First Annual Chicago Italian American Heritage Fair Oct 9 at Casa ItaliaWe’ve all heard of Christopher Columbus and the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. But have you ever heard of Camillo Volini? Italo Balbo? Serafina Ferrara? Luigi Giambastiani?
Rosa Cassettari? Lucy Palermo? Oscar Durante? Frances Cabrini? Joe DiLeonardi?
John F. Cuneo? Caesar Petrillo? Egidio Clemente? Ann Sorrentino? Eddie Baldacci? Tina DeRosa? Vito Marzullo? Enrico Fermi? Ida Bertacchi? Armando Pierini? Amabile Santacaternia? Dominick Di Matteo? Serena Notari? Fred Olivi? Motts Tonelli?
If you said yes to any three of the above names, you are in the top percentile of Chicago Italian Americans who know their history. Italian Americans in Chicago will again be celebrating
Columbus Day with a spectacular parade in Grant Park and it promises to be a GREAT DAY!
A growing number of us are discovering that Italian pride extends even beyond Columbus to the hundreds of Italian American men and women who have contributed to the greatness of Chicago since the 1850s. AND THE MEMORY OF THEIR LIVES IS AT RISK OF BEING LOST.
The event is inspired Thomas Volini, the grandson of Camillo Volini, the pioneering doctor wo came in the 1890s to work with Jane Addams and Mother Cabrini. The Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia, the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, the Italian American Executives of Transportation, and the Belmont Bank are sponsoring the First Annual Chicago Italian American History Fair on Saturday October 9 at 9:30 am- 11:30 am at the Italian Cultural Center, 1621 N. 39th Avenue, Stone Park. Visit http://www.CasaItaliaChicago.org for directions and other details.
A unique event, the History Fair will bring together a symposium of community presenters, activists, and scholars of all ages to bring alive our local Italian American past, with sketches, (science fair type) display panels, slide shows, videos, and recordings of our colorful ancestors and maybe win some cash prizes.
According to organizer Dominic Candeloro, “YOU are the featured presenter.” Everyone is invited to get involved, to do some research on the history of their Italian family, church, neighborhood, family business or professional group. Using the Florence Roselli Casa Italia Library, the Library’s digital archives and hard copy files, back files of the Fra Noi, the web, the Chicago Tribune’s searchable archives and a bibliography available through https://sites.google.com/site/chicagoitamhistoryfair/, participants should identify a person or persons who made a positive contribution to Chicago’s past (subject must be deceased) and submit a 200 word profile to Dominic.Candeloro@gmail.com by September 30, 2010. The biography will be included in the “Wiki Dictionary of Chicago Italian American Biographies — Vol. I,” to be placed in the Casa Italia Library and distributed at the event on October 9.
The committee will also invite as many public participants as possible to attend the event and read and discuss the biographies that they have produced. Participation is open to people of all ages. For younger participants cash prizes of $100 will be awarded to the best entries in each of the following categories: Ages under 13, 13-18, and 18-21. Winners must make personal presentations at the event.
The committee is reaching out to social studies, Italian language, and English teachers to urge them to inform their students about the the Italian American History Fair and possibly integrate the activity as an extra credit assignment.
In honor of the First Annual Chicago Italian American History Fair the Italian Cultural Center will have on display an exhibit by Bill Dal Cerro highlighting the exploits of Italian American leaders on a national level. Visitors may also visit the permanent museums of Casa Italia including the Italian American Veterans Museum, the Italians in Chicago Historical Exhibit, the Cadel Art Gallery, the Savoia Replica of the Vatican, the Bishop Scalabrini Museum, and the Sicilian and Calabrese exhibits.
Registration is free but reservations are requested. Call 708-345-5933 to register. For information and advice about submitting an entry contact Candeloro at 847-951-9109 or Dominic.Candeloro@gmail.com
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