Dear Casalvierani, Ciociari, Valcominesi and Friends

Dear Casalvierani, Ciociari, Valcominesi and friends, We would like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves: our names are Antonio Vitti e Maria Rosaria Vitti and we come from Casalvieri in the province of Frosinone, Italy. We were born and raised in Roselli (hamlet of Casalvieri) and migrated to the United States in the 1970s. We worked and studied in the U.S. and ultimately became professors of Italian language and culture at the university level. During our ongoing visits to Valcomino we have noticed the slow erosion of our cultural roots as well as the cultural isolation of the local youth. We believe there is need for a community cultural center which would serve to stimulate the youth by engaging them in cultural activities while also giving aging citizens a central location to teach and share the traditional skills and customs of our rural community. We are inspired to renovate the former Asilo where, as young children growing up in Roselli, we had that which today’s generation of young people is lacking: a local community center. In 1952 the community of Roselli formed a committee to raise money and acquire a building which was subsequently donated to the church Santa Maria delle Rose and named the Asilo. Main donors still attached to the wall of the entrance hall, including donation from Pope The Asilo not only provided a residence for the church’s order of nuns but was also truly a community center where local youth were provided a place to gather, learn and play. In 1961, the Asilo shut its doors and has remained closed for the past 58 years. This is where we need your help and support. With your help and generosity, we would like to reopen the Asilo and transform it into the Roselli Archive and Cultural Center. The center would be open not only to the Casalvieri and Valcomino community, but to all people interested in our language and cultural heritage. The re-opening project would fall under the umbrella of an already existing cultural organization called Centro Studi Mediterranei. We envision that the community center Studi Mediterranei would offer: - English language classes for all ages - Italian language classes for immigrants - Computer Lab - Instruction in traditional area crafts such as basket weaving and agricultural cultivation - Film series featuring Italian cinematography - Opportunity for theatrical productions - Workshops in filmmaking and script writing - Organized trips for all ages - Yoga classes for senior citizens - Courses on environmental protection and sustainability taught by world- renowned specialist Antonio Nicaso To fulfill this dream of offering cultural stimulation and promoting renewed cultural awareness we need your assistance, and not only monetarily. We need to establish a network with other Italian-Americans: to reach out and spread the word, to solicit donations and contributions of all kinds to make the center a reality. To create the Centro Studi Mediterranei in Roselli we must commit, connect and collaborate to create such a center which would serve the immediate community as well as the entire region of Lazio and the world. More information on the old structure renovation project is on the web site https://interculturalstudiescentre.wordpress.com/ where you can also find a video created by a fellow supporter of this initiative. We also invite you to share the web site with your friends. YOUR CONTRIBUTION CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO THE FOLLOWING BANK ACCOUNT Account number 98248 Account holder name Mediterranean Centre for Intercultural Studies Bank Creval S.p.A. – Agenzia di Casalvieri BIC SWIFT BPCVIT2S IBAN IT 28 I 05216 74360 000000098248 Grazie mille, and please feel free to contact us anytime with any questions you may have. Antonio Vitti [email protected] Maria Rosaria Vitti [email protected] .

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