Panoram Italia Montreal Jun/jul 2015

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ThE ITALIAN-CANAdIAN mAGAzINE mAILEd To homES IN ThE GrEATEr moNTrEAL ANd oTTAwA ArEAS

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

ROME THE ETERNAL

CITY L’ULTIMO ROMANO CYCLING WITH

MARINONI COVER: STEFANO CIMINO ONE OF US • UNO DI NOI • UN D’ENTRE NOUS JUNE / JULY 2015 • VOL.10 • NO.3

www.panoramitalia.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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JUNE / JULY 2015 Volume 10 Number 3 EDITORIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 LETTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 UNITAS Our Leaders of Tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

LIFE & PEOPLE Entrevue avec John Zeppetelli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Mary Melfi’s Human Comedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 A Rising Star – Angelike Falbo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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

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CYCLING Cycling Culture in Montreal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Stefania Varano - Pedaling for Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Giuseppe Marinoni Driven by Passion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

FASHION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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

ADVERTISING

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Terry Marziliano Anthony Zara

ROME

CONTRIBUTORS

When in Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 The Roman Legacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Stefano Cimino, The Last Roman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 The Rise and Decline of Cinematic Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Italia, Il Bel Paese? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Roma alternativa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Special Invitation from the Vatican . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Glorifying the Gladiator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Mamma Roma! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Traditional Roman Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 The Pastas of Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Pizza al taglio o capolavoro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Joey Saputo • Robert Sbrissa • Katia Jean Paul • Liz Allemang Sabrina Marandola • Alessia Sara Domanico • Sara Germanotta • Francesca Spizzirri Sarah Mastroianni • Danilla Di Croce • Laura Mancini • Tanya Solari Emma Risa • Julie Aubé • Claudia Buscemi Prestigiacomo Padre Nicola Di Narzo • Pasquale Artuso

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

Distribution par / by

Publications Mail Agreement #40981004

ADVICE Compostela tra cammino e meditazione . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Usucapione . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

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PHOTOGRAPHY Vincenzo D’Alto Michel Ostaszewski Fahri Yavuz Pascal Rousseau

Printed by: 514.337.7870 www.accentimpression.com Montreal, Québec, Canada

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Subscribe or Contribute to

Only$20 for 3 years! *You can WIN an all-inclusive trip to Italy for 2!

Contest Start: December 1, 2014

Deadline: Nov 6, 2015

Draws: Nov 9, 2015 Must be 18 years or older Subscribe to the magazine online at www.panoramitalia.com or fill out the attached envelope

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EDITORIAL

E adesso?

Il futuro dei mezzi d'informazione italocanadesi

Ci

sono in Canada 32 comunità etniche censite da Statistics Canada.

Dieci contano almeno un milione di persone: gli italocanadesi sono una di queste. In effetti, gli Italocanadesi sono, assieme alle comunità dell'Asia continentale e meridionale, il maggior gruppo etnico canadese. E con il numero viene il potere; o almeno, dovrebbe.

Il 7 maggio Rogers Media Inc. ha annunciato il taglio dei propri notiziari in terza lingua in Ontario e B.C. con il conseguente annullamento dei telegiornali quotidiani in italiano, mandarino, cantonese e punjabi. Gli ultimi tre sono stati rimpiazzati da programmi di current affairs, molto meno costosi da produrre. Il notiziario italiano, una volta portabandiera della stazione, è stato sostituito con una telenovella prodotta dalla Rai. A metà maggio il Consolato Generale d'Italia a Toronto ha convocato un incontro pubblico per protestare contro i tagli. Il meeting ha dato vita ad un comitato incaricato di studiare meglio il da farsi. Strano vedere, tra ispiratori e componenti del comitato, il governo italiano (che da anni taglia i fondi all'informazione e all'insegnamento dell'italiano all'estero) e la Rai (che da anni è il maggiore 'competitor' dei programmi italiani fatti a Toronto).

Demografia che cambia Omni nasce come CFMT nel 1979, fondata dall'imprenditore italocanadese Dan Iannuzzi, al tempo anche editore (e fondatore) del Corriere Canadese, quotidiano in italiano di Toronto. Iannuzzi riuscì nel suo scopo di raccontare questa grande e vibrante comunità sui media. I telespettatori si mettevano puntualmente davanti allo schermo per i programmi condotti da Vincenzo Somma o da Laura Albanese (che, lasciata la televisione, è poi diventata M.P.P. per York-South Weston).

L’andamento demografico è una delle ragioni del calo del pubblico di lingua italiana su Omni. I telespettatori erano in maggioranza italocanadesi di prima generazione, giunti in Canada con le vaste ondate migratorie dall'Italia negli anni '50 e '60. Per questa generazione, il notiziario italiano era una fonte fondamentale di informazioni.

Ma questi 'fedelissimi' sono invecchiati e non hanno più il 'potere' del passato in termini di numeri. Pian piano sono diventati sempre meno da quando il notiziario italiano debuttò nel 1979.

E' lo stesso problema del Corriere Canadese, una volta il più grande quotidiano italiano fuori d'Italia. Dopo aver dichiarato bancarotta nel 2013 ed essere stato riportato in vita, tira avanti senza riuscire a recuperare i lettori e l'influenza di un tempo. Tutti i media italiani hanno sofferto la concorrenza di internet e il notiziario, in particolare, anche quello dei canali Rai e Mediaset via cavo.

Mentre le news in italiano erano un punto fermo nelle case in cui sono 12

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cresciuti, gli italocanadesi di seconda e terza generazione hanno progressivamente, con il passare degli anni, cambiato canale. Fuori di casa comunicano in inglese, lingua nella quale di solito preferiscono anche essere informati. Ma il programma non parlava più a loro in ogni caso. Rogers, che ha acquistato CFMT nel 1986 e l'ha poi trasformata in Omni, non è mai riuscita a raggiungere queste generazioni. Format e contenuto non hanno fatto breccia nelle generazioni più giovani.

L'evoluzione delle aspettative degli italocanadesi La fine dei programmi di news italiane a Omni non è solo un fatto di demografia, quindi. Va attribuito anche a una generale incapacità di prevedere e soddisfare l'evoluzione dei bisogni degli italocanadesi nell'informazione. Dovessimo giudicare dall'ampio ventaglio d'età dei lettori di Panoram Italia, in linea di massima si può ben dire che gli italocanadesi tuttora hanno care e coltivano le proprie radici italiane e che hanno ancora voglia di essere informati sulle persone e le notizie principali della comunità.

Programmi che parlano solo di Italia non sono richiesti da questa audience: li si trova su internet con due click. O nel menu tv via cavo. I format di notizie più tradizionali non soddisfano le crescenti attese del pubblico italo canadese attuale.

E il talento italocanadese? Gli italocanadesi non mancano nei media principali: Rick Campanelli, Dina Pugliese, Gino Reda, Rita DeMontis per citarne alcuni. Perchè (ad esempio) Omni non ha provato a riconquistare spazio magari investendo su figure come queste?

Se una televisione italocanadese ( in inglese o in italiano non importa) andra' in futuro in onda, che sia fondata sulla creatività e sulle capacità della seconda e terza generazione, non sullo status quo o sui sempre minori sussidi del governo italiano, o sui programmi Rai. In effetti è difficile capire se la recente protesta, ed il comitato che ne è nato, siano davvero orientati a promuovere i mezzi d'informazione in lingua italiana per il bene della nostra eredità culturale, o a difendere uno status quo aggrappato a quanto continua ad arrivare dal governo italiano in forma diretta e indiretta (sempre meno). Per difendere davvero la lingua italiana si poteva pure cominciare nel 2012, quando Roma ha tagliato i fondi al Centro Scuola da 500.000 a 370.000 Euro all'anno. O no?

Sul libero mercato, anche per i media la volontà del cliente, lettore o spettatore, è legge. Se ci saranno abbastanza voci a farsi sentire, sicuramente Rogers sarà spinta a ripensare la programmazione. Se questo non dovesse accadere, siamo sicuri che un miglior prodotto d'informazione tv e cultura saprà nascere e occupare il giusto spazio nella nostra comunità.

i

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LETTER

Reigniting Italian Roots in Birmingham, Alabama My

name is Robert Sbrissa; I currently live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my wife Monica and three children: Andrew, Caroline, and Julia. I was born in Montreal in 1964 and grew up in Saint Leonard. Growing up in this amazing microcosm of Italian culture was something I took for granted as a child. It seemed to me that every kid grew up with family, grandparents, great food, homemade wine, church and a sense for style.

After completing Concordia University, I began my career and moved to the United States in 1996. Life was great in every aspect and I was living the dream. The one element that was missing, however, was a good slice of traditional Italian culture I was used to. Due to challenges of the past, many Americans with Italian roots traded their heritage (at least publicly) for the promise of the American dream. Canada, on the other hand, has never had to deal with the burden of being a superpower and as a result can live a more independent and individual culturally relevant life.

I started travelling for business around most of the world, primarily in Europe.

What I learned is that people are essentially the same everywhere. Family, food, faith, and peace are all that people strive for. I learned this even more so when spending time in Italy. I was surprised how elegant, yet simple, life was. Now that I’ve lived in Birmingham, Alabama, for almost 18 years I have learned a lot about this place called the “Magic City.” Birmingham’s reputation still suffers from its history and depiction in movies. Yet it is a beautiful place with incredible hospitality, home-cooked food, family values, faith, and an appreciation for its own version of “dolce far niente.” There are many Italian surnames throughout Birmingham.

Italian immigrants who came to the south looking for work, mostly in the steel industry, developed the city. Most were from Sicily, from towns like Cefalù, Bisacquino, and Agrigento. The majority settled in the first quarter of the 20th century and they helped establish businesses, churches, and establishments focused on food and farming.

While most know their family history, their native language is gone and many have never visited their maternal homeland. They do, however, still enjoy their family recipes, and they all talk of the old days, when as children they enjoyed Italian feasts at their churches and festivals celebrating Columbus Day. They even had vibrant Italian clubs and associations. But over the generations most of this culture faded away.

About 10 years ago, my wife and I decided to do something about this void we were feeling. We soon realized many Italian-Americans in Birmingham felt the same. Being from Montreal, we knew exactly what they were missing. I grew 14

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up with Our Lady of Pompeii, Madonna della Difesa, Mont-Carmel, and more.

The more we talked to people, the more we knew we were on to something. The idea of a couple of Montrealers creating an Italian feast in Birmingham, Alabama, seemed perfect, if not partially insane!

Our church, Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, was looking for an event that could unite and build our parish community. As my family is from the Veneto province, the best choice was the Feast of Saint Mark to be celebrated around the date of the actual Saint day, April 25. And so our journey began.

We presented the idea to our pastor and received overwhelming support to move ahead. We began meeting with small groups and creating excitement for this idea. The date was set and our goal was to sell 500 tickets. We rallied restaurants, wine distributors, local chefs, and many others. We were on our way to the very first Feast of Saint Mark Italian Food Festival to be held on April 28, 2012. We exceeded our goal of 500 tickets very quickly and reached our limit of 1,500. We were blessed with an incredible day as we saw our celebration become a reality. The response was incredible as many families who had not seen each other for years reconnected with each other. Stories were told and new friendships were made.

The event has grown and sold-out each year with 3,000 visitors attending.

It has expanded to include a bocce court, an entertainment stage with five bands, cannoli stations, on-site espresso machines, and sponsorships with local distributors, and much more. This year we are hosting a tribute to Dean Martin featuring Joe Scalisi accompanied by an eight-piece band, Italian opera singers, and a live band for dancing.

This event has meant many things to many people. It has rejuvenated an Italian community in a city that was losing it. As a result, a local museum now has an exhibit entitled “La Storia” with artifacts and stories of the journeys of the Italian families that immigrated to Birmingham. Our feast has also created an anchor event that has defined our parish in the community and city.

It has also created a purpose for my family. My wife and I regard it as a gift to our children who were raised in the south yet still get to experience their slice of Italian feasts and culture that I was fortunate to have as a child. It is an example of the strength and influence of the rich and genuine Italian culture Montreal has nurtured so well from the generations before us as well as our youth today. My culture remained relevant and thrived in a large part from what Panoram Italia has accomplished. Panoram Italia not only serves as a lighthouse for Italian-Montrealers, but as a fan for its flames abroad. Its impact is felt miles away.

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UNITAS

Community Chat Our leaders of tomorrow Dear friends, We have forgotten to think ahead… One cannot help but wonder when and where we lost the wisdom to invest in our youth. Not only are they the ones who will carry on the knowledge and the knowhow of the generations past but they will also be the ones caring for us when we grow old.

I have seen young people demonstrate time and time again that they are eager to get involved. When youth’s voices are acknowledged as important they tend to participate with an electric energy. How can this power be cultivated in our community so as to make it thrive? Evidently, there is much power to cultivate. According to David Suzuki in How Speaking Truth Gives Youth Power, ‘more than half the world's population is under 30’. That being the case, why are we experiencing such disinterest in youngsters today? This neglect is of grave concern.

At the Foundation we have been discussing strategies aimed at engaging young Italian-Canadians with their culture and its preservation. We are committed to encouraging our youth to be proud of their heritage and are looking for ways to create an inspiring and exciting platform enabling younger generations to participate and become part of important decision making.

Why is it important to contribute to your community? One of the main reasons is that if we do not take this task to heart no one else will. If we present a future where our youth do not see themselves represented, the Italian language and culture will have no mechanisms in place to safeguard them. It is important to have organizations in place to protect our rights and look out for the general wellbeing of our community; from tending to our elders to embracing our youth by demonstrating the importance of being a bright part of our Canadian mosaic rather than a faded corner of it. I implore you, parents and grandparents, to act as a transitional force

in order to bridge the expanding gap before it’s too late. The loss of interest in our youth affects us all and in our wake we risk leaving future generations confused and lacking a strong identity.

We would like to enforce a powerful vein between our forefathers and the younger generations by posing questions to you, dear young readers: • As Italian-Canadian youth what matters to you?

• What services would you like to see offered within the Italian community?

• What would encourage you to get more involved in the Italian community?

• What are the problems you see among people your age and how do you think they can be solved?

As we initiate Unitas this year, we are committed to collaboration on all important matters. We intend to focus on our youth in order to build strong, intelligent and empathic leaders of tomorrow. For more information about how you can get involved check out The Leonardo Da Vinci Center’s Youth Camp Allegria and other activities they offer, Casa d’Italia’s Exposition d’Art des Jeunes Artistes Italo-Canadiens, The Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association’s Young CIBPA and The National Congress of Italian Canadians’ Youth Committee.

Please send your comments and answers to any of these questions to joey@fcciq.com Sincerely, Joey Saputo President

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

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KIRSCH

BUSINESS PROFILE

CANADA Frank Saravo is a businessman

From left:

Dorothy Tonino Trade Lane Manager Frank Saravo president and CEO KIRSCH Canada, Giancarmine De Fabritiis Trade Lane Manager.

S

aravo and his team help their clients navigate through everything from bad weather to “acts of God”. The company offers clients the latest state-of-the art technology – everything from online tracking systems to automated customs releases – while placing a huge emphasis on person-to-person communication. Dorothy Tonino is a trade lane manager at Kirsch.

She says although technology has facilitated the task of shipping goods, it is not without its limitations. “At Kirsch we make sure our clients know that if ever they need to reach someone, all they have to do is pick up the phone and they can get a real, live person on the other end of the line. Our clients do not wait on hold for hours or wade through a maze of phone options,” explains Tonino. “If a decision needs to be made, I just have to walk into Frank’s office and we make a decision on the spot. We will jump through hoops so the client doesn’t have to.”

In recent years, under Saravo’s leadership, Kirsch has continued to distinguish itself as an industry leader and become one of the largest freight forwarders of Italian goods in Canada. Saravo, the son of Italian immigrants from Caserta, prides himself on the Italian content of his company. “We have

a strong relationship with our Italian agents and with our partner, Albini Pitigliani. If it’s made in Italy we’ve moved it at one time or another,” explains Saravo. “We know this market better than anyone, it’s our passion.”

Saravo and his team are also in tune with Italian culture and the etiquette of doing business in Italy. Gianni De Fabritiis is a Milan native who has been working as a manager at Kirsch Toronto for 25 years. He says personal contact is key. “We understand the people, the culture, the shipping process on both sides of the ocean,” explains De Fabritiis. “Literally, we are speaking the same language.”

Kirsch offers their Italian clients multiple weekly sea and air freight consolidations, P.O. management, as well as state of the art warehousing. They have a fashion desk for their clients in the fashion industry. They can book travel and car arrangements for clients and even set up meetings for buyers with Italian manufacturers.

“If you need it, we can provide it,” says Saravo. “My vision is not to be the largest but rather to be the best. I’ve been doing this for over 30 years and I still love it. While many people my age are thinking about retirement, I’m just getting started!”

who lives by one mantra: the art of the possible. Saravo, 57, is the owner and CEo of the Canadianbased david Kirsch For-warders Ltd. he’s been helping people ship goods in and out of Canada for a quarter of a century. Saravo says his business philosophy is simple. “Nobody can do the impossible, yet so many claim it. we at Kirsch deal in reality – if it can be done, rest assured we’ll do it. This is what sets us apart from the rest of the pack.”

With over seventy-five years of experience, David Kirsch For-warders Ltd. Has set the standard in developing a door to door multimodal transport Services. From the freight booking, be it consolidation or full load, through to customs clearance and delivery, Kirsch has carved a niche for itself as the market leader.

DAVID KIRSCH OFFICES IN MONTREAL -TORONTO - VANCOUVER Dorval Québec 514 636-0233 Mississauga Ontario 905 678-6162 Thunderbird Langley B.C. 604 371-2171

www.kirsch.ca info@kirsch.ca PANORAMITALIA.COM

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From left: Dr. David Baker, Dr. Melanie Campese and Dr. Bassel Kano

ADVERTORIAL

Photo by Vincenzo D’Alto

Little Shop of Relief Centre for Micro Endodontics and Periodontics

By Katia Jean Paul

B

ill Murray may appear be enjoying himself in Steve Martin’s chair in the 1986 film Little Shop of Horrors but if the cult classic is any indication, Martin’s sadistic dentist has but one goal: inflict pain. Murray’s masochistic character notwithstanding, pop culture is replete with narratives of petrified patients at the mercy of nefarious dentists. And the latter’s favourite torture device: the root canal. Though the caricature persists, the dental specialists at the Centre for Micro Endodontics and Periodontics in Montreal insist it couldn’t be farther from the truth. “One big misconception is that root canals do hurt, but it’s actually the opposite,” says Dr. Bassel Kano, an endodontist and founder of the specialized dental clinic. “We do root canals to take away the pain. And they’re done practically painlessly.”

A very common dental procedure – an estimated 24 million are performed every year in North America, says Kano – a dentist will do a root canal treatment when the pulp or nerve, the tissue inside the tooth becomes infected, often leaving the patient in excruciating pain.

Located at Place Ville Marie, the Centre for Micro Endodontics and Periodontics specializes in root canal treatment, formally endodontics – the branch of dentistry that deals with the treatment of the pulp. When infection occurs, a dentist will perform the procedure in order to preserve the tooth. “We go in and disinfect all the canal spaces of the tooth, and then we basically do a filling inside the root,” explains Dr. David Baker, a fellow endodontist who works alongside Kano. “The other alternative is to take the tooth out, so our goal is to obviously [save] the tooth.”

Now why should one enlist the services of a specialist when general dentists perform the majority of root canals? Knowledge, experience and the equipment a specialist has at his or her disposal. Graduates of the Endodontics programs at Boston University and Tufts University respectively, and Fellows of the Royal Canadian College of Dentists (FRCD(C)), Kano and Baker boasts specialty training beyond the basic training afforded to general dentists at dental school and through non-accredited courses. Both perform root canals several times daily whereas a generalist will only do several per week or per month. What’s more, the Centre is outfitted with state-of-the art equipment including digital X-ray machines, which reduce exposure to radiation by 90 percent and surgical microscopes that magnify four to 25 times better than magnifying lenses. “We do the whole treatment from start to finish under a microscope,” says Kano. “We’re a lot less likely to miss a canal that was never treated or miss any nerve.”

Some 350 general dentists from Montreal and afield routinely refer their patients to the Centre for cases that fall outside their scope of practice. “If the root canal is too complex […] [dentists] will usually send [the patient] to us,” says Baker. When the infection persists following root canal treatment, Kano says

dentists will also have a patient seek treatment with them. Dr. Marco Bozzo, a general dentist also practicing at Place Ville Marie often refers his patients to the Centre. “They build a good foundation for me so that I can do my [restorative] work,” says Bozzo. “Specialists should be a part of any modern practice.”

While in most cases, the tooth will be saved following root canal treatment, in the event that it must be extracted, a periodontist, or gum specialist will insert a dental implant in its place.

The Centre offers the latter procedure as part of a second dental specialty service: periodontics and implantology. Dr. Melanie Campese, a certified periodontist and the third member of the team of specialists treats infections and abnormalities of the supporting tissues of the teeth (the bone and gums) in order to save teeth suffering from oral pathologies such as gingivitis and periodontitis.

These common bacterial gum infections cause chronic bone loss around the teeth and eventually, tooth loss. Moreover, if a tooth is fractured or root canal surgery cannot eliminate the infection, Campese will remove the tooth and replace it with an implant, a fixed titanium screw inserted in the bone.

Combining these two specialties within the same office, the Centre for Micro Endodontics and Periondontics has positioned itself as the leading dental clinic for people who wish to both treat and preserve their teeth.

What’s more, one does not need a referral to meet with any one of the specialists. For people seeking a second opinion or simply looking to consult with someone regarding a dental issue, this is a definite plus.

With a friendly, multicultural staff reflective of its diverse team of specialists, knowledge, skill and expertise are but a few of the benefits offered at the Centre for Micro Endodontics and Periodontics. “We can accommodate quite a few languages,” says Campese, who speaks French, English, Spanish and Italian, her native tongue. And despite what Hollywood may have you believe, pain is the last thing on the agenda. “I really like the idea of taking people out of pain while [saving] their tooth,“ says Baker. “It’s rewarding to make someone feel that much better.”

1521-1 Place Ville Marie, 514-673-1111 Montreal, QC, H3B 2P5 www.microendoperio.com PANORAMITALIA.COM

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LIFE & PEOPLE

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Photography John Londoño

John Zeppetelli est le 10e directeur du Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) depuis sa fondation en 1964.

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LIFE & PEOPLE

Dans la tête de John Zeppetelli Entrevue avec le directeur du Musée d’art contemporain Par Gabriel Riel-Salvatore Pour souligner son 50e anniversaire en 2014, le MAC a présenté l’exposition La beauté du geste - 50 ans de dons, mettant en scène une sélection de 200 œuvres soulignant la générosité de collectionneurs et d’artistes qui ont offert des œuvres à la collection du musée. Qui donne au musée et pourquoi ?

Le don est un geste important pour toutes sortes de raisons. Offrir au musée signifie faire un don pour la postérité. Notre mandat est de préserver des œuvres même si on ne peut toutes les montrer simultanément. Mais on adore recevoir de belles œuvres d’art! Les dons représentent 45 % des œuvres acquises par le musée. C’est chose courante. On cherche alors à susciter les dons de mécènes ou de collectionneurs pour enrichir et bonifier notre collection.

Peut-on être fier de notre collection lorsqu’on se compare aux autres musées du genre ?

Je pense que oui. Nous avons une très belle collection de près de 8 000 œuvres.

Notre mandat est d’offrir un survol encyclopédique de tout ce qui est d’importance en matière d’art contemporain au Québec, au Canada et à l’international.

Le MAC est parmi les grands musées d’art contemporain au monde et certainement le plus important du genre au Canada; le seul vrai musée d’art contemporain qui possède sa propre collection au pays.

Vous êtes le premier non-Québécois (et le premier Italo-Canadien) à la tête du MAC. En quoi votre vision diffère-t-elle de celle de vos prédécesseurs ?

C’est certainement un fait intéressant que je sois le premier non-Francophone de souche à occuper ce poste. Le conseil d’administration a fait son choix, sûrement avec l’objectif d’élargir un peu son public. Mais, ce sont surtout mes sept années à la direction de la Fondation pour l’art contemporain DHC/Art de Phoebe Greenberg, dans le Vieux-Montréal, qui m’ont donné les outils pour accéder au poste que j’occupe aujourd’hui. Il faut dire que j’évolue dans ce milieu depuis près de 30 ans.

Chaque direction de musée a néanmoins sa propre tendance idéologique.

Pour moi, l’important c’est de présenter des artistes qui ont un propos à la fois social et politique ou qui évoquent une urgence sociale personnelle, mais toujours reliée à une recherche formelle visant à redéfinir la notion de beauté. Je tiens à comprendre ce qui est beau en ce moment. Bien que l’art contemporain ne soit pas nécessairement là pour nous soulager, je pense que les œuvres contemporaines doivent nous interpeller, autant dans leur forme et leur contenu, pour engager une conversation avec le visiteur.

Qui visite le MAC ?

Dans un monde idéal, j’aimerais que toutes sortes de gens visitent le musée. La semaine, nous accueillons beaucoup de groupes scolaires. Notre public le plus fidèle se situe chez les 18-34 ans, beaucoup d’étudiants, de jeunes professionnels, d’artistes. Je me suis donné comme défi d’ouvrir l’art contemporain le plus possible, car je trouve qu’il véhicule un discours important et très actuel.

L’art contemporain est souvent perçu comme quelque chose de désincarné, froid et vide de sens. Qu’en pensez-vous ?

C’est loin d’être une chose hermétique et hors de portée. Je vois les artistes

comme de grands penseurs ; l’équivalent de chercheurs, d’universitaires ou d’écrivains. En somme, toutes ces personnes qui participent à la conversation culturelle. Les artistes contemporains sont très importants dans notre société.

Ils sont les catalyseurs d’une grande expérimentation qui cherche à donner une forme et un sens aux enjeux contemporains. C’est ça qui m’intéresse!

Justement toucher les gens, raconter des histoires, n’est-ce pas un peu ça le mandat du MAC ?

Oui. On a la chance au MAC de présenter différentes expositions en même temps. Je veux m’adresser à toutes sortes de communautés. L’œuvre d’une artiste comme Sophie Calle qui a travaillé sur le thème de la cécité peut provoquer une réaction émotionnelle très vive. Le propos de la perte de la vue est simple et direct, mais ça ne signifie pas que l’effet soit simple. Avec Calle, on entre philosophiquement dans le monde des arts visuels par le biais de récits personnels de gens qui ont perdu la vue dans un accident, par exemple. On voit qu’il y a une méditation sur l’idée de la perte et de l’absence. C’est tout à fait universel et extrêmement puissant.

D’un autre côté, on présente des contenus plus pointus comme les œuvres de Simon Starling. Cet artiste utilise des objets communs, comme une vieille voiture FIAT, pour incarner la notion de métamorphose à travers des contextes géospatiaux très différents et qui révèlent des liens entre des gens, des lieux, des époques et des événements que rien ne semble rapprocher. Dans ce cas, il faut lire les panneaux explicatifs pour saisir toute la portée de la démarche de l’artiste. L’effort en vaut vraiment la peine!

Quelles sont les grandes tendances actuelles en art contemporain ?

S’inspire-t-on de plus en plus des nouvelles technologies et des nouveaux moyens de communication ?

Oui et non. D’ailleurs, on présente cet été deux artistes montréalais : Jon Rafman et le sculpteur David Altmejd qui explorent ces nouveaux paradigmes technologiques, sans nécessairement faire des œuvres à la fine pointe de la technologie. Jon Rafman, par exemple, s’inspire plutôt de notre relation avec la technologie. Pour son projet The 9 Eyes of Google Street View, l’artiste puise dans les innombrables images de Google Street View à la recherche d’images photographiques à la limite du normal. Rafman nous livre une réflexion sur cette banque d’archives visuelles qu’incarne le Web et sur notre niveau de saturation face à cette culture de l’image qui nous caractérise. L’acte de sélectionner des images dans ce fourre-tout devient ainsi un geste artistique.

Quelle place occupe l’Italie dans la diffusion et la production de l’art contemporain aujourd’hui ?

L’Italie demeure un lieu extrêmement important en art contemporain. La Biennale de Venise a toujours été la manifestation la plus importante au monde en art contemporain. Milan compte un grand nombre de galeries. Rome aussi commence à compter avec l’inauguration du MAXXI (le musée d’art du 21e siècle) et le MACRO (le musée d’art contemporain de Rome). Naples possède également un grand musée d’art contemporain, le MADRE, et compte beaucoup de collectionneurs et de galeries d’envergure. L’Italie a de superbes institutions. Par contre, comme ici, le problème demeure le financement.

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LIFE & PEOPLE

Mary Melfi’s

Human Comedy Writing about the bittersweet side of life

By Liz Allemang

M

ary Melfi has a broad range. Throughout her decades as a writer, she has explored issues of identity, relationships and “internalized psychological conflicts” in her works of prose, theatre and fiction. But when it comes to characters she likes writing about, there’s a particular type she often returns to.

“I enjoy focusing on characters who haven’t figured out what life is all about, but they’re quite OK with it. They accept the fact that life can be ugly and beautiful at one and the same time,” says Melfi. “This generates a bittersweet quality to their view of life.” One that Melfi believes she shares.

While she is thoughtful and humble in reflecting upon her own life, both in interviews and in her charming, self-described “history book disguised as an autobiography” Italy Revisited: Conversations with My Mother, and speaks with a healthy dose of realism and philosophizing, it seems that she has figured a few things out. And, surely, her readers are okay with that.

While Melfi’s writing exhibits a mastery of understanding, sympathizing with and challenging her characters, her proclivity for exploring subjects that are close to home has also allowed her to develop an ability to speak to complex, human subjects and relationships. Her writing is humourous and truthful. “It’s an unwritten rule you write about what you know,” says Melfi. And while that rule can be broken (“I did write a book about witches that was published by Doubleday Canada and I never met a witch in real life,” she says), Melfi has dedicated many of her literary explorations to the subjects of marriage and, more broadly, relationships.

Writing about marriage is fun, she says, because “you get to play all the parts, and decide on the outcome. In a comedy no one gets hurt. Not all that much anyway. Everyone wins. That’s what’s so nice about the form. Even grownups, on occasion, need to hear the words, ‘and they lived happily ever after.’”

But before living happily ever after – and perhaps this is where reality and comedy collide – Melfi’s work delves into juicy complication, self-reflection and situations in which readers can, she hopes, see themselves in the characters, make comparisons with them or, perhaps, forget themselves amid the 24

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voyeurism of the moment. “You can’t have a good marriage or a good life without a sense of humour. There is so much horror and tragedy and sorrow and conflict that if we take it all in, we’re doomed,” she says.

“Marriage provides comfort. Or it should. Those who have partners who accept them with all their pitiful imperfections have it good. Marital bliss is never a sure thing – something always seems to threaten it. That’s the stuff of nightmares. And comedies.”

With different contexts and motivations, Melfi has explored close, wellmeaning and maybe occasionally dysfunctional relationships in her dark comedy Foreplay, as well as its companion piece My Italian Wife. The latter, a play about two sisters – an Italian-born one raised poor, now rich, but insecure, and the younger-by-20-years, Canadian-born one raised comfortably, now poor, but young and beautiful – one of whom is suspected of having an affair with the other’s husband, will get the theatrical treatment in a production by The Sons of Italy. Running November 26 to 29, 2015, at the Casa d’Italia in Montreal, it will coincide with the release of her forthcoming novel, Via Roma (Guernica Editions, also out in November 2015).

In Via Roma, Melfi blends love story and murder mystery in a piece with broader philosophical considerations. A young Montrealer follows her heart to Italy, the way so many have before her. Initially on her honeymoon and later to figure out who killed her husband, the protagonist is constantly asking the question “Is there life after death?”

Following a busy fall, releasing a new novel and having one of her plays staged, another of Melfi’s works will be presented, this time to a new audience: Melfi’s memoir Italy Revisited, which has already been translated into Italian, will be published in French by Les Éditions Triptyque in early 2016. This seems fitting for an Italian who writes in English while living and working in Montreal. “Call me whatever you like – I can be Italian, Canadian, ItalianCanadian, Italian-Quebecois or just simply a Montrealer. I may have a fixed address, but I don’t have a fixed identity,” says Melfi. “That’s why I write books I guess – I need to pretend I am somebody or other. In comedy, as in life, you cannot take yourself too seriously.”

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LIFE & PEOPLE

A Rising Star Angelike Falbo

By Sabrina Marandola

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ever say never. Just ask Angelike Falbo. Up until two years ago, she was too shy to sing in front of her own parents. Now, at the age of 16, she is the youngest person ever to have been a finalist on the televised Quebec hit singing competition La Voix.

The Laurier Macdonald secondary five student admits she’s loved to sing since she was a child – but only when she was home alone or in the shower. “I am a very, very, very shy girl. I’m starting to come out of my shell now, but I was very shy. I wouldn’t sing in front of my own parents,” Falbo says.

Despite her timid character, by the age of 14 Falbo realized she wanted to study music and singing. “I told my parents I wanted to do this seriously. My dad said, ‘OK, but first I have to hear you sing,’” Falbo recalls, laughing. “I was still too shy to sing in front of him, so I told my dad to stay upstairs and I sang in the basement. My dad freaked out when he heard my voice.”

Joe Falbo was indeed shocked. “The voice was way more mature than the little girl I knew. She sounded at times like Christina Aguilera,” recalls Joe. “My jaw dropped and my eyes became watery. I was really impressed and I knew we couldn’t just leave it at that.”

He wasted no time in signing her up for singing lessons, and also registered his daughter in her first competition – the Italian youth singing competition Superfantastico.

Falbo, who was 15 at the time, made it to the finals of Superfantastico and got to perform on the prestigious stage at Place des Arts in front of a crowd of hundreds – a pivotal moment for her. “Singing at Place des Arts was an amazing experience. It made me realize how badly I wanted to do this.”

The following year, she took part in Star Plaza – a competition in Shawinigan for singers and songwriters between the ages of 6 and 25. She was crowned the winner of Star Plaza 2014.

A few weeks later, she heard that auditions for La Voix were open. “I spoke with my parents about it. I didn’t have a lot of experience but I said to them, ‘This is the year! I want to audition for La Voix.’”

Her rendition of her idol Christina Aguilera’s “You Lost Me” got one La Voix coach to turn her chair, sealing Falbo’s spot on the show.

The 16-year-old stuck around week after week, making it all the way to the finale and finishing second. “It has been the best experience of my life! I changed so much on the show. I grew so much. My presence on stage is so much better, my vocalization. It’s been amazing,” Falbo says. La Voix’s finale was a rock concert from start to finish, and Falbo was a part of every moment.

She got to share the stage with rock legends like Melissa Etheridge and Def Leppard. “To see me with Def Leppard, singing on the same stage, was the highlight of my father’s life,” says Falbo laughing. Joe agrees. “I grew up listening to Def Leppard. I asked Angelike, ‘Do you realize who you were on stage with?!’”

Falbo also sang with pop star Kelly Clarkson, and the highlight of her night – actually of her life – was getting a personalized video message from her idol Christina Aguilera, wishing her luck. “I was freaking out because she’s my idol.

I admire her so much. I was trying to say something but I couldn’t. I was crying too much,” Falbo recalls.

The teen says she’s grateful not only for all the success she’s had on the show but also for all the support along the way, including from her family, friends and school.

With live shows every week, Falbo had to miss classes, sometimes for two weeks at a time. “My school has been very understanding. They’ve been great.”

Since La Voix, Falbo is still getting used to a few things, like getting recognized when she’s out and about. “In my area, it’s more Anglophone. I didn’t think that if I went to Galeries d’Anjou, I would get recognized,” Falbo says, laughing. “I was shopping with some friends after school, in my LMAC hoodie and my hair in a bun, and people stopped me for pictures. I told my dad that I am never going out without fixing myself up first,” she jokes.

Falbo’s summer is booked. On July 4, she’ll be headlining a concert at the Leonardo Da Vinci Centre in St-Leonard called Angelike & Friends. On July 24, she’s off to Rimouski for a show called Les grandes voix du St-Laurent.

She’s also been approached to sing the national anthem at the Saputo Stadium before the Impact games.

In November, Falbo will join Melissa Etheridge on stage when she comes to the Bell Centre.

In between all of that, Falbo is working hard to release her first album by next spring. It’s leaps and bounds from the girl who, only two years ago, sang strictly in the shower. “I’m still a little shy. I always feel stress and some anxiety before I go on stage, but as soon as I sing that first line, it’s all worth it. It’s how I express myself and I enjoy it so much.”

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CYCLING

On Your Bike Cycling culture in Montreal

By Sabrina Marandola

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sk anybody about their very first bicycle.

Whether it had streamers on the handlebars, a hard plastic banana seat or a bell to warn others you were coming, the memories are likely very vivid. For some people, the passion, joy and sense of freedom that came from riding two wheels never faded. “It’s a stress-reliever – you get on your bike and go. I should have started a long time ago,” says Vincenzo Tilli, a 42-year-old who joined a Montreal cycling club called Eastern Riders a few years ago. “It’s a lot of fun. Cycling is fantastic. It’s a low-impact sport on your body and I would recommend it to anyone of any age – from people in their 20s to their 80s,” he says, adding that his wife started riding too and they also signed up their 7-year-old son in a cycling group in Laval.

Tilli rides every week with a few dozen other members of Eastern Riders. The group was cofounded by Andy (Andrea) Ingallati. Ingallati began cycling as a teenager in order to keep in shape. “I was a very heavy-set child. When I was 12 years old, I weighed 225 pounds. I started cycling and by the time I was 16, I weighed 180.”

But a motor-vehicle accident kept him off his bike for years…until one long weekend in July 1992. “A friend of mine called me and said, ‘Want to go for a bike ride?’”

That bike ride became a weekly event and as more friends joined, they formed a group called Eastern Riders. “Every Sunday morning, we meet at my house in St. Leonard and we leave from there,” says Ingallati, who is now in better shape at the age of 61 than he was when he was a teenager.

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CYCLING

Starting line, first Omnium Corneli (1964)

“

Cycling was a passion for many, and it was also the poor man’s sport. For cycling it takes plenty of passion, strength and sacrifices.

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“

The group rides donning its own uniform, which proudly displays flags.

“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 our community.”

The group is also guided by Italian values: “la famiglia”. “We are one big family. We are not racing. We leave as a group, and we come back as a group,” Tilli says. “Safety is number one. If one person gets a flat, we all stop. Like a famiglia, no one gets left behind,” Ingallati agrees.

The group travels at an average speed of about 30 km/h, meaning they ride too fast to use bike paths. But both agree the city of Montreal has excellent infrastructure, making it attractive for anyone to get on a bike and pick up the sport. “Montreal has some phenomenal bike paths,” Ingallati says.

According to The Copenhagenize Index, Montreal ranks 11th amongst big cities for being bicycle-friendly, beating out Rio, Paris and Barcelona.

“This index does a pretty good job reflecting Montreal’s position as one of the best bike cities in North America – along with Vancouver – and comes in ahead of New York,” says Marc Jolicoeur, research director at Vélo Québec.

According to Vélo Québec statistics, cycling is growing more popular every year among every age group. The latest figures from 2010 show that 2 million adults in Quebec from the ages of 18-74 ride a bike at least once a week; that’s up from 1.6 million in 2000.

More than half of cyclists – 53 per cent – now use their bike as a mode of transportation.

Jolicoeur also says the city has put in a lot of effort over the last 10 years to make Montreal even more bike-friendly. In 2008, the city adopted a transport plan that included increasing the city’s 600 km of bike paths to 1,200 km by 2015.“So far, 400 km have been added. The objective has not been attained, but the city is continuing its efforts,” says Jolicoeur.

Montreal also created the BIXI bike-sharing program in 2009. The program can now be found in cities around the world including London, New York, Chicago and Melbourne.

Bike shop owners have noticed the increasing trend. “More people are cycling today than 30 years ago. They want to exercise, gas prices are high, and they are conscious about the environment,” says Bruno Mastantuono, coowner of a family-run bike shop in NDG called Bicycles McWhinnies. Bruno and his two brothers Giuseppe and Nicola have owned the shop for 35 years and notice customers are more savvy than they used to be. “Customers inquire a lot more and they do their research. They want higher-end bikes.

Using a bike as a mode of transportation is part of it, but nowadays people want to be more involved in the sport of cycling,” Mastantuono says.

That is music to the ears of Federico Corneli. The 82-year-old was a very big name in Quebec’s cycling world starting in the late 1950s. He put Montreal on the map, organizing professional races and attracting

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CYCLING

Eastern Riders cycling club

prestigious teams from Italy and all of Europe to come to Canada to compete.

“In the 60s, cycling was only done by the aficionados. I had to bring cycling to Montreal.” In 1965, he organized the very first Omnium Corneli. The race, which ran through the heart of Montreal’s Italian community at the time near St. Michel and Fleury streets, drew a crowd of 50,000 spectators.

“Seeing 50,000 people pack the streets – it was incredible,” Corneli says, adding that the cycling organizing community was made up mostly of Italians at the time. “Cycling was a passion for many, and it was also the poor man’s sport. For cycling it takes plenty of passion, strength and sacrifices.”

The Omnium Corneli went on to be an annual event until 1975. At the same time, Corneli was a vice-president at the Canadian Cycling Association. He

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Team Corneli c. 1965

fondly remembers those years – when cyclists would ride in races organized in Montreal North, Anjou and St-Michel.

Nowadays, Corneli says the only professional event left in the city is the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal, where riders do laps on and around Mount Royal every September. At the last Grand Prix in 2014, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre announced a deal confirming that the event will continue to be held in Montreal for the next five years. Good news, but Corneli says he would like to see the city host more races. “The sport was more popular before. It’s become more about the politics than the sport nowadays. They should open the door to cycling because there is not one family in Quebec that doesn’t have a bike.”

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CYCLING

Stefania Varano and her late brother Marcello

Her Brother’s Keeper Inspired by memory of sibling, Montrealer pedals for hope

By Sara Germanotta very day at dawn, for the last few months, Montrealer Stefania Varano has been hopping onto her Raleigh Capri road bike and setting off on an early morning trek. The 27-year-old pedals from her home in Rivière-des-Prairies, across the Highway 25 bridge, and into Laval. Varano, who works as a lawyer for an aviation company, is part of a team that is training for the seventh annual Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer.

The two-day, 200 km ride from Montreal to Quebec City is Quebec’s largest cycling fundraiser, collecting more than $37 million over the past six years. Funds raised are used to support cancer research, treatment and prevention programs at the Jewish General Hospital. Many of the people who participate in the event have been personally impacted by the disease – Varano is one of them.

Five years ago, she lost her oldest brother Marcello to cancer. She says her brother was initially diagnosed and treated for melanoma when he was 27 years old. The cancer returned in 2009 and within weeks Marcello passed away, leaving behind a wife and young daughter. “It’s a pain that is indescribable,” explains Varano. “It’s not something that I ever wish on anyone and it has really changed me as a person. It’s a loss that never really goes away.”

Varano says Marcello was the quintessential older brother. Ten years her

E

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senior, Marcello was always looking out for his younger sister, making sure she was getting good grades at school and hanging out with the right group of friends. She says losing her big brother has taught her about the transience of life and the importance of cherishing every moment. “My brother was such an amazing, positive person. He was fighting so hard when he was sick, he never complained, he never said anything negative. He didn’t focus on the fact that he was ill. So, I figure if he can be so strong, I have no right to be weak,” says Varano.

It is in her brother’s memory that she has decided to participate in the Ride to Conquer Cancer. She and her teammates have been training tirelessly to prepare for the event, which takes place on July 11 and 12. The 10-person team, called the Spokesmen – “like the spokes on a bike,” specifies Varano – has already raised more than $15,000. Their goal is to raise $25,000. Varano says although she is proud to be raising so much money for such a good cause, she admits that she is getting something out of the experience as well: “I feel like this is a connection to my brother. Even though he can’t be here to see it, I know that he can feel it somehow. This is my way of acknowledging those that have cancer and the battle they are going through. Their strength should be recognised more than the disease that they have.”

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CYCLING

Photography by Michel Ostaszewski

Giuseppe Marinoni Driven by passion

By Sabrina Marandola

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ge is nothing but a number. If you want living proof, drop by the bike store Cycles Marinoni in Terrebonne and say hello to owner Giuseppe Marinoni.

Marinoni doesn’t just spend his time at his store designing, building and crafting top-of-the-line custom-made bicycles. He is also a former cycling champion who changed the face of the sport in Quebec and is still training to smash records at the age of 77.

Mention his name to any cycling aficionados in the province and watch their faces light up.“Giuseppe Marinoni?! He’s an icon. What a gentleman and an idol,” says Andy (Andrea) Ingallati, an avid cyclist and co-founder of a cycling club in Montreal called Eastern Riders. Fans like Ingallati remember his races in Quebec in the 1960s and 70s, but Marinoni won his first titles long before then, when he was growing up in Bergamo in northern Italy.

His passion and knack for cycling seem to run through his family’s veins.

Marinoni’s uncle, Antonio Marinoni, was a professional racer and won the Giro d’Italia in 1939 – Giuseppe was just two years old at the time. Marinoni is also second cousins with Paolo Savoldelli, who took home the pink jersey as the Giro d’Italia winner – twice. “I grew up watching my uncle race. I always had a passion for it, and I started racing when I was 16,” Marinoni says. By the age of 20, he was the bergamasco champion and was also winner of the Lombardy Championship.

When he was 21, Marinoni was forced to take a hiatus from racing in order to fulfill his obligatory military training. “That was a pivotal moment that changed the path of my life. If I had not had to leave for military training, I would have gone on to become a professional racer,” Marinoni says. After 18 months of military school, Marinoni returned to northern Italy and got back on his bike.

By the age of 27, Marinoni and an entire Italian racing team came to Quebec to compete in the Tour du Saguenay Lac-St-Jean. Little did Marinoni know it was the start of his new life in Quebec. “It was a spur of the moment decision. After the race, I was all packed and ready to go back to Italy – my suit34

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cases were in the taxi,” Marinoni recalls. But he never had a chance to say goodbye to Federico Corneli, the race organizer who brought in Marinoni and the team from Italy. “I went to thank him for everything and he said to me, ‘Why don’t you stay?’ So I never went to the airport that day. In my mind, I was going to stay for another month and then go back to Italy,” Marinoni says. But he fell in love with Canada, and with Simone – a young woman … and his future wife.

Quebec became his home – the place where he got married, started a family, and worked as a tailor to earn a living. “I hated being a tailor. I did it to put food on the table, but I never enjoyed it.” His true passion remained cycling.

He was quick to impress and leave his mark on the Quebec cycling world.

In 1966, he won the Quebec-Montreal race, and finished second in one stage of the Milk Race where he represented Canada. In 1968, Marinoni won the Quebec-Montreal race again and also won the Fitchburg race in the Tour de Grèce. He ended his racing career in 1972, but never ventured far from the sport. He coached the Quebec cycling team and brought them to Italy for a race.

That trip was where he discovered his ultimate passion – designing and building bikes. “The team and I visited bike factories in Italy, and that was where I observed closely and got ideas about how to build bikes.”

He returned home filled with passion and drive; he knew he wanted to design his own bikes. In 1975, without any background in bike design or engineering, he opened Cycles Marinoni and became the first bike manufacturer in Canada. “I can’t explain how I know how to do it. It is purely passion.”

He experimented with new designs, welded metal pieces together with open flames and made the prestigious Marinoni bicycles for the next generation of Quebec champions.

“In my 20s, riding was my passion. Now I put all my energy into making bikes. It is my biggest passion in life.” Marinoni was devoted, working around 80 hours a week to make about 2,000 bikes a year. That didn’t leave much time for cycling.

Out of shape and overweight by the age of 50, Marinoni decided it was time to start riding again. “I realized that if I didn’t get back on my bike, I

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CYCLING

Giuseppe Marinoni working in his workshop Cycle Marinoni in Terrebonne

wasn’t going to have a very long life.” He started pedalling and was shocked when he noticed his sweat was reddish in colour. “It was due to all the fine particles I inhaled from the years of welding. I transpired rust for about a year,” Marinoni says, admitting he wears a mask on his forehead when he welds instead of over his face. He shed about 30 pounds after his first six months of riding.

Now, just shy of his 78th birthday, Marinoni rides about 10,000 kilometres a year – and has an extra title under his belt. Three years ago, when he was 75, Marinoni competed in the Hour Record. Considered to be one of the most prestigious cycling records, it is a competition for the longest distance an individual cycles in one hour. He covered 35.7 kilometres and won the title in his age category.

His story was even made into a documentary film called Marinoni: The Fire in the Frame, which played across Canada earlier this spring.

He credits his wife of 48 years for her unwavering support. “Without a woman, a man does not go very far,” he says. Simone Marinoni, who works at the bike store six days a week and speaks impeccable Italian and bergamasco dialect, appreciates his dedication.

“When he gets an idea in his head, there is no stopping him…As long as he has a challenge, he is happy,” she says.

Marinoni’s next challenge is to keep his legs in shape for when he turns 80. He plans to compete in the Hour Record once again for a victory in the 80 age group. “When I’m on a bike, I feel free. I have no age when I ride.”

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Graduates of the year Send us your graduation pictures!

Les diplômés et gradués de l’année

Laureati e diplomati, mandateci le vostre foto!

2014 -15

Envoyez nous vos photos de graduation!

I diplomati e i laureati dell’anno

Si prega di inviare la foto a www.panoramitalia.com e cliccare prima su ‘Magazine’ e poi su‘Graduates of the Year’, oppure spedirla perposta indicando: nome, titolo, programmadi studio e istituto di provenienza.

Deadline: July 7, 2015

SVP télécharger votre photo sur www.panoramitalia.com en cliquant sur ‘Magazine’ et ensuite sur ‘Graduates of the Year’ ou envoyer votre photo par la poste en incluant le nom du diplômé, de l’institution d’enseignement, et du programme d’étude.

Coût de $35. Échéance: 7 juillet, 2015

Pictures will appear in the August/September issue

Les photos seront publiées dans l’édition Août/Septembre

Le foto saranno pubblicate nell’edizione di agosto/settembre

Please submit your picture on www.panoramitalia.com by clicking on ‘Magazine’ followed by ‘Graduates of the Year,’or by mail, and include the graduate’s name, institution, and field of study.

Cost is $35.

Scadenza: 7 luglio, 2015

9300, Henri-Bourassa West, suite 100, Ville St-Laurent (Quebec) H4S 1L5

Panoram Italia’s

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Treasures of Italy Tours BOOKED ONLY THROUGH PANORAM ITALIA MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE TO PANORAM ITALIA READERS

Tour Italy with Panoram Italia in June or September, 2015!

June 26 departure accompanied

by Weatherman Frank Cavallaro

15 Days - 14 Nights Venice Florence Montecatini Cinque Terre Siena

San Gimignano Assisi Sorrento Rome

Departures / Prices June 26, 2015: $3895 Sept. 4, 2015: $3995

Includes

per person for double occupancy (taxes incl.)

• Direct flight to Venice and return from Rome • Guided tours of Venice, Florence, Siena, Assisi and Rome • Boat trip to the islands of Murano and Burano

• Air conditioned coach • 14-night accommodation in 4-star hotels

For booking information please contact: info@panoramitalia.com 1 855 866 2151 In collaboration with

• Wine and olive oil tasting in San Gimignano • 13 dinners and daily breakfast

Le prix exclut le 1.00$ / 1000.00$ de service touristique acheté représentant la contribution des clients au fonds d’indemnisation des clients des agents de voyage.

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URBAN

ED E

T

he view from many of the condo units planned for a hub in the Town of Mount Royal will feature the city’s expansive tree canopy. Leaves fill the lower sky with a vibrant green all summer. Then cool autumn nights transform the foliage into a blaze of red and golden glory. “It’s so impressive that we decided to incorporate the Eden St. name to reflect the urban garden aspects,” says Paolo Presti, the owner/developer of the Presti Condominium Eden project slated for the Carré Lucerne area.

The sales office won’t open until late May, but there’s already a waiting list for the approximately 130 units.

It’s not every day that high-quality, affordable condos are built in the middle of a metropolis. The one-bedroom units, ranging in size from 520 to 650 square feet, will start at $139,000, while the two-bedroom options, which range from 800 to 1,200 square feet, will begin at $239,000. “For a young couple starting out, a single person, or downsizing retirees, this project is ideal,” Presti says.

He beams when the buyers of earlier projects refer to their properties as a ‘Presti condo’ to denote its distinct quality. “We are both the builder and the seller, so we remain invested throughout the project. We really want to make good on all our promises,” Presti says. “We also do everything we can to make each unit feel like an individual home.”

Soundproofing engineers provide advice on minimizing noise disturbances prior to construction and later certify each unit as insulated well 38

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ADVERTORIAL

EN

Presti condo project capitalizes on TMR location and the surrounding trees

beyond code. Each unit has an adjustable heating/air-conditioning system for optimal control, and each is equipped with a steel-enforced door and multi-lock system so occupants feel safe at home and leaving their condos.

A major reason for the Eden project’s immediate popularity is location, location, location. The units will be seconds from the Metropolitan by car, a 10-minute walk to the Namur metro station, and steps from three bus lines. “First Capital’s revamp of the former TMR Shopping Centre already has or is in the process of opening a Scotia Bank , a brand new Provigo supermarket, a Starbucks, a Pharmaprix, a Ben & Florentine and other everyday conveniences,” adds Presti.

The address is another immediate draw. “TMR is always prime real estate that buyers recognize as having strong resale value,” he says. “It’s also an ideal way for young couples to enrol their children in good schools and to enjoy the many parks, tennis courts and community activities.”

A main entrance will link eight-storey and six-storey buildings. The lower structure will house a rooftop terrace with a garden walkway, and gardens for residents with a green thumb. Other amenities will include a fitness room and sauna, swimming pool and indoor parking.

The units are scheduled for delivery in the late summer and early autumn of 2017… just in time for the bright autumn foliage. For more information, call 450-663-9486, Ext. 234 or check www.edenmontroyal.com.

PANORAMITALIA.COM

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Exclusively at Éco Dépôt Céramique LAVAL

MONTRÉAL

SOUTH SHORE

1111, AUTOROUTE 440 OUEST

8710, rue PASCAL-GAGNON

3555, boul. TASCHEREAU

450 667-1166

514 323-8936

450 678-9191

www.eco-depot.ca

MTL JUNE/JULY 41-60_Layout 1 2015-06-01 3:27 PM Page 41

The largest showroom in Quebec with on-site designers • CERAMIC • PORCELAINE • NATURAL STONE • VANITY • MOSAICS

Over 40 years experience

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FASHION

1.

Getaway Bag How and what to pack so you can pick up and go this summer

By Alessia Sara Domanico

“La 2.

valigia sul letto è quello di un lungo viaggio…” so goes that old time tune sung by Julio Iglesias, aka Enrique for Nonna. While the trip may still be long, the concept of luggage has changed dramatically. Where women often pack way more than necessary, men are equally guilty of leaving the more important things, like clean underwear and deodorant, behind. So how do we find the fine balance? First, it depends on your journey’s length and mode of travel. Let’s use a seven-day holiday as our framework and examine two modes of transport: car and plane.

Road trip ready A trunk can make all the difference to what you’re able to bring with you, but that doesn’t mean going overboard. It means one trolley and a duffel bag, with room for an extra pair of shoes.

Map out your six days; you are already wearing what you need for the first leg of the trip. Our advice is to plan two outfits per day. If you’re at the beach then six T-shirts, four swimsuits, and a pair of sandals will get you through with some more

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3.

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FASHION

dressy, but space-saving items for the evening: linen for both men and women, all-in-one dresses for the ladies, shirts and cotton trousers for the gents. If you’re opting for drier surroundings, then a mix of shorts, leggings, jeans and dresses that you can alternate through the days will serve you well. Unisex hoodies are excellent to have, as are scarves for a little extra coverage in a cool breeze.

Ripped jeans are back again this season and can instantly turn a regular look into a laidback, vacation-ready one. Backpacks are also great ways to pack for the trip and then reutilize on a day-today basis for various needs. If the tablet is unessential, why not leave it at home? Less stress about having it stolen or lost and more space/concentration for other matters, there’s always your smartphone! Speaking of which, make sure you have a car or portable charger for juice.

Frequent flyer It doesn’t matter how hot and sweaty you are from wrestling your way through check-in, security and the race to the gate once the plane takes off it will be cooler and you’ll want to cover up.

Whether jeans or leggings, the important thing is that you are wearing PANTS on a plane because it will get cold. Light, longsleeved cotton shirts and cardigans with a seasonal scarf are exactly what you need to make your journey an enjoyable one.

If you have access to a washing machine during your trip and aren’t too fussed about having more than two wardrobe changes a day, then the basics will be your best friend. Men can bring three button-up shirts, a pair of jeans, shorts and more formal trousers – throw in a tie and a jacket while you’re at it. Ladies can follow suit, but with a failsafe skirt and LBD (little black dress). Jewellery can and will make all the difference to changing up your looks (e.g. flashy earrings and colourful necklaces) and it’s lighter than packing an entirely new outfit. For shoes, go for a pair of dressy, a pair of nice sandals and a pair of destructible flip-flops. Stay away from materials that wrinkle a lot such as silks and linens; you can always buy something in that fabric while on vacation!

And as a far as liquids go, just buy items like shampoo, sunscreen and body lotion once you’ve reached your destination, so you can maximize your space.

4.

5.

6.

L E G E N D

How to pack fool-proof luggage Make sure that your heavy items are stored at the bottom of a case by the luggage wheels. Line the side of the luggage with books, boxes and other items that present a non-issue for breaking or distortion. Shoes go separately in cloth sacks and shouldn’t be clumped together. Store socks inside shoes to save on space.

Firmly press clothing flat into the bottom of the case to allow for as much space as possible. Roll any breakables in T-shirts or towels and pat in to fill any holes. Finish by gently laying any shirts or other items, which need ironing on the top. By having them at the top of everything, you reduce the need for them to be heavily ironed on the other side of your vacation. Vacuum packs are also an excellent space saving cheat either for road or air travel.

1. LouisVuitton 2. Dior 3. Tod's 4. DSquared 5. Dior 6. Men's Carry On

PANORAMITALIA.COM

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LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

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

Domenic Joseph Di Carlo

Alissa Vincenti Nickname: Lis, Lissy, Ali Occupation: Psychology Student at Concordia University and Model-home Hostess at Presti Construction Age: 20 Generation: Third Dad’s side from: Ferrari di Serino (Avellino), Campania Mom’s side from: Morrone del Sannio (Campobasso), Molise Speaks: English, French & Italian Raised in: Ste-Dorothee, Laval Clothes: Zara jeans, blazer from Nivo Novo Boutique and Forever 21 camisole.

Favourite boutique: Bedo Fashion idol: Blake Lively and Olivia Palermo Passion: I am passionate about travelling, food, fashion and interior design.

Goal in life: To have a successful career, to be happy and to be half the mother my mom is.

Pet peeve: Loud chewing

Favourite restaurant: Imperio Grill

Favourite dish: My mom and Nonna’s homemade gnocchi Your best dish: My eggplant parmesan

Best caffè in Montreal: Café Vito

Best panino in Montreal: 44

PANORAMITALIA.COM

My father’s eggplant and prosciutto panino on warm olive bread Favourite aperitivo: Vermouth

Nickname: D.J, Dom, Micoots Occupation: Business Student Age: 21 Generation: Third Dad’s side from: Intermesoli, Abruzzo Mom’s side from: Nocera Terinese, Calabria Speaks: English, French, Italian, Un po’ di Spanish Raised in: Lasalle Clothes: Tiger of Sweden sweater, J. Lindbergh pants, Deus shirt.

Favourite boutique:

You know you are ItalianCanadian if: You have a cantina

Three Monkeys

that is filled with tomato sauce, sausages and wine.

Favourite Italian city: Genoa Favourite Italian song: Donna Donna Mia by Toto Cutugno Italian soccer team: Juventus (for you Justin!)

Sexiest Italian: Mariano Di Vaio

Don Cherry

What you like most about Panoram: I like how Panoram

I like to hunt and fish.

Pet peeve: Bad breath!

Favourite dish: Gnocchi fatti in casa da mia nonna!

connects the Italian-Canadian community together through interesting stories, history and food.

Fashion idol: Passion: Sustainability, the great outdoors, and family Goal in life: To have a beautiful family.

Thing about you that would surprise most people:

Best pizza in Montreal:

Best panino in Montreal: Boucherie Marchigiani’s Favourite aperitivo: A tiny shot of Nonno’s grappa. Strong enough to power a diesel engine.

You know you are ItalianCanadian if: Nonni always had S cookies or mini pear juices in la cantina.

Favourite Italian song: Le Mamme by Toto Cutugno Italian soccer team: I actually like Manchester United

What you like most about Panoram: I love the idea that most readers share something in common and that the magazine is the perfect medium to bring us together.

Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: Making

Giuseppe’s in Lasalle

Best caffè in Montreal:

Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: Making wine

homemade tomato sauce with the entire family in my Nonni’s garage.

Tim Hortons of course…. Just kidding, Café Olimpico for sure

in nonno’s garage or watching The Price is Right with nonna.

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Photography by Vincenzo D’Alto Makeup by: Jennifer Low Location: Da Emma Restaurant

Melina Catanzaro Nickname: Minimelly, Turtle Occupation: Owner of Minimelly Sugars Age: 28 Generation: Second Parents from: Ribera (Agrigento), Sicily Speaks: English, French, Italian, Sicilian & Armenian Raised in: Laval

1ère Avenue

Prosciutto, mortadella, bocconcini and olive panino made fresh from any bakery.

Fashion idol:

Favourite aperitivo:

Audrey Hepburn Passion: Nutella Goal in life: To build a life I’m proud of.

Campari Soda

Thing about you that would surprise most people: I have

“Cu cerca trova, e cu arrisica vince.”

Clothes: Zara Favourite boutique:

the jab strength of Conor McGregor.

Pet peeve: People who can’t laugh at themselves, and when the Nutella is finished.

Favourite restaurant: Lucille’s Oyster Dive Favourite dish: Pulled pork burger

Preferred drinking establishment: La Marquise Favourite Italian saying: You know you are ItalianCanadian if: You end up in Panoram Italia.

John Legend

Favourite Italian song: Un cuore matto

Mangiafoco

Best panino in Montreal:

making in September.

My pizza, according to Sergio

Best pizza in Montreal:

♥♥♥

♥♥♥

Musical preference:

Sexiest Italian: Joe Manganiello Best way to feel Italian in Montreal: Wedding season What you like most about Panoram: The recipes!

Best memory growing up Italian-Canadian: Tomato sauce

Your best dish:

Beaucoup plus qu’un boucher So much more than a butcher

Boucherie Capitol MTL. ( Marché Jean-Talon ) 158, Place Marché du Nord Montréal ( Québec ) H2S 1A1 Tél: 514 276-1345 Fax: 514 274-0410

www.boucheriecapitol.com PANORAMITALIA.COM

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ROME

Photography by Pascal Rousseau

Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II

When in Rome A Roma

By Francesca Spizzirri

“A thousand roads lead men [and women] forever to Rome.” This Latin proverb still holds true two and a half thousand years later, as millions of enthusiastic travellers continue to flock to the Eternal City, relishing in its rich history, vivacious spirit and striking visual atmosphere.

“Tutte le strade portano a Roma.” Questo proverbio latino è ancora valido a duemila e cinquecento anni di distanza, considerato che milioni di viaggiatori entusiasti continuano a confluire nella Città Eterna, assaporandone la sua storia ricca, il suo spirito vivace e l’ atmosfera suggestiva.

R

oma è un tesoro di antichi splendori, la sua storia epica è incisa su ogni pietra che ha forgiato il suo passato leggendario. Luoghi storici quali il Colosseo, il Foro Romano, il colle Palatino, Castel Sant’Angelo, il Circo Massimo, il Pantheon, il colle Aventino – dove la nascita mitologica e il lascito di Roma ebbero inizio – continuano ad attirare migliaia di visitatori millenni più tardi.

Costellata da rovine sia sopra che sotto terra, l’ex “caput mundi” (capitale del mondo) è un museo a cielo aperto con opere famose esposte ad ogni svolta. Sotto Palazzo Valentini ed a pochi passi da Piazza Venezia, gli appassionati di storia possono esplorare i resti archeologici delle Domus Romane – due antiche case romane

ome is a treasure trove of ancient splendours, its epic story written on every stone shaping its legendary past. Historical sites such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill, Castel Sant’Angelo, Circus Maximus, the Pantheon, and the Aventine Hill – where Rome’s mythical birth and legacy began – continue to draw thousands of visitors millennia later.

Dotted with ruins both above and below ground, the former “caput mundi” (capital of the world) is an open-air museum with celebrated works displayed at every turn. Beneath Palazzo Valentini and steps from Piazza 46

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ROME Venezia, history enthusiasts can explore the archeological remains of Le Domus Romane – two ancient Roman houses that provide a refreshing glimpse into underground Rome. At the Centrale Montemartini museum, a collection of sculptures representative of the spoils from several excavation campaigns are yours to enjoy.

The capital of Italy, famed for “La Dolce Vita,” is lined with cobblestoned paths that lead to picturesque piazzas filled with cafès and trattorias that spill onto its atmospheric streets. When in Rome, do as the Romans do!

Sit back with an aperitivo and take in the artistic marvels displayed in Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Campo dei Fiori and Piazza del Campidoglio. In Piazza del Popolo, don’t miss gazing at the two Caravaggio paintings hanging on opposing walls in the Cerasi Chapel of the nearby Church of Santa Maria del Popolo. The majestic Fontana di Trevi takes on breathtaking heroic proportions when illuminated by night – don’t forget to throw a coin into the fountain, as legend holds it will ensure your return to Rome!

In Rome, the old mingles seamlessly with the new – a concept Pope Francis has embraced with inspiring ease, reinvigorating interest in the Roman Catholic Church and Vatican City State; an enclave nestled in the heart of Rome, where you can take in the rhythm, rituals and splendour of the Holy See. Recently, his Holiness made headlines when he invited the homeless to admire the beauty of the Vatican museums and the breathtaking Sistine Chapel – home to Michelangelo’s fresco “The Creation of Adam.”

While admiring the glorious beauty of Bernini’s colonnade in St. Peter’s Square and the Basilica, one cannot help but reflect on the past and the ambitious popes and cardinals who left behind great artistic treasures, among them the spectacular Farnese Palace. Now the site of the French Embassy, it is one of Rome’s most impressive Renaissance Palazzi and home to the Carracci Gallery which houses marvellous frescoes. It recently reopened after an extensive restoration.

Built during the height of the Renaissance, arguably the golden age of Italian art and architecture, many of Rome’s stately palazzi are now the home of government buildings such as Palazzo Chigi, Palazzo Barberini, Palazzo Spada and the Palazzo del Quirinale; named after the hill on which it sits overlooking Rome.

che offrono uno scorcio nuovo della Roma sotterranea. Al museo Centrale Montemartini, una collezione di sculture, esempi di resti provenienti da diversi scavi, è a vostra disposizione per essere ammirata.

La capitale d’Italia, rinomata per “la Dolce Vita”, è delineata da vicoli di sanpietrini che conducono a piazze pittoresche piene di caffè e trattorie che danno sulle sue stradine ricche d’atmosfera. Una volta a Roma, fate come fanno i romani!

Rilassatevi con un aperitivo ed ammirate le meraviglie artistiche in mostra a Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, Campo dei Fiori e Piazza del Campidoglio. A Piazza del Popolo, non perdetevi l’occasione di ammirare i due dipinti del Caravaggio appesi sulle pareti opposte della Cappella Cerasi nella vicina Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo. La maestosa Fontana di Trevi assume spettacolari proporzioni mozzafiato quando illuminata di notte – non scordate di gettare una monetina nella fontana, visto che la leggenda vi assicura il vostro ritorno a Roma!

Nella Città Eterna, il vecchio si mescola armoniosamente con il nuovo – un concetto che Papa Francesco ha abbracciato con una naturalezza motivante, rafforzando l’interesse per la Chiesa Cattolica Romana e lo Stato della Città del Vaticano: un enclave incastonato nel cuore di Roma, dove potete far vostri il ritmo, i rituali e lo splendore della Santa Sede. Di recente, sua Santità ha fatto notizia per aver invitato i senzatetto ad ammirare le bellezze dei musei vaticani e la meravigliosa Cappella Sistina – sede dell’affresco di Michelangelo, “La Creazione di Adamo.”

Mentre si contempla la gloriosa bellezza del colonnato del Bernini e della Basilica a Piazza San Pietro, non si può fare a meno di riflettere sul passato e sui papi e i cardinali ambiziosi che hanno lasciato alle loro spalle immensi tesori artistici, tra i quali lo spettacolare Palazzo Farnese. Adesso sede dell’Ambasciata francese a Roma e sede della Galleria Carracci che custodisce affreschi meravigliosi, è uno dei palazzi rinascimentali più belli della capitale. È stato riaperto al pubblico in primavera dopo un lungo restauro.

Edificati all’apice del Rinascimento, probabilmente il periodo d’oro dell’arte e dell’architettura italiane, molti dei grandiosi palazzi romani ospitano adesso uffici governativi come Palazzo Chigi, Palazzo Barberini, Palazzo Spada e il Palazzo del Quirinale, così chiamato per via del colle sul quale si trova, affacciato su Roma.

I mitici sette colli di Roma offrono panorami stupendi, sebbene Roma comprenda molti più colli e paesaggi spettacolari. Posizioni panoramiche da cartolina includono il Giardino degli Aranci sull’Aventino che si affaccia sulla cupola della Basilica di San Pietro. Il colle del Gianicolo è il posto ideale per ammirare la città

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ROME The city’s fabled seven hills provide magnificent panoramic views, though Rome is home to many more glorious hills and landscapes. Postcardworthy vantage spots include the Giardino degli Aranci on the Aventine Hill that looks out to the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Janiculum Hill is the perfect place to overlook the city at sunset, while the Capitoline Hill offers two impressive views. On the Alban Hills, in the Castelli Romani, visit the town of Frascati to sit at a picnic table restaurant and dine on delicious porchetta and wine, while looking over the valley towards Rome.

When seeking respite from the city chaos, head to the enchantingly beautiful Villa Borghese – Rome’s most celebrated park. This beautiful oasis in the heart of Rome stretches from above Piazza del Popolo to the end of the fashionable Via Veneto, crowning Rome in a magnificent canopy of green.

Art lovers will delight in the collection of paintings and sculptures, including some of Bernini’s most beautiful works, displayed in the Galleria Borghese, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna and the Museo Nazionale Etrusco all located within the park. There is also an amphitheatre, cinemas, a bio park, a lake and numerous fountains dotted throughout.

One of the nation’s most important private art collections is housed in the Galleria Doria Pamphilj which includes masterpieces by Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian and Velázquez. Admission includes a charming audio guide narrated by Prince Jonathon Doria Pamphilj that brings this 17th century splendour alive with intriguing tales of his family’s history.

With so many sights and things to do, Rome is truly a global city. It is also one of the fashion capitals of the world, with some of Italy’s oldest jewellery and clothing establishments founded here. A stroll along Via Condotti and the Spanish Steps will reveal celebrated Italian designer boutiques. For affordable finds, head to Via Cola di Rienzo or Via del Corso that leads all the way to the bustling Piazza Venezia with its impressive monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king to rule a unified Italy. If you get the chance, be sure to visit the market in Campo dei Fiori.

West of the Tiber River, across the picturesque Ponte Sisto, Romans and tourists flock to the lively and ancient quarter of Trastevere. A walk along its labyrinth of colourful streets will reveal flailing laundry and religious shrines, as well as some of the city’s best bars and restaurants. Here you will find the authentic soul of the Eternal City. The heart of this neighbourhood

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al tramonto, mentre il Capitolino offre due panorami impressionanti. Sui colli Albani, ai Castelli Romani, visitate la città di Frascati per sedervi in un ristorante con tavoli da picnic e cenare a base di porchetta deliziosa e vino, mentre ammirate la valle che si estende verso Roma.

Quando cercate una tregua dal caos della città, recatevi alla meravigliosamente bella Villa Borghese – il parco più popolare di Roma. Quest’oasi stupenda nel cuore della capitale si estende da sopra Piazza del Popolo alla fine dell’elegante via Veneto, coronando Roma con un meraviglioso tetto di verde. Gli amanti dell’arte si delizieranno con la collezione di dipinti e sculture, incluse alcune delle opere più belle del Bernini, esposte alla Galleria Borghese, alla Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna ed al Museo Nazionale Etrusco, tutti situati all’interno del parco. Ci sono anche un anfiteatro, dei cinema, un bioparco, un lago e numerose fontane tutte intorno.

Una delle collezioni d’arte private più importanti della nazione è ospitata presso la Galleria Doria Pamphilj ed include capolavori di Raffaello, Caravaggio, Tiziano e Velásquez. Il biglietto d’ingresso comprende un’affascinante audioguida narrata dal principe Jonathan Doria Pamphilj che riporta in vita questo splendore del XVII secolo attraverso storie intriganti sulla propria famiglia.

Con così tante cose da vedere e fare, Roma è davvero una città universale. È anche una delle capitali mondiali della moda, con alcune delle gioiellerie e aziende d’abbigliamento più antiche d’Italia. Una passeggiata lungo via Condotti e la scalinata di Piazza di Spagna riveleranno boutique di acclamati stilisti italiani. Per trovare cose più abbordabili, dirigetevi in via Cola di Rienzo o via del Corso che porta dritto alla trafficata Piazza Venezia con il suo momumento ragguardevole a Vittorio Emanuele II, primo re a governare l’Italia unificata. Se ne avete l’opportunità, assicuratevi di visitare il mercato di Campo dei Fiori.

A ovest del fiume Tevere, attraverso il pittoresco Ponte Sisto, romani e turisti si riversano nel quartiere antico e vivace di Trastevere. Una passeggiata lungo le sue stradine, labirinto di colori, rivelerà insieme bucato svolazzante e santuari religiosi, così come alcuni dei migliori locali e ristoranti della città. Qui troverete l’anima autentica della Città Eterna. Il cuore di questo quartiere è Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere; li, potrete rilassarvi sui gradini della fontana e godervi il modo in cui si muovono i Romani nel quotidiano.

Per non lasciarsi sopraffare dal suo patrimonio storico, non ci si possono lasciar sfuggire i cibi deliziosi della Città Eterna. Il modo migliore e più piacevole d’immergersi nella cultura romana locale è mangiare e bere. Per cui una volta a

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ROME is Piazza Santa Maria Trastevere where you can relax on the steps of the fountain and enjoy as Romans go about their daily lives.

Not to be outdone by its historical treasures, one cannot overlook the delicious food of the Eternal City. The best and most enjoyable way to immerge yourself into the local Roman culture is by eating and drinking. So when in Rome, eat as the Roman’s do! From pizza al taglio (sliced), to classic pastas such as Cacio e Pepe and Carbonara, to Saltimbocca alla Romana and braised artichokes – Rome is bursting with great eateries with both traditional and creative cuisine. When it comes to satisfying your sweet tooth, nothing beats a delicious gelato artiginale (homemade)! Try the gelaterie Giolitti, GROM, I Caruso or Come Il Latte. For a typical Roman dessert, try a Maritozzi.

Rome is a magical city, both magnificently mesmerizing and undoubtedly chaotic; yet it is so seductive that one’s final thoughts are surely, “Arrivederci Roma… until we meet again!”

(Seguito del pezzo in italiano...)

Roma, mangiate come fanno i romani! Dalla pizza al taglio, ai classici piatti di pasta tipo Cacio e Pepe o Carbonara, dai Saltimbocca alla Romana ai carciofi brasati – Roma trabocca di punti di ristoro sia con cucina tradizionale che creativa. E quando si tratta di soddisfare la vostra golosità, non c’è niente di meglio di un delizioso gelato artigianale! Provate le gelaterie Giolitti, GROM, I Caruso o Come il Latte. Per un dolce tipicamente romano, gustate i maritozzi.

Roma è una città magica, sia superbamente affascinante che indubbiamente caotica; eppure è talmente seducente che l’ultimo pensiero è senza dubbio: “Arrivederci Roma…arrivederci ancora!”

Vintage Fiat 500 with old Roma plate

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Photography by Pascal Rousseau

The Roman Legacy Il Lascito Romano

Largo di Torre Argentina in Rome’s historical centre

By Sara Germanotta

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hen most people think of Rome, the usual images that come to mind are of its ancient ruins – the Colosseum, the Pantheon – some of the greatest architectural and engineering feats in history; or perhaps it’s of Roman fashion – Valentino, Fendi, Laura Biagiotti; maybe you think of the food – spaghetti alla carbonara, cacio e pepe, carciofi. There is much the Eternal City and its people have given us. But once you set foot in Rome, there is no doubt you have arrived in what once was – and for some, still is – the centre of the greatest civilization in history.

The Roman Empire began in about 27 BC, when Augustus Octavianus Caesar became first Emperor of Rome, and it spanned centuries. At the height of their dominance, from about 1 to 200 AD, the Romans had conquered much of the Mediterranean world, their territory stretching from Britain to Mesopotamia and from the Rhine River to the deserts of North Africa. It is a time and place that has inspired and captivated the imagination of everyone from scholars to Hollywood movie makers.

Dr. Michael Fronda is an associate professor of Roman History at McGill University. Fronda’s fascination with the Roman world began when he was a young boy. “Maybe it was all of those National Geographic magazines my family kept in the house,” he jokes. “In high school, I loved history. I was also lucky because my high school offered Latin and as a precocious teenager, I decided to learn the language. I can still remember the first line of Caesar’s account of his conquest of Gaul: Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres (All of Gaul is divided into three parts…).”

Today, the 44-year-old says he is still captivated by ancient Rome: “On the one hand the Romans seem so modern and so similar to our society today. And then on the other hand the ancient world is radically different, and many of their cultural practices and assumptions would strike us as bizarre or even horrifying,” explains Fronda. “For example, here was a society in which slavery was simply accepted, where gladiators and exotic animals were slaughtered in blood sports that were quite popular, and so on. I think most of us today would find the Roman world simply shocking. This duality – the profound similarity and extraordinary foreignness of ancient Rome – is a paradox that never ceases to amaze and interest me.”

Fronda says one of the most fascinating aspects of the Roman empire was its ability to control such a large and vast territory – which included anywhere from 50 million to 100 million inhabitants – at a time when the modes of communication were quite rudimentary. The Romans used more than military prowess to assert their power. “They appear to have done a remarkable job in getting local political leaders to cooperate and collaborate with Roman rule. To use a modern phrase, the Romans seem to have been masters of soft power,” says Fronda. “The Romans made grants of Roman citizenship to individuals – usually men of status who had served Rome loyally and their families – and to whole communities. Citizenship meant certain legal privileges and protections, and perhaps even status to the one receiving it.”

Romans were also avant-garde in the manner in which they treated those they conquered. Dr. Lionel Sanders has been teaching Classics at Concordia University since 1972. He believes the Romans’ greatest legacy is their ability to unite the Mediterranean communities – the only time this was ever done. In spreading their culture, the Romans also spread their language, and this is why so many people today speak French, Italian, Spanish and other Romance languages: these all derive from Latin, the official language of the Roman Empire. “Unlike the Greeks, the Romans recognized and were not ashamed of the fact that they were not of pure stock and they encouraged non-Romans to become Romanized,” explains Sanders.

“This is reflected in the Roman view that the Mediterranean is our sea – mare nos50

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uando la maggioranza delle persone pensa a Roma, le immagini ricorrenti che vengono in mente sono quelle delle sue antiche rovine – il Colosseo, il Pantheon – alcune tra le più grandi imprese d’ingegneria e architettura della Storia. Ci sono tantissime cose che la Città Eterna e i suoi abitanti ci offrono. Ma quando si mette piede a Roma, non c’è dubbio che si è giunti in quello che una volta era – e per alcuni continua ad essere – il centro della più grande civiltà della Storia.

L’Impero romano esordi nel 27a.C. circa, data di inizio del principato di Cesare Ottaviano Augusto divenne il primo imperatore di Roma e durò secoli. All’apice del proprio dominio, dall’1 al 200d.C circa, i Romani avevano conquistato la maggior parte del Mediterraneo, con possedimenti che si estendevano dalla Britannia alla Mesopotamia e dal fiume Reno al deserto del Nord Africa. Michael Fronda è professore associato di Storia Romana all’Unversità McGill. L’attrazione di Fronda per il mondo Romano è iniziata da ragazzo. “È stato forse per via di tutti quei National Geographic che la mia famiglia teneva in casa,” scherza. “Alla scuola superiore, amavo la storia. Sono stato anche fortunato perché la mia scuola offriva latino e in quanto ragazzino precoce, ho deciso d’imparare la lingua.

Oggi, il quarantaquattrenne afferma di essere ancora affascinato dall’antica Roma: “Da un lato i Romani sembrano tanto moderni e simili alla nostra società odierna. Ma poi, dall’altro lato, il mondo antico è completamente diverso e molte delle loro pratiche culturali e convinzioni ci sorprenderebbero in quanto bizzarre o addirittura orripilanti,” spiega Fronda.“Per esempio, si trattava di una società nella quale la schiavitù era semplicemene accettata, dove gladiatori e animali esotici venivano massacrati in giochi cruenti che erano abbastanza popolari e così via. Questo dualismo – la profonda similitudine e la straordinaria differenza dell’antica Roma – è un paradosso che mai cesserà di stupirmi e interessarmi.”

Fronda dice che uno degli aspetti più affascinanti dell’Impero romano stava nell’abilità di controllare un territorio così grande e vasto – che comprendeva tra i 50 e i 100 milioni di abitanti – in un’epoca in cui i mezzi di comunicazione erano piuttosto rudimentali. “Pare che i Romani abbiano fatto un lavoro notevole nello spronare i capi politici locali a cooperare e collaborare secondo le leggi romane. Per utilizzare un’espressione moderna, sembra che i Romani siano stati specialisti del “soft power” (potere di persuasione),” afferma Fronda. “Hanno garantito la cittadinanza a individui – di solito uomini di prestigio che avevano servito Roma con lealtà e le loro famiglie – ed a comunità intere. Cittadinanza voleva dire alcuni privilegi legali e protezione, e magari anche prestigio per colui che la riceveva.”

I Romani furono pure all’avanguardia per il modo in cui trattavano coloro che conquistavano. Il dottor Lionel Sanders insegna Lettere Classiche alla Concordia University dal 1972. Ritiene che la più grande eredità lasciataci dai Romani sia stata la loro abilità nel riunire le comunità del Mediterraneo – unica volta in cui una cosa simile sia stata fatta. Nel diffondere la propria cultura i Romani hanno anche espanso la propria lingua ed è questo il motivo per cui al giorno d’oggi così tante persone parlano francese, italiano, spagnolo ed altre lingue romanze: derivano tutte dal latino, lingua ufficiale dell’Impero Romano. “A differenza dei Greci, i Romani riconoscevano, e non se ne vergognavano il fatto di non essere una razza pura ed incoraggiavano i non-Romani a “romanizzarsi,” spiega Sanders. “Ciò si rispecchia nel concetto romano per cui il Mediterraneo sarebbe il nostro mare – mare nostrum. Lo applicarono

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ROME trum. They did so by a universal Roman Law, pursuance of a vigorous policy of urbanization, especially in the Western areas, and by uniting the communities by their roads.”

Literally, in the Roman Empire, all roads did lead to Rome. Romans were pioneers when it came to infrastructure and engineering, credited with inventing or perfecting everything from aqueducts and plumbing to concrete. The longevity of Roman architecture is a testament to the flawlessness of their innovations. That’s why countless tourists to the Eternal City can, to this day, take selfies beneath the Roman arches of the Flavian Amphitheatre (aka the Colosseum), first opened in 80 AD. Modern Romans are equally proud and mindful of their city’s great legacy and prominence in the founding of Western civilization. Laura Mancini is a native Roman and author of two books on the city: Roma Underground (2012) and A spasso per Roma (2014). The 29-year-old says Italians are taught, early on, about their rich history. “The Roman heritage imprinting begins with school: as soon as we start studying, we get familiar with ancient Roman history and myth.” Mancini continues, “During high school the study of Latin is mandatory in most schools; we learn everything about the Roman Empire. Of course for Romans this knowledge is even more profound and significant because we grow up seeing what is left of that Empire.”

Mancini says she does not take Rome’s deep history for granted, even though she’s walked its ancient streets her entire life: “As a citizen of the city, I believe that this heritage still counts a lot for me. I see the beauty all around when I walk through the streets of the historical centre, I enjoy the romantic view of the Appia Antica while biking, and I say bye to the Acquedotto Romano while driving out of the city.”

The Roman Empire has been called the birthplace of Western civilization and although its glory was on the decline by the 3rd century AD, many, including McGill professor Michael Fronda, believe the Empire never truly disappeared: “This is going to sound like I am being funny or cute, but the Romans’ greatest legacy is their legacy. By that I mean that for whatever reason the image of the Roman Empire endures in the imagination: the Romans remain the arch-example of a successful martial and imperial people, the Roman Empire, the ultimate model of imperial achievement to be emulated by would-be emperors or scorned as the ultimate example of tyranny and oppression.”

So next time you turn on your faucet, drive on a highway, or even look at a calendar, know it all started in Roma Aeterna.

(Seguito del pezzo in italiano...) attraverso una legge romana universale, risultato di una vigorosa politica di urbanizzazione, specialmente nelle regioni occidentali, e collegando i popoli attraverso le proprie strade.”

Nell’Impero Romano, tutte le strade portavano a Roma, letteralmente. I Romani furono pionieri quando si tratta di infrastrutture e ingegneria, riconosciuti per aver inventato o perfezionato tutto, dagli acquedotti all’idraulica, al cemento.

La longevità dell’architettura romana è testimonianza dell’impeccabilità delle loro innovazioni. Questo è il motivo per cui innumerevoli turisti nella Città Eterna possono, ancor oggi, farsi dei selfie sotto gli archi romani dell’Anfiteatro Flavio (altrimenti noto come Colosseo), aperto per la prima volta nell’80 d.C. I romani contemporanei sono orgogliosi e consci in egual misura del grande retaggio e importanza della propria città nella formazione della civiltà occidentale. Laura Mancini è nativa di Roma ed autrice di due libri sulla città – Roma sotterranea (2012) ed a Spasso per Roma (2014). La ventinovenne afferma che gli italiani imparano, dall’infanzia, la loro storia ricca. “L’educazione sul lascito dei Romani comincia a scuola: non appena cominciamo a studiare, familiarizziamo con i miti e la storia degli antichi Romani. Mancini continua: “Durante la scuola superiore il latino è obbligatorio in molte scuole. Crescendo, impariamo tutto sull’Impero romano. Ovviamente per noi romani questa conoscenza è ancora più profonda e significativa, dato che cresciamo vedendo ciò che rimane di quell’impero.” Mancini sostiene di non dare per scontata la storia di Roma – anche se ne percorre le strade antiche da sempre: “In quanto residente in città, ritengo che questo patrimonio conti ancora per me. Vedo la bellezza tutt’intorno quando cammino per le strade del centro storico, mi godo il panorama romantico sull’Appia Antica quando vado in bici e dico ciao all’Acquedotto romano quando vado fuori città in macchina.”

L’Impero romano è definito la culla della civiltà occidentale e sebbene i suoi anni gloriosi conoscono il declino dal terzo secolo dopo Cristo, molti – incluso il professore Michael Fronda della McGill – credono che l’Impero non sia mai veramente sparito: “Per ciò che dico sembrerà che io stia facendo il comico o l’affascinante, ma la più grande eredità dei Romani è la loro stessa eredità. Con questo intendo dire che per un motivo qualunque la figura dell’Impero romano persiste nell’immaginario: I Romani rimangono l’archetipo di un popolo militare e imperiale di successo; l’Impero romano, il maggior esempio di conquista imperiale tanto da essere imitato da aspiranti imperatori o disprezzato in quanto il maggior esempio di tirannia ed oppressione.”

Dunque, la prossima volta che guarderete un rubinetto, guiderete in autostrada o darete addirittura un’occhiata al calendario, sappiate che tutto ha avuto inizio nella Roma Aeterna.

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Photography by Fahri Yavuz Roman armor, helmet and sword late 1st century-early second century AD, Traianic period 98-117 CE.

Stefano Cimino The Last Roman

L'Ultimo Romano Le dernier Romain

By Sara Germanotta

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ll roads lead to Rome for Montreal native Stefano Cimino. The 27-year-old is consumed with all aspects of the Eternal City and her glorious history. In fact, Cimino sees vestiges of Rome wherever he goes and in whatever he is doing: “When I walk down the street and see aqueducts being fixed in Montreal, I know that Romans invented that.

When I look out my window at my neighbour’s house, I know there’s a concrete foundation and a brick face. The Romans invented and perfected those building techniques,” he explains.

Cimino’s obsession with all things Roman began when he was 15 years old. The teen had wandered into an old book room at his high school and happened upon a shelf of Italian language books from the 1950s. One of the books 52

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utte le strade portano a Roma per Stefano Cimino, nativo di Montreal. Il ventisettenne è ossessionato da tutti gli aspetti inerenti alla Città Eterna e al suo passato glorioso. Di fatto, Cimino vede vestigia di Roma ovunque vada e in qualunque cosa faccia: “Quando sono per strada e vedo acquedotti in riparazione a Montreal, so che li hanno inventati i Romani. Quando dalla mia finestra guardo la casa del mio vicino, so che ci sono delle fondamenta in cemento e una facciata di mattoni. I Romani hanno inventato e perfezionato quelle tecniche di edificazione,” spiega.

L’ossessione di Cimino per tutto ciò che attiene l’antica Roma ha avuto inizio quando aveva 15 anni.

Adolescente, stava girovagando in una stanza con vecchi libri della sua scuola superiore quando si è imbattuto in uno scaffale di testi in lingua italiana

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ous les chemins mènent à Rome pour le Montréalais Stefano Cimino. Le jeune homme de 27 ans est obnubilé par la Ville éternelle et son glorieux passé. En effet, Cimino voit des vestiges de la Rome antique partout où il va et dans tout ce qu’il fait : « Lorsque je marche dans les rues de Montréal et que j’aperçois des réparations d’aqueducs, je sais que les Romains sont à l’origine de cette invention. Lorsque je vois par ma fenêtre le mur de mes voisins, je sais qu’il possède des fondations en ciment et une façade en brique. Les Romains ont inventé et ont perfectioné ces techniques de construction », explique-t-il.

L’obsession de Cimino pour tout ce qui touche à la Rome antique a débuté à l’adolescence. Alors qu’il se promenait dans la bibliothèque de son école secondaire, il est tombé par hasard sur une étagère

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caught his eye and he decided to borrow it: “I actually stole the book,” admits Cimino, laughing. “As I was grabbing it off the shelf, another book fell down. It was called Roman Civilization.

When I saw the title, I remembered my teacher telling me about these people. The book looked interesting, so I took it.”

The rest, as they say, is history. Once Cimino got a taste of the Roman Empire’s rich culture, he developed an incredible desire to know more about it. “I am Italian and Italians are descendants of the Romans. When I found this out I just had to know who we were and where we came from. I wanted to know Roman food, I wanted to know Roman customs. It became more than an obsession,” says Cimino, whose father is from Sala Consilina (Salerno, Campania) and mother is from Sant’Apollinare (Frosinone, Lazio).

Cimino went on to study Classics at Concordia University and excelled to the point that one of his professors asked him to help correct his fellow students’ exams. “I remember people would ask me how they did on their tests and I couldn’t tell them,” he explains. “It was weird because we were in the same class, yet here I was correcting their work.”

Over the last 10 years, Cimino has done more than study Roman civilization – he has immersed himself in it and made it a part of his everyday life. For example, Cimino says the only utensils he uses to eat are a spoon and knife because the Romans did not use forks. He doesn’t drink beer because “that’s not Roman – only Egyptians drank beer.” He never leaves the house without shaving because one of the greatest Roman generals, Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (Scipio the African), made sure that his soldiers were cleanly shaven every morning.

Cimino is also learning how to speak Latin and has been studying the language daily for the last three years.

The young man has also amassed quite a number of replicas of Roman artifacts. His collection includes a bust of Caesar, copies of Roman swords, chest plates and helmets, among others.

Four years ago, Cimino visited Rome for the first time. He says it took eight months to plan the trip. He would spend hours every day sitting in front of his computer studying a map of Rome on Google Earth and virtually walking through the city using Street View. Cimino says he wanted to know exactly where all the ancient buildings and monuments he had been studying were situated, many of which have since been taken apart or built over. When he finally stepped off the plane into the Eternal City in July of 2011, Cimino says he cried like a baby. “Rome is my paradise,” he explains. “Christians believe that they’re gonna die and go to heaven, and that there’s something better out there. But I don’t look to the future for heaven, I look to the past. Rome is my heaven.”

Cimino is planning another trip to Rome this summer. Despite the wealth of knowledge he has accumulated on the subject, Cimino says he still has a lot of learning to do. And his goal, in the end, is not merely to become an expert on all things Roman: “If I can get one other person in my life to love it the way I do, so they can pass it on to the next person and it stays alive and is not forgotten, that’s my goal.”

degli anni Cinquanta. Uno di questi ha catturato il suo sguardo così ha deciso di prenderlo in prestito: “Di fatto, lo rubai,” ammette Cimino, ridendo.

“Mentre lo prendevo dallo scaffale, un altro libro è caduto. Era intitolato Civiltà Romana. Quando ho visto il titolo mi sono ricordato che l’insegnante mi aveva parlato di questo popolo. Il volume sembrava interessante, quindi l’ho preso.”

Il resto, come si dice, è storia. Una volta assaporata la ricca cultura dell’impero Romano, Cimino ha sviluppato il desiderio incredibile di saperne di più. “Sono italiano e gli italiani sono discendenti dei Romani. Quando l’ho scoperto, ho sentito di dover capire chi eravamo e da dove venivamo. Volevo conoscere i cibi dei Romani, le abitudini dei Romani. È diventata più che un’ossessione,” afferma Cimino, il cui padre è di Sala Consilina (Salerno, Campania) e la madre di Sant’Apollinare (Frosinone, Lazio).

Cimino ha continuato a studiare Lettere Classiche alla Concordia University ed ha eccelso a tal punto che uno dei suoi professori gli ha proposto di aiutarlo a correggere gli esami dei suoi colleghi studenti. “Ricordo che le persone mi chiedevano come fossero andati i loro esami e non potevo dirglielo,” spiega. “Era strano perché eravamo nella stessa classe, eppure io correggevo i loro compiti.”

Nel corso degli ultimi 10 anni, Cimino ha fatto più che studiare la civiltà romana – vi si è letteralmente immerso, rendendola parte della propria vita quotidiana. Per esempio, dice che le uniche posate che usa per mangiare sono il cucchiaio e il coltello perché i Romani non utilizzavano forchette. Non beve birra perché “non è dell’antica Roma; solo gli Egizi bevevano la birra.” Non lascia mai casa senza essersi raso la barba perché uno dei più grandi generali Romani, Publio Cornelio Scipione detto l’Africano, si assicurava che i suoi soldati si radessero per bene ogni mattina. Cimino ha anche imparato a parlare latino, lingua che studia ogni giorno da tre anni a questa parte.

Il giovane ha inoltre accumulato un numero notevole di riproduzioni di reperti degli antichi Romani. La sua collezione comprende fra i tanti oggetti, un busto di Cesare, riproduzioni di spade romane, armature ed elmi.

Quattro anni fa, Cimino ha visitato Roma per la prima volta. Dice che ci sono voluti otto mesi per pianificare il viaggio. Trascorreva ore ogni giorno seduto davanti al computer a studiare la cartina di Roma su Google Earth e passeggiare virtualmente per la città utilizzando Street View. Cimino dice che voleva sapere dove si trovassero esattamente tutti i monumenti e gli edifici antichi che aveva studiato, molti dei quali sono stati smantellati o sui quali si è costruito. Quando finalmente, sceso dall’aereo, ha messo piede nella Città Eterna nel luglio del 2011, Cimino afferma di aver pianto come un bambino. “Roma è il mio paradiso” – spiega. “I cristiani credono che moriranno e andranno in paradiso, e che lì ci sia qualcosa di migliore. Ma io non mi rivolgo al futuro per il paradiso, guardo al passato. Roma è il mio paradiso” Cimino sta programmando un altro viaggio a Roma per quest’estate. Nonostante la ricchezza di conoscenza accumulata sull’argomento, dice di avere ancora tanto da imparare. Il suo obiettivo, alla fine, non è semplicemente quello di diventare un esperto sulle cose che riguardano i Romani. “Riuscire a far sì che un’altra persona nella mia vita l’ami tanto quanto me, così da trasmetterre tutto ciò alla persona successiva per mantenerlo vivo e non dimenticarlo, quello è il mio obiettivo.”

remplie de manuels des années 1950 pour apprendre l’italien. Un livre attira plus particulièrement son attention et il décida de l’emprunter : « En fait, je l’ai volé », admet Cimino en s’esclaffant. « En retirant un livre de la section, un autre volume intitulé La civilization romaine est tombé par accident. Quand j’ai lu le titre, je me suis rappelé avoir entendu parler de ça en classe. Le livre me semblait intéressant, alors je l’ai pris. » Le reste appartient à l’histoire comme on dit.

Une fois que Cimino a eu la piqûre pour l’Empire romain et sa vaste culture, cette passion l’a poussé à en apprendre toujours davantage sur cette civilisation. « Je voulais savoir ce que mangeaient les Romains et quelles étaient leurs coutumes. C’est devenu plus qu’une obsession », explique Cimino dont le père est originaire de Sala Consilina (Salerno, Campania) et la mère de Sant’Apollinare (Frosinone, Lazio).

Cimino s’est inscrit plus tard en études classiques à l’université Concordia où il excella à tel point qu’un de ces professeurs lui demanda de l’aider à corriger les copies d’examens de ces collègues de classe. « Je me rappelle que les étudiants me demandaient leurs résultats, mais je ne pouvais rien dire », détaille-t-il. « C’était bizarre, car nous étions dans la même classe, mais c’est moi qui corrigeais leurs travaux. » Au courant des dernières années, Cimino a fait bien plus qu’étudier la civilisation romaine – il a intégré cet univers à son quotidien. Par exemple, Cimino affirme n’utiliser que la cuiller et le couteau comme ustensiles, car les Romains n’utilisaient pas la fourchette. Il ne boit pas de bière, car « Ce n’est pas romain – seules les Égyptiens buvaient de la bière. » Il ne quitte jamais la maison sans se raser, parce qu’un des plus grands généraux romains, Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (Scipion l'Africain), s’assurait que tous ses soldats soient fraîchement rasés tous les matins. Cimino s’est aussi mis au latin qu’il étudie maintenant depuis trois ans.

Le jeune homme possède aussi une impressionnante collection de répliques d’objets romains qui inclut notamment un buste de César, des copies de glaives, d’armures et de casques romains.

Il y a quatre ans, Cimino a visité Rome pour la première fois. Il affirme avoir mis huit mois pour préparer son voyage. Il passait des heures tous les jours devant son ordinateur pour étudier la carte de Rome grâce à Google Earth, se promenant virtuellement à travers la ville avec la fonction Street View. Il voulait savoir où se trouvaient exactement tous les anciens bâtiments et monuments qu’il avait étudiés, la plupart aujourd’hui démolis ou remplacés par des constructions plus récentes. Lorsqu’il est finalement atterri à Rome en juillet 2011, Cimino assure avoir pleuré comme un bébé. « Rome est mon paradis », affirme-t-il. « Les chrétiens croient qu’après la mort le salut les attend. Pour ma part, je n’aspire pas au paradis pour le futur. Je m’inspire du passé. Rome est mon paradis. » Cimino planifie un prochain voyage à Rome cet été. Peu importe l’étendue du savoir qu’il a accumulé sur le sujet, Cimino sait qu’il lui reste encore tant de choses à apprendre. Son objectif, en fin de compte, n’est pas seulement de devenir un expert de la Rome antique, « mon objectif est de partager cette passion à fond avec une autre personne afin qu’elle transmette à son tour ce savoir, pour éviter que cette culture ne sombre dans l’oubli. » PANORAMITALIA.COM

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ROME

The Rise and Decline of Cinematic Rome Roman movie set in Cinecittà

By Sarah Mastroianni

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one time known as “the Hollywood on the Tiber,” Rome has had, for the better part of a century, a privileged relationship with the movie business. “Sometimes Rome is the backdrop of a film and sometimes Rome is the protagonist,” explains Donato Santeramo, Head of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Queen’s University. And sometimes, Rome is simply just the best place to get cameras rolling.

This is partly due to the fact that in addition to its iconic scenery and endless history, Rome is home to Cinecittà Studios, some of the largest film studios in Europe. In the years since it first opened its doors in 1937 on the orders of Benito Mussolini, Cinecittà has played an important role in bringing over 3,000 films to life on the big screen.

Classics like Roman Holiday (1953), Ben Hur (1959), La Dolce Vita (1960) and Cleopatra (1963) were all at least partly filmed at Cinecittà. For decades, big names like Federico Fellini were fixtures in the Roman studios.

Nowadays, film production in the Eternal City has slowed considerably.

“Cinecittà had its golden era until 1980,” says Roberto Zorfini, Director of Panoram Italia’s Web TV and former cameraman and director for RAI Television in Rome. Zorfini, who started volunteering at Cinecittà at age 16, explains that today, Cinecittà is more frequently used to film things for the small screen, rather than the big one. “I worked there [at Cinecittà] for television, not cinema,” he explains. Popular Italian TV shows such as Grande Fratello and Un Medico in Famiglia are filmed there, as was the hit HBO series, Rome. “The sequel to Ben Hur will be shot in Cinecittà,” Zorfini notes, “but that kind of thing is very exceptional. Now, it’s not the Cinecittà of Hollywood in Rome anymore. That’s an old dream.”

But what caused the sun to set on Cinecittà’s cinema heyday?

According to Professor Santeramo, the decline in Cinecittà’s popularity as a filming and productionlocation “corresponds with the decline of Italian filmmaking overall.”

Zorfini adds that, “right now, if you want to shoot something, you go directly on location. You don’t need to recreate everything on a film set.”

Professor Santeramo also highlights another issue: money. “Lately a lot of Italian producers make films in the eastern countries,” he says. “This is due to the fact that it’s much cheaper.”

Even though fewer producers choose to make use of Cinecittà Studios, the city itself certainly hasn’t suffered from a lack of on-screen representation.

Whether Rome appears on-screen as it does in real life, however, is somewhat debatable.

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Take, for example, Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, with its well-to-do Via Veneto café culture. The film shows Marcello Mastroianni’s character drifting through a decadent Rome, which, according to both Zorfini and Santeramo, was out of reach for most people living in Rome around the time the film was made.

Zorfini, born and raised in the centre of Rome, argues that, “at the time of the film it was not really like this. Rome was very poor, and just a few people from the old bourgeoisie could have that kind of lifestyle. It was quite fake.”

Much more recently, director Woody Allen paid homage to the Eternal City with his film To Rome With Love. But even that one, according to Zorfini, doesn’t come close to showing Rome as it really is. “It’s very cliché,” he says of the film. “It’s a simple recipe, I guess. But it’s not real.”

Professor Santeramo agrees, adding that Paolo Sorrentino’s awardwinning film, La Grande Bellezza, is another example of the decadence and idealization of Rome.

Santeramo, who lived in Rome for over 10 years, concedes that while “objectively it is hard to live in Rome, it is easy to idealize Rome because in the end, notwithstanding all the problems, one often just loves it.”

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ROME

Cinecittà headquarters

6873, Plaza St-Hubert Montréal, Québec 514.276.1360 www.italmoda.ca PANORAMITALIA.COM

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ROME

Garbatella district, Rome

Italia, Il Bel Paese?

Italians flee, while Canadians call it home

By Danila Di Croce

I

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

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taly is affectionately known as “Il Bel Paese” the world over, but those who live there, particularly youth, don’t seem so sure anymore. Just this past February, ISTAT (Italy’s National Statistics Institute) reported that the country’s current unemployment rate is an estimated 12.7 percent, with youth unemployment at 42.6 percent. It also revealed that international emigration more than doubled from 2008-2013. It’s no surprise then that many Italians are packing their bags and fleeing the nation in search of better opportunities.

Yet, while many Italian citizens leave, those from other parts of the world flock to Italy to try their luck at “la bella vita.” Included in that group are Italian-Canadians Rita Consiglio and Lucia Pierro.

Consiglio and Pierro, both in their early thirties, left Canada for similar reasons: love. While Consiglio always dreamed of moving to Italy after completing university, it was meeting her then-boyfriend that prompted her to relocate to Rome in 2006. Pierro met her husband in Italy and they have lived in Rome since 2013.

When asked about the emigration crisis, Pierro says, “I think that it’s unfortunate for Italy. This ‘brain drain’ is a result of the corruption that exists in the job market and an outcome of the concept of ‘raccomandazione,’ which is a real phenomenon in Italy. This nepotism does not allow for those hardworking and highly qualified young people to obtain the job they deserve...although it is unfortunate, I think that these young people are making the right choice and maybe this will put pressure on the country to begin to modernize its job market.”

Consiglio is of the same opinion: “Students right out of university find themselves accepting dead-end jobs without even a glimpse at a better future.

While I am sorry to see these talents go, I do support their choice in investing into a future because as of today their country of origin cannot guarantee one for them.”

Both Pierro and Consiglio are thankful they’re unscathed by the employment crisis. As a former language teacher, Pierro finds her expat status grants her job prospects much different from a native Italian, while Consiglio works for an international organization where salaries cannot compare to the rest of the country.

Aside from their steady jobs, the two women feel comforted by the pace of the Italian lifestyle. “Life is more relaxing in Italy because people here take time to enjoy their surroundings,” says Consiglio. “They take time to enjoy the small things life has to offer... in this aspect I prefer how the Romans live.”

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Photography by Pascal Rousseau

“

“

I think that it’s unfortunate for Italy. This ‘brain drain’ is a result of the corruption that exists in the job market and an outcome of the concept of ‘racccomandazione,’ which is a real phenomenon in Italy

Consiglio is not alone in her preference for life in the famous peninsula. A 2012 short film entitled Italia Si, Italia No, asked 110 Italians if they said “si” to remaining in Italy or “no.” Sixty-eight voted to stay while 42 said it was best to leave. Those who wanted out based their opinion on the employment crisis. Those who chose to remain focused not only on their duty as citizens to stand by their country and try to change the future but mostly on their love for Italy’s history, food, people and culture.

Pierro can attest to those responses as she has opted for life in Italy, even if she did notice some major lifestyle differences from Canada. She explains that although some parts of Italy are speeding their pace, in Rome it is still slower. “I had to adapt to walking at a slower pace, eating at a slower pace, and really enjoying the simple things in life...also spending a lot more time outdoors.”

While both women are aware of the downsides of life in Italy, from the frustrating traffic in Rome to issues with government corruption, they say the good outweighs the bad. They are quite content where they are and have no intentions of leaving anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Italians continue to weigh their country’s many marvels against its challenging present and uncertain future. This feeling is best captured in a scene from the 2011 documentary Italy: Love it, or Leave it, when one of the protagonist remarks, “That’s Italy...you have to focus on the beautiful aspects or you won’t survive.”

PANORAMITALIA.COM

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Fotografia Pascal Rousseau

Roma Alternativa

Quartiere popolare della Garbatella

Un percorso ‘unconventional’ per scoprire la città Laura Mancini

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na visita alternativa a questa grande e splendida città è possibile. Fuori dai circuiti dei bus turistici, distante dai venditori ambulanti di bastoni per selfie, c’è una Roma diversa, che pochi visitatori riescono a conoscere, ma che riserva a chi si avventura nei suoi labirinti infinite e piacevoli sorprese. Oggi come mai prima d’ora, gli esperimenti artistici e culturali meno convenzionali promossi tramite i social e le piattaforme digitali proliferano, mentre la popolazione romana – quella distante dalle atmosfere patinate del centro storico – è più consapevole e felice di offrire ospitalità ad altrettanto consapevoli e felici visitatori.

Iniziamo da Ostiense. Il territorio di questo vivace quartiere situato nella porzione centro-meridionale della città è cambiato radicalmente nel corso degli ultimi anni: cucina creativa, spazi culturali, ma anche gentrification. La novità più

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interessante, però, risiede sui muri: Ostiense è infatti diventata la patria della street art romana e un punto di riferimento per l’urban art internazionale. Grazie a un’intelligente operazione di riqualificazione promossa dalle istituzioni del municipio e al valido lavoro di alcune agenzie creative nel corso degli ultimi anni, il quartiere offre un vero e proprio itinerario di opere d’arte che si estende fino a Testaccio, San Paolo e Garbatella. citiamo solo alcune delle opere visibili: all’angolo tra via del Porto Fluviale e via delle Conce, il palazzo di volti colorati dipinto da Blu; a via del Porto Fluviale, Nessuno di Axel Void, un’enigmatica e malinconica ragazza che ci rivolge le spalle; sulla stessa via, a pochi passi da ponte di Ferro, il Nuotatore di Iacurci. Una passeggiata a via del Commercio e lungo le strade limitrofe completerà la scoperta delle numerose opere nei paraggi. Da non perdere Il mito di Platone di Borondo all’angolo tra via Efeso e via Ostiense, a San Paolo.

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Murale nella zona di Ostiense

Parco della Caffarella

Per chi sentisse il desiderio di una fuga nel verde, ma anche di un confronto con le grandiose rovine del passato romano, l’esteso e selvaggio Parco della Caffarella offre una quantità di attrattive, paesaggistiche, culturali e sportive, che poche altre zone verdi della città possiedono. La totale mancanza di addomesticazione conferisce al parco l’aspetto di enorme campagna cittadina, ricca di storia e di possibilità escursionistiche. La Caffarella si trova all’interno del Parco dell’Appia Antica, tra i quartieri Appio Latino/San Giovanni, Colli Albani, Tuscolano. A voi quindi la scelta dell’ingresso.

Menzioneremo un itinerario semplice e interessante che vi richiederà una visita di circa un’ora. Dall’entrata alla fine di via Macedonia (metro Furio Camillo, autobus 628 da piazza Venezia o Circo Massimo direzione Cesare Baronio), procedendo sul viale, vi troverete in una vasta pianura verde che vi restituirà immediatamente l’atmosfera selvaggia del parco. Costeggiando questa pianura sulla vostra sinistra incrocerete infine un percorso asfaltato tra gli alberi, che dovete prendere alla vostra destra. Percorrendolo tutto finirete al cospetto di una grande fattoria, la Vacchereccia. Qui è possibile acquistare formaggio prodotto dai contadini che vi abitano e salutare gli animali che popolano questo insolito e affascinante edificio. Lasciata alle vostre spalle la fattoria, camminate lungo l’esteso viale davanti a voi: vi condurrà nel cuore del Parco e di lì, svoltando a sinistra, potrete raggiungere il meraviglioso Ninfeo di Egeria, edificio del II secolo d.C. appartenente al Triopio di Erode Attico e Annia Regilla.

Potrete dunque decidere se tornare sui vostri passi o procedere in direzione sud-est per scoprire una zona più collinare e boschiva del parco che costeggia il quartiere Colli Albani e, subito dopo, Tuscolano. Non preoccupatevi qualora doveste perdervi, qualsiasi uscita del parco è situata in luoghi non distanti da una stazione metropolitana. Abbiate però l’accortezza di monitorare la luce naturale poiché la Caffarella – e anche in questo risiede la sua bellezza – non è illuminata dopo il tramonto.

Una passeggiata tra i lotti storici della Garbatella (Metro B, fermata

Garbatella, bus 673) è forse una delle esperienze più sorprendenti ed emozionanti che la città possa riservare. Tra quelli che oggi appaiono come romantici villini si estendono giardini fioriti, esempio di città-giardino. Oggi queste case così affascinanti sono abitate dalle vecchie famiglie popolari e dalla nuova cittadinanza radical chic, il tutto amalgamato con una buona dose di studenti e giovani famiglie. Sembra di trovarsi in un piccolo paese, l’ideale meta di lunghe passeggiate, cene tra amici e soste di lettura al sole. Le osterie, il parco Cavallo Pazzo – oggi sede di una deliziosa trattoria autogestita, Casetta Rossa, dove si tengono numerosi incontri culturali e associativi –, l’ariosa piazza Sauli e i silenziosi vicoli fioriti del quartiere, offrono un’atmosfera intima e rilassata. Qualche strillo sparuto, una lite, una risata fragorosa non sottrarranno nulla al piacere dell’esperienza.

Un interessante e movimentato quartiere che non dovrete mancare di conoscere è quello dell’Esquilino (metro A, fermata Termini), nei pressi della principale stazione cittadina. Nasconde dietro al suo caos e al suo grande traffico tanti scorci interessanti e un punto di vista differente sulla città.

Ritenuto classicamente la zona etnica di Roma (c’è chi lo definisce addirittura Chinatown), l’Esquilino è in effetti largamente popolato da diverse etnie, che convivono nelle sue strade. Tra tutti i punti di interesse del quartiere, menzioniamo il mercato dell’Esquilino, un tempo situato nella bella Piazza Vittorio, oggi all’interno di un ex deposito militare a via Principe Amedeo, ideale per chi è alla ricerca di sapori da tutto il mondo. A piazza Manfredo Fanti, invece, contornato da un grazioso giardino, troverete l’elegante palazzetto tardo ottocentesco a pianta circolare dell’Acquario Romano, oggi Casa dell’Architettura, spesso sede di mostre ed eventi. È di particolare fascino la barocca Basilica dei Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti, a due passi dal Colle Oppio, delizioso parco collinare con vista sul Colosseo. Non lasciate il quartiere senza aver fatto un salto nella storica pasticceria Regoli, a via dello Statuto 60. Qui ogni dolce è una garanzia di delizia.

GASTRONOMIA

Gelato & Caffé Épicerie fine 2227 Bélanger est • Montreal • Québec H2G 1C5 • T. 514.374.5653 • www.gastronomiaroberto.com PANORAMITALIA.COM

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Photography by Pascal Rousseau

ROME

Tiber river and St. Peter’s duomo

A Special Invitation from the Vatican

By Tanya Solari

At

just over 1 km long and 0.85 km wide, the Vatican City State may be the smallest country in the world, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in architecture, landscaping and art. This is best displayed in the larger-than-life basilica, magnificent gardens, world-famous frescoes and countless masterpieces accumulated over the centuries. With the Pope’s declaration of an upcoming Holy Year, 2016 is the time to make that pilgrimage and witness the Vatican’s beauty in person. And while you’re there, don’t miss out on the Jubilee celebrations!

Vatican City at a glance The Vatican originally consisted of Old St. Peter’s Basilica, built in the 4th century over what is thought to be the tomb of its namesake. Reconstruction began nearly 12 centuries later and just about every Renaissance and Baroque architect – including Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Giacomo della Porta, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini – had a hand in the conception of

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the world’s largest church, St. Peter’s Basilica, as we know it today. Crowned by a 137-metre cupola, it was designed to welcome at least 60,000 people (over 60 times Vatican City’s population). Among Vatican City’s other famous structures are the rounded colonnades embracing St. Peter’s Square, and the Apostolic Palace with its Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms, housing the most coveted art collections of all time. In addition to the sacred treasures it holds, this walled enclave within Rome has its own newspaper, radio station, banking and judicial systems, and a postal service said to be quicker than that of Italy’s. The home of Pope Francis and capital of Christendom is protected by the Swiss Guards, whose comical and brightly-coloured uniforms make these soldiers some of the most photographed people in Italy.

A large part of the territory (about half, to be precise) that’s often overlooked is the recently reopened Vatican Gardens. For a break from the crowds around St. Peter’s Square, take a tour of this peaceful retreat that doubles as an open-air museum. The Renaissance-style landscaping is a work of art in itself:

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ROME arches of entwined leaves give way to impeccably manicured grounds alive with waterfalls, flower beds and green labyrinths, not to mention a myriad of trees – from exotic palms and cacti to tall cedars and fragrant pines. Statues, fountains and buildings dating as far back as the 9th century embellish the private park, along with the stunning artificial grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and the decorative benches from which to contemplate this earthly paradise.

A Holy Year of mercy The end of 2015 marks the start of a Holy Year, but not just any Holy Year – an Extraordinary Jubilee, so if you find yourself in Italy between December 8, 2015 and November 20, 2016, the journey to Vatican City is well worth it. In continuation of an old papal tradition initiated some 700 years ago, Extraordinary Jubilees are called by popes to emphasize special themes and events, and are not to be confused with the Ordinary Jubilee occurring every 25 years. This Holy Year is all about mercy, a theme chosen by Pope Francis. St. Peter’s Basilica and Rome’s three ancient basilicas, St. John Lateran, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls and the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, will each be opening their Holy Doors exceptionally for the occasion, inviting visitors to discover or rediscover the Catholic faith and receive the Sacrament of Confession. St. Luke’s Gospel of mercy will also be highlighted during Sunday readings, and a host of exciting Jubilee festivities are scheduled to take place throughout the year.

Pope Francis, who was already doing good deeds and offering solace to those in need almost immediately after beginning his papacy, chose a theme that represents him well. He is the first pontiff to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, and much like the humble friar, Pope Francis gave up everything for a simple life devoted to the less fortunate. His acts of charity and humility towards the disabled, elderly, homeless and even criminals have earned him nicknames like the People’s Pope, and he was also chosen as the 2013 Person of the Year by Time magazine. In the words of Pope Francis, “mercy is the best thing we can feel: it changes the world. A little mercy makes the world less cold and more just.” This Extraordinary Jubilee comes right in time for setting New Year’s resolutions, so follow the Pope’s lead and let his words inspire a 2016 filled with tolerance, compassion and generosity.

St. Peter’s duomo and Bernini’s colonnade

Vatican’s Swiss Guards

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ROME

Glorifying the mighty Gladiator

By Rita Simonetta

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ladiators in Rome fought 2,000 years ago, but our modern-day culture just can’t get enough of these sandal-clad warriors. There are tons of books and video games about them, and TV shows such as Spartacus have portrayed them as charismatic and honourable. Hollywood has added to the allure with movies like Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe as a valiant hero who stands up against the unjust rulers.

Why are we still so intrigued by these ancient gladiators? “We’re fascinated with sports, sports culture and spectacle,” explains professor Michael J. Carter of Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. “Making this parallel is very important,” he says, adding that research shows that a lot like modern sports, gladiatorial fights followed rules and regulations, and as the games evolved, referees were even introduced.

Guelph-based writer Ed Butts, the author of Bodyguards! From Gladiators to the Secret Service, has similar views about the appeal of gladiators. “I think we have a universal fascination with fighting, blood sports and competition,” he says, pointing to the modern-day popularity of boxing and ultimate fighting.

Gladiatorial games began as funeral services, but as time progressed and the Ancient Roman Empire grew, the contests evolved into entertainment for the largely unemployed and underfed masses that could become dangerous if kept idle.

Slaves, prisoners of war and criminals made up the bulk of gladiators.

Volunteers, often poor and desperate to make a living by fighting, comprised a small fraction.

The most skilled among the fighters became the celebrity athletes of their day.

“If they were successful, there is a lot of evidence to show they earned money when they won and became popular,” says professor Carter. “They did become sex symbols for women as well.”

Rome, the place that gave rise to these skilled fighters, is nowadays brimming with schools that provide lessons on how to be a gladiator – at least for a few hours of fun. One of these schools is Ludus Magnus, headed by Giorgio Franchetti. “We have always admired competition taken to extremes,” he says. “We admire the courage of the gladiator because he looks death in the face and he wins the fight.”

Photography by G. Franchetti

Delving into our fascination with these ancient warriors

The real-life fighters went to gladiator schools where the training was long and grueling. Although modern interpretations show them battling to the death, experts say this was uncommon for financial reasons. Wealthy Romans often owned gladiators and paid for their training, shelter, food, and medical needs. “It was a pretty costly investment,” explains Butts. Consequently, owners wanted to preserve their investment in order to capitalize on it.

Franchetti says that archaeological evidence gathered from the tombstones of gladiators or graffiti on the walls of Pompeii proves that the legacy of fighting-tothe-death is a myth. “To leave the arena alive was the most common thing that happened to gladiators.”

Experts also point out that gladiators could surrender or submit in a match, and they were never pitted against ferocious wild animals as is sometimes portrayed in Hollywood. This, in fact, was a specialty of venators (skilled hunters) who exclusively fought against animals. In other cases, the state would hold public executions of convicts who were violently killed by wild beasts. None of this, however, had to do with gladiators.

Keeping their warriors safe from harm was a wise business decision for their savvy owners. According to Butts, when gladiators weren’t fighting, their owners contracted them out as security guards to well-off Romans who considered a gladiator-bodyguard a status symbol.

But as time went on and the Ancient Roman Empire began to lose its mighty grip, gladiatorial contests began to peter out. Some philosophers argued that the bloody and violent spectacle had negative consequences on its spectators. When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, religious leaders campaigned for its demise. The curtain finally fell on gladiatorial games in the 4th to 5th century AD when the hefty price tag proved to be a financial burden.

Yet, thousands of years later, we remain fascinated by these skilled professional fighters who battled in Ancient Roman arenas to the roar of crowds.

“There’s admiration for those who face danger and this produces a mysterious charm on men and women,” says Franchetti. “We admire those we’d like to be.”

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Mamma Roma!

Photography by Michel Ostaszewski

By Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

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robably the most Roman of all Italian chefs in Montreal, Emma Risa, from restaurant Da Emma, has been cooking since the age of 20, shortly after she married her husband who owned a restaurant in Rome called Tre Fontana. “There were five cooks helping my mother-in-law who taught me everything I know,” recalls Risa. After having spent most of her life behind the stove, Italian cuisine means everything to her. “I simply love it. It’s so delicious!” she says, adding that the secret behind it lies in the amazing quality of its ingredients such as olive oil, durum wheat pasta, exquisite cold cuts and cheeses, among others. “But there’s also a need for a great deal of passion that comes straight from the heart,” asserts Risa. And one would be quick to add hard work to the list after having spent a day with this tireless lady that still comes in first and leaves her kitchen last. “I feel ill and distressed when I am not working at the restaurant,” she admits.

Believe it or not, it’s a way for her to spend some time with her loved ones, as the whole family is involved in the family-run business. Three generations now share a kitchen that feels just like your nonna’s house, the statue of the Madonna included.

Cooking traditional recipes such a saltimbocca alla romana or pasta all’amatriciana brings back so many memories she says. “It reminds me of my mother-in-law and how she used to cook.” Authenticity is key, she points out. “Either you make them the right way or it’s better not doing them at all. Some people call the saltimbocca, involtini. No, a saltimbocca is a saltimbocca, piccatini al limone are made with lemon, period! Pasta alla gricia is the authentic amatriciana without tomatoes. It’s truly delicious even though it only uses a few simple ingredients: pancetta, olive oil and pecorino. My mom used to make this recipe and I always try to make it exactly the way she did. Because if you change the recipe, you also change the flavour and you notice it right away… These modern cuisines must go back to basics like the spezzatino, or the ragù.”

After 29 years spent in Canada, Emma knows just how much people love Italian food even though most of the time patrons aren’t always exposed to the real deal. Even in Rome things are changing, says Emma with regret. “People don’t make the recipes like they used to. Like in my days or in my mother’s days, for that matter.”

If you are looking for authenticity and Italian service the good old-fashioned way, you can’t go wrong showing up at Da Emma.

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ROME

Pasta alla gricia

Pasta alla gricia is one of the most famous dishes of Lazio cuisine and is considered the ancestor of pasta alla amatriciana.

Ingredients • 500 g spaghetti • 250 g pancetta or guanciale

• 55 g Pecorino Romano (grated) • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions To prepare the pasta alla gricia, start by slicing the pancetta or guanciale in semi-thin strips (removing rind from guanciale). Brown pancetta or guanciale in a pan with olive oil at low-medium heat, until it becomes transparent and forms a delicious sauce. At this point you can boil the spaghetti in salted water (don’t oversalt as pancetta, guanciale and Pecorino are quite savoury).

Add pepper and a bit of cooking water from the pasta to stretch out your sauce with the pancetta or guanciale. Drain the spaghetti (keeping some cooking water) and sauté along with pancetta or guanciale, adding a few tablespoons of cooking water if necessary. Plate pasta alla gricia and sprinkle abundantly with grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

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La pasta alla gricia è uno dei piatti più famosi della cucina laziale, considerata l’antenata della pasta all’ amatriciana.

Ingredienti • Spaghetti 500 g • Pancetta o guanciale 250 g

• Pecorino romano grattugiato 55 g • Sale e pepe q.b.

• Olio d’oliva extra vergine q.b.

Istruzioni Per preparare la pasta alla gricia iniziate tagliando la pancetta o il guanciale a listarelle non troppo fini (privando il guanciale della cotenna). Fate rosolare la pancetta o il guanciale con un po’ d’olio d’oliva in una padella antiaderente a fuoco medio/basso, fino a che diventerà trasparente e inizierà a perdere il suo grasso, formando un delizioso sughino. A questo punto potete mettere a cuocere gli spaghetti in acqua bollente salata (non salate troppo l’acqua perché la pancetta,

il guanciale e il pecorino sono molto saporiti).

Pepate abbondantemente e aggiungete un po’ di acqua di cottura della pasta per allungare il sughino ottenuto con la pancetta o il guanciale.

Scolate gli spaghetti (conservando dell’acqua di cottura) e fateli saltare con la pancetta o il guanciale, aggiungendo, se fosse necessario, qualche cucchiaio di acqua di cottura. Impiattate la pasta alla gricia e spolverizzate ogni piatto con abbondante pecorino romano grattugiato.

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ROME

Saltimbocca alla Romana

Saltimbocca alla romana is a very simple, yet delicious, classic Roman dish to prepare.

Ingredients • 8 thin slices of veal (approximiately 60 g each) • 8 slices prosciutto crudo • 8 sage leaves

• ½ glass of white wine • 50-100 g butter • 100 g flour • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions Pound the veal slices and lightly flour. Cover each with a prosciutto slice and sage leaf, then secure with a toothpick. Melt the butter in a large pan over high heat and brown saltimbocca slices for two minutes on each side. Pour in some white wine, let it evaporate, and season

with salt and freshly ground pepper.

After removing the meat and placing it on a warm platter, reduce the sauce until thick. Then dress the saltimbocca with the sauce, and serve with grilled seasonal vegetables, a mixed salad, or roasted potatoes.

Classico della gastronomia romana, i saltimbocca alla romana sono un piatto molto semplice da preparare.

Ingredienti • 8 fettine sottili di vitello (circa 60 g l'una) • 8 fette di prosciutto crudo • 8 foglie di salvia Istruzioni Per preparare i saltimbocca alla romana stendete le fettine su un tagliere poi appiattitele lievemente con un batticarne e infarinatele leggermente. Stendete su ogni fettina il prosciutto e una foglia di salvia fermando tutto con uno stuzzicadenti.

In una padella capiente fate scaldare il burro, aggiungete le fettine e

• ½ bicchiere di vino bianco • 50-100 g di burro • 100 g farina • Sale e pepe q.b.

fate cuocere 2 minuti per lato a fuoco alto, versate il vino, lasciate sfumare e poi aggiungete sale e pepe.

Togliete la carne dalla padella e lasciate addensare il fondo di cottura. Servite i saltimbocca alla romana con il fondo di cottura , verdure di stagione, insalata mista o patate arrosto.

View videos of these recipes and Chef Emma at work @ panoramitalia.com PANORAMITALIA.COM

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ROME

The pastas of Rome Les pâtes typiques de Rome

By Julie Aubé

A

mong the hundreds of pasta dishes that can be enjoyed from one end of the Italian boot to the other, a few are particularly typical of Rome. Make sure to add them to your menu during your next visit to the Eternal City.

P

armi les centaines de plats de pâtes qu’on peut savourer d’un bout à l’autre de la botte italienne, certains sont particulièrement typiques de Rome. Voici ceux que vous devez mettre au menu lors de votre prochain séjour dans la Ville éternelle.

Bucatini all’amatriciana Bucatini all’amatriciana is a pasta dish served with lightly spiced tomato sauce topped with guanciale, a cured pork sausage similar to pancetta, but made from the hog’s cheeks, not its belly. Simply add pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese and you have an amatriciana sauce. This typically Roman sauce resembles arrabiata, only with more guanciale and less peperoncino.

Although one finds amatriciana topping a variety of pastas, it is most traditionally served with bucatini. Resembling elongated macaroni, bucatini are slightly thicker than spaghetti and have a tiny hole in their centre. That’s quite fitting since “bucatini” literally means “small hole” in Italian.

Coiling them around a fork, as one does with spaghetti or linguini, is remarkably challenging with bucatini, which is why many consider them the most unruly of pastas and the most difficult to consume! Despite this, they are well worth the trouble, especially when combined with amatriciana sauce to produce one of Rome’s most delectable pasta dishes.

Les bucatini all’amatriciana sont un plat de pâtes en sauce tomate légèrement pimentée (au peperoncino) et garnie de lardons de guanciale. La guanciale est une charcuterie de porc non fumée qui s’apparente à la pancetta, mais faite à partir de joue de porc plutôt que de poitrine. Il ne manque que le poivre et le fromage Pecorino Romano, et on a une sauce all’amatriciana typiquement romaine. Cette sauce ressemble à l’arrabiata, avec plus de guanciale et normalement moins de peperoncino.

Bien que cette sauce all’amatriciana puisse être servie sur différents types de pâtes, les bucatini sont les plus traditionnelles. Il s’agit de longs macaroni : les bucatini sont un peu plus épais qu’un spaghetti, avec un petit trou au centre. C’est d’ailleurs ce que veut dire « bucatini », soit « petit trou ».

Parce qu’elles ne s’entourent pas sur la fourchette aussi sagement que le spaghetti ou le linguini par exemple, certains disent des bucatini qu’elles sont les pâtes les plus difficiles à manger! Un défi qui vaut amplement la peine d’être relevé pour savourer cet exquis plat de pâtes romain par excellence.

Bucatini alla gricia This dish bears a resemblance to an all’amatriciana, minus the tomatoes. It might actually be the all’amatriciana’s direct ancestor, harking back to a time before the 18th century, which was when the tomato was popularized in Italy. This dish is composed of guanciale, Pecorino Romano and pepper – a perfect example of a dish not needing to be overly complicated to be tasty.

Ce plat est en quelque sorte l’équivalent de l’amatriciana, sans la tomate. Il pourrait en fait être l’ancêtre de l’amatriciana, avant que la tomate ne soit popularisée en Italie au 18e siècle. Ce plat est donc composé de guanciale, de Pecorino Romano et de poivre.

L’exemple parfait d’un plat qui n’a pas besoin d’être compliqué pour être hautement savoureux.

Tonnarelli cacio e pepe Cacio e pepe is another example of a pasta dish that amazes by its simplicity. Combine pasta with pepper and high-quality Pecorino Romano cheese, a cheese made from sheep’s milk, e basta: you have a Roman mac’n’cheese!

With cacio e pepe being so minimalistic with respect to ingredients, their quality becomes particularly important, especially when it comes to selecting a good Pecorino Romano. After having matured eight months or more, this cheese’s texture resembles Parmigiano Reggiano in that it becomes hard and amenable to grating. Its rind is whiter than Parmigiano Reggiano and it tastes slightly saltier and spicier.

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Le cacio e pepe est un autre exemple de plat de pâtes étonnant dans sa simplicité. Pour faire un cacio e pepe, ça prend un bon fromage Pecorino Romano et du poivre grossièrement moulu. E basta! Un macaroni au fromage version romaine.

Le cacio e pepe est si minimaliste en termes d’ingrédients que leur qualité joue un rôle important.

Notamment pour le choix du Pecorino Romano, ce fromage produit à base de lait de brebis. Lorsqu’il a maturé huit mois et plus, il s’apparente en texture au Parmigiano Reggiano : sa texture devient dure et parfaite pour être râpée. Sa croûte est plus blanche que celle du Parmigiano Reggiano, et son goût légèrement plus piquant et salé.

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ROME

As with Pecorino Romano, the respectable chef must be picky about peppercorns, which are left coarsely ground in a cacio e pepe. The sauce is best served over tonnarelli, which is as long as spaghetti, only thicker and somewhat more “square.”

Still, making an excellent cacio e pepe requires more than just good ingredients, since these must also be deployed in the proper proportions and prepared following a capricious series of steps. Despite its deceptively simple appearance, cacio e pepe is a dish that requires a degree of mastery to really pull off.

En plus du Pecorino Romano, on choisit également un bon poivre en grains, qu’on moud grossièrement. Il ne manque que la pâte, typiquement des tonnarelli. Les tonnarelli sont des pâtes fraîches, longues comme le spaghetti, mais plus épaisses et plus « carrées ».

Pour un excellent cacio e pepe, il faut donc de bons ingrédients, mais aussi de bonnes proportions et une maîtrise des étapes de préparation. Une pâte simplissime en apparence qui requiert du savoir-faire pour la réussir dans les règles de l’art.

Alla carbonara Carbonara is also quite typical of Rome. While many assume that its tantalizing velvety consistency comes from added cream, there is none in a traditional carbonara.

In fact, its creamy texture comes from a mixture of fresh eggs and cheese.

A simple carbonara begins with pancetta or guanciale, to which is added Pecorino Romano (or a mixture of Pecorino and Parmesan), pepper and eggs. Carbonara is often served with spaghetti, although one often finds it topping other types of pasta as well.

Les carbonara sont aussi des pâtes typiques de Rome. L’alléchante texture crémeuse qui les caractérise ne vient pas d’un ajout de crème : il n’y en a pas dans la recette traditionnelle de la carbonara. Qu’est-ce qui leur donne alors leur texture riche, onctueuse et veloutée? Des œufs frais et du fromage!

La recette, toute simple, commence avec des lardons de pancetta ou de guanciale. Puis on ajoute du Pecorino Romano (ou un mélange de Pecorino et de Parmesan), du poivre et les œufs. La carbonara est souvent servie avec du spaghetti, bien qu’on la voit régulièrement avec différents types de pâtes.

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Pizza al taglio o capolavoro?

Evoluzione della regina dello street food romano Claudia Buscemi Prestigiacomo

Q

uando si parla di pizza, di solito, si pensa a Napoli, alla storia del pizzaiolo Esposito e della prima Margherita in onore dell’omonima regina in visita in città. È interessante scoprire che, per la nascita della pizza al taglio, bisogna invece spostarsi nell’Italia centrale, più esattamente a Roma. Sulle date non tutti sembrano concordare. C’è chi parla della fine del secondo conflitto mondiale; chi degli anni ’70 e infine ci sono quelli secondo cui risalirebbe agli inizi del’ 900, quando un gruppo d’ingegnosi panettieri originari di Terni e trasferitisi a Roma, provò a cuocere l’impasto per il pane, steso su teglie rettangolari di rame e guarnito con pomodoro e formaggio.

Su una cosa invece concordano tutti: la pizza al taglio è la regina indiscussa del cibo di strada romano. Chi è nato a Roma la cita nei ricordi d’infanzia – “Il nostro street food fin da piccoli, le nostre merende scolastiche, sono state a base di pizza rossa, bianca, con patate,” spiega Monia Trappetti, grafica pubblicitaria della Capitale. “Non so perché da noi ci sia questa tradizione di pizzerie al taglio...posso soltanto dirti che è il nostro modo di mangiare fuori casa: velocemente ma con gusto,” continua. Trappetti precisa inoltre che nel frattempo sono stati raggiunti ottimi standard di bontà e varietà di guarniture.

Che questo street food romano abbia raggiunto in alcuni casi ottimi livelli sembra dimostrato dall’esistenza di vere e proprie classifiche con le quali

si è cercato di riconoscere le migliori pizze al taglio in vendita nella città Eterna. I criteri di valutazione prendono quasi sempre in considerazione i tempi di lievitazione (mai inferiori alle 24 ore) per garantirne un’ottima digeribilità, le farine impiegate (possibilmente macinate con una mola) e, in aggiunta alla qualità, l’estro che si esprime attraverso le numerosissime combinazioni proposte.

Fabio Di Vita, informatico siciliano residente nella città Eterna spiega che “la pizza al taglio romana è un po’ diversa dalla pizza “classica”: bassa, quasi croccante. Con le patate, ai fiori di zucca, bufala, pachino e basilico, con i carciofi, rossa, con prosciutto crudo. La lista potrebbe continuare ancora. Non c’è strada di Roma, anche nelle zone più centrali, dove non si possa trovare una pizzeria di pizza al taglio.”

Come già accennato però, non tutte le pizzerie di pizza in teglia sono uguali. Spesso spicca il nome “Angelo e Simonetta”, pizzeria adesso gestita dai due fratelli di Angelo Iezzi famoso per aver vinto in passato un campionato mondiale di pizza al taglio e, soprattutto, perché uno dei primi posti in città ad avviare un percorso d’innovazione e rivalutazione della pizza in teglia. Vi sono poi Pizza Luigi – la cui pizza bianca ripiena è tra le più famose di Roma – e la Pizzeria Zazà in piazza di Sant’Eustachio, al centro storico, il cui vanto e la cui fama si devono all’attenzione rivolta al biologico.

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514-255-1644

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ROME Senza ombra di dubbio, a coniugare qualità ed inventiva sotto un’unica etichetta ci pensa Gabriele Bonci, definito “il Michelangelo della pizza” – complimento di cui ovviamente si compiace – per aver portato la pizza al taglio ad un ulteriore livello di squisitezza.

Bonci, divenuto particolarmente noto grazie anche alla tv, è un panificatore, pizzaiolo e chef che, dopo gli studi alberghieri e l’iniziale carriera come cuoco, a partire “proprio dalla voglia di un cibo differente,” ha deciso di dedicare il proprio estro e la propria conoscenza al perfezionamento della pizza al taglio con l’apertura nel 2003 di Pizzarium, in zona Vaticano.

“Il posto visto da fuori” – spiega Di Vita – “sembra una delle tante pizzerie al taglio di Roma in zona turistica. Entri e scopri in realtà che di turistico c'è ben poco.” Di Vita descrive Pizzarium, da poco rinnovato, come “un locale molto accattivante con sacchi di farina in bella mostra e il tutto che richiama alla mente una cucina antica, la cucina dei “nostri nonni.”

Bonci, autore anche del libro Il Gioco della Pizza, si distingue tra i tanti anche perché ogni anno crea più di 1.500 varianti, con una gamma di ingredienti ragguardevole. Qui non si parla solo di quantità, ma anche qualità.

A garantirgli questo risultato, al di là della passione per il cibo, è la scelta attenta degli ingredienti che, oltre a includere farine e lieviti rigorosamente biologici, variano con il susseguirsi delle stagioni e “in base alle sensazione che voglio far provare in quel momento,” spiega Bonci.

Per raggiungere questi standard di qualità ovviamente non bisogna badare troppo ai costi. Coloro che hanno avuto il piacere di assaporare la sua pizza, del resto, non sembrano preoccuparsene troppo. “Il prezzo è certamente meno economico di quello della classica pizza al taglio, ma una volta dato il primo morso alla pizza si capisce il perché: impasto leggero e poco unto, olio a crudo, levitazione naturale. 2000 tipologie di pizza differenti all’anno...giusto per darti l'idea della potenza di fuoco! Imperdibile!” – conclude entusiasta Di Vita.

“

Pizza al taglio del Pizzarium

... se si ha poco tempo durante la pausa pranzo, quando hai un po’ di amici a cena e non sei riuscito a cucinare, con la pizza al taglio non ti sbagli mai…

“

(Fabio, informatico di Roma)

Pizzaiolo Gabriele Bonci

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ADVICE

Compostela tra cammino e meditazione vete mai provato a eliminare ogni rumore in casa o in macchina? Cioè vivere senza televisione, né radio, né cellulare? In altre parole, avete mai cercato di ritrovarvi in silenzio per riflettere e meditare? Si direbbe che oggi, nella nostra società, abbiamo paura del silenzio… abbiamo paura di ritrovarci soli con noi stessi. Di confrontarci con riflessioni che vorremmo spesso mettere da parte come, ad esempio, l’esistenza di Dio, oppure la semplice rimessa in questione della nostra vita. C’è una difficoltà sempre più crescente nel Padre Nicola Di Narzo separarci dalle distrazioni… come ad esempio dal cellulare, che oramai ci connette col mondo intero attraverso la rete sociale.

Abbiamo spesso cercato di giustificare lo svuotamento delle nostre chiese con il fatto che oggi la gente è culturalmente più educata, che le conoscenze scientifiche sono più serie e che queste ci dimostrano che Dio non esiste. Io direi piuttosto che abbiamo perso il contatto col divino perché troppo presi dalle cose materiali ed anche troppo circondati da rumori e distrazioni.

A questo punto, uno si potrebbe pure indignare per quello che sto scrivendo, chiedendosi come giustificare una tale presa di posizione. Risponderei dicendo che bisogna sperimentare il vuoto, il silenzio, il fatto di ritrovarsi con se stessi per capire che abbiamo cercato Dio nel posto sbagliato e che Dio si lascia trovare in questi luoghi di intimità.

Questa è la mia esperienza con la vita consacrata, ma anche con la via di Compostela. Siete mai andati a San Giacomo di Compostela? Ne avete mai sentito parlare?

Si dice che l’apostolo Giacomo il Maggiore andò in Spagna dopo l’ascensione al cielo di Gesù per predicare il Vangelo. Tornò poi in Palestina dove fu ucciso. Il suo corpo venne quindi riportato in Spagna e sepolto in un luogo ignoto. Fu poi riscoperto grazie ad un evento miracoloso: un eremita conosciuto come Pelagio vide una luce uscire dal luogo della sepoltura nel 813. Questo fatto venne riconosciuto dal vescovo e nell’ 895 i monaci benedettini si insediarono in quel luogo e da lì iniziarono numerosi a venire in pellegrinaggio alla tomba dell’apostolo, per chiedere grazie particolari. La prima chiesa fu distrutta nel 997 dall’invasione musulmana e la nuova Basilica fu costruita nel 1075. Oramai, gente da tutt’Europa accorreva in pellegrinaggio.

Col tempo, si svilupparono i sentieri che partono dalla Francia, dalla Spagna, dal Portogallo… Il più conosciuto è il «cammino francese», che si estende per oltre 800 chilometri.

Oggi, le persone percorrono questi sentieri, oramai riconosciuti dall’UNESCO, per le ragioni più varie. Chi lo fa per fede, chi lo fa come sfida personale, chi per dimagrire, chi per poter poterlo raccontare agli amici… ma

A

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in questi sentieri talvolta di città, talvolta di campagna e di montagna, c’è spesso un momento in cui ci ritroviamo presi dalla stanchezza e coi dolori ai piedi e magari vorremmo ritornare a casa. È sovente in quest’esperienza di impotenza e di fragilità che accettiamo di aprire la porta del nostro cuore per poi trovare Colui che ci aspetta oramai da giorni e da anni : il nostro Dio. Una volta che lo incontriamo, sembra quasi di camminare più facilmente, sembra quasi di avere ali. Mi ricordo il momento in cui sono arrivato a Compostela. Mi veniva da piangere, ero preso da un’emozione molto grande. Mi sembrava di vivere un momento unico di prossimità col Signore. Era come se oramai i miei sforzi fossero stati accreditati, come se la mia preghiera fosse già stata esaudita.

Nel sentiero ho incontrato varie persone. Tutti con percorsi di vita diversi, ma con lo stesso scopo di arrivare alla meta. Ho visto gente piangere di gioia ed anche piangere di dolore. Ho visto alcuni porsi domande profonde ed altri trovare risposte. Ho incontrato giovani ed anziani. Gente che cammina con facilità e gente che fa fatica… ma, soprattutto, ho incontrato cercatori di Dio. Mai ho visto qualcuno camminare con le cuffie, né col cellulare in mano. È come se questo cammino ci obbligasse a rispettare il silenzio di quei luoghi ed accettare di spogliarci delle nostre confortevoli abitudini. Sarei curioso di leggere un libro di testimonianze al riguardo, avrei sicuramente tanto da scoprire, per me sarebbe un vero e proprio vangelo moderno.

Ma perché aspettare momenti e condizioni speciali per incontrare Dio? Egli bussa… perché non aprire? Vi auguro di poterlo incontrare, e chissà, forse anche un giorno vivere il cammino di Compostela.

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ADVICE

Usucapione S

iete partiti dal paesino natale in cerca di fortuna ed avete affidato i vostri beni (casa, terreni) al vostro amico fidato.

Dopo tantissimi anni, siete notificati da una citazione per usucapione.

Il vostro fedele amico o i suoi figli, che neanche Pasquale Artuso conoscete, domandano di essere dichiarati padroni della vostra casa e terreni.

Cos’è l’usucapione?

L’Articolo 1158 (e seguenti) del Codice Civile Italiano lo definisce come il mezzo in virtù del quale, per effetto del possesso protratto per un certo tempo e, talora, di altri requisiti, si produce l’acquisto della proprietà di beni immobili, mobili, mobili registrati e dei diritti reali di godimento.

I requisiti dell’usucapione sono il possesso ed il tempo.

In relazione al tempo si distinguono vari tipi di usucapione : A) Usucapione di beni mobili : Possesso (in buona fede) continuato per dieci (10) anni, mentre se il possesso è in malafede venti (20) anni;

B) Usucapione ordinaria di beni immobili e universalità di mobili : Si compie, per i beni immobili (terreni, casa, etc.) e le universalità di mobili (gregge di pecore, mandria di bestiame, biblioteche, pinacoteche, etc.) in venti (20) anni; C) Usucapione abbreviata: La stessa richiede per gli immobili dieci (10) anni e per i mobili registrati (auto, moto, trattori, barche, navi, aerei, etc.) tre (3) anni; D) Usucapione speciale: I termini per farla compiere sono quindici (15) e cinque (5) anni (immobili situati in comuni montani), qualora ricorrano particolari presupposti.

Cosa fare per evitare l’usucapione?

L’unico mezzo efficace per non farsi espropriare dei propri beni che può attivare una persona emigrata all’estero e che ha lasciato beni in Italia, dei quali, per tante ragioni, non ha potuto più interessarsi è quello di compiere atti idonei ad interrompere il decorso (passare) del tempo che permetterebbe, altrimenti, al non proprietario di impossessarsi degli stessi. In parole povere, una semplice raccomandata, il pagamento delle utenze domestiche, delle tasse sugli immobili, etc, non sarebbero sufficienti, secondo l’attuale orientamento prevalente della Suprema Corte di Cassazione, a dimostrare l’interruzione dell’usucapione, bensi occorre ricorrere alle vie giudiziariare, per mezzo delle azioni di rivendicazione (Art. 948

Cod. Civ. It.) e/o negatoria (Art. 949 Cod. Civ. It.) preannunciate con una lettera di un avvocato.

Necessita ricordare che l’usucapione è interrotta, quando il possessore abusivo è stato privato del possesso per oltre un anno, beninteso, non facendo oltrepassare l’arco temporale previsto dalla normativa pertinente le varie tipologie di usucapione (venti (20) anni, quindici (15) anni, dieci (10) anni, cinque (5) anni, tre (3) anni).

In più, se il possesso è stato acquistato in modo violento o clandestino la domanda sarà respinta dal tribunale.

Questa rubrica legale contiene dell’informazione giuridica generale e non sostituisce i consigli di un avvocato che terrà conto delle particolarità del vostro caso.

Lo studio legale Pasquale Artuso & Soci si avvale della collaborazione di corrispondenti in tutte le regioni d’Italia coordinati dallo studio Fallerini.

Pasquale Artuso Avvocato di Fiducia Consolato Generale d’Italia

Valérie Carrier Avvocatessa

Julie Therrien Avvocatessa

Mathieu Di Lullo Avvocato

Steven Campese Avvocato

Caroline Francoeur Avvocatessa

T.: 514.259.7090

Pierre Fugère Avvocato - diritto criminale e penale Joseph W. Allen Avvocato dal 1976 diritto dell’immigrazione

F.:514.256.6907 artmars@securenet.net

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2014 FINANCIAL YEAR

DISTRIBUTES DIVIDENDS TOTALLING $1,700,000 to all its MEMBERS FOR A GRAND TOTAL of $25,999,642 until today

CAISSE POPULAIRE DESJARDINS CANADIENNE ITALIENNE Proud to present these outstanding results of the 2014 financial year Total business volume: $1.596 billion Total loans: $766.8 million Net earnings after tax: $8.2 million Total deposits: $829 million The members of the Caisse Populaire Desjardins Canadienne Italienne are part of a savings and credit cooperative, a solid and efficient financial institution that gives its members important privileges; being eligible for a yearly drawback return is one of them.

In fact, Caisse Populaire Desjardins Canadienne Italienne shares part of its net earnings to all members that qualify.

Caisse Populaire Desjardins Canadienne Italienne is close to its members and listens to their needs. You can now open a Euro account and invest Euros in term deposits.

“It is part of our mission and we are proud to be an active partner in our community. Our financial participation has reached $115,811 in donations in 2014. Our involvement in helping community organizations is real and constant.”

- Mariano A. De Carolis, direttore generale

Many organizations that operate in sectors like education, culture, assistance to the needy, foundations and sports associations are witnesses of the close collaboration between the community and Caisse Populaire Desjardins Canadienne Italienne.

Learn more now www.desjardins.com /caissecanadienneitalienne

The excellent financial results of the 2014 fiscal year enable us to confirm that each of our member that qualify will get a percentage of the $1,700,000 dividends This is an outstanding advantage that Caisse Populaire Desjardins Canadienne Italienne offers its members!

Euros are available for you at any time at all our branches

Caisse Populaire Desjardins Canadienne Italienne continues to encourage local initiatives by offering partnerships and financial support to non-profit organizations dedicated to the well-being of the community.

Become a member. It is simple and easy!

Open an account at one of our branches Enjoy the many benefits we offer you From now on, choose Caisse Populaire Desjardins Canadienne Italienne.

We speak your language, we respect your needs.

Head Office

6999 St. Laurent Boulevard Montreal

Avanti... Insieme!

CPCI

Consult with an investment specialist team member.

Wealth Management 514 273-6869

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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

LA CROISADE D’ANTHONY PACELLA Anthony Pacella travaille très fort depuis plusieurs années pour amasser des fonds pour la recherche sur le cancer du poumon. Ce jeune homme de 19 ans a débuté sa première levée de fonds lorsque sa mère, Mary Melillo Pacella, a été diagnostiquée d’un cancer du poumon stade 4, en août 2010. Il n’avait alors que 13 ans. « Nous avons tous été dévastés par cette terrible nouvelle… d’autant plus que ma mère n’a jamais fumé de cigarettes de sa vie. Elle nous a quitté le 6 janvier 2011 à l’âge de 52 ans. Elle nous manque énormément.

Depuis, j’essaie de suivre ses traces et d’honorer sa mémoire. Je veux démontrer aux gens de ma génération qu’il est possible de laisser sa marque dans la société par une action humanitaire. Je veux aussi que l’on sache que même un non-fumeur peut recevoir un diagnostic de cancer du poumon. » Depuis le décès de sa mère, Anthony organise à chaque année différents événements dont un quille-o-thon sous la bannière StrikeOut Cancer. Son objectif : atteindre la somme totale de 100 000 $ d’ici la fin de 2015. Toutes les contributions seront consacrées au Programme de soins communautaires en cancérologie de l’Hôpital St. Mary de Montréal. À ce jour, Anthony Pacella a recuelli 75 000 $. Vous pouvez contribuer à la cause StrikeOut Cancer en contactant Anthony Pacella au 514 415-8509 /anthony-pacella@live.com

Anthony et son père Angelo Pacella.

LE PRIX ALBERT CHIRICOSTA La première édition du Gala du Conseil des médecins, dentistes et pharmaciens de l’Hôpital Santa Cabrini (CMDP) a connu un franc succès en amassant 197 450 $ qui seront investis afin d’améliorer l’accessibilité et la qualité des services à l’aide médicale de l’Hôpital et du Centre d’Accueil Dante. La soirée qui s’est déroulée sous la présidence d’honneur de M. Mario Rigante, premier viceprésident de la direction du Québec, BMO, a rendu hommage au docteur Alberto Chiricosta, urologue qui a consacré une carrière de plus de 45 ans à l’Hôpital Santa Cabrini. Le président du C. A. de la Fondation Santa Cabrini, Charles Argento, le président du comité de direction, Giuseppe Danisi, le président du CMDP, le Dr Joseph Feghali, et Mario Rigante ont annoncé au cours de la soirée la création du Prix Albert Chiricosta qui sera remis dorénavant à un membre du CMDP qui se sera distingué par sa contribution

Dr. Alberto Chirichosta professionnelle, son implication sociale et sa détermination à promouvoir l’institution hospitalière dans la communauté. Bravo Dr Chiricosta et tanti Auguri !

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EVENTS

CORBO, UNE HISTOIRE MÉCONNUE PORTÉE À L’ÉCRAN ENTREVUE AVEC TONY NARDI ET DINO TAVARONE SUR LEUR PARTICIPATION AU DERNIER FILM DE MATHIEU DENIS

Panoram Italia : Qu’évoque chez vous le nom Corbo ?

Tony Nardi : Je me rappelle de la famille Corbo, une famille digne et bien en vue. Une famille qui avait réussi et dont mon père mentionnait souvent le nom. Mais je ne connaissais pas cette histoire. On y voit ici un parallèle entre le statut d’immigrant – une minorité dont on se moque souvent et dont on ne veut pas – et celui des Québécois : une majorité silencieuse dominée par les Anglais.

PI : Comment avez-vous abordé votre rôle ?

TN : Pour moi, à part le fait que c’est une histoire vraie, on parle ici du personnage d’un scénario et cela implique un processus de travail dramatique. J’essaie de donner, pas seulement d’incarner. Mais aussi de faire en sorte que ce personnage, bien écrit et définit, représente une personne entière. Il ne faut pas oublier que c’est un travail d’équipe.

PI : Êtes-vous plus souvent sollicité pour interpréter des personnages d’origine italienne ?

TN : Cela est parfois le cas. D’autres fois, c’est moi qui aime aborder des personnages qui impliquent mes origines. D’autre part, quand un sujet implique un personnage italo-canadien, il y a parfois trop d’appuis sur ce lien et c’est un danger pour des comédiens qui font partie d’autres cultures.

L’être humain, peu importe ses origines, se sert de son histoire, de son vécu pour faire vivre un personnage.

PI : Pourquoi avez-vous quitté le Québec pour l’Ontario alors que vous vous définissez comme un artiste engagé ?

TN : À l’époque, si tu voulais travailler, c’était la mentalité. Il fallait envisager de tenter sa chance en allant à Londres, New York ou Toronto. Ici, il n’y avait pas vraiment d’ouverture ni en français ni en anglais. J’ai donc choisi de travailler avec d’autres gens de théâtre et avec de grands artistes.

Quand le théâtre de Michel Tremblay s’est imposé, tout le monde cherchait à s’exprimer. Pour ma part, je me suis arrêté à Toronto, car je pouvais y accomplir le travail qui m’intéressait. Mais peu importe où l’on va, on n’échappe pas à ce que l’on est. Tout est politique. On ne peut enlever la politique de l’art, que l’on en soit conscient ou victime. For better or for worse, everything is politics! c2015 Seville, une filiale de Entertainment 1.

Le film Corbo du réalisateur Mathieu Denis se déroule au printemps 1966. Jean Corbo a 16 ans.

Il est le fils de Nicholas Corbo, notaire réputé de Montréal et activiste politique impliqué au sein du parti libéral. Jean et son frère aîné Claude (Claude Corbo a été recteur de l’UQAM de 1986 à 1996, puis de 2008 à 2013), sont nés d’une mère québécoise et d’un père italien. Ils vivent dans un milieu aisé, fréquentent l’un des meilleurs collèges privés de Montréal, côtoient des gens fortunés, mais ne s’identifient pas à cet environnement bourgeois.

Jean Corbo fait face à des préjugés à cause de ses origines et se bat contre ces injustices. Un jour, il fait la rencontre de jeunes militants felquistes et découvre une vision du Québec à laquelle il s’associe davantage. Il se joint à eux et s’intègre à une cellule du mouvement du Front de libération du Québec (FLQ). Sa fin tragique marquera la famille toute entière.

Panoram Italia s’est entretenu avec les acteurs Tony Nardi qui campe le rôle de Nicholas Corbo, le père du jeune terroriste, et Dino Tavarone qui incarne le grand-père Corbo. Homme de théâtre, Tony Nardi a écrit plusieurs oeuvres liées à la réalité italo-canadienne. Il a collaboré au scénario de La Sarrasine et de La Déroute de Paul Tana et a remporté de nombreux prix pour ses rôles au cinéma et à la télévision. On se rappelle de Dino Tavarone pour sa participation à la série culte Omertà et ses nombreux rôles au grand écran comme dans 2 secondes avec Charlotte Laurier.

L’acteur Dino Tavarone dans le rôle du grand-père Corbo

10300, boul Pie-IX - Angolo Fleury

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EVENTS PI : Que vous rappelle Nicholas Corbo ?

Dino Tavarone : Un homme très élégant et fier. À cette époque, associer un Italien au FLQ c’était incendiaire !

DE ROME À MONTRÉAL, LE NOUVEL ALBUM DE VINCENZO THOMA

PI : Est-ce un rôle important pour vous ?

DT : Ce rôle me rappelait certains souvenirs et je l’ai accepté avec plaisir. Je suis anarchiste, socialiste, communiste. Je suis content d’observer la montée des mouvements de protestations à travers le monde contre la superpuissance du système monétaire qui domine tout. Aujourd’hui, seul l’argent compte. Le grand-père Corbo pouvait sembler tyrannique, mais c’était un tendre. À ce point de sa vie, il savait ce qui était essentiel.

PI : On vous voit moins sur les écrans du Québec dernièrement, pourquoi ?

DT : Je refuse des rôles qui me sont offerts s’ils sont contraires à mes principes.

Je peins et je prépare un film anarchique. Un portrait de Dino Tavarone fait sans budget, sans prétention, mais vrai. Un jour, on tourne avec une équipe de cinquante personnes, le lendemain, nous sommes deux… Ce documentaire sur ma vie me permet de parler de mes origines, de la douleur de l’émigration, de mes déboires, de la prison, de mes idées et de mes passions… Deux caméras pour capter le récit d’une vie qui n’a pas de règle. Tu ne peux pas imaginer ce qu’est l’émigration, il faut le vivre.

Corbo de Mathieu Denis a pris l’affiche au Québec le 17 avril 2015. Le film met en vedette Anthony Therrien dans le rôle de Jean Corbo aux côtés d’Antoine L’Écuyer, Karelle Tremblay, Tony Nardi, Marie Brassard, Francis Ducharme et la participation spéciale de Dino Tavarone. Le film est distribué au Canada par Les Films Christal, une sous-distribution Les Films Séville, des filiales d’eOne.

De Rome à Montréal, le récent album de Vincenzo Thoma

L’acteur Tony Nardi dans le rôle du père Nicholas Corbo

L’auteur-compositeur, musicien, arrangeur, chanteur et professeur Vincenzo Thoma est né à Rome, en Italie. Musicien autodidacte, il a un parcours atypique : il joue du piano et de la guitare et parle couramment l’italien, le français, l’anglais et l’espagnol. Il a fait des études en droit à l’Université La Sapienza de Rome et détient une maîtrise en littérature italienne de l’Université McGill de Montréal. Thoma a commencé sa carrière en Italie à titre de choriste, notamment pour Richard Cocciante et Lara Fabian. Arrivé au Québec dans les années 1990, il s’est fait connaître par ses collaborations avec des artistes tels que Roch Voisine, Ima, Bruno Pelletier et Mario Pelchat. Thoma lance ce mois-ci son nouvel album, entièrement en français et inspiré de son parcours d’immigrant. De Rome à Montréal, comporte 10 chansons originales où l’auteur-compositeur-interprète raconte son histoire. Un disque pop aux couleurs de la Méditerranée et de l’Amérique.

L’album est en vente sur iTunes. www.vincenzothoma.com

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EVENTS

SUPERFANTASTICO CÉLÈBRE 20 ANS Créé en 1995 alors que les émissions America’s Got Talent et The Voice n’existaient pas encore, le spectacle musical Superfantastico, produit par la chaîne de radio CFMB et mis sur pied par Nick De Vincenzo et Silvana Di Flavio, continue de promouvoir les jeunes talents locaux ainsi que la culture italienne. « La première année, le spectacle s’est déroulé au Collège Jean Eudes. Dès l’année suivante, il nous a fallu trouver une plus grande salle », raconte Silvana di Flavio. Aujourd’hui, c’est à la Place des Arts que se déroule le spectacle qui a la grande qualité d’offrir une vitrine exceptionnelle aux jeunes désireux de tenter une carrière musicale.

De plus, Superfantastico est le seul événement culturel de la communauté qui réunit autant de jeunes de tous les âges. Silvana n’a pas de formation en musique, mais ce qui l’anime c’est son attachement à sa culture et le désir de la transmettre aux jeunes. « Nick et moi étions d’avis que le meilleur véhicule pour transmettre ce lien était la musique et au fil des ans nous avons amélioré le concept. » Aujourd’hui les participants doivent suivre une formation afin d’atteindre un niveau de confort avec la scène et le micro. Ils apprennent à bouger, à habiter la scène et à interagir avec le public. Une formidable école qui leur permet d’atteindre un haut niveau d’aisance et de développer leur talent. « Angelike Falbo, l’une des trois finalistes de La Voix était l’une de nos participantes l’an dernier. Nous sommes très fiers d’elle », ajoute Silvana. Pour la 20e édition, la gagnante Oriana Lugo Berardo qui l’a remporté avec son interprétation de « Per dire di no » de la chanteuse Alexia,

Les organisateurs Nick De Vincenzo et Silvana Di Flavio participera au festival Happy Day, en Italie, en octobre 2015. Cette année, les juges étaient Larry Mancini (Isba Music), Francis Cucuzzella (Unidisc Records), Vito V (DJ Mix Radio), Farley Flex (Canadian Idol), l’actrice italienne Barbara Bacci ainsi que le journaliste et critique musical italien, Dario Salvatori. L’objectif? « Aider les jeunes gens talentueux à percer dans un domaine qui n’est certainement pas facile. Nous encourageons les jeunes à tenter leur chance et l’expérience qu’ils auront ici

La grande gagnante, Groupe 1, Oriana Lugo Berardo et la gagnante du groupe 2, Jessica Abbruzzese et en Italie leur appartiendra pour toujours.

Superfantastico est ouvert à la diversité. Certains jeunes s’inscrivent même s’ils ne sont pas d’origine italienne. Ils devront toutefois interpréter une chanson italienne. », explique Silvana. Cette année plus de 1200 spectateurs ont assisté au spectacle offert par les 17 participants.

Les auditions pour Superfantastico 2016 ont débuté en juin. Si vous désirez vous inscrire, contactez Silvana à : silvana@cfmbradio.com.

LE 3E GRAND BAL DES PAPILLONS POUR LES ENFANTS MALADES

De g. à d. : Rachelle Huynh, Teresa Pelle, Olivier Adenot, Paul Debonis, Florence Junca Adenot, Maude Adenot, Catherine Kozminski, Vincent Dumez, Dr Élie Haddad, Maud Cohen, Maëlle Adenot, Mathieu Adenot, Julie Desmarais, Julie Cousineau, Dominic Bonneau et Catherine Rabret-Laporte.

Le Grand Bal des Papillons qui a eu lieu le 25 avril au Buffet Marina de Saint-Léonard a permis d'amasser 70 000 $ pour le Fonds Maëlle Adenot du CHU Sainte-Justine et a réuni plus de 300 personnes. Le fonds qui a été créé en 2010 par Catherine Kozminski et Olivier Adenot, en l'honneur de leur fille Maëlle, autiste et atteinte de myasthénie grave, a pour mission l'humanisation des soins en milieu pédiatrique. « Parce que les enfants malades doivent pouvoir cheminer dans un environnement adapté à leur réalité, dans un univers coloré, divertissant et ouvert sur le rire, en dépit de tout », insistent Catherine Kozminski et Olivier Adenot. L'événement-bénéfice a aussi été l'occasion du lancement officiel de l'ouvrage Soutenir et accompagner l'enfant malade - Maëlle et la Bête, en compagnie des docteurs Élie Haddad, chef du service d'immunologie-rhumatologie-allergologie du CHU Sainte-Justine, et Sylvain Palardy, psychiatre à l'Hôpital Rivière-desPrairies, qui ont collaboré à l’ouvrage de Catherine Kozminski. Toutes les redevances de la vente du livre seront versées au Fonds Maëlle Adenot du CHU Sainte-Justine pour l'humanisation des soins. À ce jour, plus de 200 000 $ ont été versés au CHU Sainte-Justine.

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EVENTS

LUCE DE LA MAISON TENUTA DELLA VITE, RETOUR SUR 20 ANS DE SAVOIR-FAIRE TOSCAN Lamberto Frescobaldi des vins Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi s’est déplacé à Montréal ce printemps pour célébrer le 20e anniversaire du Luce de la maison Tenuta Luce Della Vite dans le cadre d’une dégustation verticale regroupant les millésimes 1993 à 2012. Exclusivité nord-américaine, organisée conjointement dans la métropole et dans la grosse pomme chez nos voisins du sud, cet événement fêtait en grande pompe ce fils prodigue qui en l’espace de deux décennies a su se tailler une Lamberto Frescobaldi place de choix dans le palmarès des grands vins internationaux.

Fruit d’une joint-venture entre la maison Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi et son homologue italo-américain Robert Mondavi Winery, la Tenuta Luce Della Vite incarne depuis 1993 cette volonté d’exprimer l’incroyable potentiel du terroir de Montalcino dans une vision alliant tradition et modernité. Produit dans les hauteurs valloneuses de la portion sud-ouest de Montalcino, Luce, le fer de lance de la maison, marie à parts pratiquement égales le fougueux Sangiovese – figure emblématique de la région – à la noblesse du Merlot. D’une profondeur et d’une puissance remarquable, cet assemblage s’inscrit directement dans la tradition des supertoscans de haut niveau.

Les 20 formats magnum retraçant toutes les vendanges effectuées à ce jour à la Tenuta nous ont livré le récit d’un vin singulier dont l’histoire est loin d’être banale. Confirmant l’incroyable potentiel de garde de ce grand cru, cet exercice nous révélait aussi qu’il s’agit d’un vin difficilement abordable en jeunesse et qu’il est préférable de coucher quelques années avant de pouvoir être apprécié pleinement. (Gabriel Riel-Salvatore)

RUSTICHELLA D’ABRUZZO À MONTRÉAL

Patricia Occhiuto accompagnée du chef William Zonfa Les Importations Mini Italia ont organisé une soirée de dégustation de pâtes artisanales de la marque Rustichella D’Abruzzo à laquelle ont participé des chefs, journalistes, blogueurs et « foodies » à l’Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Québec. Des nouveautés ont été présentées par le fabricant italien dont la « 90’’ RAPIDA », des spaghettis précuits, prêts en 90 secondes, conçus d’abord pour les restaurateurs du Japon dont la clientèle hyper-performante exige que le repas soit servi en un temps record. Patricia Occhiuto, présidente des Importations Mini Italia, a présenté le chef William Zonfa, étoilé Michelin, qui a cuisiné sphaghetti, risotto, linguini à l’encre de sèche, fusili et pâte d’épeautre tout en partageant ses secrets et méthodes culinaires avec les invités. La marque s’enorgueillit de fabriquer ses produits à la main et de répondre de façon créative aux exigences et nouvelles tendances en alimentation à travers le monde. La soirée s’est conclue par une poignée de mains amicale entre les chefs Umberto Zonfa et Mario Julien, chef Montréalais réputé (il travaille entre autre pour Céline Dion). Rustichella d’Abruzzo, disponible sur www.miniitalia.ca.

Come Visit our New Showroom

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

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Wall of Memory remembering our immigrants

Immortalize your family history on the Casa D’Italia’s Wall of Memory!

Available at store.panoramitalia.com

2. Small Family Plate Two full names Place of birth Year of arrival in Canada Option of photo

1. Individual Name Plate Full name (29 characters) Place of birth Year of arrival in Canada

size 4” x 8” middle section

size: 2” x 8”

$750

upper / lower section $250* middle section $400*

3. Large Family Plate Up to two photos and six lines of text OR Up to ten lines of text, no photo Must include place of birth and year of arrival in Canada size: 8” x 8” middle section

$1200

Official Certificate of Registration * A certificate will be issued for each plate as a souvenir for the family. *Must be picked up at Casa D'Italia

Log on to store.panoramitalia.com to choose an option, upload your photo, input your information and make payment.

Acknowledge • Honour • Remember Call Panoram Italia Editor Adam Zara at (514) 337-7870 for assistance.

CCPI — Casa d'Italia sustains, promotes and develops Italian-Canadian culture in Montreal.

505 rue Jean-Talon Est, Montreal QC H2R 1T6

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Un Salami, plusienrs saveurs...

Many flavours, one salami...

Il s’agit de nourriture...

It’s all about food...

2866 Daniel Johnson, Laval Qc

H7P 5N7

Tél: 450 934-6220

Fax: 450 934-6961 www.papille.ca

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