VERRAZZANO 500, the yearlong celebration of Italian Heritage and Culture Committee of New York ended on a historic December day with a rare viewing of Giovanni da Verrazzano’s Cellere Codex. The quincentennial of Verrazzano’s entering NY Harbor begun on April 17, 2024, with a Staten Island Ferry journey where Italian American leaders gazed, essentially, at the same view that Verrazzano first saw 500 years earlier.

Celebrating Verrazzano through many collaborative ceremonies, lectures, seminars, proclamations, and a student essay contest, the year brought the IHCC-NY on December 10, 2024, to a memorable day with Verrazzano, this time at the Morgan Library and Museum of New York.

On exhibit was Verrazzano's Cellere Codex, one of three extant copies of the manuscript describing his first voyage to find a new trade route to China and India by sailing west, which was, instead, the account of the first sighting by a European of the entire east coast of America. This copy, written in Italian with more details than the others, is of great importance as when found in the library of Count Guido Macci of Cellere in 1908, it proved that the voyage did happen and ended the speculation his journey was fiction. J. P. Morgan had the forethought and vision to acquire the Codex in 1911. 

Written on July 8, 1524, upon Verrazzano's return to France, this multi- page manuscript to his patron King Francis I of France and the Florentine financiers, 500 years later, was finally before a small group of leaders of the New York Italian and Italian American community in a private viewing at Morgan Library and Museum in New York City. Quite an emotional experience to see Verrazzano's own handwritten edits in the margins and witness there in front of the group the description of his first voyage. One realized that it was more than the first geographical account of America and the mapping of its east coastline, albeit of great importance to future cartographers and explorations. Of great importance was its being the first account of the coast’s flora and fauna, and the native Indian inhabitants, with whom Verrazzano stayed, with description of their dress, manner, culture, traditions. Standing in front of the document, guided by Curator Philip Palmer, one was witness to history as it was unfolding.  Seeing Verrazzano’s own handwriting, he seemed there, alive before the group. The importance of this extraordinary document of 1524 and of this day in 2024 was understood. An incredible, moving and memorable moment. 

This initiative was spearheaded by Nancy Indelicato, Board of Directors, Italian Heritage and Culture 

Committee of New York, Inc. (IHCC-NY), who proposed the event to the Morgan Library and Museum and coordinated the event, in collaboration with IHCC-NY President Joseph Sciame; IHCC-NY Board member Giuliana Ridolfi Cardillo, liaison to the Verrazzano estate; and Consul General of Italy in New York Fabrizio di Michele and Deputy Consul Alessandra Oliva. It came to fruition with an official greeting of the attendees by Colin Bailey, Director of the Morgan Library and Museum. Philip Palmer, Head Curator, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts, gave an informative lecture on the outstanding aspects of the document.

In addition to the forementioned, attending were also Italian Cultural Affairs Attache`Alessandra Botta; NYC Councilman David Carr; Robert Vanni, Counsel to Council of Arts; Anna Malafronte, President, Italian Welfare League; and HCC-NY board members: Elisabetta Calello-formerly of the Italian Consulate, Lucrezia Lindia-educator and author, and Claudia Massimo Berns-formerly Governor Pataki’s Italian Community liaison.

On. Fabrizio di Michele commented on the importance of Verrazzano, the manuscript exhibit, and New York’s celebration on April 17, 2024, to mark the 500^th anniversary of Verrazzano’s arrival in New York. Honored guests Luigi Cappellini and his wife Silvia commented on the importance of preserving the legacy of Verrazzano, as the Cappelinis own and oversee the Verrazzano estate in Greve, Italy. Well versed in preserving Verrazzano’s legacy, they found interesting details, previously unknown. Remarks also were given by New York City Councilman David Carr, who earlier in the year officiated, in his district, at a co-naming of the street leading from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, as Verrazzano Way. IHCC-NY Board Member Nancy Indelicato underscored that Verrazzano’s was a true explorer and humanist, not a conqueror or colonizer. IHCC-NY President Joseph Sciame noted the importance of the viewing of this historic document. Curator Palmer later remarked, “The group’s enthusiasm for Verrazzano’s story was infectious!”

Following the viewing, Gina Gerasia provided an inspiring tour of the Italian Art and Architecture at the Morgan and the Museum’s 100^th Anniversary exhibit. Ms. Gerasi noted J. Pierpont Morgan’s vision was to have a library and museum that rivaled those in Europe. Indeed, at many points in the tour, one was transported back to an Italian palazzo, as the museum rooms were filled with frescoes, della Robbia sculptures, Italian inlaid mosaic ceilings, tapestries that brought the Italian Renaissance alive in New York that day. It was an extraordinary day filled with Verrazzano, Italian history, art, and architecture. 

Later in the evening at the Italian Culture Institute, Luigi Cappellini, presented the documentary film on the Verrazzano estate, and he accepted the Italian Heritage and Culture Committee's DaVinci Award, given to an outstanding awardee in relation to its annual theme. It was an extraordinary day filled with Verrazzano, Italian history, art, and architecture. The Italian Heritage and Culture Committee of New York made its own history that day.