December, 2012 Vol. XXX, No. 4 ppoocchhee ppaarroollee The Italian Cultural Society of Washington D.C. Preserving and Promoting Italian Culture for All www.italianculturalsociety.org ICS EVENTS Social meetings start at 3:00 PM on the third Sunday of the month, September thru May, at the Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 South Park Ave., Chevy Chase, MD (See map on back cover) Sunday, December 16: FESTA DI NATALE !! (See Page 3) Sunday, January 20: Riccardo R. G. Cannavò discusses and demonstrates the Teatro de Pupi (Sicilian Puppet Theater) Saturday EVENING, February 16: CARNEVALE !! Sunday, March 17: Luca Paschina, of Barboursville Winery will speak about wine and his experience at the winery in Virginia. There will be no Movie of the Month and no Italian Lessons and Conversation on December 16 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Our vocalist for the Festa di Natale will be Angela Knight, who is in her 14th season with the Washington Our November meeting’s well-attended presentation National Opera where she performs regularly and has sung was by dott.essa Alberta Campitelli who showed us the in over 250 performances. Her most recent roles include marvelous restorations of Villa Borghese and Villa "Idomeno" - The Cretan Woman, "The Crucible" - Betty Torlonia carried out in record time and with modest Paris, "Le Nozze Di Figaro" - Barbarina, and Second Lady in funding by the Comune di Roma under her direction. "Sly" for U.S. and Japanese audiences. Miss Knight Dott.essa Campitelli’s visit was sponsored by SMATCH attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, The Baldwin to whom we are grateful for including us in her activities Wallace Conservatory and George Mason University where here in Washington. Two things stood out in the meta- she was honored as the Outstanding Musician at graduation. message of the presentation. First was the excellence She is a two-time winner of the NATS singing competition. of the restorations which showed the very high level of After winning the Star Alliance Competition, Angela traveled artistic and technical skills and competences available to Beijing, China in December 2007 to perform her originally in Italy at this time at reasonable costs. The second composed aria "Le Jardin" at the "Great Hall" for The Prime Minister of China, worldwide delegates, dignitaries, and was that this work stands as a powerful government officials. Being chosen to represent the United counterexample to the stereotype of inefficiency and States as a vocalist in the 2007 "World Championship of shoddy public affairs that have so dominated the news Performing Artist," she traveled to Hollywood, California to coming from Italy in recent times. The strength of the compete where she won three gold medals. counterexample rests on the characteristically Italian Also in August 2007, she took her originally composed passion of a person like Alberta Campitelli and the people she is able to gather around her. stage show/concert "Giubileo" to Sicily, Italy. And in 2009 Angela was nominated for the ICM New Artist of Our December meeting is our annual celebration of the Year Award. See her picture on page 11. Festa di Natale, and we are fortunate in two ways this year. First, we will have the talented soprano Angela TABLE OF CONTENTS 2. Welcome to new ICS Members Knight (nee Pregano) singing for us. Second, Le 3. FESTA DI NATALE December 16 Program D.I.V.E. has agreed to conduct the program for 4. Local Events of Interest children, that has become a tradition at this Festa. 4. Correction Please come and enjoy the party, and remember to 5. History of Sicily Part One: Sicily of the Sicani 8. Garibaldi: His End at Caprera bring an authentic dish of Italian food for the potluck. 10. Message from Italy: Farewell San Gimignano (See page 3.) Until I greet you in January in my next 11. Pictures from the November 18 Meeting message, vi auguro un Buon Natale! 11. Stars of the Festa di Natale 11.A CHRISTMAS IDEA: A GIFT OF THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE!! Ron Cappelletti, president ITALIAN LANGUAGE PROGRAM WELCOME TO NEW ICS MEMBERS 4827 Rugby Avenue, Suite 301 It is with great pleasure that we welcome those Members who have joined us recently. As we welcome them we hope that they will take Bethesda, MD 20814 advantage of all that the Society has to offer and that they will Day, Evening and Weekend Classes contribute with their knowledge and expertise to the success of the Society’s mission: for Adults and Children Nancy DeSanti, Lauro & Jessica Halstead, Pamela R. Parsons, Serving Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC Marco & Linda Greigg Marcatili, Pamela Royster, Judy Whiton, Winter Classes Begin January 7, 2013 Mara Carmen McElmurray, Barbara Pompili, Susan Absher www.italianculturalsociety.org Benvenuti! 301-215-7885 CONSULAR SECTION ITALIAN EMBASSY 3000 Whitehaven Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20008 Information: 202-612-4400 Serves residents of Washington, DC, Montgomery & Prince George’s Counties, MD Arlington & Fairfax Counties, VA ICS Board of Directors and their Responsibilities Ron Cappelletti, President Arrigo Mongini, Vice President, Editor of Poche Parole Nick Monaco, Outside Events, Deputy Treasurer Joe Onofrietti, Film & Hospitality Flavia Colombo, Italian Language Program Paolo Vidoli, Treasurer Romeo Segnan, At large Marie Frances, Fund Raising Carlo Ellena, Webmaster Riccardo Cannavò, Poche Parole Writer Maria Wilmeth, Emerita CORNUCOPIA Elio Grandi, Emeritus Specialty Italian Food Market Aldo Bove, Liaison in Italy ICS Poche Parole Publication 8102 Norfolk Ave, Bethesda, MD Arrigo Mongini, Editor 301.652.1625 Romeo Segnan, Paolo Vidoli, Riccardo Cannavò Italian Editors/Writers Conveniently located in downtown Bethesda Poche Parole is published each month from January through May Only two blocks from the ICS Office! and September through December. The deadline for the Gourmet deli and catering. submission of all articles and ads for a newsletter issue is the 25th of the month preceding publication of the issue. Please send Featuring an extensive line of Italian Food favorites. submissions via the Internet to e-mail address: Italian meat and cheeses deli products, a wide range of [email protected] or on a computer diskette/CD to: specialty pasta, roasted vegetables, large assortment of Editor, Poche Parole Italian pastries baked on premises, biscotti, cookies, 4827 Rugby Avenue, Suite 301 cannoli & sfogliatelle. Bethesda, MD 20814 Publication notice: The ICS Board reserves sole discretion for Panini, subs, sandwiches, fresh mozzarella, imported accepting any material, including ads, for inclusion in Poche olives oils, olives, coffees and now GELATO! Parole, pursuant to its established Publication Policy. A copy of Homemade delicious Italian meals to go! this policy is available upon request by contacting the Editor. Advertisers appearing in Poche Parole have paid a fee or provided Seasonal Specialties Available services in kind to ICS for publishing their respective ads. Panettone - Pandoro – Panforte Publication of any advertisement in Poche Parole does not reflect ICS endorsement or guarantee of the advertisers’ services, products Torrone - Perugina Chocolates or statements. Material contained in articles published is the sole responsibility of the author and does not indicate ICS endorsement BUON NATALE ! 2 3 Antenna Italia is now on the AMICO website. Get news from Italy and information on Italian and Italian- American events as well as music & commentary in streaming audio. Log on any time at Pino Cicala’s web site www.italianamericancommunications.org LOCAL EVENTS OF INTEREST National Gallery of Art: Guided tours of the Italian Renaissance collection, West Building, main floor rotunda Mon., Fri. and Sat. 2:30, Sun. 1:30 Italian Language guided tours Tues. Dec.11 and Sat. Dec. 15, West Building main floor rotunda at 12:00 and East Building, ground level info. desk at 2:00. RSVP 202-842-6247 Italian Cultural Institute: Cineforum, with italians in DC “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso” the 1988 movie, Wednesday, December 12 at the Embassy of Italy http://www.iicwashington.esteri.it/IIC_Washington/webf orm/SchedaEvento.aspx?id=375&citta=Washington Folger Consort: Christmas music of the Trecento: CORRECTION Stirring vocal I am happy to write a short correction to a statement I works including laude – popular Christmas songs in made in the president’s message in the Nov. issue of Tuscan Italian, sacred polyphonic works, and cheerful Poche Parole in describing our guest speaker of the Oct. dances. With vocal ensemble Trio Eos and guest 21 meeting because it gives me an opportunity to amplify instrumentalists Christa Patton, Mark Rimple, and Mary on Prof. Umberto Neri's interesting career. I said that he Springfels. Dec. 14-23 tickets $50 at Folger Elizabethan had been an undergraduate student in Italy and came to Theater 202-544-7077 www.folger.edu.consort. know some of the people about whom he spoke before coming to the University of Chicago to earn his Italian Trade Commission: PhD. In fact, Prof. Neri was still a HS (liceo Tuscan Home: second annual showcase of Italian art classico) student when he came to the US on an and design, including samples of food and wine American Field Service scholarship. Encouraged to take Saturday, Dec. 8, 7 PM at Bella Italia, 4934 Hampden the SAT exams, he was accepted to the University of Lane, Bethesda, MD Chicago (skipping completion of HS). Switching from his Artisphere: WSC Avant Bard theater company first love, physics, to pure mathematics (no experiments!) Umberto finished both undergraduate and Ph,D, degrees presents “Six Characters in Search of an Author” by at Chicago and immediately took an Asst. Professorship Luigi Pirandello Thru Dec. 9 at Black Box Theater in at U. MD in 1966. In 1969/70 he returned to Italy as a Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA For tickets visiting professor at U. Genova and later was invited to and schedules teach at the famous Scuola Normale Superiore at http://tickets.artisphere.com/eventperformances.asp?ev Pisa, where he met many of his mathematical heroes t=178&c=4&pg= (especially Prof.