Emilia Romagna in Texas to open a new bridge to the U.S.
Emilia-Romagna is in Houston, Texas, to open a new bridge to the United States, where the region's exports have registered +74.6 percent in the last three years and a positive trade balance between exports and imports of more than 9 billion euros.In the great city of Texas - a state that if it were a nation would represent the ninth largest economy...
St. Joseph's Day Weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana
For over 50 years the proud members of the Italian American St. Joseph Society have been marching through the streets of New Orleans in celebration of St. Joseph’s Day… and this incredible event might just be the BEST Italian American weekend in the nation (think Mardi Gras… but for Italian Americans). So grab your fanciest red clothes, because the...
Celebrate the feast day of St. Joseph at churches or at home with your own altar
Soon enough, if not already, fig cookies, lemons and fava beans will adorn pied St. Joseph Altars at local Catholic churches to celebrate the feast day of the saint. The tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, when the people of Sicily commemorated the end of a drought-caused famine. The islanders attributed the abundant rain and crops to prayers...
IAP 270: celebrating St. Joseph altars: the history, recipes, and symbols of a New Orleans tradition, with special guest Sandra Scalise Juneau
Buona festa di San Giuseppe, everyone! This week’s episode takes us to New Orleans, where our guest, Sandra Scalise Juneau, introduces us to Louisiana’s very special commemoration of one of Italian America’s most beloved holidays… St. Joseph’s Day! Sandra is the author of “Celebrating with St. Joseph Altars: The History, Recipes, and Symbols of a N...
With Columbus gone, statue of saint to take its place in Piazza Italia Park
Three years after a statue of explorer Christoper Columbus was vandalized and ordered removed from a downtown park, a new statue will go up in its place. The new statue of a Catholic saint, which was sought by a retired construction company executive, will be erected on the pedestal where the Columbus statue stood in what used to be known as Columb...
St. Joseph’s Day traditions trumpet his protective role
I’m pretty sure that almost everyone who lives in the New Orleans area has heard of and or visited a St. Joseph altar. But, for those of us who are Catholic and Italian, St. Joseph’s Altars are steeped with family tradition, delicious food, recipes handed down through the generations and an anticipation of visiting various churches to view the beau...
Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii
Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii is the first exhibition in the United States to explore landscape scenes as a striking new genre of ancient Roman art. These works depict a fascinating, yet imaginary vision of a countryside dotted with seaside villas and rural shrines, where gods and mythological heroes mingle with...
A taste of Italy is coming to Dickinson this weekend
If you're wanting to know more about Italian culture then Dickinson is the place you want to be this weekend. On Saturday, the city is hosting its 4th annual "Dickinson Little Italy Festival of Galveston County." There will be a huge market at the festival featuring more than 30 vendors who will be offering an assortment of food, information and wa...
Post-war Italian culture, both in New Orleans and Sicily, stars in 2 new local books
Two local authors, Elisa Speranza and Vincent B. “Chip” LoCoco, will talk about their new books at 7 p.m. March 22, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. The Italian Prisoner - By Elisa Speranza Set in 1943 New Orleans, the book follows Rose Marino, who lives with her Sicilian immigrant parents and helps in the family...
How one rural town became Louisiana's 'Little Italy': 'It was just a big part of life'
Louisiana’s cultural heritage is often characterized by its French roots, with its common family names like “Thibodeaux" and “Hebert,” etc. And parts of the state are known for their Creole, African or even Spanish influences, like architecture in the French Quarter. But what’s less well known is the prominent Italian population residing in Southea...
Duncanville Delegates Visiting Italian Sister City in June
A delegation of Duncanville travelers and friends are planning a trip to Italy in June. They will enjoy an event-packed visit to their Sister City, Monasterolo di Savigliano, in northern Italy. The trip marks the 26th anniversary of the Sister City relationship and cultural exchange program between these two small cities over 5,000 miles apart. Del...
Italian American Community in San Antonio
Italian immigrants began arriving in San Antonio in the 1870s. By 1890 a number of families had established an Italian neighborhood northwest of downtown. In April of that year a small group gathered together in a fruit store at the corner of Commerce Street and Plaza de Armas to organize a benevolent association. They obtained a charter for the Ch...