The Columbus Day celebrations held each October throughout the nation mark the high point of Italian Heritage Month, which is as important for Italians as for Americans.
Not as well known, is that the Week of Italian Language is celebrated in October throughout the world. Participating in this celebration, the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco has organized a series of events aimed at promoting Italian language and culture.
The Week of Italian Language is an international cultural event that has taken place every year in the month of October since 2001. It is organized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the High Patronage of the President of Italy, and the prestigious Accademia della Crusca. The Accademia, literally “Academy of the chaff,” is an Italian society for scholars and Italian linguists and philologists established in Florence.
The Accademia was founded in 1583 and has always been characterized by its efforts to maintain the purity of the Italian language. “Crusca” means “chaff” in Italian, which conveys the metaphor that its work is similar to winnowing. In 1612, the Accademia published the first edition of its Dictionary: the Vocabolario della lingua italiana, which also served as the model for similar works in French, Spanish, German, and English.
On October 10th the Istituto Italiano di Cultura kicked off a week of language activities. IIC hosted Giulia Calvi—historian and visiting scholar at the University of California Berkeley—who lectured on the late Renaissance’s most authoritative and complete fashion revue, De gli habiti antichi et moderni by Cesare Vecellio.
The week of Italian Language, at the Istituto’s new and prestigious building, will include an evening of study on futurism and radio (Tuesday October 16), another featuring a cello and piano duo performance based on modernist composers (Thursday October 18), and a full day open house showcasing the many faces and scholars of Italian in the Bay Area (Friday, October 19).
A tenor and a pianist will cap off the celebration, recounting in particular themes and stories of Italian emigration (Friday, October 26).
Of special importance is the event of October 19th. The Istituto opens its doors to all lovers of Italian language and culture for “Italian language awareness day”. Italian language schools and Italian bookstores will augment this event. There will be presentations of grants and university level courses and of language certification exams.
A free Italian lesson will be organized by Istituto Italiano Scuola while snacks will be offered as part of the “lunch and learn” program.
An aperitif Italian style will conclude the day’s events. Registration is necessary for “lunch and learn,” while not needed for the other activities; admission is free.
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