Dante Alighieri Society, Michigan Chapter · Dante Alighieri Society, Michigan Chapter Spring/Summer 2006 Jerry Rosenberg Message from the President Ravenna was at one time at the

Dante Alighieri Society, Michigan Chapter

Spring/Summer 2006

Jerry Rosenberg

Message from the President

Ravenna was at one time at the center of the civilized world. It was the seat of the Roman Empire in the 5th century and then of Byzantine Italy until the 8th century. While walking from one site to another to view the beautiful mosaics in Ravenna, I noticed a sign that directed tourists to a small structure in a side street of the city that indicated that it was the Mausoleum of Dante Alighieri. I was unaware that Dante Alighieri, the Father of Italian literature, was buried in Ravenna. I thought I had seen his tomb in Florence, in the Church of Santa Croce where other great Florentines such as Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli are buried. There is a statue of Dante in the Piazza Santa Croce, commemorating his great contributions to the Italian language, making the vernacular of Florence the language of all of Italy. How did he come to be buried in Ravenna? It is a story that is well known and I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I did not know it. I subsequently learned that the statuary dedicated to Dante in the Church of Santa Croce is a cenotaph, a monument erected in honor of a dead person whose remains lie else-where. The events which led to Dante’s exile from his birthplace of Florence and his burial in Ravenna begins with the conflicts which arose between opposing po-litical factions in Germany and Italy during the later Middle Ages. Papal loyalists fought against those who were allied to the Holy Roman Emperor. Each sought to dominate the other. The defenders of the Pope were the Guelphs and their oppo-

nents were the Ghibellines. In Florence, the Ghibellines were expelled in the late 12th century and the Guelphs soon divided into rival Bianchi and Neri factions. The former supported the burgher government whereas the latter consisted of the more aristocratic families. Dante could lay claim to nobility but the family was not a wealthy or prominent one. He aligned himself with the Bianchi and played an important role in ousting the Neri and involving himself in the governance of Florence. The Neri had the backing of the Pope who, by invoking the help of French troops, expelled the Bianchi in 1302. Dante and others were condemned to death should they ever returned to Florence. Dante never returned, and until he died in 1321 at the age of 56 he lived in one northern Italian city or another, under the protection of its leaders. In 1320 he made his final home in Ravenna, where he died on the night of September 13 or 14, 1321. He was buried in the church of San Francesco. There were attempts to return his remains to Florence but the Franciscan monks hid his body and prevented it from leaving their church. His coffin was discovered in 1865 at witch time an appropriate mausoleum was built in Ravenna to honor his memory and his seminal contribu-tions to literature and Italian culture.

The Mausoleum and Tomb

Dear Dante Members, . The face of our Chapter has been chang-ing more and more in these past few months. Slowly we have been reorganiz-ing our Board of Directors and various Committees. We ask all of you to be pa-tient throughout this process and to come forward if you are interested in working on the Board, of which we have two openings as well as openings on our com-mittees (Cultural, Directory, Education, Finance & Development, Gruppo Giova-nile, Il Mosaico, Mailing, Membership and the future Website Maintenance). We request the support of the member-ship to assist the Board in its endeavors to take on new challenges: offering more language classes throughout the metro area and varied cultural programs to inter-est our diverse membership. We need your input of ideas to help make our pro-grams more accessible to as many of you as possible. We welcome your comments at: [email protected] On another note, we hope to see as many of you as possible at the Festa della Repubblica at the Italian American Cul-tural Center on June 4. If you are inter-ested in helping the Board set up and man the table, please contact us. It is sure to be an interesting celebration this year and a good opportunity for us to say farewell to our Italian Consul, Dr. Nicola De Santis, who has been extremely instru-mental these past few years working with the Italian and Italian-American commu-nities. I hope you enjoy our beautiful spring weather and look forward to seeing you soon. . . Liana Spalla

Dante’s Final Resting Place


In this issue Emilia Romagna 2—8 Special Memoriam 9—11 Libri Libri Libri & Events 12 . Member News & Events 12—15 .

Ravenna took me when I was exiled And as my body, but my soul the Father

Preserves where envy never has prevailed Giovanni Boccaccio - Dante Speaks

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Spring/Summer 2006 Emilia - Romagna

Dante Alighieri Society Michigan Chapter

PO Box 2962 Southfield, MI 48037-2962

Board of Directors: Liana Spalla (President), Frank Romano (Recording Sec.), Diana Manzo (Treasurer), Daniela Henderson (Corresponding Sec.), Jerry Rosenberg, Giovanna Cappi Willard, Olga Mennillo, Omar Mainero and Emma Edgar.

Special Committees: Domenica Petrella

Silvia Giorgini-Althoen

Il Mosaico: Editors, Lia Adelfi and Liana Spalla.

Contributors to this issue:

T. Hinkley, A. MacSorley, J. Rosenberg and A. Tranchida.

All communications or items of 250 words for publication should be sent to the PO Box or via e-mail to:

[email protected]

Please submit material for the next issue by June 26, 2006.

The next issue will highlight the region of Molise.

As a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, gifts and donations are tax deductible.

La costa adriatica è conosciuta come uno dei maggiori poli turistici del Mediterraneo. Vanta infatti la spiaggia più estesa d’Europa e numerose strutture per lo sport, il diver-timento e il tempo libero (discoteche, parchi acquatici, campi da golf e maneggi). Qui sorgono il 52% degli alberghi della regione e si concentra il maggiore afflusso di turi-smo estero grazie anche a un’attenta politica dei prezzi che li rende particolarmente favorevoli. L’Appennino offre vacanze all’insegna della natura e animate da incontri, manifestazioni, gare sportive, sagre e spettacoli che vengono organizzati ogni stagione dai Comuni. Rinomate le stazioni termali (Salsomaggiore e Bagno di Romagna, Ca-strocaro, Porretta e le Terme Marine, solo per citarne alcune), che propongono diversi tipi di trattamenti: dalla cura del corpo a quelli anti-età, dal fitness al benessere. Le città d’arte, a loro volta, sono motivo d’attrazione. Bologna è la capofila del turismo fieristico e commerciale. Modena e Reggio Emilia sono inserite negli itinerari cultura-li proposti dai tour operators stranieri, Ferrara è meta per chi ama le mostre di pittura e scultura. Parma e Piacenza hanno recentemente valorizzato il loro patrimonio artistico, culturale, musicale e gastronomico, mentre Ravenna, con i suoi mosaici e il nobile antichissimo passato, è ancora capitale per chi ama la storia e l’arte. “L’Emilia-Romagna è la prima in classifica per civismo”, scrive il politologo Robert Putnam. “E’ una delle società più moderne, più ricche, più pullulanti di iniziative, più tecnolo-gicamente avanzate che ci siano al mondo”. Per non parlare della cultura tout court. Da Piacenza al mare ci sono più università che capoluoghi; il più antico ateneo del mondo è quello di Bologna, che vanta nove secoli di storia. È anche la regione dei cento teatri. Ogni città, ogni paese conserva un teatro storico e si impegna in stagioni teatrali di prestigio: dalla tradizione della prosa alla sperimentazione, dalla comicità ai grandi eventi internazionali. Inclusi importanti e vari concerti musicali e spettacoli di danza. Si va dai grandi contenitori di beni archeologici e artistici, ai musei scientifici (primi fra tutti quelli universitari), ai piccoli musei di paese che conservano reperti e memoria storica di altrettanti microcosmi, ai percorsi dell’arte contemporanea tra cui il museo Morandi, la Galleria d’arte moderna a Bologna e il palazzo dei Diamanti a Ferrara. Non mancano le esposizioni fieristiche, tra le quali Arte Fiera a Bologna è una delle più rappresentative. Le biblioteche sono 1300 con un patrimonio librario che supera i 18 milioni di testi. Per quanto riguarda il cinema l’Emilia-Romagna è al se-condo posto, in Italia, per giorni di spettacolo e numero di biglietti venduti. L’interesse è molto elevato non solo verso il cinema commerciale, ma anche verso quello di qualità, proiettato nelle 40 sale d’essai e nei cineclub. L’Emilia-Romagna si colloca al quarto posto tra le regioni italiane per le esportazioni. Particolarmente alte le quote rispetto al totale nazionale per minerali e prodotti non metallici (ceramica), prodotti alimentari e macchine agricole. La fortuna economica della regione poggia innanzitutto sulla forza del settore primario. Grazie soprattutto ad un ampio utilizzo delle moderne tecnologie l’agricoltura emiliano-romagnola oggi è la più meccanizzata d’ltalia e ai primi posti per produzione frutticola, orticola, cerealicola e zootecnica. La regione vanta, inoltre, uno dei tassi di imprenditorialità più alti d’ltalia. I settori di punta dell’economia emiliano-romagnola sono l’agricolo alimentare, il metallurgico-metalmeccanico, il tessile-abbigliamento, la ceramica, le costruzioni e l’impiantistica.

Costa adriatica

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Provinces

Bologna Bologna è il capoluogo dell’Emilia Romagna e casa di una delle Univer-sità più antiche del mondo occidentale. Fin dalla sua apertura (1088), studenti

da ogni parte del mondo vengono a Bologna per poter studiare, incluso Dante Alighieri, Erasmo e Copernico. Si pensa che Dante sia stato a Bologna tra il 1286-1287, dove, a dire di Gior-gio Petrocchi, allievo di Dante, ha in-contrato Jacopo Cavalcanti ed altri che hanno influenzato il suo cammino in-tellettuale. L’importanza di Bologna come città universitaria le ha fatto gua-dagnare la reputazione di centro della politica liberale. La città di Bologna ha tre soprannomi: Bologna la grassa per il cibo molto buono e delizioso, Bolo-gna la dotta, grazie all’università ed agli studenti e Bologna la rossa, sia per gli edifici di mattoni rossi sia perché la città è un pó a sinistra politicamente. Oltre alla sua reputazione gastronomi-ca, la provincia di Bologna è famosa in tutto il mondo per la produzione della Lamborghini, una delle più desiderate e costose auto del mondo, la cui sede si trova a Sant'Agata Bolognese. Simbolo di Bologna sono le due torri “gemelle”, collocate strategicamente nel punto d’ingresso in città dell'antica via Emi-lia. Torre degli Asinelli viene costruita 1109-19 dalla famiglia omonima e pas-sa al Comune già nel secolo successi-vo. La torre ha una scalinata interna di 498 gradini. Il suo basamento è circon-dato da una “rocchetta” per ospitare i soldati di guardia. Oggi sotto il portico sono state ricollocate alcune botteghe di artigianato a ricordo della funzione commerciale svolta dal medievale mer-cato di mezzo. Torre Garisenda Coeva si differenzia visivamente per la mino-re altezza e il forte strapiombo dovuto

ad un precoce e maggiore cedimento del terreno e delle fondamenta. Dante che la vide ancora integra la paragona ad Anteo chinato nel XXXI Canto del-l'Inferno.

Ferrara For centuries, Ferrara was dominated by Ravenna and other neighboring powers before achieving independ-ence in the middle ages. The city rose to promi-

nence under the protection of the Este dynasty that controlled Ferrara from the 13th to the 16th centuries. Among the imposing landmarks the Este left behind is Castello Estense, a massive 14th cen-tury fortress surrounded by a moat in the heart of the city. .

Under Este patronage, Ferrara experi-enced a flowering of Renaissance art, music and culture, with notable art-works from Piero della Francesca, An-drea Mantegna and others. Ferrara’s Renaissance credentials earned a spot in the pantheon of UNESCO World Heri-tage Sites. When the city was absorbed by the Church, Ferrara began to decline from a European cultural and military capital to a frontier town in Papal Italy. A principal site in Ferrara is its Cathe-dral, famous for its detailed gothic mar-ble façade, with its reliefs of the last judgment, the months of the year, and other scenes. One of Ferrara’s most notorious sons is Girolamo Savonarola, the Dominican friar who controlled Florence from 1494 to 1497. Savon-arola’s harsh style of preaching culmi-nated in the public burning of hedonis-tic or materialistic objects in what be-came known as the Bonfire of the Vani-ties. Paintings by Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli were among the ob-jects incinerated in Florence’s Piazza della Signoria. Florentines eventually wearied of Savonarola’s heavy-handed brand of moralism. He was excommuni-cated and burned in Piazza della Signo-ria, where he had orchestrated the Bon-fire of the Vanities. Savonarola may not have been particularly well liked in Florence, but the Ferrarese have never-theless memorialized their most contro-versial son with a statue near the Castello Estense. Le Due Torri

Castello Estense

Modena Was founded in the 3rd

century B.C. and was home to the Villanovans, Ligurian tribes, Etruscans and Gauls before being re-founded as a Roman

colony. The city’s Romanesque Duomo and Campanile, begun in 1099, are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Duomo and its bell tower, la torre Ghirlandina, are considered to be among the world’s finest examples of Romanesque architecture. In the wars between Pope and Emperor in the Mid-dle Ages, Modena was a Ghibelline stronghold, as the city sided with the Emperor. The province of Modena, the native home of the Este dynasty that ruled neighboring Ferrara, is today home to the Italian Military Academy, and is the birthplace of world-renowned tenor, Luciano Pavarotti.

The baroque ducal palace (now a military academy)

The Province of Modena produces some of the world’s most admired auto-mobiles. Ferrari is headquartered in Maranello, and Maserati is based in Modena. Luxurious sports cars as well as balsamic vinegar are Modena’s most famous exports. Among the famous men of Modena are the astronomer Geminiano Montanari, the anatomist Gabriele Falloppio, the great Austrian general Montecucoli, and the poet Tas-soni.

Piazza Grande

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Provinces

Parma Parma è, senz'altro, una delle vere perle d'Italia. La città offre una molteplicità notevole di opportunità cul-turali, artistiche e, soprattut-to gastronomiche - per que-

sta ragione è veramente da non perdere. La città è abbastanza grande da tenere molto occupati i suoi turisti, ma allo stes-so tempo è abbastanza piccola da metter-li a proprio agio. Anche arrivando all'ae-roporto, a cui è stato dato opportunamen-te il nome del famoso compositore Giu-seppe Verdi, si capisce subito che la città possiede una ricchezza culturale impa-reggiabile. Vanta un centro storico con monumenti di particolare rilievo, dal romanico al liberty. In particolare è stata segnata dal governo illuminato di Maria Luigia, moglie di Napoleone, quando era capitale del Ducato di Parma, Piacenza e Guastalla. Il centro storico è facilmente raggiungibile. A pochi passi c'è Il Batti-stero di Parma, il capolavoro di Benedet-to Antelami che fa risorgere la bellezza classica del Medioevo. Sempre per un'i-dea dello splendore artistico che pervade la città, L'Accademia di Belle Arti ospita una gran collezione di dipinti dell'otto-cento parmense. Parma guarda anche molto attentamente verso l'estero; il Mu-seo Cinese ed Etnologico offre un omag-gio all'arte della Cina e così contribuisce molto al senso di raffinatezza in città. Geograficamente parlando, Parma gode di un'ottima ubicazione. Vicinissima a Bologna e Milano, Parma offre la possi-bilità di viaggiare molto facilmente ben-ché sia così difficile uscirne. In realtà, la lista di cose da fare a Parma continua eternamente; è un paradiso per gli occhi, il cuore, l'anima e lo stomaco che non diventa mai stantio, un vero "one-stop-shop" per le perfette vacanze italiane.

Rimini For Italians, Rimini is one of the most famous, and crowded, beach resorts on the Adriatic Sea. Perhaps

a summer at the beach sparked one of the most famous illicit affairs of the Middle Ages. Two forbidden lovers, Francesca and Paolo, achieved eternal notoriety. They were subjects in Dante’s Inferno (Canto V, 73-142). Francesca’s jealous husband murdered the pair when he discovered their af-fair. In the afterlife, their love affair landed them in Dante’s hell. One of the most famous Riminese of the mo-dern era is filmmaker Federico Fellini. In the center, the ancient narrow streets and squares are pedestrian zones and some parts, like the 'old fish market square', are a popular meeting place for young people in particular, who have become even more numer-ous now that Rimini is an important university centre with over 5,000 stu-dents. Near the old stone counters where fish were once sold, trendy bars and pubs have turned this little square into the heart of nightlife in Romagna.

Rimini has one of the most important tourist sites. The park “Italia in Minia-tura” is anextraordinary journey through Italy via 272 perfect minia-tures of architectural wonders. Thanks to its originality and the perfection of the miniatures displayed, it often cap-tures attention of the Italian and inter-national cinema and television.

Piazza Cavour, Rimini

Castello di Torrechiara Italia in Miniatura

Ravenna Ravenna città d'arte e cultura, città del mosai-co, città antica che 1600 anni fa è stata tre volte capitale: dell'impero ro-mano d'occidente, di

Teodorico re dei Goti, dell'impero di Bisanzio in Europa. La magnificenza di quel periodo ha lasciato a Ravenna una grande eredità di monumenti: sono ben 8 gli edifici che sono stati dichiarati Patrimonio dell'Umanità dall'UNESCO. L'arte del mosaico non è nata a Raven-na, ma a Ravenna ha trovato la sua più ampia espressione: qui è nata l'iconolo-gia cristiana, un misto di simbolismo e realismo, di influenze romane e bizanti-ne. Ancora oggi questo antico sapere delle mani rivive nelle scuole e nelle botteghe. A Ravenna si può passeggiare tra le torri campanarie e chiostri mona-stici, passando dal romanico al gotico, dagli affreschi giotteschi di Santa Chia-ra al Barocco dell'abside di S. Apollina-re Nuovo; dalle testimonianze dell'ulti-mo rifugio di Dante Alighieri ai Palazzi che videro gli amori di Lord Byron. Chi la incontra se ne innamora oggi come avvenne nel passato a Boccaccio, che vi ambientò una delle sue più belle novel-le, a Gustav Klimt che ne trasse ispira-zione manifestamente, ad Hermann Hesse che la visitò dedicandovi alcuni versi. Ravenna è romana, gota, bizanti-na, ma anche medioevale, veneziana e infine contemporanea, civile e ospitale, ricca di eventi culturali e manifestazio-ni di prestigio internazionale che la rendono proiettata verso il futuro.

Il Sommo Poeta morì a Ravenna nella notte fra il 13 ed il 14 settembre del 1321, la sua salma si trova ai Chiostri Francescani, la tomba, piccola e mode-sta costruzione in stile neoclassico, fu eretta nel 1780 dall'architetto Camillo Morigia per volere del Cardinale Lega-to Luigi Valenti Gonzaga, il cui stem-ma sormonta appunto la porta d'ingres-so.

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Forlì - Cesena La provincia di Forlì-Cesena è conosciuta per le sue stazioni termali e sorgenti termiche quali Bagno di Romagna e Castrocaro Terme. Il

capoluogo della provincia, Forlì, era molto leale alla causa Ghibellina du-rante il tredicesimo secolo. Le rivali principali della città erano Bologna e Firenze, con cui Forlì entrò in guerra in diverse occasioni. Dante Alighieri ha vissuto a Forlì nel 1303, dove ha lavo-rato come segretario per Scarpetta Or-delaffi, un nobile Ghibellino che ha governato la città come capitano del popolo. Marco Palmezzano, da Forlì, è stato uno dei grandi artisti della rina-scita. Le sue pitture e affreschi sbalor-ditivi si trovano al Louvre, gli Uffizi, il Vaticano e in tutta la Romagna. Cesena si è sviluppata lungo l'antica via Aemi-lia che va da Rimini a Piacenza. Il centro medioevale della città è stato costruito in gran parte con il patronato della potente famiglia Malatesta che ha governato Cesena dal 1378 al 1465. I punti più importanti in Cesena inclu-dono la biblioteca dei Malatesta, la Fortezza Malatesta ed il Monastero di Santa Maria del Monte.

Piacenza Piacenza traces its begin-nings to the Roman col-ony of Placentia, founded in 218 B.C. During the medieval age, Piacenza’s strategic location at the

crossroads of Europe led to its growth starting in about the year 1000. In 1095, Pope Urban II convened the Council of Piacenza there, which resulted in the launching of the first crusade to con-quer the Holy Land. One of the princi-pal sights of Piacenza is the Palazzo Farnese built in 1558 at the behest of Margaret of Austria and Ottavio Far-nese. Inside the frescoed palace is a gallery that includes works from renais-sance artists such as Sandro Botticelli. The Duomo of Piacenza is a model of the Romanesque style. Inside are re-markable baroque frescoes from Car-racci, Procaccini, Draghi, Guercino and Morazzon. A famous Piacentino helped popularize Italian cuisine in America. Ettore Boiardi, emigrated to the United States, where he founded a successful restaurant. His restaurant was so popu-lar, that patrons began requesting pasta sauce to take home with them. Boiardi began canning his popular sauce and later started a successful pasta sauce company. To make it easier for his American clients to pronounce the name of the company, Boiardi angli-cized the spelling of his name -- and “Chef Boyardee” was born.

Provinces

Reggio Emilia Also known officially as Reggio nell’Emilia, local residents simply call their home Reggio. The history of Reggio closely mirrors that of neighboring cities:

the city fell under the sphere of Rome, the Goths, Ravenna, the Lombards, the Franks and so on. By the 12th century, Reggio had become an independent com-mune. Reggio Emilia holds the distinc-tion of being the birthplace of the Italian national flag the Tricolore. The Trico-lore was first displayed in the Palazzo Comunale in 1797. In fact, Reggio’s nickname is Città del Tricolore. Reggio, along with Parma, is the center of pro-duction of the world-famous Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Of architectural inter-est are Reggio’s numerous churches, convents and basilicas. Among them are the basilica and unfinished tower of San Prospero, dating from the 16th century. Reggio’s Cathedral dates from the Mid-dle Ages, though it was renovated during the Renaissance period. The city is one of the most prosperous and liveable in Italy.

Piazza San Prospero

Republic of San Marino San Marino is neither a province of Emilia Romagna nor a region of Italy. Rather it is its own independent republic, situated between Emilia Romagna and the Marches. Indeed, San Marino claims to be the world’s oldest republic, founded in 301 A.D. Though politically

independent from Italy, the tiny Republic of San Marino (population 28,880) shares a common language, food and cultural traditions with neighboring Italy.

Palazzo Farnese

Marco Palmezzano Annunciazione

Tempera su tavola, cm 315 x 215 Forlì, Pinacoteca Civica

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Parmigiano Reggiano

Il Parmigiano-Reggiano "si fa", oggi come otto secoli fa, con ingredienti essenziali e genuini: il latte pregiato della zona tipica, il fuoco e il caglio, i buoni metodi antichi, l'arte e la sapienza del casaro. Il Parmigiano Reggiano è caratterizzato da un periodo di invec-chiamento che varia dai 12 ai 24 mesi circa. Per tutto il periodo, ogni giorno, le forme devono essere pulite, rivoltate, sorvegliate e controllate, secondo un rigoroso standard di affinamento. E’ un prodotto a denominazione di origine protetta (DOP). Il suo gusto unico si lega in modo imprescindibile alla sua zona di origine. Infatti, sia la produzio-ne del latte sia la sua trasformazione in formaggio avviene esclusivamente nelle province di Parma, Reggio Emilia, Mo-dena e Bologna. E’ un alimento straor-dinario, nutriente e leggero che mette d'accordo gastronomi e medici, poeti e letterati, virtuosi, gourmet della mensa e tecnici della nutrizione.

Enogastronomia

Il formaggio di Fossa

Deve il suo nome alle “fosse”, ambien-ti sotterranei speciali dove avviene la sua stagionatura. Le "fosse", di proba-bile origine medievale, sono scavate nel tufo del paese di Sogliano al Rubi-cone. Le forme di formaggio sono de-positate nei primi giorni di agosto nelle fosse, dove restano per circa tre mesi, fino al giorno di Santa Caterina, in novembre. La leggenda narra che nel 1486 Alfonso d'Aragona, sconfitto dai francesi, avesse ottenuto l'ospitalità di Girolamo Riario, signore di Forlì. La presenza delle truppe indebolì le riser-ve di cibo e, quando non bastarono più, le truppe iniziarono a depredare i con-tadini. Questi per difendersi presero l’abitudine di nascondere le provviste nella roccia arenaria. A novembre, una volta partiti gli eserciti e finite le scor-rerie, le dissotterrarono e scoprirono che il formaggio aveva cambiato le proprie caratteristiche organolettiche.

Mortadella Bolognese La Mortadella è il salame più famoso della tradizione gastronomica del Bolo-gnese Il prodotto ha una storia secolare che risale al 1651. Nel 1998 la morta-della ha ottenuto il certificato europeo IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta).

Prosciutto crudo di Parma

Il prosciutto crudo di Parma è uno dei prosciutti più rinomati nel mondo. Pro-dotto nella provincia di Parma, è cono-sciuto per la sua dolcezza inconfondi-bile. Oltre come antipasto o spuntino, il Prosciutto di Parma può essere consi-derato un vero e proprio 'secondo piat-to' completo e ad alto valore nutritivo. Stagionato nella zona tipica di produ-zione (provincia di Parma), ottenuto da cosce fresche dei suini pesanti di razze pregiate e stagionato dai dieci ai dodici mesi. Nella zona tipica ci sono le con-dizioni climatiche ideali per l'asciuga-tura e la stagionatura naturale di questo rinomato prodotto. La feta si presenta rosa nella parte magra e bianca nella parte grassa che non è satura perciò non favorisce la formazione di coleste-rolo.

Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori dei Colli di Forlì e Cesena

Leonardo da Vinci nel 1502 è in Ro-magna, quale ingegnere incaricato dal Duca Valentino, quel Cesare Borgia padrone delle terre romagnole. Leonar-do deve compiere studi e progetti sulle fortificazioni presenti sul territorio e, come suo costume, annota sul taccuino tutto ciò che lo incuriosisce: tra le u-sanze delle genti di Romagna, egli co-glie come qui usano appendere l’uva, per conservarla durante l’inverno. Ecco come nasce la scelta del logo dell’Associazione “Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori dei Colli di Forlì e Cesena”: simbolo per la “Romagna dei sapori e saperi delle tradizioni”. Il piccolo dise-gno del genio del Rinascimento italia-no è conservato presso l’Istituto di Francia a Parigi. Lo schizzo, tratteggia-to col suo inconfondibile stile grafico, mostra altresì la sensibilità di Leonardo come acuto osservatore dei fenomeni sociali e dell’uomo suo contempora-neo.

Vini dell'Emilia Romagna Tra Lambrusco e Sangiovese

Un detto malizioso afferma: se vuoi sapere se ti trovi in Emilia o in Roma-gna, chiedi da bere. Se ti offrono acqua, sei in Emilia, se ti offrono un bicchiere di vino, sei in Romagna. In realtà, l'ac-coglienza e l'ospitalità degli emiliani sono rinomate anch'esse; la tradizione enologica, però, distingue abbastanza nettamente le due zone dell'unica regio-ne amministrativa. Il vino vanta un'anti-chissima tradizione, da queste parti. Sangiovese in Romagna, Lambrusco in Emilia. Le viti sono dislocate perlopiù in pianura, purtroppo, e producono ab-bondante raccolto; questo fatto, sebbe-ne non contribuisca ad elevare la quali-tà del vino ai livelli maggiori, fa sì che il frutto di Bacco abbondi e scorra ge-nerosamente sulle tavole e nelle feste.

Aceto Balsamico

The art of producing l’aceto balsamico has been handed down from generation to generation for 1,000 years. Today, the rules governing the production of balsamic vinegar are strict. The finest balsamic vinegars from Modena are aged in barrels of various types of wood for up to 12 years. L’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena has been granted DOP (Denominazione di origine protetta) of Italy. The high quality bot-tle can command a price of several hun-dred dollars.

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Personaggi i l lustr i

Giuseppe Verdi Compositore (1813 - 1901)

Nacque da povera famiglia a Roncole di Busseto il 10 Ottobre 1813. Sviluppatasi in lui molto presto una vigorosa inclinazione musicale, egli ebbe come primo maestro l' organista delle Roncole Pietro Baistrocchi; si esercitava su una modesta spinetta e aiutava i genitori nella bottega, una modesta osteria di paese. . A dodici anni si recò a Busseto per aiutare negli affari il suo futuro protet-tore Barezzi, e li studiò musica con il maestro di banda Provesi e latino con il canonico Seletti. Fu in seguito a Mila-no con una borsa di studio del Monte di Pietà e con un sussidio del Barezzi. A diciannove anni tentò di entrare in conservatorio, ma non vi fu ammesso e decise di proseguire gli studi con il maestro Lavigna. Tornato a Busseto, venne nominato maestro di musica del comune e direttore della banda. .Nel 1835 sposò Margherita Barezzi, da cui ebbe due figli che perirono con la madre a Milano, dove la famiglia Verdi si era nel frattempo trasferita. La sua prima opera fu "Oberto Conte di San Bonifacio" rappresentata con suc-cesso al Teatro La Scala di Milano. La seconda opera "Un giorno di regno", a soggetto comico, cadde rovinosamente e aggiunse così nuovo dolore alle scia-gure familiari. Proprio allora iniziò la straordinaria produzione di opere. La sua instancabile e prodigiosa attività non cedette nemmeno alla vecchiaia che trascorse prevalentemente nella villa di Santà Agata a pochi chilometri da Busseto, insieme alla inseparabile, fedelissima Giuseppina Strepponi, vis-suta con lui dal 1849. Giuseppe Verdi morì a Milano il 27 gennaio 1901 ed è oggi sepolto nella Casa di Riposo dei Musicisti da lui fondata.

Toscanini was one of the greatest and most feared conductors of the 20th century. He conducted the world pre-mieres of such operatic works as La Boheme and Turandot by Puccini and Pagliacci by Leoncavallo. He had been a legend in Europe for decades and was about to retire at age 70 when someone from NBC drove a large truck full of money to his house and dumped it out on his lawn. He whipped the NBC or-chestra into perhaps the finest ensem-ble in the land and conducted it for 17 years, making him a household name in the U.S.. What made him a great conductor was his fundamentalist atti-tude toward the music. If it said “loud” and “fast” he played it loud and fast. If it said ”quiet” and “slow” he played it quiet and slow. In the 19th century, the conductor directed the music however he liked and the musicians played it however they wanted, resulting in sometimes disorganized performances. Toscanini, on the other hand, insisted that everything be played as written. Many musicians resented being told what to do, so Toscanini did a lot of yelling until his musicians played the music as he wanted them to. He had a brilliant career at the helm of the NBC orchestra. He retired at the age of 87 and died at 90.

Nato a San Mauro di Romagna, Forli è stato uno dei maggiori poeti italiani di fine 800. La poesia di Pascoli è caratte-rizzata da una grande semplicità. No-nostante la classicità della forma ester-na, provata dal gusto per le letture scientifiche, alle quali si ricollegano il tema cosmico e la precisione del lessi-co botanico e zoologico, Pascoli ha saputo rinnovare la poesia nei suoi contenuti, toccando temi fino ad allora trascurati dai grandi poeti, capace di far capire nella sua prosa il piacere delle cose più semplici viste con la sensibili-tà infantile che ogni uomo porta dentro di sé. Pascoli è sempre stato nella vita

un personaggio malinconico, rassegna-to alle sofferenze della vita e alle ingiu-stizie della società, convinto che la società che predominava in quel perio-do fosse troppo forte per essere vinta. Nonostante ciò seppe conservare un senso profondo di umanità e di fratel-lanza. Crollato l'ordine razionale del mondo, in cui aveva creduto il Positivi-smo, il poeta, di fronte al dolore e al male che dominano sulla terra, recupe-rò il valore etico della sofferenza, che riscatta gli umili e gli infelici, capaci di perdonare i propri persecutori.

Arturo Toscanini Conductor (1867 - 1957)

Giovanni Pascoli Poeta (1855 - 1912)

Arturo Toscanini

Per celebrare il centocinquantenario della nascita di Giovanni Pascoli la Società Dante Alighieri sede di Roma, ha ideato il progetto “Leggete Pascoli con noi”. L’iniziativa è articolata in otto serate di letture “pascoliane” che si terranno nella suggestiva cornice del Complesso del Vittoriano (Roma), dal 27 aprile al 23 maggio. Le liriche del poeta tornano a rivivere attraverso le voci dei giovani attori dell’Accademia Nazionale d’Arte Drammatica “Silvio D’Amico”, con un accompagnamento di musiche originali composte per questa occasione dal maestro Alessio Vlad. Il progetto “Leggete Pascoli con noi” comprende inoltre una mostra di documenti e oggetti di valore storico appartenuti al poeta provenienti direttamente dal Museo Pascoli grazie alla generosa collaborazione del Comune di Barga (Lucca).

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Federico Fellini was born in Rimini to a strongly Catholic family. At an early age, he was fascinated by circus and vaudeville performers that his town attracted. While he was educated in Catholic schools, he soon became criti-cal of the Church, but maintained a strong spiritual connection. His first exposure to the working world found him in such diverse positions as a crime reporter, a caricature artist, and a comedic writer for actor Aldo Fabrizi. Fabrizi's thespian world opened up new possibilities for Fellini's own self-expression. In 1943, Fellini met and married actress Giulietta Masina, who appeared in several of his films. Fellini called Masina the greatest influence on his work. A chance encounter with Roberto Rossellini jump-started Fellini's career as a visionary director and screen writer. He drew on his childhood experiences and his prolific imagination to create some of the most memorable films of all time. His screenwriting and directing career spanned several decades and he contin-ued to pursue other projects in semi-retirement. At the Academy Awards ceremony in March of 1993, Fellini received a special Oscar for lifetime achievement in filmmaking, which he dedicated to Giulietta in his acceptance speech. In August of that year, Fellini suffered a stroke, and went into a coma following a heart attack in October. After his death at age 73 on October 31st—one day after he and Giulietta (who died of cancer less than five months later) observed their 50th wed-ding anniversary, tens of thousands of people packed the narrow streets of Fellini's hometown of Rimini, applaud-ing as the director's casket was carried from the main piazza to the cinema where Fellini had watched his first films as a child (and which he featured in Amarcord).

Federico Fellini Film Writer and Director (1920-1993)

Michelangelo Antonioni Film Director (1912)

Gaetana Agnesi, vissuta nel secolo dell'Illuminismo, fu una donna religio-sissima e assai generosa, che dedicò gran parte della sua vita all'ascetismo ed alla cura dei poveri e dei malati. Dotata di un ingegno fuori dal comune riuscì anche a primeggiare nelle scien-ze. E' oggi ritenuta una delle paladine dell'emancipazione scientifica delle donne. Il suo libro Istituzioni analiti-che, fu giudicato dall'Accademia delle Scienze di Parigi, il trattato più com-pleto di matematica che fosse mai stato fatto fino a quel tempo, e le valse il titolo di lettrice onoraria di matematica nell'Università di Bologna, cosa assai rara per una donna di quel tempo. Nel 1750 sostituì il padre, malato, all'uni-versità di Bologna, come docente di matematica, e per volere del Papa le fu offerto di occupare la cattedra; ma vi rinunciò, per interessarsi ad opere di carità, lasciando gli studi. Il suo nome è legato ad una curva geometrica, la versiera o leminscata di Agnesi. Donna dall'animo dolce e sincero morì tra i poveri che aveva assistito e con-fortato per tutta la sua vita, come infer-miera e "medico dell'anima", nel Pio Istituto Trivulzi.

Maria Gaetana Agnesi Matematico (1768 -1799)

Antonioni, an Italian avant-garde mo-tion-picture director and screenwriter, is famous for creating films known for their haunting images of human isola-tion. Born in Ferrara, Antonioni en-tered the film industry in 1942 as a screenwriter and later became an assis-tant director. His first feature film was Story of a Love. His best-known films are his trilogy The Adventure, Night, and Eclipse; Red Desert, his first color film; Blowup, his first English-language film. Later he directed Identi-fication of a Woman and Beyond the Clouds. Antonioni is known for a unique cinematographic style that em-ploys lengthy tracking shots of human figures against a barren natural land-scape or a scene of urban sterility. He wrote or co-wrote the screenplays of most of his films. In 1994 he received a special Academy Award for his achievement in film.

Nasce a Bologna, dove frequenta l'Ac-cademia di Belle Arti. Qui conosce Osvaldo Licini, Severo Pozzati, Giaco-mo Vespignani e Mario Bacchelli, gli amici-artisti con i quali espone nel 1914 nella famosa mostra che si tiene a Bologna all'Hotel Baglioni. Nasce il rapporto con il gruppo futurista con il quale espone nello stesso anno alla Galleria Sprovieri di Roma. Ma mode-rata fu la sua tangenza al Futurismo, così come fu solo sporadica la sua ade-sione agli altri movimenti italiani della prima metà del secolo (Metafisica, Valori Plastici, Strapaese e Novecento). La sua formazione avviene piuttosto at-traverso lo studio dei grandi maestri da Giotto a Piero della Francesca, fino ad arrivare a Chardin, Corot e Cezanne. E’ presente ad alcune edizioni della Bienna-le di Venezia, alle Quadriennali romane ed espone in varie città italiane ed estere (Pittsburgh, Kassel, San Paolo del

Giorgio Morandi Pittore (1890 - 1964)

Brasile, New York). Dal 1930 insegna Tecniche dell'incisione all'Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna ed è proprio in questi anni che realizza la maggior parte delle sue acqueforti. Soltanto in età matu-ra si dedica invece con continuità all'ac-querello. Ottiene numerosi premi e rico-noscimenti ufficiali sia in Italia che all'E-stero. Nel marzo del 1932 gli viene dedi-cato un fascicolo intero de "L'Italiano" con un importante scritto di Soffici e riproduzioni di numerose opere. Si avvia così quella consacrazione che negli anni seguenti sarà confermata da riconosci-menti critici che costruiranno di Morandi l'immagine ufficiale, per decenni non più messa in discussione. .

Personaggi i l lustr i

Natura morta, 1960

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Remembering Professor Piero Foà

One of the most distinguished members of the Italian-American community in Detroit is Piero Foà, professor emeritus of physiology from Wayne State University. Foà virtually grew up in a medical laboratory; his grandfather was a professor of pathology at the University of Turin and his father taught physiology at the University of Milan. Emphasis on scholarship, service and tradition formed his character and directed his life.

Dr. Foà sat in his study during the interview surrounded by the microscope his grandfather used, the beautiful wooden table-desk on which is carved the family crest, sacred Hebraic texts printed by his ancestor Jobia Foà in the 1550's, books written by himself, his father, his grandfather, pic-tures of family and a statue of Don Quixote.

Piero Foà Shares Views On Life Why is Don Quixote one of your favorite characters? . Because I always felt that it was important to fight for what you believe is right and it doesn't matter if you win or lose, it doesn’t matter what the consequences are, it doesn't matter if your goals are illusions or realities. One of the things I enjoy most is to fight city hall.

What battles have you fought? . They are not major battles. For example, when I first came to Detroit, I was appointed Chairman of the Department of Research at Sinai Hospital. I remember attending an early meeting where I heard discussions about matters of importance to the institution. I made comments which ran against the establishment. I was reprimanded in a friendly and humorous way by the president of the hospital, "Piero, don't make waves." And my response was, "Well, I don't know any other means of propulsion."

I understand that your specialty is diabetes? . Yes, I have been interested in the function of the pancreas and the mechanism of insulin secretion and function. I think I can say without overstating too much that I have contributed a great deal to the discovery of the function of glucagons which is a second companion pancreatic hormone that raises the blood sugar instead of lowering it. I was fortunate in being able to go from the test tube to the bedside. And indeed, this is how I met my wife, who is a biochemist and who joined me as my research assistant.

What is the most important lesson you learned working with your wife for nineteen years in addition to your years of mar-riage? . I never ask myself such profound questions. Our relationship has always been very easy. We have never asked profound questions. We seem to see eye to eye.

In February 1939, at age twenty eight, Dr. Foà left Italy and came to the United States after passage of an anti-Semitic law which prohibited Jews from exercising a profession, and which effectively prohibited him from teaching. He recalled with appreciation, the reaction of the Italian populace.

I used to go to medical school every morning at the same time, around 8:00 a.m. I would jump on streetcar #33 that would take me from my house to the medical school. More often than not, it was usually the same conductor. One day I told him that it would be my last trip on streetcar #33. He asked why. “I'm going to the United States.” “That's wonderful,” he said. Then he asked me why. I told him. He put the streetcar into reverse. The people on board jumped all around a bit. A couple of cusses, and that was my send-off.

How has your religion affected your life? . I ain’t got none. No, I absolutely don't have any interest in religion of any kind. I am anticlerical in a broad sense. Any organized religion terrifies me. I think that on balance religion has done a hell of a lot more harm than good over the centuries and millennia. So you won’t find me in the church or in the synagogue.

What are you doing now? . I have retired officially a number of times. When I finally decide to quit working, I want to do two things; I want to write a brief manual on how to retire and a collection entitled “Nasty Letters for all Occasions.” I retired from active research work sixteen years ago. Then I have taken on a number of appointments in Italy as a visiting professor. I have taken on a lot of editorial work... and then I have been very busy writing the history of the family.

Do you have hobbies? . I like to be a handyman. I do electrical work. I do carpentry. I do plumbing under protest. My great hobby was mountain climbing.

And what did you enjoy about that most? . You climb the mountain because it is a challenge. You climb it because it requires high technical skills. You climb it because it teaches you a sense of responsibility. When you climb with friends, your lives depend on each other. If there is something to be done, you climb because it teaches you to endure hardship and remember with fondness instead of with pain. You climb it because it brings you to see places of beauty that cannot be matched. You climb it because you are a fool. If one of your grandchildren asked your advice on how to live life, what advise would you give? I don't give any advice. You can only give an example, behave the way you think you should behave and that's it. You spend time with them and I’ve done as much as I can, as I could. My won-der, my prize, is a diploma for being a good teacher from my grandson who was then eight.

Marisa C. Petrella - Reprinted from Il Mosaico Fall 1993

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Memorial Service Comments – Piero P. Foà 11/17/05 Richard Foà at the memorial of his father Piero Foà Helen (Katz), Marty (Katz), Richard (Katz), Jason (Foa), and Joe Dunbar have spoken to remind us of WHO Piero was – a wonder-ful and devoted husband, father, grandfather, teacher and colleague…a man, I might add, faithful to his legacy as the son and grand-son of equally distinguished scientists and teachers. I would like to now say a little about my perceptions of how he became who he was. It is rightly said of American kids, perhaps more than Europeans, that we strive (often without success) to be what are parents are not. Today, in my remarks, I will make no effort to distance myself from Piero. He was a man of great complexity and of some profound paradoxes. We’re alike in many ways…(he would, I think, be pleased to hear that confession)…and he influenced me pro-foundly. Piero could be compared to a diamond – with many facets and able to shine brilliantly, but not without flaws, Piero was certainly a powerful intellect, a productive research scientist, a committed teacher and a generous man. But, while these characteris-tics are found in many, father was a unique blend of these elements. What were the roots of this uniqueness?

He was Italian…born into a position of comfort among well-to-do European intelligentsia. The predominant theme surrounding his youth, aside from education in science, was Italian nationalism. Italy’s nationalism, unfortunately, turned into a hateful fascism with the promulgation of racial laws and then the expulsion of Jews just as Piero prepared to enter the academic world for which he was groomed. This was, I think, the pivotal experience of his life – leaving him with bitterness, disappointment, and a profound sense of loss…a loss that, especially in recent years, he sought to recover by a more constant and explicit reassertion of his Italian identity. As a father, Piero on countless occasions reflected that this experience was in fact a personal blessing since it gave him the opportu-nity to meet Naomi and to create the life in America that he truly enjoyed for the next 66 years…the life that we are here to remem-ber and to celebrate.

Piero was Jewish. This is not without irony. Recall that although of Jewish ancestry, he came from a family that placed nationalism above religious ancestry. Mussolini, tragically, had exactly the opposite attitude – identifying Italian patriots who were Jewish as Jews only. This was the crucible in which Piero’s Jewish identity was forged. He would comment frequently that he came from a country where anti-Semitism was law but where he never encountered an anti-Semitic citizen to a country where religious tolerance was law but anti-Semitism was found everywhere. So he arrived in 1939 on the eve of America’s entry into WWII and found him-self embraced by the Jewish community…where he remained.

Piero was not exactly a man of faith. More accurately, he was to the end, an atheist. Some of my most vivid memories are of listen-ing to him argue against the existence of God. He argued of course from a platform of science and he argued with passion and con-viction. This was no joking matter…not a polite debate with proper structure and points awarded for logical argument. His passion came from a profound moral sensitivity. Having experienced the total and incomprehensible moral collapse of his world, I think he felt that the existence of a supreme being meant the existence of a supreme betrayer of all that is humanly important.

Of course, Piero was a scientist. This was his core identity…the essential Piero. Not something he chose to do in response to other social or intellectual pressures. Science was his consuming passion. It defined his approach to the world and, as many here know, he was pretty good at it too. I won’t enumerate his achievements in science. I haven’t time now nor the ability to give them their proper weight. But along with those who have spoken already, I would mention his related passion for teaching. In this I feel great pride…for Piero was a consummate teacher – creative, resourceful, always prepared, utterly respectful of his students regardless of their age and level, and, at his peak, uniquely able to translate complexity and create understanding. His work as a scientist and as a teacher gave Piero his public identity and sustained him to the end. And I believe they sustained him because they were unambigu-ously good things – indeed the highest forms of human activity.

Never terribly introspective, my father in recent years allowed glimpses at the many uncertainties and self doubts that I think he’d kept buried for most of his life. These revelations I feel heightened his great humanity. He had a powerful desire for immortality…a tough wish for an atheist. I would suggest to him that his immortality was in a sense assured – he needed only look at his grandchildren and great grandchildren and think of generations to follow. But in his version, I believe he longed for more public acknowledgment and long remembrance of his contributions – not just to a great pyramid of scientific knowledge but for the wisdom he sought to share. And so I will remember Piero, my father, the teacher who gave to so many of us here a little wisdom that we can each, in turn, transmit to others…so it may be shared for eternity. I want to thank everyone who has come today, and to acknowl-edge many who wished to be here but could not come whether due to reasons of health or distance or conflicting commitment. By your presence…by showing he is already missed and will be long remembered, you satisfy Piero’s desire to be among us forever. Thank You.

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My sister and I found sketchy notes of comments that our father was preparing in response to whatever recognition was planned for him at the annual meeting of the DAS on 11/17. We've transcribed these to the best of our ability. Obviously, they are not a coherent whole. But they are his remarks verbatim...and truly the last words he set onto paper. I'm sure he would be honored if you found a way to share them with the members of the Dante Alighieri Society. Thank you.

Please allow me to begin by saying that there are words that should be stated out loud and words that should not be. I will try to sort them out.

First, thank you Jerry and thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for inviting me to talk to you about why the affairs of our Society have become such an important part of my life. The task will not be easy, for some of the reasons are emotional and some are rational.

It is easy to start by quoting il Sommo Poeta. Here is my story. "Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita mi ritrovai per una selva oscura che la diritta via era smarrita". These are words that cannot be translated, and I will not try. They describe the mael-strom that suddenly enveloped my life and forced me to leave the country where my forebears had lived for centuries and for which many of them had offered their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. The country where I had learned the language that the Sommo Poeta himself had helped forge from the Latin of Rome - the language of Ariosto, Tasso, Boccaccio, and, yes, the language of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Macchiavelli - and of Alessandro Manzoni; the language of Victor Emanuel II, il padre della Patria, and of Garibaldi. [The language that] represents the harmonious and humane spirit...

Mi piace di concludere con Dante, using words that should be quoted, words that cannot be nor should they be translated for they express the best quality of the human spirit, “ L'amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle".

Thank you.

Dr. Piero Foà was a dear friend and an admired scholar. He was past President of the Dante Alighieri for many years and responsible for reawakening the Michigan Chapter in Metro Detroit. A past Board member, Gil Pezza, introduced me to him over a very special lunch. As soon as we met, I knew he was remarkable because of his great spirit and candor. He embodied excellence, dignity, class, moral integrity and enormous pride in being Italian. He always encouraged me to contribute to the Dante Society in any way I could. In the great old world tradition, he wrote beau-tiful handwritten letters to friends and colleagues. I was the fortunate recipient of many of his in-teresting and powerful communications. For those fortunate to have known him, you will recall his commitment to education and teaching others. When I was commissioned to do his portrait, he did not hesitate to give me tips on sculpting and ideas for improving the image of the sculpture. His extensive knowledge of Italian Modern Art compelled him to explain how this portrait could be more modern if I just made a few changes. He spoke from experience --- as always being sur-rounded by important modern, historical Italian works that he brought from Italy.

Many of the artworks were created by recognized Italian artists who were also his friends. I was most honored to be asked to do his portrait for the Wayne State Medical School, especially since his father and grandfather had portraits done by distinguished Italian sculptors. One sculptor was Leonardo Bistolfi. Piero said I was in very good company. Piero and I shared a lot in common, as we had the same Italian heroes. This was reflected in the controversial academics he brought in for the Dante lectures. These speakers were dynamic and possessed strong convictions just like Piero. His aristocratic background along with his unyielding convictions, great manners and love for aca-demic excellence allowed little tolerance for the mundane and artistic mediocrity. His legacy re-mains with all of us and should serve as a reminder of how one Italian American can make a sig-nificant difference in our history. This is a spirit we should all try to emulate as we live our Italian American lives.

Sergio DeGiusti Feb. 21, 2006

Richard Foà and Helen Katz Nov. 14, 2005

Piero Foà, November 2005

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LIBRI LIBRI LIBRI

Quaderni del Museo dell’emigrazione Editoriale Umbra

I due volumi della collana i "Quaderni del Museo dell'emigrazione" nata con lo scopo di analizzare temi e aspetti dei processi emigratori nella storia italiana ma anche fenomeni più recenti che riguardano l'immigrazione nel nostro paese. Nel primo volume, Migrazioni e culture alimentari l'attenzione è foca-lizzata sulla trasformazione dei modelli alimentari degli italiani emigrati nelle Americhe al seguito della grande emi-grazione - dagli ultimi decenni dell'Ot-tocento fino alla prima guerra mondiale - e sullo svilupparsi e affermarsi della ristorazione italiana fuori dal contesto nazionale. Il secondo volume dal titolo Per terre assai lontane, dalla storia delle migrazioni ad una nuova idea di cittadinanza, raccoglie i contributi di un convegno curato dall'Isuc e svoltosi nel 1994 ad Orvieto, che partendo dal-l'analisi storico sociologica dell'emi-grazione italiana giunge a riflettere sulle dinamiche del fenomeno immi-gratorio. La parola chiave divenne multiculturalità e attorno ad essa si innestò la questione se ciò avesse si-gnificato semplicemente compresenza, pari dignità delle culture e manteni-mento delle identità etniche, oppure si prospettasse in vario modo e in diverse misure un percorso di integrazione.

Images of America Italians in Detroit

By Armando Delicato

People of Italian descent have been present in Detroit since Alfonso Tonti, second-in-command to Antoine Cadil-lac, participated in the founding of the city in 1701. By the close of the 19th century, the trickle of Italian immi-grants had become a torrent, as thou-sands rushed to the growing industrial center. "Settling on the lower east side, the community grew rapidly, especially north and east into Macomb County”. Italians in Detroit did not remain in a "little Italy," but mingled with the di-verse population of the city. Through a combination of hard work and strong family and community ties, the Italians of Detroit have achieved their dreams of a better life. They have met the challenges of living in a new land while nurturing the culture of the old country. The challenge that remains is to nurture a love of heritage among young Italian Americans as the immi-grant generation fades.

DAS Library Collection @ OCC in Royal Oak View OCC website: www.occ.cc.mi.us/library/

Click on “Library Catalog”, then under “Enter Search Terms”, type in: “Dante Alighieri Society Collection”

Grande successo per la prima Festa della Befana organizzata dalla Scuola Arcobaleno di Ann Arbor, con la parte-cipazione di oltre 70 persone tra adulti e bambini. I bambini della scuola - e della comunità italiana limitrofa ad Ann Arbor - hanno potuto giocare con la Befana che ha distribuito calze piene di leccornie.

Per la Festa Internazionale della Donna dell’8 marzo, le insegnanti della Scuola Arcobaleno, le ragazze del Gruppo Giovanile della Dante Alighieri Society di Ann Arbor ed un gruppo di amiche americane (amanti della nostra lingua e cultura) si sono scambiate mimose virtuali trascorrendo una simpaticissima serata all’insegna dell’amicizia. Un evento annuale da non perdere!

Silvia Giorgini (Ann Arbor)

D. A. S. Members and Events

The Education Committee has seen many changes in the past few months. The teachers have been meeting fre-quently to share their experiences and give each other suggestions on teach-ing methods and planning. Of most importance is that two of our teachers, Giovanna Cappi Willard and Olga Mennillo, have accepted the Co-Chair positions which were left open by Sil-via Calzoni Schultz and Luciana Coppola Galante. We wish both Gio-vanna and Olga the best in helping each other along with their committee to expand our language programs and make them strong within our commu-nity. We also want to thank all of our talented teachers for all of their support and hard work during the past year.

The DAS welcomes Silvia Giorgini Althoen, new chairperson of Il Gruppo

Giovanile in Ann Ar-bor. Silvia along with other Italians in the area have opened an after-school Italian language program called Scuola Arcobaleno. Watch for

future e-mails from Silvia informing you of cultural events in this area.

The Gruppo italiano meets every sec-ond Friday of every month from 10 a.m. to noon at the Greater Bloomfield Senior Association, 7273 Wing Lake Road, in Bloomfield Hills, tel. (248) 341-6450. It is open to everyone inter-ested in informal discussion on culture, history, language and arts of Italy.. For more information please call:

Angie Giffels (248) 645-0958 . Anita MacSorley (248) 682-4155

Gruppo Italiano Gruppo Giovanile Ann Arbor

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Spring/Summer 2006

D. A. S. News and Education

Youth class keeps Italian culture and language alive

Birmingham district offers course for kids ages 5-10 that can give them an advantage in college.

ROCHESTER HILLS -- "Uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque … venti."

Helena Pfaff is 9 years old and can proudly count from one to 20 in Italian -- without pausing. Instead of playing with dolls or video games on Saturday afternoons, Pfaff will hone her Italian language skills at the Italiano per Bambini -- or Italian for Chil-dren -- class, an eight-week course for kids ages 5-10 offered through the Birmingham Community Education, a division of the Birmingham Public Schools.

The kids will learn the language through lullabies, poems, games, nursery rhymes and sketches. They also will learn the colors and numbers, among other everyday items.

"I like the Italian language because I'm hoping to go there one day for a visit," Helena said. "And if my cousin goes, I want to be able to translate for him."

Helena has one grandparent on each side of her family who is Italian. Her mother, Millie Pfaff, does not speak the language, but said she enrolled her daughter in the class last year so she can keep the language alive in the home.

That is the main reason most parents enroll their children in the class, organizers say.

"Many parents came here from Italy to work for the auto indus-try, and some go back," said Amy Kerr, community education enrichment specialist at Birmingham Communication Educa-tion. "They want their children to either remember the language while they're here or learn it for the first time."

Roughly 450,000 Michigan residents, out of nearly 1 million, claimed Italian ancestry in the 2000 U.S. Census.

But why Italian, when Spanish and French usually are the classes students take beginning in junior high school, unless they're in a language immersion school?

Instructor Francesca Iacobucci (pronounced YAH-ca-boo-chi) said learning Italian can provide kids with an advantage when they enter college.

"Italian has a Latin root, and a lot of words they'll come across in college will have Latin roots -- especially in the technical fields -- and that's an advantage," she said. "And if they learn Spanish, they will have an easier time because they already know Italian, which is very close to Spanish."

Italian can come in handy even sooner when the XX Olympic Winter Games are held in Torino, Italy, Feb. 10-26. Even that raises Iacobucci's hackles.

"I come from the city of Torino," she said.

"That's the correct way to say and spell it. But for some rea-son, Americans prefer to say 'Turin.' It's not correct, but it's good enough." Learning to speak another language is gener-ally considered easier for young children than for adults.

"Children are like little sponges because they absorb every-thing from sounds," said Iacobucci, who owns an advertising and marketing firm with her husband in downtown Birming-ham, Iacobucci 360.

"Our language is phonetic. The way you speak it and read it is the way you write it."

Iacobucci said most of the teachers who teach Italian to the children are native Italians.

"When teachers are native-born, it's better for the students because we can play with the language," she said.

The class is being sponsored by the Dante Alighieri Society, Inc. Michigan Chapter. Its board meets at Oakland Commu-nity College on the Royal Oak campus.

"Our mission is to promote the Italian language and culture," said Liana Spalla, president of the Michigan Chapter. "We have an agreement with Birmingham Community Education, in which we provide the teachers and then we get part of the profits from the classes," she said.

The first meeting of the Dante Alighieri in Michigan was held at the Detroit Public Library in 1924. The society, which has chapters around the country, is named after Dante, author of "Inferno" and other novels.

Shawn D. Lewis / The Detroit News Tuesday, January 10, 2006

F. Iacobucci (left) International Academy, Sept. 2004

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Spring/Summer 2006

Photos courtesy of R. Haskin

D. A. S. Members and Events

New Dante Members We are very happy to welcome the fol-lowing new members to the Chapter:

Miria Allman Chet Arnold

Deana Furman Mariella Mecozzi

Claudine McGlothin Lucas McGrall

Elena Righi Seidler Domenico Spina

The 2005 Annual Meeting was both a somber and happy celebration for DAS members as the participants remem-bered one of the society’s highly es-teemed members and one of its past presidents, Prof. Piero Foà, DAS Artist of the Year 2005, sculptor Sergio DeGiusti, receives the award he was given on the occasion and recounts warm memories of Prof. Foà, espe-cially during the time he was commis-sioned to draw the professor for a por-trait for the Wayne State Medical School.

Jewelry designer Daniela Allega Fuciarelli accepts her DAS Artist of the Year 2005 award from Nominating Chair, Emma Edgar and President Liana Spalla. Along with recognition to P. Foà, past presidents A. DiTom-maso, F. De Santis, G. Gambini and T. Pfaff also re-ceived recog-nition during the evening for their con-tribution to the Society.

Annual Meeting November 2005 Honors members with Special Recognition "I remember, at the very beginning,

someone told us there are many cases when cancer hits someone in the fam-ily — a husband or wife — there's a divorce because it's too much and one of them can't take it. With us, it was different. We got closer”. To honor her husband of 25 years, on-Valentine’s Day, Mirella Panozzo tried to make the public more aware of the cancer that claimed her husband’s life by helping to inform the public that mesothelioma is caused by breathing in asbestos and raising money for meso-thelioma research. Mirella especially fears for the health of first responders after the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Tow-ers in New York City who might face the same deadly fate as her husband. "The government needs to focus on finding treatments and cures for meso-thelioma." Donation may be sent to: Mesothelioma Applied Research Foun-dation, 3944 State St., Suite 340, Santa Barbara, Calif., 93105

“Love cannot just stop”.

Professor Gabriella Scarlatta Eschrich captivated her audience of both Dante Alighieri Society and Alliance Fran-caise members on February 25 at the Andiamo Italia Banquet Center in War-ren. Prof. Scarlatta Eschrich explained the similarities of love poetry of the Renaissance in Italy and France. She read poetry in French, Italian and English of the most promi-nent male and female poets of the period.

Members making a Difference

Photo courtesy of R. Haskin

Members enjoy a lecture on Italian & French Renaissance Poetry

An Abruzzi Style Feast at Il Ristorante Piccirilli

Dante member and Master of Cere-mony, Tony Corsetti, assists his long-time friend and compatriot, Chef and restaurant owner Umberto Piccirilli, during his cooking demonstration held at Il Ristorante Piccirilli on Sunday, March 26. Nearly 100 members and friends enjoyed a fun and educational presentation of cooking food from Abruzzo as well as the delicious feast of all the food prepared by Chef Pic-cirilli and his son, David.

Photos courtesy of Lia Adelfi

In Memoriam

Our sincere sympathies go out to the family of former DAS member, Mary Redo, who passed away on January 2, 2006.

Longtime DAS Member Bernard Goldman died at his Fountain Hills residence on March 22, 2006 after a two-week bat-tle with congestive heart failure and other complications at the Mayo Clinic Hospital. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife Norma and his family.

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Spring/Summer 2006

Other Events and Information

Riccardo Muti - Ann Arbor (9 marzo 2006)

The University Musical Society (UMS) è una delle più prestigiose Associazioni musicali degli Stati Uniti che da oltre un secolo ha fatto di Hill Auditorium a Ann Ar-bor uno dei luoghi principe della musica in America. La UMS ha una lunghissima tradizione di rapporto con orchestre, artisti e con il grande repertorio musicale italiano.

La presenza del Maestro Riccardo Muti alla guida dei Vienna Philharmoniker si colloca quindi nell'alveo di una ricca e mai interrotta tradizione. Per chi poi come me, cresciuto in una fami-glia che per tre generazioni ha legato la propria esistenza alla storia del Teatro Comunale di Firenze, ha avuto la fortuna di una conoscenza anche umana e personale del Maestro sin da quando giovane musicista approdò alla direzione del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, è stata un'emozione particolare poter salutare perso-nalmente il Maestro in questa sua prima visita a Ann Arbor. L'entusiasmo e il successo con il quale il Maestro è stato accolto testimonia del grande interesse che la cultura e la sensi-bilità musicale italiane sanno suscitare nel mondo e ci ricordano dell'importanza di coltivare con cura per le generazioni future questa tradizione così attiva e vitale. Forse sarebbe il caso che messo da parte quell'individualismo che così spesso ci con-traddistingue, la comunità italo-americana del Michigan sapesse trovare le forme unitarie per concentrare le proprie risorse verso programmi che privilegino gli artisti e il repertorio italiano, se-guendo l'esempio di quanto altre comunità, con tradizioni meno prestigiose, fanno ormai da tempo con grande impegno e effica-cia. Ne parlavo anche con il Maestro Muti e con i colleghi della School of Music: in fondo si tratta solo di una questione di idee e di volontà e di una nuova solidarietà culturale da costruirsi con il contributo di vecchi e nuovi immigranti. .

Interdepartmental Center for Italian Studies (ICIS) presso la University of Michigan

Prof. Gabriele Boccaccini, Ann Arbor Prof. Gabriele Boccaccini, Ann Arbor

The Dante Alighieri Board of Directors and its Members would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Nicola De Santis, Consul of Italy in Detroit, for his efforts in promoting the Italian Language and Culture within the Italian Community in the area. We would also like to thank him for the cooperation he has extended to our Society these past few years. We wish him much success and happiness in his future endeavors.

Thank you and good luck Consul Nicola De Santis

Il Consiglio Direttivo della Società Dante Alighieri ed i suoi soci colgono l’occasione per ringraziare il dott. Nicola De Santis, Console d’Italia a Detroit, per l’impegno profuso per la promozione della lingua e cultura italiane nell’area di circoscrizione del Consolato di Detroit e per il suo interesse nei riguardi della nostra società. Auguriamo al dott. De Santis un futuro di successi e di felicità.

Si è costituito presso la University of Michigan un Centro interdipartimentale di Studi Italiani per iniziativa di una trentina di docenti di varia disciplina interessati allo studio della lingua e della cultura italiana e la fattiva collaborazio-ne del Console dr. Nicola De Santis. Il compito del Centro è quello di coordinare e rendere maggiormente visibile le già molte e ricche attività che si svolgono all'interno della University o promosse dalle numerose associazioni cultu-rali locali. In questo modo la University of Michigan viene a collocarsi a pieno titolo come uno dei poli centrali anche a livello internazionale per la promozione degli studi di storia e cultura italiana. La creazione del Centro favorisce anche i contatti tra la University of Michigan e le associa-zioni culturali italo-americane locali in quanto offre un punto di riferimento unitario per ogni iniziativa di promo-zione culturale. La nuova immigrazione italiana dagli anni '90 ha avuto come polo di attrazione non più le città o le attività commerciali ma le università. La presenza di così numerosi ricercatori italiani favorisce oggi un rinnova-mento della presenza degli italiani negli Stati Uniti. Si trat-ta di persone e di famiglie che mantengono contatti fre-quenti e diretti con l'Italia e che possono quindi attivare un circolo virtuoso di integrazione che superando definitiva-mente la fase della memoria e della nostalgia renda gli italiani del Michigan interlocutori attivi e protagonisti nel-la crescita della presenza e della cultura italiana a livello internazionale. L'Università si pone quindi oggi sempre più come privilegiato luogo di sintesi delle diverse anime della comunità italo-americane, una funzione destinata col tempo a crescere di importanza e che iniziative come quel-la della creazione del Centro interdipartimentale alla University of Michigan aiutano a evidenziare e facilita-re. La sfida maggiore che il nuovo Centro si trova oggi ad affrontare sta proprio nella sua capacità di diventare il pun-to di incontro e sintesi dove vecchia e nuova immigrazione possano incontrarsi e interagire. Un obiettivo ambizioso che può essere raggiunto solo con l'impegno e il contributo di tutti.

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Spring/Summer 2006

Membership Application and 2006 Renewal January 1 - December 31, 2006

Dante 2006 Calendar & Upcoming Events

• Sunday, June 4 Festa della Repubblica 2 pm - Italian American Cultural Center in Clinton Twp.

• Wednesday, June 21 - Dante Event What was the intention of Dante in writing the Divine Comedy? Dina Soresi Winter 7 pm - Best Western Sterling Inn in Sterling Heights • Wednesday, September 27 - Dante Event Marco Polo and the Silk Road Prof. Ricardo Raspa 7 pm -Venue TBA

Michigan Chapter P.O. Box 2962

Southfield, MI 48037-2962

Additional DAS Events will be announced by mail and e-mail.

Please send us your updated e-mail address. DAS has a new e-mail address:

[email protected]

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Documents

Dante Alighieri Society, Michigan Chapter · Dante Alighieri Society, Michigan Chapter Spring/Summer 2006 Jerry Rosenberg Message from the President Ravenna was at one time at the