The mission of the group is to preserve, celebrate and advance the culture, language and heritage of Albuquerque’s Italian community by providing a welcoming and supportive environment for Italians and lovers of Italian culture and language to network and share, speak the language, and form friendships.

Meetings will be based on several different aspects of the Italian culture: literature, language, food, customs, travel, and more. With great enthusiasm we announce the revival of the monthly meetings of the Albuquerque Italian Culture and Language Group beginning in January!

Thanks to the generous hospitality of Scalo owners, Prashant and Kristie Sawant and Scalo Manager, Chuck Parlapiano, we will have the use of the upstairs banquet room including AV equipment.

Thanks to her passion for Italian culture and language and to her expertise in so many areas, the meetings will be coordinated and led by Donatella Davanzo. As many of you know, (Triestina) Donatella is a native Italian speaker with a degree in Anthropology and a Ph.D. in American Studies. She is a published author and professional photographer whose extensive photo-documentary of Route 66 in Albuquerque has been exhibited both in the US and Europe.

Here are the details for the revived Albuquerque Italian Culture and Language Group:

The meetings will be referred to as the Italian Group Happy Hour. The first meeting will take place on Saturday, January 8, from 3:30 to 5:30 at Scalo, 3500 Central Ave SE, in Albuquerque. Future meetings are scheduled for the second Saturday of each month from 3:30 – 5:30.

Meetings will consist of a period of general conversation among members (in Italian as much as possible), followed by a presentation focused on an aspect of Italian culture (in Italian with clarification and translation as needed.)

Food and beverages will be available for purchase from the Scalo Happy Hour Bar Menu.

Due to the current Covid environment , we must ask that you attend the meetings only if you are vaccinated OR if you have had a negative Covid test within the preceding 48 hours.

For membership in the Group:

Membership is free and open to everyone who is interested in Italian culture. You don’t need to be Italian. You don’t need to speak a word of Italian. The only qualification is interest in Italian culture and language.

IMPORTANT: Advance notification of the meetings and of the scheduled presentation will be posted on the Group Facebook page (Albuquerque Italian Language and Culture Group) and to an email list of those who are not members of the Facebook Group. If you have a Facebook page of your own, please join the Facebook Group to receive meeting notices. If you do not have a Facebook page, please join the email list to receive meeting notices. To join the email list, send your name and email address to [email protected] – even if you were on the old email list. We are compiling a new list. Join the Facebook Group if you are not already a member, or send your email address NOW in order to receive notification of the January meeting and presentation as well as of all future meetings and news.

Note that as a courtesy to Scalo, we will ask you to RSVP (only affirmatives) for each meeting. See you at the Italian Group Happy Hour on January 8!