-
Notiziario Goes Exclusively Online in 2023
By Nancy DeSanti, 1st Vice President-Programs
The cover of the very first edition of the Notiziario 
After undergoing several different looks, the Notiziario was redesigned to its current look in 2019. Beginning with the January/February 2023 issue, the Notiziario will be published and distributed online only. As is currently the case, the newsletter will reside on the AMHS website. Notification of new issues and links to the online version will continue to be disseminated by email to members of the Society.
Readers may recall that the AMHS ceased publishing a print version of the Notiziario for nearly a year during the early stages of the pandemic. We returned to a print version in 2021. However, the lingering effects of new variants of the Covid-19 virus made the process of producing and mailing a print version more labor intensive. Coupled with the recent rising costs of postage and materials, the Executive Committee of the AMHS voted unanimously to publish the Notiziario exclusively online.
This is the latest step in the modernization of the Society’s online operations. In recent times, members became able to renew their membership, register for events, purchase merchandise, and contribute to our scholarship program online. This continues the process of making the AMHS a future-facing organization that uses technology to serve its members.
There will be no change in the quality and variety of the newsletter. Our readers will still enjoy the same excellent articles by the same writers (and, hopefully, more in the future). Focusing on our web-based publication will enable us to provide more interactive content and, if anything, increase the amount of information we share with our members and friends. We are constantly seeking ways to improve our communications program, and this change will enable our volunteer writers and editors to devote more time and energy to the creative use of our communication tools.
As always, readers are encouraged to contribute articles to the Notiziario. All of us have stories to tell, experiences to share and knowledge to impart to our fellow members. Whether it be recounting a trip to Italy, marking personal milestones or discussing cultural topics, we want to hear from you. Together, we will continue to learn about and love “all things Italian.”November/December 2022
-
Art Expert Highlights Works of Venetian Renaissance Masters
By Nancy De Santi, 1st Vice President-Programs
Tintoretto’s Miracle of St. Mark, also known as the Miracle of the Slave, painted in 1548. Credit: Wikipedia
AMHS members were treated to a fascinating lecture by one of America’s leading experts on Italian art, Dr. Eric Denker, who spoke to an appreciative audience at Casa Italiana on September 18, 2022.
The luncheon program was co-sponsored by the Casa Italiana Sociocultural Center and the Casa Italiana Language School.
Dr. Denker was the long-serving Senior Lecturer of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the author of seven books and catalogues. His deep knowledge of Italian art and culture has made him a popular lecturer in Europe, for the Smithsonian Institution and for the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice.
Dr. Denker studied in Bologna in the 1970s and is currently the only American honorary member of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice. One of his grandparents came from a town in Lazio, so that may help explain his love of Italian art and culture.
His topic was undoubtedly of interest to all art lovers—the “Four Titans of the Venetian Renaissance: Bellini, Giorgione, Titian and Tintoretto.” Their paintings in the 15th and 16th centuries were characterized by the use of color and mood.
Bellini’s famous paintings include St. Francis in the Desert, which is in the Frick Gallery in New York City. One of his masterpieces, the massive San Zaccaria Altarpiece, is 16 feet tall and 8 feet wide.
Giorgione, as Dr. Denker noted, painted “in a truthful way,” as real people looked. His famous painting of the Nativity, the Adoration of the Shepherds, is in the National Gallery of Art. Unfortunately, Giorgione died of the plague when he was only in his 30s.
Dr. Eric Denker
Credit: Sam YothersTitian defined the Venetian style for the better part of the era. He painted some of the finest portraits and nudes of his time, including the Venus of Urbino. Dr. Denker said that the subject of the painting was actually a bride who married into the family of the famous Duke of Montefeltro in Urbino, which at that time was one of the most refined and elegant cities in Italy. The Dresden Venus is traditionally attributed to Giorgione but Titian completed at least the landscape.
Tintoretto was a renowned and prolific artist who created spectacular altarpieces as well as religious narrative scenes, portraits, and mythological subjects. One of his best-known paintings is the Miracle of St. Mark (also known as the Miracle of the Slave). His enormous Crucifixion has been called one of the most dramatic versions of the Crucifixion in the history of Christian religious art. He also painted a huge Last Supper which measures 12 feet by 18 feet.
The years 1475-1575 may have marked Venice’s political decline but the arts thrived during this period. With the passing of Titian and Tintoretto, the Venetian Renaissance’s artistic prominence came to an end, but as Dr. Denker showed the audience, it was a glorious period. So glorious in fact that unfortunately Napoleon Bonaparte stole works of art by Titian, Tintoretto and Giorgione and took them to France as the “spoils of war.” Apparently, he was trying to fill up the new Louvre museum in Paris.
Dr. Denker dedicated his lecture to the memory of his long-time friend and our Holy Rosary parishioner Diego D’Ambrosio, who was represented at the event by his sons Marco and Fabrizio and his nephew Giovanni. Diego was known to the world as the “celebrity barber” of Washington, D.C., whose clients included three American presidents, foreign leaders, ambassadors and Supreme Court Justices. But to members of our community, he was a humble, kind-hearted gentleman, always elegantly dressed, and a friend to many who miss him dearly.
The intrepid members of the Hospitality Committee (left to right) Elisa DiClemente, Joann Novello, Joe Novello and Lynn Sorbara.
Credit: Sam YothersA delicious lunch was catered by Osteria da Nino. Afterwards, a raffle drawing was held which raised $125 for the Society. Thanks to all those who donated raffle prizes and who bought tickets.
At the end of the program, AMHS Immediate Past President Maria D’Andrea-Yothers gave a special thank you on behalf of AMHS to Lynn Sorbara, Joann and Joe Novello and Elisa DiClemente, the members of the Hospitality Committee who have worked so hard over the years to make our programs successful. The Society also extends a big thank you to Lourdes Tinajero for helping to coordinate the program with Dr. Denker and the D’Ambrosio family.
November/December 2022
-
The 2022 Ferragosto Picnic: Fun, Food and Friendship
By Maria Andrea-Yothers
AMHS members, family and friends enjoyed fun and fellowship at the 2022 Ferragosto Picnic.
Credit: Sam YothersFerragosto 2022 was celebrated on Sunday, August 14, back at Fort Ward Park in Alexandria, Virginia, from 3:00 – 7:00 PM. Approximately forty AMHS members, friends and family came together to celebrate with a wonderful picnic.
We were treated to some delicious food prepared by some skillful cooks. Edvige D’Andrea’s sausage and peppers were a personal favorite among an abundant variety of Italian foods which were shared. There were also delicious pasta salads, cheeses, Italian salami, olives, and homemade biscotti. This year, we were treated to grilled arrosticini and caciocavallo cheese, courtesy of AMHS member Willy Meaux, who graciously grilled 100 arrostocini skewers. They, and the cheese, were quite the hit. No picnic celebrating Italia and its traditions would be complete without vino. We enjoyed plenty of red, white and rose. Many thanks to Sam Yothers for also making sure there was “birra Italiana” for those who preferred a cold beer or two on a hot day, and to Lucio D’Andrea who brought his ever-popular homemade limoncello.
Attendees enjoyed games of Italian cards, bocce, and cornhole toss (courtesy of AMHS Board member John Dunkle). We also welcomed two new members, Michael Iademarco and Natalie Duncan.
Many thanks to all of you who attended! Also, a special “grazie” for those who helped with set-up and tear-down. Fort Ward Park proved once again to be a perfect venue. Taking time to laugh and celebrate together was truly a wonderful and memorable event.
September/October 2022
-
A Message from the President
Dear members and friends:
I hope that everyone has had an enjoyable and relaxing summer and that you are ready to welcome the fall season.
We did not have any general meetings over the summer, but we were hardly inactive. On July 31, we held a virtual event in which Daniel Piazza, the Chief Curator of the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, gave a very informative presentation entitled “The Fascist Style in Italian Philately, 1922-1941”. This period in Italian stamp history was unique for a number of reasons and Mr. Piazza clearly laid them out in his excellent lecture and accompanying slides.
On August 14th, we held our annual Ferragosto picnic at Fort Ward Park in Alexandria, Virginia. The weather was nearly perfect for a picnic – low eighties with some cloud cover to block out the sun. There was some light rain around 6 PM, but fortunately it came at the tail end of the day. AMHS family members and friends spent a relaxing afternoon enjoying good food, including arrosticini and caciocavallo, good drink, good fun and good company.
Then, on August 27th, we presented another virtual program. Our guest speaker was Edvige Giunta, Professor of English at Jersey City University, who discussed the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of New York City. This tragic event of 1911 killed 146 female workers, many of whom were young Italian immigrants, and the subsequent outcry helped spur a movement for workers’ right and unions. The talk was excellent and covered a piece of history that is too often overlooked by the general public and, unfortunately, even by Italian Americans.
Looking ahead on the calendar, AMHS will host a Happy Hour at Il Bocca al Lupo restaurant/bar on September 14 at 5:30 PM. Il Bocca al Lupo is a soccer-themed, Roman-style venue located at 2400 Wisconsin Avenue in northwest Washington, D. C. The food is authentically Italian and the environment is congenial. Check out our website for additional details on the get-together.
Our next in person general meeting will take place on September 18 at 1 PM in the Casa Italiana Sociocultural Center. Our guest speaker will be Eric Denker, the Senior Lecturer at the National Gallery of Art and a longtime fan of Venice. Eric will give us a talk on this unique city and his presentations are so good that listening to his talk on the 18th may very well be the next best thing to actually being in Venice. Mark the date on your calendar!
Stay tuned for the grand opening of the AMHS online shop. It will feature many products available for purchase with the AMHS logo on them. The shop will greatly expand the number of products for sale and will make purchase and payment much easier and more efficient than in the past. We’ll let you know when it goes live.
Have you ever thought about serving a term on the AMHS Board of Directors? We have two openings now for three-year terms that begin on January 1, 2023. The Board meets six times a year, and all the meetings are virtual. So even if you don’t live in the Washington, D.C. area, you can still lend your expertise to the Society and help to shape its future direction. If you’re interested, please contact Maria D’Andrea-Yothers (uva051985@comcast.net). Fresh ideas and different backgrounds will help to keep our organization strong.
Thanks for reading and have a pleasant fall season.
Best regards,
Ray LaVerghetta
September/October 2022
-
Washington Area Vespisti Take Trip of a Lifetime to Italy
By Nancy DeSanti
Members of the D.C. and Sulmona Vespa Clubs celebrate their ride together.
Credit: Courtesy of Willy Meaux
This summer, nine Vespisti of the Vespa Committee of Washington, D.C., led by AMHS member Willy Meaux, set off on an epic two-week Vespa ride from Rome to a first Vespa rally in Sulmona in the province of L’Aquila in Abruzzo.
The trip, which began June 30, 2022, then took the riders through Umbria to Spoleto and Perugia, on to Tuscany via Montalcino, Siena and Florence. Then the riders went to the Liguria area to Lerici, the Golfo dei Poeti and the first borgo of the Cinque Terre, and Carrara, followed by a second Vespa rally in Sarzana. The final stop of the journey was to Pontedera, to see the Museo Piaggio which presents the history of the Vespa from its beginning in 1946 to today.
The highlights of the trip were the incredible Raduno of the Vespa Club of Sulmona including a beautiful ride to Scanno, a city with a great lake high in the mountains, and Pacentro, a historic city with a castle and fantastic views of the Peligna Valley. Next up was an incredible ride through Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo with a very challenging but thrilling route filled with hours of 180 degree turns down steep, narrow roads along the cliffs of the highest peaks of the Apennine Mountains.
The riders then enjoyed the beautiful cities of Spoletto, and Perugia, a monastery stay in Pienza, two incredible days in Florence hosted by the Vespa Club of Florence, the beautiful port areas of Lerici, Sarzana and the Golfo dei Poeti, and a taste of Cinque Terre. Then it was on to the marble caves of Carrara, the Piaggio Museum in Pontedera, a night in the Castello Fosdinovo, and a beautiful evening again on the Mediterranean in Orbetello before returning to Rome. It all added up to 2,000 kilometers on the Vespas and the most wonderful gastronomic experiences along the way.
AMHS members may recall that Willy was our speaker at the Vespa Raduno at Casa Italiana on September 22, 2019. The event honored the Abruzzese inventor of the Vespa, Corradino D’Ascanio. The president of the Sulmona Vespa Club, Panfilo D’Angelo, was our special guest. (The Sulmona Vespa Club is a chapter of the Vespa Club of Italy).
The vespa was a symbol of the rebirth of Italy following liberation by the Allies.
Credit: Archival photo, NARAGiving a little background on the Vespa (“wasp” in Italian), Willy noted that while slower than a car, a Vespa could easily navigate Italy’s ancient and narrow roadways. Introduced to the world in 1946 as Italy was emerging from World War II in ruins, it was inexpensive to own and operate, and its commercial success led to its iconic status as a symbol of Italian culture, design, style and la dolce vita. Whipping through the streets on this simple, elegant and robust piece of automotive engineering gave riders a sense of freedom. Like all Italian inventions, it was conceived with aesthetics in mind.
Willy noted that the Vespa Committee of Washington, DC Inc., of which he is a past president, has founded a new adventure travel program called “The Vespa Bridge to Italy.”
He said this summer adventure was truly a bucket list trip, and a documentary movie of the entire adventure is now in production, to be released in 2023. Proceeds from the Vespa Committee’s film will go to support future opportunities for film students to go to Italy to create films about that country, its rich culture and these Vespa journeys. Willy said the Vespa Committee is very proud to have supported three collegiate film students in this first film project. Says Willy: “Get ready to binge when the film is released as we will also include the incredible Italian cuisine we discovered along the journey that was unique to each region.”
Stay tuned for news about the upcoming documentary as well for news about The Vespa Bridge to Italy 2023. You can learn more about the foundation at www.vespacommittee.org.
From its humble beginnings, the vespa became an icon of La Dolce Vita.
Credit: Instagram @officialmadalinagheneaSeptember/October 2022
