Culture

Dear Readers, May has many Italian connections.   Mother’s Day was Sunday, May 12th this year and since St. Monica, mother of the late blooming “Saint” Augustine is also the patroness of wives and mothers, I will share some info on …

Mothers are wonder people … all of them.  Of course, almost everyone thinks that their own mother is the best, which is as it should be.  Mothers are special people who nurtured us from the moment of conception.   I …

Demeter and her lovely daughter Persephone are two of the greatest mythic characters of the Mediterranean world and of Western Civilization. Both Demeter and Persephone are archetypal figures. Archetypal means that they are universals, powerful presences or enduring elements of …

The Main Street portion of the Italian Hall contained three commercial stores including an Italian tailor’s shop, a saloon, a hardware store and later, a billiard parlor and bicycle shop. In the early 1900s, the Italian Hall’s saloon, owned by …

Dear Readers, May is the month we celebrate Mother’s Day and since many of us had mothers (and fathers too) who were born in Italy and spent their early years there, when Fascism was in full flower, I thought I …

The foot races of the Garibaldina Mutual Benefit Society, often organized for charitable purposes, commenced in front of the Italian Hall, the Society’s headquarters, on North Main Street in little Italy. This particular race, which took place circa 1917, captures …

During the late teens and into the 1920s, Italians began settling in Lincoln Heights, a neighborhood east of downtown and considered the oldest neighborhood in Los Angeles. Once home to the city’s wealthiest residents some of whose stately Victorian mansions …

“Beautiful” is one of the adjectives that perfectly match Italy, but it is also one of the words that is often used incorrectly. Generally speaking, when talking about beautiful places, one must keep an open mind: there is no such …

On May 11th and 12th, Venice, the enchanting city known for its canals and gondolas, will pay homage to its illustrious past with its very own Festa della Sensa.   The oldest festival in Venice, this celebration is a spectacular, …

This year’s SOHO International Film Festival had its grand gala night at the “Sunshine Theatre” in the heart of Manhattan introducing the feature film “Uncomfortable Silence” by Italian producer Gabriele Altobelli and a docu-film by director Joseph Rezwin that honored …