Vica Il Messaggio Fall 2009 Issue 082409

I l M e s s a g g i V e r m o n t I t P . O . B o x 3 1 B u r l i n g t o n

o a l i a n C u l t u r a l 5 5 V T 0 5 4 0 8

A s s o c i a t i o n

Fall– September 2009 Volume 11 Issue 3

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Il Messaggio

An organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Italian culture in Vermont

Inside this issue: Summer Picnic

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VICA’s New Leadership

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Italian in Elementary School

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Italian Language Studies

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Poem by Franco Gatti

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Calendar of Events

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Member‘s Heritage: Caserta

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VICA Board Members Contact these peopel for information or help for any VICA activities: President Adele Dienno 802-862-2595 Vice-Presidents Don Catalano: 802 6608914/Barbara Guiduli 802-862-4200 Secretary Carol Usher 802-863-2487 Treasurer Audry Rini 802-878-0990 Board Ann Arms, Julie Bonanno, Barbara Butler, Adrienne Donohue, Franco Gatti, Barbara Marden, Nancy Specht, David Usher

Il Messaggio Editors Please submit content for the newsletter to Carol & David Usher: 802 863-2487 or [email protected]

Membership Anyone wanting to join VICA can do so by calling Carol Usher at 802 863-2487 for an application. Membership is $15. annually for individuals, $25. for families. VICA Website www.vtitalians.com

Back to School ! With emotions extending the full range, kids are going back to school for another year! I wanted to know what "going back to school" meant for Italian kids and their families, though, so I checked out some blogs rather than hitting the statistics. As in the US, there are positives, negatives, and complications. I certainly can't cover the subject extensively in one short introductory compilation of impressions I picked up from the internet -nor can I as an American speak for the Italians who have "been there and done that," so I urge you who have actually gone to school in Italy to respond to the editors with your own snippets of remembrances of the impact that Italy's educational system had on you. Education begins in Italy with the option of government-subsidized daycare centers for ages six-months to two years called asili nidi - literally meaning "nest asylums." Contrary to the negative connotation that an "asylum" might have on our American minds, there is great diligence to provide the best of care. Every child goes through a period of inserimento ("insertion"), attending two hours the

first day, three the second etc.- always with a parent standing by in case of a melt-down. Next is scuola materna (kindergarten) - a wonderful thing that every parent has the right, though not an obligation, to send their children free of charge for three years until they begin the first of five grades in Scuuola elementare ("elementary school"). Scuola materna has traditionally been seen as a way to socialize children outside the family for short periods of the day. With the number of working moms increasing in Italy, however, the school day is often lengthened to a full day, making scuola materna a very high quality, state-sponsored daycare. The working mom has also created another change in the Italian system. Usually, school hours were organized so that children went home for lunchtime, often for the rest of the day. The tradition of family togetherness around the table is a strong foundation of Italian culture. However, city governments have stepped in to provide school lunch programs where both parents work outside the home - a real change and emotional challenge for many parents who grew up with close family ties around food. (Continued on Page 4)

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“Don’t Give Me a Song and a Dance”... ...unless it’s at a picnic with Celest DiPietropaolo and Marie DiCocco

How many times might you have heard that expression from parents not wanting to be given "a song and a dance" from a kid using an excuse not to do something? Well, about 50 VICA members, family and friends didn't need any excuse to join in on the song and the dance facilitated by the talents of Celest DiPietropaolo and Marie DiCocco, who came as guests to the June 28th VICA picnic at Oakledge Park in Burlington. The couple is in the process of transferring their residence to the Montpelier area and are eager to be assimilated into the Vermont Italian community as resource folks who have studied authentic song and dance among the villages of Italy.

Ferragosto by M. Galatola Durante Augusto in Italia fa molto caldo. Quegli che possono vanno alle montagne od alle spiaggie che sono aperte e non troppo lontano. Rimangano soltanto qualche lavoratore e turisti stranieri. La tradizione di lasciare le citta' esisteva dai tempi antiche. Il nome Ferragosto e' derivato da ' feriae Augusti', cioe' le feste del Imperatore Augustus. Caesar Augustus fu il fondatore del Impero Romano. Piu tardi La Chiesa Catolica ha introdotto la festa dell Assunzione di Maria Virgine al quindici di augusto. Ora, in questi giorni, italiani dovunque nel mundo festegiavano Ferragosto, inoltre al quindici d'augosto, al qualsiasi giorni desiderano. Nel Bronx di Nueva York al Arthur Avenue Ferragosto e' celebrato nella prima settimana di settembre.

The fun of the picnic also included games of bocce on Oakledge's newest bocce courts, a wine auction, kids making gelato with the help of Adele Dienno, swimming, ball-playing, and of course, definitely last but not least, ENJOYING ALL THE FANTASTIC FOOD AND WINE everyone brought to share, family-style! The annual VICA picnic is also the traditional gathering where new officers and board members of VICA are elected every two years. This year we voted. See the new slate of officers, board, and committee members listed on the opposite page. Congratulations to them.

Protecting Italy’s Beaches Italian beaches like this one in Francovilla on the Adriatic are full of vacationers during the Ferragosto holidays. This year, according to a news story in NIAF's News Monthly, 227 Italian beaches were awarded Blue Flags, identifying them as having the highest quality in water, facilities and environmental education. That number represents 12 more than last year's tally, indicating a rise of local commitment to protecting the environment which attracts thousands of vacationers to its shores. (photo by Usher)

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New VICA Officers & Board Unanimously Elected into Office at the VICA Annual Picnic on 6-28-09

Term of Office: Two Years, June 2009 - June 2011 OFFICERS: President: Adele Dienno Vice Presidents: Don Catalano & Barbara Guiduli Secretary: Carol Usher /Treasurer: Audry Rini

Some newly elected members at the Picnic ( from left ) : Barbara Marden ( with daughter ) ,Carol Usher,Adrienne Donohue, Adele Dienno ( with dog ) , Barbara Guiduli, and Nancy Specht

BOARD: Ann Arms, Barbara Butler, Adele Dienno, Adrienne Donohue, Franco Gatti, Barbara Guiduli, Barbara Marden, Audry Rini, Nancy Specht, Carol Usher, David Usher

COMMITTEE CHAIRS: Amici Scheduling ………………………………………………….Ann Arms & Barbara Butler Archivist ….……………………………………………………………..Adrienne Donohue Editors, II Messagio…….……………………………………………….Carol and David Usher Events Publicist ……………………………………………………………..Nancy Specht Hospitality Chair/Special Events and Activities Coordinator………………….Barbara Marden Membership Coordinator ………………………………..…………………….Carol Usher Il Messagio Distribution …….…………………………………………………...Susan Hardin Movie Coordinator/Language Instructor…….…………………...…………..Franco Gatti Webmaster………………………………………………………..…………...Julie Bonanno

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Back to School! (continued from Page 1) "Homework" for kids once they reach scuola media ("middle school") seems to challenge parents as much as the kids themselves. If you are thinking that the usual concept of homework in America as the teacher giving extra practice at home for work the children have been studying in class, then you might be wrong. According to some reports, children are given something entirely new at home which often requires hours of help from parents to absorb. Poveri genitori! Homework is also often assigned for vacations, increasing the angst of families trying to relax with time off from work. For parents who work full-time with little or no time off, some cities offer the children two weeks at colonie estive ("summer camps") at public properties at the seaside, in the mountains, or on the lakes, using a sliding scale fee so that even low-income families can participate.

At the end of elementary, middle, and high school, everyone has to take an exam, both written and oral. Italy is big on exams. The middle school exam determines what sort of high school you would go to (if any). The type of high school you go to then determines the kind of university you might attend. The high school system itself is quite complex, with numerous choices. A huge factor that turned up on some of the internet blogs was the issue of cheating, which apparently is more common than we would like to think, with little attention by authorities to interfere with it. Apparently, the use of the cell phone is a big factor, with kids often going to the bathroom and calling for outside help! But the upshot of any good educational system can be summed up in a quote from Arturo Graf, a late 19thcentury Italian poet, critic, and educator. He said: "Great is the teacher who, teaching little, sparks in the student a huge desire to learn." With all the effort of producing the best educational systems, and with all the inevitable pros and cons that go along with them, Graf’s sentiment can be the best indicator of a job well-done. Italian in elementary school? Si! In Vermont? Si, certo! “Home” “Home is where the heart is.” This couldn’t be a more appropriate expression for an Italian who has a strong regional pride and a profound emotional attachment to his own or his family’s birthplace or ancestral village. Italians even have a word for it: campanilismo, derived from the word campanile (bell tower).

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Italian in Elementary School As experienced and reported by Nicole Librandi Why? Perche’ no? At the Robinson Elementary School in Starksboro, more than 100 students from 1st through 6th grades have had a taste of the Italian language and culture for the past four years. Working in conjunction with the school-based Foreign Language Committee at Robinson School, VICA member Nicole Librandi secured grant funds for the program from several sources, including NIAF and the Italian Consulate in Boston. Italian was taught during the regular school day, after school and in a summer camp setting through games, music, songs, rhymes, storytelling and cooking, thus enriching the students’ exposure to a culture which fascinated them. VICA member Francesca Merrill was one of the teachers who was enthusiastically received by both students and staff, who described the sessions as “lively,” “engaging,” and “contagious.” Dr. Carlo Cipollone of the Boston Consulate, who visited the school’s Italian group, was also favorably impressed. He is now interested in extending some of the funds available from the Consulate for broadening the influence of the Italian culture to some VICA projects in the near future.

Robinson students learning about bocce with Aimee Motta and Barb Ouimette

Bocce Balls: Early Romans were among the first people to play bocce. They used coconuts from Africa, instead of the balls now thrown at a smaller target ball. The first Italian bocce league was created in 1947. Italy often plays in the Bocce World Championship, which has been held every year since 1947.

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More on the Italian Language... Student Connections With the Adventure with Italian Names Local Community by Nicole Librandi ...with Bill Tortolano On Primo Maggio last spring, 5th and 6th grade Robinson Elementary School students of Italian had the chance to ''walk in the footsteps" of a group of Italian children from Lawrence, Massachusetts who, in 1912, were brought to Barre in order to be kept safe from the violence of the textile workers' strike. The Robinson students were met at the Old Labor Hall by Docent Joe1en Mulvaney of the Barre Historical Society, who guided them through the "living history" of Barre at the Hall and in downtown Barre. The students' encounter with living history continued with meeting Katherine Paterson, award-winning author of "Bread and Roses, Too", visiting the sculpting studio of Jerry Williams, experiencing quarrying and stoneworking at Rock of Ages, and touring Hope Cemetery with Carrara-born sculptor Giuliano Cecchinelli. The day's events culminated two years of study of the Italian language and culture with classroom teacher Peg Brakeley and Italian teacher Francesca Creta Merrill.

Enjoy a witty, funny, and sometimes sad journey with Bill as he describes the changes made in Italian family names, opera names, and those that were changed because of prejudice. By the end of the evening your Italian vocabulary should be increased and your sense of humor tickled - just from discovering tidbits of information from words you use every day. Wed, Oct 21, 7-9pm, Community Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington.

VICA Awards a Scholarship Thanks to a matching contribution by a member of VICA, our group gave a generous $200 scholarship award to the Scuola Italiana at Middlebury College this summer for a student who demonstrated strong interest in the cultural ties between America and Italy. In this way, we further our club's goal of enhancing the influence of the Italian culture with our own. In exchange, the Director of the Scuola Italiana, Dr. Antonio Vitti, graciously welcomes VICA members to attend films and conferences held during the summer months sponsored by the Scuola. A schedule of these events can be viewed on line at the Middlebury College website. (www.middlebury.edu)

Young Travelers Can Win Trip to Italy Alitalia is sponsoring a young traveler's writing contest "in the spirit of discovery and learning" ... of Italy, of course! The contest is open to those between the ages of 8 and 14 who have made, or will make, a transatlantic flight on Alitalia or Air One originating in the US between the dates of June 24, 2009 and September 9, 2009. The grand prize is a trip to Italy for the youngster and two legal guardians. The essays of ten of the writers will be selected for publication on Alitalia.com and receive multiple gift items, including sweatshirts, caps, tote bags and a $100 voucher towards a future Alitalia flight.

Robinson students and teachers at the Barre Socialist Labor Hall

The deadline for the essays is September 15, 2009. Guidelines are detailed on their website at http://www.alitalia.com/ US_EN/special_offers/youngwriters_offer.asp . (If you don't

have web connections and are interested, contact Carol Usher, 802-863-2487)

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Interstate 89 North (Inverno) 2006 By Franco Gatti

Sulla soglia del tramonto innevato passando senza sosta paesi ignari e sconosciuti, guardo le case sulle alture le fattorie seminate nelle valli. Guardo le case ai bordi delle strade dei villaggi che si preparano al riposo. Guardo e vedo gente serena che si appresta a scambiarsi un segno di calore, un sorriso, intorno alla tavola del cibo. Ora il sole e’ tramontato, il buio in prima fila, le luci delle case annebbiate dai fari dei motori, forte e’ il desiderio di abitare in una di quelle finestre illuminate e invidio il caldo focolare privo com’ e’ del viaggiare le mie ansie. At the threshold / of a snow-mantled sunset / cutting across the silent villages, / I watch the houses on the hills, the farms seeded in the valleys. / I watch the houses along the road / of villages who prepare to rest./ I watch and see serene people / preparing to exchange / a warm sign, / a smile, / around the table of the food. / Now the sun has settled down, / the dark is in front row,/ the light of the houses / fogged by the headlights, / strong is the desire / to live inside one of those / warm lighted windows / and for a while to set aside / the anxieties of the road .

Nota: Per noi che viviamo in questa regione del Vermont, sopprattutto la I89 Nord simbolizza il ritorno a casa, dopo una vacanza o un lungo viaggio sulla costa ed oltre. Questo e’ ancora piu’ vero in inverno, quando non vediamo l’ ora di raggiungere il tepore della casa e i nostri cari familiari. La poesia Interstate 89 North e’ stata scritta dopo un viaggio alquanto pericoloso mentre ritornavo dall’ aeroporto di Boston. Il felice ritorno a casa da un viaggio irto di pericoli, nel gelo e nel buio della notte e’ una sensazione ancestrale molto sentita dagli Italiani, dove la casa e i familiari che vi abitano, viene espressa con un bellissimo termine “il focolare”. Focolare quindi non significa solo il luogo dove si cucina o si accende il fuoco nel camino, ma si espande fino ad includere il “sicuro e confortevole” nucleo familiare.

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Calendar of Events: Fall 2009 Upcoming VICA Events Wed, Sept 16: Amici Luncheon at Toscano’s, Richmond,11:30am,reservations (contact Ann Arms 802-863-5155 or Barbara Butler 802-863-6897) Wed, Oct 21….Tortolano’s Adventure With Italian Names, Community Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 7-9pm (contact Barbara Guiduli 802-862-4200) Sun, Nov. 1: Coffee Social from 2-5pm at the home of member Adrienne Donohue 545 So. Prospect St, Unit 15, Burlington (contact Adrienne 802-862-5153) Fri, Nov. 27: Italian Film Night at 6:30pm at the Deborah Rawson Memorial Library in Jericho (film TBA) (contact Franco 802-899-3869)

On-going VICA events Italian Conversation Classes: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, St. Michael’s College, St. Edmonds Hall, Room 101, 7-9 pm (contact Franco Gatti, 802-899-3869) Italian Movie Night: quarterly at Deborah Rawson Memorial Library in Jericho (see schedule above) (contact Franco 802-899-3869) Amici Luncheons: Monthly at various venues (see schedule above) (contact Ann Arms 802-863-5155 or Barbara Butler 802-863-6897)

Community events Roxy Theater, Burlington: Verdi’s Rigoletto, Sun, Sept.6, 11am (contact:802-864-FILM) VT Philharmonic Opera Night, Oct 17, 7:30pm, St.Johnsbury School; Oct 18, 3:30pm Barre Opera House (featuring winners from the Bel Canto Institute) (contact: 802-244-6828 or www.vermontphilharmonic.org) NIAF Washington DC Convention and Gala: Oct 23-24, 2009, with speakers, entertainment, food and wine tastings, documentaries, awards (see www.niaf.org/ for more information) "Strega Nona": Main Stage Flynn, Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 3pm. A musical based on Tomie DePaolo’s book, “Strega Nona.” (tix contact: 802-863-5966 or www.flynntix.org)

Check Out Fall 2009 Dates

I l M e s s a g g i o V e r m o n t I t a l i a n C u l t u r a l A s s o c i a t io n P . O . B o x 3 1 5 5 B u r l in g to n V T 0 5 4 0 8

WHO WE ARE :To better acquaint you with who we are on a personal level, this featured section of Il Messaggio is reserved for either a short autobiographical “portrait” of a VICA member or of a place in Italy from which one of our member’s families emigrated. This issue is dedicated to Caserta.

In Campania, the region of Italy that boasts Naples as its capital and renowned for the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, the ancient city of Pompei, and the island of Capri, the city of Caserta is probably best known for its Royal Palace. Situated just east of Naples, the 1200-room palace, visited by more Italians than

Americans, is the Versailles of Italy (La Piccola Versailles nel Regno di Napoli) in a county-side surrounded by huge ranches that produce unparalleled mozzarella. The last great building of the Italian baroque, it was commissioned by Charles IV and designed by southern Italy’s greatest architect, Luigi Vanvitelli. Although you can't visit each of its 1200 rooms, the ones you can see are extravagant and exquisite. The 116 steps of the main foyer, carved from one gigantic block of marble, lead to the rooms that can be seen. Small buses take tourists around the 2-mile stretch of

gardens from which they may view the extent of the many sculptures, waterfalls, lakes and flowers, as well as the very famous English garden. The Royal Palace with its gardens is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town (Caserta Vecchia), founded by the Lombards in the 8th century, lies on hills 3 miles northeast of the modern city, which was a village known as Torre belonging to the Caetani family of Sermoneta until the construction of the Royal Palace. In the Italian Risorgimento (movement for political unity), the Battle of the Volturno (1860), in which the nationalist leader Giuseppe Gari-

baldi defeated the Neapolitan forces, was fought around Caserta. In World War II the Royal Palace served for a time as the headquarters of the Allied command, and the surrender of the German army in Italy was signed there on April 29, 1945. More recently, it has been the set for several famous movies such as Star Wars and Mission Impossible III.

NOTE: Anytime you want to switch between an electronic or a hard copy of Il Messaggio, please let editor know. ([email protected] or 802-863-2487)