The AMHS Scholarship Committee has reviewed and selected scholarship recipients for both the AMHS Scholarship and the newly created Angela Lastrico Raish Music Scholarship. The Society has been awarding the AMHS scholarships to deserving young students for over twenty years. Applicants must be exceptionally strong academic performers whose major or minor must be in either the Italian language or Italian studies. This year’s winner is Sofia DeLuca. 

As of this year, the AMHS is also managing the new Angela Lastrico Raish scholarship, which is funded entirely by memorial donations in Angela’s honor. The scholarship is offered nationwide to students who are Italian, Italian American, or who have a demonstrated interest in Italy or Italian Studies. The applications were evaluated by both the AMHS Scholarship and the Memorial Fund Scholarship Committees. The Angela Lastrico Raish team was able to award scholarships to five students: two doctoral students, two masters students, and one undergraduate. They are: Lauren Barchi, Javera Chaudhry, Giorgio Consolati, Sonia Fortezza, and Amanda Murro. 

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Winner of the AMHS Scholarship

Sofia DeLuca

Sofia will be a senior next Fall at George Washington University. She is majoring in Political Science with minors in Italian Language & Literature and Peace Studies. She is from New York and her family has its roots in the regions of Campania and Veneto. Ms. DeLuca’s academic performance has been excellent and she has a deep appreciation for both Italian culture and her ties to Italy. 

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Winners of the Angela Lastrico Raish Scholarships 

(listed alphabetically)

Lauren Barchi 

Lauren is a Doctoral Program of Musical Arts student at Rutgers University, majoring in voice performance. She is from New Jersey and her family has roots in the regions of Campania, Basilicata, and Piedmont. She is an accomplished opera performer, singing the role of Mimi in La Bohème this year. She also teaches voice at Rutgers and at Long Island University and is the music director at the Professional Youth Theater.

Javera Chaudhry 

Javera will be a senior this Fall at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, majoring in Music Education with a concentration in voice. She is from New Jersey and her family has roots in the regions of Tuscany and Sicily. Her goal is to become a high school music teacher.

Giorgio Consolati

Giorgio is a Doctoral Program in Music student at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, majoring in Flute. A native of Milan, Italy, his family has roots in the regions of Lombardy and Campania. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Juilliard. He performs extensively in the USA, shares his Italian heritage with his audiences, and hopes to be an orchestral musician and teach music students. 

Sonia Fortezza 

Sonia is a first-year master’s student at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She is majoring in vocal performance with a focus on Italian Bel Canto repertoire. She is from New York City and her family has roots in the regions of Sicily and Puglia. Her focus on Italian Bel Canto connects her to her Italian heritage, especially to her Nonna and Nonno. 

Amanda Murro 

Amanda is a graduate student at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She is majoring in music education and saxophone with a jazz focus. She is already teaching music and band to elementary school students. She is from New York and her family has its roots in the regions of Sicily and Campania. Her passion for music, especially the alto saxophone, was sparked at an early age by her nonno Salvatore who emigrated from Sicily and played tenor sax to help support his family in the United States.

The next edition of IL Notizario will feature letters of appreciation from all of the scholarship winners, as well as their photos and links to their performance videos. 

In an impressive ceremony held on Sunday, June 11, 2023, the new Casa Italiana building housing the Holy Rosary rectory and the Italian-American Museum of Washington, D.C., was named Centro Scalabrini in honor of San Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, known as the “Father of Migrants.”

The naming ceremony, held in front of the museum entrance at 229 F Street, N.W., was attended by Apostolic Nuncio Christophe Pierre, six priests of the Scalabrinian order including Holy Rosary Pastor Sergio Dall’Agnese, Father Diego Puricelli, Father Andrei Zanon, and representatives of the Embassy of Italy, along with many parishioners.

Afterwards, a luncheon was held in the newly renovated Casa Italiana. Many AMHS members attended. The new Scalabrini Outreach of D.C. initiative was announced, and among those organizing the initiative are AMHS members Maria Marigliano and Lourdes Tinajero. The goal of the initiative is to coordinate with other parishes and organizations in the region, and increase assistance to migrants in our area. With the inspiration of Pope Francis’ words, they will emphasize four verbs: welcome, promote, protect, and integrate. 

The inspiring keynote address was given by AMHS member Francesco Isgrò, the president of the Casa Italiana Sociocultural Center. Excerpts of his remarks follow:

“Three years ago, our community celebrated an historic day, when we opened our Italian-American Museum that tells the stories, memories of our Italian immigrant community, and the contributions which they have made to our nation’s capital. Holy Rosary Church was founded for Italian immigrants, and for more than a century has served the Italian and Italian-American community, not only by offering Mass in Italian every Sunday but also by serving as a cultural center for the community, offering Italian language classes, Italian cultural events, and publishing Voce Italiana, a bilingual newspaper.

“Today is equally an historic day because we are blessed to have the privilege to dedicate our new building to Saint John Baptist Scalabrini, the Father of Migrants. The mission and the work that St. Scalabrini carried out in serving migrants who were emigrating from Italy to North and South America are as important today as it was during his lifetime. The United Nations estimates that at least 103 million people around the world have been forced to flee their homes and among them are nearly 32.5 million refugees. These are the migrants who are the most vulnerable and in need of the most protection. They are the ones who risk their lives traveling hundreds of miles, crossing multiple national borders, to find a haven; they are the ones who sail across the Mediterranean Sea in rickety boats to find refuge in a European country. 

“I often inform our visitors to the museum that, when St. Scalabrini visited the White House in 1901, during the time of massive Italian immigration to the United States, he reminded President Theodore Roosevelt that immigration should be seen as ‘an extraordinary resource, a great gift for a country.’ That message is equally as important today to be told to our political leaders in Washington as it was in 1901. If St. Scalabrini were here today, he would have given the same advice to the political leaders in Europe, including Italy. 

“Our Italian-American Museum shows how Italian immigrants in Washington, although smaller in number than in other cities in the United States, became an ‘extraordinary resource.’ Many of them were parishioners of Holy Rosary Church. They beautified our Nation’s Capital, and they rose to prominence in all fields of endeavors. We became, in the words of St. Scalabrini, ‘a gift to this country.’

“Today, by the dedication of our new church building to St. Scalabrini, a building that is located just blocks away from the U.S. Congress and the White House, it will become a constant reminder that the work that St. Scalabrini started is unfinished, that human migration will continue, and that our political leaders in Washington and across state houses, should not use migrants as a political football.  

“We, as Italian Americans who made this country successful, and at the same time became successful, must not blind ourselves into thinking that the new migrants are different from our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents who crossed the Atlantic Ocean. 

“They too seek a better future for their children and families, they too are people of faith, the majority being Catholics, they too bring their own traditions and cultures, and they too will help build a better, more inclusive America.”

Since June 2023 was proclaimed National Immigrant Heritage Month, it was fitting that AMHS member Maria Marigliano provided the following announcement:

“We are pleased to announce the formation of Scalabrini Outreach of D.C., a new ministry at Holy Rosary Church in Washington, D.C. Devoted to improving the lives of migrants and refugees in the greater Washington, D.C., area, Scalabrini Outreach of D.C. is committed to following in the footsteps of Saint John Baptist Scalabrini, who founded three institutions tending to migrants: the Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Charles Borromeo in 1887 for their religious, moral, social, and legal care; the lay people association named the Society of Saint Raphael in 1889; and the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Saint Charles in 1895. This spirituality and love for migrants also inspired the Scalabrinian Lay Missionary Women.

“The formation of this new ministry is the culmination of extensive dialogue with the Scalabrinian Superior General, Father Leonir Chiarello; with our former pastors, Father Ezio Marchetto and Father Andrei Zanon; and with current pastor, Father Sergio Dall’Agnese. These discussions also included the Scalabrini International Migration Network, known as SIMN, based in New York City. SIMN was established in 2007 to continue the work of the newly canonized Saint John Baptist Scalabrini and is dedicated to promoting the rights of migrants, refugees, seafarers, people on the move, and displaced people in need. The organization encompasses more than 250 entities operating throughout the world. 

“The Holy Rosary Church ministry will join a network of ten other Scalabrini parish pastoral centers in our province already at work assisting migrant and refugee communities throughout the East Coast. With Holy Rosary’s strategic location in the nation’s capital, the new ministry is uniquely positioned to serve as a liaison and resource for the larger Scalabrini network. As a first step, Scalabrini Outreach of D.C. will focus on exploring advocacy opportunities and on building awareness about the Scalabrinian’s extensive humanitarian efforts currently in 35 countries on five continents worldwide. At a more local level, our new ministry will honor the Italian immigrant heritage of Holy Rosary Church by developing programs that respond to the needs of migrants and refugees in our community. We will work hand in hand with other parish organizations whose missions include activities dedicated to caring for the most vulnerable.

“Scalabrini Outreach of D.C. looks forward to building on the rich traditions of service at Holy Rosary Church as we all seek to live out our calling as Catholics and welcome the strangers in our midst. Lastly, we share a few words from Saint John Baptist Scalabrini, who wrote poetically about migration. He said:

‘Emigration is almost always good for humanity because it opens new channels for trade, facilitates the propagation of industry and of scientific discoveries, blends and perfects civilizations, and widens the concept of one’s homeland beyond the borders, making the whole world a homeland.’”

The U.S. Postal Service unveiled a “Forever” postage stamp to honor Tomie dePaola on May 5, 2023, in a first-day-of-issue ceremony inside the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, N. H. The stamp went on sale nationwide on Saturday, May 6, 2023. 

The stamp shows a detail from the cover of Strega Nona (Witch Grandmother), a Caldecott Honor Book published in 1975. Tomie dePaola was a prolific children’s book author and illustrator whose body of work includes Italian folk tales and legends, informative books, religious and holiday stories, and autobiographical accounts.

Thomas Anthony dePaola was born in Meriden, Connecticut, on September 15, 1934. He was the son of Joseph dePaola and Florence May Downey dePaola. His paternal grandparents had emigrated from the region of Calabria. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in 1956 and a Master of Fine Arts from the California College of Arts in 1969, he started his writing and illustrating career, working on more than 270 books, and selling more than 25 million copies worldwide. Most were translated into over 20 languages. Over the course of his 50-year career, he won numerous awards, most notably the prestigious Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal in 2011.

On March 23, 2020, he was injured in a fall inside his barn studio, underwent surgery, but died from complications on March 30, 2020, in a hospital in Lebanon, New Hampshire. He was 85.

The beautiful small town of Atri is located in the province of Teramo. It has approximately 12,580 inhabitants, known as Atriani. Located six miles from the Adriatic Sea, it may be one of the oldest cities in Abruzzo. Atri is the setting of the poem “The Bell of Atri“ by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Its name is thought to come from the name of the Emperor Hadrian, whose family came from the town.

On the top of a 3-pointed hill near the Adriatic with the majestic Gran Sasso in the background, and in a key position above the Val Vomano, the town was famous and powerful in antiquity and is today considered one of the most important historical, cultural, and artistic centers in Abruzzo. The surrounding landscape is also impressive for the canyon-like coves and the partly unexplored caves.

Called Hatria in Roman times, the town was a Roman colony from which, many historians believe, the name of the Adriatic Sea is also derived. In the 6th century B.C., the town was one of the four major Greek harbors on the Adriatic. In 290, it was conquered by Rome. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the territory came under the power of the Lombards in the 6th century and was annexed to the Duchy of Spoleto. Then the Normans came, and in 1393, Atri was bought by the House of Acquaviva, under whose power a period of great splendor for the city began. At the end of the 18th century, it was given by the Acquaviva to the Kingdom of Naples. 

In the Villa Comunale dei Cappuccini, there are caves, probably once used as stables by the Capuchin friars. It is likely that they were also used to escape during pirate raids. Close to the lookout over the sea and all of the valleys of the Terre del Cerrano (from Roseto degli Abruzzi up to Silvi Marina), there is a fountain, considered the emblem of the Villa Comunale. 

Another symbol of the villa, renovated in the 1930s in an Italian garden, is the formaggione (the big cheese), a cylindrically shaped hedge, comprising conifers, with four entrances (located at the cardinal points). It represents the Garden of Secrets, a recurring element in many gardens of the castles and the noble villas of Italy, especially between the late 18th and early 19th century. 

Atri is also the home of Sartoria dei Duchi, a bespoke menswear atelier where the founder, Piero Pavone, keeps alive the craftsmanship of Italian men’s tailoring, specifically the craftsmanship of the Abruzzo region. 

While Atri may be a small village, what Pavone said what he offers at Sartoria dei Duchi is world-class and has garnered a global consumer demand which has driven the expansion of the brand into markets such as Dubai and Singapore, with upcoming locations in London and Saudi Arabia. He said consumers fall in love with the history-infused proposition of the brand, but continue to come back for its heritage craftsmanship made with the finest textiles available from houses such as Loro Piana and Piacenza.

What to See

• Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta from the late 12th century 
• Palazzo Ducale Acquaviva, a fortress built on the highest point of the town, now the seat of the municipality; 
• Medieval walls, with Porta Macelli and Porta San Domenico 
• Museo Capitolare 
• Church of San Francesco, with a beautiful baroque flight of stairs 
• Church of San Domenico, with two fine paintings by Giacomo Farelli from the 17th century 
• Grottos, partly still unexplored, probably prehistoric settlements 

Important Dates

• January 1 — “Lu S. Antonio” 
• Holy Friday — representation of the Passion at nearby Villa Bozza 
• Ferragosto week — Sagra delle Anguille 
• August 15 — “La Maggiolata,” a train of traditional oxen-drawn wagons and folk groups 
• August 18 — Feast of “tagliolini”, beans, prosciutto, and cheese 
• August 19 — celebration of San Gabriele 
• December 8 — the “faugni,” fires of dry canes in front of the cathedral at dawn. 

   

Italiano

   

Tradotto da Ennio Di Tullio

Provincia di Teramo, Regione Abruzzo

La bellissima cittadina di Atri si trova in provincia di Teramo. Conta circa 12.580 abitanti, detti Atriani. Situata a sei miglia dal mare Adriatico, è forse una delle città più antiche d’Abruzzo. E Atri è l’ambientazione del poema “The Bell of Atri” dello scrittore americano Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Il suo nome si pensa derivi dal nome dell’imperatore Adriano, la cui famiglia proveniva dalla città.

Sulla sommità di un colle a 3 punte a ridosso dell’Adriatico con il maestoso Gran Sasso sullo sfondo, e in posizione chiave sopra la Val Vomano, il paese fu famoso e potente nell’antichità ed è oggi considerato uno dei più importanti centri storici, centri culturali, e artistici in Abruzzo. Il paesaggio circostante è impressionante anche per le insenature simili a canyon e le grotte in parte inesplorate.

Hatria fu colonia romana da cui molti storici fanno derivare anche il nome del Mare Adriatico. Nel VI secolo aC, la città era uno dei quattro maggiori porti greci nel mare Adriatico. Nel 290 fu conquistata da Roma. Dopo la caduta dell’Impero Romano, nel VI secolo il territorio passò sotto il potere dei Longobardi e fu annesso al Ducato di Spoleto. Poi vennero i Normanni e nel 1393 Atri fu acquistata dalla Casa degli Acquaviva, sotto il cui potere iniziò un periodo di grande splendore per la città. Alla fine del ‘700 fu ceduto dagli Acquaviva al Regno di Napoli.

Nella Villa Comunale dei Cappuccini sono presenti delle grotte, probabilmente un tempo utilizzate come stalle dai frati cappuccini. È probabile che servissero anche per fuggire durante le incursioni dei pirati. Vicino al belvedere sul mare e su tutte le valli delle Terre del Cerrano (da Roseto degli Abruzzi fino a Silvi Marina), si trova una fontana, considerata l’emblema della Villa Comunale.

Altro simbolo della villa, ristrutturata negli anni ’30 a giardino all’italiana, è il formaggione, una siepe di forma cilindrica, composta da conifere, con quattro ingressi (posti ai punti cardinali). Rappresenta il Giardino dei Segreti, elemento ricorrente in molti giardini dei castelli e delle ville nobiliari d’Italia, soprattutto tra la fine del Settecento e l’inizio dell’Ottocento.

Atri è anche la sede della Sartoria dei Duchi, un atelier di abbigliamento maschile su misura dove il fondatore, Piero Pavone, mantiene viva l’artigianalità della sartoria maschile italiana, in particolare l’artigianato della regione Abruzzo.

Mentre Atri può essere un piccolo villaggio, ciò che Pavone ha detto ciò che offre alla Sartoria dei Duchi è di classe mondiale e ha raccolto una domanda di consumatori globale che ha guidato l’espansione del marchio in mercati come Dubai e Singapore, con sedi future a Londra e l’Arabia Saudita. Ha detto che i consumatori si innamorano della proposta intrisa di storia del marchio, ma continuano a tornare per il suo patrimonio artigianale realizzato con i migliori tessuti disponibili da case come Loro Piana e Piacenza.

Le attrazioni del luogo:

• Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta della fine del XII secolo
• Palazzo Ducale Acquaviva, fortezza costruita sul punto più alto del paese, oggi sede del comune;
• Mura medievali, con Porta Macelli e Porta San Domenico
• Museo Capitolare
• Chiesa di San Francesco, con una bella scalinata barocca
• Chiesa di San Domenico, con due pregevoli tele di Giacomo Farelli del XVII secolo
• Grotte, in parte ancora inesplorate, probabilmente insediamenti preistorici

Date da ricordare:

• 1 gennaio — “Lu S. Antonio”
• Venerdì Santo — rappresentazione della Passione presso la vicina Villa Bozza
• Settimana di Ferragosto — Sagra delle Anguille
• 15 agosto — “La Maggiolata”, convoglio di tradizionali carri trainati da buoi e gruppi folkloristici
• 18 agosto — Sagra dei tagliolini, fagioli, prosciutto, e formaggio
• 19 agosto — festa di San Gabriele
• 8 dicembre — i “faugni”, fuochi di canne secche davanti alla cattedrale all’alba.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atri,_Abruzzo https://www.italyheritage.com/regions/abruzzo/teramo/atri.htm https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccasuhrawardi/2023/04/10/from-a-tiny-village-in-italy-sartoria-dei-duchi-exports-its-handmade-traditions-to-the-world/?sh=13e5712e10f8

July/August 2023

Province of Isernia, Region of Molise

The small town of Bagnoli del Trigno is located in the province of Isernia about 25 kilometers northwest of Campobasso and about 20 kilometers northeast of Isernia. It has approximately 708 inhabitants, known as Bagnolesi. 

Against the splendid scenery of the Trigno Valley, made up of mountains, forests, coves, and tiny hamlets, this small town has been called “the Pearl of Molise.” The town winds around a steep rock on which an ancient castle rises.

Built around a huge rock dominating the Vella River, the enormous Borrello fortress still rises, although badly damaged over the centuries. The town is located close to a rocky massif that stands out between the Trigno river and the Vella torrent. It is divided into two areas, “Terra di sotto” and “Terra di sopra.” Bagnoli del Trigno is called “La Preta” and is one of the most picturesque towns in Molise, to deserving of the nickname “Pearl of Molise.” 

The origins of Bagnoli del Trigno are unknown but historians think Bagnoli was founded by a duke who enjoyed the waters of the Trigno, and eventually an urban center was constructed around a thermal source. At one time, some tribes probably found shelter there from the barbarian invasions.

The first historical records date back to the Middle Ages, when the area was part of the Contado of Molise. Subsequently, the area was ruled by French and Spanish lords, then became part of the Kingdom of Naples and eventually part of the Kingdom of Italy.

In the 20th century, the area saw a sharp drop in population because of emigration, especially to Rome where many Bagnolesi work as taxi drivers.

Among the places worth seeing are the Church of San Silvestro, the Castle of San Felice, and the Pandetta of Sprondasino.

The main activities of the town are agriculture and pastoralism, but in recent years there has been an interest in other types of activities such as those in the building industry, the water industry, and crafts with the machining of stones.

What to See

• Church of San Silvestro, built partly in the rock, with stone steps leading up to the peculiar belltower. 
• Borrello castle
• The “casa romana,” a beautiful medieval mansion in the heart of the historical center. 

Important Dates

• August 20 — Feast of St. Vitalus of Rome, the patron saint
• December 25 — Procession with “n’docce” (torches) that accompanies the statues of Mary and Joseph. 

   

Italiano

   

Tradotto da Ennio Di Tullio

Provincia di Isernia, Regione Molise

Il piccolo comune di Bagnoli del Trigno si trova in provincia di Isernia a circa 25 chilometri a nord-ovest di Campobasso e circa 20 chilometri a nord-est di Isernia. Conta circa 708 abitanti, detti Bagnolesi.

Nello splendido scenario della Valle del Trigno, fatto di monti, boschi, calette, e minuscoli borghi, questo piccolo comune è stato definito “la Perla del Molise”. Il paese si snoda attorno ad una rupe scoscesa su cui sorge un antico castello.

Costruita attorno a un’enorme roccia che domina il fiume Vella, sorge ancora l’enorme fortezza del Borrello, anche se gravemente danneggiata nel corso dei secoli. Il paese è situato a ridosso di un massiccio roccioso che si staglia tra il fiume Trigno e il torrente Vella. E’ diviso in due zone, “Terra di sotto” e “Terra di sopra”. Bagnoli del Trigno è detta “La Preta” ed è uno dei paesi più pittoreschi del Molise, tanto da meritare l’appellativo di “Perla del Molise”.

Le origini di Bagnoli del Trigno sono sconosciute ma gli storici ritengono che Bagnoli sia stata fondata da un duca che godeva delle acque del Trigno, ed eventualmente sia stato costruito un centro urbano intorno ad una fonte termale. Un tempo vi trovarono probabilmente riparo alcune tribù dalle invasioni barbariche.

Le prime notizie storiche risalgono al Medioevo, quando la zona faceva parte del Contado del Molise. Successivamente la zona fu governata da signori francesi e spagnoli, poi entrò a far parte del Regno di Napoli ed infine del Regno d’Italia.

Nel 20° secolo la zona ha visto un forte calo demografico a causa dell’emigrazione, soprattutto verso Roma dove molti bagnolesi lavorano come tassisti.

Tra i luoghi da vedere la Chiesa di San Silvestro, il Castello di San Felice, e la Pandetta di Sprondasino.

Le attività principali del paese sono l’agricoltura e la pastorizia, ma negli ultimi anni si è interessato ad altri tipi di attività come quelle dell’edilizia, dell’industria dell’acqua, e dell’artigianato con la lavorazione della pietra.

Le attrazioni del luogo:

• Chiesa di San Silvestro, costruita in parte nella roccia, con gradini in pietra che portano al caratteristico campanile.
• Castello Borrello
• La “casa romana”, un bellissimo palazzo medievale nel cuore del centro storico.

Date da ricordare:

• 20 agosto — Festa di San Vitalo di Roma, patrono
• 25 dicembre — Processione con “n’docce” (fiaccole) che accompagnano le statue di Maria e Giuseppe.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagnoli_del_Trigno https://www.italyheritage.com/regions/molise/province-isernia/bagnolideltrigno.htm https://www.e-borghi.com/en/village/Isernia/348/bagnoli-del-trigno

July/August 2023