Cultural Activities

Seminars, Lectures & Book Presentations in Italy

 

(for events pictures visit our Photo Gallery)

 

 

Summer 2009

 

 “Il gelato italiano: storia, tradizione, qualità.” [“Italian Ice-Cream: History, Tradition, Quality.”]Guest Speaker: the Worldwide Recognized Gelato Maker Tommaso Affaldano. San Demetrio Corone, July 2009.

 

“La terza missione delle università italiane” [“The third mission of the Italian universities.”] Guest Speaker: Riccardo Barberi, Professor of Physics and Vice-president for the Innovation Technological Transfer of the University of Calabria. San Demetrio Corone, July 2009.

 

“Meraviglie dell’apicultura” [“Wonders of Apiculture.”] Guest Speaker: Emanuele Cozzolino, expert of Apiculture. San Demetrio Corone, July 2009.

 

“Apporto degli Albanesi al Movimento Risorgimentale Italiano” [“Contributions of the Albanians to the Italian Risorgimento.”]Together with the conference there was an exhibition of the works of various artists on the national theme “Adotta un monumento” [“Adopt a Monument.”] Guest Speakers: On. Mario Brunetti, Former member of the Chamber of Deputati and Honorary Ambassador of Albania; On. Cesare Marini, Senator of  Parlamento Italiano; Gianni Mazzei, writer, poet and literature critic; Franco Siciliano, historian. San Demetrio Corone, July 2009.

 

“Presentazione del libro di Carmine Abate Gli anni veloci, Mondadori. Milano, 2008.” [“Presentation of the book by Carmine Abate The Fast Years. Mondadori. Milano, 2008.”]Guest Speakers: Carmine Abate, one of the best Italian contemporary writers; Gianni Mazzei, writer, poet and literature critic. San Demetrio Corone, August 2009.

 

“De Rada a Sant’Adriano: autobiografia, musica e poesia.” [“De Rada in Sant’Adriano: autobiography, music and poetry.”]Guest Speakers: Gianni Mazzei, writer, poet and literature critic; Gennaro De Cicco, journalist and De Rada’s scholar; Vitteritti Franceschina, high school teacher of Italian and Latin.

San Demetrio Corone, August 2009.

 

Summer 2008

Lecture: “Il gelato italiano: storia, tradizione, qualità.” [“Italian Ice-Cream: History, Tradition, Quality.”]. Guest Speaker: the Worldwide Recognized Gelato Maker Tommaso Affaldano. San Demetrio Corone, July 2008.

Lecture with slides show: “I funghi e la flora in Calabria (e altre curiosità)” ["Mushrooms and flora in Calabria (and other curiosities)."]. Guest Speaker: Carmine Lavorato, Vicepresident of the International Confederation for the Studies of Mushrooms; Founder of the Calabrese Confederation for the Studies of Mushrooms. Acri, July 2008.

Lecture with slides show: “Le proprietà organolettiche dell’olio d’oliva” ["The organolectic properties of olive oil."]. Guest Speaker: Sara Sposato, Graduate Student in Nutrition Science. San Demetrio Corone, July 2008.

Lecture: “La figura femminile nel Meridione tra folklore e tradizione.” ["Woman figure in the South between folklore and tradition."]. Guest Speaker: Leonardo Alario, Professor of Anthropology  Università della Calabria. Introduction by Prof. Gianni Mazzei, President of Centro Deradiano. San Demetrio Corone, July 2008.

Painting Exhibition: "Il turgore del racconto pittorico." ["The swelling of the pictorial story."]. Painting exhibition of the works made by Prof. Michelangelo La Luna, Director of the De Rada and URI Summer Programs in Italy. Exhibition presented by: Maria Credidio, painter and president of Biennale di Pittura di San Demetrio Corone; Prof. Giovanni Morello, President of the Vatican Foundation “Beni e Attività artistiche della Chiesa"; Prof. Gianni Mazzei, President of Centro Deradiano. Corigliano Calabro, July 2008.

 

Summer 2007

Lecture: “Migranti: dal cinema muto al neorealismo italiano.” [“Emigrants: from the Mute Cinema to Italian Neorealism.”] (With video screening of excerpt taken from the following movies: Napoli che canta, 1926, directed by Roberto Roberti; Ladri di biciclette, 1848 and Miracolo a Milano, 1950, directed by Vittorio De Sica; Cammino della speranza, 1950, directed by Pietro Germi; Napoletani a Milano, 1953, directed by Edoardo De Filippo). Guest Speaker: Matilde Tortora, Professor of Italian Cinema, University of Calabria.  San Demetrio Corone, July 2007.

Lecture: “Franca Rame: Una donna in scena.” [“Franca Rame: A Woman on Stage.”] Guest Speaker: Walter Valeri, Harvard University (but currently teaching at URI and at the Boston Conservatory School).  San Demetrio Corone, July 2007.

Seminar: “Platone, i suoi dialoghi e il concetto di agorà.” [“Plato, his Dialogs and the Concept of Agorà.”] (Agorà is the Greek for Square). Guest Speaker: Gianni Mazzei, critic, poet and writer.  San Demetrio Corone, July 2007.

Seminar: “Ulisse e la metafora del viaggio.” [“Odysseus and the Metaphor of Traveling.”] Guest Speaker: Gianni Mazzei, critic, poet and writer.  San Demetrio Corone, July 2007.

Seminar: “L’arte italiana da Piero della Francesca a Caravaggio.” [“The Italian Art from Piero della Francesca to Caravaggio.”] Guest Speaker: Gianni Mazzei, critic, poet and writer. San Demetrio Corone, July 2007.

 

Summer 2006

Lecture: “Il gelato italiano: storia, tradizione, qualità.” [“Italian Ice-Cream: History, Tradition, Quality.”]. Guest Speaker: the Worldwide Recognized Gelato Maker Tommaso Affaldano. San Demetrio Corone, June 2006.

Author Meeting: “Incontro con l’Autore. Franco Esposito, poeta, scrittore, giornalista e direttore della rivista Microprovincia di Stresa.” [“Meeting with the Author. Franco Esposito, Poet, Writer and Director of the Journal Microprovincia in Stresa.”] Guest Speaker: Franco Esposito. San Demetrio Corone, July 2006.

Lecture: “Il sistema giudiziario americano e quello italiano.” [“The Italian and the American Jurisdictional system.”] Guest Speaker: Raffaele Sposato, President Emeritus of the Jurisdictional Disciplinary Court of Pennsylvania. San Demetrio Corone, July 2006.

Author Meeting: “Incontro con l’Autore. I Poeti del Musagete.” [“Meeting with the Author. The Poets of Musagete.”] Guest Speaker: Vincenzo Bonifacio, Alfredo Bruni, Ippolita Preziosa and Gianni Mazzei. San Demetrio Corone, July 2006.

Artist Meeting: “Incontro con l’Artista di fama internazionale Franco Azzinari.” [“Meeting with the International Recognized Artist Franco Azzinari.”] Guest Speaker: Franco Azzinari, International recognized painter. San Demetrio Corone, July 2006.

Book Presentation: “Presentazione del libro di Carmine Abate, Il mosaico del tempo grande. Milano: Mondadori, 2006.” [“Presentation of the Book of Carmine Abate The Mosaic of the Big Time. Milan:  Mondadori, 2006.”] Guest Speakers: Carmine Abate and the URI students taking the Italian literature courses. San Demetrio Corone, July 2006.

Artist Meeting: “I colori del Mediterraneo: dipingiamo insieme al maestro Diego Bellini.” [“The Mediterranean Colors: Let’s Paint Together with Maestro Diego Bellini.”] Guest Speaker: Diego Bellini, painter and expert of contemporary art. San Demetrio Corone , August 2006.

Lecture: “Il Mediterraneo ponte di cultura tra Oriente e Occidente: il  problema dell’identità.” [“The Mediterranean as a Cultural Bridge between East and West: the Problem of Identity.”] Guest Speaker: Oreste Bellini, Professor of Psychiatry at University Federico II of Naples and President of the Italian Society of Psychotherapy-Psychoanalytic. San Demetrio Corone, August 2006.

Summer 2005

Lecture: “L’emigrazione nella letteratura e nel cinema.” [“Emigration in Literature and Cinema.”] Guest Speaker: Teresa Fiore, Professor of Italian Language and Literature, University State of California, Long Beach. San Demetrio Corone, July 2005.

Lecture: “Dante e il senso del suo viaggio nell’aldilà.” [“Dante and the Meaning of his Trip in the Other World.”] Guest Speaker: Dante Della Terza, Emeritus Professor of Italian, Harvard University and University Federico II of Naples. San Demetrio Corone, July 2005.

Lecture: “L’identità.” [“Identity.”] Guest Speaker: Doctor Oreste Bellini, Professor of Psychiatry at University Federico II of Naples and President of the Italian Society of Psychotherapy-Psychoanalytic. San Demetrio Corone, July 2005.

Lecture: “Il restauro della Cappella Sistina e l’Arte di Caravaggio.” [“The Restoration of the Sistine Chapel and the Art of Caravaggio.”] Guest Speaker: Doctor Giovanni Morello, Global Coordinator of Exhibitions, Vatican Library and Museums, and President of the Vatican Foundation “Beni e Attività artistiche della Chiesa.” San Demetrio Corone, July 2005.

Lecture: “Astrattismo concettuale.” [“Conceptual Abstractionism.”] Guest Speaker: Diego Bellini, painter and expert of contemporary art. San Demetrio Corone, July 2005.

 

Summer 2004 

Lecture: “The Concept of Space in Italo Calvino e in Contemporary Italian Literature.”  Guest Speaker: Arielle Saiber, Professor of Italian, Bowdoin College. San Demetrio Corone, June 2004.

Lecture: “La traduzione in inglese dell’opera di Carmine Abate.” [“The English Translation of the Works of Carmine Abate.”]. Guest Speaker: Elvira Di Fabio, Senior Preceptor in Italian e Director of the Harvard Summer School, Harvard University. San Demetrio Corone, July 2004.

Book presentation: “La festa del ritorno. Mondadori, 2004. Finalista Premio Selezione Campiello.” [“The Feast of Return. Mondadori, 2004. Finalist Prize Campiello Selection.”] Guest Speaker: Carmine Abate, Writer. San Demetrio Corone, July 2004.

Lectures: “Il monaco e le passioni. Aspetti dell’antropologia monastica medievale;” [“The Monk and Passions. Aspects of Medieval Monastic Anthropology.”] “Le radici filosofiche e teologiche dell’Europa medievale.” [“The Philosophical and Theological Roots of Medieval Europe.”] Guest Speaker: Alessandro Ghisalberti, Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy, Catholic University Sacro Cuore, Milan.  San Demetrio Corone, July 2004.

Lecture: “La vita di San Nilo attraverso le immagini del Domenichino.” [“The Life of San Nilo through the Images of Domenichino.”] Guest Speaker: Giovanni Morello, Global Coordinator of Exhibitions, Vatican Library. Rossano Calabro, July 2004.

Journal presentation: “Centenario della morte di Girolamo De Rada (1814-1903). Microprovincia. Omaggio a Girolamo De Rada.” [“Centenary of the Death of Girolamo De Rada (1814-1903). Microprovincia. Omage to Girolamo De Rada.”]. Guest Speakers: Italo Costante Fortino, Prof. of Albanian Language and Literature, Istituto Orientale di Napoli; Michelangelo La Luna, Prof. of Italian, University of Rhode Island; Domenico Cassiano, Historian and Writer; Vincenzo Belmonte, Historian and Poet; Franco Esposito, director of Microprovincia. Macchia Albanese, August 2004.

Summer 2003

Lecture: “La letteratura dell’emigrazione.” [“Literature of Emigration.”]. Guest Speaker: Elvira Di Fabio, Senior Preceptor in Italian e Director of the Harvard Summer School, Harvard University. San Demetrio Corone, June 2003.

Book presentation: “Tra due mari. Mondadori, 2002.” Guest Speaker: Carmine Abate, Writer. San Demetrio Corone, June 2003.

Seminar: “Il teatro e i viaggiatori in Sicilia. Il teatro di Pirandello e il concetto di regia.” [“Theater and Travelers in Sicily. The Theater of Pirandello and the Concept of Production.”] Guest Speaker: Giuseppe Di Pasquale, director and writer. Noto, July 2003.

Seminar: “Il teatro e i viaggiatori in Sicilia. I viaggiatori stranieri in Sicilia.” [“Theater and Travelers in Sicily. The Foreign Travelers in Sicily.”] Guest Speaker: Arnaldo Lombardi, publisher. Noto, July 2003.

Lecture: “Vittorini e le influenze della letteratura americana su quella italiana: Pavese e Vittorini 1926-1949.” [“Vittorini and the Influence of the American Literature on the Italian one: Pavese and Vittorini 1926-1949.”]. Guest Speaker: Gianpiero Chirico, jounalist and literature critic. Noto, July 2003.

Summer 2002 

Lectures and book presentation: “Leopardi e noi: riflessioni al seguito del bicentenario della nascita.” [“Leopardi and us: Reflections on the Bicentenary of the Birth.”] Guest Speaker: Dante Della Terza, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University and University Federico II of Naples. Noto, July 2002.

Lecture: “L’arte di Caravaggio.” [“The Art of Caravaggio.”] Guest Speaker: Giovanni Morello, Global Coordinator of Exhibitions, Vatican Library. San Demetrio Corone, July 2002.

Lecture: “L’incontro delle culture mediterranee (latina, bizantina, islamica ed ebraica) nel Medioevo.” [“The Meeting of the Mediterranean Cultures (Latin, Byzantine, Islamic and Jewish) in the Middle Ages.”]. Guest Speaker: Alessandro Ghisalberti, Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy, Catholic University Sacro Cuore, Milan. San Demetrio Corone, July 2002.

Lectures: “Islamic Culture and Poetry in Sicily;” (held in Sicily) & “Islamic Culture in the South of Italy.” (held in Calabria)  Guest Speaker: William Granara, Professor of the Practice of Arabic, Harvard University. Noto, July 2002.

Lectures: “Sicilian Family Names in America;” (held in Sicily). “Some Recently Translated Italian-American Writers.” (held in Calabria). Guest Speaker: Carol Bonomo Albright, Director of the journal Italian Americana. Noto, July 2002.

Seminar: “Il barocco nella Val di Noto.” [“Baroque Art in Val di Noto.”]. Guest Speaker: Paolo Giansiracusa, Professor of Art History, Istituto Belle Arti di Catania. Noto, July 2002.

Lecture series/studies day: “La festa dei morti: studi demo-antropologici.” [“The Feast of the Deads: Demo-Anthopological Studies.”] Guest Speakers: Mario Bolognari, Professor of Anthropology, University of Messina; Ottavio Cavalcanti and Cesare Pitto, Professors of Anthropology, University of Calabria. San Demetrio Corone, February 2002. (The same cultural activity took place also in the year 2001 and 2000).

Summer 2001

Lectures: “L’arte di Caravaggio.” [“The Art of Caravaggio.”]  and “Michelangelo e la Capella Sistina.” [“Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel.”]. Guest Spekaer: Giovanni Morello, Global Coordinator of Exhibitions, Vatican Library. Macchia Albanese and San Demetrio Corone, June 2001.

Lecture: “Dante e la Divina Commedia;” [Dante and the Divine Comedy.”]. Book Presentation: “Presentazione dell’opera Da Vienna a Baltimora.” [“Presentation of the Book From Vienna to Baltimore.”] Guest Speaker: Dante Della Terza, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University and University Federico II of Naples. Macchia Albanese and San Demetrio Corone, June 2001.

Lectures: “San Nilo di Rossano (910-1004) e la fioritura del monachesimo in Calabria;” [“San Nilo of Rossano (910-1004) and the Blooming of the Monachism in Calabria;”] “Sophia: l’intelligenza dell’uomo alla ricerca dell’oro della sapienza.” [“Sophia: the Intelligence of Man’s Search for the Gold of Wisdom.”]. Guest Speaker: Alessandro Ghisalberti, Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy, Catholic University Sacro Cuore, Milan. Rossano and San Demetrio Corone, August 2001.

Lecture: “Epic Poetry in the Renaissance.” Guest Speaker: Laura Benedetti, Assistant Professor of Italian, Harvard University (currently teaching at Georgetown University, in Washington DC). Macchia Albanese, August 2001.

 

Year 2000

Book presentation: “La seconda edizione del Ballo tondo. Fazi Editore.” [“The Second Edition of Round Dance. Fazi Publishers.”]. Guest Speaker: Carmine Abate, Writer. Macchia Albanese, Summer 2000.

Lecture: “La Letteratura Meridionale nell’Ottocento.” [“Southern Literature in the XIX Century.”] Guest Speaker: Dante Della Terza, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University and University Federico II of Naples. Macchia Albanese, Winter 2000. 

Lecture: “Il Pensiero Meridionale nel Settecento e nell’Ottocento.” [“Southern Philosophy in the XVIII and XIX Century.”] Guest Speaker: Franco Crispini, Professor of History of Philosophy and Chair of the Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia, University of Calabria. Macchia Albanese, Spring 2000.

Lecture: “Gli Arbëreshë incontrano gli Inuit dell’Artico Canadese.” [“The Italian-Albanian Meet the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic.”] Guest Speakers: Mikela Kilabuk, Inuit representative; Cesare Pitto, Professor of Anthropology, University of Calabria. Macchia Albanese, Winter 2000.

TV Broadcast program dedicated to De Rada and the Italian-Albanian culture and traditions. With Osvaldo Bevilacqua, RAI 2 Program Presenter of the cultural show Sereno Variabile. Macchia Albanese, Winter 2000. 

A complete schedule of cultural events is available upon request.