Piazza d'Italia in New Orleans, Louisiana
CONSTRUCTED IN 1978, THE PIAZZA d’Italia in New Orleans’ Warehouse district has seen both boom and bust. Originally designed as part of an urban revitalization project under New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu, the entire block was reimagined, though only a portion of the plans were realized. The Piazza was completed in 1978 as a surprise space in the...
Louis Prima and the Sicilian Sound
The atmosphere was electric at Union Station. Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (a.k.a. Lombardo’s brothers: Carmen, Victor, and Lambert—the band was a family affair) were touring to New Orleans for the first time, for a two-week engagement, and on May 3, 1934, a throng of welcomers assembled in anticipation of their train’s arrival. Despite bei...
Interested in Italian history? Learn more at lecture series in Metairie
A series of lectures on the early history of Italy, by Cyril M. Lagvanec, Ph.D., the curator of the American-Italian Research Library , will take place during June, July and August. Each lecture occurs at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. Each begins at 7 p.m. June 5 — In the first lecture, Lagvanec will focus on the...
Photographer Valerio Geraci in Arkansas
The museum was happy to host researcher and photographer Valerio Geraci originally from Palermo, Italy, now residing in Paris, France. Valerio arrived in America and began his travels through the south documenting Italian communities for his book, starting in Little Italy, AR and then from Tontitown he journeyed to Lake Village, AR and onwards out...
Volunteers getting ready for Italian Festival
Live music, vender booths and lots of Italian food are being readied as volunteers worked to finalize preparations for the 51st McAlester Italian Festival. It's set for Friday, May 12, and Saturday, May 13, at the Southeast Expo Center, with free admission to the festival and vender booth sites. Once again this year, there will be no festival on Su...
First Annual Festa Italiana in Historic Downtown Bryan, Texas!
As Mayor Bobby Gutierrez likes to say, “Leave Bryan better than you found it,” and the local Italian community in Bryan, Texas, is doing just that! Owner of Zeitman’s Grocery, Blake Zeitman, is helping plan the first annual Festa Italiana, a food and heritage festival celebrating Bryan’s rich Italian culture. In the late 1880s, Italian-owned busi...
April 1862, when the Italian Brigade saved New Orleans
During April 25th to May 1st of 1862, the Italian Brigade of New Orleans which consisted of former Italian Soldiers was chosen to police the city of New Orleans during the transition to the Union occupation. During that week, Algiers was looted and burned. The Italian Brigade kept order in the French Quarter. The Italian Brigade of New Orleans in 1...
IAP 276: confederates in the famiglia? An Italian Aamerican family mystery
An Italian American with Confederates in the famiglia? The branches of our family trees often contain mysteries and secrets that are lost until future generations decide to investigate them. This is precisely the case with this week’s episode as we talk with Joe Elia, one of the delegates to the inaugural Italian American Future Leaders Conference....
Kenner Festa Italiana 2023 - Italian heritage festival
April 21 - April 22, 2023. Most visitors only know Kenner, Louisiana from the street signs near the Louis Armstrong International Airport, on their way in to New Orleans. Little do they know that it is one of the state’s richest areas of Italian heritage! “The city of Kenner at one time was the center of the community for many Italian families,” sa...
Sam Greco's mom prayed to St. Francis for a son. He's now giving the saint's statue to San Antonio.
Sam Greco’s mother was blessed with two daughters and desired a son. After five miscarriages, she prayed to San Francesco di Paola, the patron saint of Italians and Italian-Americans. She said if she could carry a child to full term, she would dress her son as a monk each Sunday for five years. And she did. “She made the promise — like an Italian...
IAP 272: we stand on the shoulders. A monument to the Sicilian sugar cane harvesters of Louisiana
Louisiana native Charles Marsala has done a lot to promote the history of Italian life in the Bayou State. From creating hours of documentary videos to a mobile app that provides a free walking tour of over sixty Italian American points of interest in and around the Crescent City, the President of the American Italian Federation of the Southeast n...
Bryan Museum honors Johnny Carrabba with Buck N' Ball award
Dignitaries, elected officials, bankers and other luminaries from Galveston County and Houston gathered Friday and Saturday to honor restaurateur Johnny Carrabba III as this year’s “Buck N’ Ball” award winner in an event at The Bryan Museum celebrating the Italian-American contribution to Texas history. Teamwork, staying hungry, perseverance and...