2025-01-21 @ 06:00 PM. Columbus Citizens Foundation - 8 East 69th Street, New York, NY. RSVP Here. Explore the multifaceted influence of Italian culture across the globe with CCF's Executive Director, Lisa Ackerman. Italy, a country younger than the United States, has exerted a cultural influence that remains intoxicating, mystifying, and remarkable.

From ancient Rome to the modern day, Italian philosophy, architecture, art, music, and more has left its mark across the globe. From the principles of democracy and the advent of humanism to more mundane matters such as seawalls that have endured 2000 years or sophisticated waste systems found at archaeological sites, contemporary life is filled with examples of the ways in which early Italian ingenuity has improved society.

Aesthetic traditions are also part of the story - from the palaces of the Romanov dynasty to the private retreat of the Qianlong Emperor and the building campaigns of Thomas Jefferson, we find Italians guiding the hand of masters around the globe and across the centuries.

This event is free for CCF Members and their guests and $20 for non-members. A thirty minute reception with a cocktail bar begins at 6:00 pm. The lecture will begin at 6:30 pm and last approximately one hour. Refunds must be requested at least 48 hours in advance. Dress code is in effect (jacket, no tie required).