Tuesday, June 18th @ 7:00 PM. The Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere. 79 Howard Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301. "Venice: A Preserve of a Bygone Civilization" presented by Francesco Bonavita, PhD. MEMBERS: $15 per person. NON-MEMBERS: $20 per person (cash, check or credit cards accepted). Refreshments and a light reception will follow. Click here to register.

Originating from a speck of land, formed by minuscule islands, out of which a community was established, Venice went on to become one of the most powerful maritime republics in the Mediterranean, roughly from 700-1700. Indeed, for nearly one thousand years Venice became an empire, an opulent nation, as it dominated international trade and it left beyond a wealth of artistic accomplishments in architecture, the visual arts, as well as music and literature.

But how was this achieved? What made Venice so special and how did it play such an important role in history? Civilizations have come and gone but Venice, to this day, continues to thrive, attracting as many as twenty-one million tourists every year. This presentation will explore the treasures of Venice through which a considerable light will be revealed.

About the Presenter:
Francesco Bonavita is a native of Rome, Italy, and the author of Giardino italiano: An Intermediate Language Program, published by Pearson Prentice Hall, 2012. He holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and he is a linguist. He has taught Italian, French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese at the middle school level as well as high school and college. He is currently a professor of second language methodology at New York University where he trains second language teachers, from K-12. He has a blog, www.thewondersofitaly.com wherein he has posted the following articles The Making of St. Peter’s Basilica,The Etruscans, Venice: A Preserve of a Bygone Civilization, The Baths of Caracalla, Taking the Mystery out of the Mona Lisa, Siena: A Unique Contribution to World Heritage, and a book review by Natale Caruso: The House on the Fondaco Plain.

This program will be held on the lower level of Casa Belvedere mansion in the Bacco room. Please enter from the right side Bacco entrance.