Focus::Art & Culture

With so many possible ways to visit Sicily, we decided to take you for a tour of Sicilian cities in search of baroque treasures.

A journey through the “spur of Italy’s boot,” tracing the path of transhumance in discovery of ancient and evocative sites. The journey begins in Abruzzo and passes through Molise before reaching the rolling hills of Tavoliere delle Puglie, where you will find the Gargano Promontory overlooking the sea. A place of wonderful little villages, ancient cathedrals and deep spirituality, today Gargano is a flourishing tourist destination – a seaside resort with an artistic and gastronomic itinerary of exceptional interest.

Franco Battiato, a genius of Italian music, has died. He was 76 years old. In his long career he has delivered unforgettable songs

With so many possible ways to visit Venice, we decided to take you for a tour that runs against conventional views of the city.

We do not meet on the island where we were born, the island that after thirty-seven years in the United States I still call home, the island of her music. We do not meet at a bar on the lungomare of my hometown of Gela or in Aci Castello, another place in Sicily I call home, or in her native Enna, the navel of Sicily. Instead, we meet on Zoom, the salotto of COVID times: 4:00 in the afternoon for her, 10:00 in the morning for me. Women, the women who are no longer with us, bridge the time/space divide. They are the women she calls “dark fallen comets” in her song “No Name,” a mournful chant for the Triangle workers, twenty-four of them fellow women islanders, Sicilians who left the island at the beginning of the twentieth century for the mythical “Merica,” only to find death in the fire that burned the Triangle Waist Company in New York City on March 25, 1911.

The Eternal City has been a source of inspiration for artists of all times. On March 11th, join for a one-of-a-kind historical, artistic, and emotional virtual tour of Rome as seen through the creations of Bulgari

Few cities in Italy or the world possess a patrimony as extraordinary as Naples. Our recommended travel itinerary approaches this marvelous city from three different angles, starting with Naples’ scenic side, as beautiful today as it was ages ago, when 16th Century travelers on the Grand Tour arrived seeking beauty and gradeur. Next up is the rich, majestic Naples, capital of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, known for its monuments and squares, its culture and truly popular side streets. Finally, we’ll introduce you to a hidden Naples, which has existed underground for centuries. This may be the most mysterious and spectacular side of Naples, spanning two millennia and conti- nuing to look to the future: from catacombs to under- ground art, with the most beautiful train stations in Europe designed by 14 “archi-stars” and adorned with 200 works of art by over ninety artists.

From Florence on down, craftsmanship reigns. Up north is the reign of finance, industry, and media, with Milan at the helm. And at the center presides Rome, like a classy patrician, the ancient capital of Italian couture. Leading us on this first installment of a multipart trip to the heart of Made in Italy is a doyen of the fashion world.

The nativity scene, in Italian called presepe, represents the scene of the birth of Jesus Christ and is one of the main traditional Christmas decorations in Italy. In almost every church and in many homes there is a presepe. It is usually prepared on December 8, the day of the feast of the Immaculate Conception and is displayed for about one month. Many cricitics this year at the crib in the Vatican from Castelli in Abruzzo, with Joseph and Mary and the other characters, in the shape of a torpedo

Italian art never stops in New York. "Unrelenting", by Italian artist Francesco Simeti, projected onto the walls of the Italian Consulate in NYC. This is a Magazzino Italian Art's project created during the pandemic

This fall, while traveling is not an option and movie theaters continue to be closed in many areas, American audiences can take a dip into Italy’s culture and atmosphere from the comfort of their couch. Italian movies are coming online. The 30th edition of New Italian Cinema Events USA (N.I.C.E.) will take place in New York, from November 14th to November 21st and in Philadelphia, from November 29th to December 6th. A curated selection of 11 recent movies not yet released in the U.S. will be available to the public on Eventive.org for this landmark cinema festival, offering a thorough exploration of the richness of contemporary Italian cinematography through renowned authors as well as new talents.

BOOK. Can Inheritance Be Transcended by Accidents of Love? Luca Taviano and Rabbi Joseph Neiman: Two Stangers of Different Faiths United by a Hope and a Secret. An interview with David Biro, author of "This Magnificent Dappled Sea"

On November 12th 2020 The Gilda’s Club NYC will host their annual gala, honoring Giovanni Caforio (M.D. Bristol Myers Squibb) and Emma Stone (Actress and Gilda’s Club NYC Ambassador), virtually. To support this year Gilda’s Club NYC fundraising, Remembering Marco will participate to the virtual auction launched on November 5th 2020 with The Yellow Cab Project. The Yellow Cab Project is part of the activities of Remembering Marco, a charity initiative started by Annalisa Menin in 2013 to raise funds in her husband, Marco Omiccioli, memory.

A series of online discussions about Fellini and his films, facts, and fantasy. The series will highlight Fellini, the man and his legacy, including clips from some of his most famous films: La Strada, Notte di Cabiria, I Vitelloni, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, and Amarcord.

Events organized by the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles, under the auspices of the Consulates General in Los Angeles and Houston

Italian Between Word and Image: Graffiti, Illustrations, Comic Books is the theme for the XX Week of the Italian Language in the World (October 19-25, 2020), a theme that can be developed both in a socio-linguistic key and by emphasizing expressive forms such as comics books, graphic novels and children’s books. “La Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel mondo”, ormai alla sua XX edizione, è divenuta nel tempo una delle più importanti iniziative di celebrazione della lingua italiana. Gli eventi e le attività previsti verteranno su forme espressive per valorizzare la lingua italiana attraverso l’immagine, con particolare attenzione al fumetto, la novella grafica e più in generale alla filiera dell’editoria per l’infanzia e l’adolescenza. Sotto l’Alto Patronato del Presidente della Repubblica, quest’anno si svolge dal 19 al 25 ottobre 2020. E’ organizzata dal Ministero degli Esteri e la Cooperazione Internazionale, dalla rete diplomatico-consolare e dagli Istituti Italiani di Cultura in collaborazione con il Ministero dei Beni Culturali e il Turismo, il Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione e Università e dai principali partner della promozione linguistica nel mondo (Accademia della Crusca, Società Dante Alighieri, RAI) e dall’Ambasciata della Confederazione Elvetica.

In celebration of International United Nations Day, experience a virtual concert at Teatro alla Scala with special guest Roberto Bolle! Let's come together to reimagine, rebalance, and restart this Thursday at 12:00 PM EDT. The UN Day Concert performance will be streaming LIVE on: UN Web TV (webtv.un.org), the UN Channel on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Stay tuned!

Italy as a haven of gay liberty: a grand tour with Oscar Wilde, featuring previously unseen photographs and archival materials. Oscar Wilde's Italian Dream 1875-1900 by Renato Miracco, Philip Kennicott

A new live streaming music program at the Italian Cultural Institute to support the many Italian musicians living and working in New York

An Italian word, be it old, new, out of use, impossible to translate, strange, quintessentially Italian, or used all around the world. It features famous guests of Casa Italiana, as well as students, professors and Casa members.