Estero
Festa Italiana
The most significant event so far in the fund raising campaign to build an Italian Garden next to St Andrew’s Cathedral Glasgow, takes place on Sunday February 1 at Ayr Town Hall.The Family Festa Italiana is a great opportunity to enjoy a fine Italian meal courtesy of Aldo Cecchini and family of Cecchini’s restaurants, listen and dance to the music of Angela and Paolo and win fantastic prizes in the grand raffle and auction. Tickets are just £15 per adult and £10 per child and tables can be booked for family or friendship groups. The event runs from 4.30pm – 11pm and car parking is available at the venue. The low ticket price is aimed at encouraging as many as possible to come along.Archbishop Conti will speak on the night about plans for the Cathedral Italian Garden and the Mayor of Barga, Umberto Sereni will be the guest of honour in his last visit to Scotland as mayor. Tickets are…
Befana
With Christmas just around the corner, don’t forget the inaugural Grande Festa della Befana organised by the CoCAIS. The event will take place at Scotland Street Children’s Museum on Sunday January 4th from 2-5pm. The aim is to encourage the younger members and friends of the Italian community, to participate in a traditional moment of Italian culture.The event is aimed at children aged 8 and under (however older children can be accommodated) If you have a child or grandchild, nephew or niece who might like to come along, please visit the ItalianScotland website (www.Italianscotland.com ) click on ‘events’ and print off an application form. The form should be filled in and forwarded (together with payment) to Cav. Adriano De Marco, 58 Beardmore Way, Clydebank Industrial Estate, Clydebank, Glasgow G81 4HT. Cost is subsidised by the CoCAIS and Comites so the charge per child is just £5 which includes a present and a calza ripiena (stocking filled with sweets). Accompanying adults…
Befana offer
City centre restaurant La Vita is offering a special rate for those attending the Befana Party with children and grandchildren – a 2 course pre-theatre for £10.95 or a 10% discount off food from a la carte menu. The restaurant will be open on the day (Sunday January 4th) 4pm-10pm. To book in advance call 0141 243 2162 .
Festa della Terza Età
Another new initiative from the CoCAIS is the inaugural Festa della Terza Eta’. This will be the first of what we hope will be a series of seasonal luncheshosted by different restaurants for the senior members of the community (65 and over, though no-one will be checking the passports!) Once more sponsorship brings the cost down to just £5 per head for a full three course Italian lunch. The first one will be on Sunday March 1st 2-6pm at Bacco Italia, Kilmarnock Road, Shawlands, Glasgow.To book please visit the website (www.italianscotland.com ) and there click on “events” and download the application form. Send it with a cheque (payable to COCAIS) for £5 per person attending to Cav Adriano De Marco at the address above.
Italian monument and garden
The efforts to create a new Italian garden and monument in the cloistered area beside St Andrew’s Cathedral continue. Early in the new year it isexpected that details will be announced of the level of grant-funding from the statutory authorities. Work is already underway to prepare the Piazza area around the Cathedral and garden. Fund raising is now essential. In a special message, Archbishop Conti writes: “Already I have invited and received individual donations and support, while funding applications are presently lodged with Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund. In addition I have been to Italy to seek support from some of the institutions there.“My thought now is to ask you, the various Italian Associations in Scotland to consider how, as a group you might assist the effort to create this special monument and garden. Could I ask that you consider at a forthcoming meeting whether you might be able to arrange some fundraising activity? Perhaps a dance or…
Italian Sunday
To raise funds for the above project a large-scale event is planned for Troon Town Hall on Sunday February 1st. Thanks to the collaboration of Aldo Cecchini of Ayr and Ardrossan, there will be places for 300 for an afternoon and evening of food, music and dancing. Music will be kindly supplied by theever-popular Angela and Paolo and tickets will cost just £15. They can be obtained throughout January from either of the Cecchini restaurants in Ayr or Ardrossan www.cecchinis.com or from the Archdiocese of Glasgow www.rcag.org.uk The low price is intended to allow family groups (adults and children) to come along and enjoy some traditional Italian food, company and entertainment, and it is anticipated that the Mayor of Barga, Umberto Sereni will make his last visit as mayor to the event and Archbishop Conti will also be a guest of honour. Venite numerosi!
Your story
An exciting new competition is launched this month aimed at people of Italian extraction living abroad. LE 1001 STORIE DEGLI ITALIANI NEL MONDONARRATE DAGLI STESSI PROTAGONISTI is an initiative of the Pragmata Cultural Association aiming to collect the stories of Italians who have made their life outside Italy over the last 100 years. If you think your grandfather or uncle or nonna could fit the bill check out the website at http://www.pragmata.info/Le%201001%20storie.htm The best stories will be published in a prestigious volume to be launched at Rome’s Campidoglio and the contributors will be invited to Rome to receive a medal and hospitality in autumn 2009 at the launch.
Barga book hunt
The following request for help was received at our email address (italianscotland@aol.com) Let’s hope someone can help Nicola find the book she is trying to find …“Hi. I am looking to buy a copy of ‘They Took The Low Road’ by Bruno Sereni. My sister in-law has wanted it for ages and I would like to try and get her a copy for her Christmas. I have searched the net but can’t find anything. I would be extremely grateful if you could help me in this matter.” ThanksNicolanicola.hendry@hotmail.co.uk
Dedicato a Giacomo Puccini; l’appuntamento con i Lucchesi nel Mondo
Domani, sabato 22 novembre alle ore 17, l’Associazione Lucchesi nel Mondo, come ormai consuetudine, farà celebrare presso la chiesa di Celle di Pescaglia una Messa in suffragio della Famiglia Puccini, originaria di questo piccolo, suggestivo borgo, dove si trova la Casa Museo della famiglia, di proprietà della stessa Associazione Lucchesi nel Mondo. Alla Santa Messa parteciperà anche il Coro delle Voci Bianche della Cappella di Santa Cecilia diretto da Sara Matteucci, il quale al termine della celebrazione terrà un concerto per tutti i presenti.A partire dalle 18.30 circa, si svolgerà nelle cantine del museo una mondinata e saranno effettuate visite guidate alla Casa Puccini, per mostrare i preziosi cimeli e la documentazione originale autografa di cui l’Associazione è proprietaria a seguito della donazione delle eredi di Ramelde Puccini, sorella prediletta del maestro Giacomo. Nell’occasione il Sindaco di pescaglia collocherà una corona di allora davanti alla targa che, sulla facciata della Casa Museo, ricorda l’ultima vista del Maestro a Celle, nell’ottobre…
Neolaureato Carlo Bertoncini
AYR (SCOZIA) – Grande soddisfazione per Carlo Bertoncini, residente a Ayr, Scozia, figlio del barghigiano Morando Bertoncini e della signora Mary, che ha conseguito con il massimo dei voti e la lode la laurea in Ingegneria dei Sistemi Elettrici e Meccanici presso la Caledonian University di Glasgow, dopo essere stato Primo Alunno della Queen Margaret Academy. A questo ragazzo dalla brillante carriera formativa vanno le nostre più sincere congratulazioni che estendiamo anche ai suoi genitori.
Chestnut evening
There will be a special charity chestnut evening of Sunday 23rd November at Battlefield Rest on Glasgow’s south side. The event will consist of a menu based around chestnuts imported from Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (Italy). On the evening there will be a raffle and auction of high quality goods givenby numerous businesses around the Battlefield and Shawland area with the proceeds going to Yorkhill Children’s Foundation for Schiehallion Unit.The cost of the evening will be £25.00 per head with £5.00 per person also going to charity. There is limited space for bookings of 2, therefore a min of 4 will be required. On the menu such delights as freshly baked chestnut bread & olives, Chestnut Tagliatelle with wild mushrooms in red wine sauce and Ossobuco on a bed of roasted chestnut & roast garlic mash. More details from ”Battlefield Rest”, 55 Battlefield Road, Glasgow 0141 636 6955
Casa d’Italia TV documentary
The following information has been received from the BBC. Hopefully someone can help make this a programme to remember.“You will be pleased to hear that the filming for our Italian Communities programme has gone very well and it is in the final process of being edited. We do not have a transmission date as yet but we will let you know in due course. We are assuming that it will be early 2009 on BBC ALBA digital channel 168.“We did some filming at the Casa d’Italia and I was wondering if you would be able to help me with something? We are looking for some archive, some old pictures of the building in ‘full swing.’ Maybe people dancing in the hall or just something that will show the social aspect of the place. Anything that will show the ‘buzz’ that surrounded the club. If you could let me know if you have anything or know where I could find anything…