Italian American Heritage Month is bringing a wide range of cultural, educational and community events to Connecticut throughout October, highlighting both the history of Italian immigration and the continuing vitality of Italian American organizations across the state.
Among the upcoming initiatives, on October 18 a special presentation will focus on Luigi Del Bianco, the Italian-born stone carver who served as chief carver on Mount Rushmore. Born in Le Havre, France, to Italian parents and raised in Meduno, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Del Bianco emigrated to the United States and played a crucial role in one of America’s most recognizable monuments.
From October 19 through 23, CT State Community College in Norwalk will host an Italian Heritage Exhibit, adding an educational dimension to the month’s celebrations and bringing Italian American history and culture onto a college campus.
The program continues on October 24 with two very different events. UNICO will celebrate Italian Heritage Night in connection with Hartford Athletic, combining Italian American pride and sports, while Stamford will host a presentation dedicated to Settefrati, the Lazio town linked to the Connecticut city through a sister-city relationship and generations of migration.
On October 25, the American Italian Women of Greater New Haven will hold its Italian American Women of Distinction Awards luncheon, recognizing women for their contributions to the community.
Together, these initiatives reveal the extraordinary diversity of Italian American life in Connecticut – from immigration history and education to women’s achievements, sports and the enduring relationships connecting American communities with the Italian towns from which many of their families originated.
