Panoram Italia Montreal Aug/Sept 2015

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

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

LES

ASSOCIATIONS

ITALOCANADIENNES THE ITALIAN

JOURNEY TO AUSTRALIA

AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL.10 • NO.4 PM42992015

www.panoramitalia.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 Volume 10 Number 4

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 UNITAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 LIFE & PEOPLE All in the Family

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

ITALIAN-CANADIAN ASSOCIATIONS Les associations italo-canadiennes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Promoting our Roots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Passing the Torch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Gli Azzurri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Battling Italian Dialects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 La Storia dei Dialetti in Italia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Like a Real Paesano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

SEASONAL RECIPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 FASHION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 LIVING ITALIAN STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 ITALIAN AUSTRALIA Pioneers of Multiculturalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Journey to the End of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 The Little Italies Down Under . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 The New Phase of Italian Immigration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Common Language Bonds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

ARTS & CULTURE

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Nino Ricci . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Don’t Blame it on the Stork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

ADVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 GRADUATES OF THE YEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Cover photo by Bruno Mediati

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Tony Zara

EDITORIAL DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Adam Zara MONTREAL MANAGING EDITOR & WEB MANAGER Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

TORONTO MANAGING EDITOR Rita Simonetta

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY AFFAIRS Carole Gagliardi

ITALIAN TRANSLATOR Claudia Buscemi Prestigiacomo PROOFREADER Aurelie Ptito

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

PHOTOGRAPHY Vincenzo D’Alto Michel Ostaszewski Fahri Yavuz

ADVERTISING ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Terry Marziliano Anthony Zara

CONTRIBUTORS Sal Difalco • Alessia Sara Domanico • Sara Germanotta Maggie Abou-Rizk • Sarah Mastroianni • Tanya Solari • Nicola Di Narzo Claudia Buscemi Prestigiacomo • Sabrina Marandola • Antonio D’Alfonso Pino DiCerbo

9300 Henri-Bourassa West, suite 100, Montreal, Québec H4S 1L5 Tel.: 514 337-7870 I Fax: 514 337-6180 or by e-mail at: info@panoramitalia.com Legal deposit - Bibliothèque nationale du Québec / National Library of Canada - ISSN: 1916-6389

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Italian Associations in Canada L'associazionismo Italiano in Canada

As

president of the Federazione delle Associazioni Molisane del Quebec the subject of “associazionismo” is near and dear to my heart.

Italian associations have a long history in the Italian community of Canada. As a matter of fact, their vibrancy or lack thereof is directly related to the state of the Italian culture in this country.

We can trace Italian-Canadian associations back to the beginning of Italian immigration.

However, their heydays were in the second half of the 20th century to coincide with the largest wave of immigration, which took place in the 1950s and 1960s. Our parents and grandparents felt comfort in meeting their “paesani” as often as they could to keep in touch with their friends and traditions. These associations also provided support for the latest arrivals to help them find their way in this new land.

A great example of their success is the 50 or more associations that were created by the Molisani of Quebec in the 25 years after the Second World War. Our parents and grandparents were very passionate about maintaining a deep connection with the motherland.

My generation, the so called baby boomers, who either came from Italy at a very young age, or were born here soon after their parents’ arrival, were not so keen on participating in “our parents” outings. As children we had very little choice but to attend.

As time went on, we did everything to avoid them. Watching our parents dance a tango, listening to old Italian music or getting our cheeks pinched by every paesano in the hall was never our idea of fun even if the food was amazing. And to make matters worse, they never saw the need to adapt their events to what would attract us. Hence the disconnection.

In the end, our parents gave up on the new generations and continued to do the same old, same old. Nostalgia has always dominated. A good meal, nice Italian music, a good workout on the dance floor and all at $50.00 a person if you were willing to compromise with the hall and do the event on a Sunday afternoon.

Needless to say, this led to the loss of a few generations who rarely participated, thus effectively transforming these associations into old age clubs over the years. By the time I became president of the F.A.M.Q. in June 2014, the Molisani of Quebec had less than half of the associations they once did, and at least half of those are on life support.

Because of this, my board and I decided to focus our entire mandate on the singular mission of attracting younger generations and families to join and hopefully take over these vital entities. There is no denying that this is a monumental task. So the question became, how can we set the stage for success? How can we encourage the 20-, 30and 40 year-olds to participate, feel a sense of belonging, and actively take on the responsibility of perpetuating our wonderful culture into the distant future?

After long reflections and discussions, myself and the board as well as learned members of our community decided that the answer was to focus on the needs and wants of these new generations.

Our first Gran Gala last February was organized to attract a much younger crowd and over 500 people attended. We gave a number of bursaries to deserving students. We are organizing subsidized trips back to the homeland for under 25s. We are in the process of organizing Friday night dinners for young families, at a subsidized price, to introduce them to our traditional food as well as other paesani of their age group. Networking with like-minded individuals is also a great plus.

A vision for the future is the first step to success. But in order to execute the strategy we require funding.

To fill our coffers we decided to appeal to the business class and organized two major fundraising events per year. Our first year proved to be very successful with most of the funds coming from the baby boomer generation. We just needed to remind them of the importance of maintaining our culture and traditions and they obliged in great numbers.

To be perfectly honest, engaging younger generations in our associations and federations is a daunting task. However, if we can convince even a small percentage of the hundreds of thousands amongst us to take part, we will have accomplished our mission.

Maintaining our culture, language and traditions is a responsibility that we must all embrace and share.

Let us not go down in history as the generation that dropped the ball. Ask yourself what YOU can do and respond!

Q

Tony Zara Publisher

Tony Zara Editore

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uale presidente della Federazione delle Associazioni Molisane del Quebec, il tema dell'associazionismo mi è caro e lo porto nel cuore.

Le associazioni hanno una lunga storia nella comunità italiana in Canada. Di fatto, la loro vitalità, o mancanza di essa, è direttamente proporzionale allo stato della cultura italiana in Canada.

Le associazioni italocanadesi risalgono ai tempi della prima immigrazione dall'Italia. I loro giorni migliori, però, sono stati quelli della seconda metà del secolo scorso, a partire dall'arrivo, negli anni '50 e 60, della più grande ondata di immigrati.

I nostri nonni, i nostri genitori trovavano grande comfort nel ritrovarsi con i 'paesani' il più spesso possibile, per rimanere legati agli amici e alle tradizioni. Aspettavano con impazienza questi eventi: addirittura più di quanto noi facciamo con una cena tra intimi amici. Queste associazioni hanno anche fornito supporto ai nuovi arrivati nel trovare la propria strada in questo Paese.

Un grande esempio del successo di queste associazioni sono le 50 o più create dai molisani del Quebec nei 25 anni dopo la Seconda Guerra Mondiale. I nostri genitori ed i nostri nonni hanno amato profondamente questa forte connessione con la madrepatria.

Quelli della mia generazione, i cosiddetti baby boomers, giunti qui dall'Italia da piccolissimi, o nati poco dopo l'arrivo dei genitori in Canada, non erano così entusiasti di partecipare alle serate ‘dei genitori’. Da bambini non avevamo altra scelta che partecipare. Col passare del tempo, le abbiamo provate tutte per non andare. Guardare i nostri genitori ballare un tango, ascolta musica italiana d'annata, prendere un buffetto sulla guancia da ogni ‘paesano’ in sala non era la nostra idea di divertimento – anche se il cibo era da favola. E a peggiorare le cose, non hanno mai sentito il bisogno di cambiare i loro eventi per venire incontro alla nostra generazione. Da qui, il distacco.

Alla fine i nostri genitori hanno abbandonato l'idea di coinvolgere i giovani, e hanno continuato a fare sempre come al solito. Ha sempre vinto la nostalgia. Una buona cena, un pò di musica italiana, quattro salti sulla pista da ballo, tutto a 50 dollari a persona, se hai voglia di trattare con la sala e programmare l'evento di domenica pomeriggio.

Facile prevedere il seguito: nel corso degli anni, la mancata partecipazione delle giovani generazioni ha trasformato queste associazioni in circoli per anziani. Quando sono diventato presidente della F.A.M.Q. nel giugno 2014, ai molisani del Quebec erano rimaste meno della metà delle associazioni di un tempo. Metà di queste tirano avanti in condizioni di pura sopravvivenza.

Per questo, il consiglio ed io abbiamo deciso di dedicare il nostro mandato all'unica missione di attrarre le generazioni, le famiglie più giovani con l'augurio che prendano in mano queste associazioni così importanti. Inutile nasconderselo: è un impegno gravoso. Così il problema è diventato: cosa possiamo fare per riuscirci? Come possiamo convincere i 20, 30, 40enni a partecipare, a coltivare un senso di appartenenza, e a prendere su di sè il compito di perpetuare la nostra meravigliosa cultura nel futuro?

Grazie al dialogo ed alla riflessione all’interno del consiglio e dopo aver ascoltato voci influenti della comunità, abbiamo deciso che la risposta stava nel concentrarsi sui bisogni e sui desideri di queste nuove generazioni.

Il nostro primo Gala, lo scorso febbraio, è stato organizzato con l'obiettivo di attirare un pubblico molto più giovane, ed eravamo in più di 500. Abbiamo istituito varie borse di studio destinate a studenti meritevoli. Stiamo organizzando viaggi in Italia per gli under 25, sostenendone in parte i costi. Stiamo organizzando le cene del Venerdì per le famiglie giovani, a prezzo agevolato, per far conoscere le nostre tradizioni gastronomiche e far incontrare tra loro ‘paesani’ della stessa età. Anche far crescere una rete di persone che la pensano nello stesso modo è molto positivo.

Avere una prospettiva per il futuro è il primo passo verso il successo. Ma per mettere in pratica questa strategia, sono necessarie risorse.

Per aumentare le risorse disponibili abbiamo deciso di chiamare a raccolta il mondo degli affari con due grandi eventi di raccolta fondi all'anno. Il nostro primo anno è stato un grande successo, con la maggior parte dei fondi raccolti tra i baby boomers. È bastato ricordare loro l’importanza di mantenere la nostra cultura, le nostre tradizioni, per vederli rispondere in gran numero.

Per essere sinceri, coinvolgere le generazioni più giovani nella vita delle nostra associazioni e federazioni è un compito che fa tremare i polsi. Non riusciremo mai a convincere tutti che partecipare sia altro che un esercizio di futilità. Tuttavia, se possiamo convincere anche una piccola percentuale delle centinaia di migliaia di appartenenti alla nostra comunità, avremo compiuto la nostra missione.

Mantenere la nostra cultura, la lingua, le tradizioni è una responsabilità che tutti dobbiamo sottoscrivere e condividere.

Non passiamo alla storia come la generazione che ha abbandonato la partita.

Chiedete a VOI STESSI cosa potete fare, e rispondete!

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UNITAS

Community Chat How do we get our cool back?

Dear friends, As we continue to develop our activities and fundraising events, some questions continue to come up. Our last article asked our youth how they would like to be represented and how best we could work towards facilitating that.

This column remains in the same spirit but poses different questions to you, valued readers.

In the last couple of years the community has faced challenges and we have been put in an unpleasant spotlight because of the actions of a minority of individuals. This is a burden which we must refuse to carry any longer.

When did being Italian stop being cool? How do we get back to dancing proudly and singing passionately and looking up to Joe DiMaggio or dreaming of drinks with Sophia Loren? We used to be a styling population; some even envied our ethnicity.

We hold onto pride for our grandparents’ sakes but what do we truly believe in? What does the definition of being Italian really mean for us Italian-Canadians?

An argument was presented in one of the responses I received from last edition’s column: can a person still be Italian if they no longer possess the language or practice the traditions? Are bloodlines as powerful today as they once were?

Perhaps the better question now becomes: ‘Who do we want to be today?’

How do we, as Italian-Canadians, want to be represented and what is it that still makes us proud to proclaim that we are Italian? What makes us want to teach our children about their heritage or, on the flip side, what makes us refrain from doing so?

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We have observed over the years that some choose to back away from any association with the community while others stand and defend. The solution resides in talking through our differences and finding our place again as a joyful, strong, inspirational and soulful community.

In the best of times we are associated with the ‘romance language’, passion, one of the best food cultures, various art forms, family values, and a sense of fun and laughter. We have a beautiful legacy that we should be proud to preserve.

We must take the lead from many other ethnic groups in Montreal who accomplish this seamlessly.

Have we lost being cool? When I look around the community I see our entrepreneurs, professionals, athletes, chefs, and artists who are inspiring. We have so much to be proud of. Our cool is in our blood. All we have to do is simply embrace it once again.

I encourage you all to reflect on the true meaning of the Italian-Canadian identity and to send your comments and feedback; your input helps us better understand the needs and wishes of our community.

“We are our culture and tradition; if there is no culture or tradition we are no one.”

-Tamerlan Kuzgov

Sincerely, Joey Saputo President

Italian-Canadian Community Foundation of Quebec Insieme per la nostra comunità

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LIFE & PEOPLE

All in the Family Chiappetta clan five generations strong

By Sara Germanotta typical day for Teresina Chiappetta usually begins at four am with a shot of Grand Marnier. The 96-year-old says the liquor gives her a boost of energy in the morning. She also enjoys dark chocolate and prefers rosé wine to red or white. A devout Catholic, Chiappetta has given her friends and family strict instructions never to call between six am and nine am because that’s when she listens to morning mass on Radio Maria. The spirited senior lives on her own in a second floor apartment in St. Leonard, walks to and from the grocery store several times a week, and proudly boasts about the fact that she does not take any medication and never visits the doctor. “My secret for a long life is that I have never been greedy or jealous of anyone,” says Chiappetta. “I am also careful with my diet. I eat mostly greens and soups – dry foods are bad for your stomach.”

Whether it’s good habits or good genetics, Chiappetta must be doing something right. She is the matriarch of a family that is now five generations strong – the newest member, six-month-old Nevio, was born this past February.

His mother, Giulia Chiappetta, is Teresina’s great-granddaughter. The 32-yearold tears up when she talks about her great-grandmother. “She does so much; she does more than me,” says Giulia. “She’s taught us how to love and respect one another. My whole family thinks that she’s an inspiration.”

Teresina Chiappetta arrived in Montreal from her native Calabria in December of 1956. She describes her new home as the land of snow and ice: “The winters we had back then were way worse than what we have now. If you stayed outside for more than five minutes, your nose would freeze off,” she laughs.

On this sunny evening in May, the Chiappetta family sits around a dinner table at Teresina’s grandson’s home in Rivière-des-Prairies. A huge plate laden with Italian pastries sits in the middle of a table strewn with wine glasses and espresso cups. Around the table are five generations of Chiappettas; besides Teresina, there is her son Carmine, her grandson Mario, her great-

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granddaughters Giulia and Lora, and her great-great-grandson Nevio. The conversation at this table is loud and joyful, and everyone has something to say about nonna Teresina.

Lora Chiappetta lives close to her great-grandmother’s apartment. She says nonna Teresina calls her at least once a week to check up on her and make sure she’s getting enough to eat. “She calls me and tells me that she made me minestrone. When I get to her house she has containers full of soup with labels on them with my name,” explains Lora. “She’s 96 years old and she’s taking care of me.”

Mario Chiappetta, Giulia and Lora’s father, whips open his cell phone to show everyone pictures of his grandmother making fresh pasta. In the photos, nonna Teresina has made so much spaghetti it doesn’t even fit on her kitchen table, so she has to lay some out on her washer and dryer. “My grandmother still makes everything by hand,” he explains with pride. “Soppressata, cheese, pancetta, mushrooms, cicoria – you name it. Every season has its tradition.”

And 57-year-old Mario Chiappetta says he is doing his best to preserve and pass on his grandmother’s traditions. “It’s not always easy,” he explains.

“We all work, have families, we’re running around here and there. But I try to do as much as I can.”

Other family traditions include saying a prayer before meals at family gatherings. Giulia Chiappetta says nonna Teresina stands up and gives thanks for the food they are about to eat. “Everything I’ve done has been thanks to the grace of God,” says the great-great-grandmother. “I've never been selfish and I am thankful to Jesus for helping me raise my children and my family.”

And Chiappetta’s family, which includes five children, 17 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson, are not taking their beloved nonna for granted. Chiappetta’s son, Carmine, 78, sums it up best: “The most important thing my mother taught us is to love each other. That’s what family is and that is what’s important.”

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ASSOCIATIONS

Photography by Bruno Mediati

Les associations italiennes

Le associazioni italiane Sabrina Marandola

Les pierres d’assise de la communauté italienne au Canada

À

quand remonte votre dernière participation à une fête d’association italienne? Lorsque vous souhaitez y amener vos adolescents, vous réservent-ils les gros yeux?

Alors que pour bien des jeunes les associations de village italien sont synonymes de club de l’âge d’or, voici un autre point de vue: avant l’implantation du code du travail au Canada, il existait des associations italiennes pour protéger les travailleurs immigrants; avant les programmes de récompenses pour grands voyageurs, il existait des associations italiennes incarnant l’Italie en sol canadien; avant l’apparition de sites de rencontre en ligne, il existait des associations italiennes où les jeunes immigrants se rassemblaient sans barrière linguistique. « Les associations de village sont en quelque sorte une reproduction des villes italiennes au Canada. Elles représentent un univers émotionnel », révèle Bruno Ramirez, professeur d’histoire à l’Université de Montréal. Les premières associations au Canada remontent à aussi tôt que 1870 à Montréal et 1880 à Toronto. Ce sont les pierres d’assise de la communauté italienne au Canada. « Ces associations ethniques étaient vraiment authentiques. Elles ont été formées par des paesani. Ils ont recréé un univers culturel dans lequel ils pouvaient conserver leurs traditions et leur identité », explique Ramirez, qui est d’origine sicilienne.

Ses recherches démontrent que dès 1921, le Canada comptait 67 000 immigrants italiens dont les deux tiers étaient installés en Ontario et au Québec. Alors que nos grands-parents et arrières grands-parents ce sont établis dans un nouvel endroit pour vivre et travailler, il n’est pas surprenant que les premières associations aient servi de « sociétés d’assurance mutuelle ». Elles ont aidé les premiers immigrants à une époque où le marché du travail était instable et les conditions de travail difficiles. « À l’intérieur d’une association, la plupart des gens se connaissaient eux. Certains se connaissaient déjà dans leur village d’origine, ce qui contribuait à leur inspirer confiance. Ça permettait un contact plus personnel », souligne Ramirez.

Au tournant du 20e siècle, la majorité des immigrants italiens se tournent vers l’Ordine Figli d’Italia (l’Ordre des fils d’Italie). Fondé en 1904 à New York, 18

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Gli elementi costitutivi della comunità italiana in Canada

Q

uando è stata l’ultima volta in cui siete andati alla festa di un’associazione italiana? Quando provate a portarvi dietro i vostri figli bambini o adolescenti, alzano gli occhi?

Mentre molti giovani considerano le associazioni culturali legate a città italiane nient’altro che circoli di vecchietti, eccovi un altro punto di vista: ancor prima che vi fossero leggi canadesi sul lavoro, c’erano già associazioni italiane per la tutela dei lavoratori italiani immigrati. Prima che ci fossero le raccolte punti frequent flyer, vi erano già associazioni italiane che ricreavano un pezzo d’Italia in territorio canadese. Prima che ci fossero siti web per gli incontri, c’erano associazioni italiane nelle quali i giovani immigrati si riunivano per incontrare gli altri senza barriere linguistiche.

“Le associazioni di paese sono una riproduzione in Canada di aspetti di città italiane. Sono un universo emotivo”, dice Bruno Ramirez, professore di Storia all’Università di Montreal. Le prime associazioni italiane in Canada vennero costituite già negli anni ‘70 del 1800 a Montreal e negli anni ‘80 del 1800 a Toronto – i primi mattoncini sui quali si è costruita l’odierna comunità italo-canadese.

“Queste associazioni etniche erano davvero autentiche – erano formate dagli stessi compaesani. Ricreavano un universo culturale nel quale potevano mantenere vive le proprie tradizioni ed il proprio senso di identità”, dice Ramirez, di origine siciliana. La sua ricerca mostra che al 1921, il Canada ospitava quasi 67.000 immigrati italiani – con quasi i due terzi residenti in Ontario e Quebec.

Con i nostri nonni e bisnonni alla ricerca di rifugio e lavoro in una nuova terra della quale non parlavano la lingua, non deve sorprendere che le prime associazioni italiane fungessero da “società di mutuo soccorso.” Aiutavano i primi immigrati in un periodo in cui il mercato del lavoro era instabile e le condizioni lavorative dure.

“All’interno di un’associazione, la maggior parte delle persone si conosceva – alcuni si conoscevano addirittura già nel paese di origine in Italia – per cui c’era fiducia.

Potevano intrattenere dei rapporti faccia a faccia”, dice Ramirez.

All’inizio del ventesimo secolo, la maggioranza degli immigrati italiani si rivolse all’Ordine Figli d’Italia. Fondato nel 1904 a New York, è l’associazione italiana

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ASSOCIATIONS c’est la plus ancienne association encore active au Canada. L’organisation s’est rapidement implantée au pays, avec un premier chapitre à Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario), en 1914, puis un à Montréal (Québec), en 1919. “À travers le Canada, si vous analysez n’importe quelle ville, le groupe le plus important a toujours été l’Ordine Figli d’Italia”, explique Joe Fratino, le président de l’Ordine Figli d’Italia à Montréal. L’Ordine offrait un soutien financier à ses membres, allant de l’achat d’une maison aux frais funéraires. « J’ai récemment jeté un coup d'œil dans nos archives et j’ai découvert que l’Ordine payait même les frais médicaux de ses membres », poursuit Fratino.

Les associations de village, plus petites, faisaient de même. L’Associazione Casacalendese, la deuxième association la plus ancienne à Montréal après l’Ordine Figli d’Italia, recueillait de l’argent dès 1924 (incluant un fond d’hypothèque d’urgence) pour venir en aide aux immigrants. « Un fond a été créé pour aider ses membres à s’acheter une maison, se procurer une assurance vie ou pour couvrir des frais funéraires », explique Vincenzo Ranellucci, le président de l’Associazione Casacalendese.

Avec l’arrivé croissante d’immigrants au Canada, le nombre d’associations italiennes a augmenté. En 1940, l’Ordine comptait 24 chapitres à travers le Canada. Encore aujourd’hui, certains membres conservent des polices d’assurances avec l’Ordine. “Près de 200 de nos membres âgés de plus de 80 ans possèdent toujours une assurance vie avec nous”, assure Fratino.

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più antica che esiste ancora in Canada. L’organizzazione si è ramificata in Canada, con l’apertura del suo primo ufficio a Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, nel 1914, seguito da un ufficio a Montreal, Quebec, nel 1919. “In tutto il Canada, se si considera ogni città, il gruppo più importante era quello dell’Ordine Figli d’Italia”, dice Joe Fratino, presidente dell’Ordine Figli d’Italia di Montreal. L’Ordine offriva supporto finanziario ai suoi membri, per ogni cosa dall’acquisto di una casa alle spese di un funerale.

Le associazioni delle città più piccole facevano lo stesso. L’Associazione Casacalendese, la seconda associazione più antica di Montreal dopo l’Ordine Figli d’Italia, raccoglieva soldi già dal 1924 – compreso un fondo di emergenza per il mutuo – per aiutare i nuovi immigrati. “Un fondo fu creato per aiutare i suoi membri a comprare una casa, stipulare l’assicurazione sulla vita o pagare un funerale”, dice Vincenzo Ranellucci, presidente dell’ Associazione Casacalendese.

Con l’arrivo in Canada di ulteriori immigrati, il numero delle associazioni Italiane crebbe. Ne1 1940, l’Ordine aveva 24 sedi in tutto il Canada. Ad oggi, alcuni membri hanno ancora polizze assicurative con l’Ordine. “Circa 200 dei nostri membri ultraottuagenari hanno ancora l’assicurazione sulla vita con noi,” dice Fratino.

L’époque avant Tinder Aider les immigrants avec des polices d’assurances n’était pas le seul objectif des associations italiennes. Alors qu’aujourd’hui les jeunes peuvent trouver l’âme

Les associations de village sont en quelques sorte une reproduction des villes italiennes au Canada. Elles représentent un univers émotionnel.

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sœur par un simple clic de souris ou un balayage d’écran, nos grands-parents et arrière grands-parents n’ont jamais eu d’applications, mais ils possédaient toutefois une association vers laquelle se tourner. « Les associations étaient un espace culturel qui permettait aux gens de se rencontrer. Ceci a mené à bien des mariages », affirme Ramirez.

Les chiffres présentés dans ses recherches sont particulièrement révélateurs des tendances rencontrées chez les immigrants italiens. Si vous êtes Italo-Canadien, il y a bien des chances que votre existence même repose sur le fait qu’un membre de votre famille ait rencontré son partenaire dans une association. « Entre 1906 et 1915, deux mariages italiens sur trois célébrés dans les deux paroisses italiennes de Montréal (Madonna di Monte Carmelo), impliquaient des couples provenant de la même région », indique Ramirez, ajoutant que dans plus de la moitié des ces cas, les deux époux étaient originaires de la même province.

Une question d’identité Au fil des décennies, le nombre d’immigrants italiens s’est renforcé, tout comme les lois canadiennes. Les gouvernements fédéral et provincial introduisent finalement l’assurance chômage ainsi que l’assurance sociale et médicale. Avec des lois en place pour protéger les travailleurs, le rôle des associations se transforme aussi. De sociétés d’assurance mutuelle, elles deviennent des groupes culturels.

Dans les années 1950 et 1960, le nombre d’associations et de clubs régionaux augmente, ravivant le sentiment d’appartenance régional. « Avec l’entrée en vigueur des lois canadiennes, les associations ont eu besoin de se regrouper. Les gens éprouvaient un sentiment de fierté quant à leurs origines et les associations se sont essentiellement concentrées sur des activités religieuses et de loisirs. Ce qui est toujours le cas aujourd’hui », assure Ramirez.

La clé derrière la survie des centaines d’associations italiennes à travers le pays sera d’impliquer la prochaine génération et de lui faire prendre conscience de ses racines. « Les associations permettent de maintenir en vie une identité qui nous est chère. Par exemple, je suis très fier de mes origines siciliennes; ce qui va de soi pour tout le monde. Les identités ne sont pas des choses monolithiques. À un certain moment, on peut revendiquer une identité canadienne, une identité montréalaise ou une identité de village italien. Les associations maintiennent ce lien vivant. Elles maintiennent en vie cet élément identitaire ».

Pensez-y la prochaine fois qu’on vous invite à une fête d’association italienne.

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I tempi prima di Tinder Aiutare immigrati con polizze assicurative o mutui non fu l’unica trovata pioneristica delle associazioni italiane. Mentre i giovani d’oggi possono tentare di trovare l’amore con un clic di un tasto o scorrendo uno schermo, i nostri nonni e bisnonni non hanno mai avuto un’applicazione, ma avevano un’associazione italiana a cui rivolgersi. “Le associazioni erano uno spazio culturale che consentiva alle persone di incontrarsi. Questo condusse a molti matrimoni”, dice Ramirez.

I numeri della sua ricerca sono rivelatori e mostrano gli schemi ai fini matrimoniali adottati dagli immigrati italiani. Se siete italo-canadesi, ci sono probabilità che esistiate oggi perché qualcuno della vostra famiglia si è conosciuto attraverso un’associazione italiana. “Tra il 1906 e il 1915, due matrimoni italiani su tre celebrati nelle due parrocchie italiane di Montreal (Madonna di Monte Carmelo) coinvolgevano sposi originari della stessa regione”, dice Ramirez, aggiungendo che in più della metà di quei casi, gli sposi venivano dalla stessa provincia.

Tutta una questione d’identità Con il passare dei decenni, il numero di immigrati italiani si è aumentato – e lo stesso dicasi per le leggi canadesi. I governi federale e quelli provinciali hanno introdotto i sussidi pubblici, i programmi di assistenza sociale, i sussidi per l’assistenza sanitaria e il salario dei lavoratori. Con le leggi in atto a tutela dei lavoratori, anche il ruolo delle associazioni italiane ha cambiato direzione. Sono passate dall’essere società di mutuo soccorso a diventare gruppi culturali.

Negli anni 50 e 60, il numero di associazioni e circoli regionali crebbe ed il senso d’identità regionale fu rinvigorito. “Quando le leggi canadesi entrarono in vigore, le associazioni dovettero riorganizzarsi. Si provava orgoglio verso il proprio luogo di origine e le associazioni si dedicarono prevalentemente alla religione ed al tempo libero – e ciò è vitale ancora oggi”, dice Ramirez.

Con centinaia di associazioni italiane in tutto il paese, la chiave per la loro longevità sta nel continuare a coinvolgere e mantenere legate alle proprie radici le generazioni future”. Le associazioni mantengono viva un tipo di identità che qualcuno ha per diritto. Per esempio, sono molto orgoglioso di essere di origini siciliane – e ciò dovrebbe valere per ogni individuo. Le identità non sono cose monolitiche: allo stesso momento, si può avere un’identità canadese, un’identità montrealese o l’identità di un paese italiano. Le associazioni mantengono vivo quel legame – mantengono vivo il fattore identità.” Pensateci la prossima volta che vi inviteranno alla festa di un’associazione italiana.

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ASSOCIATIONS

The Calling of Our Roots

Retour aux sources Sabrina Marandola

The role of Italian clubs

Le rôle des clubs culturels italiens

you’ve ever hosted any Italians from Italy in your home, you may have heard the comment, “Siete più italiani voi che noi!” – You are more Italian than we are! Many Italian-Canadians have kept traditions and customs from the old country alive and thriving in Canada – anything from winemaking, to big Sunday lunches, to speaking dialect.

They’re rituals that have just become the norm for any Italian immigrant family. “What ties us to Italy is nostalgia, so we have traditions, religious feasts and cultural activities that have just become part of Canadian tradition,” says Anna Maria Buondonno Maturi.

Maturi is a member of the executive committee of the Federazione delle Associazioni Regione Campania – Canada, and also runs the Giovani Campani nel Mondo Canada which targets youths, often the children of Italian immigrants from the region of Campania. “At a certain age, they hear the calling of their roots,” she says. “Our youths have a right to know about their roots. It’s important to maintain and strengthen their link to Italy.”

That calling and desire to maintain a sense of italianità has led to the creation of many cultural clubs, groups and activities. The cycling club Eastern Riders is a perfect example.

While anyone is welcome to join, Andy (Andrea) Ingallati, the group co-founder, specifies that the club’s uniform proudly dons the colours of Italy’s flag.

“On our new uniforms this year, the left arm has a Canadian flag, on the right there is the Quebec flag, and on the chest it has the logo of the Eastern Riders, which has the Italian flag in it,” Ingallati says. “I’m very proud to be Italian of origin and it’s fun to show up our community.”

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vous avez déjà accueilli des Italiens d’Italie à la maison, vous avez probablement eu droit au commentaire suivant, « Siete più italiani voi che noi! (Vous êtes encore plus italiens que nous!) ». Bien des Italo-canadiens ont conservé leurs coutumes et leurs traditions d’antan, allant du vin maison aux diners dominicaux, sans oublier l’usage des dialectes.

Certains rituels sont simplement devenus la norme dans la plupart des familles immigrantes italiennes. « La nostalgie nous rattache à l’Italie, c’est pourquoi nous avons des traditions, des fêtes religieuses et des activités culturelles qui comptent désormais parmi nos traditions canadiennes », explique Anna Maria Buondonno Maturi. Maturi fait partie du comité exécutif de la Federazione delle Associazioni Regione Campania – Canada, et dirige le groupe Giovani Campani nel Mondo Canada qui cible les jeunes Italiens originaires de la région de la Campanie. « À un certain âge, ils ressentent le besoin de retrouver leurs racines », assuret-elle. « Nos jeunes ont le droit de connaître d’où ils viennent. C’est important pour maintenir et solidifier leur sentiment d’appartenance à l’Italie ».

Ce besoin et ce désir de garder en vie ce sentiment d’italianité est à l’origine de nombreux clubs, de groupes et d’activités culturels. Le club de cyclisme des Eastern Riders est un parfait exemple. Bien que tous soient invités à se joindre au groupe, Andy (Andrea) Ingallati, son co-fondateur, précise que l’uniforme du club revêt fièrement les couleurs du drapeau italien. « Sur nos nouveaux maillots cette année, le drapeau du Canada apparaît sur la manche gauche, celui du Québec sur la manche droite, tandis que le logo des Eastern Riders qui contient le drapeau de l’Italie en son centre, figure sur le torse », précise-t-il. « Je suis très fier d’être d’origine italienne et c’est amusant de proclamer notre identité de la sorte ».

Discrimination strengthens community ties But Italian immigrants in Canada were not always proud to be Italian. Back in the 50s and 60s – when cycling grew in popularity in Canada – most cyclists were Italian immigrants, in part because cycling was considered a “poor man’s sport.”

But such stereotypes only strengthened the Italian-Canadian community, according to Bruno Ramirez, a history professor at Université de Montréal. “Probably no other discriminatory practice acted more as a unifying element than the negative stereotyping, which became increasingly common in the Canadian media and in public opinion at large,” Ramirez writes in his research booklet called The Italians in Canada.

Italian immigrants were considered a substandard “inferior group”, who were prone to acts of violence and often associated with crime. Ramirez says it wasn’t long before those negative stereotypes “would soon translate into communitywide associational activities.” “Decades ago, people used to hide the fact they were Italian,” agrees Ron Di Lauro, a Montreal trumpet player and award-winning musician. “Now, people are so proud.”

Di Lauro, who teaches at McGill and Université de Montréal and has accompanied artists such as Aretha Franklin and Tony Bennett, is one of those very proud Italian-Canadians.

His father was a musician and his grandfather Nicola Di Lauro, who immigrated to Canada in 1913, was one of the founding members of the Corpo Musicale dell’Ordine Figli d’Italia in Canada – a 55-piece orchestra created in the 1930s by the Order of Sons of Italy.

Quand la discrimination renforce les liens communautaires Mais les immigrants italiens au Canada n’ont pas toujours été fiers d’être Italiens.

Dans les années 1950 et 1960, quand le cyclisme a commencé à gagner en popularité, la plupart des cyclistes étaient des immigrants italiens, en partie parce que le cyclisme était considéré comme le « sport du pauvre ». Ces stéréotypes ont contribué à solidifier la communauté italo-canadienne selon Bruno Ramirez, professeur d’histoire à l’Université de Montréal. « Ces pratiques discriminatoires colportant des stéréotypes négatifs dans les médias et l’opinion publique en général ont peut-être été l’élément qui a contribué le plus à unir la communauté », écrit Ramirez dans son livret intitulé Les Italiens au Canada.

Les immigrants italiens étaient considérés comme faisant partie d’un « groupe inférieur », et étaient perçus comme prompts à perpétrer des actes violents liés au crime organisé. Ramirez explique que rapidement ces stéréotypes négatifs « ont mené à l’émergence d’activités associatives à travers la communauté ». « Il y a à peine quelques décennies, les gens avaient tendance à cacher le fait qu’ils étaient Italiens », acquiesce Ron Di Lauro, un trompettiste montréalais de renom récipiendaire de plusieurs prix, en poursuivant, « Alors qu’aujourd’hui, c’est le contraire! » Di Lauro, qui enseigne à l’Université McGill et à l’Université de Montréal en plus d’avoir accompagné sur scène des artistes tels qu’Aretha Franklin et Tony Bennett, fait partie de ces fiers Italo-Canadiens.

Son père était lui aussi musicien tout comme son grand-père, Nicola Di Lauro, qui immigra au Canada en 1913 et qui fut un des membres fondateurs du Corpo Musicale dell’Ordine Figli d’Italia au Canada, un orchestre de 55

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ASSOCIATIONS The band broke up in 1940, when Canada declared war on Benito Mussolini’s fascist government and the Casa d’Italia – the place where the band rehearsed – was seized by the RCMP. “A lot of members of the Sons of Italy were associated with fascists,” Di Lauro says. Many Italian immigrants were interned.

Feeling nostalgic and proud of his roots, a few years ago Di Lauro decided he wanted to bring his grandfather’s orchestra back to life. He decided to get a group of fellow professional musicians together and at the first show of the revived Corpo Musicale in 2013 – 73 years after his grandfather played in that band – Di Lauro was moved to tears. “It was tremendous. At the end of the show, the doors were closed and I was the only one left in the lobby. I looked out the window and I started to cry.

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What ties us to Italy is nostalgia, so we have traditions, religious feasts and cultural activities that have just become part of Canadian tradition.

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I spoke with my grandfather and father and said, ‘I’m doing this for you,’” he recalls.

Since that day, Di Lauro has started a bursary program to give young Italian-Canadian musicians a boost in their studies or early career. “It’s a way of saying I’m proud of my heritage.”

For Leo Sama, playwright and founder of Pier 21 Productions, it’s also always been important to give Italian immigrants a voice in the world of the arts. “There is always something Italian in all my plays,” Sama says. “If I’m not going to do it – if we don’t do it – who’s going to do it?”

Since 2000, Sama has put together about 20 productions, some even in dialect with the Gruppo Teatrale Calabresi nel Mondo. “People who immigrated have that nostalgia. Anything that goes back to the homeland, they participate – they see themselves on stage.” It’s been more of a challenge to get the younger generation involved in the arts, Sama says, but he’s proud of Montreal’s young Italian-Canadians.

“Other than Montreal, where do youngsters still speak Italian? Some mix five dialects at a time, but so what? At least they can understand and express themselves…We should be proud. After all these years, we are still very much Italian.”

musiciens créé dans les années 1930 par l’Ordine Figli d’Italia (l’Ordre des fils d’Italie). La formation se sépara dans les années 1940, lorsque le Canada déclara la guerre au gouvernement fasciste de Benito Mussolini et que la Casa d’Italia, où pratiquait l’orchestre, fut saisie par la Gendarmerie royale. « De nombreux membres de l’Ordine étaient associés au mouvement fasciste », révèle Di Lauro. Beaucoup d’immigrants italiens furent alors internés.

Empreint de nostalgie et fier de ses racines, Di Lauro a décidé il y a quelques années qu’il voulait faire revivre l’orchestre de son grand-père en regroupant des amis musiciens professionnels. Lors de leur premier concert en 2013, 73 ans après que son grand-père ait joué dans l’orchestre, l’émotion était telle qu’il fut gagné par les larmes. « C’était fantastique. À la fin du spectacle, une fois les portes fermées, je suis resté seul dans la salle. J’ai regardé par la fenêtre et je me suis mis à pleurer. Je me suis adressé à mon grand-père et à mon père en leur disant ‘C’est pour vous que je fais ça’ », se souvient-il.

Dès lors, Di Lauro a institué un programme de bourses offert aux jeunes musiciens Italo-canadiens pour les aider dans leur cheminement scolaire et à démarrer leur carrière. « C’est une façon de démontrer que je suis fier de mes origines ».

Pour Leo Sama, dramaturge et fondateur de la troupe Pier 21 Productions, ça a toujours été primordial de donner une voix aux immigrants italiens dans le monde des arts. « Il y a toujours un élément italien dans mes pièces », explique Sama. « Si je ne le fais pas. Si nous ne le faisons pas. Qui le fera? » Depuis 2000, Sama a monté près d’une vingtaine de spectacles, certains même en dialecte, avec le Gruppo Teatrale Calabresi nel Mondo. « Les gens qui ont immigré souffrent de nostalgie. Tout ce qui les ramène à leur terre natale les anime. Ils se projettent sur scène. » Ça a été plus difficile d’impliquer les jeunes sur scène révèle Sama, qui se dit tout de même fier des jeunes Italo-Canadiens. « Ailleurs qu’à Montréal, où est-ce que les jeunes parlent encore italien? Peu importe si certains d’entre eux mélangent parfois jusqu’à cinq dialectes! Au moins, ils arrivent à se faire comprendre… Nous devrions être fiers. Après toutes ces années, nous sommes toujours encore très italiens. »

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ASSOCIATIONS

Passing the

Torch New generations, new traditions

By Sara Germanotta

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sabella Tirelli is one of the more than 260,000 Montrealers who proudly identify themselves as Italian-Canadian. It’s people like her who pack the bars and cafés in Little Italy every four years during the World Cup, proudly waving the tricolore; who send their children to Italian school on Saturdays so they can speak to their Nonni in Italian; who have fig trees and oleander plants growing alongside the hydrangeas in their backyards. But for Tirelli, the joy of being born Italian-Canadian comes with responsibilities as well.

“I think that to some extent this is the critical point before completely assimilating into the Canadian culture,” says the 36-year-old. “Right now, the first and second generations found a nice way to preserve and integrate slowly into Canadian culture. But, the next generation will need to put in extra effort to revive the Italian language and culture to bring it forward.”

Tirelli has certainly done her part to keep the community alive in Montreal. She has been active in various associations and groups in the city’s Italian community since she was 14 years old. Her résumé includes travelling to Rome in 2000 to represent Italian-Canadian youth at the first ever conference of Italians abroad organized by the Italian government. In 2002, she was instrumental in organizing the first conference of Italians in Canada. Today, Tirelli sits on the youth committee of the Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association (CIBPA). “I’ve been in many associations over the years in the Italian community, and I finally decided that CIBPA was really what I was looking for in terms of involvement. I wanted to connect with the young and not so young Italian-Canadians from Montreal, and reconstruct the image of Italians in Montreal and in Quebec. I think that in 2015, young Italians want to reconnect with their Italianness without any borders or limits.”

For Tirelli, this also includes keeping the Italian language alive and well in the Great White North. The young Montrealer has been teaching Italian with the PICAI language school for more than 16 years. “I think we should all as Italians and Italian-Canadians either take classes, or just maintain our dialects – which are rich in themselves. We should speak in Italian to our friends, parents, kids. When you lose the language, you lose the essence of the culture itself.”

Gabriele Borsoi emigrated to Canada from Italy three years ago. Soon after moving to Montreal, the 31-year-old helped create the Montreal Young ItalianCanadian Association. “I actually founded MYICA in 2013 because I wanted to create a bridge between the past, present and future of Italian culture, and I also wanted to give a point of reference to young people in the community.”

Borsoi says that in order to preserve and promote the culture in Canada, young Italian-Canadians need to steer clear of stereotypes and find the deeper meaning in their roots. “Italian-Canadians are in some ways more proud to be Italian than the Italians themselves. The important thing to keep in mind is that we are not only Italian because we play soccer or because we eat meatballs, and we don’t have to be Italian only when the National Team plays otherwise people will wrongly stereotype us.” Borsoi continues, “In Italy we would say ‘non si può fare di tutta l’erba un fascio.’ I have to say that I met many young Italian-Canadians that identify very superficially with the culture, but on the other side there’s a part that is looking for more.”

Although both Borsoi and Tirelli agree that a lot of young ItalianCanadians are longing for a deeper connection to their culture, many are not 24

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sure how to make that happen. It’s a puzzle Antonio D’Alfonso has been trying to piece together for more than 40 years. D’Alfonso, 61, is a filmmaker and founder of the Montreal-based publishing house Guernica Editions. He believes that it will take more than just learning how to speak, dress or cook Italian to preserve the culture in Canada. “One is not an Italian-Canadian because one eats spaghetti and meatballs or cheers for the Azzurri. Many Italians in Italy are vegetarian and do not drink coffee. Many Italians do not give a damn about soccer or any national team. Does that make them less Italian? To be a cultural person means that you actively participate in the culture you are interested in.”

D’Alfonso says the future of Italians in Canada is unclear. He warns young Italian-Canadians about the pitfalls of identifying superficially with the culture.

“We are at a crossroads. Existence or disappearance. Italian-Canadians are balancing between an old-fashioned Italian identity created in the past century and the more encompassing Italic identity to be created. They are walking on a very thin wall. They will have to come down eventually. This is why these up-coming decades are the most important moments in the history of Italians in the world.”

Despite D’Alfonso’s dire warning to young Italian-Canadians, many believe it is imperative for the young generation to keep connecting to the culture – even if they are struggling to define themselves within the Canadian context.

Alexandro Loffredi, 26, is Assistant Director of the National Congress of Italian-Canadians in Quebec and a member of the Congress’ Youth Committee. It’s the association that organizes Montreal’s annual Italian Week Festival. Loffredi says there is a distinction to be made between being Italian and being Italian-Canadian. “Many people fail to realize that being ‘Italian’ and being ‘Canadian of Italian origin’ are not synonymous,” he explains. “In general, young Italian-Montrealers do not feel that there is a need to preserve their culture because in their opinion, they are living it on a daily basis.

Preserving the culture is living the culture; it is innate for them. This being said, there is still an interest in keeping the culture going and building upon it. Essentially, the culture is no longer Italian or Italian-Canadian; it has become the Canadian-Italian way of life.”

Like D’Alfonso, Loffredi worries that young Italian-Canadians are not picking up the gauntlet. “Unfortunately, I do not think that many young Montrealers consider the future of the community. For many of them, the community will sustain itself and continue onward for years to come.

However, based on my experiences, the lack of participation amongst youth will be detrimental to our progress. This is why there has been a greater push to get the youth involved on behalf of the larger Italian organizations. Many of them have realized that the actions they take now will determine the future of the community.

But not everyone thinks the situation is so precarious. Isabella Tirelli believes every bit counts. “Language is the first key to keeping a culture alive,” she says. “Some will go to presentations at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura.

Others may preserve their culture by going to Italy on vacation and discovering the beauty of the country. Some just express themselves by wearing the Italian soccer jersey, and that’s fine too. We can all be in love with our Italianness in different ways.”

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Tarantella West Gli Azzurri dancers keep Italian culture alive in Calgary I ballerini Gli Azzurri mantengono viva la cultura italiana a Calgary

By Sal Difalco

D

iscussions of Italians and Italian culture in Canada typically focus on well-established communities flourishing in Montreal and the GTA. Understandable, given the sheer number of Italian-Canadians living in those large cities. But a careful look across Canada reveals that little pockets, enclaves, and coteries of Italian culture thrive in just about every nook and cranny of this country.

Mention Calgary, Alberta, and – thanks to the iconic Calgary Stampede – images of Stetson hats, cowboy boots, leather chaps, and a spirited hoedown come to mind, not fazzoletti, aprons, dirndl skirts, and a kicking tarantella. But if you set your Google map to 3811 Edmonton Trail in the north-east quadrant of Calgary, you’ll track down Gli Azzurri Studio, and if you’re lucky you’ll find a dedicated group of dancers going through their tarantella paces.

The Calgary Italian Folk Dancers – Gli Azzurri – is a non-profit dance company dedicated to preserving and honouring Italian culture through dance and music. Established in 1987, the group has performed throughout Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and abroad, and was featured at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games. The group has performed for and with Italian peers overseas in 1998 and 2005, and recently received recognition by dancing at Disney Performing Arts OnStage.

Tiziana Chappell (née Galambos), 33, artistic director of Gli Azzurri since 2005, notes the group was inaugurated for the 1988 Calgary Olympics.

“The idea was to showcase Calgary’s Italian heritage in the Olympics through folk dancing,” she says. “It was initiated by Calgary’s Italian community, and the Calgary Italian Club, which has been active since the 1950s.

And it took off from there. Now we have 42 dancers, and 5 different groups, ranging in age from 4 to 22.”

Chappell, along with dance instructors Anna Galambos, 35, (Chappell’s sister), and Rosa Petrillo, 33, started dancing as children and have been part of the group ever since. Chappell is a native Calgarian, but her parents come from Molise. “The Italian community in Calgary is quite mixed,” she observes. “Calabrese, Sicilian, Neapolitan, you name it. Our dances reflect that as we perform tarantellas from several regions. And since traditional costumes cost so much, we make our own, true to these regions. We use Google for that,” she admits with a laugh.

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conversazioni sugli italiani e sulla cultura italiana in Canada, generalmente, si concentrano sulle comunità radicate a Montreal e nella GTA. Comprensibile, considerato il numero di italo-canadesi che vive in quelle grandi città. Ma uno sguardo attento su tutto il Canada rivela che capannelli, enclavi e gruppetti di cultura italiana fioriscono più o meno in ogni nicchia e fessura di questo paese. Menzionate Calgary, Alberta, e – grazie all’iconico Calgary Stampede – verranno in mente immagini di cappelli Stetson, di stivali da cowboy, di copripantaloni in pelle e dell’animata square dance piuttosto che di fazzoletti, di grembiuli, di gonne tradizionali e di una vivace tarantella. Ma se impostate la vostra mappa di Google sull’indirizzo 3811 Edmonton Trail, nel quadrante nord-est di Calgary, scoverete la scuola di danza Gli Azzurri, e se siete fortunati incontrerete un gruppo di zelanti ballerini alle prese con i loro passi di tarantella.

Il Calgary Italian Folk Dancers – Gli Azzurri – è un’associazione no-profit che si dedica alla tutela ed al riconoscimento della cultura italiana attraverso la danza e la musica.

Fondato nel 1987, il gruppo si è esibito in tutta l’Alberta, la British Columbia, la Nova Scotia ed all’estero, ed è apparso nel 1988 ai Giochi olimpici invernali di Calgary. Il gruppo si è esibito per e con colleghi italiani all’estero nel 1998 e nel 2005 e, di recente, ha ottenuto riconoscimento ballando al Disney Performing Arts OnStage.

Tiziana Chappell (alla nascita Galambos), 33 anni, direttore artistico di Gli Azzurri dal 2005, precisa che il gruppo fu lanciato in occasione delle Olimpiadi di Calgary del 1988. “L’idea era quella di mostrare attraverso il ballo folcloristico il patrimonio italiano di Calgary in occasione delle Olimpiadi” – afferma. “Fu iniziato dalla comunità italiana di Calgary e dal Calgary Italian Club, attivo dagli anni ’50. E da lì è decollato. Adesso contiamo 42 ballerini e 5 diversi gruppi, di età variabile tra i 4 ed i 22 anni”.

Chappell, insieme alle istruttrici di ballo Anna Galambos, 35 anni (sorella di Chappell), e Rosa Petrillo, 33 anni, ha cominciato a ballare da bambina e fa parte del gruppo da allora. Chappell è nata a Calgary, ma i suoi genitori vengono dal Molise. “La comunità italiana di Calgary è abbastanza variegata” – osserva.

“Calabresi, siciliani, napoletani, fai tu. I nostri balli riflettono questa varietà, dato che ci esibiamo con tarantelle di regioni diverse. E poichè i costumi tradizionali costano tanto, ce li facciamo da soli, rimanendo fedeli a queste regioni. Per farlo,

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ASSOCIATIONS Grace Lupi, president of Gli Azzurri for the past nine years, agrees that the Italian community in Calgary is surprisingly varied. “My parents are from Lazio,” she cites as an example. “And because of this variety, we strive to represent different regions.”

Lupi’s daughters, Nicoletta, 17, and Daniella, 15, have been involved with the group since they were children. “They still dance,” she says. “And we hear how the younger generation can be distracted and indifferent to things like this, but I’ve seen young people take on the dancing with a lot of passion.

Our dedicated instructors, Tiziana, Anna and Rosa, who all grew up with the group, now pass on their skills and enthusiasm to the youth.”

A homemaker and part-time decorator, Lupi wears many hats as president, guiding and directing, costume-designing, fundraising, organizing galas, all with the mission to keep her Italian cultural heritage alive, particularly as the immigrant population ages. And it’s a tradition certainly worth preserving.

Dance has been integral to Italian culture since the days of Dante, whose coeval Giovanni del Virgilio made the earliest mention of Italian folk dance.

The first Italian dance manuals were composed as far back as the 15th century. Of course, when we talk about Italian folk dancing, the tarantella, in all its regional adaptations, predominates. Originally created to mimic the seizures of tarantula bite victims (called tarantolati), the tarantella was believed to act as an antivenin. “Well,” says Chappell, “we do the traditional tarantella, with regional flavours from Naples, Sicily, Puglia and so on. But we’ve allowed an influence of modern dance with the older groups, to keep them engaged. We recently arranged a dance to Umberto Tozzi’s “Ti Amo.” So, we try to keep it fresh, without getting too carried away.” “Gli Azzurri is important,” says Lupi. “The pride and passion of the dance group, the involved parents and community – it’s become a focal point. And I know that far more Italians live in cities like Toronto,” she adds, “but we’re very tight-knit, and the traditions will endure.”

The group’s next major engagement is slated for the August long weekend in Thunder Bay, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Italian Heritage in a place as far flung as Calgary, and as vital to Italian-Canadian culture.

usiamo Google” – ammette ridendo.

Grace Lupi, presidente de Gli Azzurri negli ultimi 9 anni, concorda sul fatto che la comunità italiana di Calgary sia incredibilmente variegata. “I miei genitori vengono dal Lazio” – cita come esempio. “E per via di questa varietà, ci sforziamo di rappresentare diverse regioni”.

Le figlie di Lupi, Nicoletta, 17 anni, e Daniella, 15 anni, fanno parte del gruppo sin da bambine. “Ballano ancora” – dice. “Si sente dire che la generazione più giovane sia distratta e indifferente dinnanzi a cose come queste, ma vedo giovani cominciare a ballare con molta passione. Le nostre scrupolose istruttrici, Tiziana, Anna e Rosa, cresciute assieme al gruppo, trasmettono il proprio entusiamo ai giovani”.

Casalinga e decoratrice part-time, Lupi riveste molti ruoli come presidente, consigliando e dirigendo, disegnando i costumi, raccogliendo fondi, organizzando serate di gala, il tutto con la missione di mantenere vivo il proprio lascito culturale italiano, soprattutto man mano che la generazione di immigrati invecchia. Ed è sicuramente una tradizione che vale la pena preservare.

Il ballo è parte integrante della cultura italiana sin dai tempi di Dante, il cui contemporaneo Giovanni del Virgilio fece il primo riferimento al ballo folcloristico italiano. I primi manuali di ballo furono composti nel XV secolo. Di certo, quando si parla di ballo popolare italiano, la tarantella, in tutti i suoi adattamenti regionali, predomina. Creata in origine per mimare le convulsioni delle vittime di morsi di tarantola (chiamati tarantolati), si credeva che la tarantella funzionasse come “antidoto”.

“Beh” – dice Chappell – “balliamo la tarantella tradizionale, con sfumature regionali napoletane, siciliane, pugliesi e via dicendo. Tuttavia, ammettiamo l’influenza di balli moderni tra i vecchi gruppi, per continuare a coinvolgerli. Di recente abbiamo adattato un ballo alla canzone “Ti Amo” di Umberto Tozzi. In questo modo, cerchiamo di mantenere un tono fresco, senza discostarci troppo. Il gruppo Gli Azzurri è importante” – dice Lupi”. L’orgoglio e la passione del gruppo di ballo, il coinvolgimento dei genitori e della comunità è diventato un punto focale. E lo so che molti più italiani vivono in città come Toronto” – aggiunge –“ma noi siamo molto affiatati e le tradizioni continueranno”.

La prossima grande esibizione del gruppo è programmata per il fine settimana lungo di Agosto a Thunder Bay, per celebrare il venticinquesimo anniversario dell’eredità italiana in una località tanto remota quanto Calgary e tuttavia così vitale per la cultura italo-canadese.

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Battling Dying Dialects

By Sabrina Marandola

We

’ve all heard tenor Luciano Pavarotti belt out the lyrics “’O sole mio, sta nftonte a te!” Lucio Dalla did the same with Caruso: “Te voglio bene assaje, ma tanto tanto bene sai.”

There is nothing that can transport you to a region of Italy faster than hearing its dialect. “Pi mia è na ricchezza assoluta,” (For me, dialect is an absolute richness) says 82-year-old Nicolina Iacono in Cattolichese dialect.

Iacono left her birthtown of Cattolica Eraclea, Agrigento in Sicily at the age of 34 to come to Canada – speaking only dialect. “Nun haiu imparatu altri lingui e parlo Cattolochisi,” (I never learned another language so I speak Cattolichese) she says.

Iacono’s story is not unique, according to linguists. Canada’s landscape of Italian dialects is so rich today thanks to immigrants like Iacono. “Up until the 1950s, many Italians communicated in their regional tongues because they were not at ease in their official language (Standard Italian),” explains Bruno Villata, professor of Classics, Modern Languages and Linguistics at Concordia University. “In 1861, the time of the unification of Italy, the vast majority of Italians did not know Tuscan – which became the official language,” he says.

That fact is not hard to believe when looking at Italy’s linguistic history. About 2,000 years ago, during Roman times, many spoke Latin. In Southern Italy, the presence of Greek colonies added Greek to Italy’s linguistic landscape. Parts of northern Italy had dialects deriving from German, while other regions of Italy had Slovenian and Croatian dialect derivatives. Let’s not forget regions such as Sardinia and Friuli, where local dialects became recognized as official languages.

Today, every town and village in Italy has its own variation on Standard Italian, resulting in thousands of local dialects, with many of them being unintelligible to others.

“By 1974, 42.3 per cent of Italians living in Italy still used dialect as their first language,” Villata says. “Before 1980, dialect was the language used by almost every Italian emigrant.”

As immigrants came to Canada and set up Italian associations, they often communicated in their regional tongues. “The goal of these associations was to reunite people who came from the same region and set up mutual aid to help families that lost their jobs or who were hit by misfortune or discrimination,” Villata says. “Today, Italian associations mainly serve a cultural and recreational purpose. It is needless to say they played a fundamental role in maintaining the language of origin.”

Amanda Mignacca, 27, agrees. Mignacca is the vice-president of one of Quebec’s oldest village-based associations, L’Associazione Gallucciana del Quebec, which represents people who emigrated from the small village of Galluccio in Caserta, Campania.

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Mignacca, who speaks impeccable Italian as well as Gallucciano dialect, says monthly association meetings are often carried out in dialect. “Speaking dialects creates a sense of tradition and helps maintain a culture. It carries forth the language and ensures its existence within a given community. I believe that for many ItalianCanadians, a dialect is a sort of identity and it allows for a group of people to relate to one another,” says Mignacca, who learned dialect at home from her parents and especially her grandparents. “Associations play an important role in maintaining culture and preserving a language – whether it be Italian or dialect – which can be passed on to future generations,” Mignacca says. “I believe that language is much like history: it is remembered by being passed on from one generation to the next.”

But Mignacca, who studied Italian for years through PICAI and PELO programs in school, admits her use of dialect comes with mixed feelings at times. “On the one hand, I feel proud to be able to speak it. At the same time, there is a small sense of embarrassment at times because it is not universally understood by others of Italian descent and sometimes certain words or phrases can sound funny to others’ ears.”

She also has a feeling of sadness when she stops to think that dialects may be fading. “Keeping them alive is not an easy task. Mainstream or ‘proper’ Italian is taught and spoken, thereby making dialects quasi-extinct. Associations are also decreasing in size, which means that dialects are no longer being spoken or heard by the younger generations,” Mignacca says.

Her perception is right, according to Villata. In spite of Canada’s active Italian associations, dialects are fading. “Recent statistics in Canada and Italy indicate that regional tongues don’t have a future. In fact, relative data on linguistic behaviour of young Italian-Canadians and young Italians in Italy shows us that very few still speak their ancestral language, which comes almost entirely from interactions with their grandparents,” Villata says. “Languages can be salvaged only by speaking them and by making others speak them.”

Italian-Canadians young and old agree the death of dialects would be a major loss. “With dialects fading, I feel bad for my grandparents’ generation: they see their language fading and have a sense of loss – a loss of identity, roots and culture,” Mignacca says.

Iacono, who is a grandmother and great-grandmother, agrees that forgetting our dialects would be like forgetting our heritage. “Speru ca lu dialettu si continua a essiri parlatu, no solamenti per i Siciliani, ma puru l’atri dialetti diversi dell’Italia pirchi fa parti di li nostri radici.” (I hope dialects continue to be spoken, not only for Sicilians, but also other Italian dialects because it’s a part of our roots.)

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ASSOCIATIONS

Dialetti d’Italia Questione di sfumature Claudia Buscemi Prestigiacomo

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uella dei dialetti d’Italia, il paese europeo che ne vanta un primato numerico di fatto inquantificabile, è una storia affascinante e complessa, difficile da riassumere senza il timore di omettere elementi che rendano loro giustizia.

Con il termine “dialetto”, comunemente, si fa riferimento alle lingue tipiche di una regione, con sfumature ed elementi variabili da città a città e, addirittura, da quartiere a quartiere. Può risultare difficoltoso intavolare una conversazione in due dialetti diversi, senza correre il rischio di provocare incomprensioni. Le differenze sono tali che se un torinese parlasse di una “tota” (ragazza), un napoletano non penserebbe ad una “guagliona,” né un siciliano ad una “picciuttiedda.” Così pure, se una nonna marchigiana, una umbra e una emiliana volessero stendere l’impasto per una crostata usando un mattarello, avrebbero qualche difficoltà a trovarlo se lo chiamassero rispettivamente “rasagnol”, “lasagnolo” e “canela”. Eppure l’interazione è stata possibile per secoli, grazie anche ad un elemento comune: il latino. Pensare che i dialetti siano un’alterazione dell’italiano è errato. Se nel caso dell’inglese americano o australiano si parla di varianti di quello britannico, nel caso dei dialetti e dell’italiano, usando una similitudine, si tratta di un rapporto di fratellanza.

Sebbene sia difficile dire con certezza quanti dialetti ci siano in Italia, in ambito accademico si distinguono solitamente tre gruppi principali: i dialetti settentrionali, il toscano e i dialetti centro-meridionali. Vi sono poi “lingue minoritarie” di diversa origine, come il friulano e il sardo per citarne alcune, riconosciute da vere e proprie leggi.

I dialetti settentrionali, alcuni dei quali definiti “gallo-italici” per le analogie con il francese, comprendono quelli lombardi, piemontesi, emiliani, romagnoli, liguri e veneti. Il toscano è parlato in Toscana, con l’esclusione di alcune aree, e si distingue anche per la “gorgia”, il suono aspirato di alcune consonanti, come in “casa/hasa.” Infine, vi sono per l’appunto i dialetti del centro-meridione, accomunati, ad esempio, dalla trasformazione di “nd” in “nn,” come in “mondo/munno.”

Perché queste differenze? Quando gli antichi Romani si insediarono nella penisola, si trovarono a interagire con popolazioni già presenti. Fu inevitabile, per quanto il latino fosse dichiarato lingua ufficiale, l’influenza dei numerosi codici linguistici preesistenti. Più tardi, con la caduta dell’Impero Romano d’Occidente (476 d.C.), sotto l’influenza di nuovi conquistatori in diverse zone della penisola e nelle isole (Goti, Normanni, etc...), le differenze diventarono ancor più evidenti. Nacque così un numero impressionante di varianti, chiamate lingue volgari (dal latino “volgo” - popolo).

Verso il 1200-1300, con la nascita del ceto borghese, classe intermediaria tra gli esponenti dei ceti più colti che conoscevano il latino e quelli più umili che, al contrario, ne ignoravano il significato, si fece sempre più pressante il bisogno di sostituire il volgare al latino.

Anche in letteratura molto presto cominciò un acceso dibattito nel tentativo di trovare, tra i tanti volgari, quello “illustre” che potesse fungere da cardine. In tal senso, un’attenta analisi delle lingue parlate dagli “Ytali” fu offerta da Dante Alighieri, ritenuto uno dei padri dell’italiano. Fu un lungo dibattito quello che si spinse fin oltre il 1500, con alcuni che ritenevano il toscano una lingua unitaria, dato il successo in letteratura e la presenza di elementi comuni con gli altri volgari; altri che invece volevano si creasse una nuova lingua prendendo spunto da tutti i dialetti. Fu proprio nel 1500 che, per distinguere il volgare toscano dalle altre lingue volgari, si usò il termine “dialetto”(dal greco “lingua parlata”).

Nel parlato, tuttavia, la maggioranza della popolazione, indipendentemente dallo status sociale, continuò a preferire il proprio dialetto al toscano-italiano fino a molto tempo dopo l’Unità d’Italia (1861).

Solo nella seconda metà del 1900 l’italiano cominciò a sostituirsi ai dialetti. È a questo punto che subentra la differenza tra gli italiani emigrati in Canada tra il 1950-1960 e quelli degli ultimi anni.

Dopo la Seconda guerra mondiale, i cambiamenti socio-culturali in Italia furono enormi: sempre più giovani frequentavano la scuola, sempre più famiglie potevano permettersi di acquistare un televisore. Tutto ciò ha 30

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contribuito notevolmente alla diffusione dell’italiano, a discapito del dialetto.

Per alcuni, addirittura, il dialetto cominciò ad essere considerato un elemento di disturbo, poiché intaccava la propria immagine di individuo educato e culturalmente al passo con i tempi.

“Parla in italiano! Quando crescerai, parlerai pure il dialetto!” – dicevano molte mamme negli anni ‘80. Amici e parenti concordano. Molti tra quelli che parlano il dialetto oggi, napoletano, palermitano o torinese che sia, possono farlo grazie alla familiarità acquisita ascoltando genitori e nonni discutere durante l’infanzia. Da adulti, raggiunta una conoscenza dell’italiano ottimale, abbiamo cominciato dunque ad usarlo in situazioni informali per “rendere l’idea” o scherzare tra amici! Così quando l’amica torinese mi ha scritto: “Anduma a mange’ staseira?”, da palermitana, non ho potuto fare a meno di risponderle: “Se, ci putemu iri a manciari!” Entrambe sapevamo di aver suscitato il sorriso dell’altra.

Grazie anche ad organizzazioni internazionali come l’UNESCO, che parlano di “lingua napoletana, siciliana, veneta...” invece che di “dialetti”, si assiste finalmente a un’inversione di marcia. Sempre più artisti ricorrono al proprio dialetto, riscuotendo successo al livello nazionale, forse perché, come spiega un musicista siciliano, Roy Paci, in un’intervista pubblicata da La Repubblica : “Cantare in dialetto non è una scelta esotica”, ma desiderio di esprimere un pensiero che nasce in dialetto e che perderebbe parte della sua intensità se tradotto in italiano. Sono proprio queste sfumature, queste nuance a conferire ai dialetti un valore inestimabile.

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Photography by Bruno Mediati

Italian men playing cards, Tillemont Park Saint-Michel, 1979

Like a Real Paesano

By Antonio D’Alfonso

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apisc’, paesa’? Of course, you understand, but do you, really? Do you grasp what is being said to you? You might understand if you come from the same block, from the old country. Otherwise, you know it is all satire and it has nothing to do with you. When you are familiar with the term, then you nod and say, ‘What do you mean exactly?’

How often do you hear phrases like “Oh, Italian-Canadians from Toronto are not like Italian-Canadians from Montreal.” Having lived twenty years in Toronto, I admit that it is true: we are not the same kind of Italians. Even when two ItalianCanadians come from the same town in Italy, we still admit, “My cousin from Brampton is so different from my cousin in Saint-Leonard.”

Would your cousin in Woodbridge be the same sort of paesano as your

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cousin from Saint-Michel? Now this is the question to ask yourself. Who do you call a paesano? And why?

The words pais and paes originate from pagensis (meaning countryside, territory) and pagus (town, bourg). These words evolved to signify peasant and the territory around the village. Much later, the concepts grew to embrace the modern concept of town and the castle, usually found in the centre of the hamlet. In time, these notions led to the abstract idea of patria (fatherland, motherland), not from any Italian dialect, but from Spanish. It was thus a foreign concept probably introduced by Spanish landowners to identify their Italian serfs. It was the usual we-versus-they discourse. This differentiation of people subtly brings about a distinction of value and quality.

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Appellations such as this suggest that one is congratulatory, and the other is degrading. This important point brings us to the term villano that is linked to the word pagano, referring to the uneducated peasant. Paesano quite literally identifies self and the other as contadini. Nevertheless, it is not so much an area that becomes the parameter of identity, but the profession.

One doubts very much that the landowner would salute his serf as paesano. He most surely addressed the serf pagano, who would, in turn, greet his boss with such titles as Dottore or Professore (when the landowner was educated).

The boss would never, not even ironically, salute his worker as a paesano. There is a layer of lifestyle that distinguishes one from the other. Anyone who has spent time in Italy has heard a worker jokingly acknowledge another as dotto’ (rarely, professor’). ‘Dotto’, t’offro un caffè?’ Imagine the same man accosting his boss with such words!

A paesan’ can never be a landowner, a person with means, a boss. A paesan’ is synonymous with being a cafone, and not a benestante (a well-to-do person).

This signification is carried on in the Spanish paisano used to define ‘a citizen/person of the state of California of mixed Spanish and Native American ancestry’. In Italian, no peasant would approach another peasant saying, ‘Com’è stai, cafo’?’

Social designations move horizontally, scarcely vertically. Persons from the same social class alone can designate another as a paesano. Many consider paesano as another label for compatriot. It is not. Being a compatriot eliminates cultural, religious, linguistic, and caste difference. Persons are united by a real or imaginary feeling of belonging to a social club free of disparity: a sentiment at the antipodes to being a paesano.

Paesano as a tag conceals a deep paradox. An Italian-Montrealer might

toast with an Italian-Torontonian if Pirlo scores a goal for the Azzurri. Sharing Italian roots might enable both men to jump over any barrier for a second or two of happiness. But soon distance would fall back in between them. The two men might clink glasses after finding out that they are both from the Abruzzo region.

But such a coincidence would still not make them paesani.

Indeed, a fixed geographical location is never enough to bring Italians together. Territory identification alone does not sit well with Italians. Craft and working skills are the appropriate incentives to bring men and women under the same umbrella. A woman could announce to her parents that her boyfriend is the son of a paesano only if her parents and her boyfriend’s parents shared a similar occupation. A woman would never call her boyfriend a paesano if he were the child of the landowner for which her father or mother had worked in Abruzzo.

Earth-tilling serfs had to move to fresh fields. This is probably one reason why it is so difficult for Italians to draw solid family trees as, for instance, is the case with other communities. Italian genetic trees usually stop at the beginning of the eighteenth century, when all gets blurred, uncertain, and unreliable.

Being a paesano is one of the many valid positions that permits one to claim participation in a complex, diversified community assuredly not bound by blood relationship.

Calling a man a paesano is an invitation to social communion. Such consent of righteousness, meekness, and toleration is a stamp of approval.

Paesano, in other words, provides people with the moral license of total alliance. Paesano certifies intimacy and distance, exogamy instead of endogamy. Instead of calling for sameness, paesano guarantees men and women a passport to a diversified future.

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RECIPES

Photography by Giulio Muratori

Italian Squash Gnocchi with Tomato Meat Sauce (Serves 8)

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ecipes prepared by Pino DiCerbo. DiCerbo has had a passion for cooking for as long as he can remember and credits his Neapolitan mother for instilling the value of fresh ingredients.

The Mississauga stay-at-home dad finished in the Top 6 during the inaugural season of MasterChef Canada, and since then he has shared his love of food with others by teaching cooking classes and catering. He is an active supporter of Brandan’s Eye Research Foundation.

For the Meat Sauce Ingredients • 1 onion, finely chopped • 1 carrot, finely chopped • 1 celery, finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 250 g ground beef • 2 1/2 cups sauce or strained tomatoes • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil • 6-8 basil leaves • Salt and black pepper to taste Instructions Place a heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook vegetables until tender and soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add ground beef and increase heat to medium-high. Stir meat into vegetables and cook until well browned, about 10 minutes, making sure to stir often. Add tomato sauce, 1/2 cup water and basil. Stir, reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for at least 20 minutes.

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For the Squash Gnocchi Ingredients • 500 g Italian squash or yellow zucchini, halved and cut into 1/2 inch pieces • 500 g all-purpose flour • 1 egg, lightly beaten • 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper To assemble in ramekins (see below) • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded • 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated • Bunch of basil leaves, for garnishing Instructions Place squash in a large pot and add 1/3 cup of water. On medium-high heat with lid on, steam squash until soft and very tender, about 10-12 minutes. Strain well in colander. With the back of a spoon, gently press squash against colander squeezing out more water. Allow to cool slightly.

Puree squash with food processor or mash very well with a fork. Place into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix with a spoon until combined.

Transfer onto a lightly floured surface and knead until well combined. Cover with bowl or towel.

Cut dough into 8 pieces and cover. One at a time, roll out into ropes about ½ inch thick. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces and form into desired shapes. Lightly toss with flour and place on a lightly floured sheet pan. Make sure they do not touch.

Cover with towel and allow to dry slightly from 20 minutes up to 3 hours.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and stir. Cook gnocchi until they start floating to the top. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water, and place gnocchi into a large bowl. Add pasta water and meat sauce. Stir to combine. Add 1/2 of the cheeses and stir.

Place into 8 ramekins (5 ounce) and equally top with remaining cheese. Bake in pre-heated 425oF oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with basil and serve.

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RECIPES

Grilled Flank Steak and Cherry Tomatoes with Farro and Roasted Acorn (Serves 4)

With the end of the hot season comes an opportunity to enjoy vegetables such as eggplant and Italian squash at their peak.

For Farro and Roasted Acorn Squash Ingredients • 1 cup farro (Italian grain similar to spelt) • 1 small to medium acorn squash, 1/4 inch cubed • 1 small red onion, chopped • 4 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 lemon, rind only • 10 sage leaves • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Instructions Cook 1 cup of raw farro to package directions. Drain well and set aside in a large bowl.

For Flank Steak and Cherry Tomatoes Ingredients • 1 flank steak • 1 tbsp. paprika • 1/2 tbsp. dry oregano • 1/2 tbsp. onion powder • 1/2 tbsp. garlic powder • 1/2 tsp. dry thyme • 1/4 tsp. hot pepper powder • 1 tbsp. olive oil • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes • 2 cloves garlic, crushed • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil • Pinch of dry oregano and thyme • Salt and pepper to taste Instructions In a small bowl, combine paprika, oregano, onion and garlic powder, thyme and hot pepper. Mix well. Rub one tablespoon of olive oil over both sides of flank steak and cover with spice mixture. Let sit for 15 minutes. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Preheat oven to 425oF.

Using a long piece of tin foil, fold it to make a boat-like dish. Place tomatoes in dish and add crushed garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, pinch of oregano and thyme, and salt and pepper. Place on BBQ with medium heat for about 8 minutes.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss acorn squash, onion, garlic, lemon rind and sage with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat BBQ on high heat. Season flank steak with salt and pepper just before grilling. Cook for 4-5 minutes on both sides or until desired internal temperature. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Roast in oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown, tossing halfway through.

When done, place into bowl with farro. Add 1/4 cup parsley and 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix and season to taste.

Thinly slice across the grain and place on serving platter. Top with grilled tomatoes and cooking juices from tomatoes. Garnish with fresh basil.

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RECIPES

Eggplant Oreganata with Fresh Pesto and Toasted Pine Nuts (Serves 4-6)

For the Eggplant Oreganata

For the Pesto Ingredients • 1 bunch basil leaves (washed and dried) • 1/2 bunch parsley leaves (washed and dried) • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped • 3 tbsp. toasted pine nuts (divided) • 1/4 cup Parmigiano cheese, freshly grated • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil • Salt and freshly ground black pepper Instructions Place basil, parsley, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse while slowly pouring in the olive oil until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the cheese, salt and pepper, and pulse until combined.

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Ingredients • 1 medium eggplant • 2 cups day-old bread, cut into 1/8 inch cubes • 2 plum tomatoes, finely chopped • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded • 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (divided) • 1/3 cup fully cured Italian sausage, finely chopped • 1 green onion, finely chopped • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped • 1 tbsp. dry oregano • 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (divided) • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Instructions Preheat oven to 400oF. In a large bowl, combine fresh bread crumbs, tomatoes, mozzarella, 1/2 of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, cured sausage, garlic, onion, oregano and 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste then lightly toss. Set aside.

Cut eggplant into 1/4 inch round slices. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly cover the parchment with 1 tablespoon of oil. Arrange eggplant slices on baking sheet and lightly season with salt and pepper.

Evenly top eggplant slices with mixture. Let mixture fall freely, do not compress.

Finish by topping with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano and olive oil.

Bake at 400oF for 30 minutes. Arrange on serving dish, drizzle pesto over top, and sprinkle with remaining pine nuts.

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RECIPES

Gnocchi di zucchini al sugo di carne (8 porzioni)

Per il ragù di carne Ingredienti • 1 cipolla, tritata finemente • 1 carota, tritata finemente • 1 sedano, tritato finemente • 2 spicchi d’aglio, sminuzzati finemente • 250 g di carne di manzo macinata • 2 1/2 cup di salsa o di passata di pomodoro • 2 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva • 6-8 foglie di basilico • Sale e pepe a piacere

Scolare bene conservando ½ cup di acqua di cottura e versare gli gnocchi in una grande ciotola.

Aggiungere l’acqua di cottura e il sugo di carne.

Mescolare per amalgamare. Aggiungere metà dei formaggi e mescolare.

Disporre negli 8 pirottini (5 oncie) e distribuire il formaggio rimanente in parti uguali. Lasciar cuocere in forno preriscaldato a 425ºF per 15 minuti o finché dorati. Guarnire con basilico e servire.

Tagliata alla griglia e pomodorini ciliegino con farro e zucchina arrostita (4 porzioni)

Per il farro e la zucchina arrostita Istruzioni Riscaldare una casseruola pesante a temperatura moderata. Una volta calda, aggiungere l’olio, le cipolle, le carote, il sedano, l’aglio, il sale e il pepe.

Lasciar cuocere il soffritto per circa 8-10 minuti, finché tenero e soffice. Aggiungere il manzo macinato ed alzare la temperatura a medio-alta.

Aggiungere mescolando la carne al soffritto per circa 10 minuti, finché ben rosolata, assicurandosi di mescolare spesso. Aggiungere la salsa di pomodoro, ½ cup di acqua e il basilico. Mescolare, ridurre la temperatura al minimo e cuocere a fuoco lento, tenendo la casseruola parzialmente coperta per almeno 20 minuti.

Per gli gnocchi di zucchini Ingredienti • 500 g di zucchini verdi o gialli, divisi a metà e tagliati in pezzi di ½" • 500 g di farina multiuso • 1 uovo, leggermente sbattuto • 1/4 cup di Parmigiano Reggiano grattugiato • 1/2 cucchiaino di sale • 1/4 cucchiaino di pepe nero appena macinato • Per la disposizione nei pirottini (vedere in basso) • 1 cup di mozzarella sfilacciata • 1/3 cup di Parmigiano Reggiano grattugiato • Ciuffetti di basilico per guarnire Istruzioni Mettere gli zucchini in una pentola capiente ed aggiungere 1/3 cup di acqua. A temperatura medioalta chiusi con un coperchio, sbollentare gli zucchini per circa 10-12 minuti, finché soffici e molto teneri.

Scolare bene con uno scolapasta. Con il retro di un cucchiaio, schiacchiare gentilmente gli zucchini contro lo scolapasta per eliminare l’acqua in più. Lasciarli raffreddare lentamente.

Passare gli zucchini con un frullatore o schiacciarli molto bene con una forchetta. Versarli in una ciotola capiente. Aggiungere il resto degli ingredenti e mescolarli con un cucchiaio finché ben amalgamati.

Trasferire il tutto su una superficie leggermente spolverata di farina ed impastare finché ben amalgamato. Ricoprire con la ciotola o con una tovaglia.

Tagliare l’impasto in 8 pezzi e coprire. Uno alla volta, spianare in filoni dello spessore di circa ½ inch. Tagliare in pezzi da ½ inch e modellare a piacimento. Rigirarli gentilmente sulla farina e posizionarli su una teglia bassa da forno leggermente spolverata di farina. Assicurarsi che non si tocchino tra loro. Coprire con una tovaglia e lasciarli asciugare un po’, da 20 minuti a 3 ore.

Far bollire dell’acqua salata in una pentola grande. Aggiungere gli gnocchi e mescolare. Lasciar cuocere gli gnocchi finché cominciano a galleggiare.

Ingredienti • 1 cup di Farro (grano italiano simile allo “spelt”) • 1 zucchina medio-grande, a cubetti di 1/4 inch • 1 cipolla rossa piccola, tritata • 4 spicchi d’aglio, pestati • 1 limone, solo la buccia • 10 foglie di salvia • 3 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva • Sale e pepe nero appena macinato a piacere • 1/4 cup di prezzemolo, tritato • 1/4 cup di olio extravergine d’oliva Istruzioni Cuocere 1 cup di farro crudo seguendo le indicazioni riportate sulla confezione. Scolare bene e mettere da parte in una grande ciotola.

Preriscaldare il forno a 425ºF. Su una teglia bassa disporre la carta da forno, mescolare la zucchina, la cipolla, l’aglio, la buccia di limone e la salvia con 3 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva e condire con sale e pepe.

Arrostire al forno per 25 minuti o finché raggiunta la doratura, girare a metà cottura. Una volta cotti, mettere nella ciotola assieme al farro.

Aggiungere ¼ cup di prezzemolo e ¼ cup di olio d’oliva. Mescolare e condire a piacere.

Per la tagliata e i pomodorini ciliegino Ingredienti • 1 tagliata di manzo • 1 cucchiaio di paprika • 1/2 cucchiaio di origano secco • 1/2 cucchiaio di polvere di cipolla • 1/2 polvere d’aglio • 1/2 cucchiaino di timo secco • 1/4 cucchiaino di polvere di peperoncino • 1 cucchiaio di olio d’oliva • 1/2 pinta di pomodorini ciliegino • 2 spicchi d’aglio, schiacciati • 2 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva • Pugnetto di origano e timo • Sale e pepe a piacere Istruzioni In una ciotola piccola, unire la paprika, l’origano, la cipolla, la polvere d’aglio e cipolla, il timo, e il peperoncino. Mescolare bene. Spennellare un cucchiaio di olio d’oliva su entrambi i lati della tagliata e ricoprire con la miscela di spezie. Lasciar riposare per 15 minuti. In alternativa, coprire e refrigerare per 3-4 ore.

Usando un foglio lungo di carta d’alluminio, ripiegare per formare una sorta di piatto a forma di barchetta. Posizionare i pomodorini e aggiungere

l’aglio schiacciato, 2 cucchiai di olio d’oliva, una manciata di origano, timo, sale e pepe. Disporre sul barbecue a temperatura media per circa 8 minuti.

Preriscaldare il barbecue a temperatura alta.

Condire la tagliata con sale e pepe poco prima di grigliarla. Cuocere per 4-5minuti per lato o finché si raggiunge la temperatura interna desiderata.

Lasciar riposare per 5 minuti prima di affettare.

Tagliare trasversalmente in fette sottili da posizionare su un piatto da portata. Ricoprire con i pomodorini grigliati e il sughetto di cottura dei pomodorini. Guarnire con il basilico fresco.

Melanzane origanate con pesto fresco e pinoli tostati (4-6 porzioni)

Per il pesto Ingredienti • 1 manciata di foglie di basilico (lavate ed asciugate) • 1/2 manciata di foglie di prezzemolo (lavate ed asciugate) • 1 spicchio d’aglio, finemente sminuzzato • 3 cucchiai di pinoli tostati (separati) • 1/4 cup di Parmigiano, appena grattugiato • 1/4 cup di olio extravergine d’oliva • Sale e pepe nero appena macinato Istruzioni Mettere il basilico, il prezzemolo, l’aglio e due cucchiai di pinoli in un frullatore. Batterli aggiungendo lentamente l’olio d’oliva finché il pesto è ben ridotto in crema. Aggiungere il formaggio, il sale, il pepe e battere finché amalgamati.

Per l’origanata di melanzane Ingredienti • 1 melanzana media • 2 cups di pane leggermente raffermo tagliato in cubetti da 1/8 inch • 2 pomodori San Marzano, finemente sminuzzati • 1/2 cup di mozzarella sfilacciata • 1/2 cup di Parmigiano Reggiano, grattugiato (separato) • 1/3 cup di salame completamente stagionato, tagliato in piccoli pezzi • 1 cipollotto, finemente tritato • 1 spicchio d’aglio, finemente sminuzzato • 1 cucchiaio di origano • 4 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva (separati) • Sale e pepe nero appena macinato a piacere Modalità di preparazione Preriscaldare il forno a 400ºF. In una grande ciotola, unire il pane grattugiato fresco, i pomodori, la mozzarella, metà del Parmigiano, il salame stagionato, l’aglio, la cipolla, l’origano e 2 cucchiai di olio. Condire con sale e pepe a piacere e mescolare delicatamente. Mettere da parte.

Tagliare la melanzana in fette rotonde da 1/4 inch. Coprire una teglia bassa con carta da forno.

Intingere delicatamente la carta da forno con un cucchiaio di olio. Disporre le fettine di melanzana sulla carta da forno e condire delicatamente con sale e pepe.

Coprire con l’intruglio le fette di melanzana in modo uniforme. Lasciar scivolare l’intruglio liberamente, senza pressare. Concludere ricoprendo con il Parmigiano Reggiano e l’olio rimasti.

Cuocere in forno a 400ºF per 30 minuti.

Disporre su un piatto da portata, spruzzare il pesto sulla superficie e spargere i pinoli rimasti.

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FASHION

Fall In

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The shift out of summer doesn’t have to be traumatic, take it one step at a time

By Alessia Sara Domanico

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If

the Italians have one thing down pat, it’s dressing seasonally appropriate. While the weather may do what it will, you’ll be hard pressed to catch one wearing sandals outside of the June – second week of September (at the latest!) time frame. In western countries, people have a tendency to take their own approach on how to dress, and when it’s time for autumn, we are all guilty of either jumping the gun on layers or remaining blissfully ignorant to the falling leaves and continuing to don flip flops and cut-off shorts. Rather than play wardrobe roulette, take some helpful cues from our friends to the east as we work our way back into cooler temperatures.

Ladies, your style inspiration on Pinterest should be Giovanna Battaglia, a homegrown success that has become a global fashion heavyweight. Battaglia is a fashion editor at the likes of W and Vogue Japan as well as a part-time muse to many of the industry’s top creative directors. She has an effortless elegance that can transition impeccably from summer to fall. She’ll

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pair chunky sweaters and turtlenecks with below the knee skirts and heels to even out the seasonal balance. She also knows how to pick the right colours and prints to make the shift: mid-tones, nothing pastel, but nothing too dark either and sober prints (paisley, stripes) that still give a nod to summer, but show a step in the right direction.

A loose-fitting cashmere sweater over jeans with ballerina flats, a leather bomber jacket over a light dress paired with boots, or a richly-hued blouse paired with Capri pants, a blazer and loafers – now these are some surefire crossover clothing compilations.

Maschi, gentlemen, the male celebrities of the fashion world have better handbags than your girlfriends and wear androgynous vests that sweep the floor – kind of like a glammed up Buddhist monk if you will… Suffice it to say, we will have to look outside of fashion’s inner circle for your perfect get-up icon: enter Pierfrancesco Favino, an exceptionally talented actor that has made a name for himself in Italy and abroad, having most recently appeared in the Netflix series Marco Polo as the title character’s father Niccolò.

With that perfect blend of scruff and dark features, Favino keeps it simple: white shirt, no tie, with the top two buttons undone, and paired with a classic black, navy or grey suit, and graphic T-shirts paired with leather jackets and denim.

Navy blue is a man’s best friend in this transitional phase, especially as a total look. Ties can age you instantly, so unless you’ve got a boyish look or no choice in the matter, keep it in the closet until October. Light knitwear in the form of jackets will also add that touch of European class everyone is looking to replicate. Best of luck in your endeavours!

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FASHION

1. Giovanna Battaglia 2. Cesare Paciotti 3. Christian Louboutin 4. Pierfrancesco Favino 5. Marni 6. Hermes 7. M Missoni 8. Valentino

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LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

Go to panoramitalia.com and click on “Living Italian Style” to submit your profile!

Domenico DeCastris Nickname: Nico Occupation: Model at Elite Model Management Age: 18 Generation: Second Dad from: Italy Mom from: Scotland Speaks: English, French Raised in: Montreal Clothes: Diesel jog jeans, Zara V-neck by Zara, Alessandro Dell'Acqua shoes Favourite boutique: Italmoda Favourite designer: Giorgio Armani Fashion idol: Tom Cruise Goal in life: To pursue an acting and modeling career.

Thing about you that would surprise most people: I am a huge “nerd” when it comes to school and studying.

Pet peeve: Carbs Favourite restaurant: Houston Bar & Grill Favourite dish: Seafood marinara pasta Best pizza in Montreal: Bevo Bar & Pizzeria Best caffè in Montreal: Caffe Olimpico Best panino in Montreal: Café Milano 44

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Favourite aperitivo: Anisette Italian saying or quote: “Chi fa da se, fa per tre.”

You know you are Italian when or if: Sunday lunch is a pasta fest.

Favourite Italian city: Florence Musical preference: R&B Best Italian song: I Belong to You by Eros Ramazzotti & Anastacia Italian soccer team: AS Roma Sexiest Italian: Monica Bellucci What you like most about Panoram: It keeps the Italian culture alive for future generations.

Most common name in your family: Domenico (10) Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: When Italy won the World Cup in 2006.

Alessia Priolo Nickname: Aless Occupation: Event promoter Age: 25 Generation: First Parents from: Agrigento, Sicily Speaks: Italian, English, French Raised in: Ribera, Sicily Clothes: Levi’s jeans, Niko T-shirt, Benetton blazer, Converse shoes Favourite boutique: Adrenaline Fashion idol: Kat Von D Goal in life: To accomplish all my goals and dreams.

Thing about you that would surprise most people: I don't drink coffee.

Pet peeve: Pretentious people Favourite restaurant: Bâton Rouge Favourite dish: Pizza Your best dish: Let’s just say I'm not much of a cook...

Best pizza in Montreal: My mom’s Favourite aperitivo: Sangria or Jack Daniels

Preferred drinking establishment: Foufounes Électriques Favourite Italian saying: “Chi non risica non rosica” You know you are ItalianCanadian if: You can’t talk with your hands in your pockets.

Musical preference: Rock, and my band Wakem Best way to feel Italian in Montreal: Chilling in Little Italy.

How long have you been reading Panoram? Two years What you like most about Panoram: This section Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: The first day of school in Canada when I couldn’t speak a word of English or French.

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Photography by Vincenzo D’Alto

Makeup by: Jennifer Low

Location: Niko Galerie Atelier

Gino Gentile

Cynthia Maria Ciavaglia

Nickname: Gi Occupation: Research Analyst at Cushman Wakefield Age: 24 Generation: Third Dad’s side from: Caserta, Campania Mom’s side from: Avellino, Campania Speaks: English, French & Italian Raised in: Little Italy Clothes: Ralph Lauren shoes, Zara shirt and blazer, Rare jeans and sweater Favourite boutique: Surmesur Favourite designer: Dolce & Gabbana Fashion idol: David Beckham Goal in life: To create something that will last forever.

Pet peeve: Pretentious people… I love to burst their bubble.

Restaurant: Inferno Favourite dish: All 5 courses of Sunday lunch Best pizza in Montreal: Elio Pizzeria

Best caffè in Montreal: San Simeon

Best panino in Montreal: Joe’s Panini

Favourite aperitivo: Aperol Spritz

You know you are Italian

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

when or if: You need to introduce yourself as “U’ figlio / A’ figlia di...”

Musical preference: Gangster Rap Best Italian song: ‘O Sarracino

by Renato Carosone Italian soccer team: SSC Napoli Sexiest Italian: Alessia Ventura Best way to feel Italian in your city: Grabbing an espresso at San Simeon after Sunday lunch.

What you like most about Panoram: Reading about the Italian community and all of our accomplishments.

Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: Mandatory Sunday lunch with the WHOLE family in which you can only be excused with a doctor’s note.

Occupation: Graduating student from Lasalle College in Real Estate, currently employed at CIBC Financial Age: 20 Generation: Third Dad from: Buenos Aires, Argentina Mom’s side from: Campobasso, Molise Speaks: English, French, Italian, Spanish Raised in: St-Leonard Clothes: DVF dress and Zara shoes Favourite boutique: Zara Favourite designer: Marchesa Fashion idol: Kim Kardashian Passion: Makeup & hairstyling Goal in life: To be a successful real estate agent and someday start up my own firm.

Thing about you that would surprise most people: I played hockey for three years on an all boys team.

Pet peeve: People who ask questions during movies.

Favourite restaurant: Lucca Favourite dish: My mom’s Pasta alle Vongole, to die for!

Best pizza in Montreal: La Bella Italiana Best caffè in Montreal: Café Milano

Best panino in Montreal: Joe’s Panini Italian saying or quote: “Meglio soli, che male accompagnati” You know you are Italian when or if: When you call your Nonna to remove “Malocchio.”

Favourite Italian city: Venice Musical preference: R&B, Reggae Best Italian song: Vivo per Lei

by Andrea Boccelli Sexiest Italian: Graziano Pelle Best way to feel Italian in your city: Visiting Jean-Talon market with my Nonni.

How long have you been reading Panoram? Since the first issue came out!

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ITALIAN AUSTRALIA

Group of migrants on MV Toscana at Trieste, Italy, 1954. Australian National Maritime Museum - Collection Gift from Barbara Alysen. ANMM has a permanent exhibition dedicated to Australia’s migration history called Passengers.

Pioneers of Multiculturalism Pionieri del multi culturalismo The Italian journey in Australia Il viaggio degli italiani in Australia

By Maggie Abou-Rizk lthough best recognized for their contribution to food and fashion, the legacy of Italian immigrants to Australia is significantly more profound.

According to Professor Loretta Baldassar, an expert on Italian migration to Australia, “Italians changed the colour of Australia. Because they were hard workers and generally good citizens, they made the shift from assimilation to multiculturalism more possible.” Representing the largest number of non-British immigrants to Australia, Italian newcomers overcame continued hostility and prejudice as “non-whites” to become the true pioneers of Australian multiculturalism.

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ebbene meglio riconosciuti per il loro contributo in cucina e nella moda, il lascito degli immigrati all’Australia è decisamente più profondo.

Secondo la professoressa Loretta Baldassar, esperta di emigrazione italiano in Australia, “gli italiani hanno letteralmente cambiato il colore dell’Australia. Poiché erano grandi lavoratori ed in genere buoni cittadini, hanno reso il passaggio dall’assimilazione al multiculturalismo più fattibile”.

Rappresentando il numero più alto di immigrati non britannici in Australia, i neoarrivati italiani superarorono un’ostilità e un pregiudizio continui in quanto “non bianchi” fino a diventare i veri pionieri del multiculturalismo australiano.

New Italy The earliest arrivals of Italians in Australia were limited in number, comprising explorers, missionaries, and a small number of labour migrants. In 1881, 217 immigrants from Veneto and Fruili arrived as refugees in Australia after a failed attempt to set up a new colony in the Pacific Islands. Threatened by the development of non-English speaking immigrant ghettos, the government hired out the

La nuova Italia I primi arrivi di italiani in Australia furono in numero circoscritto e inclusero esploratori, missionari e un modesto numero di immigrati lavoratori. Nel 1881, 217 immigrati dal Veneto e dal Friuli arrivarono come rifiugiati in Australia dopo un tentativo fallito di metter su una nuova colonia nelle isole del Pacifico.

Minacciato dallo sviluppo di ghetti di immigrati che non parlavano inglese, il

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ITALIAN AUSTRALIA families to English-speaking employers at a salary of £30 for 12 months.

Nonetheless, the Italian bond triumphed, and by 1882, the majority of the refugees had reconvened and formed Australia’s first Italian group settlement known as “New Italy” (now Woodburn) along the Richmond River in northern New South Wales. Initially called “La Cella Venezia,” the community thrived on land dismissed by British colonists as barren and unproductive. In 1891, based on the impressive farming skills shown by the New Italy community, the Queensland government agreed to assisted passages from Italy to help with the labour shortage in the sugar cane industry. However, the government insisted on “whiter” Italians from north of Livorno to ensure they would more easily assimilate with the predominantly white Australian community. Even then, the 300 Piedmontese, Lombards and Veneti were the government’s last option, after attempts to recruit “fairer” British, German and Scandinavian immigrants failed. Coupled with immigrants lured by the gold rushes of Victoria and Western Australia in the 1850s and 1890s, an Italian presence started to sprout across Australia, largely in the mining and sugar cane industries. At the same time, resentment towards Italians began to rise, with many Australians threatened by the Italians’ willingness to work harder for lower pay.

America and Canada close shop For many Italians fleeing their homeland in search of better opportunities after the Second World War, the immigration restrictions imposed by the United States and Canada propelled them to the Land Down Under.

America had severely restricted its intake of Italian immigrants and Canada’s new Immigration Act of 1919 refused immigrants from Italy as a WWI enemy.

Australia’s need for workers prevented such extreme immigration restrictions.

However, the government limited Italian migration to 2% of “white” Englishspeaking arrivals to appease public discontent and pacify concerns that Italians would undermine the Anglo-Australian character of the population. While the Australian Census of 1921 recorded 8,135 Italians residing in the country, by 1930 another 30,000 had arrived. Between 1922 and 1930, 84% of Italian immigrants were men. In the years from 1931 and 1940, the proportion of female Italian migrants surged to 43% with many wives, girlfriends, mothers and sisters joining their families. The strong farming skills of many Italians led two-thirds to settle in rural Australia, working in agriculture, mining and railway-building projects. The

governo fece assumere le famiglie a datori di lavoro che parlavano inglese al prezzo di 30 sterline per 12 mesi. Ciononostante, il legame italiano prevalse e, per il 1882, la maggioranza dei rifugiati si era riunita formando il primo insediamento di italiani noto come “Nuova Italia” (oggi Woodburn) lungo il fiume Richmond, nel nord del Nuovo Galles del Sud. Chiamata inizialmente “La Cella Venezia”, la comunità prosperò in una terra abbandonata dai coloni britannici in quanto brulla e non fertile. Nel 1891, grazie alle notevoli abilità agrarie mostrate dalla comunità di Nuova Italia, il governo del Queensland acconsentì all’immigrazione assistita dall’Italia per superare la carenza di manodopera nel settore della canna da zucchero. Tuttavia, il governo insistette per gli italiani “più bianchi” delle aree a nord di Livorno per essere sicuro che si integrassero più facilmente nella comunità australiana prevalentemente bianca.

Anche in quel caso, i 300 piemontesi, lombardi e veneti furono l’ultima scelta per il governo, dopo che erano falliti i tentativi di recrutare immigrati britannici, tedeschi e scandinavi “più chiari”. Assieme ad immigrati attratti dalla corsa all’oro di Victoria e dell’Australia occidentale del 1850 e del 1890, la presenza italiana cominciò a fiorire in tutta l’Australia, prevalentemente nell’industria mineraria e della canna da zucchero. Nello stesso tempo, cominciò a nascere un risentimento verso gli italiani, da parte di molti australiani minacciati dalla volontà degli italiani di lavorare di più con una paga inferiore.

Porte blindate per America e Canada Per molti italiani in fuga dalla loro patria alla ricerca di migliori opportunità dopo la Seconda guerra mondiale, le restrizioni imposte all’immigrazione dagli Stati Uniti e dal Canada, li spinsero verso la terra australiana. L’America aveva drasticamente ridotto la propria accoglienza agli immigrati italiani e l’Immigration Act canadese del 1919 rifiutò gli immigrati dall’Italia in quanto nemica durante la Prima guerra mondiale. Il bisogno di manodopera dell’Australia evitò tali restrizioni estreme riguardo all’immigrazione. Tuttavia, il governo limitò l’emigrazione italiana al 2% degli arrivi di “bianchi” anglofoni per placare il malcontento pubblico e sedare le preoccupazioni secondo cui gli italiani minacciavano il carattere anglo-australiano della popolazione. Mentre il censimento australiano del 1921 riporta 8.135 italiani residenti nel paese, nel 1930 ne erano arrivati altri 30.000. Tra il 1922 e il 1930, l’84% degli immigrati italiani era costituito da uomini. Negli anni intercorsi tra il 1931 e il 1940, la

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ITALIAN AUSTRALIA remaining worked in the construction, food and garment industries in urban areas, with over half being self-employed. Nonetheless, the Australian community maintained a perception of the cultural inferiority of Italians as peasants who led primitive lifestyles. Continued hostilities towards the large number of Italian arrivals fuelled both the Fascist movement in Australia and the social segregation of Italians, which in turn encouraged further prejudice. Consequently, with the outbreak of the Second World War, over 4,700 Italians were interned across Australia as a threat to national security, with the largest number in Queensland followed by Western Australia.

Populate or perish The near invasion of Australia by Japan during the Second World War exposed the vulnerability of Australia’s defense and saw a major shift in policy from restricting migration to the “populate or perish” catch cry. Australia’s need for population growth and a lack of preferred immigrants from northern Europe encouraged the resumption of diplomatic relations with Italy and the consideration of Italian migrants. According to Baldassar, “post-war emigration was to be the major and most significant role Australia played in the history of the wider Italian diaspora.”

Italy became the major single source country of non-British migrants to Australia.

In particular, the introduction of the 1951 bilateral accord of the Assisted Migration Scheme facilitated huge numbers of Italian migration to Australia.

Between 1951 and 1968, around 42,000 Italians arrived under this accord on the condition that they took whatever work and accommodation was offered for a period of two years. The Assisted Migration Scheme, along with migration through family chains, saw the Italian-born population of Australia rise from 33,632 in 1947 to 120,000 in 1954. The population further expanded to 228,000 by 1961, reaching a peak of 289,476 by 1971. Unlike earlier periods of migration, the majority of post-war immigrants came from the southern parts of Italy including Sicily, Calabria, Abruzzo and Campania. As a result of this mass migration, Italian immigrants began to have a significant influence on Australian culture. A change in government in the 1970s saw a shift in immigration policies, embracing the idea of a multicultural Australia and finally recognizing the positive contribution of Italians to Australian society.

percentuale dell’immigrazione femminile dall’Italia salì al 43% con molte mogli, fidanzate e sorelle che si ricongiungevano con le proprie famiglie. Le grandi abilità agricole di molti italiani, ne spinse due terzi a insediarsi nell’Australia rurale, a lavorare nell’agricoltura, e nei progetti minerari e ferroviari. I restanti lavorarono nell’industria edile, della ristorazione e tessile delle aree urbane, con oltre la metà a lavorare in proprio. Ciononostante, la comunità australiana mantenne la propria percezione dell’inferiorità culturale degli italiani, visti come cafoni che conducevano uno stile di vita primitivo. Le continue ostilità verso il gran numero di arrivi di italiani fomentò sia il movimento fascista in Australia, che la segregazione sociale degli italiani, incoraggiando a turno ulteriori pregiudizi. Di conseguenza, con lo scoppio della Seconda guerra mondiale, oltre 4.700 italiani furono internati in tutta l’Australia in quanto minaccia alla sicurezza nazionale, con il numero maggiore nel Queensland seguito da quello dell’Australia occidentale.

Popolare o morire L’imminente invasione dell’Australia da parte del Giappone durante la Seconda guerra mondiale mise in evidenza la vulnerabilità della difesa australiana e registrò un grande passaggio dalla politica di restrizione all’immigrazione allo slogan “popolare o morire”. Il bisogno dell’Australia di una crescita demografica, e la carenza di immigrati preferibilmente dal nord Europa, incoraggiò la riapertura delle relazioni diplomatiche con l’Italia ed la considerazione verso gli immigrati italiani. Secondo Baldassar, “l’emigrazione post-bellica si è rivelata la parte rilevante e più significativa avuta dall’Australia nella storia di una più ampia emigrazione italiana”. L’Italia divenne la sola maggiore fonte di migranti non britannici verso l’Australia. In particolare, l’introduzione dell’accordo bilaterale sul Piano di Emigrazione Assistita del 1951 facilitò una quantità enorme di emigrazioni italiane in Australia.

Tra il 1951 e il 1956, circa 42.000 italiani arrivarono con questo accordo, a condizione che accettassero qualsiasi lavoro e sistemazione fossero offerti loro per un periodo di due anni. Il Piano di Emigrazione Assistita, assieme all’emigrazione basata sui rapporti familiari, vide la popolazione di nativi italiani in Australia salire da 33.632 nel 1947 a 120.000 nel 1954. La popolazione crebbe ulteriormente fino a 228.000 entro il 1961, raggiungendo un picco di 289.476 nel 1971. A differenza dei periodi migratori precedenti, la maggior parte degli immigrati del dopo guerra proveniva dalle zone meridionali dell’Italia, incluse Sicilia, Calabria, Abruzzo e Campania. Come risultato di questa emigrazione di massa, gli immigrati italiani cominciarono ad esercitare una notevole influenza sulla cultura australiana. Un cambiamento nel governo negli anni ’70 vide uno cambio direzionale nelle politiche sull’immigrazione, abbracciando l’idea di un’Australia multiculturale e riconoscendo infine il contributo positivo degli italiani alla società australiana.

The new Italian boom With almost 1 million Australians of Italian descent, Italians continue to represent the largest ancestry group in Australia apart from the UK, totalling 4.6% of the entire Australian population. While the large majority of Italian-born Australians live between New South Wales and Victoria (68.8%), significant numbers can also be found across South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. More recently, the European economic crisis and downturn in the Italian economy is inspiring a new influx of Italians to Australia. From 2012-2013, more than 20,000 Italians Il boom di nuovi italiani arrived in Australia, exceeding Con quasi 1 milione di the number of Italians that australiani di discendenza arrived in 1950-1951 during the italiana, gli italiani continuano post-Second World War boom. a rappresentare il gruppo di From 2012-2013, almost 16,000 discendenza comune maggiore “working holiday” visas were in Australia a parte quello dal issued to Italian citizens Regno Unito, costituendo il between the ages of 18 and 30, 4.6% dell’intera popolazione up 66% from the previous year. australiana. Se la stragrande Antonio Caroli, from maggioranza degli australiani Italy’s Puglia region, moved to di origine italiana vive tra il Australia on his 12-month Nuovo Galles del Sud e working holiday visa in 2011 Victoria (68.8%), un numero and again in 2014. “For many significativo si trova anche young Italians, there’s a belief nell’Australia del sud, that you cannot dictate your nell’Australia occidentale e nel own future in Italy. We grow up Queensland. Più di recente, la with the idea of the “raccomancrisi economica europea e il dazione,” poorly paid jobs and declino dell’economia italiana New Italy Community c1917. Courtesy of the New Italy Museum Inc. the impossibility for young coustanno incoraggiando un ples to marry and buy a house,” he explains. “There’s this idea that Australia is a nuovo afflusso di italiani in Australia. Dal 2012 e il 2013, più di 20.000 italiani place where you can find a job and get rich and have a good life.” Whereas once sono arrivati in Australia, superando il numero di italiani arrivati nel 1950-1951 the Australian government was forced to open its doors to immigrants to survive, durante il boom del secondo dopo guerra. Tra il 2012-2013, circa 16.000 visti the tables have turned dramatically. With Australia now widely recognized as a “vacanza-lavoro” sono stati rilasciati a cittadini italiani di età compresa tra i 18 place of opportunity and economic stability, many from both Italy and across the e i 30 anni, il 66% in più rispetto all’anno precedente. world dream of immigrating to the Land Down Under. “It’s hard to get an employAntonio Caroli, dalla regione italiana della Puglia, si è trasferito in er to sponsor you to stay in Australia and Australian citizenship is practically Australia con il suo visto “vacanza-lavoro” di 12 mesi nel 2011 e di nuovo nel impossible,” says Caroli, who has since returned to Italy. However, for the many 2014. “Molti giovani italiani sono convinti che non sia possibile costruire un Italian pioneers who persevered through the early hardships of Australian life, the futuro in Italia. Cresciamo con l’idea della raccomandazione, dei lavori pagati gamble seems to have paid off. poco e dell’impossibilità per le giovani coppie di sposarsi e comprare casa” – 48

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ITALIAN AUSTRALIA (Seguito del pezzo in italiano...) spiega. “C’è questa convinzione che l’Australia sia il paese in cui puoi trovare un lavoro, diventare ricco e fare una bella vita”. Mentre una volta il governo australiano per sopravvivere è stato costretto ad aprire le proprie porte agli immigrati, la situazione si è ribaltata drasticamente. Essendo l’Australia adesso largamente vista come una terra di opportunità e stabilità economica, molti, sia dall’Italia che dal resto del mondo, sognano di emigrare in terra australiana. “È difficile trovare un datore di lavoro che ti sponsorizzi per farti rimanere in Australia ed ottenere la cittadinanza australiana è praticamente impossibile”, spiega Caroli, che è dunque tornato in Italia. Ad ogni modo, per molti pionieri italiani che hanno resistito attraverso le prime difficoltà della vita australiana, la scommessa sembra essere stata vinta.

Italian immigration in Australia 390,810 Italians emigrated to Australia between 1949 and 2000 Australia counts 916,121 people of Italian origin, totalling 4.6% of its total population

Main areas of Italian settlement Main cities National Capital Source: Australian Brureau of Statistics, 2011 Census.

"Immigration: Federation to Century's End 1901–2000" (PDF (64 PAGES)).

Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. October 2001.

Mr and Mrs G. Fin. at the arrival of the Italian president Saragat at Sydney’s Mascot Airport, NSW 1967. Courtesy of the Fin family.

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Journey to the End of the World Viaggio ai confini del mondo

By Maggie Abou-Rizk

How Australia became home to In che modo l’Australia è diventata casa per oltre 250.000 italiani over 250,000 Italians after the dopo la Seconda guerra mondiale.

Second World War

W

hen the Italian region of Pola, Istria (now Pula, Croatia) was handed over to the former Yugoslavia after the Second World War, Nello Bacchia, like many Italians, took what few possessions he could carry and left. Arriving in Monfalcone in search of work, he found his wife Livia, but not a sense of belonging. So when he saw assisted passages to North America and Australia advertised, Bacchia immediately signed up.

The tall and athletic young man dreamed of going to America to play basketball. However, destiny had other plans, and on April 18, 1950, he and his wife instead boarded a ship bound for Australia. “They ended up in Australia instead of America or Canada simply because there was availability on that ship first,” says daughter Barbara Davie.

The Bacchias arrived in Port Melbourne on May 12, 1950, but little did they know that the geographic location of the single room they rented would greatly contribute to their migration experience. Despite the large numbers of Italian immigrants moving to Melbourne – peaking at 121,000 in 1971 – the majority settled in the northern suburbs. For the Bacchias, the eastern suburb of Box Hill provided no sense of Italian community. “I felt different to others, but in a bad way,” says Davie. “To be different in those days was a reason to be teased and bullied. My parents spoke with a funny accent and I remember I was embarrassed to speak in Italian in public because people would stare.”

In 1970, while holidaying in Italy, a business opportunity presented itself and Nello Bacchia jumped at the chance to return to his homeland.

“Even after 20 years, my parents still didn’t feel Australian,” explains Davie.

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uando la regione di Pola, Istria (oggi Pula, Croazia) fu ceduta all’ex Jugoslavia dopo la Seconda guerra mondiale, Nello Bacchia, come molti italiani, prese con sé i pochi beni che poteva portare e partì. Arrivato a Monfalcone in cerca di lavoro, trovò sua moglie Livia, ma non un senso di appartenenza. Così, quando vide pubblicizzata l’emigrazione assistita per il Nord America e l’Australia, Bacchia fece richiesta. Il giovane alto ed atletico sognava di andare a giocare a pallacanestro in America. Tuttavia il destino aveva altri piani ed il 18 aprile 1950, lui e sua moglie si imbarcarono su una nave diretta in Australia. “Sono finiti in Australia invece che in America o Canada solo perché ci fu per prima disponibilità su quella nave” – dice la figlia Barbara Davie.

I Bacchia arrivarono al porto di Melbourne il 12 maggio 1950, senza ben sapere che la posizione geografica della stanza singola affittata avrebbe inciso fortemente sulla loro esperienza migratoria. Nonostante il gran numero di immigrati italiani trasferitisi a Melbourne – con un picco di 121.000 nel 1971 – la maggioranza si insediò nei sobborghi settentrionali. Per i Bacchia, il sobborgo di Box Hill, a Est, non dava la sensazione di comunità italiana. “Mi sentivo diversa dagli altri, ma in senso brutto” – dice Davie. “Essere diversi a quei tempi era un motivo per essere presi in giro e subire bullismo. I miei genitori parlavano con un accento strano e ricordo che mi imbarazzava parlare in italiano in pubblico perché la gente fissava.”

Nel 1970, mentre erano in vacanza in Italia, si presentò un’opportunità di lavoro e Nello Bacchia colse l’occasione al volo per tornare nella sua patria.

“Persino 20 anni dopo, i miei genitori non si sentivano ancora australiani” – spiega Davie. Nonostante questa convinzione, la famiglia resistette solo due anni prima

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ITALIAN AUSTRALIA Despite this belief, the family survived only two years before deciding to return to Australia. “Living in a cramped Italian-style apartment, struggling with business opportunities and the unstable political landscape were too much to handle,” says Davie. This time, it was Livia that insisted they return to Australia. “Things are different when you arrive in a new country, but when you go back to your roots, people and things have also changed,” explains Davie. Her father, feeling neither Italian nor Australian, would often say “non siamo né carne né pesce.”

However, over time, his fondness for Australia grew. “He didn’t like the concept of the ‘bella figura’ and liked that in Australia no one cared what you wore or how you looked – it was more about who you were,” says Davie.

“And he thanked my mum to his dying days for making him return because he thought that the Italian economic and political situation would have been impossible to deal with.” In fact, in 2000, on the 50th anniversary of his arrival at the end of the world, Bacchia used the local newspaper to publically declare his appreciation for Australia and the opportunities it had provided to him and his family. In the days to follow, he received bittersweet responses from the Australian public acknowledging the positive contribution of Italian culture, traditions and food to Australian society. At the time of his passing in 2012, Bacchia had truly embraced Australia as his home.

Despite a difficult beginning, Marianna Faro also has no regrets about moving to Australia. “It was tough at the start but it was all worth it,” she says. She and her husband Camelo, who both hail from Sicily’s San Fillipo D’Agira, made the move to Australia because of necessity as opposed to big dreams. “I knew nothing about Australia before I immigrated,” says Faro, “but things were so hard in Catania that we were willing to try it for better or worse.” In 1962, 10 months after her husband had left for Sydney, Faro followed suit with their six-year-old daughter Rosalia (Lea) in tow. “We arrived in Sydney by ship and moved into one room in a house which we rented for two and a half years. The first few years were very hard,” explains Faro. “We had to repay the travel fares, plus pay rent and save a deposit for our own house.” She began working as a machinist, earning 2 pounds sterling (CAD$3) per week. “In the beginning, I had no idea how to use an electric sewing machine. Once I accidentally sewed over my finger, but quickly wrapped it in bandages and pretended nothing had happened so I wouldn’t lose my job.”

(Seguito del pezzo in italiano...) di decidere di ritornare in Australia. “Vivere in un appartamento angusto all’italiana, con le difficoltà delle opportunità di lavoro e una situazione politica instabile era troppo da gestire” – dice Davie. Questa volta, fu Livia ad insistere per ritornare in Australia. “Le cose sono diverse quando arrivi in un paese nuovo, ma quando ritorni alle tue origini, anche le persone e le cose sono cambiate” – spiega Davie.

Suo padre, non sentendosi né italiano né australiano, diceva spesso: “non siamo né carne né pesce.”

Tuttavia, il suo affetto per l’Australia crebbe con il tempo. “Non gli piaceva il concetto di “fare bella figura” e gli piaceva che in Australia non importasse a nessuno di cosa uno indossasse o di come sembrasse, ci si preoccupava di più di come uno fosse” – afferma Davie. “Ha ringraziato mia mamma fino alla fine per averlo fatto ritornare poiché riteneva che la situazione economica e politica dell’Italia sarebbe stata impossibile da gestire”. Di fatto, nel 2000, per il 50esimo anniversario del suo arrivo ai confini del mondo, Bacchia ha usato il giornale locale per dichiarare pubblicamente la sua riconoscenza verso l’Australia e le opportunità che questa aveva offerto sia a lui che alla sua famiglia. Nei giorni seguenti, ha ricevuto risposte dolci amare dal pubblico australiano il quale riconosceva il contributo

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ITALIAN AUSTRALIA

Bacchia Family, circa 1960s

As the eldest of eight children, Faro also struggled with being away from her family. “I would only receive one letter a month from them. Even when we eventually got a phone, it was too expensive to call!”

But the language barrier posed the biggest problem for Faro. “These days you have huge supermarkets where you can find everything. You just see it and buy it. Back in those days, you needed to ask for things. I didn’t speak English so I used to mime with my hands and then say yes or no as the cashier would try to guess by showing me different products.”

Even then, Italian ingredients weren’t readily accessible. “We had to make almost everything ourselves,” explains Faro, “pasta, bread, biscotti, salami, tomato paste, wine and grappa.” However, the absence of Italian foods ensured that the tradition of Italian cooking would be passed down through the Faro family.

Faro’s daughter Lea recalls, “We used to have to take a day off school once a year to help make tomato passata, and the tradition still continues!”

The four Faro children also distinctly remember their father’s prized vegetable garden. “There was barely any space to run around with most of the backyard being occupied by tomatoes, cucumbers, chilli, spinach, artichokes and zucchini,” says Lea. So impressive was their Italian vegetable garden that it eventually won an award from the local city council. Lea fondly notes that her father, who passed away in 1999, created an efficient and impressive system. “He developed numerous contraptions to ensure that his garden was always well watered including connecting the water off-run from the washing machine in the laundry.”

However, the comfort of Italian food at home translated to racism in the schoolyard for Lea. “The other schoolkids would tease me for having Italian bread filled with things like mortadella and salami for lunch. They’d laugh and call me names like ‘dago’ and ‘wog’ and tell me to go back to my own country,” she says. Fortunately, the Faro’s following three children would not have to endure the same fate. Over the space of one short decade, the view towards Italian immigrants would change dramatically. With the concept of multiculturalism being embraced across Australia, diverse cultures were seen as a positive influence on the nation. “I don’t remember experiencing racism at all,” says Lea’s sister Grace Savoldi, who attended school 10 years after her older sibling.

Reflecting on her decision and the struggles endured by her family, Marianna Faro has no regrets about migrating to Australia. “I’ve got all my family and I see them happy and that makes me happy,” she says, surrounded by four generations of Italian-Australians in her Sydney backyard.

(Seguito del pezzo in italiano...) positivo apportato dalla cultura, dalle tradizioni e dalla cucina italiana alla società australiana. Al momento della sua dipartita nel 2012, Bacchia aveva davvero accettato l’Australia come la sua casa.

Nonostante l’inizio difficile, anche Marianna Faro non rimpiange di essersi trasferita in Australia. “È stata dura all’inizio ma ne è valsa la pena” – dice. Lei e suo marito Carmelo, entrambi originari di San Filippo D’Agira in Sicilia, si trasferirono in Australia per necessità, più che per grandi sogni. “Non sapevo nulla dell’Australia prima di emigrare” – dice Faro – “ma le cose erano così difficili a Catania che eravamo disposti a provarci nel bene e nel male”. Nel 1962, 10 mesi dopo che suo marito era partito per Sydney, Faro fece lo stesso, con la loro figlia di sei anni, Rosalia (Lea), al seguito.

“Siamo arrivati a Sydney in nave e ci siamo trasferiti in una stanza di una casa che affittammo per due anni e mezzo. I primi anni furono davvero duri” – spiega Faro. “Dovevamo ripagare il costo del viaggio, in più pagare l’affitto e raccogliere i soldi della caparra per una casa nostra”. Cominciò a lavorare come macchinista, guadagnando 2 sterline (3$ canadesi) a settimana. “All’inizio, non avevo idea di come utilizzare una macchina da cucire elettrica. Una volta accidentalmente mi sono cucita il dito, ma immediatamente l’ho avvolto in una benda fingendo che nulla fosse successo per non perdere il mio lavoro.”

Essendo la maggiore di otto figli, Faro inoltre ebbe difficoltà a stare lontana dalla propria famiglia. “Ricevevo solo una lettera al mese da loro. Anche quando alla fine avevamo un telefono, costava troppo chiamare!”

Ma furono le barriere linguistiche a rappresentare il problema più grande per Faro. “Oggigiorno ci sono supermercati enormi dove puoi trovare di tutto.

Semplicemente vedi e compri. A quei tempi, le cose le dovevi chiedere. Non parlavo inglese per cui mimavo con le mani e poi dicevo sì o no al cassiere che nel frattempo cercava di indovinare mostrandomi diversi prodotti”.

Inoltre allora gli ingredienti italiani non erano facilmente reperibili.

“Dovevamo farci quasi tutto da soli” – spiega Faro – “pasta, pane, biscotti, salame, concentrato di pomodoro, vino e grappa”. Tuttavia, l’assenza di cibi italiani ha fatto si che la tradizione culinaria italiana fosse tramandata all’interno della famiglia Faro.

La figlia dei Faro, Lea, ricorda: “Ci prendevamo un giorno di vacanza da scuola una volta l’anno per aiutare a preparare la passata di pomodoro e la tradizione continua ancora!”

Inoltre i quattro figli dei Faro ricordano distintamente il prezioso orto del padre. “C’era appena spazio per correre tutt’intorno, giacché gran parte del giardino era occupata da pomodori, cetrioli, peperoncino, spinaci, carciofi e zucchini”, dice Lea. Il loro orto italiano era talmente notevole che vinse un premio da parte del consiglio cittadino locale. Lea sottolinea con affetto che suo padre, spirato nel 1999, aveva creato un sistema ragguardevole ed efficiente. “Aveva sviluppato numerosi congegni per assicurarsi che il suo orto fosse sempre ben irrigato, tra i quali quello di connettersi allo scarico dell’acqua della lavatrice in lavanderia”.

Tuttavia, la comodità del cibo italiano a casa, per Lea, si traduceva in razzismo nel cortile della scuola. “Gli altri compagni di scuola mi prendevano in giro per il fatto di mangiare per pranzo pane italiano imbottito con cose tipo mortadella e salame. Ridevano e mi chiamavano con appellativi tipo “dago” e “wog” e mi dicevano di tornarmene al mio paese” – dice.

Per fortuna, gli altri tre figli dei Faro non hanno dovuto subire lo stesso destino. Nel breve arco di un decennio, la considerazione verso gli immigrati italiani cambiò radicalmente. Grazie al concetto di multiculturalismo accolto in tutta l’Australia, le diverse culture furono viste come un’influenza positiva per il paese.

“Non ricordo per nulla di aver subito razzismo” – dice la sorella minore di Lea, Grace Savoldi, la quale frequentò la scuola dieci anni dopo la sorella maggiore.

Riflettendo sulla sua decisione e le difficoltà affrontate dalla propria famiglia, Marianna Faro non ha rimpianti riguardo all’emigrazione in Australia. “Ho tutta la mia famiglia, li vedo felici e questo mi rende felice” – dice, circondata da quattro generazioni di italo-australiani nel suo giardino di Sydney.

Faro Family, today

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reproduced with the permission of the City of Melbourne

The Little Italies Down Under Discover three places in Australia that make you feel Italian

By Maggie Abou-Rizk Lygon Street, Carlton, Victoria in teaching the Italian language, retaining the culture, and providing communihen the 2014 World Pizza Championships were held in Parma, ty services to local Italians. “While we’re no longer meeting Italian immigrants Italy, no one would have guessed that the title of world’s best at ports with welcome hampers, we still play an important role, particularly in margherita pizza would go to Australian chef Johnny Di aged care services for the many Italian-born immigrants living in the area,” says Francesco, from a little pizzeria on Lygon Street called 400 Gradi. Francesco’s Thomas Comporeale, general manager of Co.As.It. “Although traditionally prize-winning pizza, which beat out more than 600 competitors from 35 Italian families take care of their grandparents, that becomes really hard in a countries, was a reminder to the world of Australia’s strong retention of the place like Sydney, which is so big and where children have moved away from the Italian culture since the mass-migration of the 1950s. “I have Italian cousins area,” he explains. Despite this trend, Comporeale still believes Norton Street that migrated to America and Brazil and I think the Italian-Australians, parretains its title as Sydney’s Little Italy. “It remains the symbolic home of the ticularly here in Melbourne, have held onto the Italian culture a lot more,” Italian community. The nostalgia that’s associated with it brings Italians back says Angelo Pricoli, director of the 2013 documentary Lygon Street, si parla here for a coffee or to buy their groceries and to reconnect with their past.” italiano. The film, which has screened at international film festivals in both Italy and Canada, focuses on Australia’s most famous Little Italy and its influFremantle, Perth, Western Australia ence on Australian culture. “Lygon Street very quickly grew as the meeting Fremantle’s Little Italy place for Italian immigrants. There was a need for them to feel at home and grew out of the huge numsoon little Italian restaurants, barbers and cafés started to emerge,” explains ber of Italian immigrants Pricoli. When Australia’s first coffee machine was installed in Lygon Street in arriving from the coastal the 1950s to the delight of the Italians, many Australians remained suspicious. regions of Molfetta, in “To them it looked like a nuclear reactor,” says Pricoli. Nowadays, Lygon Puglia, and Sicily’s Capo Street continues to buzz with the sounds and smells of Italy. “It’s still the D’Orlando. Coming from Italian headquarters of Australia,” notes Giancarlo Caprioli, owner of the fishing communities, the University Café, Lygon Street’s oldest café. “People still come to have their Italian migrants are widely morning coffee, reminisce about the past, and enjoy typical Italian dishes.” recognized for pioneering the multi-million dollar Norton Street, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) fishing industry in the Every October, around 125,000 people converge on Sydney’s Little Italy to region. “Their contribucelebrate the one-day Norton Street Italian Festa. Considered Australia’s largest tion was so great that a community festival, the event overflows with stalls offering Italian produce, bronze artwork called the cooking demonstrations from both Italian professionals and local nonnas, as Fisherman’s Memorial was well as Sydney’s largest collection of vintage and contemporary Italian-made erected in their memory cars. Throughout the rest of the year, Norton Street maintains its Italian flavour along the harbour in 2005,” Fremantle Madonna Di Martiri most visibly through the 12,000 square metre Italian Forum. Built in the says John Alberti, Vicearchitecture and style of a traPresident of the Italian Club Fremantle. However, the Italian contribution to fishditional Italian piazza, the ing is most evident in the tradition of the annual Blessing of the Fleet. Since its Forum houses numerous introduction in 1948, the event involves the procession of two statues of the Virgin Italian restaurants and cafés, Mary, one of which was donated by the town of Capo d’Orlando, from the local an Italian bookstore, boubasilica to the waterfront. The statues are taken aboard fishing boats that lap the tiques, and of course, a huge harbour while the archbishop performs a blessing for a bountiful year and the safe fountain as its centrepiece. Yet return of the fishermen. Running for 67 years, the ancient Catholic tradition draws Norton Street’s most notable thousands of people to Fremantle’s shores and has previously attracted the likes of advocate of the Italian culture the Australian Prime Minister. Yet Fremantle’s Little Italy is known for more than does not come in the form of its fishing influence. In the town centre, the “cappuccino strip” is famed for its restaurants or festivals. excellent coffee, alfresco dining areas, and as a place for locals to meet to catch up Established in 1968, Co.As.It on the news. “Times have definitely changed,” says Alberti, “but you can still get (Comitato Assistenza Italiani) great, authentic Italian food at these restaurants.” continues to play a pivotal role

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ITALIAN AUSTRALIA

Australia Il nuovo El Dorado dell’immigrazione italiana?

Claudia Buscemi Prestigiacomo

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econdo un rapporto stilato da Michele Grigoletti e Silvia Pianelli di Australia Solo Andata – gruppo di ricerca con sede a Melbourne – nel giugno del 2014, 20.920 italiani erano in Australia con un permesso temporaneo. In 16.045 possedevano un Working Holiday Visa, il 163% in più rispetto al giugno del 2011. Un altro dato sorprendente rivela che “il fenomeno migratorio che ha visto arrivare in Australia più di 20.000 giovani italiani, supera da 2 anni la quota di italiani emigrati in Australia nel 1950-51”. È davvero un’ondata migratoria?

Il Working Holiday Visa non garantisce la residenza permanente. È infatti un permesso di studio-lavoro temporaneo per giovani residenti in Italia, tra i 18 e i 31 anni, desiderosi di fare un’esperienza internazionale lavorando. Vale un anno, ed è rinnovabile se si lavora per almeno 88 giorni nelle fattorie delle zone rurali. Seppur il Canada offra lo stesso visto, le differenze sono notevoli. Per esempio, nel 2014 il Canada ha rilasciato solo 1.000 visti (una cifra quindici volte inferiore a quella dell’Australia) e il visto dura solo sei mesi.

Chi vuole trasferirsi in modo definitivo avrebbe altre opzioni, con processi selettivi più rigidi (studi, esperienza lavorativa, conoscenza della lingua). Seppur in molti pensino che il Working Holiday Visa favorisca una futuro trasferimento definitivo, la delusione purtroppo non tarda ad arrivare e solo il 2% circa di chi arriva rimane nella terra dei canguri.

Chi parte per l’Australia? “È difficile identificare un profilo. Ogni persona ha la sua storia” – spiega Ilaria Gianfagna di Just Australia, agenzia con base a Melbourne e attiva su tutto il territorio australiano, nata nel 2014 con l’obiettivo di aiutare chi vuole trasferirsi a 16.000 km di distanza dall’Italia. “A differenza di quanto accadeva in passato” – continua – “bisogna veramente emergere, conoscere bene la lingua e avere una professione in mano, nonché anni di studio e di lavoro comprovabile. In molti partono e purtroppo in pochi rimangono...” Evidentemente, tra il dire e il fare c’è di mezzo il mare. Non solo metaforicamente. “Cervelli in fuga” e crisi economica?

“Avevo già vissuto all’estero e l’Australia sembrava una meta diversa dall’Europa. È un altro mondo, sotto tanti punti di vista. Sia io che Stefano (partner di Just Australia, n.d.r.) non siamo partiti arrabbiati o delusi dall’Italia, come spesso succede [...]. Avevamo un buon lavoro e una vita avviata a Udine” – racconta Ilaria.

Come loro, molti partono solo spinti dal desiderio di cambiamento, dalla voglia di mettersi alla prova. Riscoprirsi, confermare che “tutto il mondo è paese”, ovvero dimostrare con la propria esperienza il contrario.

Oltre a giovanissimi che vogliono imparare l’inglese e neolaureati partiti subito dopo gli studi, Ilaria sottolinea che “sorprendentemente, ci sono famiglie intere che partono e spesso sono quelle che ce la fanno, forse perché la posta in gioco è più alta”. È probabile che, avventurandosi con i figli, si avverta l’urgenza di riuscire e di dare un senso al distacco da nonni, zii e cugini che purtroppo

s’impone loro. La responsabilità e l’obbligo morale nei loro confronti possono rivelarsi tanto motivanti, quanto devastanti.

Ci si rimette in gioco aspettando risultati che, talvolta, si fanno attendere.

Serve un buon equilibrio tra ambizioni personali e prospettive reali. Come ben spiega Ilaria: “È facile perdersi d’animo così lontani dagli affetti e da casa, però chi è determinato, disposto a ricominciare, ad imparare e a lavorare duro, di solito ce la fa...”

Filippo Ciancimino, direttore vendite nel mondo della nautica, ha lasciato la Sicilia nel 2004, per migliorare il proprio inglese e cercare d’inserirsi in un nuovo ambiente. “Il sistema italiano corrotto e senza futuro mi spinse a trasferirmi a Melbourne. La voglia di ricominciare mi diede il coraggio di avventurarmi in un paese così lontano e all’apparenza così diverso” – spiega.

Il suo impatto con l’Australia è stato positivo. “È facile abituarsi in un paese la cui coscienza civile è elevata” – racconta – “Feci immediatamente amicizia con persone eccezionali, che hanno reso il mio inserimento qui molto più semplice.”

Una storia di successo, fatta di traguardi, qualche rinuncia e tanti progetti.

“Non avevo piani quando ho lasciato l’Italia. Tutto si è evoluto qui. La cosa più difficile è stata allontanarmi dalla famiglia e dagli amici. Qui mi sono sposato e ho raggiunto obiettivi lavorativi che non mi sarei sognato di raggiungere...”

Tra ieri ed oggi, Ilaria spiega che, secondo molti italiani della vecchia generazione, prima “era tutto molto più semplice, se non altro dal punto di vista lavorativo”. Immagineremmo il contrario nell’era della globalizzazione, di Internet e dell’inglese studiato a scuola.

Il suocero di Filippo ancora bambino arrivò a fare tre lavori contemporaneamente. Insieme si forgiava un paese nuovo, costruendo anche il proprio futuro. Come in Canada, il tenore di vita di molti italiani di seconda e terza generazione dimostra che i predecessori hanno abbondantemente raggiunto i loro obiettivi.

Il permesso studio-lavoro, e in particolare l’esperienza in fattoria, hanno recentemente suscitato scalpore, per una serie di articoli di denuncia del Corriere della Sera ed altri quotidiani. Si parlava di “nuovi schiavi italiani” e di abusi. Poco dopo, le stesse testate hanno dato voce a chi in fattoria aveva fatto, invece, un’esperienza illuminante. Ci si chiede se ne valga la pena. Da alcune interviste raccolte da Grigoletti e Pianelli per un progetto in collaborazione con la Fondazione Migrantes, “88 Giorni”, sembrerebbe di sì. Più che un’ emigrazione, tuttavia, il fenomeno ricorda un’iniziazione. Un viaggio di scoperta e crescita che comunque cambia per sempre.

8330 Pascal Gagnon, St-Léonard, Qc H1P 1Y4 T (514) 326-7888 F (514) 326-1635

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ITALIAN AUSTRALIA

Common Ground “We speaka good English in Australia and Canada”

By Rita Simonetta

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hat’s the best way for an Italian-Australian to get to Canada? A first or second generation Italian-Australian (and a sprinkling of the third generation who grew up with nonni) might likely dole out the following advice (in an Australian accent, of course): “It’s going to be a heck of a long viaggio and the ticchetta won’t be cippe, but if you’re smarto, you better go to the storo to buy your agida medication because if your agida acts up on that bloody long flight, you won’t be api. Oh, and airplane food is no good, but don’t worry, try to sneak in a sangawich that nonna made for you.”

Sound familiar, eh? Now ask an Italian-Canadian his or her advice for getting Down Under. Whether he or she hails from Toronto, Hamilton, Vaughan, LaSalle or Saint-Leonard (and any other part of Canada with a sizeable Italian population), those idiosyncratic expressions that merge Italian and English will largely be the same. “It’s something that came out of the contact between particular groups of speakers that did not have knowledge of English,” explains Associate Professor Antonia Rubino of the Department of Italian Studies at the University of Sydney in Australia.

Italians in Canada refer to it as “Italiese,” while Italians in Australia have coined it “Italo-Australian.” “A discussion about Italo-Australian came to the forefront in the early 1980s,” says Rubino. “The phenomenon was wellresearched and a dictionary was even created.”

So although Australia and Canada are half a world away (Sydney, Australia, for instance, is 14 hours ahead of Toronto and Montreal), the two countries share striking parallels when it comes to how we speak. And that’s a reflection of the cultural links between the two Italian communities. The peak of Italian immigration to Australia was in the 1950s and 1960s; the same is true in Canada, with Italian-Australians now in their third and fourth generations – a mirror to the situation among Italian-Canadians.

Moreover, the largest wave of Italian immigrants to Australia came from southern regions such as Sicily, Calabria, and Campania, in addition to Abruzzo, Molise and Veneto. It’s a similar situation in Canada with most Italian-Canadians tracing their roots to Calabria and Sicily, in addition to Abruzzo, Molise and Friuli.

These similarities in migration have created a synergy when it comes to styles of speaking. It’s one of the elements that made Italian-Australian comedian Joe Avati a hit in Canada when he first burst on the scene 15 years ago with his stories of Italian-Australians (particularly the first generation

of nonnos and nonnas) navigating through life in an English environment.

And the jokes and observational experiences were always anchored on the use of language, namely the mix of Italian and English, which often led to confusion and misunderstanding for the non-initiated. “We all used to talk like that,” says Avati, 41. “We definitely knew it was something we had invented.”

The comedian, who was raised in a large Italian neighbourhood in Sydney and now calls Melbourne home, says that these experiences are still relevant today.

He points out that he often notices multi-generations of fans at his concerts, including young people who have discovered his stand-up through social media. “The third generation who have grown up with their nonni can relate,” he says.

But Rubino points out that this linguistic melting pot shared among Italian-Canadians and Italian-Australians does have an expiry date. “It’s a transitional phase,” she says, adding that as the first generation of Italians in both countries pass on, the hybrid words that were often the source of much bemusement will also disappear. The third and fourth generations, who are now firmly entrenched in their respective countries, will no longer have any need to use them.

But as one door closes, another opens with a renewed interest in dialect, which is something that Rubino says she is noticing more among second and third generations of Italian-Australians.

Rubino, who was born and raised in Sicily, has focused on the enduring importance of dialects in her book Trilingual Talk in Sicilian-Australian Migrant Families, and explains that “there is an emotional attachment because dialect is the family language and the second and third generations identify it with their nonni.”

But the unlikely marriage between Italian and English in both countries is not gone yet, much to the delight of Joe Avati and millions of Italians in Australia as well as Canada who run errands at the “storo” and tend to their gardens in the “backyarda.” “It’s our own little language,” Avati says. “It gives us a sense of identity.”

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ARTS & CULTURE

A Writer’s

Life Photo by Rafy

Nino Ricci on his new novel and the creative process

By Sarah Mastroianni the outset of his career, Nino Ricci, who was born in Leamington, Ontario, to Molisan parents, didn’t want to be known as an “Italian-Canadian writer.” “It was the last thing I wanted,” he says, because he feared he would “end up in some little category” and because, at the time, “as an ethnic writer it was very hard to be heard.” A Trillium Award, two Governor General Awards for Fiction, and a whole host of other recognition later, it’s safe to say that Nino Ricci has had no problem making himself heard.

Ricci didn’t start out wanting to be a writer, however.

“Initially, I wanted to be a priest,” he admits. “But already by the third or fourth grade I had a reputation for being a reader and also a writer. I wrote stories.”

Earning his first Governor General’s Award for Fiction for his 1991 breakout novel, Lives of the Saints, Ricci’s career as a writer and teacher hit the ground running. “I’ve been incredibly fortunate and privileged as a writer,” Ricci says. “It’s very rare that you get to follow your dream and do exactly what you want in life, and I’ve mostly been able to do that.”

Since the success of Lives of the Saints, he has published four more novels, two non-fiction books, and has taught writing and been the writer-in-residence at a variety of institutions, most recently at the University of Toronto Scarborough. “[Teaching] is the one job my résumé qualifies me for,” says Ricci. “I love being with the students and it’s the one thing that gets me out in the world.”

But dedicating some time to teaching hasn’t stopped him from writing.

The author’s newest novel, Sleep, hits bookstores on September 22. In it, Ricci recounts the story of David Pace, an Italian-Canadian professor and writer who finds himself on a collision course after he is diagnosed with a sleep disorder. The novel follows David in his increasingly difficult and dangerous struggle to both literally stay awake, but also live his life in a state of engaged wakefulness – a challenge that in this day and age, according to Ricci, many people face.

If there seem to be some cursory similarities between Ricci and his newest protagonist, it’s because there are. When asked where the idea for Sleep

At

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came from, he answers: “It was a combination of different things,” citing, among other things, the difficult life writers face and his own frustration with the book world.

Additionally, “I had been diagnosed with this mild sleep disorder,” he explains, “and it got me thinking about sleep and some of the metaphorical senses of being asleep. There’s the sleep of life that so many people lead, the increasing need for outrageous stimulation.”

Fans of Ricci’s know that most of his previous work has an historical aspect to it; but not so with Sleep, which is set in the present day. This latest work is the fruit of his desire to “write something contemporary” and “capture something about how we’re living today.”

But he’s quick to point out that despite his ideas and planning, “Most books are not a matter of choice, really.” He likens his ideas to seeds growing into plants. “They might be weeds – you don’t know – but the only way to get rid of them is by writing them. Sometimes it’s a way of getting to the next book.”

And getting to the next book is exactly what he’s done.

“I’ve already started on another novel,” Ricci notes.

Although he won’t reveal what it’s about, he says he hopes to finish a draft of it soon. “It’s good to have something on the go when you have something else coming out,” he says.

But does his work leave much time for anything other than writing? Ricci admits that it doesn’t. “When I think of my non-writing activities, they’re ones that revolve around my family,” he explains, “like taking my son fencing and going on vacation.”

He and his wife, Erika de Vasconcelos, who is also a writer, have three children. “We try and do a big summer vacation every year, go to Europe every second year to get some culture. I enjoy going to Molise because it’s untouristed. It’s great food and great weather,” Ricci says. “I love going back to my home region whenever I can.”

When asked about his plans for the future, “I’d like to retire for a while,” is Ricci’s answer. In the next breath, however, the author pushes that idea aside. “But I have about 15 or 20 writing projects sort of sketched out,” he admits. “This lifetime won’t be enough to finish them all.”

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ARTS & CULTURE

Lots of Love, Lots of Problems A woman tries to claim her independence in Don’t Blame it on the Stork

By Tanya Solari

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raditional Italian-Canadian families are known for their immense love and nurturing, but sometimes that can have a downfall, as playwright Tony Calabretta shows in his new play Don’t Blame it on the Stork. The story, which takes place in modern-day Montreal, is inspired by the stressful situations of everyday life in a family dynamic. “If you are Italian-Canadian or know anyone who is, then you probably know how chaotic life can be,” says Calabretta. “Growing up in a traditional household is a nurturing experience that comes with a price.”

Meet Carmie, whose fear of becoming a spinster drives her to set selfimposed deadlines in hopes of achieving the life she imagined for herself.

Although a little late (as in late thirties) by Italian standards, she finally begins to meet these objectives. It all happens very quickly. Carmie starts dating Derrick, a non-Italian with a very different mentality, and they rush into marriage. Like some newlyweds, the couple move into Carmie’s parents’ duplex to save up for their future. But then Carmie gets pregnant, and as her due date approaches, her life begins to unravel.

This mother-to-be comes to the sad realization that she has never settled down to begin with. Could Carmie’s quirky, neurotic and somewhat dysfunctional family be to blame for her rocky marriage or is it that Derrick never really loved her in the first place?

According to Calabretta, “the audience will go through the gamut of emotions. Expect to understand the characters, feel for them, and be glad you’re not in their shoes!”

The play also marks the start of a fruitful partnership: it’s the Leonardo Da Vinci Centre’s first time featuring a show of this magnitude. “Pellegrini Productions is proud to make its debut at a place that values cultural heritage,” says Calabretta. “I would love for the Italian community, and the theatre community in general, to support this play, not only because it deals with our culture but also to introduce theatre-going audiences to the LDV Centre, which, today, seems to be one of Montreal’s best-kept secrets when it comes to English theatre,” says Calabretta.

Born and raised in Montreal’s Mile-End, Tony Calabretta grew up watching movies with his father at Cinema Riviera, an Italian-language theatre frequented by members of the Italian community from the 1950s to the 1980s.

These movie nights are partly what sparked his passion for theatre, and being the youngest of three kids brought up by parents who emigrated from Calabria gave him plenty of material to work with.

In addition to dozens of acting gigs, Calabretta has written and starred in a number of plays and is the creator of Damn Those Wedding Bells! This first major production received rave reviews, filled both the Centaur Theatre and the Segal Centre to capacity, and is soon to hit the big screen under the direction of Antonio Di Verdis. The duo are also gearing up for their TV series Up, Down and Sideways, coming out this winter.

Don’t Blame it on the Stork runs from September 15 to October 11, 2015, with the possibility of an additional week. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.dontblameitonthestork.com.

1400 Maurice Gauvin Laval, Qc., H7S 2P1 Tel. 450.902.3000 www.lestmartin.com PANORAMITALIA.COM

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ADVICE

Papa Francesco, un uomo di convinzioni… un profeta.

Da

quando è stato eletto, papa Francesco non ha mai smesso di sorprenderci.

Pensiamo a quei momenti all’inizio in cui si è fermato in albergo per pagare la stanza o a quelle “fughe” dal Vaticano per andare a vedere i poveri intorno a San Pietro. E ci sono le sue omelie spontanee, quelle dette nei giorni feriali, con poco testo ma molto cuore.

Dalla sua elezione, si è attirato gli sguardi e l’amore dei giornalisti, ma spesso l’odio e la critica dei sacerdoti e dei vescovi. Perché? Perché ha Padre Nicola Di Narzo deciso di affrontare una dimensione molto sensibile della Chiesa… la sua ricchezza. L’abbandono delle stanze papali per una stanza semplice in seno ad una zona alberghiera del Vaticano, un abbigliamento sobrio, senza scarpe rosse e pantaloni bianchi sotto la talare, la croce pettorale di semplice argento piuttosto che d’oro, l’abbandono della casa d’estate a Castel Gandolfo, sono alcuni esempi chiari della sua scelta fondamentale per la povertà.

Allora, sarà vera quella storia che circola sul momento in cui è stato eletto?

La sua investitura fu piuttosto sorprendente. Chi se lo aspettava! Le elezioni papali mi ricordano sempre che lo Spirito Santo soffia e guida la sua Chiesa nonostante le sue debolezze ed i suoi errori. Tanti nomi di cardinali erano sulla bocca dei vaticanisti e sacerdoti, ma mai avevo personalmente sentito parlare di Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Al momento in cui è stato nominato, circolava la storia secondo la quale un altro cardinale dell’America Latina, gli avrebbe detto : “ricordati dei poveri”. Se ne è ricordato di sicuro… Ha scelto il nome di Francesco e sembra anche seguire le sue orme.

Il poverello di Assisi è stato anche lui, al suo tempo, un profeta “che ha saputo con la sua umiltà e semplicità richiamare alla sua vera missione la Chiesa nel 13° secolo. È storicamente un periodo che corrisponde alla nascita dei comuni e del mercantilismo, del proto-capitalismo dei banchieri, della ‘gente nuova e dei subiti guadagni’ contro i quali inveisce tanto aspramente Dante Alighieri nella Divina Commedia.”

La nuova Lettera Enciclica Laudato Si’ del Santo Padre Francesco sulla cura della casa comune viene anch’essa a confermare il legame tra la scelta del nome ed il poverello di Assisi. Come non pensare alla frase che San Francesco udì dal Signore davanti al crocifisso di San Damiano: “Va’, ripara la mia casa”. La sua casa oramai opulenta e lontana dai bisognosi, la sua casa che aveva dimenticato che Gesù Cristo si era fatto vicino ai poveri ed ai peccatori e non ai principi di questo mondo. La sua casa che stava crollando sotto il peso dell’ iniquità… Oggi ci ricordiamo di San Francesco di Assisi come di un grande santo, ma dimentichiamo spesso che è stato disprezzato e non gradito alla sua

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François d'Assise parlant aux animaux- Giotto

epoca poiché il suo stile di vita era di per sé un rimprovero chiaro ai potenti della Chiesa rivestiti di porpora e di oro.

Papa Francesco scrive: “Ho preso il suo nome (Francesco) come guida e come ispirazione nel momento della mia elevazione a Vescovo di Roma. Credo che Francesco sia l’esempio per eccellenza della cura per ciò che è debole e di una ecologia integrale, vissuta con gioia e autenticità […] In lui si riscontra fino a che punto sono inseparabili la preoccupazione per la natura, la giustizia verso i poveri, l’impegno nella società e la pace interiore”.

La missione data a Francesco d’Assisi sembra oramai perpetuarsi attraverso il papa Francesco. Il pontefice scrive a proposito della cura di quella casa che è stata riparata dal poverello di Assisi ed anche lui richiama ad una maggior povertà, cioè al rispetto dei poveri e pure all’attenzione verso questa terra creata da Dio e come tale nostra sorella, nostra madre. Il rispetto del quale parla papa Francesco, è una denuncia di quelle iniziative economiche che hanno spesso una ripercussione a livello ambientale e che in alcune situazioni diventano anche sfruttamento dei più poveri.

“Laudato si’”, quelle parole del cantico di Francesco che ammira la natura creata da Dio, ci ricordano che non siamo proprietari e che dobbiamo sempre agire con riguardo verso il creato e verso i fratelli.

Ebbene, già la dottrina sociale della Chiesa ci parlava di questo rispetto, già ci parlava di giustizia e di pace, ma ci voleva forse un profeta affinché questo insegnamento avesse ripercussioni. E noi che ne facciamo di questo insegnamento?

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LE SUCCESSIONI A CAUSA DI MORTE IN ITALIA Dopo aver attraversato l’oceano in cerca di fortuna, dopo tanti sacrifici per creare un bel patrimonio e dare ai figli una professione e miglior futuro ci si accorge che il tempo vola e, sfortunatamente, la vita arriva alla sua fine. Quante volte ci si è domandato: “il papà, la mamma, un fratello, una sorella, altri parenti sono defunti lasciando dei beni in Italia, che cosa fare? Quali sono le formalità da espletare per entrare in possesso di questi patrimoni?

Considerando la complessità dell’argomento, si cercherà, sommariamente, di riassumerlo, chiarendo i punti essenziali della normativa italiana che lo disciplina. A tal uopo, si fornisce una sorta di decalogo, qui di seguito riportato succintamente, di dieci cose da sapere per una successione sicura ai fini degli adempimenti di legge: 1) Verificare, in primo luogo, se il defunto ha lasciato disposizioni di volontà che debbano trovare immediata esecuzione, ad esempio relative alla donazione di organi o alle modalità di sepoltura.

2) Assenza, invece, di termini stringenti da osservare per la devoluzione del patrimonio del defunto, infatti il diritto di accettare un’eredità si prescrive in dieci anni.

3) Accertare se il defunto ha o meno lasciato un testamento per stabilire chi sono gli aventi diritto all’eredità. Se non c’è il testamento la successione si devolverà a favore dei soggetti e per le quote fissate dalla legge.

4) Qualora si sia già in possesso del testamento olografo (scritto a mano) del defunto è sufficiente consegnarlo ad un notaio unitamente ad un estratto per Pasquale Artuso

riassunto dell’atto di morte, affinché si proceda alla sua pubblicazione.

5) Nell’ipotesi si ritenga che il defunto abbia lasciato un testamento pubblico oppure un testamento olografo affidato ad un notaio, ma non se ne conosca il nome, si potrà fare un’apposita richiesta, accompagnata dall’estratto dell’atto di morte, agli Uffici a ciò preposti.

6)Obbligo di presentare la Dichiarazione di Successione, qualora nell’eredità vi siano beni immobili che si trovano sul territorio italiano o diritti reali immobiliari (superficie, enfiteusi,usufrutto, uso, abitazione, servitù prediale) sugli stessi.

7) La presentazione della Dichiarazione di Successione deve avvenire entro un anno (6-12 mesi) dalla morte del testatore, in mancanza vi saranno multe e penalità da pagare; sono previste specifiche deroghe sulla decorrenza del termine nel caso di fallimento del defunto, di rinuncia o di accettazione beneficiata dell’eredità (tre mesi). La sua presentazione deve effettuarsi, su apposito modulo prestampato presso l’Ufficio delle Entrate competente, da un erede o da un incaricato munito di procura legale e fotocopia di un documento degli eredi, i quali, devono essere in possesso di codici fiscali italiani, con allegati diversi documenti tra cui il certificato di morte e di ultima residenza in Italia, la dichiarazione sostitutiva di atto notorio, la visura catastale, il prospetto di liquidazione delle imposte dovute, un’eventuale copia autenticata del testamento, un eventuale atto di rinuncia all’eredità, un eventuale certificato di destinazione urbanistica dei terreni (non necessario per quelli a destinazione agricola), etc,etc.

ADVICE 8) Le richieste di voltura catastale vanno depositate presso l’Ufficio del Territorio entro 30 giorni dalla presentazione della Dichiarazione di Successione.

9) Gli importi da pagare presso Banche o Poste vanno calcolati seguendo un prospetto di auto-liquidazione che si riferisce alle varie imposte da pagare (ipotecaria, catastale,bollo, conservatoria, tributi speciali) oltre ad eventuali sanzioni amministrative.

10) La Dichiarazione di Successione viene trascritta presso gli Uffici dell’Agenzia del Territorio (ex Conservatorie dei registri immobiliari) su richiesta esclusiva dell’Ufficio dell’ Agenzia delle Entrate che ha ricevuto la dichiarazione; tali procedure permettono così di avere il titolo legittimante della proprietà a favore dell’erede e/o degli eredi.

Terminando l’esposizione, si ribadisce che questa rubrica legale contiene dell’informazione giuridica generale e non sostituisce i consigli di un avvocato che terrà conto della particolarità del vostro caso.

Lo Studio legale Pasquale Artuso & soci che 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

T.: 514.259.7090

Julie Therrien Avvocatessa

Natasha Scarano Avvocatessa

Steven Campese Avvocato

Pierre Fugère Avvocato - diritto criminale e penale

Mathieu Di Lullo Avvocato

Joseph W. Allen Avvocato dal 1976 diritto dell’immigrazione

F.:514.256.6907 artmars@securenet.net

Complexe Le Baron, 6020, rue Jean-Talon Est, bureau 630 Montréal (Québec) Canada H1S 3B1

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GRADUATES

Congratulations to all our graduates!

Auguri ai nostri laureati e diplomati!

1 - Liana Marano McGill University Doctor of Medicine 2015

2 - Daniel Rivalti McGill University Ph.D. Synthetic Organic Chemistry 2015

3 - Massimo Romano Université de Laval Docteur en pharmacie 2015

4 - Roberto Campana John Molson School of Business MBA 2015

5 - Vanessa Brunetti Université de Montréal Maitrise en santé publique 2015

6 - Anita Di Criscio McGill University Occupational Therapy 2015

7 - Joseph Szymborski McGill University Bachelor of Science 2015

8 - Maria Vittoria Camurri Université de Montréal Biochimie - Génétique 2015

9 - Giulio Camurri Université de Montréal Communication et Politique 2015

10 - Felicia Parrillo Concordia University Graduate Diploma in Journalism 2015

11 - Sofianne Gabrielli Concordia University Bachelor of Science with Distinction 2015

12 - Melia Giove Université de Montréal Relations Industrielles 2015

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GRADUATES

14 - Amanda Rubertucci Concordia University Communication Studies 2015

15 - Melina Falletta John Molson School of Business Bachelor of Commerce - Accounting 2015

20 - Jessica Viscosi John Molson School of Business Bachelor of Commerce - Accounting 2015

21 - Massimo Di Iorio John Molson School of Business Bachelor of Commerce - Finance 2015

13 - Rosemary Iacono John Molson School of Business Bachelor of Commerce - Management 2015

19 - Michael Sciola John Molson School of Business Bachelor of Commerce 2015

25 - Alexandra Pollice University of Ottawa Bachelor of Arts 2015

26 - Jenna Giubilaro McGill University Bachelor of Science - Pharmacology 2015

16 - Matthew Taddeo McGill University Bachelor of Education 2015

22 - Luigi Di Iorio Air Richelieu Flight Training Center Airline Pilot 2015

27 - Melina Giubilaro Concordia University Bachelor of Arts & Science - Journalism 2015

28 - Tristano Tenaglia McGill University Bachelor of Civil Engineering 2015

17 - Nicholas Berlingieri Concordia University Computer Engineering 2015

18 - Natasha Vincelli McGill University International development 2015

23 - Tamilia Carelli LaSalle College Fashion Marketing 2015

24 - Sabrina Venturini Concordia University Biochemistry Specialization 2015

29 - Tanya Ludovico Concordia University Italian Studies 2015

30 - Gianni Verelli Concordia University Bachelor Honours Psychology 2015

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GRADUATES

32 - Franco Perugini John Molson School of Business Bachelor of Commerce 2015

31 - Priscilla Pace McGill University Bachelor of Education 2015

33 - Domenic Giacomo Falcone Atlantic Police Academy Holland College Police Constable 2015

34 - Sabrina La Rocca O'Sullivan College of Montreal Medical Records 2015

35 - Devon Laframboise University of Ottawa Masters of Science in Nursing 2015

36 - Celina Toia UQAM Baccalauréat en droit 2015

38 - Sabrina Oriana Arasimowicz McGill University Bachlor of Science in Nutritional Science 2015

39 - Katia Marcon Université de Montréal Sciences Infirmières 2015

40 - Mariangela Fasulo Concordia University Bachelor of History 2015

41 - Gabriella Michetti McGill University Bachelor of Nursing 2015

42 - Gemma-Alexandra Caprio McGill University Bachelor of Chemistry 2015

43 - Johnathan Tumiotto-Dorion McGill University Bachelor of Commerce -Accounting 2015

44 - Gina Cuffaro Concordia University Bachelor of Arts 2015

45 - Simon Pradella McGill University Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy 2015

46 - Amanda Lepore McGill University Bachelor of Education - T.E.S.L. 2015

47 - Maria Loren Eberle McGill University Bachelors of Science Pharmacology 2015

48 - Alexandria Papillo John Molson School of Business Bachelor of Commerce -Accounting 2015

49 - Erica Maltraversa McGill University Bachelor of Education Kindergarten & Elementary 2015

50 - Catherine Sollazzo John Molson School of Business Bachelor of Commerce - Human Resource Management 2015

51 - Alessandro Cotugno University of Ottawa Bachelor of Civil Law 2015

52 - Jessica Ashley Imperioli University of Ottawa Bachelor of Law 2015

53 - David Gavita John Molson School of Business Bachelor of Commerce - International Business & Marketing 2015

54 - Alexia Gavita Dawson College DEC Health Sciences Honours Program 2015

37 - Veronica Angelone Concordia University Bachelor of Arts - Economics 2014

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GRADUATES

55 - Brenda Colantonio Vanier College Early Childhood Education 2015

56 - Massimo Migliara Lester B. Pearson High School 2015

57 - Marcello Migliara Lester B. Pearson High School 2015

58 - Giovanni Gentile Loyola High School 2015

59 - Cynthia Fusco College Sainte-Marcelline 2015

60 - Sandra Macchiagodena Villa Maria High School 2015

61 - Felicia Telaro Laurier Senior High School 2015

62 - Claudia Molino École secondaire AndréLaurendeau 2015

63 - Elyssia Marano Collège Regina Assumpta 2015

64 - Vanessa Bitetto Laurier Senior High School 2015

65 - Elizabeth Di Criscio Rosemount High School 2015

66 - Celia Lucia Laval Liberty High School 2015

CONGRATULATIONS JOHN VINCENT!

67 - John Vincent Vitulli Vincent Massey Collegiate 2014

68 - Fabiana Lapolla Laurier Macdonald High School 2015

John Vincent Vitulli, 18, is a 2014 graduate from Vincent Massey Collegiate and a recipient of the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec award.

John Vincent graduated with highest honours, maintaining an average above 90%, and was honoured with the Outstanding Graduate award for his leadership and involvement in the school community. He has received the Dawson College Entrance Award and is currently in Health Science.

Proud parents; Angela and Giovanni, and older brother Anthony, wish you continued success and happiness. Your hard work and dedication will surely take you far. Take pride in your accomplishments and pride in who you are. May you achieve all that you want in life.

Congratulations on a job well done!

69 - Julia Adornato Vincent Massey Collegiate 2015

70 - Jenna Lapolla John Caboto Academy Elementary 2015

71 - Emily Grace Cerone Dante Elementary 2015

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EVENTS

Des Gens et des Événements People and Events Vous connaissez des gens d’exception ou des événements qui méritent d’être connus ?

Carole Gagliardi

carole.gagliardi@panoramitalia.com

LE RETOUR AUX SOURCES DU PHOTOGRAPHE BRUNO MEDIATI

« J’ai passé mon été au parc Tillemont dans le cadre de mes cours de photos à Concordia. J’y faisais des clichés en essayant diverses techniques et j’ai développé plusieurs centaines de rouleaux de films. J’ai décidé de sortir ces négatifs de mon tiroir par besoin personnel, car le sentiment d’appartenance, ce lien avec mes racines, est un thème très important pour moi. J’ai eu la très grande chance d’entrer dans l’intimité des gens sans difficulté, et j’ai redécouvert à travers ces photos combien il est essentiel de savoir d’où l’on vient et à quelle culture on appartient pour cheminer dans notre vie adulte », explique Mediati.

Né en Italie, dans le petit village de Cirella dans la province de Reggio Calabria, Mediati avait à peine un an lorsque ses parents ont immigré au Canada en août 1956. La famille s’est installée à Montréal et Bruno a étudié la photographie à l’université Concordia. Il a pratiqué le métier de photographe pendant plusieurs années, mais a dû cesser pour des raisons financières. « À l’époque, il n’y avait pas de marché pour les photos artistiques. J’ai fait des photos corporatives pour de grandes entreprises, des portraits, des rapports annuels mais cela n’était pas suffisant. » Puis, une occasion s’est présentée a lui et il est finalement devenu entrepreneur pendant plus de 20 ans. « J’ai attendu longtemps le moment opportun pour recommencer à faire de la photo, car il est très difficile de vivre de ça. Aujourd’hui, l’internet nous offre la possibilité de trouver de nouveaux marchés. » Bruno Mediati a présenté deux expositions de photos au cours de l’année, exposant entre autres ses photos en noir et blanc du parc Tillemont et une série de photos sur le village de Cirella en Calabre.

Vous pouvez suivre son blog A glimpse of Calabria sur le site internet de Panoram Italia.

Les photos de Bruno Mediati ont été utilisées sur la une et à l’intérieur de cette édition pour illustrer le contenu lié aux associations régionales italo-canadiennes. Merci à l’artiste.

RADIX : DESIGNER PAR NATURE « Situé dans le quartier Saint-Michel de Montréal, le parc Tillemont est parsemé d'érables colossaux, de bancs de bois élimés et de balançoires qui chôment. Cet endroit était le cœur des activités du quartier où les Italiens jouaient à briscola à l'ombre des arbres. De vieux hommes grincheux s'y attroupaient, lançant leurs balles de bocce contre les planches de bois fendues, s’injuriant à chaque balancement. Cachés parmi les érables, les porte-voix rugissaient de partout dans le parc, nous alertant des prochaines élections fédérales, étouffant les échos du salut. Les vieilles, balançant leurs chapelets sur leurs hanches tels des laissez-passer pour le paradis, défilaient fièrement les dimanches au parc Tillemont… Tous les enfants connaissaient l’ennui et la peur… Mais le parc n’était jamais silencieux… il a sauvé plusieurs enfants ».

Ce court texte du photographe Bruno Mediati nous replonge dans l’ambiance du parc Tillemont, dans le quartier Saint-Michel, à l’été 1979. Il accompagnait une exposition de photos noir et blanc qui a été présentée en juin dernier à la Casa d’Italia. Les photos de Bruno Mediati sont de petits trésors de sensibilité qui dépeignent avec une grande justesse la vie, les humeurs et les émotions de la communauté italienne dans les années 70. On y lit la joie, la peine, la colère et toujours la fierté de ces gens. Ce que les immigrants ont connu, ce que les immigrants ont vécu, tout cela est raconté sur les clichés de Bruno Mediati. Ses photos, dont certaines parsèment cette édition de Panoram Italia dédiée aux associations italo-canadiennes, offrent un parcours dans le passé; quand les rires des enfants se faisaient entendre partout dans les ruelles de Montréal et quand les parcs de quartier accueillaient à bras ouverts les enfants et les adultes.

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Elle adore Roberto Benigni, le film La Vità è Bella, Prague, Bon Jovi, la glace à la nocciola et l’Osso Buco. Fière de ses origines italiennes, elle en aime toutes les facettes : les valeurs familiales, les traditions, la créativité, le sens du travail, la cuisine et bien sûr le design. Elle est mariée, a deux filles, et rêve d’avoir son studio. Sandy Cavallo, artiste, graphiste et organisatrice de RADIX, a de l’énergie à revendre et c’est ce qui l’a incité à organiser cette exposition hors norme où les jeunes d’origine italienne ont célébré leur talent et leurs origines en présentant bijoux, sculptures, tableaux et photos. Elle écrit : De ses racines émerge l'artiste qui ne peut se cacher. Dès un très jeune âge, la créativité à l’état pur est ensemencée au fond de son âme. Ceci est le thème derrière l’exposition RADIX : Designer par nature, présenté par Cavallo Design. La nature inspirée des artistes locaux se rejoindra en forme de photographie, peinture, bijoux, artisanat, textile et art. L’exposition s’est déroulée dans la Petite Italie et a réuni 13 jeunes artistes prometteurs, dont on doit se rappeler. radixmtl@oripizz @baristello @virgbernal @elladugre @cavallodesign @iartmimmo @mikecaravaggio @julialma67 @magrimarks @antoniettapresti

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EVENTS

COMMENT EN-TRAIN-ER VOS RÊVES, UNE HISTOIRE DE MARIA F. GUZZO

Le livre Comment en-train-er vos rêves, de Maria F. Guzzo Elliott se sent seul, il n’a pas d’amis. Sa mère insiste pour qu’il fasse les courses en rentrant de l’école, ainsi, il ne peut aller jouer dehors avec les autres enfants.

Heureusement un jour Elliott se fait un copain, Ari, un voisin hassidique du même âge que lui. Ari non plus ne peut pas jouer dehors, les deux gamins sont tristes, ils n’aiment pas leur vie. Elliott propose alors un nouveau jeu à son ami, celui de remplacer les idées négatives par de belles pensées. Les deux gamins finiront par développer leur imaginaire et à visualiser des activités agréables qui leur plaisent, cela les rendra heureux. Telle est l’histoire écrite par Maria F. Guzzo dans le but de venir en aide aux enfants qui éprouvent des difficultés. « Je veux inspirer les enfants qui se sentent malheureux à suivre les traces d’Elliott afin qu’ils puissent rêver à des situations heureuses où ils se sentiront mieux. » Le Réseau d’Écriture pour enfants (RDE) est un programme novateur mis sur pied par l’Hôpital de Montréal pour enfants et la Commission scolaire English-Montréal de santé mentale. Cette expérience d’écriture fait appel à des compétences liées à la littératie et à la thérapeutique.

Le projet appuyé par la famille Guzzo veut venir en aide aux enfants qui souffrent de problèmes psycho-sociaux. Des recherches ont démontré que les enfants de parents gravement malades sont à risque de les développer. Le projet de recherche RDE mis sur pied par la Dre Danielle Groleau, chercheuse réputée, veut favoriser l’estime de soi, l’expression et la confiance. Lors du lancement du livre, la famille Guzzo a confirmé que désormais leurs efforts de bienfaisance et les fonds amassés lors de la Notte in Bianco seront orientés vers la recherche en santé mentale des enfants.

Comment en-train-er vos rêves, de Maria F. Guzzo est disponible chez les principales librairies en versions française et anglaise.

LES FRESQUES DE MICHEL-ANGE EXPOSÉES À MONTRÉAL

Les fresques au plafond de la Chapelle Sixtine comptent parmi les œuvres les plus importantes au monde. Réalisées par Michelangelo Buonarotti, elles furent commandées par le Pape Jules II au cours de la Renaissance. Ces tableaux racontent l’histoire de la création du monde et de l’homme par Dieu.

Ils racontent aussi la chute de l’homme. L'œuvre monumentale du maître de la Renaissance que fut Michel-Ange a connu la gloire pendant plus de 500 ans. Maintenant, elle peut être admirée de près et dans un cadre intime ici même à Montréal. Martin Biallas, chef de la direction de Special Entertainment Events Inc. (SEE), a annoncé la tenue de cette exposition en première mondiale à Montréal. Établie à Hollywood, cette société est spécialisée dans les attractions touristiques à succès telles que Star Trek, Titanic et Michael Jackson. « Les visiteurs peuvent admirer cette œuvre à une distance qui ne peut être égalée dans la véritable chapelle Sixtine, à Rome.

Notre technique de reproduction photographique spéciale capture l’essence des fresques originales grâce à l'utilisation des photos originales autorisées », a expliqué M. Biallas. Il a aussi expliqué que les longues files d’attente pour visiter la Chapelle Sixtine à Rome seront encore plus importantes à l’avenir, car les émissions de gaz carbonique des très nombreux visiteurs endommagent les œuvres. Ainsi, le Vatican a décidé de réduire le nombre de visiteurs qui pourront accéder chaque jour à la Chapelle Sixtine. Les reproductions des fresques ont été réalisées sur la base d’images prises il y a 20 ans, après les travaux de restauration de l’œuvre. Elles sont entièrement sous licence par le photographe de renommée mondiale Erich Lessing. Une application sur votre portable vous permettra d’obtenir les précisions historiques de chaque fresque tout au long de votre visite.

Au sujet de La chapelle Sixtine de Michel-Ange: l’exposition • Les 33 fresques de Michel-Ange, ainsi que Le Jugement dernier • Chacune dans leur format original (6 x 3 m / 20 X 10 pi.)

• Présentées dans un espace d'exposition de plus de 1100 m2 www.chapelsistine.com Du 10 juillet au 12 octobre 2015, Palais des congrès de Montréal 1001, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle

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EVENTS

MARIANO A. DE CAROLIS, CAVALIERE DELLA REPUBBLICA ITALIANA Mariano A. De Carolis est le directeur général de la Caisse populaire Desjardins canadienne italienne. Mariano se démarque par son francparler, son parcours impressionnant, son dévouement constant et son implication communautaire. Et c’est sans doute toutes ces caractéristiques qui lui ont valu le titre de Cavaliere della Reppublica Italiana, octroyé par le Président de l’Italie lors des célébrations de la Fête de la République italienne. Selon le décret de la loi du 30 mars 1951, n. 178 (G.U. n. 73), cette nomination est octroyée afin de récompenser un individu pour sa contribution exceptionnelle à promouvoir la Nation (l’Italie) dans le domaine des Lettres, des Arts, de l’Économie et pour son implication communautaire et philanthropique hors du commun.

How does it feel to receive this honour ?

The President of Italy has awarded me the highest honour the government can bestow on a foreigner: honorary knighthood, with the title of Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana in recognition of my contribution to il prestigio nazionale all'estero (the national prestige abroad) through various activities. Italy has a long tradition of honoring citizens who have served their country in extraordinary ways with a cavalierato (knighthood). I am, for once,

senza parole (without words). To receive un’onorificenza così particolare, così grande, dal governo d’Italia (an award so special, so great, from the government of Italy) is a great and unexpected honour. However, the recognition does not belong only to me. I accepted the medallion con profonda umiltà e gratitudine a nome delle mia famiglia e dei miei stretti collaborator, ma anche dai miei parenti in Italia (with profound humility and gratitude in the name of my family and my close collaborators, as well as my relatives from Italy).

Cela vous rapproche-t-il davantage de vos origines italiennes ?

Je suis toujours demeuré fidèle à mes origines italiennes ayant embrassé ses traditions et son mode de vie en grandissant dans la Petite-Italie et auprès de mes enfants, de ma famille élargie et de mon milieu de travail. Cette reconnaissance me touche profondément. Ça me fait chaud au cœur que l’écho de mes accomplissements se soient rendus outre-mer. Cela fait ressurgir en moi mon admiration pour le prestigieux “Made in Italy” dans toutes les sphères d’activités : les arts, la gastronomie, le design, les traditions… et mon attachement au pays et à ses immigrants qui peuplent le monde. Je suis fier de mes origines italiennes. Viva l’Italia!

PREMIO VENEZIA 2015 DE LA CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE ITALIENNE AU CANADA

Mariano A. De Carolis

Organisé par la Chambre de commerce italienne au Canada, les prix Premio Venezia visent à souligner l'excellence des collaborations entre le Québec et l'Italie. À chaque année, les entreprises, les organisations et les institutions québécoises soumettent leur candidature pour faire reconnaître l'excellence de leurs collaborations industrielles, commerciales, institutionnelles, scientifiques ou autres avec leurs partenaires italiens.

Les lauréats ont été dévoilés le 27 mai, lors d'une cérémonie de remise de prix tenue au Centre Mont-Royal en présence de l’Ambassadeur d’Italie à Ottawa, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, et près de 200 invités du monde des affaires et du milieu académique. Depuis plus de 11 ans, l’envergure et l’avant-garde des partenariats entre la Québec et l’Italie ne cessent d’impressionner les membres du Jury, et l’entrée en vigueur prochaine de l’Accord économique et commercial global Canada-Union Européenne sera certainement un encouragement pour les collaborations, les échanges et le développement économique des deux côtés de l’Atlantique. Le Premio Venezia permet à la Chambre de commerce italienne au Canada de reconnaître ces organisations qui osent innover au-delà des frontières et qui mènent la charge à l’international.

Catégorie agroalimentaire • Prix de l’innovation en restauration : Restaurant Graziella • Prix de la relève en restauration : Hostaria – Pizzeria Bottega • Prix de l’accomplissement d’une vie en restauration : Nicola Cortina du Restaurant Michelangelo • Prix du rayonnement des produits italiens : Importations Mini Italia • Prix du Pionnier – Agence de vins italiens au Québec : Montalvin • Prix Grande agence de vins : Sélections Fréchette Catégorie Investissement et Exportation • Prix Investissement ex-aequo : Cristini North America et Delmar Chemicals • Prix de l’Exportation : Vizimax Catégorie scientifique et académique • École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) • Institut national de recherche scientifique (INRS) • McGill University – Faculty of Medicine Prix 2015 du Grand Ambassadeur • Emmanuel Triassi, président Groupe TEQ Le Jury était présidé par Me Paul E. Legault, Avocat associé chez Miller Thomson, et composé de M. Igor Calderan, Coordinateur, Technologies stratégiques, Bombardier Aéronautique; M. Éric Dequenne, Directeur, Filiales de sociétés étrangères, Investissement Québec; Mme Annie Raymond, Directrice principale Région du Québec, Services au développement des marchés, Deloitte et Mark-Anthony Serri, Associé responsable de l’équipe Achat, vente, fusion et financement d’entreprises Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton.

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EVENTS

ANDREA SARTORI, GENTLEMAN VITICULTEUR Grand, mince, blond aux yeux bleus, Andrea Sartori, président de Sartori di Verona, un vignoble fondé en 1898 par son grand-père Pietro Sartori, aime les cigares, les voyages et les très bons vins. Aujourd’hui, Sartori di Verona figure parmi les cinq plus importants vignobles de la Vénétie et s’est largement développé sous la main de fer et le bon goût d’Andrea Sartori. Président de l’Unione Italiana Vini (Fédération des vignobles et des vins italiens), qui regroupe plus de 60 % de la production de l’industrie, il en est à son deuxième mandat.

Andrea Sartori a fait des études à Vérone, Vicence et New York. Il a développé le marché de l’entreprise familiale aux États-Unis, au Canada et en Europe. L’œnologue réputé Franco Bernabei collabore à l’entreprise, qui après l’acquisition du vignoble Mont Albano a lancé une gamme de vins organiques.

Sartori ne cesse d’innover et conduit des recherches exhaustives en collaboration avec l’Université de Vérone. « Rien n’est laissé au hasard », dit-il. « La recherche et l’innovation sont indispensables si l’on veut occuper une place de premier choix dans une industrie aussi compétitive et en perpétuel changement.

L’un de nos plus grands défis depuis quelques années est l’impact du changement climatique sur la production. La tendance des 10 dernières années nous a démontré qu’il faut planter plus haut, faire les vendanges plus tôt, comme les Australiens le font. Depuis 10 ans, nous sommes obligés d’arroser à chaque année bien qu’il existe une règle nous interdisant de le faire sauf s’il y a risque

de perte du vignoble. De nouveaux marchés s’offrent à nous, mais les goûts sont différents. L’Asie, la Russie et les pays de l’Est ne consomment pas comme les pays anglo-saxons ou l’Europe. On préfère les vins sucrés et la nouvelle vague de mixologues est aussi un indicateur de changement. » Sartori di Verona a présenté en exclusivité le Marani, Bianco Veronese IGT, 100 % Andrea Sartori, président de Garanega, un Amarone Sartori di Verona DOC della Valpolicella Classico, un Corte Brà DOC, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico et le Ripasso, Valpolicella Superiore. Les vins sont distribués par Sylvestre Vins et Spiritueux.

HAPPY 50TH JOHN CABOTO ACADEMY Fifty years ago, an extraordinary institution came to be: JOHN CABOTO SCHOOL. Having been established in a predominantly Italian neighbourhood, the vast majority of the students were Italian or of Italian descent. This school has seen so many students come and go, including the likes of Gino Vannelli, Sean McMahon of the Beat and Tony Zara, editor of Panoram Italia, amongst others…Many have returned as staff members or with their own children and grandchildren attending this ever-evolving establishment. For the past two decades, this strong tie with the Italian community has included granting Italian seniors a room in the school where they can enjoy the companionship of their fellow golden agers. Their 'cantilena' can be

heard echoing through the hallways. The scents of biscotti baked by the nonne and the aroma of good-old-fashioned espresso brewed by the nonni often drift through the hallways, giving the school a real homey feel to it…Throughout the years, as the needs of the population changed, John Caboto met this challenge and became a bilingual school, offering the students a rich and challenging curriculum in both French and English. It is without question that our pride for this school has grown over the last 50 years…One thing is for certain; as long as John Caboto Academy exists it will be “in the community, for the community”. (Extracts from a document written by Rosemarie Federico of John Caboto Academy).

A ssur E xperts Come Visit our New Showroom

Tina Ciambrone & Associés Cabinet en assurances de dommages • Assurance auto / Auto insurance • Assurance habitation / Home insurance • Assurance des entreprises / Business insurance

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

Tina Ciambrone présidente

• Cautionnements / Bonds

Tél: 514.381.7411 Cell: 514.909.0240 Courtier en assurance de dommages t.ciambrone@assurexperts.qc.ca

2607, rue Fleury Est Montréal QC H2B 1L8

PANORAMITALIA.COM

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203,000$ POUR LE 10E BAL EN BLANC POUR LA RECHERCHE EN CHIRURGIE THORACIQUE DE MONTRÉAL À l’occasion du 10eanniversaire du Bal en Blanc qui s’est déroulé à la Salle de Réception Le Madison, plus de 700 invités ont généreusement répondu à l’invitation lancée par le président d’honneur, M. Éric Richer La Flèche, président et chef de la direction de METRO Inc. Éric Richer La Flèche a fait la connaissance du Docteur Pasquale Ferraro, chef du service de chirurgie thoracique de l’Université de Montréal, il y a 2 ans, alors qu’il était lui-même patient à l’unité de chirurgie thoracique du CHUM. Suite à son intervention, il a décidé de venir en aide à la Fondation mise sur pied en 2005 par les docteurs André Duranceau et Pasquale Ferraro. La mission de la Fondation est d'assurer le développement du centre d’excellence de chirurgie thoracique de l'Université de Montréal dans les domaines de la transplantation pulmonaire, des maladies œsophagiennes et de l'oncologie Dr André Duranceau, Éric Richer La Flèche, Président d’honneur et le Dr Pasquale Ferraro. thoracique et de créer un environemployée permanente responsable Partenariats et levée de fonds, Jacques Ferraro, nement optimal pour le recrutement de chirurgiens thoraciques de haut niveau. La administrateur, Dr André Duranceau, ex-président de la Fondation, Sue Fondation compte aujourd’hui la Chaire Alfonso Minicozzi et famille, la Chaire Dabrowski, administratrice, Dr Pasquale Ferraro, président, Eduardo Minicozzi, Marcel et Rolande Gosselin et la Chaire Régis Morissette. Une mention spéciale vice-président, Frank Trombino, trésorier. pour les membres du c.a. de la fondation, Sal Mariani, administrateur, Anne Riby,

TONY LOFFREDA REÇOIT LE PRIX DU FONDS DE DÉVELOPPEMENT DE LA FONDATION CANADIENNE DU REIN

Tony Loffreda, premier vice-président RBC La Banque royale du Canada (RBC) soutient généreusement la Division du Québec de La Fondation du rein depuis de nombreuses années. Depuis 1992, la Banque Royale a contribué près de 650 000 $ en commandites corporatives, ainsi que de 15 000 $ à 25 000 $ chaque année à des événements de collecte de fonds majeurs, notamment le tournoi de golf PDF et le gala, ainsi que le tournoi Classique de golf du Prix du fondateur. Œuvrant à titre de coprésident et de président depuis plus d'une décennie, Tony Loffreda, premier vice-président de la RBC, a amassé près de 2 millions de $ pour l’organisation. Le prix du Fonds de développement de la Fondation canadienne du rein a été octroyé à Tony Loffreda et à la Banque royale du Canada.

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70 000 $ POUR LES ÉTUDIANTS DU PROGRAMME CUCINA ITALIANA DE L’ITHQ Chaque année, les finissants du programme Cucina Italiana de l’Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) s’envolent vers l’Italie où ils profitent de deux semaines de cours intensifs à La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana Alma, suivies d’un stage de trois mois dans des restaurants réputés d’Italie. Ces séjours sont rendus possibles grâce à la Fondation Magnani-Montaruli et à l’ITHQ qui, pour financer ce complément de formation, organisent un banquet annuel ayant cette année permis de recueillir la somme de 70 000 $. Pour la 15e édition de la soirée-bénéfice de la Fondation Magnani-Montaruli, plus de 90 participants ont déboursé 500 $ chacun afin de vivre une expérience gastronomique mémorable au Restaurant de l’Institut. Cette soirée, qui allie vins italiens de marque et haute gastronomie, s’est déroulée sous la présidence d’honneur de M. Alain Brunet, président et chef de la direction de la Société des alcools du Québec. Préparé par les professeurs du programme Cucina Italiana ainsi que leurs étudiants, le repas était accompagné de vins de la Maison Fontodi. Créée en 1999, la Fondation MagnaniMontaruli a versé jusqu’à ce jour plus de 400 000 $ sous forme de bourses aux étudiants de l’ITHQ. Fondé il y a plus de 45 ans, l’ITHQ est un centre d’excellence en matière d’enseignement spécialisé en tourisme, en hôtellerie et en restauration.

Première rangée de g. à d. Cosimo Filice, président Orviande; Pasquale Artuso, président Pasquale Artuso & Associés; Giovanni Manetti, producteur de la maison vinicole Fontodi; Giorgio Lombardi, président Italvine; Jean-Michel Montaruli, président

MARCO CALLIARI PORTE PAROLE DE LA SETTIMANA ITALIANA

*Certaines conditions s’appliquent, Visiter www.lexim.ca pour plus d’info.

Marco Calliari Pour la première fois en vingt-deux ans, la Semaine italienne de Montréal aura un porte-parole et son choix s’est posé sur un artiste d’origine italienne qui promeut la culture italienne à travers son répertoire musical. Marco Calliari sera le visage officiel de l’édition 2015 de la Semaine Italienne. «Je me sens très près de ce festival qui nous représente d’une belle façon, et permet chaque année d’inspirer d'autres communautés à se joindre à nous pour une grande fête culturelle et festive!» Avec Marco Calliari à titre de porte-parole, la Semaine italienne de Montréal souhaite mettre de l’avant l’aspect grand public de ses festivités. Habitué de la Semaine italienne, l’artiste rejoint tous les Québécois de toutes nationalités. La Semaine Italienne se déroule à Montréal du 7 au 16 août et toutes les activités sont gratuites. Info : www.semaineitalienne.ca PANORAMITALIA.COM

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