Festa Coloniale Italiana – SFIAC Combines Celebration of Ferragosto and Club’s 95th Anniversary

Back in the year 2008, the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club (SFIAC) was preparing a celebration for their 90th Anniversary.  Gianrico Pierucci, SFPD Police Inspector and author of the book, The Heart of North Beach, was serving on the board of directors of the SFIAC.  The club’s president, Steve Landi, appointed Pierucci to be the 90th Anniversary Celebration Committee Chair.  In the past, the SFIAC had celebrated its anniversaries with various weekend activities, topped off with a black tie dinner dance.

 

 That year, President Landi was hoping to incorporate something different into the festivities. The SFIAC had begun experiencing a period of risorgimento (resurgence); revisions were being made, and new ideas were budding and flowering. 

 

Being a native Italian, Pierucci began wracking his brain for authentic, cultural festivities to incorporate into the yearly calendar, so that Italian-Americans could experience true traditional Italian practices. He immediately thought of La Festa di Ferragosto—the festival that represents Italy’s annual vacation period—the largest festival of the year, filled with life, excitement and experiences: a celebration with music, dancing, great food, beautiful families and wholesome friendships.

 

La Festa di Ferragosto was originally put into effect by the Emperor Augustus—who ruled the Roman Empire from 27 BC to 14 AD—as a feast for the gods, giving thanks for a bountiful harvest. The ancient Romans looked forward to this annual period as a time of rest and relaxation after the intense workload endured throughout the harvesting months.  Later, for Catholics, it developed into their observance of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother.

 

Now, Ferragosto is viewed as a traditional feast day in Italy, celebrated annually on the 15th of August.  Factories close down, and those who had previously moved to larger cities for employment opportunities, retreat to the small towns from which they, or their families, had previously come. Many who live abroad return to their native land to celebrate and spend time with family and friends during this annual holiday.

 

Although Ferragosto itself falls on the 15th of August, there are various festivities put on in specific areas and towns in Italy throughout the weeks leading up to Ferragosto .  These festivals include La Festa Della Salsiccia (sausage), Della Birra (beer), Del Vino (wine), Del Pane (bread), and so on, in anticipation of the actual Festa di Ferragosto. 

 

While discussing this traditional Italian holiday, the board members of the SFIAC decided that Pierucci’s idea was one that would bring a new experience to the Italian-Americans in San Francisco, while also reaching out and allowing others not affiliated with the SFIAC to share in and learn about Italian culture.

 

The naming of the festa became an issue.  The SFIAC didn’t want a cliché name.  After a bit of research, they had discovered that in the time period between the Gold Rush and the Great Earthquake, San Francisco Italians in the North Beach/Telegraph Hill neighborhood referred to themselves collectively as La Colonia Italiana. Pierucci pitched the idea of using the words Ferragosto or Colonia. The board believed that Ferragosto would not be understood by most, but agreed upon using the term Colonia.

After some discussion, current President Alberto Cipollina—then a member of the board—came up with the name Festa Coloniale Italiana.  The board voted unanimously to keep it. It was further decided that the festival would take place on the 1600 block of Stockton Street, between Union and Filbert Streets, adjacent to Washington Square, home of the SFIAC.  

 

When Gianrico Pierucci assumed the presidency of the SFIAC the following year, the board of directors decided to make the Festa Coloniale Italiana an annual event.  In 2010, Pierucci’s last year as president of the SFIAC, club member Tom Torriglia sat in as the co-chair of the festa. The following years, he managed the festa as chairman, until his move to Italy last year. In his absence, SFIAC Past Vice-President and current board member Brian Serafini–Blewer has assumed the position as chairman.

 

In celebration of the SFIAC’s 95th Anniversary, the Club will present its fifth annual Festa Coloniale Italiana in front of their historic building at 1630 Stockton Street, between Union and Filbert Streets.  The Italian-themed block party will be held on Saturday, August 17th, 2013, from 11:00am – 6:00pm.

 

 Thanks to the generosity of its gracious sponsors—including Bank of America and Italian Community Services—the SFIAC will be presenting a full day of Italian food, wine, music, art, dance, and other entertainment.  The club’s landmark building will be open to the general public (as will the bar), and will feature Italian exhibits on the Second floor in the Gino Cimoli Gymnasium.  The exhibits are being made possible by the generosity of the Museo Italo Americano and the Jacuzzi family, and are being presented as part of the 2013 Year of Italian Culture.

 

Admission and entertainment are free.  The vino, meatball sandwiches, and cannoli may cost you a few bucks, but the proceeds benefit the SFIAC Foundation, which helps promote Italian language and culture in the community.    The general public—and especially the Italian-American community of San Francisco—are encouraged to come and enjoy a full day of fun in the heart of North Beach.

 

Additional information is available on the SFIAC’s website:  www.SFIAC.org.