Tutto Italiano - October is Italian Heritage Month

Below is a monthly newsletter from Janice Mancuso.  She has written this newsletter for some time and it is full of great information on all things Italian.  Take a read and if you would like more, please click on the links below to sign up for automatic delivery.  Also feel free to email Janice any questions you have about the Italian Heritage.  She is very gracious and a pleasure to talk with.  

Enjoy, 

La Campagna

 

Tutto ItalianoBenvenuto a Tutto Italiano

 

On October 14th, the White House issued a Presidential Proclamation acknowledging October as Italian American Heritage and Culture Month. While New Jersey and other states with high populations of Italian Americans have passed a law for an annual proclamation, the federal government must issue a proclamation each year.

 

UNICO, an Italian American service organization, has started a campaign to make the presidential proclamation of Italian American Heritage Month a law. The law would authorize and request the President to annually issue the proclamation. Print the UNICO petition requesting that Congress establish October as Italian and Italian American Heritage Month, and ask everyone you know who has an Italian heritage (or is interested in Italian culture) to sign the petition.

 

The petition is also a great way to talk about and inform others about Italian American culture. To learn about Italian and Italian Americans who have greatly contributed to America, go to the Index of Names at Thirty-One Days of Italians. Or to match a name with a date in October, view the 2010 List of Names for Thirty-One Days of Italians.

 

365 Days of Italians
In 2006, when I first proposed Thirty-One Days of Italians to members of an Italian American forum, some commented that there were so many Italians and Italian Americans who had contributed to America and the world, that they could fill a calendar of 365 days. That project was a little out of my scope, but I did add a page to Thirty-One Days of Italians for those Contributing to the World. Some names on this list have a brief sentence or two describing their accomplishments, but with the time it takes for the extensive research, it will be a while before the biographies and resources are added.

 

Along similar lines to Thirty-One Days of Italians, UNICO prepared a 2010 calendar, with 365 days of Italians that is mostly categorized by the date of birth for each person. The calendar includes a page for each month with the name of a person for each day, and an accompanying page with a sentence or two about that person. It’s a great way to learn more about the Italians and Italian Americans who have contributed so much to society.

 

Italy Celebrates 150 Years
Italy is making plans for numerous special events in 2011, as it celebrates 150 years of unification. On March 17th, the city of Torino – the first capital of Italy – will become the center of numerous activities. Torino was the capital from 1861, when unity was proclaimed, to 1865, when the center of the government was moved to Florence. In 1870, Rome was liberated from foreign occupation, and in 1871, Rome became the capital of Italy.

 

Italian Unification

 

Maps of Italy (1858, 1859-70)

 

Rome Liberation Day

 

Esperienza Italia (Experience Italy): Events to educate the younger generation about Italy.

 

Torino – Risorgimento (In Italian)

 

Salemi, Capital of ItalyIn May 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi and his “Thousand Red Shirts” landed in Marsala and – in a step toward Italian unification – began fighting the armies of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. After three days of victory, on May 14th, in the town of Salemi (province of Trapani), Garibaldi declared he was ruler under the name of Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Piedmont, Savoy, and Sardinia. With his announcement, the flag of Italy was raised, and Salemi became the first capital of a united Italy. The honor lasted one day, but 150 years later, the celebrations continue.

 

This past May, the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, visited Salemi and was greeted by 1,000 children wearing the symbolic red shirts of Garibaldi’s troops. The President also visited the new Museum of the Mafia, developed from an idea of Salemi’s progressive mayor, Vittorio Sgarbi. The Museum, which documents the history of the Mafia, was designed to bring more tourists to the town; but even with all the attention it has received – or because of it – the entrance door was set on fire. The fire is not a deterrent, though; the Museum’s director said, “We will take the fire-damaged door off its hinges and put in inside the Museum in the section on Mafia intimidation.” (Anywhere else, this door would be thrown away!) He also noted that when the perpetrators are caught, their pictures will become part of the Museum’s exhibit.

 

Elected in 2008, Sgarbi has been keeping this historic town in the news. His first major task was offering the earthquake-damaged houses of Salemi for sale for one euro – with the provision that the buyer must spend 100,000 euros and use local labor to renovate the property. Earlier this year, Sgarbi announced that his project has finally received approval from local bureaucrats. About 1,000 properties are available and the town has received 10,000 inquiries from people around the world, but – so far – about 600 have possible approval. The town has also obtained a collection of cult videos from a New York City video store that closed last year. The tapes are currently in storage in a warehouse in Salemi. (For more, see the February 2009 issue of Tutto Italiano.)

 

Sgarbi has strong backing from Sandro Bondi, Italy’s Minister of Culture. Bondi recently appointed Sgarbi curator of the Italian Pavilion for the 2011 Venice Biennale, and he believes that Sgarbi’s idea for revitalizing Salemi might work for other historic towns in Italy.

 

Salemi, Capital of Italy

 

Salemi Online (In Italian)

 

President Napolitano in Salemi (YouTube, in Italian)

 

Mayor of Salemi, Vittorio Sgarbi (YouTube, in Italian)

 

Photo Gallery of Sicily

 

Garibaldi and the Risorgimento

 

Promoting Our Culture
Earlier this year, I wrote about Joe Maruca and his blog, italyville.com, where he shares his experiences and thoughts on Italian and Italian American culture. Joe lived in Italy and visits often to spend time with family. Joe has posted the 2010 List of Thirty-One Days of Italians on his blog. Check it out here, and be sure to read his other posts – all very informative, interesting, and entertaining.

 

Words of ThanksIt’s always nice to hear from my readers, and I would like to acknowledge a few who contact me on a regular basis. Tim sends me the most wonderful notes of appreciation, “Your newsletter is brilliant, delicious and informative. Always a treat.” John forwards my newsletter to family and friends and asks them to contact me – and they do! And Tommy Tucci wrote, “I have hit most of your links and Italy is the most beautiful country. I am third generation, my parents were born here. Until your excellent website [my note: Thirty-One Days of Italians] I had no idea of the culture rich society and history that Italy continues to provide the world. I grew up with tunnel vision, that genuine Italy is barefoot and backward. Your updates are most welcome. In fact they are extremely beneficial ...”

 

It takes two to three days to research and write Tutto Italiano, but it’s like taking a mini vacation in Italy; and I also learn more about the beautiful country of my ancestors, which brings me closer to them and my heritage.

 

Buon anno, buon tutto, buona vita,
Janice Therese Mancuso
Author of Con Amore

 

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©2010 by Janice Therese Mancuso. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission except when quoted for promotional purposes. Publish with this credit: Excerpted from Tutto Italiano ©2010 by Janice Therese Mancuso. www.jtmancuso.com