they also purchase an experience, one that is entrenched in a collaborative spirit and unrivalled in terms of dedication and customer satisfaction.

PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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ADVICE

LA LEGITTIMA

By Pasquale Artuso

S

econdo l’articolo 703 del Codice civile del Québec, ognuno di noi può, per testamento, lasciare i propri beni a chiunque.

Per i beni situati in Italia è tutto un altro discorso. In virtù dell’articolo 542 del Codice civile italiano, il 75% del patrimonio è riservato al coniuge e ai figli.

Ancora una volta la legittima crea dei problemi ai nostri connazionali proprietari d’immobili in Italia.

Ermenegilda e Severino emigrano nel lontano 1956, ed hanno due figli: Nicola e Nicoletta. Severino decede nel 1999 e Ermenegilda, rimasta sola, decide di abitare con la figlia Nicoletta. Quest’ultima si prende cura della mamma come si faceva ai vecchi tempi. Nicola, invece, la visita in modo sporadico.

Ermenegilda si reca da un notaio per dettare le sue ultime volontà istituendo eredi i due figli Nicola e Nicoletta, specificando che quest’ultima sarebbe stata anche esecutrice testamentaria.

A titolo particolare, lascia a Nicoletta una casetta con annessi terreni boschivi in Italia, precisamente nella suggestiva zona delle "Cinque Terre" in Liguria, in funzione di ricompensa per l’assistenza (vitto, alloggio, cure mediche, etc.) prestatale dalla cara figlia.

Ermenegilda decede il 31 dicembre 2012. Nicoletta disbriga tutte le pratiche successoriali, sia qui in Canada che in Italia, affidando l’incarico, per quanto concerne la casetta in Liguria, a dei professionisti competenti in materia, nella fattispecie: un ingeg-

nere per la dichiarazione di successione ed un notaio per la registrazione del testamento.

Nel frattempo viene a mancare da questo mondo terreno Nicola, che ha tre figli, i quali, secondo la normativa italiana in materia di tutela della legittima, subentrano nei diritti successoriali del padre ai sensi dell’istituto giuridico della rappresentazione, rivendicando la metà del patrimonio della loro defunta nonna Ermenegilda.

Che cosa avverrà o potrebbe avvenire in tale disputa legale tra la signora Nicoletta ed i tre suoi nipoti (i figli di Nicola)? La prima ipotesi è quella della prevalenza della legislazione quebecchese, che permette una “discriminazione” in materia di diritti successoriali tra fratelli e/o sorelle privilegiando uno (nella nostra fattispecie l’esecutrice testamentaria e legataria) e sfavorendo l’altro; mentre la seconda ipotesi è quella della predominanza della giurisdizione italiana, che favorisce i legittimari per rappresentazione (i tre figli di Nicola) mediante la c.d. azione di riduzione disciplinata dagli artt. 553 – 564 del cod.civ.ital. (conguaglio di quote).

Morale: siate chiari nelle vostre ultime volontà: specificate i beni con la valutazione venale per eventuali conguagli, gli importi lasciati in eredità e, soprattutto, consultate un avvocato/notaio specializzato anche in diritto italiano.

Lo studio legale Pasquale Artuso e soci si avvale della collaborazione di corrispondenti in tutte le regioni d’Italia, coordinati dallo Studio Fallerini.

Pasquale Artuso Avvocato di Fiducia Consolato Generale d’Italia Caroline Francoeur Avvocatessa Valérie Carrier Avvocatessa

Elena Milioto Avvocatessa Julie Therrien Avvocatessa Steven Campese Avvocato

T.: 514.259.7090

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GRADUATES

Congratulations to all our graduates!

Auguri ai nostri laureati e diplomati!

Tonino Esposito

Adam Di Palma

Amanda Sarah Nuzzi

Maria Marano

McGill University Doctor of Philosophy 2013

Université de Montréal Doctor of Medicine 2013

Université de Montréal Doctor of Veterinary Medecine 2013

McGill University Doctor of Medicine 2013

Steven Robert André Alberico

Alexandria Carlucci

Université de Laval Docteur en médecine dentaire

2013

McGill University MSc. Occupational Therapy 2013

Davide Cannucci

Antonino Urbano

Karina Moïn-Darbari

Lisa Ricci

Vanessa Di Palma

Alexandra Pepe

McGill University Bachelor of Science 2013

McGill University Software Engineering 2013

McGill University Neuroscience 2013

McGill University Physical Therapy 2013

Concordia University Bachelor of Arts in Communications 2013

University of Ottawa Bachelor of Law 2013

Teresa Prioriello

Vanessa C. Brunetti

Alexia Castelli

Alessandro Pedicelli

Jennifer Viscosi

Cynthia Donato

McGill University Honours Biochemistry 2013

McGill University Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology 2013

McGill University Economics and Italian 2013

McGill University Bachelor of Science 2013

University of Ottawa International Management 2013

Concordia University Bachelor of Software Engineering 2013

Felicia Marie Spadafino

Melissa Palladini-Sukosd

Corina Romeo

Concordia University Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy 2013

McGill University Bachelor of Arts in Psychology 2013

Concordia University Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations

2013

F our W e a t h e r-S t ri p Wi n d o w Sys t e m

PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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GRADUATES

Julianna Mia Antonucci

Cinzia Tropiano

Nicholas Politi

Emilie Bocchia

Christopher Anzovino

Carla Gina Rubeo

York University Schulich School of Business 2013

Université du QC a Trois-Rivières Bachelor of Science in Accounting 2013

Concordia University Supply Chain Operations Management 2013

Concordia University Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing 2013

Concordia University Bachelor of Commerce in Finance 2013

Concordia University Bachelor of Fine Arts 2013

Annalisa Ceccarelli

Amanda Vincelli

Christopher Tambasco

Kristina Magri

Concordia University Bachelor of Engineering 2013

McGill University Bachelor of Science 2013

Maristella Brancatella Caporicci

Laura M. Ferrera

Concordia University Bachelor of Commerce 2013

McGill University Bachelor of Education 2013

Concordia University Bachelor of Arts - Certificate in Human Resources 2013

Anthony Marsillo

Christina Maiorino

Leanna Franzese

Amanda Mary Falcone

Alyssa Morellato

Katherine Julie-Ann Guzzo

École Nationale de Police du Québec Patrouille de Gendarmerie

Concordia University Bachelor of Arts in Psychology 2013

McGill University Bachelor of Education 2013

McGill University Bachelor of Education 2013

Concordia University Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science

Concordia University Education Child Studies 2013

2013

McGill University Bachelor of Education 2013

2013

Marie-Ashley Ventrella

Fabrizia Gentile

Isabella Albanese

Amber Gia Cicconi

Jason Massa

Laura Fasanella

Concordia University Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

Concordia University Bachelor of Science in Athletic Therapy

Queen of Angels Academy 2013

2013

College Andre-Grasset Medias & Communication 2013

Heritage Regional High School 2013

2013

McGill University Bachelor of Science in Physiology 2013

Raising the Bar

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GRADUATES

Leandra Ercoli

Sabrina D'Anna

Alessia Greco

Brandon Jalbert

Kaila Bertone

Leonardo Lucia

College Saint-Jean-Vianney 2013

Collège St-Jean Vianney 2013

Collège St-Jean-Vianney 2013

Laurier MacDonald High School 2013

College Laval 2013

Loyola High School 2013

Justin Argentino

Casandra Bentivoglio

Steven Macchiagodena

Jessica Guadagno

Paola Marino

Christina Piccioni

Loyola High School 2013

Laurier Senior High School 2013

Loyola High School 2013

Villa Maria 2013

Lester B. Pearson High School 2013

Queen of Angels Academy 2013

James Clemente (Ludovico)

Saverio Michael Spinelli

Stephanie Falcone

Jessica Marie Di Lorenzo

Laurier MacDonald High School 2013

John Rennie High School 2013

Queen of Angels Academy 2013

Megan Spagnuolo

Frank Carlo Pavan

Vincent Massey Collegiate 2013

Loyola High School 2013

Jonathan Nardi

Michael FateenDi Girolamo

College Notre Dame 2013

Loyola High School 2013

Laurier MacDonald High School 2013

Amanda Valentini

Angelica Grandillo

Shahla Moïn-Darbari

Massimo Morra

Beaconsfield High School 2013

Queen of Angels Academy 2013

Collège Beaubois 2013

College Heritage de Châteauguay 2013

PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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EVENTS

Panoram Italia’s Treasures of Italy Tour 2013 The 16-day all-inclusive trip to Italy included visits to Venice, Florence, Montecatini, Cinque Terre, Siena, San Gimignano, Assisi, Sorrento and Rome. Here are two testimonials: Eat. Love. Eat.

By Teresa Casole I am the Canadian-born daughter of Italian immigrants. My Calabrian parents, who met and married in Toronto, realized the '60s Canadian dream of starting a family and buying a single family home in suburban Scarborough, the realm of a dominant Anglo culture. This dream came at the cost of years of night shifts for my father, who to this day laments the loss of time with his growing children. When he would come home from work, we would run to him and he would gently bite our plump arms and faces with a hunger that bespoke his missing of us. My mother, who kept Calabrian traditions alive through her dedication to her family, her unparalleled skills as a homemaker, and as the soother of childhood hurts, gave me and my younger brothers the warmth and refuge we needed when we were bullied at school for having a last name that ended in a vowel.

As time went on, our family evolved into that distinct incarnation of the ItalianCanadian hybrid. Living was based on Italian values while navigating Canadian notions of nationalism. Me and my contemporaries found ourselves shouldering the role of bicultural mediators both in and outside of our homes. What was acceptable within an Italian household was not necessarily compatible with Canadian culture and vice versa.

We were Italian first, and as much as we wished to fit into Canadian society, we each dealt with personal struggles to maintain a balance with our Italian identity.

By now it was the 70s, and many Italian parents like mine had decided that it was time to take their Canadian-born children to Italy to visit the motherland. I'll never forget being on a Boeing 747 on route to Italy when, four hours into the flight, the pilot announced that we would be landing at JFK Airport in New York for an unscheduled stop. We learned the next morning that the plane had lost power in one engine. To this day, I marvel at the wisdom of that pilot for not having mentioned that fact to a planeload of Italians encased in a cylinder 37,000 feet in the air.

Our family made the Italian pilgrimage in 1975. I was 15 years old, I was in Italy and all I saw were boys. Beautiful Italian boys. I saw no ruins, no Colosseum, no gardens or grandiose palaces. Only boys, boys, boys. And they saw me. Travelling from Rome to Calabria, I met parenti for the very first time. We shared stories, laughed and sometimes cried simultaneously as only Italians can do. The commonality, the shared blood lines and

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histories, were a mantle of comfort, familiar and safe. I was suddenly visible in a way that I had not experienced in Canada. Another 38 years would pass before I was to feel that way again.

John Lennon said, “Life happens when you're making other plans.” I concur. My life took some twists and turns in the last decade that allowed me the great privilege of starting from scratch. Assembling the parts that served me and discarding the parts that did not. What's more, I was able to take stock of the parts that were missing. And I was not surprised that those parts had everything to do with disconnection from my terra. I found myself ruminating more and more about what my life would have been like if I had been born and raised in Italy. The need to reconnect what had been disconnected so long ago.

Teresa in her natural environment became an obsessive notion that could no longer be dismissed due to timing, or lack of a travel companion, or any number of excuses that would prevent me from embarking on the greatest trek of my life. On my parents’ coffee table, a copy of a glossy magazine I had seen numerous times before. The first page I opened to was the full page ad for the Treasures of Italy Tour, two weeks of total immersion in my ancestral home. Without hesitation, I booked my tour.

The tour was made up of a Montreal and Toronto contingent of expats and/or Canadian offspring. Familiar strangers. We landed in Venice and had to pass customs, which is usually an exercise in tolerance for me. I approached the official and handed him my passport. “Are you travelling alone, Teresa?” I answered rather curtly in the affirmative. “Why?” he asked. Taken slightly aback, I answered, “Everyone was busy.” He handed me back my passport and said warmly, “You should have called me.” I felt my heart swell a bit. I was home.

Once we cleared customs we were greeted and embraced by a most capable and angelic voiced guide, appropriately named Angela, who was our “mother” for the duration of what for many of us became an odyssey of rediscovery and reconnection.

Venice at night; magical, enchanting. I sat on a powerboat hurtling along the Grand Canal. The sweet scent of the sea air, moist against my skin, the wind filled with the whispers of a thousand years of history. Tears of joy ran down my face as I took in the beauty

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EVENTS

Murano

If you’re interested in booking Panoram Italia’s Treasures of Italy Tour 2014 – with two tentative departure dates in late June and early September – please email info@panoramitalia.com with your name and phone number, and you’ll be contacted with more information as it becomes available.

Amalfi

of this mystical place. Piazza San Marco, the “drawing room of the world” where tangos were being danced by young lovers as the stringed ensembles played on into the night. As if in a dream, I was kissed by a handsome stranger on a bridge overlooking the Bridge of Sighs. Just like everyone should be.

In Rome I walked the vias surrounding St. Peter’s. The one thing I will say about the Romans is that they do have an interesting way about them. The women do not give you a second look, while the men devour you with their eyes. I entered the square and sat at the base of a great pillar of the colonnade watching the people, the pious and the pilgrims line up for hours to enter the Basilica in the heat of the day. Mad dogs, Englishmen and everyone else in the world seemed to be undeterred by the midday sun. Suddenly, the sky opened and a torrential downpour fell upon the square. Our group clambered under the colonnade, laughing at our own nervousness as the winds picked up in rather biblical proportions. We were, by now, friends, and as our time together increased, we began to feel that we had become a family. We had been sharing personal insights and feelings about what this trip meant for us.

The underlying theme for all of us was to reconnect to the land, the air and the sea. To smell the flowers, drink from the springs and to feel the heat of an Italian summer.

In Sorrento I savoured the Neapolitan rhythm. By now, I had seen more beauty than I could have imagined and I had fallen in love every day. It was a natural state of being for all of us in the tour. The food, the vistas, the food...ah the food. And what is Italian food if not love incarnate? I suppose that for the most part, we made love to every day.

So many of us, different histories and experiences. Different cities and circumstances. All Italian.

All together in our ancestral home. All falling in love with each other because we recognized that we were being changed by this experience and we were bearing witness to the beautiful metamorphosis that was taking place in each other. The acceptance and validation that we felt was, in a word, amore.

This particular tour has had a special significance for me and my husband Peter. I had completed chemo and radiation just days prior to the trip, so we decided to take this opportunity not only to celebrate the completion of my journey with breast cancer but to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary.

Panoram Italia’s “Treasurers of Italy” was an invitation we could not resist. We felt doubly blessed with this amazing coincidence. What better way to celebrate both of life’s achievements? It has proven to be a “God sent” trip for us… a means of rediscovering our heritage, of meeting amazing new people and making what I truly believe will be lasting friendships. We all connected from the first day.

We learned so much from our expert guides Professor Filippo Salvatore from Montreal and Angela from Auratours in Italy. They were extremely professional, incredibly knowledgeable, exceptionally organized and genuinely loving and caring. Angela called us her “famiglia” from the first day, and that is what we truly became. We were virtually inseparable and honestly loved spending time with each other while discovering the beauty Italy has to offer.

I know we will all go home with our hearts filled with many unforgettable “treasures” and with the hopes of making this an annual event. Thank you Expertours (Canada), thank you Auratours (Italy) and a special thank you to Panoram Italia magazine.

Excerpt from: My Name is Teresa. c. 2013

Rosanna and Peter Bozzo, Mississauga

2227 Bélanger est • Montréal • Québec H2G 1C5 T.514.374.5653 • www.gastronomiaroberto.com

NEW LOCATION Centre de Décoration St-Léonard 7101, Jarry Est, Anjou

514-255-1644 Tony Catania Owner

PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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La Federazione Calabro-Canadesi ha accolto la Nazionale Calcio Attori a Montreal

W W W. S E C U R I T E R O B O T E C . C O M LIC. RBQ: 8234-6305-40

Domenic Romanelli Président

TÉL.: 514-990-7209 FAX: 514.881.7213 info@securiterobotec.com

12161 Philippe Panneton, Montréal, Qc H1E 3R1

Montréal, 11 luglio 2013. La Federazione Calabro-Canadesi (FCC) ha accolto a Montreal la Nazionale Calcio Attori dall’Italia.

La Partita del Cuore, sotto il patrocinio della Regione Calabria, si è svolta giovedì 4 luglio 2013 ore 19 presso lo Stade Saputo, dove la Nazionale Calcio Attori ha affrontato la Squadra Montreal, composta da personalità famose italo-canadesi e quebecchesi. La partita di beneficienza si è conclusa 5-3 per la Squadra Montreal. I gol sono stati segnati per la Squadra Montreal da Patrick Leduc – una doppietta – da Rocco Placentino – una tripletta – e per la Nazionale Calcio Attori da Giuseppe Zeno e da Vittorio Emanuele Propizio – una doppietta.

Il profitto dell’evento è stato devoluto interamente alla Fondation pour la recherche en chirurgie thoracique de Montréal e all’Ospedale di Mormanno (Calabria –Italia) colpito da un terremoto il 26 ottobre scorso. I due organismi riceveranno la somma di 25,000 dollari ognuno.

Durante il soggiorno della Nazionale Calcio Attori, la Federazione CalabroCanadesi ha organizzato altre due attività. La 6° edizione del Torneo di Golf che si è svolta mercoledi 3 luglio presso il Club Saint-Raphaël, sotto la presidenza di Silvio Sicoli, direttore del Club, e sotto la presidenza d’onore di Filomena Rotiroti, deputata di Jeanne–Mance–Viger all’Assemblea Nazionale del Quebec. Oltre 180 giocatori hanno potuto approfittare della bella giornata e degustare ottime specialità calabresi.

Venerdi 5 luglio 2013 alle ore 19 si è svolto anche uno spettacolo musico-teatrale presso il Centro Leonardo da Vinci, in collaborazione con alcuni rinomati attori italiani della Nazionale Calcio Attori e il gruppo italiano Appassionante.

La Federazione Calabro-Canadesi desidera sottolineare il grande contributo ricevuto dal Consiglio di amministrazione della Federazione Calabro-Canadesi, da Domenico Audino, Maria Teresa Laurito, Maria Altomare, Antoinette Di Paola e Sara Ottoboni.

Madonna Della Consolata Parish Celebrates 60 Years

A ssur E xperts Tina Ciambrone & Associés Cabinet en assurances de dommages

Assurance auto / Auto insurance Assurance habitation / Home insurance Assurance des entreprises / Business insurance Cautionnements / Bonds

Tél: 514.381.7411 Cell: 514.909.0240

Tina Ciambrone

Courtier en assurance de dommages t.ciambrone@assurexperts.qc.ca

2607, rue Fleury Est Montréal QC H2B 1L8

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présidente

On June 22, 2013, Madonna della Consolata celebrated 60 years as one of Montreal’s most important ItalianCanadian Parishes.

The community began as an offshoot of Madonna della Difesa Church in Little Italy in the early ‘50s. The parish was founded in 1953 with a little chapel in the basement when the Missionaries of Consolata moved in from Ville-Emard to serve the Italian Catholic faithful. The actual Church was finished in 1960.

The Missionaries of Consolata were a revered community known for assisting immigrants and their children. They staffed the Parish with many priests who were close to the people and catered to their needs through many sacrifices.

“It was a great time to be here because they were men very dedicated to God, and to the Church, with a wealth of experience having been in Africa and South America,” says Msgr. Frank Leo, a director at the Grand Séminaire de Montreal, who calls Madonna della Consolata his home Parish.

The Missionaries left in 1992 due to the lack of vocations, deciding to dedicate themselves entirely to evangelizing the developing world. The Parish has been part of Montreal’s Archdiocese ever since.

Though many have moved away geographically from Madonna della Consolata, attendance has remained good compared to many other churches on- and off-island.

“Many come from far away – Laval, RDP, West Island – preferring to come back and celebrate their faith here, even though it means driving for 20 minutes on a Sunday morning,” says Msgr. Leo. The anniversary celebrations were held in the Church basement where many faithful from past and present gathered to enjoy a large buffet and anniversary cake. The evening was overseen by Parish curator Father Feliciano Mendez Merchàn. (Adam Zara)

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• Peinture intérieure de tout genre Travaux de peinture spécialisés • Moulures / Bordures décoratives • Pose de gypse / Joints • Installation de porte de garage et moteurs électriques (Garaga)

Remembrance Ceremony for the Internment of Italian-Canadians at Montreal City Hall

Estimation gratuite • pontrandolfo@live.ca • 514.746.6542

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FREE PROPERTY EVALUATION

June 10, 2013, marked the 73rd anniversary of the internment of hundreds of Canadians of Italian origin. For the first time, a remembrance ceremony gathering relatives, friends, community leaders and city officials was held at Montreal City Hall in partnership with Casa d'Italia. Speeches were given by Casa D’Italia president Angela Minicucci, oral historian Joyce Pillarella, and former Montreal mayor Michael Applebaum, during a very emotional evening that honoured the internees and their descendants.

In 1940, the Federal Government passed the War Measures Act and declared hundreds of Italian-Canadian citizens enemy aliens. They were unlawfully arrested and forced into internment camps in Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick until the end of the Second World War. Many more ItalianCanadians were required to report to authorities on a regular basis. None of the arrested were ever found guilty of acts of sabotage. The internment left psychological scars of shame on those who were arrested as well as their families.

Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney apologized, but the Canadian Parliament never officially declared that it had committed a mistake.

“This is the very first official commemoration organized by a government body,” revealed Minicucci. “There is a direct relationship with this event and City Hall.” From 1940 to 1946, Casa d’Italia was occupied by the Canadian Army. Past mayor of Montreal, Camillien Houde, who donated the land on which Casa d’Italia was built, was also interned at Petawawa with Italian detainees. After the war, Houde became a Quebec City MNA and presented a private bill (which later became law) to have Casa d’Italia returned to the Italian community.

Minicucci also stressed that recognition from the government was important for the healing process of families and the Italian community as a whole.

“If you only understood the emotion that I went through,” said Robert Nincheri, grandson of famous painter Guido Nincheri. “The government should turn around and say ‘Yes, we are sorry.’ We as Italians, we remember and we forgive and we build on that. We don’t hold any grudges. It was another historical period that can’t be judged from the perspective of today.”

For decades, community groups and artists across Canada have been actively raising awareness through publications, plays, exhibitions and ceremonies to commemorate this dark moment in Canadian history.

Recent funding for these initiatives were rewarded by Heritage Canada with a one-time program designed for internment-related projects such as the “Italian Canadians as Enemy Aliens: Memories of World War II” (www.italiancanadianww2.ca) website.

“Making the information accessible is fundamental because our aim is to create awareness,” argues Minicucci. “For the families, it is important, as some of them did not even feel safe attending this ceremony. There is still a lot of fear. A lot of them think it is still taboo to speak about it. However, they are slowly realizing that there is nothing to be scared of in telling their story and by doing so, they are contributing in creating this awareness and are learning from it. Because these are our pioneers. We have not been here for 500 years.

And if we lose their oral history, we lose it forever.” (Gabriel Riel-Salvatore) The Casa d’Italia archive centre is actively collecting documents that help tell the story of Italian-Canadians.

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Où les bouquets sont presque aussi beaux que la mariée Where the bouquets are almost as beautiful as the bride

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514.324.6222

WWW.CARMINEFLORIST.CA

INGÉNIEUR ÉLECTRONIQUE JUNIOR RECHERCHÉ

www.tosoni.com Saira Canada est la filiale canadienne du Gruppo Industriale Tosoni. Nous sommes présentement à la recherche d’un Ingénieur électronique Junior pour nos opérations au Québec qui débouteront entre janvier et avril 2014. Profil recherché • Baccalauréat en génie électrique, électromécanique ou électronique • Trilingue: français, anglais et italien (fonctionnel) La personne choisie passera une période de formation entre 3 et 6 mois à Vérone, Italie. Pendant cette période il/elle pourra se familiariser avec la compagnie, les procédures et fonctionnements qui seront par la suite mis en place au Québec.

Prière de faire parvenir un curriculum vitae en français ou anglais avant le 15 septembre 2013 a l'attention de Nancy Rossi par courriel à l’adresse nrossi@videotron.qc.ca PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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écoration

Marbre GranitMichel

L’Italie dans votre assiette !

16 restaurants montréalais obtiennent la distinction Ospitalità Italiana

Table - Foyer • Comptoir • Installation Fabrication • Vente

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9510 De Lorimier Montreal, Qc.

Chef Graziella Battista, propriétaire du restaurant Graziella, et Emmanuel Triassi, Président de la Chambre de commerce italienne au Canada

Come Visit our New Showroom

“Quality tiles at affordable prices” Ceramics • Porcelaine • Marble Granite • Glass Mosaics

Les Italiens sont reconnus pour leur hospitalité et leur gastronomie légendaires qu’ils ont su exporter et valoriser à travers le monde.

Bien que les restaurants italiens abondent à Montréal, combien d’entre eux méritent vraiment cette qualification, alors que pizza et spaghetti figurent désormais à toutes les sauces sur le menu de restaurants aussi crédibles qu’une mozzarella made in Québec ?

Comment départager le vrai du faux dans ce domaine où les imitations sont d’autant plus monnaie courante ?

Qu’à cela ne tienne, à l’initiative de la Chambre de commerce italienne au Frère et soeur Antonio et Alyne Russo, propiéCanada (CCIC), une nou- taires du restaurant Scarpetta velle distinction vise désormais à sensibiliser les consommateurs montréalais à l’authentique cuisine italienne.

Les Français ont rapidement compris l’importance de protéger l’image de marque de leur cuisine en décernant des mentions d’authenticité aux nombreux restaurants à travers le monde qui incarnent avec brio cette facette gourmande de leur culture.

L’Italie, qui jouit elle aussi d’un patrimoine culinaire unique, se devait d’en faire de même reconnait Emmanuel Triassi, Président de la CCIC, qui agit comme partenaire avec le programme « Ospitalità Italiana », dont l’objectif est de mettre en lumière les institutions qui s’efforcent de promouvoir l’excellence de la cuisine italienne à l’étranger.

La CCIC décerne ainsi depuis 2011 la distinction Ospitalità Italiana à tous les restaurants de la province qui répondent favorablement aux critères du programme.

Cette année, une dizaine de noms ont été rajoutés à cette liste sélecte dont se prévaut une cinquantaine de restaurants au pays. N’en déplaise aux ayatollahs de la loi 101, les restaurants Brama, Buonanotte, Cavalli, Da Vinci, Graziella, Hostaria, Il Cortile, Michelangelo, Osteria Venti, Otto, Piatti, Primo e Secondo, Ristorante Amato, Salumi & Vino, Scarpetta et Villa D’Este, compteront désormais parmi leur mobilier une plaque commémorative stipulant, en italien, leur appartenance à ce réseau international. « C’est un très grand honneur, car nous travaillons très fort pour intégrer le plus grand nombre d’ingrédients authentiquement italiens dans notre menu », affirme Massimo Lecas, propriétaire du Restaurant Buonanotte, dont la carte des vins gérée par Lino Lozza, contribue elle aussi à remporter les honneurs.

La talentueuse chef Graziella du fameux restaurant éponyme du 116, rue McGill s’avoue extrêmement fière de cette distinction. « C’est le résultat d’un travail de longue haleine. C’est une chose que j’ai toujours pratiquée. Je suis contente qu’on ait aujourd’hui accès à autant d’ingrédients italiens sur nos tables. Ce n’était pas le cas il y a trente ans.»

Bien que le sceau Ospitalità Italiana ne soit pas nécessairement synonyme de fine cuisine, comme les appellations contrôlées, il garantit tout de même une table authentiquement italienne, axée sur l’utilisation de produits de qualité et un savoir-faire en cuisine qui n’est pas donné à tous.(Gabriel Riel-Salvatore) Pour la liste complète des restaurants certifiés au Québec, visitez : www.italchamber.qc.ca

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20e édition Du 9 au 18 août 2013 PRÉSENTE LA

EVENTI PRINCIPALI t-Pierre NDG – Parco Georges-S Sabato 10 agosto 20h30 Dalle ore 08h00 alle ore perto a all’ sica Attività sportive, e mu Bella Italia; La « Da non mancare spettacolo sentata da pre » a ian Ital canzone popolare nds Frie & hi Manrico Tedesc

Rivière-des-Prairies – atrice Parrochia Maria Ausili

PLACE À LA

14h00 9-10-11 agosto dalle ore , musica con rtive spo e i van Attività per gio ertainment, Banda Gentile, Terri V Ent Fuochi d’artificio

DOLCE VITA

Lasalle – Parc Ouellet Venerdi 9 agosto film – 19h00 – Proiezione del Fellini o eric Fed di » i llon Vite I « Domenica 11 agosto 10h00 Torneo di Bocce dalle ore Lunedi 12 agosto ore 20h00 con il Spettacoli all’aperto dalle Sophist Occasion e e ion comico Joe Cacch con Sly Furino

Saint-Léonard – Parc Wilfrid Bastien Giovedi 15 agosto anismi comunitari, 19h30 – Vari chioschi di org Rubbo, Joe spettacoli con Giuseppe e Gruppo VU e Cacchione, Brigitte Pac

PICCOLA ITALIA – Saint-Laurent 16-17-18 agosto Attività per bambini Spettacoli su due scene Gruppi folcloristici proven ienti da Thunderbay e Calgary Venerdi 16 agosto 18h30 – Dolceamare 20h00 – Gruppo : VU 21h30 – The Misstress Barbar a Band

Pour sa 20e édition, la Semaine italienne s’inspire de la région Émilie-Romagne et rend hommage à Giuseppe Verdi ainsi qu’à Federico Fellini.

Un rendez-vous culturel et familial à ne pas manquer !

Sabato 17 agosto 18h30 – Tenore Christophe r Dallo 20h00 – Gruppo : Brigitte Pace 21h30 – Umorista : Joe Ca cchione 22h00 – Sfilata di moda : Moda Sotto le Stelle Domenica 18 agosto 21h00 – Presentazione de ll’Opera « La Traviata » di Giuseppe Verdi Attività all'aperto – ingress o gratis

PARTENAIRE PRINCIPAL

FONDATION COMMUNAUTAIRE CANADIENNE-ITALIENNE

Casa d’Italia 505, rue Jean-Talon est Dal 9 al 15 agosto a Fellini – 19h30 – Festival del cinem ingresso gratis

ci

Centre Leonardo Da Vin

8370, boul. Lacordaire Dal 9 al 14 e 16 agosto s di Fellini – 19h30 – Proiezione di film tis ingresso gra

sne

Musée du Château Dufre

2929, Jeanne d’Arc Domenica 11 agosto 15h15 Dalle ore 14h00 alle ore Bruno Ramirez con nza fere Tè letterario / con

I giardini d’Italia

nt-Léonard 5650, rue du Hautbois, Sai Mercoledi 14 agosto loristico Italiano 14h00 – Spettacolo folc

UNE PRODUCTION DU

semaineitalienne.ca

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SPORTS

Arturo “Thunder” Gatti Enters the Hall of Fame

By Adam Zara Special thanks to Jeremy Filosa, 98.5 FM

On Sunday, June 9, family, friends and fans journeyed to the small town of Canastota, New York, to take part in Arturo “Thunder” Gatti’s induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame. From actress and big Gatti fan Rosie Perez, to boxing legends Leon and Michael Spinks, Shane Mosley, Jake LaMotta, Zab Judah, Angel Manfredy, Joe Cortez, Micky Ward and many others, all joined together to celebrate the life’s work of a beloved champion. fter retiring from the sport, Gatti would often ask his good friend and fellow Montrealer Chris Santos if he thought he had done enough to one day get inducted into the Hall.

Not only was he inducted but he was also a first ballot inductee; the first Quebecer of the modern era to have entered.

“It’s something that all Quebecers – English, French and especially Italian – should hold in high regard because you never know when that’s going to happen again,” said former champion and friend Otis “Magic” Grant, from his boxing gym in Dorval. “Arturo deserved it 100% (…) he was probably in the top 3 most exciting fighters of the last 20 years. He was a great guy, good person, loved life, loved to have fun (pause). That’s why I find it so difficult to swallow when someone says that he took his own life. There’s just no way he would have done it…”

As his name was pronounced at the induction ceremony, the one thousand in attendance – many of which sported Arturo Gatti t-shirts – rose to their feet to applaud boxing’s newest Hall of Famer. The ovation lasted for nearly two minutes.

“It’s weird, we fought three times but he was such a good guy that we became great friends,” said Micky Ward from the podium. “I miss him every day. I can’t think of a boxer that deserves it more.” The trilogy would go down in boxing folklore as one of the most exciting in history.

Among the crowd were many members of Gatti’s family: his mom Ida, his brother

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Fabrizio, his sister Anna-Maria, his daughter Sofia-Bella and her mom Erika, nieces, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, agent Pat Lynch and his family, his bodyguard and actor Chuck Zito, as well as friends Mike, Chris and Jeremy Filosa.

“This week just further reminded us that he’s not here; and there’s just no good reason. He would have been 41,” said Filosa in a phone call following the ceremony.

“At the time, Quebec boxers really only had one reference, only one guy (Arturo Gatti) that made it big outside of Montreal and proved to them that it was possible. Even though he was in Atlantic City and he was a huge boxing superstar, it was very important to him that Montrealers were proud of him, especially the Italian community.”

“I was honoured to be his agent, but even more to be his friend,” said Pat Lynch from the podium. “He never gave up in the ring and would have never given up on life.”

Lynch lifted up the little Sofia-Bella, 7, to the microphone for a few choice words: “Thank you from my dad.” Perhaps the most touching moment of the ceremony.

That same day, the Hall of Fame also inducted Myung-Woo Yuh, Virgil Hill, referee Mills Lane, ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. and promoter Colin Hart.

For residents of the small town of Canastota, Hall of Fame day is always the biggest day of the year. And for Gatti’s friends and family, June 9, 2013, will forever be remembered as perhaps the one last time the sporting world would pay homage to their beloved champion, who left them too soon.

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Voici la télé sans fil Pour la toute première fois, grâce à notre nouveau récepteur sans fil de Bell Télé Fibe, vous n’avez plus besoin de brancher vos téléviseurs à une prise de câble1. Seul votre premier récepteur doit être branché à l’aide d’un fil. Toutes vos télés additionnelles – jusqu’à cinq – sont connectées aux récepteurs sans fil, vous pouvez donc les déplacer où vous voulez, quand vous voulez2. Télé Fibe était déjà le meilleur service télé; c'est maintenant le seul à offrir la télé sans fil.

À jour en date du 8 juillet 2013. L’offre prend fin le 30 septembre 2013. Toute partie du programme Forfait de Bell peut être modifiée, annulée ou résiliée en tout temps. Bell n’est pas tenue de fournir la réduction du Forfait pendant toute la durée d’un contrat à terme pour des services admissibles, y compris les services admissibles aux réductions ; voir bell.ca/detailsforfait. Réservée aux nouveaux clients résidentiels du Québec, là où l’accès et la technologie le permettent.

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