Garden room.

Join us for our yearly end of season event which will follow the AGM.
 

A look at this industrial and artistic Italian region

Marisa Percival is a native Italian speaker from Lombardy, born in Varese, a city very near Lake Maggiore. She went to Secretarial College in Italy before coming to the U.K.  As a P.A., she worked for some years for a small local firm. Later, in the role of Administrator, she worked for 10 years for a branch of the NHS - the   “2gether NHS Foundation Trust”.  Marisa has also taught Italian at all levels at Cheltenham Gloscat and has worked freelance as a translator and interpreter, including an opportunity to translate and interpret for the Gloucestershire Co. Council in the early 2000’s. 

Marisa’s lecture will focus on the Lombardy Region in Northern Italy. All aspect of Lombardy will be presented: the geographical data, its historical beginnings, a few facts about its many provinces (cities), its culinary specialities, the ever popular lakes, brief bios of famous Lombards, and last but not least, Milan!      

Garden room

Carlo Goldoni's La locandiera (edited by Prof Serena deRita). A unique event performed by the U3A Drama group (in English) with historical notes and comments. 

We are expecting this event to be very popular and would be grateful if you could let us know if you will be attending. Please email our secretary on marisapercival0512@btinternet.com

Many thanks

Garden room

Neil’s talk tonight is intended to provide an overview of the Italian experience in Britain during World War II as citizens, aliens, and prisoners of war.  Neil will try provide a view of the war’s impact both then and subsequently in order to examine the statement made by one historian that, “To say the effect of the Second World War on the Italians in Britain was devastating would not be an overstatement”.

NEIL A. WYNN  is Emeritus Professor of Twentieth Century American History at the University of Gloucestershire. Having graduated with an MA (Hons) History from Edinburgh in 1969, Neil joined the newly-established Open University where he worked and carried out research (with a year at SUNY at Buffalo) was awarded the first PhD in History from the Open University in 1973. He then joined Glamorgan Polytechnic, later University of Glamorgan, until 2003 when he joined the university in Cheltenham where he remained until 2015.  In 1979, Neil was awarded an American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) fellowship and spent a year in Washington, D.C., engaged in research. He has taught on international programs at Central Missouri State University and at the Maastricht Center for Transatlantic Studies in the Netherlands. His publications include books on the African American Experience in World War II, American society during World War I, and a number of historical dictionaries. Neil has published numerous articles and reviews including pieces on American Society and World War II, Mike Tyson, and on The Sopranos; he has edited and contributed to books on the influence of American music, particularly the blues, in Europe. 

Garden room

Karen and Bill will tell us about the work of the Italian project “Mediterranean Hope”  providing Humanitarian Corridors for migration into Italy, and the art workshops they conducted in Calabria and Sicily as part of that. 

They will also focus on the plight of fruit pickers in Calabria, and the work of “Mani e Terra”, a co-operative  operating a different fairtrade system, bypassing the exploitation of multinational companies.

They will speak about about “Oranges For Justice”, a Community Interest Company that is bringing citrus fruit direct from  "Mani e Terra" to Stroud and Witney in Oxford.

Karen is now retired but worked as a counsellor and specialist adoption support therapist. She lived in Naples during boarding school holidays as a teenager and fell in love with Italy then.  Bill and Karen began volunteering there with Mediterranean Hope.

Bill has worked for over 40 years in the Humanitarian Aid and Development Sector, the last 25 as a consultant to a variety of organisations, most recently in the area of anti-modern slavery.  He is a trainer and facilitator and also an artist, using cartooning and art in many diverse ways.  Bill is a volunteer and board member at Hill House/Sanctuary Breaks in Amberley, Stroud which provides a haven for refugees and asylum seekers who are housed in the local area.

Bill and Karen met at school and have 3 adult children and 3 grandchildren.  They lived in DRC Congo for 4 years when their family was small so have a heart for the people of that region whose lives are often so hard.

This event will take place in the Garden Room

Back by popular demand 'Non solo Pasta' will focus on the tradition of the panettone.

This talk will be followed by a social evening

Garden room

THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT, SHOULD THERE BE ANY CANCELLATIONS WE WILL UPDATE THE WEBSITE IMMEDIATELY. Thank you

CHELTENHAM ITALIAN SOCIETY, in conjunction with Cheltenham Vocal Academy invites you to……………..

 An evening of Italian opera

(proposed programme)

 Monteverdi - L’incoronazione di Poppea, ‘Ecco la sconsolata donna’

Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro, ‘Cinque, dieci, venti’

Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro, ‘Dove sono’

Rossini - Il barbiere di Siviglia, ‘La calunnia’

Donizetti - L’elisir d’amore, ‘Una furtiva lacrima’

Donizetti - Don Pasquale, ‘Un foco insolito’

Bellini - La sonnambula, ‘Vi ravviso’

Interval

Verdi - Rigoletto, ‘La donna e’ mobile’

Verdi - Simon Boccanegra, ‘Il lacerato spirito’

Verdi - La Traviata, ‘Parigi, o cara’

Puccini - Tosca, ‘Vissi d’arte’

Puccini - La Boheme, ‘Che gelida manina/Si’,mi chiamano Mimi’/O soave fanciulla’

Tickets are on sale now until 8th November and are priced as follows:

CIS Members £6.00pp / Non-members £12.00pp

In order to avoid booking fees we are asking that payment be made to Cheltenham Italian Society - Sort code 30-93-48 / Account number 03640093 using the reference CISOP and your surname together with an email to darryl.whitehead@gmail.com who will confirm receipt by email.

Back for a second year...... our quiz promises an evening of fun!

In Italian and English - a quiz to challenge our Italian language and understanding....and maybe throw in some fun facts and figures too.

The quiz will start at 7pm but doors open at 6:30 to give you time to grab a drink and settle in.

Face to face in the Garden Room at St. Andrews Church

Face to face in the Garden Room at St. Andrews Church

Il mese di Maggio rappresenta la fine del nostro interessante programma CIS 2023/24, che sara’ celebrato con un’allegra festa dopo la nostra consueta Riunione Generale Annuale, che avra’ luogo:

Lunedi’ 20 maggio alle ore 19.00 Garden Room, St. Andrew’s Church, Montpellier

Siamo fiduciosi che i nostri soci parteciperanno in gran numero a questa serata per celebrare la fine della Stagione CIS di quest’anno. 

The month of May brings to an end our interesting 2023/24 CIS programme, which we shall celebrate with a joyful party after our customary Annual General Meeting. This will take place on:

Monday 20th May at 7.00pm in The Garden Room, St. Andrew’s Church, Montpellier

We hope that many of you will turn up to support this gathering and help us to celebrate the end of this year’s Italian Season.

Mi chiamo Regina Wynn, sono Italiana ma vivo in UK da molti anni.  Inizialmente ho lavorato a Londra incaricata dal Ministero Degli Esteri come insegnante nei corsi integrativi gestiti dal Consolato Italiano.  Ho insegnato Italiano a tutti I livelli incluso A Level e CFE. Successivamente, e per circa 20 anni, ho lavorato nel NHS come psicoterapeuta.

Oggi sono la presidentessa della CIS.

Il titolo della presentazione dell’8 Aprile e’ ‘Gli Intraducibili’. Ci sono espressioni italiane molto comuni che sono difficili da tradurre in Inglese, che richiedono spesso un giro di parole in Inglese e che frequentemente non sono comprese da un parlante straniero.  In questa serata cercheremo di comprenderne alcune.  La presentazione sara’ interattiva, in Italiano e un po’ d’Inglese e, spero un po’ divertente. 

Vi aspetto!

My name is Regina Wynn, I am Italian, and have lived in the UK for many years. Initially I worked as a teacher of Italian in London, appointed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and seconded abroad.  I taught Italian at all levels such as A level and for CFE institutions.  Subsequently, and for about 20 years, I worked as a Psychotherapist in the NHS.

Today I am the Chair of The Cheltenham Italian Society.

The title of the presentation on the 8th April is ‘The Untranslatable’. There are very common Italian phrases and expressions which are not so easy to translate in English, that require turns of phrase in English and, which are frequently misunderstood by a foreign speaker. We will try to understand some of them this evening. The talk will be interactive, in Italian and a little English, and I hope a bit amusing. 

I am looking forward to it!

Face to face in the Garden Room at St. Andrews Church

Face to face in the Garden Room at St. Andrews Church

Storie del dopo guerra

It is impossible to understand Italian history without looking deeply at football - Calcio - and vice versa. This talk will take some stories from the history of Italian football to illustrate this approach - showing how sport, politics, history and culture are deeply interlinked, and help to explain each other. John Foot's book Calcio (2006, 2010) - published in Italian and also translated into Polish - has been described as the 'bible' by those interested in football in Italy and continues to elicit debate nearly twenty years after its first publication.

John Foot is Professor of Modern Italian History in the University of Bristol. He is the author of numerous books on Italian history and culture, including Calcio (2006, 2010), Blood and Power. A History of Italian Fascism (2022) and The Archipelago - Italy since 1945 (2019).

The talk will be in English

7pm  Via Zoom *** (see below)

In questa presentazione, la Prof. Emma Sabatelli ci fara’ un quadro della condizione femminile post unitaria fino ai giorni nostri. Tra i vari temi trattera’ aspetti socio-culturali e legali come segue.

L'EVOLUZIONE DELLA FAMIGLIA ITALIANA E, DI RIFLESSO, DELLA CONDIZIONE FEMMINILE IN ITALIA.

L'antefatto: La condizione femminile nell'Italia post-unitaria e durante il periodo fascista. 

Totale assenza di diritti politici (elettorato), civili e patrimoniali, anche nell'ambito familiare.

L'istituto dell' "autorizzazione maritale". Le sanzioni penali per l'adulterio (nessuna per l'uomo). 

La situazione lavorativa femminile: metà della retribuzione, come per i bambini.

La posizione della Chiesa Cattolica: La 'Rerum novarum': i lavori domestici come strumento per proteggere l'onestà delle donne.

Ancora la Chiesa: Enciclica Casti Connubii

L'introduzione del "delitto d'onore".

Le lente conquiste del dopoguerra.

CONCLUSIONI: NUOVE TIPOLOGIE DI FAMIGLIA. IL PASSAGGIO DALLA FAMIGLIA PATRIARCALE A QUELLA ATTUALE: Un'evoluzione incompiuta. 

In this talk, prof Emma Sabatelli will present women’s conditions in Italy from Post War Italy to today. Amongst the various items, she will focus on the socio, economic, cultural, and legal themes such as follows:

THE EVOLUTION OF THE ITALIAN FAMILY AND, CONSEQUENTLY, OF THE CONDITION OF WOMEN IN ITALY.

Background: The condition of women in post-unification Italy and during the Fascist period.

Total absence of voting rights, civil and property rights, even within the family.

The institution of "marital authorization". Criminal penalties for adultery (none for men).

Women's employment situation: half of the salary of men, equal to pay for children.

The position of the Catholic Church: 'Rerum Novarum': housework as a tool to protect women's honesty.

The Church again: Encyclical Casti Connubii

The introduction of "honour killings".

The slow gains of the post-war period.

CONCLUSIONS: NEW TYPES OF FAMILY. THE TRANSITION FROM THE PATRIARCHAL FAMILY TO THE PRESENT ONE: An unfinished evolution.

Avv.Emma Sabatelli

Sono nata e cresciuta nel centro di Bari. La mia famiglia paterna è, però, di origine salentina. In ogni caso sono molto orgogliosa della mia 'pugliesità'.

Da giovanissima ho iniziato ad insegnare nella Facoltà (ora Dipartimento) di Giurisprudenza dell'Università di Bari, ma per qualche anno ho insegnato anche a Foggia e a Lecce. Il mio settore di insegnamento e di ricerca è stato il Diritto commerciale e, successivamente, anche il Diritto fallimentare (che ora in Italia si chiama diritto della crisi d'impresa). All'epoca il Diritto fallimentare era considerato una materia 'maschile' e le docenti donne non arrivavano a cinque unità. Ho amato molto il mio lavoro, tanto la didattica, quanto la ricerca, e mi manca moltissimo (soprattutto il rapporto con gli studenti), ma sono andata in pensione con due anni di anticipo, perché ero troppo anomala rispetto al contesto. Sono anche abilitata alla professione di avvocato, che non ho mai esercitato, preferendo lavorare a tempo pieno nell'Università.

Sono sposata e ho due figlie, ho molti hobby: Viaggi, lettura, arte, cinema,... anche perché sono curiosissima.

I was born and raised in the centre of the City of Bari.  My father’s family is from Salento, though, but in any case I am very proud of being a ‘pugliese’ through and through.

When very young, I started to teach at the University of Bari in the Dept. of Law .  For a few years I also taught in Foggia and Lecce.  My area of teaching and research was Commercial Law and, subsequently, Bankruptcy Law (nowadays also known as Enterprise Crisis Law).  At that time, Bankruptcy Law was considered a ‘male’ only subject and there were barely five women practising it altogether in the whole Country.  I loved my teaching and researching job very much, and miss my relationship with my students in particular. 

I am also a qualified lawyer but I have never practised as such because I always preferred my full-time work at the University.

I am married with two grown up daughters and I have many hobbies such as travelling, reading, the arts, cinema etc…because I am indeed a very curious and inquisitive person.

*** If non members are interested in attending this zoom talk, please e mail squicci18@gmail.com.  Regina will provide the BACS details. On receipt of £4.00, we will send a Zoom link. However, this payment must be received at least 24 h in advance of the talk date.

Via Zoom **** (see below)

“Italia: anomalie di una Repubblica”.

In premessa, darò la definizione di tre concetti che servono a delineare le condizioni che distinguono l’Italia:

- la natura duale all’origine della nostra Repubblica: Paese uscito sconfitto dalla Seconda guerra mondiale, ma anche al fianco delle nazioni vincitrici nella fase finale del conflitto;

- il bipolarismo coatto del contesto internazionale si riverbera nel concetto di bipartitismo imperfetto descritto dal politologo Giorgio Galli, con il quale si definisce il sistema politico italiano contraddistinto dall’impossibilità per decenni di una reale alternanza al governo del Paese, a causa del cosiddetto “fattore K” enunciato dal giornalista Alberto Ronchey per indicare il legame del Partito Comunista Italiano con la potenza ostile dell’Unione Sovietica;

- la pratica della democrazia consociativa con la quale si sono gestite concretamente le situazioni, ricorrendo a forme di assemblearismo che hanno impedito l’assunzione di responsabilità nelle scelte di governo.

Passerò quindi a fare un breve riassunto delle principali fasi storiche di questo secondo dopoguerra, per giungere quindi a spiegare il passaggio dalla cosiddetta Prima Repubblica all’attuale momento della nostra storia politica. Tre snodi sono importanti: la stagione dei diritti civili (1966-1974); il blocco delle prospettive di modernizzazione realizzato con i lunghi anni di terrorismo politico (il decennio mancato degli anni Settanta); il fallimento dell’iniziativa per una sinistra riformatrice, soffocato dalla deriva provocata dalle conseguenze del biennio 1992-1993 che ha condotto alla marginalizzazione della politica a vantaggio dei potentati economici e degli assetti corporativi.

In questo modo, i caratteri propri della democrazia vengono deformati in Italia. Questo accade per una serie di ragioni, la prima delle quali va individuata nell’assetto istituzionale dato al nostro Stato dalla Costituzione, che costruisce un ordinamento ibrido e ambiguo, aggravato dalle lotte di potere all’interno delle stesse istituzioni.

 “Italy: anomalies of a Republic”.

In the introduction, I will give the definition of three concepts that serve to outline the conditions that distinguish Italy:

· the dual nature of the origin of our Republic: a Country that emerged defeated from the Second World War, but also alongside the victorious nations in the final phase of the conflict;

· the forced bipolarism of the international context is reflected in the concept of imperfect bipartisanship described by the political scientist Giorgio Galli, with which he defines the Italian political system characterized by the impossibility for decades of a real alternation in the government of the country, due to the so-called “K factor” enunciated by the journalist Alberto Ronchey to indicate the link of the Italian Communist Party with the hostile power of the Soviet Union;

· the practice of Co- Social democracy This practice prevented the managing of concrete situations effectively because it was based on ‘ASSEMBLEE’ (assemblies).This therefore was an obstacle and prevented governments from taking responsibility as far as major decisions were concerned.

· I will then give a brief summary of the main historical phases of this post-war period, to then explain the transition from the so-called First Republic to the current moment of our political history. Three nodes are important: the season of civil rights (1966-1974); the blockage of the prospects of modernization realized with the long years of political terrorism (the missing decade of the seventies); the failure of the initiative for a reformist left, suffocated by the drift caused by the consequences of the biennium 1992-1993 that led to the marginalization of politics in favour of economic potentates and corporate structures.

In this way, the characters of democracy are deformed in Italy. This happens for a series of reasons, the first of which must be identified in the institutional structure given to our State by the Constitution, which builds a hybrid and ambiguous order, aggravated by the power struggles within the same institutions.

*** If non members are interested in attending this zoom talk, please e mail squicci18@gmail.com.  Regina will provide the bacs details. On receipt of £4.00, we will send a Zoom link. However, this payment must be received at least 24 h in advance of the talk date.

Our annual Christmas gathering with food and drink, combined with a talk from Andrew Taylor which will be in English

Face to face in the Garden Room at St. Andrews Church

Doors open at 6.30pm with the meeting staring at 7pm

We will also be holding a raffle this evening, with tickets on sale at the door.....lovely prizes on offer.

Andrew Taylor is an Anglican priest and has worked in both parish ministry and university and school chaplaincy.

He is also a research associate at the Oxford Centre for Religion and Culture, previous projects embracing various aspects of the ongoing conversations between theology and literature and a present project exploring the same possibilities for theology and jazz.

Alongside this, he presently serves as a locum priest for the Diocese in Europe and spends short periods of time assisting in chaplaincies across the continent, including one very enjoyable period of 18 months in The Hague.

Synopsis

In spite of the 700 hundred years that separate us from him, Dante’s Divine Comedy still has the power to surprise; not least because we recognise so much in the work that rings true for us today.

One doesn’t have to believe in the medieval understanding of the ordering of the world, nor its metaphysical presumptions, to continue to see wisdom in what he has to say. In that respect he is very much our contemporary.

This talk will seek to highlight some of the elements in the Comedy that continue to inspire generations of readers

Q&A after the talk

In Italian and English - a social evening with a quiz to challenge our Italian language and understanding.

The quiz will start at 7pm but doors open at 6:30 to give you time to grab a drink and settle in.

Una serata che vi fara' spremere le meningi ........ ma in modo spiritoso!

Face to face in the Garden Room at St. Andrews Church

Face to face Garden Room St Andrews Church 7pm

Becoming a woman in Italian media culture ' (delivered in English, but with some extracts in Italian)

What does it mean to see oneself on screen as a young woman in Italy?  In this talk I examine the postwar experience of girls and young women as consumers of Italian media culture.  Since Italian media culture tends to be imagined by and for men, the viewpoint of girls and women has been neglected.  I will discuss a number of ways in which scholars have attempted to restore their experience, focussing in particular on oral history and ethnographic interviews, which have formed the backbone of two recent research projects I have been involved in.  I shall consider in particular the ways in which Italian media culture is made up of both Italian-made and foreign media, and how this influences ideas about femininity. 

Danielle Hipkins is Professor of Italian Studies and Film at the University of Exeter.  She has written widely on gender representation in postwar Italian cinema, and published Italy’s Other Women: Gender and prostitution in postwar Italian cinema, 1940-1965 (Peter Lang, 2016).  She was also co-editor of Prostitution and Sex Work in Global Cinema (Palgrave, 2017) with Kate Taylor-Jones.  With Daniela Treveri Gennari, Catherine O’Rawe, Silvia Dibeltulo and Sarah Culhane she co-authored Italian Cinema Audiences: Histories and Memories of Cinema-going in Post-war Italy (Bloomsbury, 2020).  She is now leading the AHRC-funded project A Girls’ Eye-view: Girlhood on the Italian screen since the 1950s (2021-2024) together with Romana Andò (Università La Sapienza).

Our AGM is Monday 2nd October at 7pm via Zoom

Please join us (via Zoom) when you will have the opportunity to meet the committee, vote on the election of officers, have your views heard......be more part of the society!

Rome, its monuments and the emperors who built them.

In English

Face to Face St Andrews Garden Room

Buffet and drinks

Face to Face - St Andrews - The Sanctuary

Doors open at 6.30pm ready to start at 7pm.
For this presentation only, we will be using the Sanctuary Room.
We do hope you will join us for another interesting evening and a good opportunity to meet again.
 

Paolo Guiliani writes - if you remember the last presentation (Rome my hometown) I showed you my area of Rome, as it was about 50-60 years ago. Now, it has obviosly changed. But there are 2 things that haven't changed: One is the Church and the other the square (la piazza). In the middle of the square, a few years ago, they build a monument dedicated to the soldiers and civilians who joined in the fight together and fell fighting for the defence of Rome against the Nazis in September 1943. The talk will describe what happened during those days through the eyes of the church pastor's Don Pietro Occelli, just before entering the agreements of "Roma citta' aperta"

Four Inspiring Italian Women of Yesterday and Today

Via Zoom

Cari membri e amici,

Il 13 Marzo alle 19:00 su Zoom siamo lieti di presentare direttamente da Milano Italia la scrittrice Chiara Pasqualetti. [Clicca qui] ‘Four Inspiring Italian Women of Yesterday and Today’.

We do hope you can join us for what will be a very interesting evening. This will be in English with Italian translation available.

The Italian guitar in the world - parole e musica.

Via Zoom

Il 13 febbraio alle 19:00 su Zoom siamo lieti di presentare direttamente dall’Italia il Maestro Giuseppe Maria Ficara che ci parlera’ della chitarra classica italiana nel mondo. [Clicca qui]

We do hope you can join us for what will be a very interesting evening. 
This will be mostly in Italian but English translation will be available. 

This Zoom is free to members.  Guests are welcome upon payment of a small fee.

Live Italian Cookery demonstration from Tuscany via Zoom.

Recipes provided after the event.

Cari membri e amici, 

Cheltenham Italian Society e felicissima di presentare su Zoom il 9 gennaio 6.45pm entry 7pm start prompt.  

From Tuscany - Chef Franco Palandra (clicca qui). 

Franco will be cooking traditional food of the season including: Risotto al Parmigiano, Beetroot cooked in different ways and which can accompany the Risotto, Duck (usually Guinea fowl in Tuscany) with a rich gravy and finally what to do with our left over Panettone!

La presentazione durera circa 60-90 minuti.  La presentazione sarà in inglese e italiano.

Members Free, Visitors can pay an 'attendance' fee.

Your Zoom link will be sent on Monday 9th January.

NB : Monday 12th December 2022 - Cancelled

Rescheduled to the 19th

Face to face St Andrews Main Hall.

Cari membri e amici della Cheltenham Italian Society. 

Per il nostro incontro natalizio di lunedì 12 dicembre siamo molto lieti di presentare due eventi interessanti. In primo luogo, una dimostrazione di tartine natalizie della Patissiere Chiara Guidi, mentre le sue tartine stanno cucinando Regina Wynn ci sfiderà all nostra fede in Babbo Natale! (clicca qui).

There will also be refreshments and nibbles and we will be holding another Xmas raffle.

We do hope you will be able to join us on Monday 12th December, doors open and 6.45 with the first presentation to start at 7.15.

Anne Doveston
Secretary Cheltenham Italian Society

Biography:

Dr. Christian O’Connell is Academic Course Leader in History, and Senior Lecturer in American history at the University of Gloucestershire.

His teaching centres on American and African/American social and cultural history from the revolutionary era to Black Power.  His research examines the ways in which American culture, such as the blues, has travelled and shaped societies and cultures beyond the nation’s borders.  His most recent publication was an article entitled ‘A Roman Holiday?  African Americans and Italians in the Second World War,’ which was published in History: the Journal of the Historical Association in December 2021. 
Christian has dual British-Italian citizenship. 

He lived in Abruzzo until he was nine years old near Vasto in the province of Chieti.  He also spent three years teaching English in Rome and Arezzo between 2006-2009.  He frequently returns to Italy to visit family and friends.

This presentation:

Is based on the experiences of African American GI’s during WWII.  They played a pivotal role in shaping American race relations in the post-war era.  Contributing to the ‘Good War’ helped to foster ‘a new militancy and sense of self-worth’ that were critical to social change and the political activism of the Civil Rights Movement.  Encounters with Europeans were a critical component of this experience.  African Americans were ‘exhilarated by the freedom, respect and fair treatment’ they received across Europe, particularly in the UK, France and Germany.  These experiences underscored the contradictions of serving in a segregated army to fight for freedom abroad.

The Italian campaign (1943-45) provides a fascinating and under explored opportunity to examine the nature and significance of these social encounters.  It saw one of the largest concentrations of African Americans in Europe, including the ‘Buffalo’ soldiers of the 92nd Division and the ‘Tuskegee Airmen,’ some of the few black combat units in WWII.  They were welcomed as liberators, praised by the Pope for their conduct and given awards by the last King of Italy.  They also took part in public ceremonies, such as the return of Columbus ashes to the city of Genoa at the end of the war.  These responses point to the wider impact of the African American presence in Italy. 

Many veterans returned to Italy years and decades after the conflict on both personal holidays and in official ceremonies of remembrance, highlighting the legacies of these wartime encounters.

In this talk, he will discuss the ways in GI’s consciously formed and maintained meaningful relationships with Italian civilians by generously sharing resources, befriending families, and learning the language, despite the challenges of a uniquely complex context which included discrimination in the military, Italy’s ambiguous enemy-ally status, and Nazi- Fascist propaganda. 

It will also cover some of the issues that highlight the complex nature of race relations during the war, such as the controversial issue of children born from relations between GI’s and Italian women (‘brown babies’), as well as the frequent appearance of African American GIs in post-war Italian neorealist film, literature, and music.

Cheltenham Italian Society looks forward to seeing you on Monday 14th November.

Dante and Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Italian and English

Face to face St Andrews Church Garden Room

We are very much looking forward to this presentation and we hope you are able to enjoy it with us too at St Andrews Church Montpellier at 7pm 10th October.

Biography and Presentation information Paolo De Ventura

Paolo De Ventura è stato allievo di Luca Serianni alla Sapienza e di Lino Pertile ad Harvard, dove ha studiato e insegnato per dieci anni.

Dal 2004 è un Assistant Professor all’università di Birmingham.

Si è occupato di Dante, e dal suo primo libro (Dramma e dialogo nella Commedia di Dante, Liguori 2007) ha studiato in particolare gli aspetti performativi presenti nella lingua, nelle allusioni musicali e nell’allegoria trasformativa o anagogica del poema dantesco, un poema che ama chiamare con il suo titolo originario: non Divina Commedia, o Commedia, ma Commedia di Dante. Sui Rossetti ha pubblicato l’edizione italiana del primo companion to Dante scritto in inglese, il volume A Shadow of Dante della dimenticata sorella maggiore dei Rossetti, suor Maria.

Recentemente ha pubblicato una monografia su Dante Gabriel Rossetti, intitolata La leggenda di Rossetti e la voce di Dante.

Paolo De Ventura had the privilege to study with maestri such as Luca Serianni at Sapienza and Lino Pertile at Harvard, where he studied and taught for ten years. Since 2004 he has been an Assistant Professor at the University of Birmingham.

One of his main areas of interest is Dante and his first book was Drama and Dialogue in Dante’s Comedy, (Liguori 2007).

In particular he has studied the performative aspects present in the language, in the musical allusions and in the transformative or anagogical allegory of Dante's poem, a poem which he likes to call with its original title: not Divine Comedy, or Commedia, but Dante's Comedy.

As far as the Rossettis are concerned Professor De Ventura has published the Italian edition of the first companion to Dante written in English, A Shadow of Dante by Rossetti's forgotten older sister, Sister Maria.

He recently published a monograph on Dante Gabriel Rossetti, entitled The legend of Rossetti and the voice of Dante.

Dante e Dante Gabriel Rossetti: magia e leggenda

Questo discorso riguarda un artista che visse in una Tudor House della famiglia reale, con un giardino di un acro abitato dagli animali esotici più strani, che ai pochi fortunati cui veniva concesso di varcare la soglia di quella casa si presentava con un mantello scuro di una foggia d’altri tempi, che preferiva girare le strade di Londra soltanto di notte, e che visse i suoi ultimi anni come un eremita, è del tutto normale che circolassero voci e dicerie.

Era un pittore che non esponeva e un poeta che non pubblicava.

Ma per il grande pubblico ad essere poetica era già la storia “segreta” di quel volume manoscritto, romanticamente sepolto nella bara della moglie per restare accanto a lei per l’eternità.

Ma in una missione notturna il volume venne riesumato, e tutti potevano finalmente leggere quei versi per venire affascinati da una musica nuova, ipnotizzati da un ritmo arcano e soave che contrastava con le tante immagini misteriose, mortuarie e francamente sinistre.

Nasceva così come racconto orale, e si consolidava poi negli scritti biografici, una vera e propria Rossetti Legend, la leggenda di un poeta dall’accento strano e con un nome italiano, il nome di un grande poeta medievale.

Era come se nei suoi versi si sentisse una voce di altri tempi e di un’altra lingua: la voce di Dante.

Dante and Dante Gabriel Rossetti: “a legendary, magic relation”

This talk is about Rossetti, an artist who lived in a Tudor House belonging to the royal family, with a one-acre garden inhabited by the strangest exotic animals.

To the lucky few who were allowed to cross the threshold of that house, he presented himself in a dark, old fashioned cloak.

He preferred to wander the streets of London only at night, and lived his last years as a hermit.

It is quite normal, therefore, for rumours and hearsay to circulate about him.

He was a painter who did not exhibit, and a poet who did not publish.

But for the general public what was really poetic was the “secret” story of the manuscript romantically buried in his wife’s coffin and meant to remain beside her for eternity.

In a nocturnal mission the volume was exhumed and everyone could finally read those lines, could be fascinated by a new music, hypnotised by an arcane and sweet rhythm that contrasted with the many mysterious, deathly and frankly sinister images.

A real Rossetti Legend was born as an oral story and was then consolidated in the biographical writings, the legend of a poet with a strange accent and with an Italian name and the name of a great medieval poet.

It was, as if, in his verses you could hear a voice of another time and of another language: the voice of Dante.

____________________________________

Date now Sunday 18th September

OUR TRADITIONAL MEAL TOGETHER

An opportunity to meet other members and visitors of the Cheltenham Italian Society and to enjoy a meal together before the start of the new season.

* * *

Cari tutti, amici e membri

Our menu for Bosco Pizzeria on Sunday the 18th has been emailed.

Fabio and Guiseppe are Italian staff at the restaurant and are intrigued and delighted to know there is an Italian Society and look forward to seeing us.

It is not too late to book and bookings can be taken apparently up until 3 days before we arrive. Please book with me for this on anne.doveston@gmail.com or Text /Tel 07388362175

For those of you who have told me you are coming please can you let me know as far as you can what main course you would like and  state if you would like a starter and dessert. The staff would just like to make sure they have everything in place for us. Please note there is also a prefix menu if you prefer this.

Auguri
Anne Doveston Secretary Cheltenham Italian Society

At 7:00 pm

Details have been sent by email (or letter).

Cari Soci e amici della Cheltenham Italian Society. 

Il nostro ultimo incontro della 63a Stagione e` lunedì 9 maggio, 19:00 alle 20.45.
Ci incontreremo per un buffet con rinfresco e occasione di socializzazione. Ci sarai una lotteria con premi interessanti e un breve questionario (clicca qui per vedere) per aiutarci a pianificare gli eventi della prossima stagione.

For those who would like to bring items towards the buffet, you are welcome to do so, but do not feel you must.
 

Speriamo che tu possa farcela lunedì e non vediamo  l’ora di vederti.
 

Anne Doveston 
Secretary Cheltenham Italian Society 

Non Solo Pasta an Italian family who have a deli / restaurant who have offered to do a Limoncello demonstration and tasting. It will be in the Garden room at St Andrews Church.

Cari membri e amici,

Cheltenham Italian Society è lieta di presentarvi lunedì 11 Aprile alle ore 19 una demonstrazione di limoncello e opportunità di parlare con Clara Cardillo, Non Solo Pasta [cliccate qui]

Ci saranno degustazioni gratuite di limoncello con biscotti per coloro che desiderano partecipare, e al termine, la possibilità di acquistare limoncello e biscotti.

We do hope you can come and socialise with us, and look forward to seeing you there. Our meeting will take place at St Andrews Church, Montpellier, Cheltenham in the Garden Room.

Growing up in Rome

Hello everybody!

I am going to share with you some of my dearest memories.

It is like browsing through a photograph album following the first years of my life.

I was born ten years after the end of the Second World War in the outskirts of Rome.

Life was not easy during those times and my family like many other families often struggled to make ends meet, but we were content with what we had….

There will be refreshments and a chance to socialise.

 

Further details will be published here and by email (or letter) later.

Further details will be published here and by email (or letter) later.

Lucio Fulci - The Italian Godfather of Gore ... the true life of the man behind the camera

Further details will be published here and by email (or letter) later.

At St Andrews Church Hall Montpellier

All about Italian pasta and noci includes a live demonstration.

There will also be drinks and food.

Further details will be published here and by email (or letter) later.

19:00 (7 pm) to 20:30 (8:30 pm)

Sergio Tomasetto will be talking to us about Gabriele D'Annunzio: fascist bard or compulsive narcissist’.

An overview of the life of the flamboyant Italian poet, considered by many the usher of Italian Fascism.
 

As usual we will send out more information and the Zoom link nearer the time by email (or letter).

***

Cari Amici e Soci

La Società Italiana di Cheltenham (CIS) è felicissima di presentare su Zoom Novembre 8 alle ore 19:00 un discorso da Sergio Tomasetto sul tema di 'Gabriele D’Annunzio: fascist bard or compulsive narcissist' – an overview of the life of the flamboyant Italian poet, considered by many the usher of Italian Fascism. 

Sergio wished to change his previous title of Roman Coins and keep this for a further presentation and feels excited to be able to present this Poet to us first, in both English and Italian. Here is a link to his biography.

Incidentally, we hold a book in our library  entitled ‘The Pike’ by Lucy Hughes-Hallett; it was the winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize in 2013.  She describes Gabriele d’Annunzio as “poet, seducer and preacher of war”.

La conferenza durerà circa 40 min e l’invito Zoom sarà inviato da Anne Doveston, la nostra segretaria.

‘The Other Michelangelo’  - A Brief Introduction

Cari membri ed amici,

We are pleased to share with you our presentation information for our next face to face meeting at St. Andrews Church, Montpellier 7pm Monday 11th October. 

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was a 16th Century rake, rabble-rouser, lover of both women and men, protégé of Cardinals and painter of some of the finest art ever seen that still has the power to take one’s breath away 400 years after his death at the age of only 38yrs.

In this fully illustrated talk, Revd Ian Cooper will guide us through his art, his loves and his restless life revealed through many of his great paintings.

Ian Cooper - Brief Introduction

Revd Ian Cooper MTh studied Theology at Exeter University and Biblical Studies at Kings College, London. He served as a parish priest for 35 years, mostly in Hertfordshire and Wiltshire before his retirement in 2013. In recent years he trained Readers and Lay people in the Diocese of Salisbury and is has been a tutor for the West of England Ministerial Training Course. He lives with his wife Sandy in Stroud

Details will be published here and by email (or letter) later.

OUR TRADITIONAL MEAL TOGETHER

An opportunity to meet other members and visitors of the Cheltenham Italian Society and to enjoy a meal together before the start of the new season.

Further details have been sent by email or letter to our contacts.

* * *

Cari membri e amici,
 
We are pleased to be able to give you details about our annual CIS meal (pranzo this time, not cena).

Pranzo at Caffè e Vino
Church Rd, Tewksbury, GL20 5RX
Sunday 19th September. Arrive 1pm to
1.30pm for a welcome drink.

Food will be served at 2pm.

There will be a selection of food to chose from starting with an antipasti sharing platter followed by a selection of main courses:

> Orecchiette Terra e Fumo - fresh pasta tossed with cherry tomato sauce, melted smoked scamorza and aubergines.

> Cannelloni Ricotta e Spinaci - creamy ricotta cheese blended with spinach, wrapped in a green pasta topped with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese served with garlic bread.

> Spaghetti alle Vongole - spaghetti with clams,garlic, parsley and a touch of chilli.

> Salsiccia, Friarielli e Patate - traditional
Luganega sausage, pan-fried with wine vinegar, rosemary and black pepper, served with Friarielli and roasted potatoes.

> Also, Lasagne alla bolognese and Parmigiana di Melanzane.

There will also be a choice of desserts:

> Tiramisù,

> Affogato al Limoncello,

> Gelato o sorbetto.

We do hope you will be able to join us, the food is very good and we have been given the Caffe to ourselves for the afternoon.

Caffè e Vino is easily accessible by car, taxi or bus (no 41 Boots corner).

Price per person is £30.

Please let us know by 20th August if you are able to attend so that we might give numbers to the caffe management team.

Reply: Anne Doveston, Secretary CIS

anne.doveston@gmail.com

A musical evening with Peter Longworth.

For this evening we are hoping for warm weather and a venue outside if, at all, this is possible.

***

Cari Amici e Soci, 

La Società Italiana di Cheltenham (CIS) è felicissima di presentare su
Zoom l0 maggio alle ore 19.00 i nostri ultimi ospiti di questa stagione.
Il compositore Peter Longworth e colleghi [cliccate qui] ci porterà il poeta Giovanni Pascoli e la sua influenza sulla musica.
La conferenza durerà circa 60 min e sarà per lo più in inglese. L’invito Zoom sarà inviato da la nostra segretaria.

NB - The [cliccate qui] link downloads a PDF in English.

Cheltenham Italian Society is very pleased and excited to bring to you a talk with scholar Dr Cecilia Piantanida who will discuss the work of the Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli. Then composer Peter Longworth will explain the influence that Pascoli’s poetry has had on his music. This event will also feature a performance of Peter’s Pascoli-inspired work “In the Golden Sky the Swallows Turn” by violinist Emily Davis.
 

Dr Luca Paci enthralls and horrifies us with "La Storia Della Mafia" (via Zoom).

***

Dr Luca Paci PhD Dr Paci studied philosophy at Pavia University, obtained a PhD in Italian Studies from Swansea University and is a tutor of Italian Language at all levels at Cardiff University. He has taught classic and contemporary Italian Cinema, Italian cultural studies, postmodern Italian literature and translation. Luca was originally booked to meet us in 2020 but the pandemic changed all that, therefore, we are especially pleased to be able to welcome him to our Zoom meeting. In addition to his teaching, Luca is a translator, author and poet.

This is an event organised by the Cheltenham Arts Council and there is a £5 charge to 'attend'.

Details have been sent out to Members and contacts. 

Access from 10:45 am BST and the one hour talk starts at 11 am.

Art works, particularly bronze works recounted by Dr. Alan Pascuzzi.

Chef Franco Palandra and dottor Luzzi direct from Franco’s cookery school in Tuscany.

They will be offering us an online presentation of Tuscan food and wine.

***

Chef Franco Palandra Franco Palandra is a highly-accomplished and experienced Italian Chef, with a background in fine dining. His food combines classic Italian and Tuscan styles, which also recognise Mediterranean influences. Whilst most of his career has been in Italy, he has also worked as a chef in the UK and as Head Chef on cruise liners. He is well-used to running large and busy kitchens, and has extensive experience of teaching Italian cookery at a cookery school near Arezzo in Tuscany. He has written two cook books, and has particular interests in using locally-sourced seasonal ingredients. He is highly-regarded by his students, who value his knowledge and inspirational quality of his teaching.

***

Partecipate con noi a questo stimolante incontro Zoom

La dimostrazione durerà circa 40 minuti e l’invito verrà fatto da Anne Doveston la nostra segretaria.
 

***

Please remember to pay your membership fees or a visitor fee.

Dear Members and Friends,

In view of the latest news on the Coronavirus pandemic the Committee of the Italian Society has arranged monthly on-line events (virtual meetings). 

See "Programme" for full details.

Thank you for your support,

Corynna Jeudwine, Chair

HOWEVER

You can also look at our links to useful sites and learning on the Web and in an App.

Go to the Resources page.

STOP PRESS

SADLY BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS

THIS MEETING

IS CANCELLED

The AGM will be followed by a short talk by Christine Traversa in Italian and a sociable buffet

STOP PRESS

SADLY BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS

THIS MEETING

IS CANCELLED

Linda Farrar - Author and speaker

In English

STOP PRESS

SADLY BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS

THIS MEETING

IS CANCELLED

We hope to reschedule

***

Dr Luca Paci - Università di Pavia, Lecturer at Cardiff and Swansea Universities

In Italian

NB: 3rd Monday in the month to avoid race week.

*****

The Story of the Mafia, will, I’m sure, be fascinating - how such an organisation came into being and what steps the Italian authorities are taking to control it. Hope to see you on 16th March for an action packed evening.

*****

Dear Members and Friends,
 
Dr Paci studied philosophy at Pavia University, obtained a PhD in Italian Studies from Swansea University and is a tutor of Italian language at all levels at Cardiff University.  He has taught classic and contemporary Italian cinema, Italian cultural studies, postmodern Italian literature, and translation.  This is Luca’s first visit to us. 

In addition to his teaching, Luca is a translator, author and poet.  He has translated La Ragazza Carla by the renowned poet Elio Pagliarani (1927 – 2012) and has written essays on the philosopher, historian and politician Benedetto Croce; the actor, theatre and film director,  Carmelo Bene; and has translated and written introductions to the work of the Somalia-born author, Mrs Shirin Ramzanali Fazel.  He has published a poetry collection The Fine Line and took part in Poets on Pasolini for the British Film Institute.  Co-director of the Italian Cultural Centre Wales, he runs the annual Italian Film Festival Cardiff. Currently he is working on an anthology of contemporary Italian poets living in the UK and on a collection of essays on cultural responses to the politics of hatred in contemporary Italy.

Luca will take questions in Italian or English at the end of his illustrated presentation.

Dr Lidia Lonergan - Reader in Geotectonics, Imperial College

In English

We are now halfway through this year's programme and I hope you have been enjoying the very varied subjects that have been discussed so far.  Our next topic I’m sure won’t disappoint as Dr Lidia Lonergan will tell us about upheavals in Italy, this time of a geological nature, in her talk (in English) on The Role of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonic Plates.  I hope you will be able to join us for an earth shattering evening!  We look forward to welcoming you with wine and nibbles.

Best wishes,
Corynna Jeudwine
Chair

To hear a vey similar talk go to https://youtu.be/0s1L-3snM94

Professoressa Giuliana Pieri - Dott. Lett. Pavia; MA Kent DPhil Oxon, Royal Holloway, University of London.

In English and Italian.

* * *

Dear Members and Friends,
 
We welcome a speaker new to the Society: Professoressa Giuliana Pieri.  Giuliana was born and brought up in Milan and studied at the university of Pavia, attaining Dott.Lett; then came to the University of Kent at Canterbury during her year abroad and decided to stay on  there to do an MA in the History and Theory of Art. Subsequently she moved to Oxford to teach Italian language and embarked on a PhD.  Her first lectureship was at the University of Cardiff and after that, she moved to Royal Holloway in 2000 where she is Professor of Italian and the Visual Arts.  She has published widely on 19th and 20th-century visual culture, cultural history and popular literature; has curated exhibitions at the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art (which is located in Canonbury Square, London and well worth a visit); is  editor of several learned journals and is Principal Investigator of the research project 'Interdisciplinary Italy 1900-2020:  Interart/Intermedia'.     Giuliana and her English husband have two children and they live in central London. Despite her somewhat daunting programme she has found time to send us this outline of her  talk:  
 
“It is widely accepted that the cult of Mussolini was vital to the way Italian fascism became a regime and integrated the population into a system of regimented consensus that appeared solid until it was undermined by the setbacks of WWII. The cult involved the weaving of narratives of exceptionality around the figure of Mussolini, the consolidation of these in collective rituals, and the reorganisation of public spaces. The public projection of the image of Mussolini through press, photography, film, painting, sculpture and posters was central to the success of the regime, and points to centrality of the arts in the propaganda strategy of the regime. In this talk, we will explore the close but much debated link between Fascism and Italian art, and the role played by the fine arts in particular in fostering the regime and supporting its leader.”   NB: the body of the talk will be in English and the source material in Italian.

* * *

Please note that photos for our website may be taken during the evening.  If you prefer not to appear, may we politely suggest you turn away.     
 
Light refreshments will be available after the talk, do stay and socialise if you can: it is rewarding to get to know other members and guests.
 
If you would like to come to this meeting but are not a member you may pay £3 on the door as a guest or, for students, £1.  

Maria Ursi Amesbury - Università di Bari Translator, and teacher of Italian in the UK and in Puglia.

In Italian

Dear Members and Friends,

This is a very busy time of the year for us all and our social diaries tend to be busier than usual.  I hope however that you will be able to join us on Monday 9th December to hear Maria Ursi Amesbury talk about the literature of the Puglia region of Italy.  This promises to be a fascinating talk and multi media event and to further tempt you along, we will be holding a raffle with a wonderful selection of Italian themed prizes (mostly edible!).  I do hope you will be able to join us for our last event of 2019.

In future please be aware that we may take photos of the event in order to promote the Society. If we don’t hear from you we will assume that you are happy with this. Should you not agree to having your photo on our website, please opt out via our contact form.

On behalf of the committee may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Festive Season and we will look forward to welcoming you to more events in 2020. 

Corynna Jeudwine
Chairman

Paolo Detassis - Università di Bologna

In Italian

Dear Members and Friends,

We welcome back once more a very popular speaker, Paolo Detassis, to give us the second half of the talk about his home region. Many of you will recall that on his last visit in February 2018 we heard about the early peoples, the impact of the Romans, the Middle Ages - and were fascinated to learn about the importance of silk manufacturing in Trentino, introduced by La Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia at the height of its power, when it ruled over the lands from Venice to Bergamo including part of Trentino.

Paolo says: " In questa conferenza ho volutamente omesso di descrivere le bellezze naturali di questo incantevole angolo dell'Italia settentrionale: l'ufficio turistico della PAT (Provincia Autonoma di Trento) é assai piú bravo di me. Ho invece tentato di raccontare, per sommi capi, la storia di Trento e del Trentino dalle origini ai giorni nostri: si tratta della storia di due popolazioni, una italofona, l'altra germanofona, aventi culture profondamente diverse. L'una fino al 1919 fu minoranza di lingua italiana nell'impero austro-ungarico, spesso in conflitto con il dominio "coloniale" austriaco. L' altra, minoranza di lingua tedesca nello stato italiano a partire dal 1919, vede se stessa come parte integrante del popolo austriaco, crede nel mito dell' "Austria Felix", e recrimina il fatto di essere parte di uno stato diverso dall' Austria…

In effetti l'Italia viene riconosciuta come un paese all'avanguardia per quanto riguarda i diritti delle minoranze linguistiche. Dagli anni 70 la minoranza di lingua tedesca in Trentino gode di una autonomia eccezionale, unica al mondo.“

Paolo will include a little of his family history to illustrate the dichotomous conflict of the past. Although he is not going to speak about the region as a tourist destination, all those of us who holiday there know that it is wonderful. Beautiful towns and cities, pretty villages, stunning mountains, sparkling lakes - and the opportunity to practise one’s Italian and German whilst skiing or whatever.

After the talk, time permitting, Paolo will take questions in Italian or English. We will serve wine at £2 a glass and soft drinks at 50p a glass and some cakes alla Trentina: torta di mele, torta di castagne, torta di polenta Valsugana – the polenta in yellow boxes we buy in supermarkets comes from this very fertile valley in Trentino.

**********

If you would like to come to this meeting but are not a member you may pay £3 on the door as a guest or, for students, £1.

Dr Paul Roberts - Head of Department of Antiquities and curator of this exhibition at the  Ashmolean, Oxford on the Last Supper in Pompei.

In  English.

Dear Members and Friends,
 
We hope you will join us for our first meeting of the new season when we welcome Dr Roberts back to CIS once again.  
 
Paul studied at the Universities of Cambridge, Sheffield and Oxford and at the British School at Rome.  He took part in excavations of the Roman Villa at Matrice (Molise) and at Monte Gelato (Lazio).  After several years in Italy he joined the British Museum becoming  Senior  Curator and head of the Roman collection there.  Many of you will remember his brilliant lecture for us in 2014 about the British Museum exhibition he curated 'Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum'.  He moved from the British Museum to the Ashmolean in 2015 and curated an exhibition 'Storms, Wars, and Shipwrecks:Treasures from the Sicilian Seas' and again came to talk to CIS.  
 
The current exhibition, which runs until 12 January, has had five-star reviews in the press, and everyone who has already seen it has been blown away by the  beauty of many of the exhibits and by the amazing variety – they range from the luxury furnishings of the Roman dining room, to the carbonised food that was on the table when the volcano erupted.  Many of these have never before left Italy.  
 
Wine and soft drinks will be served before and after the lecture so you may sip whilst you listen. Afterwards, for this rather special occasion, the drinks will be accompanied by antipasti. Wine is £1.50 and soft drinks 50p.  Guests are always very welcome to attend our meetings, the charge is £3 and for students £1.  It is really helpful if you have the correct change!   
 
This promises to be a very exciting start to this year’s programme and we’ll look forward to seeing you there.
 

LA TRADIZIONALE CENA ANNUALE

An opportunity to meet other members and visitors of the Cheltenham Italian Society and to enjoy a meal together before the start of the new season.

Menu choices and prices (together with booking arrangements) will be published here and by email (or letter) later.

* * *

PDF of Menu and Replies.

Venue: 

Caffe e Vino  89 Church Street, Tewkesbury. GL20 5RX   This is Davide Ventola’s newly-refurbished Italian Restaurant.   We will start with a welcome drink at 6-6.30   Do feel free to invite partners/friends.
 
Parking:

St Mary’s Car Park is near the river behind the restaurant. Rails Meadow car park on Howells road, and Oldbury car park on Oldbury road.  Also a bus service from Cheltenham 41 or 42 Clarence St.       
 
Price: 

£25 This includes:     selezione antipasti;    primo piatto: one choice of: pappardelle alla bolognese, spaghetti    all’amatriciana, rigatoni alla sorrentina (veg)    dolce: Tiramisu o gelato
 
Allergies:

Write these on your booking slip beside your choices.  
 
Drinks:

Welcome drink only included.    Wines or other drinks to be purchased.
 
Booking:

Please book using the slip below as soon as possible preferably by 20th September so that we can return numbers to Davide.

Please write menu choices for you, your partner or your friends. 

The full amount paid by faster payment to:

Cheltenham Italian Society,  account 03640093 bank code 30 93 48. Please advise the Hon Treasurer (andrew [at] piggott.eu) by email, or by cheque mailed to Hon Treasurer, Cheltenham Italian Society, 10 Station Close, Cheltenham. GL53 0AB [Members may wish to also enclose a cheque for £12 for their sub renewal]
 
Queries: Anne on 01242 245229 or  Jo on 01242 245349 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NAME
NAME
 
CIRCLE OR TICK YOUR CHOICE please note any allergies.
 
SECONDI

pappardelle alla bolognese, 

spaghetti all’amatriciana, 

rigatoni alla sorrentina (veg)
 
DOLCI       

Tiramisu                             

Gelato

* * *

At Parmoor House in English

The Assemblea Generale Annuale (AGM) will be followed by a short talk in Italian by

Sergio Tomasetto talking about "Italy between WW1 and Mussolini"

and then a sociable buffet.

(Please obtain a free ticket in advance from our Membership Secretary, John Sheppard).

At Chapel Arts in Italian

At Chapel Arts

Documentary Film about the famous Ferrari firm - in English and Italian.

Ferrari: Race to Immortality

(2017 91mins)

This documentary, created from spectacular archive footage by British director Daryl Goodrich, is the story of the Scuderia Ferrari, the racing division of the eponymous luxury car manufacturer.  The team was founded by Enzo Ferrari in Modena (Emilia Romagna) where he was born and died.  His youth was impoverished and tragic: he became driven by compulsive ambition and an obsessive passion to succeed.  This he achieved: the Scuderia Ferrari is the oldest and most successful Formula 1 team; and Ferrari is still manufacturing top end sports cars.

Whilst Ferrari’s presence dominates, in this film he remains a shadowy, dictatorial figure.  Rather, it focuses on his racing drivers in the 1950s: when not driving the gorgeous but deadly red Ferraris, they lived la dolce vita - parties in glamourous settings surrounded by adoring, beautiful women.  In the team were two British racing drivers, Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins.  Their style was pure matinée idol: handsome, charming, chivalrous – and absurdly courageous.

‘Win or die, you will be immortal,’ Enzo Ferrari told his drivers in the Scuderia.

The film is mainly in English with some Italian, which is subtitled in English.  Be warned: it races along in both languages.

I am no petrolhead, but I was totally gripped by this film.  Perhaps because it took me back to days spent at Silverstone in the early 60s…

Jo

At Chapel Arts in Italian

Discovering the beautiful region of Emilia-Romagna with a special focus on Rimini, one of the colony founded by the Ancient Romans whose influence is nowadays present in many monuments that adorned and make the city a gem of the Adriatic coast as well as one of the many must see cities of Italy.

Rimini, una delle più affascinanti colonie fondate dai Romani, la cui influenza traspare nei tanti monumenti che la caratterizzano, rendendola una vera punta di diamante della costa Adriatica, oltre ad una delle più belle città d'Italia.

At Chapel Arts in Italian and English

At Chapel Arts in English

Penny McCracken, our current Chair, will look at the stages of marriage between middle and upper class families mainly in Tuscany, which are seen in paintings.  She will look at aspects including the symbolism of jewels, the detail of dowries and the ways in which they were negotiated and furnishing the marital home.  This will be a well-illustrated talk in English
 

At Chapel Arts.

NB This event is on a Wednesday and is open to the public.

In his lectures, musician and scholar Peter Medhurst links the world of music with the visual arts, and in addition to digital and video graphics, performs live vocal and keyboard music to complement the theme of the talk.

He will explain what made Venice so exceptional and how the life of the city influenced its music. We will hear about important Baroque composers and their operas and why opera was and is so important to the Venetians. The evening will be very enjoyable, interesting and informative.

Venue: The Chapel Arts, Cheltenham

Date: Wednesday, 14 November 2018 at 7.30pm

Tickets: £10 to include a glass of wine or juice

To buy your tickets, please send a SAE with cheque made out to Cheltenham Italian Society to:

Andrew Piggott, 10 Station Close, Leckhampton, Cheltenham GL53 0AB or
Email andrew [at] piggott.eu (changing the [at] for the ususal symbol) for BACS details.

At Parmoor House in Italian

Luana Carrer, our Chair from 2000 to 2015, will tell us about the produce and cookery of her home region, the Veneto.
 
The evening will please those with Italian and those without as Luana speaks very clearly and it is easy to follow her.  She is also a passionate cook.  After the talk there will be several cheeses to try, together with dips served with polenta or bread. And as we always do at our first meeting we will be serving wine and fruit juice.  

"La vera cucina italiana è stata, da sempre, locale e a carattere regionale. Nonostante le differenze tra una località e l’altra, un elemento è certamente comune: la semplicità dei piatti, e la qualità dei prodotti locali, perché quello che più importa per il popolo e gli agricoltori è utilizzare i frutti dei loro raccolti.”

Luana Carrer, who was our Chair for 15 years, will speak about the produce and cookery of the seven provinces of her home region of Veneto.  Luana will be in her home province, Venezia, in early October and will do a little shopping for us: her talk will be followed by samples of dishes prepared by Luana.  A glass of the beloved bubbly of the Veneto, Prosecco, may (for a small charge of £2) be sipped during the talk or enjoyed afterwards.  

At Primavera Ristorante, 7 Montpellier Terrace, Cheltenham at 6:30 for 7 pm

Price: 2 courses £19.00 3 courses £22.00 (this includes a tip).

Booking: Please book by the 24th August using the booking form sent to members and friends (with the menu) and send it with a cheque for the total amount, made payable to Cheltenham Italian Society, to Andrew Piggott, 10 Station Close, Leckhampton, Cheltenham GL53 0AB or contact Andrew directly - see below.

Guests are welcome and should contact Andrew for further information:
Email andrew [at] piggott.eu (changing the [at] for the ususal symbol) or
phone 01242 574224.

Menu:

STARTERS

BRUSCHETTA DI POMODORI – Mix of tomatoes, herbs and garlic on toasted ciabatta bread

PROSCIUTTO CON MELONE – San Daniele prosciutto served with honey melon

BIANCHETTI FRITTI – Crispy whitebait coated in bread crumbs served with tartar sauce and lemon

MELANZANE AL FORNO (V) – Aubergine cooked in tomato sauce topped with fresh mozzarella

COZZE – Mussels steamed in white wine with a creamy sauce, garlic and capers, served with bread

CANNELLONI DI CARNE – Meat filled pasta tubes cooked in tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella.

MAIN COURSES

SEA BASS FILLETED – Pan fried fillet of sea bass served with tomato concasse, creamy sauce, lemon, roasted new potatoes with garlic and salad garnish.

MAIALE CON FUNGHI – Pork loin chargrilled, served with creamy mushrooms, salad garnish and roasted new potatoes.

POLLO AL DOLCELATTE – Chicken breast with leeks and dolcelatte cheese, cooked in a creamy white wine sauce, served with roasted new potatoes with garlic.

LASAGNE – Layers of pasta with beef ragu, béchamel sauce, tomatoes and topped with scamorza (smoked mozzarella).

TORTELLONI PRIMAVERA (V) – Italian pocket shaped pasta filled with cow milk ricotta mixed with peas and mint, cooked with courgettes, peas and vegetarian parmesan.

RISOTTO CON POLLO E FUNGHI – Arborio rice cooked with chicken breast and a mix of mushrooms, garlic, parmesan and finished with rocket.

PENNE PUTTANESCA – Penne pasta cooked in a light tomato sauce with chili, garlic, capers, anchovies, olives, cherry tomatoes, basil, finished with parmesan shavings.

SPAGHETTI ALLA NORMA (V) – Spaghetti cooked in a rich tomato sauce with aubergine, garlic, chili and basil, finished with fresh mozzarella.

DESSERTS

TIRAMISU – Our famous homemade tiramisu with Tia Maria liqueur, champagne biscuits, mascarpone cheese, finished with a dusting of dark chocolate.

PEAR AND CHOCOLATE TART – A favourite dessert of our regular guests

CHEESECAKE OF THE DAY

BANANA AL FORNO – Banana and sultanas cooked in marsala wine and cream, baked in the oven.

SELECTION OF ICE CREAMS

La mia vita - una conversazione con Jane e Jo.

Followed by Serata sociale di fine stagione e buffet.

In Italian and English

With some musical references.

In English

A local archaeologist and who specialises in Roman coins, talked on "Every Roman Coin Tells A Story".

He has spoken at Corinium Museum and the Chedworth Roman Villa. 

Due to unforeseen circumstances the talk on "Caravaggio ed i suoi autoritratti" by Dr Laura Rorato - Senior Lecturer, University of Hull was postponed.

NB Moved to the 3rd Monday.

Università di Bologna

In Italian

An assessment in view of the general elections.

Writer, consultant, former editor of The Economist. 

TV doc 'Girlfriend in a coma'

In English with some Italian

NB Moved to the 3rd Monday.

Former Chair of CIS

Formerly Trinity College Dublin.

Dr Fabrizio di Maio is from Birmingham University

The new season started in September with an informal Cena Inizio Stagione

At Ristorante Primavera, 7 Montpellier Terrace on Monday 4th September from 6:30 for 7 pm TBC, costing £16.95 for two courses and 19.95 for three courses.

Contact was to John Sheppard to book

 

Serata sociale di fine stagione con conferenza  e buffet