Panoram Italia Toronto Dec 2013 / Jan 2014

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THE ITALIAN-CANADIAN MAGAZINE MAILED TO HOMES & BUSINESSES IN THE GREATER TORONTO AREA

THE NEW EMERGING ITALIANS

BOLD & BEAUTIFUL BOLZANO

CHRISTMAS

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BUON NATALE COVER: ALBERTO DI GIOVANNI ONE OF US • UNO DI NOI DEC. 2013 / JAN. 2014 • VOL.3 • NO.6

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2013 Please submit your baby’s picture online at www.panoramitalia.com by clicking on ‘Magazine’ followed by ‘Babies of the Year,’ or by mail, and include the child’s and parents’ names along with the date of birth.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEC. 2013 / JAN. 2014 Volume 3 Number 6

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

EXECUTIVE EDITORIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Tony Zara

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Filippo Salvatore

LIFE & PEOPLE Cover Story: Alberto Di Giovanni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

EDITORIAL

Peace Through Valour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Remembering our First Christmas in Canada . . . . . . . . . . 16 Righting the Costa Concordia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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Holocaust Survivor Enzo Camerino’s Story . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Future Leader: Justin Scaini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Aldo Cundari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Adam Zara MONTREAL WEB MANAGER MANAGING EDITOR Gabriel Riel-Salvatore Gabriel Riel-Salvatore TORONTO MANAGING EDITOR Rita Simonetta

PROOFREADER Aurelie Ptito

FOOD Homemade Holiday Fun: Cookie Recipes . . . . . . . . . . 24-30 Il tacchino di Natale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

ART DEPARTMENT ART DIRECTION David Ferreira

PHOTOGRAPHY Gregory Varano Michel Ostaszewski

GRAPHIC DESIGN David Ferreira

MAKEUP Desi Varano

FASHION Woven Wonders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

BOLZANO

ADVERTISING VICE PRESIDENT – MARKETING & SALES TORONTO Earl Weiner

ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE David De Marco

A city at the heart of the Alps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 La città bilingue delle Alpi italiane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Scenic Rail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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Bold and Beautiful Bolzano Cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Celebrate Christmas in Bolzano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 I vini “eroici” dell’Alto Adige . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Alto Adige, una fabbrica di campioni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

CONTRIBUTORS Alessia Sara Domanico • Vanessa Santilli • Fabio Forlano • Valérie Vézina Claudio Ortu • Rosanna Bonura • Daniela DiStefano • Stephanie Grella Amanda Fulginiti • Sarah Mastroianni • Laura D’Amelio Claudia Prestigiacomo • Anna Ferrari • Italo Camerino • Ida Fanzolato Paolo Patrito • Mariella Policheni • Francesca Spizzirri • Gaia Massai Dante Di Iulio

ARTS & CULTURE Il presepe napoletano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Franco Battiato in Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Marco Sassano Celebrates the Creative Life . . . . . . . . . . 54

NEWLYWEDS

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Love and Marriage, Italian Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Newlyweds of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Distribution par / by

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EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Publications Mail Agreement #40981004

SPORTS The Resurgence of AS Roma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Three Great Ways to Actively Participate With Panoram Italia Join our Panoram Italia 2014 Treasures of Italy Tour Basking in the amazing success of our 2013 Panoram Italia Treasures of Italy Tour, we are very excited about our upcoming 2014 trips.

Next year, we are organizing two tours in order to give you a second choice of dates. The first departure is June 27, 2014, and the second is September 5, 2014. We believe that these two dates will accommodate the vast majority of travellers that wish to visit the “bel paese.”

not only will you receive a three-year subscription (18 issues), in the comfort of your home or office, but you will also take advantage of these great “rewards,” which will more than pay for your subscription. See page 7 for details.

In addition, you will be eligible to WIN two spots on next year’s upcoming Panoram Italia Tour of Italy. Subscribing to our magazine is a great gift for yourself as well as your loved ones.

Share your newborn in our “Babies of the Year” edition Moms, dads, brothers, sisters, nonni and zii: if you’ve had the pleasure of welcoming a new, little bundle of joy to the family in the last year, why not publish your happy news in our magazine? All your family and friends will get a kick out of seeing his/her picture in our mag.

Every February, new additions to our community are introduced.

This is an annual tradition that is anxiously anticipated. More info is available on page 6.

Why travel to our homeland with Panoram Italia?

For one, we use only the most experienced operators to ensure an amazing experience.

Secondly, we have a proven itinerary, which will satisfy the first timer as well as the seasoned traveller. Thirdly, we use only 4-star hotels that provide excellent accommodations as well as great food. And last but not least, travelling with like-minded individuals, mostly Italian-Canadians, makes for a very friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

Simply put, you will feel as if you are accompanied by family.

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Please refer to page 55 for booking information.

Subscribe and receive Panoram Rewards worth over $150 Panoram Italia, along with its most trusted partners, is offering an amazing rewards program simply for subscribing to the magazine.

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Lastly, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones the best Christmas and holiday season ever, filled with love and happiness. Please do not forget the less fortunate in our midst by committing an act of charity toward our fellow man. God bless!

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EDITORIAL

By Filippo Salvatore

Francis I, a Pope From ‘the End of the Earth’ Who Is Renewing Christ’s Teachings Each year on December 25, over one billion people celebrate the birth of a carpenter’s son born in Nazareth two thousand years ago. Jesus was a revolutionary figure both in theological and historical terms. The Creator of the universe took the shape of a human body, out of love, to convey to humanity his message of affection, equality, social justice and spiritual rejuvenation.

fter two millennia of faith, the Catholic religion is now at a crucial crossroad.

Undergoing a crisis in its fundamental values, it is rapidly losing ground. It is now aiming on the renewed vision of Pope Francis I to lead the Church into the 21st century complex and fast-paced reality. Let us stop and ponder on the meaning of Christmas at the beginning of the third millennium in our secularized world, dominated by technology and consumerism.

In 2013, two significant events occurred in Rome: The abdication of German-born Joseph Ratzinger, known as Pope Benedict XVI, and the election of 76-year-old archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the first Jesuit named supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church. Francis I’s first public remarks generated wild cheers as he waved to the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square and referred to the people as his “brothers and sisters”. “You know that the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome,” he said adding, “it seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the Earth.”

His first speech, delivered in plain, accessible language set the tone for what is turning out to be a revolutionary papacy.

The new Pope has not shied away from controversy in his eight months at the helm of the Catholic Church. He has not hesitated to speak his mind on important social issues such as the abuses of the financial system, gay rights, contraception, divorce, the moral obligation to treat African illegal migrants humanely, chemical weapons used in the Syrian civil war, and Church corruption. The Pope is living up to his own admonition to ‘mess up the Church.’

In a 2012 speech, archibishop Bergoglio accused his fellow church officials of hypocrisy for forgetting that Jesus Christ bathed lepers and ate with prostitutes. Now leader of the Catholic Church, his frank statements often represent a departure both in tone and message from his predecessors. As a Jesuit intellectual, Pope Francis I has focused on social outreach, showing a keen political sensibility and a self-effacing humility. His statements and style have immediately made him a beloved figure to the young, the poor and underdogs worldwide. The huge crowds in Saint Peter’s Square that attend

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his Sunday mass, or during his triumphal trip to Brazil where he ventured on foot into Rio favelas, confirm it.

In the last few weeks, he made striking utterances against corruption and abuse of power. He has also brought about significant changes within the Roman Curia and to the Vatican’s Bank, long known for its shady, secret dealings and suspected for years of being a channel for the laundering of mob profits. Organized crime bosses who invest and recycle money are getting upset because they have prospered for years on the connivance of the Church. As a result, organized crime may be threatening the Pope’s life.

Last November, Reggio Calabria District Attorney Nicola Gratteri claimed in an interview with an Italian daily that the ‘Ndrangheta does not like the sobering mission undertaken by Pope Francis I because it would be damaging to the profits of their illegal dealings. Since the Pope is trying to dismantle centres of economic power ‘Ndrangheta bosses have been counting on for years, he said, they see him as a danger and they are irritated by his fight against luxury and his mission to rebuild the Church, serve the poor and lead a sober lifestyle.

Which begs the question: How relevant are, or ought to be, Jesus Christ’s teachings for each one of us in this day and age? The simple answer is very significant. Pope Francis I is living proof that being a real Christian means being a good human being, which in turn means standing for social justice and practicing brotherly love, rather than pursuing material gain out of greed.

After John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the present bishop of Rome and pontiff of the Catholic faith is an Italo-Argentine, who decided to name himself Francis I. A deliberate choice paying tribute to the beloved man from Assisi who brought about a renewal within the corrupt church of the 13th century. Jorge Mario Bergoglio also embodies the model for the son of poor Italian emigrants who went to ‘the end of the Earth’ for a better life.

Let us keep this in mind when we gather with our loved ones around the table and celebrate Christmas, the birth of a child that forever changed the notion of what it means to be a human being.

PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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COVER STORY

Alberto Di Giovanni An advocate for the Italian language

By Sarah Mastroianni Photography by Gregory Varano

Gone are the days that saw waves of Italian immigrants settle in Toronto, but the city’s Italian language and cultural programs remain alive and well. This is true partly thanks to one of Toronto’s own: Alberto Di Giovanni, the founder of Centro Scuola and a tireless advocate for the propagation of Italian language and culture in Canada. e’re quick to claim him as our own, but Di Giovanni originally hails from the small town of Roccamorice, Abruzzo. He immigrated to Canada in April 1963, after having completed high school and some seminary studies in Italy. “I did go through the usual experience of hardship,” he recalls of the beginning of his life in Toronto. “My first job was washing dishes in a spaghetti house, then I worked in a factory. I always considered those jobs temporary, to adjust to life in Canadian society. I always wanted to go back to university.”

And while he remembers that times were hard, Di Giovanni also tempers this by saying that although he faced some difficulties, “things were changing. We were already seeing a different Canada, involving newcomers more in the mainstream.”

Never one to give up on his dreams, Di Giovanni did go back to school. He attended St. Michael’s College, where he earned his Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1971, and went on to complete a Master of Arts degree in Italian Studies in 1973. St. Michael’s College is also where Di Giovanni met his wife, Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni, with whom he has three children.

It was during his time at St. Michael’s that he also met longtime friend Pal Di Iulio, current president of Villa Charities. The two crossed paths when Alberto got involved in the direction and production of different plays put on by the St. Michael’s Italian Club, which Di Iulio was a part of. “He [Di Giovanni] was a little older and brought an extra level of leadership to us. I can certainly call him a mentor,” says Di Iulio of his first interactions with Di Giovanni. “He’s intelligent, eloquent, has passion and he offered it to and shared it with the community.”

But it wasn’t just on stage that he played the role of leader and mentor; the 1970s saw Di Giovanni the visionary take on various leadership roles within the Italian community, not just in Toronto, but throughout Canada. He was propelled by the question, “How can we express pride in our heritage and at the same time pride in our new society?” and searched for a meaningful way to do just that.

In 1976, Di Giovanni founded Centro Scuola e Cultura Italiana, which is now housed in the Columbus Centre. It was, and still is, a place where children could take part in Italian language and culture classes. As he puts it, “It was very difficult, even from a financial point of view, but things improved every year.” As the school expanded, its mandate grew to also include a myriad of cultural activities, like sports and music, as well as classes for adults. “Having a sense of humour at times, helped,” says Di Giovanni. “That’s how we succeeded and how Centro Scuola became a beautiful story within the life of our community.”

But why all this emphasis on promoting Italian language and culture? “It wasn’t just nostalgia,” Di Giovanni explains, “but a vision that the more languages a person knew, the better. The more enriched his or her personality would be. I was convinced that it would help in developing a better and more profound culture in Canada.”

Around the same time, Di Giovanni also found himself leading the charge for the creation of the Heritage Languages Program, which would allow Italian, and subsequently other languages apart from English and French, to be taught during the day in

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schools where there was enough interest. After a long battle and a lot of convincing, eventually the Heritages Languages Program came to fruition.

Of course, Di Giovanni didn’t stop there. In the 1980s, in his position as director of the school, he organized a program through Centro Scuola that sent students to Italy for language courses during the summer; a program that continues to this day.

Along with teachers and various other chaperones, Di Giovanni accompanied many students to his native Abruzzo.

For Di Giovanni’s students, the power of these trips was transformative. “Some of these kids didn’t want to go to Italy, but what Alberto did was he took these same kids, took them to Italy […] taught them a little bit of Italian and encouraged a bit of integration. So when this young girl or guy came back, it was like wow, what an experience,” says Di Iulio, who took such a trip to Italy with Di Giovanni in 1970 and sent his own children to explore Italy with him as well.

“It was always a great experience,” says Di Giovanni fondly of his time spent among students. “When I retired, we estimated that I had brought 8,000 students to Italy for credit courses in Italian language and culture.”

Retirement turned out to be a long process for Di Giovanni, who became semi-retired from Centro Scuola at the end of 2011 and retired fully due to his age (68) and a few minor health issues, in September 2013. While his retirement was celebrated, he maintains that he “didn’t want a lot of fanfare.” “The important thing for me,” he continues, “was to say goodbye to the students.”

Certainly though, throughout the course of his distinguished career, Di Giovanni has received his share of fanfare and recognition; he was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 1977, was named Distinguished Educator of the Year in 1997 by OISE, was a recipient of the Italiani nel Mondo award in 2002, and named Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana in 2003, to name a few. Not to mention the library named in his honour at the Columbus Centre, which houses an impressive collection of Italian and Italian-Canadian literature and artwork.

What’s in store for him now? A man with his drive and passion surely isn’t planning on fading into obscurity during retirement. His new book, Italian Canadians: Citizenship and Nationality, will be published in both English and Italian in April 2014. Additionally, he’s looking forward to, as he always has, the Columbus Centre’s Mostra del Presepe (nativity scene exhibit), which will run from early December until Epiphany.

Di Giovanni regards the mostra as one of his most popular projects. “I always paired it with the [Centro Scuola] Christmas concert,” he explains. “The two combine family, cultural, artistic and religious traditions, and always succeeded in transmitting the Christmas spirit to the kids.”

When asked to describe Di Giovanni in a few words, Di Iulio doesn’t hesitate.

“Our community has only one Alberto Di Giovanni,” he says. “I would have wished that we would have had another five Albertos, because that’s the way you excel.”

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COVER STORY

Un sostenitore della lingua italiana È trascorso molto tempo da quando ondate di emigranti italiani si stabilirono a Toronto, ma in città, lingua e progetti culturali italiani sono tuttora vivi e vegeti.

Questo anche grazie ad un cittadino di Toronto: Alberto Di Giovanni, fondatore del Centro Scuola e instancabile sostenitore della diffusione della lingua e cultura italiana in Canada. soffermiamo velocemente sulla sua cittadinanza, ma Di Giovanni proviene da una piccola città dell'Abruzzo, Roccamorice, ed è emigrato in Canada nell'Aprile del 1963 dopo aver completato le scuole superiori ed aver frequentato per un po’ il seminario in Italia. "È stata un'esperienza difficile, come di solito avviene", ricorda riferendosi ai primi momenti della sua vita a Toronto. "Il mio primo lavoro è stato il lavapiatti in una spaghetteria, poi ho lavorato in una fabbrica.

Ho sempre ritenuto queste occupazioni come temporanee, utili all'inserimento nella vita sociale canadese, ma ho sempre voluto tornare all'università."

E nel ricordare quei momenti, Di Giovanni modera le difficoltà affrontate dicendo che "le cose stavano cambiando. Eravamo già di fronte ad un Canada differente, che integrava i nuovi arrivati nella società."

Ben lontano dal rinunciare ai suoi sogni, Di Giovanni riprende gli studi. Frequenta il St. Michael College, dove consegue la laurea con lode in Scienze Politiche nel 1971, e completa un Master in studi italiani nel 1973. Il St. Michael College è anche il luogo ove Di Giovanni incontra sua moglie, Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni, dalla quale ha avuto tre figli.

Durante la sua permanenza al St. Mike incontra anche Pal Di Iulio, attuale presidente di Villa Charities, con cui stringerà un lungo rapporto di amicizia. I due incrociano le loro strade quando Alberto viene coinvolto nella produzione e direzione di alcuni spettacoli organizzati dal Club Italiano del St. Michael, del quale Di Iulio era membro. "Lui (Di Giovanni) era un po' più anziano e possedeva una dose extra di leadership rispetto a noi. Posso senz'altro definirlo una guida," dice Di Iulio a proposito del suo primo incontro con Di Giovanni. " Intelligente, eloquente e lieto di condividere la sua passione in seno alla comunità.”

Ma non è solo sul palcoscenico che si ritrova ed essere leader e mentore; gli anni settanta vedono l'idealista Di Giovanni assumere vari ruoli direttivi all'interno della comunità italiana non solo a Toronto, ma in tutto il territorio canadese. A muovere i suoi passi nel tempo è stata un'esigenza: "Come si può esprimere orgoglio nei confronti del nostro patrimonio culturale e al contempo verso la società attuale?" E ricercò un modo significativo di realizzare questa aspirazione.

Nel 1976 Di Giovanni fonda il Centro Scuola e Cultura Italiana, che ora ha sede nel Columbus Centre, da sempre un luogo dove i bambini possono prendere parte a lezioni sulla lingua e sulla cultura italiana. Come lui stesso riferisce: "È stato molto difficile, anche sotto il profilo economico, ma la situazione migliorava di anno in anno."

Di pari passo con la crescita della scuola, anche i suoi incarichi aumentavano, arrivando ad includere una miriade di attività culturali di carattere sportivo e musicale per bambini, e anche corsi per adulti. "Possedere senso dell'umorismo a volte aiuta" dice Di Giovanni. "È così che siamo riusciti ed è così che Centro Scuola è diventato una splendida storia all'interno della nostra comunità." Ma qual’è il motivo di tanta passione nel promuovere la cultura e la lingua italiana?" "Non è stata solo questione di nostalgia", spiega Di Giovanni, "ma l'idea che maggiore è il numero delle lingue che una persona conosce, più ricca sarà la sua esistenza. Ero certo che ciò avrebbe contribuito allo sviluppo di una cultura migliore e più profonda in Canada."

Più o meno a quel tempo, Di Giovanni si ritrova a guidare i lavori per la creazione del Progetto Patrimonio Linguistico, che avrebbe permesso l'insegnamento in orario scolastico, laddove ci fosse stato sufficiente interesse, dell'Italiano e, di conseguenza, di altre lingue diverse dall'Inglese e dal Francese. Dopo una lunga battaglia e una grande opera di convincimento, alla fine il Progetto Patrimonio Linguistico divenne realtà.

Di sicuro l'opera di Di Giovanni non si ferma qui. Nel 1980 organizza, in veste di direttore della scuola, un programma che, attraverso il Centro Scuola, invia in Italia stu-

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denti canadesi per seguire corsi di lingua estivi; questo programma è attivo ancora oggi.

Insieme ad alcuni insegnanti e ad altri accompagnatori, Di Giovanni segue molti studenti fino in Abruzzo, la sua regioned'origine.

Per gli studenti di Di Giovanni, questi viaggi rappresentano un'esperienza di reale trasformazione. "Alcuni di questi ragazzi non volevano andare in Italia, ma quello che ha fatto Alberto è stato di prendere quei ragazzi, portarli in Italia, (...)e insegnare loro un po’ di italiano, incoraggiandoli ad una maggiore integrazione. Così quando quei ragazzi tornavano a casa, il risultato era sorprendente. Che esperienza!" dice Di Iulio, il quale prese parte con Di Giovanni ad uno di questi viaggi e mandò i suoi stessi ragazzi ad esplorare l'Italia con Di Giovanni. "È stata ogni volta una grande esperienza", dice Di Giovanni con affetto, parlando del suo tempo trascorso tra gli studenti. "Al momento di andare in pensione, abbiamo calcolato di aver condotto in Italia 8.000 studenti per corsi di credito in lingua e cultura italiana."

Il pensionamento si è rivelato un processo di lunga durata per Di Giovanni, che alla fine del 2011 si ritira parzialmente dai suoi incarichi presso il Centro Scuola sino a giungere alla pensione vera e propria nel 2013, per sopraggiunti limiti di età e qualche problema marginale di salute. Al momento del suo ritiro sostiene che: "non volevo essere celebrato con una gran fanfara. La cosa importante per me" continua "era poter salutare gli studenti."

Di certo, però, lungo tutto il corso della sua brillante carriera, Di Giovanni ha ricevuto la sua parte di fanfare e di riconoscimenti; nel 1977 gli è stata conferita la Medaglia della Regina del Giubileo, nel 1997 è stato nominato Educatore Illustre dell'anno dall'OISE, ha ricevuto il premio Italiani nel Mondo nel 2002 ed è stato nominato Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana nel 2003, solo per citarne alcuni. Per non parlare della libreria a lui intitolata presso il Columbus Centre, che ospita una collezione di opere d'arte e letteratura italiana e italo-canadese.

Cos'altro ci sarà in serbo per lui ora? Un uomo con la sua carica vitale e la sua passione non sta sicuramente pensando di scivolare nell'oscurità al momento del ritiro. Il suo nuovo libro: -Gli italo-canadesi: Cittadinanza e Nazionalità- verrà pubblicato nel 2014 sia in lingua inglese che in lingua italiana. Inoltre attende con ansia il momento che, come ogni anno, lo vedrà alle prese con la Mostra del Presepe, che quest'anno si terrà dai primi di dicembre fino all'Epifania.

Di Giovanni considera la Mostra come uno dei suoi progetti più famosi: "L'ho sempre abbinata al concerto di Natale (del Centro Scuola). I due eventi combinano tradizioni familiari, culturali, artistiche e religiose, e sono sempre riusciti nell'intento di trasmettere ai giovani lo spirito del Natale."

Se a Di Iulio viene chiesto di descrivere Di Giovanni usando poche parole, egli non ha esitazioni. "La nostra comunità ha solo un Alberto Di Giovanni" dice. "Magari ne avessimo avuti altri cinque, perché questa è la via per l'eccellenza."

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Remembering the Italian Campaign

By Sarah Mastroianni

It may be true that time heals all wounds and memories fade with age, but there are some things that all Canadians – both young and old – should strive to never forget. Through the advent of a new initiative entitled Peace Through Valour, retired senator Consiglio Di Nino makes an appeal to Canadians to actively remember the more than 90,000 Canadian soldiers who, during the Italian Campaign of World War II, fought valiantly alongside other Allied troops to bring peace to the Italian peninsula. “We hope this initiative will better honour those who took part and shed a brighter light on the heroic contribution of Canadian soldiers,” said Di Nino. he year 2013 marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Italian Campaign, which was launched in Sicily in July 1943. The campaign continued on to the mainland, north from Reggio di Calabria, through the region’s rugged mountainous terrain and into the Liri Valley, with Canadian troops and their allies clearing the way for the liberation of Rome. The Canadians also fought vicious battles to regain control of strategic Italian cities such as Ortona, Cassino, and Rimini. Canada’s time in Italy ended in February 1945 when troops were reassigned to other battles in northern Europe. Casualties totaled more than 20,000.

Often referred to as the “Forgotten War,” the Italian Campaign played an integral role in the Allied victory of World War II. If it weren’t for Canada’s courageous sacrifice, the lives of many Italians (and now Italian-Canadians) would have turned out very differently. “The Italian Campaign was essentially a diversion to take attention away from the French battlegrounds. The role this played in the Allied victory is not well known,” explained Di Nino.

The volunteers who comprise Peace Through Valour aim to ensure that the Italian Campaign is no longer forgotten. “The reason we are doing this is because this important historical fact is little-known in both Canada and Italy. The courage and valour of the Canadian soldiers needs to be recognized and honoured,” said Di Nino.

The project, funded by Villa Charities, aims to have a monument erected in Toronto dedicated to the memory of all those who served in the campaign. At present, the monument is slated to stand in Nathan Philips Square, pending Toronto city council’s approval of the final design. The Peace Through Valour committee expects to have confirmation before Christmas this year. Plans are going along smoothly; the Peace Through Valour committee has recently selected a finalist from the artists who proposed designs for the monument and has entered into negotiations to finalize the design.

In addition to the monument in Toronto, the initiative also hopes to send smaller replicas of the monument to each of the 19 cemeteries in Italy where fallen Canadian soldiers rest, including Bari, Caserta, Cassino, Florence and Rome.

“The veterans of the Italian Campaign have

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never been truly recognized for their spirit, their sacrifice and their commitment in a heroic and pivotal battle,” said Di Nino, whose inspiration for the project came while accompanying a group of veterans on a tour to Italy commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Italian Campaign — an experience that was both wonderful and heart-wrenching. During the 20 months of the campaign, Canadian soldiers were often mistaken for American or British, and therefore Canada’s immense contribution to the liberation of Italy never received the recognition it was due.

In order to raise funds for the monument and to honour the veterans who fought in the Italian Campaign, Peace Through Valour also held a gala dinner on October 16 at the Montecassino Hotel and Event Venue in Toronto. The event was very well attended and succeeded in raising enough money for the creation and the installation of the monument.

The greater success of the evening, however, was that nearly 60 veterans of the Italian Campaign were able to personally attend.

“In some ways the evening was magical,” said Di Nino. “Our guests of honour, 57 veterans, and many members of their families were the focus of moving addresses of remembrance, which recognized the valour, courage and sacrifices of all the Canadian soldiers who served in this campaign.”

For Di Nino, the event was particularly poignant; he not only has a stake in the initiative as its creator but also a personal stake as well. “It evoked memories of my father, who served for the other side, coming home 10 years after he left and the realization that thousands of Canadian children never saw their fathers again. They are buried in cemeteries throughout Italy. To them I say thank you. We will not forget.”

After the completion of the project, Peace Through Valour also hopes to see the publication of a commemorative book that would chronicle the project from its inception to its completion, and would also include stories from Canadian veterans who served in Italy during World War II. If you are someone who served or know the story of someone who served, please contact Peace Through Valour at info@peacethroughvalour.ca. Donations can be made to Villa Charities Inc. with reference to Peace Through Valour. For more information on the project, please visit its website at www.peacethroughvalour.ca.

Photo by Sebastiano Gallo

Peace Through Valour

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On the Front Lines to Recapture Italy

By Rita Simonetta

Three Canadian World War II veterans look back at the Italian Campaign

In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Canadian soldiers who fought valiantly during the Italian Campaign of World War II, Panoram Italia magazine spoke with three veterans about their recollections.

Donald Casselman Donald Casselman remembers his time on Italy’s battle lines very well. In fact, he recalls dates and locations with an awe-inspiring memory, made all the more impressive considering the World War II veteran is 90 years old.

The Brockville, Ontario, resident said he decided to join the Canadian Army when he learned that the Allies were in deep trouble. “I had an uncle who had been overseas since 1939, and we would get letters from him telling us what was going on there in regards to the bombing.” Casselman knew what he needed to do. He enlisted in 1941, and that same year he was sent to England. From there, he and his fellow troops from First Canadian Core moved on to Italy through various areas including Ortona and Naples.

He was just 20 years old when he fought in the fiercest battles to bring peace to Italy. He recalls moving through “a no man’s land” filled with gunfire and Germany’s strong defense lines. “I was terrified,” he says. “There were shells bursting all around you. But we all went through with it. We weren’t going to let that stop us.” And it didn’t.

Casselman has often told his children and grandchildren about his memories on Italy’s battlefields. “My daughter is very interested and she finds out more information all the time and sends it to me,” he says.

And nowadays more information is making its way to the public thanks to a commitment to honour these veterans who fought for Italy. “I’ve always felt we were in the thick of things,” says Casselman, “but the world only talked about the D-Day invasion. It is good to finally be recognized for what we did.”

Don Antoine Don Antoine says he had no idea he and fellow soldiers in the Canadian Army were doing anything historic when they fought in Italy during World War II. “You just had to do your job,” says the 91-year-old. “We didn’t know what the significance was.” Antoine, who served as platoon sergeant, recalls Sicily’s treacherous hills and deep mud, which made it a chore for soldiers to move from place to place.

While he was in Sicily, mortars struck him twice in two different attacks. “I was trained as a soldier and I knew nothing else,” he says of his experience. “But fear will always be there because it’s a natural thing.”

Yet his memories of Sicily also include a sense of hope and friendship. “I remember talking to a young Italian priest about the hills that date back thousands of years. They are amazing.”

Antoine also says that being part of a platoon gave everyone a support base. “In the middle of the night you would go to soldiers in your platoon and ask them how they were feeling.” And it was in Italy, amidst the chaos and fighting, that Antoine celebrated his 20th birthday.

Nowadays, the Sharbot Lake, Ontario, resident spends his time researching the history of World War II and writing about it. He is glad that the Peace Through Valour project has put a spotlight on Canadian soldiers who fought in Italy. “When I was at the dinner gala (on October 16 to commemorate the 70th anniversary), I immediately felt a sense of camaraderie,” Antoine says. “I think it really helped veterans to connect with one another again.”

Gordie Bannerman For Gordie Bannerman, being a soldier in the Italian Campaign carries memories of sadness but also of joy. “You never get used to the screeching of the shelling,” he says, adding that sometimes, the War took such a toll on fellow soldiers that they became emotionally and physically drained and had to be discharged for combat fatigue.

But the 92-year-old veteran who calls British Columbia home also has memories of enduring friendship and hope. “You lived with the same fellas seven days a week, 24 hours a day. There was a real camaraderie there.”

Bannerman is still in constant touch with a fellow soldier who he served with in Italy. “We talk five times a week,” he says.

And Italy is also the country that served as a fast track to adulthood for Bannerman who was 22 when he fought in the Italian Campaign. “In Italy alone, there were probably 200 days that we were never out of the range of the Germans and they were never out of our range; I spent 73 days on the front. I would see soldiers who had already been seriously wounded who returned to battle because we didn’t have enough reinforcements.”

But throughout the darkness of war, kindness and kinship shined a light. “Sometimes a group of us would be treated to a dinner from a peasant family. We would bring some flour to a mamma who would knead the dough and make homemade pasta for us. After the meal was over, we would sit around the dinner table enjoying a glass of wine as we complimented her on the marvelous meal, which made her husband beam,” says Bannerman with a laugh. “I remember that one time, the children sang to us, and as they did one of the little girls came up behind me and pulled out a hair from my head and said, ‘bianco capello.’ They couldn’t believe that someone so young could have white hair.” Bannerman adds, “The Italian farmers were very moral people. Before too long, we would end up having an aunt, older sister and god knows how many brothers. It was like a surrogate family.”

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LIFE & PEOPLE

For immigrants to Canada there are many new experiences and customs that colour the start of their lives in a new country. Christmas in Canada, away from the family, rituals and comfort of home back in Italy, was one of the first notable moments they experienced. Everything was new and unexpected, from the weather to traditions.

My

grandfather often told us of his first Christmas in Canada in 1952, which was memorable indeed. While working for the Canadian National Railway, the company provided all the meals for the workers, deducting the cost of the meal from the worker’s pay. He looked forward to the dinner provided by CNR on Christmas Eve, expecting a festive feast that would help celebrate the special day. But on December 24, he was greeted with a plain meal of chicken soup. Disappointed and alone, he went to a grocery store to buy one chocolate bar and one pound of grapes to celebrate.

However, on December 25, he experienced what came as a surprise to most Italians: that Canadians hold their Christmas celebrations on Christmas Day. The railway offered a big celebration meal to all workers and my grandfather came to learn a new tradition.

Most early Italian immigrants count Christmas Eve as one of their more distinct memories of the new life ahead of them. Maria Tuccitto, originally from Sicily, immigrated to Canada in 1953. Besides it being her first arrival to Canada, it was the first time she met her husband Antonio, who she had married by proxy. Her first Christmas in Canada, spent in Toronto, she recalls as a joyous one, full of family and good food.

“My sister was already here in Canada, so I spent Christmas Eve with her, cooking a big meal,” says Tuccitto. This included traditional foods like lolli (a short homemade pasta, much like gnocchi) in meat and in vegetable sauces, pizza piena (a type of stuffed pizza dough pie) and biscotti.

“In Italy, we barely had bread to eat on Christmas,” says Tuccitto, so the plentiful Canadian Christmas is memorable and to this day she still makes the same traditional meal for her children and grandchildren.

It was those traditional foods that Nella Bruni craved during her first Christmas in Canada in 1962. Newly married at 22, she knew she wanted to make the Calabrese turdilli (a type of fried cookie) her mother used to make but suddenly realized she didn’t have the recipe. She was left to trial and error to create a Christmas treat.

“Even now, I like keeping the traditions, like we have colluri (doughnuts made

with a potato dough), turdilli and pasta with baccala (cod) for Christmas Eve and we all go to midnight mass,” says Bruni. Many Italians remember the traditional meatless meals on Christmas Eve. In Italy, Bruni remembers there being huge bonfires in the piazza outside the church after midnight mass, where people would socialize and sing. In Canada, she embraced new traditions: “The snow and the Christmas lights were magical.”

Tuccitto agrees that the Canadian decorations made an impression on her. “I remember all the lights, everywhere downtown, and the Christmas trees I had never seen before. And the way the windows were decorated at the big stores downtown, like Simpsons. At home the only thing lit up in our town was the presepio (nativity scene).”

Elia Trifrio had memories of midnight mass on Christmas Eve and fireworks in her hometown of Broccostella in Provincia di Frosinone as she approached her first Christmas in Canada in 1961. What she didn’t expect was Santa Claus, all the decorations and the snow that she had never experienced.

What made the biggest impact for her new holidays in Canada though, was her family. For the first time in nine years, her whole family was together and was able to celebrate as one. “The meal was richer, there was more to go around and we were all back together again,” says Trifrio, speaking of her brothers, sisters and parents.

Extended family came to celebrate as well and instead of celebrations being smaller and ending after midnight mass, like back in Italy, the Canadian version of Christmas meant there was a larger family celebrating, says Trifrio and everyone stayed to talk or play cards after the meal and open small gifts.

Bruni agrees that the bringing together of family and friends made the holiday memorable but the adjustment of settling into Canada and not having enough money for gifts, particularly for those who had young children, gave new immigrants like her a lot of frustration. It took years of hard work before giving gifts became a regular part of the Italian-Canadian Christmas celebration, but a focus on tradition, religion, and family has always been constant.

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LIFE & PEOPLE

The Italian-Canadian Job Just as the world took notice of the tiny island of Giglio when the Costa Concordia ran aground in January 2012, all eyes were on the Tuscan coast again this past September as the 114,000-ton cruise ship was slowly raised upright. The first step in what is being called the biggest salvage mission ever to be executed was a success thanks in part to the specialized technology provided by Waterloo-based robotics firm, 2G Robotics.

longside 500 workers and 150 Italian and international companies, 2G Robotics’ work helped the salvage crew delicately rotate the ship into an upright position after over 19 highly complex hours of work. “With our underwater laser scanners we were able to provide a solution that no one else can,� says 2G Robotics founder and CEO Jason Gillham. “Our technology has the ability to capture very precise measurements and highly detailed 3D images.�

Gillham and his team were approached early summer of 2013 to carry out an underwater survey and assess the damaged hull that was pushed up against the rocky reef 16 kilometres off the coast of Italy when the ship partially sank on January 13, 2012, killing 32 people. Its captain, Francesco Schettino, who left the ship ahead of some of the crew and passengers, is under trial for involuntary manslaughter and abandoning the ship.

2G Robotics project manager Hubert Palej travelled to Italy to collect data that was then brought back to Waterloo to be analyzed and processed for the salvage team.

"The island (Giglio) itself is tropical, it's a paradise, and then you walk out onto the beach and you see this cruise liner, just sitting on the water, it just seems completely out of place," Palej told CTV News back in September while he was in Italy.

The 290-metre long ship is in plain view from the harbor of Giglio island, home to 1,400 residents. Many of them were among the first to arrive to the port after the shipwreck to offer blankets, warm clothing and shelter to the thousands of shaken passengers.

The Costa Concordia, built in 2005, has extensive damage on the starboard side and is heavily crushed near the bow. Insurance estimators say the final bill for the project could reach $1 billion USD.

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Photo courtesy of The Parbuckling Project

By Daniela DiStefano

Righting the Costa Concordia

The data collection provided by 2G Robotics helped the crew best determine how to roll the ship upright in a process called parbuckling. The ship is now resting on an artificial steel seabed the length of 1.5 football fields until it is raised up on flotation devices and towed away. “The underwater laser scanner we brought over to Italy with us collects the data by shooting a line of laser light on the target that then reflects to the sensor and is processed,� says Gillham. “It’s like how a scanner would move over a piece of paper to copy its contents.�

On the day the mission began, Gillham and the 2G Robotics team were glued to the livestream footage of the salvage site watching the whole thing unfold as they received update emails and telephone calls from Palej who was on location off the Tuscan coast. “I stayed up and watched the whole thing at home,� says Gillham. Early on the morning of September 17, the ship was resting upright.

Founded in 2007, 2G Robotics has gained worldwide exposure for its role in such a unique and complicated salvage mission, and it’s the first project of such high profile the seven-person company has lent its services to. “Most of the work we do is preventative maintenance and assessments to avoid catastrophe,� says Gillham. “We’ve realized the value and high level of detail we can provide engineers in these types of incidents.�

If the mission requires more data as the shipwreck continues to be salvaged, Gillham says it’s possible he or his team members will be returning to Italy for more collections. “It has been an amazing experience so far to be a part of this team,� he says. “Just the level of engineering experience and detail that has gone into the salvage process is awe-inspiring, and when we watched the ship as it was being pulled upright, it was like someone who loves music watching a great symphony.�

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LIFE & PEOPLE

By Italo Camerino

Holocaust Survivor Enzo Camerino’s Story When Enzo Camerino was a little boy growing up in Italy, the country had racial laws against the Jews similar to Germany, but they were very unpopular with most Italians. The Jews, as they are still today, had been an active Roman community for thousands of years. Mussolini refused to send Italy’s Jews to work camps outside Italy; life was difficult but not as deadly as in German-occupied lands.

Things took a turn for the worst when Mussolini’s government fell and the Nazis took charge. On October 16, 1943, Camerino was not yet 15 years of age when his entire family was awakened by a knock at the door around 5 am.

amerino lived with his brother Luciano, sister Wanda, uncle Renato, and parents Giulia and Italo. German officers, accompanied by Italian police, presented his father with an official document stating that, because they were no longer Italians but stateless Jews, they were all to be relocated to a work camp. They had to immediately pack their bags for an eight-day journey.

That day, 1,024 Roman Jews were rounded up for deportation to Auschwitz. They were all kept in a Roman jail for another two days until they began their journey by train to Poland, herded together in cattle cars 50 to 60 at a time, with no heat or room to sit.

Upon their arrival to Auschwitz, the selection process was the last time Camerino saw his mother and sister. The men were then further divided between those who could or couldn’t work. His uncle Renato, an invalid, was sent immediately to the gas chamber. They soon after tattooed him with his camp number: 158509.

Living and working conditions were harsh and most often cruel. Camerino lived in an environment where every slip-up could have resulted in the loss of his life. The camp inmates were now nameless souls and only addressed by their tattooed number and guarded by brutal guards with vicious dogs. Different work duties separated Camerino from his brother Luciano and father. Because they were assigned different huts, Camerino would often sneak out at night to visit his brother to exchange news or scraps of food. On one of these nights in 1944, he found out his father Italo had died earlier that day. While out on a work detail, Italo was severely beaten by a German guard for not being able to get up fast enough from a fall he took.

After two years of living under these conditions, Camerino and his brother Luciano were finally liberated in 1945. Of the 1,024 deported from Rome on that day in October 1943, only 16 came back; Camerino and his brother were two of them.

Following the war, he lived with relatives until his life started to get back to some kind of normalcy. In 1951, he married his wife Silvana Pontecorvo and in 1952 he had a son and named him Italo after his father. Camerino then decided to emigrate for economic reasons and also out of the anger he still felt towards Italy because of his experiences. In 1957, he moved to Canada.

He built a life in Canada and in 1959 his family grew with the arrival of his daughter Julia, who he named after his mother. Camerino worked for the Pascal Hardware chain and then opened his own retail shop in Park Extension, which he operated until

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retirement. His brother had died in 1966 helping rescuers during the Florence flood of the Arno River. With his death, Camerino’s connection to Rome had dwindled, but his retirement and the passing of his wife had afforded him the time to reconnect with family and friends in Italy.

In 2004, on Camerino’s first visit back to Auschwitz since his liberation in 1945, forgotten memories quickly rushed back to him. Chills shot down his spine when he saw that the apples trees from which he had stolen fruit were still standing. For that simple act, he was sent to work in the coal mines for hours on end, bent over, not being able to stand in four-foot shafts.

With this year marking the 70th anniversary of the 1943 deportation, the RomanJewish community sought to include Camerino in its many commemorative events. Of the original 16 that survived the deportation, only two are left. Camerino had some health issues this past year, but under his daughter Julia’s care, he was able to get strong enough to fly to Rome and take part.

Coincidentally, while he was in Rome, Erich Priebke died while awaiting prosecution. Priebke was a German officer who took part in the Ardeatine Caves massacre of 1944 in which 335 Italian civilians were murdered as a reprisal for partisans killing 33 German soldiers. Until his dying days at 100 years of age, he denied responsibility for the deaths and denied the Holocaust ever happened. Camerino was proud of the hundreds of protesters that worked hard to refuse him the Christian burial Priebke’s friends and family wanted for him. To let that happen would have been an insult to the memory of those innocent souls he had a hand in murdering.

During Camerino’s time in Rome, the overwhelming media attention he received allowed him the chance to tell his story to thousands. To his great surprise, he was granted an audience with His Holiness Pope Francis I as well as a meeting with the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano. They each wanted to personally hear about his experiences in Auschwitz for themselves, and they both asked if there was anything they could do for him. His response to each was the same: in his lifetime, he would like to see a book published and studied in schools to teach about past horrors of war in the hopes of preventing them from ever happening again.

Through this simple request, we can only hope the lessons that Enzo Camerino and countless others who suffered through wartime atrocities recount, will serve that exact purpose.

Storia di Enzo Camerino, sopravvissuto all'Olocausto.

Mentre Enzo Camerino trascorreva la sua giovinezza in Italia, nel Paese vigevano leggi razziali contro gli Ebrei simili a quelle presenti in Germania, ma queste erano alquanto impopolari per la maggior parte degli italiani. Gli Ebrei, oggi come allora, rappresentano a Roma una comunità particolarmente attiva da migliaia di anni. Mussolini si rifiutò di mandare gli Ebrei italiani a lavorare nei campi fuori dall'Italia; la vita era difficile ma non quanto nelle terre occupate dai tedeschi. Le cose volsero al peggio dopo la caduta del governo di Mussolini e l'ingresso dei nazisti. Il 16 ottobre del 1943, Enzo Camerino non aveva ancora 15 anni quando tutta la sua famiglia venne svegliata da forti colpi alla porta intorno alle 5 della mattina.

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LIFE & PEOPLE casa vivevano con lui il fratello Luciano, la sorella Wanda, lo zio Renato e i genitori Giulia e Italo. Degli ufficiali tedeschi accompagnati da funzionari di polizia italiana, mostrarono a suo fratello un documento ufficiale il quale dichiarava che essi non erano più Italiani ma Ebrei apolidi, pertanto si sarebbero dovuti recare presso un campo di lavoro dopo aver preparato i bagagli sufficienti per un viaggio di 8 giorni.

Quel giorno 1.024 Ebrei romani furono presi per essere deportati ad Auschwitz.

Rimasero tutti in una prigione romana per altri due giorni per poi iniziare il loro viaggio in treno verso la Polonia, ammassati in carri bestiame, 50-60 persone alla volta, al freddo e senza nessuno spazio per sedersi.

Dopo il loro arrivo ad Auschwitz, durante la selezione, Camerino vide per l'ultima volta sua madre e sua sorella. Gli uomini vennero ulteriormente divisi tra coloro che potevano lavorare e quelli che non erano in grado di farlo. Suo zio Renato, disabile, fu subito mandato alla camera a gas. Agli altri venne subito impresso il marchio del numero identificativo nel campo di concentramento. I suo era 158509.

Le condizioni di vita e di lavoro erano molto dure e spesso crudeli. Camerino visse in un ambiente in cui ogni passo falso poteva significare perdere la vita. I detenuti del campo erano ormai anime senza nome, sorvegliati da uomini brutali accompagnati da cani feroci, che si rivolgevano a loro chiamandoli con il numero tatuato sul corpo. Camerino venne separato da suo padre e da suo fratello, poiché assegnato ad altri incarichi. Alloggiando in un’altra camerata, Camerino sgattaiolava spesso fuori di notte per visitare suo fratello e scambiare notizie o avanzi di cibo. Una di quelle notti, era il 1944, scoprì che suo padre era morto durante il giorno mentre si trovava fuori per una mansione specifica. Italo era stato picchiato duramente da una guardia tedesca poiché non era stato in grado di rialzarsi abbastanza velocemente in seguito ad una caduta.

Dopo due anni di vita trascorsa in queste condizioni, Camerino e suo fratello Luciano furono finalmente liberati nel 1945. Sono stati gli unici della famiglia abbastanza forti da sopravvivere.

Il fratello Luciano ritornò a Roma prima di lui e la gente iniziò a dubitare che Enzo Camerino fosse realmente ancora vivo. Dei 1.024 deportati da Roma in quel giorno di ottobre del 1943, solo 16 vi fecero ritorno; Camerino e suo fratello erano tra questi.

Dopo la guerra, ha vissuto con i suoi parenti finché la sua vita tornò ad una sorta di normalità. Nel 1951 sposò Silvana Pontecorvo e nel 1952 ebbe un figlio che chiamò Italo, in memoria del padre. Camerino decise poi di emigrare per motivi economici ed anche per la rabbia che provava nei confronti dell'Italia a causa delle crudeltà consentite. Nel 1957 ebbe l'opportunità di emigrare in Canada e la colse al volo.

Ristabilita la sua vita in Canada, la sua famiglia crebbe con l'arrivo della figlia Julia, nata in Canada, e chiamata così in onore di sua madre. Lavorò poi per la catena di hardware Pascal e aprì in seguito il suo negozio di vendita al dettaglio nel Parco Extension, gestito poi fino al momento della pensione. Nel 1966 morì suo fratello, mentre prestava soccorso a Firenze durante la tristemente nota alluvione del fiume Arno. Con la morte del fratello, il suo legame con Roma si indebolì, ma con il ritiro dall'attività e la scomparsa di sua moglie, ebbe il tempo necessario per riavvicinarsi alla famiglia e agli amici rimasti in Italia.

Nel 2004, in occasione della prima visita ad Auschwitz dopo la sua liberazione avvenuta nel 1945, nella memoria di Camerino riaffiorarono subito ricordi che sembravano sepolti. Ad esempio, vedere alberi di mele ancora in piedi, da cui un tempo aveva rubato i frutti, gli procurò intensi brividi lungo la schiena. Semplicemente per questo era stato mandato a lavorare nelle miniere, chino per ore e ore.

Quest'anno in cui si celebra il 70° anniversario dalla deportazione del 1943, la comunità ebrea di Roma ha cercato di includere Camerino nei vari eventi di commemorazione. Dei 16 sopravvissuti alla deportazione, solo due sono ancora in vita. Lo scorso anno Enzo non era al meglio delle sue condizioni di salute, ma grazie alle attenzioni di sua figlia Julia, è riuscito lo stesso ad affrontare il volo per Roma e a prendere parte alle celebrazioni.

Il caso ha voluto che proprio mentre Camerino si trovava a Roma, Erich Priebke sia morto, mentre era in attesa di giudizio; Priebke era l'ufficiale tedesco che prese parte al massacro delle Fosse Ardeatine nel 1944. Egli aveva collaborato all'assassinio di 335 civili italiani, per rappresaglia contro i partigiani che avevano ucciso 33 soldati tedeschi. Fino ai suoi ultimi giorni di vita, avvenuta all'età di 100 anni, Priebke non aveva mai manifestato alcun pentimento per i crimini commessi. Ha sempre negato ogni responsabilità per quelle morti, continuando persino a negare l'esistenza dell'Olocausto. Camerino è stato estremamente fiero delle centinaia di manifestanti che hanno partecipato attivamente per negare la sepoltura cristiana richiesta da amici e familiari di Priebke. Consentire che questo avvenisse avrebbe rappresentato un insulto per le anime di quegli innocenti al cui massacro quell'uomo aveva preso parte.

Durante il soggiorno di Camerino a Roma, l'eccezionale attenzione ricevuta da parte dei media gli ha offerto la possibilità di raccontare la sua storia a migliaia di persone. Con sua grande sorpresa, gli è stata anche concessa un'udienza con Sua Santità Papa Francesco, nonché un incontro con il Presidente della Repubblica Italiana, Giorgio Napolitano. Entrambi hanno voluto ascoltare personalmente il racconto delle sue esperienze ad Auschwitz, e gli hanno chiesto se c'era qualcosa che potevano fare per lui. La sua risposta è stata la stessa: assistere in vita alla pubblicazione di un libro e al suo inserimento nei programmi scolastici, allo scopo di insegnare ai giovani gli orrori avvenuti in guerra, nella speranza di evitare che tali eventi possano mai ripetersi.

Questa semplice richiesta ci consente di sperare che le esperienze riportate da Enzo Camerino, e da tutte le altre vittime di atrocità in guerra, possano essere utili proprio a questo scopo.

In

Panoramitalia.com Web TV See our touching interview with Enzo Camerino online.

PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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FUTURE LEADER

Justin Scaini Encouraging students to take the lead in finding solutions to mental health issues

By Vanessa Santilli Photography by Gregory Varano

At only 22, Justin Scaini has made it his mission to mobilize youth in helping transform the landscape of mental health in Canada. a student at Queen's University, he served as president of student engagement for The Jack Project, a charitable organization founded in 2010 as the legacy of Jack Windeler, a fellow Queen's student who committed suicide in his first year. “When we heard the news, it shook the whole university campus,” says Scaini, who lived a few residence buildings over from Windeler. “Since then, it’s been about getting young people engaged with the conversation of mental health and finding a way to effectively communicate this idea of mental health from coast to coast.”

His work in mental health started with an e-mail from his school’s drama department. The Jack Project, founded by the late Windeler's father, was looking for an actor for a mental health training video to be used by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. To this day, Scaini says, he doesn't know what pushed him to audition. “It was in filming that video that I learned about this issue of mental health and how important it is to so many people,” he says. “And that's when my eyes really opened. I thought, if I’m this oblivious and ignorant about something so important to so many people, there must be countless others in my shoes. And I knew I had to do something to change that.”

He did and he's never looked back. Last March, Scaini took the lead in organizing the first-ever student mental health innovation summit in Canada called Unleash the Noise. “We brought together 200 students that literally represented every single province and territory in Canada and we talked about mental health,” he says. “The conference was entirely student-led, student-inspired and student organized.” But beyond talking about the issues facing young people today, they talked about solutions, he adds. “We are creating Canada's first mental health innovation platform,” adds Scaini. “It’s going to be an online hub where studentorganizations can post information about what their organization does, post all the

As

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information about different events they have and the resources they’ve created.”

The second annual event is set to take place from February 28 to March 1 at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto with a continued focus on empowering youth.

“Last year, we noticed that young people were essentially yelling and screaming for things to change. But there was really no youth ownership of this issue.”

Scaini’s Italian heritage has had a big impact on how he sees and interacts with the world around him. “We’re always attached to our cell phones, our laptops and our tablets and I find that a lot of young people have a hard time connecting with each other,” says Scaini. But for him, this isn’t the case. “Coming from an Italian family, I grew up in a place where you gather around the dinner table, you talk about your day and you put away the technology,” he says. “It’s the value of conversation.”

So when he went off to university, he took these lessons with him. “When I was with my friends and fellow students, I put away the technology, and that has helped me really understand people on a whole different level.”

Scaini calls his nonno and nonna the most inspirational people in his life. “I see them as leaders,” he says. “I see them as people that really changed the norms in coming to Canada. They showed extreme bravery and commitment to each other. They’ve been married for more than 50 years and that’s just something you don’t really see anymore.”

Now starting a career as an analyst for a big consulting company, his role at The Jack Project has shifted to a youth think tank lead, he says. “We’re developing a youth advisory panel for The Jack Project to act as a sounding board for the board of directors and give them advice and recommendations for some of the big organizational decisions,” says Scaini. “The purpose of that is to keep a youth voice at the centre of everything The Jack Project does. In the context of mental health, it’s just so important for young people to be leaders.”

Toronto DEC-JAN 17-32_Layout 1 13-12-02 10:29 AM Page 21

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LIFE & PEOPLE

Left to right: Brian Bradstreet of Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel, Sol Roter of Liquid Capital Corp. and Aldo Cundari of the Cundari Group Ltd.

Aldo Cundari Bringing the Toronto School of Art back to life

By Vanessa Santilli

When Aldo Cundari enrolled in classes at the Toronto School of Art, he experienced a community feeling, similar to when he studied at L'Istituto Europeo di Disegno in Rome. how to work with various materials as a sculptor, along with interior design. “The reawas a place that you could feel very comfortable being very creative,” says son for that was to understand how to read drawings because when you’re working on Cundari, who started taking classes at the school five years ago after his large-scale projects, you have to scale them to the environment that they’re in.” staff bought him a 12-week course in sculpture for his 50th birthday.

He says living in an environment where he was surrounded by art So, when it was abruptly announced that the school was everywhere was an amazing experience. “It really does expand the way closing, Cundari and two other businessmen who were enrolled you look at the world,” he adds. “When I went there I was a boy and in classes – Brian Bradstreet and Sol Roter – stepped in to save the when I came back, I was a man.” And always follow your passions, he 40-year-old hub for “artists teaching artists.” advises. “Follow them to whatever tenth degree you have to.”

The trio decided to move forward on the condition that they Cundari has brought his experiences as an artist to the Toronto would receive consensus from the faculty. They did and the School of Art, which offers courses from drawing and sculpture to school re-opened last May at the corner of Bloor and Dufferin photography and art history.

Streets. The rest is history. “The intent wasn't to make money off He praises his community, highlighting the ways people have it,” Cundari says. “The intent was to re-establish it as a not-forbanded together during the re-opening of the school. “An example profit and have it survive long-term.” of that is when we bought the assets of the school. We had a weekHe is both chairman and CEO of Cundari Group Ltd., a end to remove them from the old school,” he says. “And we had about branding and communications agency, and serves on the board of 60 volunteers – both students and teachers that showed up and Villa Charities. “I was lucky to be one of the ones that have the helped us. All we had to do was put the word out there.” means to do it,” he says about his role in helping the school survive.

Since the school’s re-opening in May, Cundari has seen fall Cundari was born in downtown Toronto, but his parents enrolment climb to 425 students. “So we’re quite pleased with how hail from southern Italy. And without hesitation, he says his the community has come back to the school and they’re all happy.”

Italian roots have shaped his love of art. “You cannot hide from A sculpture Aldo Cundari created at the Toronto School of Art. It’s amazing how many new immigrants come to the school – your past, so anything that happens to you in the past always especially from Central and South America, he adds. shapes where you’re going in the future.”

He says the school’s new location at Bloor and Dufferin Streets touches the In his own past, Cundari was a “starving artist” during his time studying abroad Italian community. “It certainly is in the area where their roots are in the city – my in Rome. “I made money to survive there sketching in the streets – in the piazzas,” he parents immigrated just south of there and we grew up just north of there – so I’m says. “There’s nowhere better to do that.” hoping [the Italian community] embraces it.”

At L’Istituto Europeo di Disegno, he learned industrial design, which taught him

“It

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Toronto DEC-JAN 17-32_Layout 1 13-12-02 10:29 AM Page 23

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FOOD

Homemade Holiday Fun Dessert Roses Cookies Ingredients • 3 eggs • 200 g (7 oz.) granulated sugar • 200 g (7 oz.) vegetable oil • 510 g flour (18 oz.)

• 3 tsp baking powder • 8 cups (approximately) Corn Flakes

Instructions Mix dough until it reaches a firm consistency (neither too soft nor too hard). Then take a teaspoon of mixture and roll it into the corn flakes using your hands until it gets entirely covered with cereal flakes. Place each cookie on a baking sheet lined with aluminum paper. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 20 to 30 minutes. Once cooled, sprinkle with icing sugar.

Rose del Deserto Ingredienti • 3 uova • 200 g (7 oz.) di zucchero • 200 g (7 oz.) d’olio vegetale • 510 g (18 oz.) di farina (circa) • 3 c. da tè di lievito in polvere • 8 tazze (circa) di Corn Flakes

Recipes by Ida Fanzolato

Photography by Michel Ostaszewski

Christmas is a time of year for celebrations and plenty of family recipes and heartfelt comfort food. Preparing for the big day is sometimes as much fun as Santa's visit itself. The following four easy cookie and cake recipes will be a treat to make and enjoy with your children and loved ones.

Istruzioni Ottenuta una pasta dalla consistenza ferma, non troppo molle ma neanche troppo dura, prendere un cucchiaino da tè di pasta e girarlo con le mani nei cereali (Corn Flakes) fino a ricoprirlo del tutto. Depositare i biscotti sù una teglia ricoperta con un foglio di alluminio e cuocere a 350°F (180°C) per circa 20 - 30 minuti. Una volta raffreddati, sporverateli con dello zucchero a velo.

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FOOD

Almond-flavoured cookies Ingredients • 3 eggs • 225 g (8 oz.) granulated sugar • 225 g (8 oz.) brown sugar • 64 ml pure almond extract • 235 ml (8 oz.) vegetable oil • 4 tbsp lukewarm water • 850 g (30 oz.) flour • 3 tsp. baking powder • 10 tsp. icing sugar (to coat cookies)

Instructions Take teaspoons of dough, then form into small balls and roll into the icing sugar. Place them on a cooking sheet and press down lightly with two fingers. Make sure to space them out evenly to prevent them from sticking together.

Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Amaretti Ingredienti • 3 uova • 225 g (8 oz.) di zucchero • 225 g (8 oz.) di zucchero di canna • 1 bottiglietta 64 ml di estratto di mandorla • 225 g (8 oz.) di olio vegetale • 4 c. da tavola di acqua tiepida • 850 g (30 oz.) di farina (circa) • 3 c. da tè di lievito in polvere (magic powder) • 10 c. da tavola di zucchero a velo (per ricoprire i biscotti)

Istruzioni Predere un cucchiaio da tè di pasta e girarla nello zucchero a velo e depositarla sù una teglia, lasciando un po’ di distanza trà l’una e l’atra per non farla attacare. Cuocere a 350°F (180°C) per circa 20 - 30 minuti.

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Toronto DEC-JAN 17-32_Layout 1 13-12-02 10:30 AM Page 27

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Toronto DEC-JAN 17-32_Layout 1 13-12-02 10:30 AM Page 28

FOOD

Vanilla ring cake Ingredients • 2 eggs • 225 g (8 oz.) granulated sugar • 235 ml (8 oz.) vegetable oil • 235 ml (8 oz.) milk • 2 cups flour • 2 tsp. baking powder • A pinch of salt • A few drops of vanilla extract * You could also add the zest of 2 lemons

Instruction Add all the ingredients together and mix for about 90 seconds. When the ingredients are combined, butter cake pan and cover with flour. Pour mixture evenly into cake pan.

Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 55 minutes. Let cool and dust with icing sugar.

Ciambella alla Vaniglia Ingredienti • 2 uova • 225 g (8 oz.) di zucchero • 235 ml (8 oz.) d’olio vegetale • 235 ml (8 oz.) di latte • 2 tazze di farina • 2 c. da tè di lievito in polvere (magic baking powder) • Un pizzico di sale • Qualche goccia di estratto di vaniglia * potete anche aggiungere la scorza di due limoni

Istruzioni Versate tutti gli ingredienti assieme in una ciotola e mescolate il tutto per circa 90 secondi. Quando gli ingredienti saranno ben amalgamati, imburrate una tortiera a forma di ciambella e infarinatela; versateci l’impasto uniformandolo nello stampo. Infornate la ciambella a 350°F (180°C) per circa 55 minuti. Fate raffreddare la ciambella e spolveratela a piacere con dello zucchero a velo.

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FOOD

Ricotta pie Ingredients (for the pie dough) • 2 cups flour • 1 cup of Crisco (vegetable fat) • 4 tbsp. water • Pinch of salt

Instructions Mix ingredients and then form into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Then roll out dough and form it onto a glass pie oven dish. Reserve leftover pieces to place on top of filling.

Ingredients (for filing) • 400 g (14 oz.) ricotta • 2 eggs • 6 tbsp. granulated sugar (approximately) • The juice of ½ a lemon • A few drops of vanilla extract

Instructions Mix ingredients with a fork and pour on top of dough.

Then use leftover dough strips to form a lattice over the filling. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 1 hour. Let cool and dust with icing sugar.

Crostata di ricotta Ingredienti (per la pasta frolla) • 2 tazze di farina • 1 tazza di Crisco (grasso vegetale) • 4 c. da tavola d’acqua • Un pizzico di sale

Istruzioni Formare una palla con la pasta e lasciare riposare in frigo per circa un’ora prima di stenderla. Stendere la pasta con un mattarello e trasferirla sopra la tortiera.

Creare delle strisce ricavate dai ritagli di pasta per realizzare il tipico decoro a losanghe.

Ingredienti (per il ripieno) • 400 g (14 oz.) di ricotta • 2 uova • 6 c. da tavola di zucchero (circa) • Succo di un ½ limone • Qualche goccia di estratto di vaniglia

Istruzioni Mischiare tutti gli ingredienti con una forchetta e depositare il composto sulla pasta frolla adagiata su un piatto di vetro da forno. Ricoprire il tutto con delle strisce di pasta frolla. Cuocere a 350°F (180°C) per circa 1 ora. Una volta che la torta si sarà raffreddata, spolverare con dello zucchero a velo.

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FOOD

Il tacchino va bene per il Natale, ma il Natale non va bene per il tacchino!

Paolo Patrito

“Il tacchino va bene per il Natale, ma il Natale non va bene per il tacchino”.

Questo proverbio inventato, che apre il racconto “Il Tacchino di Natale” di Achille Campanile, la dice lunga sul rapporto strettissimo che il poco volatile pennuto ha con la tavola delle Feste. Il tacchino infatti non è solo un piatto prelibato nella cucina nordamericana, ma finisce spesso in pentola per Natale in Italia, affiancando altre carni come quelle di cappone, di faraona o di bue, pesci come il branzino e il capitone, crostacei di pregio come i gamberoni e l’aragosta. ppure non si tratta di una specie originaria della nostra penisola, ma un prodotto di quel “Nuovo Mondo” che Colombo scoprì nel 1492 convinto di aver raggiunto le Indie. Anzi, il tacchino detiene un vero e proprio record, essendo l’unico animale domestico allevato a scopo alimentare che le Americhe hanno donato al resto del mondo, attraverso l’importazione in Europa. La vicenda della diffusione del tacchino e, di conseguenza, dell’evoluzione dei nomi con cui è riconosciuto è molto più intricata e a tratti avvincente di quanto ci si possa aspettare, dato l’argomento.

Forse per questo Campanile, nel racconto che abbiamo citato in apertura, si diverte a farne quasi una parodia: la parodia di come il nostro eroe con le penne sia giunto in Francia per finire...in padella.

Campanile gioca in tono scherzoso sulla convinzione popolare che il tacchino sia stato introdotto in Francia dai Gesuiti, cosa in realtà non così verificata. Poi, nel suo stile sapido e pungente, si mette nei panni del tacchino e passa in rassegna vari modi, più o meno fantasiosi, con cui il pennuto avrebbe potuto varcare i confini della “terra dei Galli”: via terra, attraverso nevosi passi montani, nascosto sotto le tonache dei religiosi per evitare i serrati controlli dei doganieri, o per mare direttamente dal nuovo mondo, a bordo di un veliero comandato da un capitano goloso e un cambusiere cinese in cucina che vorrebbero tirare il collo alla povera bestia prima del tempo...

In realtà, per ricostruire la storia del tacchino, bisogna obbligatoriamente partire da Nord America e dal Messico. Qui il nostro eroe gloglottante viveva pacificamente già in epoca precolombiana, ignorando che secoli dopo sarebbe diventato il piatto principale del Ringraziamento. Solo in Messico, però, il tacchino era stato addomesticato (in Nord America non si ricordano tacchini domestici prima che venissero re-importati dall’Europa secoli dopo).

In tutto il resto del mondo del pennuto nessuna traccia. Non c’è certezza se sia

E

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stato proprio Colombo (che nei suoi diari parla di “galinas de tierra”) il primo europeo ad assaggiare le sue carni, ma di certo qualcuno a cavallo del 1500. E dev’essergli piaciuto parecchio, se nel giro di relativamente pochi anni il tacchino diventa una pietanza da re, diffusa e allevata nelle corti di mezza Europa, soppiantando quasi ovunque il pavone, che ai tempi era una delle carni più prelibate.

E l’Italia? La prima coppia di tacchini arriva a Roma nel 1520, poi ne troviamo traccia a Bologna dopo il 1570. Sul volatile si dilunga l’agronomo bolognese Vincenzo Tanara, che nel 1644 formula anche consigli di preparazione: salsapimentato e arrostito, allo spiedo, al forno come i capponi, oppure disossato e ripieno, o in pasticcio.

Non meno balzana la storia che racconta l’origine dei vari nomi con cui il pennuto è conosciuto ai giorni nostri. Se in Italia il termine “tacchino” pare derivi dal “tac tac” della femmina che guida i suoi piccoli, il francese “dinde” nasce, come l’italiano arcaico ”dindo” da “coq d’Inde”, cioè “gallo d’India”, poichè all’inizio si pensava che le Americhe fossero le Indie. Al paese del Gange rimanda anche l’olandese, che chiama il tacchino “kalkoen”, cioè “gallo di Calicut”, dall’omonima città. Il caso più singolare è quello dell’inglese, dove il termine “turkey” deriva sì da “Turchia”, ma non perché lì vivessero tacchini. La spiegazione più probabile è che gli inglesi abbiano visto i primi esemplari da mercanti turchi che a loro volta li avevano trovati in un porto spagnolo.

Ai giorni nostri il tacchino è popolare non solo nella madre patria americana, ma anche in Europa e in molti altri paesi. Ogni italiano ne consuma più di 5 chili all’anno. Il petto e le cosce sono protagoniste di svariate ricette alla griglia e in casseruola, ma a Natale e nelle grandi occasioni si consuma intero, cotto al forno, ripieno di carne, pane e castagne o in crosta di pasta sfoglia, oppure ancora avvolto da pancetta e cotto con le mele. Per concludere con le parole di Achille Campanile: ora che il tacchino è nella teglia “non rimane che fargli la festa che si merita”.

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LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

Go to panoramitalia.com and click on “Living Italian Style” to submit your profile!

Joseph Mario D’Addario Nickname: Maverick Occupation: Secondary School Teacher Age: 25 Generation: Second Dad from: Limosano (Campobasso), Molise Mom from: Piano D’Orta (Pescara), Abruzzo Speaks: English & Italian Raised in: Toronto Clothes: Mexx pants, Hugo Boss belt, Ben Sherman dress-shirt, John Smedley sweater, Hugo Boss jacket, Aldo shoes, Harry Rosen gloves.

Boutique/Store: L’Occitane Fashion idol: Leonardo DiCaprio Passion: Travelling, soccer and piano.

Thing about you that would surprise most people: I’m a remarkably good cook, always trying new things in the kitchen.

Restaurant: The Standard Pizza and Pasta Bar Favourite dish: Nonna’s gnocchi Best pizza in Toronto: Falasca S.P.Q.R. Pizzeria Best caffè in Toronto: Lamanna’s Bakery 34

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Best nightclub in Toronto: My apartment Describe your ideal night out in Toronto: Having a nice dinner at the Keg Mansion and then skating at Nathan Phillips Square.

Last time you went to Italy: Summer 2013 Favourite Italian city: Rome Musical preference: Frank Sinatra Best Italian song: Laura non c’è by Nek Italian soccer team: Juventus F.C. Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Embracing Italian events like Chin Picnic.

What you like most about Panoram: It promotes Italian events and people in Toronto, and connects us to our Italian heritage.

Daniela Di Geso Nickname: Dee Occupation: Business Management Student at Ryerson University Age: 19 Generation: Third Dad’s side from: Sannicandro di Bari (Bari), Puglia Mom’s side from: Ripi (Frosinone), Lazio Speaks: English & Italian Raised in: Etobicoke Clothes: Juicy Couture trench coat, Juicy Couture pants and top, Dolce Vita shoes.

Fashion B idol: Victoria ckham and Federica Nargi.

Passion: Food, travel, health and fitness.

Thing about you that would surprise most people: I am a huge believer in malocchio (the evil eye).

Favourite dish: My nonna’s pasta dei morti.

Best pizza in Toronto: Grazie Ristorante Best caffè in Toronto: Crema Coffee Best panino in Toronto: Grande Cheese Favourite vino: Zio Pasquale’s homemade wine.

Best nightclub in Toronto: Buonanotte

Italian saying or quote: “Vivi bene, ridi spesso, ama molto.”

Last time you went to Italy: Summer of 2006 Favourite Italian city: Rome Musical preference: Justin Timberlake, Swedish House Mafia and Drake.

What you like most about Panoram: It brings second and third generation Italians together and helps them stay connected with their culture and Italian community, while addressing the latest trends relevant to them.

Best Italian song: Mi scappa la pipi, papa by Pippo Franco.

Sexiest Italian: Alessandro Matri Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: A nice summer day walk up and down St. Clair eating gelato.

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Makeup by Desi Varano

LIVING ITALIAN STYLE

Photography by Gregory Varano

Nikki Serrani

Matthew Rosati Nickname: Rosie or Rosay Occupation: Flight Instructor Age: 24 Generation: Third Dad’s side from: Gagliano Aterno (L’Aquila), Abruzzo Mom from: Hong Kong, China Speaks: English Raised in: Burlington Clothes: Guess jeans and dressshirt, Danier jacket and scarf.

Boutique/Store: Alfani Designer: Ralph Lauren Fashion idol: Johnny Depp Passion: Food, flying, family and friends Goal in life: To one day fly the A380.

Thing about you that would surprise most people: I’m a huge Lord of the Rings fan.

Pet peeve: Tardiness Restaurant: The Purple Pear Favourite dish: Osso buco and risotto alla Milanese Best pizza in Toronto: The Standard Best panino in Toronto: My mom’s panino press at home Favourite aperitivo or vino: My dad’s homemade merlot Best nightclub in Toronto: Tryst

Describe your ideal night out in Toronto: Head to the BMO Field and watch TFC play.

Last time you went to Italy: Summer 2009 Favourite Italian city: Milan Musical preference: Snoop Dogg, A$AP Rocky, Tyga Best Italian song: Nessun Dorma

by Luciano Pavarotti Italian soccer team: AC Milan Sexiest Italian: Sara Tommasi Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Strolling down College Street with my Paolo Maldini shirt on.

How long have you been reading Panoram? Since it launched in 2011.

Best memory growing up ItalianCanadian: Helping my father make homemade wine every year, and taste-testing it!

Occupation: Student at the University of Toronto Age: 20 Generation: Second Dad from: Montorio al Vomano (Teramo), Abruzzo Mom’s side from: Valle di Cadore (Belluno) & San Fior di Sotto (Treviso) in Veneto Speaks: English & Italian Raised in: Woodbridge Clothes: J Crew Cashmere jacket, Equipment blouse, Rag & Bone Jeans, Rag & Bone booties and Holt Renfrew private line hat Fashion idol: Christine Centenera, Carine Roitfeld and Jenna Lyons.

Boutique/Store: Intermix Dream in life: To move to London and become a fashion editor for Harper’s Bazaar or Vogue.

Thing about you that would surprise most people: I hate chocolate (yes, even nutella).

Restaurant: Spuntini Favourite dish: Pasta carbonara Best pizza in Toronto: Café Nervosa Best caffè in Toronto: Zaza Best panino in Toronto: Rapido Best nightclub in Toronto: The Hoxton Italian saying or quote:

“Tre metri sopra il cielo.”

Last time you went to Italy: This past summer, when I completed the Siena program offered from the University of Toronto.

Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Joining The University of Toronto’s Italian Canadian Association (UTICA).

Best Italian song: Ti porto via con me by Lorenzo Jovanotti Sexiest Italian: Riccardo Scamarcio What do you like most about Panoram: It connects ItalianCanadian culture by offering information on our culture through history, diversity, fashion, beauty, and much more.

Best memory growing up ItalianCanadian: Enjoying porchetta every Sunday at nonna’s house.

PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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FASHION

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By Alessia Sara Domanico

His fo

Winter warm up has women embracing the trends popular with the gentleman’s school of style he autumn-winter runways of 2013-14 had us seeing double when it came to the men’s and women’s collections from fashion’s big hitters.

From the great American houses of Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger to the high street Vivienne Westwood and Dior, the girls were unabashedly copying the boys in terms of outerwear, office wear and most surprisingly with more conservative evening wear in the form of pantsuits and blouse-skirt ensembles. Shared staples for the season include crossbody bags, suede and sheepskin coats, oversized sweaters and dramatic lapels.

Colour-wise, the unisex winter palette consists of a rich wine Bordeaux – best worn in a leather material for a wow factor on trenches, skirts, suits and accessories; charcoal – for an androgynous Londoner look that is always win-win this time of year; and caramel – always a refined choice especially when worn consistently from head to toe with a cashmere-wool blend coat.

The patterns for the season are traditionally male, from herringbone to Prince of Wales check, flannel and houndstooth for a Scottish appeal that can dress up a pair of jeans or a crisp white shirt. Your source of style inspiration this season comes from an equestrian setting with page boy caps, thick blazers, knee-high or ankle boots and a belt and bag to tie it all together. Keep this mood in the back of your mind when surveying your wardrobe on a bleak Monday morning.

Burberry Prorsum best plays up the “he and she” theme of the season by using real life couple Sienna Miller and Tom Sturridge as its spokespeople while also carrying out the “matchy-match” on the runway with his and hers Bordeaux-tinged jackets. The challenge is clear: dare to coordinate with your partner this season, or if you aren’t paired up yet, find someone who takes the same wardrobe cues for a fashionable pairing under the mistletoe.

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4.

5.

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FASHION

7.

6.

L E G E N D

or Her 9.

8.

10.

1. Brioni 2. Burberry 3. Burberry 4. Burberry 5. Dior 6. Loewe 7. Stella McCartney 8. Vivienne Westwood 9. Loewe

12.

10. Escada 11. Lanvin

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12. Mulberry PA N O R A M I TA L I A . C O M

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BOLZANO

Bolzano

By Valérie Vézina

A city at the heart of the Alps It is hard not to be impressed by a town like Bolzano. Located in the heart of the Italian Alps, this city, also known as Bozen, is home to some 100,000 inhabitants who enjoy fresh mountain air, landscapes of incomparable beauty, and an engaging Austro-Hungarian heritage, which stands out as a pleasant diversion from the rest of the country.

ntil 1918, the city belonged to the Austro-Hungarian administrative region known as “Tyrol.” Today, it is part of a district that enjoys the highest level of per capita wealth in Italy, that of Bolzano (which encompasses hundreds of municipalities).

Despite being part of the Italian province of Alto Adige/Südtirol, the conspicuous sight of disciplined motorists and motorcyclists waiting patiently at traffic lights adds a distinctly un-Italian flavour to the city. Of the two newspapers published in Bolzano, one is written in Italian, the other in German. Interestingly, a sister language to the old Latin of Roman times, called Ladin, is still spoken in the area, particularly around Val Gardena.

The staple bread, which is ubiquitous throughout Bolzano, is made with crunchy whole grains in a style reminiscent of Viennese bread. When it comes to drinks, the locals have a slight preference for beer over wine. But this should come as no surprise given that a vast majority of the region’s residents have Germanic origins.

U

Mountainous country Not far from Bolzano are the Dolomite Mountains — a large outcrop of limestone, featuring karst lithology that climbers are particularly fond of. The mountain range is home to extreme peaks, including eighteen that reach altitudes of over 3000 metres.

The region is a playground for hikers. During high season, cozy huts welcome them with food, shelter and, of course, wine. The cable car ride between Via Renòn (Rittnerstrasse) and Soprabolzano (Oberbozen) is one of the longest in Europe. Be sure to have a camera on hand to capture the sublime landscapes, which change dramatically from one side of the mountain to the other. The local tourism offices (Azienda di Soggiorno e Turismo), in conjunction with the specialized mountain guides at Arc Alpin, offer an interesting array of excursions.

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Ötzi, the Iceman A truly unique and fascinating experience can be found at the Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige in Bolzano: Ötzi, the Iceman. Preserved in ice for over 5000 years, this man is thought to have been a shepherd who was around 45 years old when he died of hypothermia after suffering a shoulder injury. His body, tanned by the freezing cold, has been on display since 1998 in an enclosure replicating glacial conditions (temperature and humidity).

His nickname, Ötzi, refers to the Oetztal Alps on the border of Italy and Austria, where his body was discovered. Found almost intact, along with clothing and tools, this man from the past has provided valuable insight into the lifestyle and techniques of the people who roamed the area long ago.

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3 Things to do in Bolzano In the vicinity of the archaeological museum, streets lined with pretty, pastelcoloured buildings will charm most visitors, as will the pace of daily life that is far removed from the frenzy of urban centres.

1

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The famous Piazza Walther, which locals think of as the city’s “living room,” is enchanting with its peaceful aura. Its Austrian-style palaces, built during the reign of Napoleon, offer a glorious foreground to the snowy mountain tops behind them.

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Touring the city’s residential streets by foot or by bike is a great way to admire the lush private gardens that generously overflow onto the sidewalks. More than 40 kilometres of bike lanes snake through the city’s hills and green spaces. The website www.sentres.com/it/bici offers a range of different itineraries, including detailed descriptions. Bicycles are readily rented at the city’s information office or at one of Bolzano’s various rental stations (www.comune.bolzano.it).

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Still, nothing beats a ride on one of the city’s three cable cars. Soaring above beautiful valleys with meandering streams, vineyards and picturesque church spires may not quite be nirvana, but it certainly seems close.

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BOLZANO

Bolzano The bilingual city of the Italian Alps La città bilingue delle Alpi italiane

By Mariella Policheni

Bolzano, along with Innsbruck, is seat to the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention established for the protection and conservation of the Alpine territory. With about one hundred thousand inhabitants, it is a city with a thousand faces.

Sede con Innsbruck del Segretariato permanente della Convenzione delle Alpi che si prefigge la difesa e la protezione del territorio alpino, Bolzano con i suoi circa 100mila abitanti è una città dai mille volti.

he city is the capital of the autonomous province of the same name located in Trentino-Alto Adige/South Tyrol, and lies in a valley created by the connection of the Isarco, Sarentina and Adige valleys, therefore enjoying a spectacular panoramic view. The centre is the “parlour” of the city, showcasing the cathedral, and a blend of Italian and Austrian art. There is also the jewel in the crown of the city: the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, founded in 1997, whose distinguishing trait is providing education in three languages (Italian, German and English).

città, capoluogo dell’omonima provincia autonoma in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol è adagiata nella conca creata dalla congiunzione delle valli dell’Isarco, Sarentina e dell’Adige e gode di un panorama spettacolare: è il centro il ‘salotto buono’ della città con il Duomo, connubio di arte italiana e tedesca.

L’arte è di casa a Bolzano così come la storia e la cultura: è il Museo Archeologico ad ospitare Otzi, la mummia di 5300 anni fa scoperta nei ghiacciai di Similaun in Val Senales. Per non parlare poi del fiore all’occhiello della città: la Libera Università di Bolzano fondata nel 1997 la cui caratteristica è l’insegnamento trilingue (italiano, tedesco e inglese).

T

A blend of different cultures and languages This is a place where Germans and Italians live together, each with their distinct culture and language, although the cohabitation is not always easy. “Let’s say that it is going quite well, as groups are rather homogenous, but outside of Bolzano, German-speaking people are more numerous than the Italian-speaking, and therefore, even if we are on Italian territory, Italians are the real minority,” says Rossella Pozzi, a 48-year-old teacher of “Italiano Lingua 2” (Italian as a second language) who teaches in a German school. As a result of this majority, jobs in some sectors are dominated by German native-speakers.

“This is a place where Germans and Italians live together, each with their distinct culture and language, although the cohabitation is not always easy.”

Relations between the two communities are not always close, but the new generation is able to overcome the barrier that, even though invisible, continues to divide and create some friction. “Marriages, for example, work very well,” Pozzi points out, “but the fact remains that the Italian language skills of young native German speakers have worsened. Once, it was absolutely necessary to manage a good-standing relationship with the Italian government to obtain the greatest possible concessions, and now, having secured what they wanted with the autonomy package, they don’t feel the need to learn Italian.”

On the other hand, young Italians want to learn German and want their own children to learn it: “For example, many hire German babysitters and send their children to German school,” adds Pozzi. The autonomy of South Tyrol is, in fact, based on the principle of linguistic separation: therefore, in schools lessons are given in Italian or German by native teachers, and many associations have registered members belonging to only one linguistic group, such as, for example, the Club Alpino Italiano (Italian Alpine Club) and 40

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Connubio di culture e lingue diverse Una città, questa, nella quale convivono tedeschi e italiani con le loro culture e le loro lingue diverse. Una convivenza non sempre facile. “Diciamo che va abbastanza bene, i gruppi sono piuttosto omogenei mentre fuori da Bolzano gli abitanti di lingua tedesca sono piu’ numerosi rispetto a quelli di lingua italiana e perciò, anche se ci troviamo in territorio italiano, sono gli italiani la vera minoranza – dice Rossella Pozzi, 48 anni, insegnante di “Italiano Lingua 2” in una scuola tedesca – la conseguenza è che i posti di lavoro in certi settori, visto che c’è la proporzionale etnica, sono di dominio di quelli di madrelingua tedesca”.

I rapporti tra le due comunità non sono sempre stretti ma la nuova generazione è quella che riesce a superare una barriera che, per quanto invisibile, continua a dividere e a creare qualche attrito. “I matrimoni, per esempio, funzionano benissimo – continua la Pozzi – rimane il fatto che la preparazione dei ragazzi di madrelingua tedesca che conoscono la lingua italiana è molto peggiorata dal momento che se una volta c’era l’assoluta necessità di gestire i rapporti con lo Stato italiano e ottenere le maggiori agevolazioni possibili, ora, avendo ottenuto quel che vogliono nel pacchetto di autonomia, non avvertono più l’esigenza di imparare l’italiano”.

Sono i giovani italiani, invece, a voler imparare la lingua tedesca e a volerla far apprendere ai propri figli: “Sono numerosi quelli che ad esempio assumono babysitter tedesche e che inseriscono i propri bambini nella scuola tedesca”, dice l’insegnante di Bolzano. L’autonomia altoatesina si basa infatti sul principio del separatismo linguistico: nelle scuole, quindi, l’insegnamento viene impartito in lingua italiana o tedesca da insegnanti di madrelingua e numerose associazioni contano iscritti appartenenti a un solo gruppo linguistico come ad esempio il Club Alpino Italiano e l’Alpenverein Sudtirol.

Le tensioni attuali, tra le due comunità linguistiche, sono attenuate rispetto al

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the Alpenverein Südtirol (South Tyrol Alpine Club).

Compared to the past, tensions between the two linguistic communities have lessened. During the post-war period, in spite of the German-speaking community’s requests for self-determination, Bolzano was annexed to Italy. Today, Trento and Bolzano are two autonomous provinces, the only ones in Italy, and the disputes of the fifties and sixties have become less passionate.

Gateway to the Dolomites In addition to being a bilingual city (a third linguistic group, largely a minority, is Ladin), Bolzano is a city of art and culture, insofar as it is now in the running for the title of European Capital of Culture 2019. The Museum of Archaeology is home to Ötzi, the 5,300-year-old mummy found in the Similaun glacier in Val Senales.

Bolzano also boasts the Museum for Modern and Contemporary art, the Mercantile Museum, the Civic Museum, the Nativity scene Museum in a convent, and the Messner Mountain Museum, a project designed by South Tyrol mountaineer Reinhold Messner and which consists of five locations in the region of the Dolomites. One of them is the museum of Firmian Castle, just outside the city of Bolzano, which, through a path of towers, halls, stairways and courtyards surrounded by the magnificent view of the Tyrolean Alps, showcases natural artefacts aimed at raising awareness of the bond between man and nature, particularly in mountaineering.

“It is not surprising then, that Bolzano is called the ‘gateway to the Dolomites’ and it is a still liveable and people-friendly city,” says Mauro Orsaniti, a 49-year-old professional financial advisor who was born in Bolzano. “Together with its surroundings, the city offers its inhabitants many opportunities for leisure. Moreover, the cycling paths going through and around the city provide a convenient, easy and green road network.” There are a large number of castles in Bolzano and its surroundings, so much so that the valley of Bolzano has been declared the area with the highest density of castles in Europe: among them are Flavon Castle, Hörtenberg Castle, Rafenstein Castle, Treuenstein Castle, Mareccio Castle and Roncolo Castle.

Besides nature, sports, amazing views, museums and castles, Bolzano also offers entertainment, good food and shopping. “In comparison with the past, the city centre is quite lively and popular,” says Orsaniti. “There is a great choice of bars, restaurants and trattorie (family restaurants) offering a varied culinary experience, not only with typical food from the region.”

Bolzano is a complex city with many facets, but it is also a city open to the future, teeming with all kinds of ventures under the leadership of its mayor Luigi Spagnolli. “I believe that the city is well-managed politically, and although there is still room for improvement, the public money seems to be well spent,” concludes Orsaniti. “The coexistence between both language groups has reached a balance, even though some political components are still anchored to a past that should belong only in schoolbooks.”

passato: nel dopoguerra, nonostante le richieste di autodeterminazione della comunità di lingua tedesca, Bolzano fu riassegnata all’Italia. Oggi Trento e Bolzano sono due province autonome, le uniche in Italia, e i contrasti degli Anni Cinquanta e Sessanta sono diventati meno accesi. “Sono meno forti per il semplice motivo che gli italiani si stanno facendo inglobare nel mondo di lingua tedesca. Non il contrario”, taglia corto la Pozzi. Le persone di madrelingua italiana vengono comunemente definite “Walsche” e la lingua italiana “Walsch”, termini che derivano dal germanico antico (“Walh” vuol dire straniero) e che hanno acquisito connotazione negativa.

Porta delle Dolomiti Ma oltre ad essere una città bilingue (un terzo gruppo linguistico, ampiamente minoritario, è quello ladino), Bolzano è una città di arte e cultura al punto che è al momento candidata alla cattedra di Capitale Europea della Cultura per il 2019. Sono tantissimi e di grande interesse, ad esempio i musei della città: da quello archeologico a quello di arte moderna e contemporanea, da quello mercantile a quello civico, dal Museo dei presepi nel convento al Messner Mountain Museum che è stato ideato dall’alpinista altoatesino Reinhold Messner e comprende cinque sedi nella regione delle Dolomiti.

Uno di questi, il museo del Castello Firmiano si trova poco fuori dal centro abitato di Bolzano e tramite un percorso fatto di torri, sale, scale e cortili circondati dal meraviglioso panorama delle Alpi del Tirolo, mette in mostra reperti naturali che hanno lo scopo di far conoscere il legame tra uomo e natura in particolare nell’alpinismo.

“Non per niente Bolzano viene chiamata la “porta delle Dolomiti” ed è una città ancora vivibile, a dimensione d’uomo, che con i suoi dintorni offre tante possibilità di svago ai propri abitanti – dice Mauro Orsaniti, nato a Bolzano 49 anni fa, di professione consulente finanziario – la rete ciclabile, inoltre, che attraversa perimetralmente e non solo tutta la città, contribuisce ad una comoda, agevole ed ecologica viabilità”. Sono numerosissimi i castelli a Bolzano e nell’area circostante al punto che la “conca di Bolzano” è stata dichiarata la zona con la più alta densità di castelli in Europa: tra questi Castel Flavon, Castel Hortenberg, Castel Rafenstein, Castel Treuenstein, Castel Mareccio e Castel Roncolo.

Ma oltre alla natura, agli sport, al panorama mozzafiato, ai musei e ai castelli, Bolzano è anche divertimento, buon cibo e shopping. “Rispetto al passato il centro cittadino è piuttosto animato e frequentato – continua Orsaniti – vasta è la scelta di bar/ristoranti e trattorie con un’offerta culinaria varia e non solo tipica del luogo”. È una città complessa Bolzano, una città dalle tante sfaccettature ma anche una città aperta al futuro che pullula di inziative di ogni genere sotto la guida del sindaco Luigi Spagnolli: “Ritengo che politicamente la città sia ben amministrata e sebbene vi siano ancora dei margini di miglioramento, il denaro pubblico sembra comunque essere ben speso – conclude Orsaniti – la convivenza tra i due gruppi linguistici ha trovato un punto di equilibrio anche se alcune componenti politiche sono rimaste ancorate ad un passato che dovrebbe appartenere solo ai libri di scuola”.

Girati qui.

Visti ovunque.

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Scenic Rail

By Alessia Sara Domanico

Follow the Brenner Railway to learn more about this historic route and the must-see sites at the end of the line Located just within the confines of Italy, on the cusp of the Austro-Italian border, the town of Brennero, or Brenner in English, has more of a German identity than Italian, with an estimated 80% of its population claiming German as their first language. The area’s German-Italian DNA is further evidenced by its past, such as one particular instance where two of history’s most infamous dictators, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, met at the Brenner train station in 1940 to cement their “Pact of Steel.”

oday, that same mountain railway station has an estimated 240 trains passing through it on a daily basis along the Brenner Pass, which starts in Innsbruck.

Because it is considered to be the lowest crossing point in the central Alpine mountain range, travelers can cross the Alps at this point without having to change trains. It is also a strategic point for the military as well as for commercial transport.

While the Brenner Pass is one of the lowest routes running across the Alps from Austria in Italy, its 1,371-metre altitude calls for at least three connected locomotives to pull the weight of a freight train up and down its slopes.

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From Roman route to railway Long before its train days, travelers saddled up their horses to make their way over the Alps via this route which experienced frequent use, especially by ancient populations searching to migrate to new places. The first Roman road, the Via Claudia Augusta, which crossed the Brenner Pass, was built in 15 B.C. and later transformed into a military highway. The plans for a railroad were developed in the 19th century by German architect and engineer Carl von Etzel. Trains began operating on the Brenner Pass in 1867, making it one of the principal passes through the Alps. In its beginning, the Brenner railroad served as a means of internal communication for the Habsburg Empire. This altered when Brenner became a part of Italy with the shifting of the international border between Austria and Italy.

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What lies along the course of Brenner Pass is just as attractive as its logistic convenience and it comes in the form of fantastic mountain views containing miles and miles of majestic trees, picturesque cottages and high Alpine pastures with grazing cattle in the summer months. The modern day route along the Eastern Alps begins in Innsbruck, Austria, and then crosses through the Austrian towns of Matrei and Steinach before arriving in Italy. Once in Italy, the train locomotives have to be switched as Austrian trains operate on an alternate current, while Italy uses a direct current. Once switched over, the train continues on to Colle Isarco, Vipiteno, Foretezza, Ponte Gardena and then Bolzano before terminating its course in Salorno.

All of the stations, tunnels and viaducts which the train passes through still have German names.

Castle meets train: sites that are a stone’s throw from the Brenner Pass Mareccio Castle Characterized by its four cone-shaped towers, this 13th century Mareccio Castle is located just behind Bolzano’s historic city centre. It enjoys idyllic surroundings amidst Lagrein grapevines and offers breathtaking views over the surrounding area. The castle’s inner structure was transformed into a conference and exhibition centre in the 1980s, which now hosts seminars, banquets, concerts, cultural events and exhibitions that are often open to the public.

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Roncolo Castle Situated in the Sarentina Valley, Roncolo Castle was built upon a mountain rock in the year 1237. It has been renovated throughout the centuries and today houses a large collection of frescoes that depict a vast array of scenes from court life to hunting and chivalric competitions as well as literary illustrations, such as that of Tristan and Isolde and the adventures of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Cultural events and exhibitions take place regularly at the castle which also houses a restaurant that gives visitors the unique opportunity to dine in a Medieval setting,

Messner Mountain Museum Firmian Housed within Sigmundskron Castle, near the town of Bozen, the Messner Mountain Museum Firmian is one of four branches founded by local celebrity Reinhold Messner, a climber, writer, photographer and a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004, who was born in the region in 1944 and later went on to achieve numerous feats in mountaineering, chiefly being the first to reach the top of Mount Everest without oxygen support. The museum’s collection is exhibited in the turrets, rooms, and courtyards and offers a unique glimpse into mountaineering with permanent and temporary exhibits, relics and natural objects that recount the past and present of the Alpine mountains.

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Zelten of Bolzano A sweet bread filled with dried and candied fruit, nuts and other ingredients.

It is the Christmas cake par excellence and can be found in any patisserie in December.

Bold and Beautiful Bolzano Cuisine

By Amanda Fulginiti

Bolzano, and the Alto Adige/South Tyrol province for that matter, is the perfect destination for any foodie. Beautiful scenery aside, warm and hearty country cooking is interwoven with specialties of the Mediterranean gastronomic tradition. Even though the origin of cuisine in its execution and in the combination of flavours in Alto Adige/South Tyrol is German because of its proximity to Switzerland and Austria, there are many influences of the glorious Italian culinary tradition. Here’s a list of a few things to look out for if you should find yourself nestled in the northernmost part of Italy!

I bomboloni/Faschingskrapfen (“The Bomb” ) These succulent and delicious Austro-Bavarian fried specialties are hard to resist.

Prepared with dough flavoured with lemon peel, they are rolled in granulated sugar and are filled with custard. Served as a hearty breakfast or as a tasty snack!

Ravioli alla pusterese/Schlutzkrapfen (ravioli with spinach) This delicious dark flour ravioli with a spicy spinach and ricotta cheese filling served with brown butter and Parmesan is a traditional South Tyrolean dish that is usually served as a starter.

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Canederli/Knödel Bread dumplings made with speck or liver, known as knödel in German.

They are only found in the north-east of Italy (Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli, and part of Veneto), where they are served as a first or main course. They are typically enjoyed with a little olive oil and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and parsley or chives. They are also known to be served with a main dish such as roast lamb.

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BOLZANO Vinschger paarlen Palm-sized, round flat breads that mostly come in pairs and can be torn apart. It's a specialty from Alto Adige and is a bread mostly made with rye flour and spices, such as fennel seeds, caraway, and bird clover.

Zuppa d’orzo tirolese/Gerstsuppe Found in all restaurants in Trentino Alto Adige, especially in the winter season, this barley soup is a simple traditional dish that is topped with diced speck.

Tutra/Tirtlen Fried discs of buckwheat flour dough that are typically filled with steamed spinach and sauerkraut.

Lonza di maiale con crauti/kasseler rippchen mit sauerkraut Smoked pork loin in a creamy brown mustard sauce served on a bed of sauerkraut is a common second Sud-Tyrolean dish.

What to drink?

Lagrein and Santa Maddalena The two indigenous wines are Lagrein and Santa Maddalena. Every Saturday in May and October the Tourist Office offers guided tours to the Santa Maddalena and Lagrein wine-growing valleys with a visit to a winery in Bolzano, which includes wine-tasting.

The autumn tradition of rambling through Alto Adige’s valleys and tasting the young wine along with roast chestnuts and seasonal dishes is called “Törggelen.”

Popular local product Speck Alto Adige PGI A lightly smoked and cured ham and a very typical product to be found in Bolzano. Speck is the German word for bacon, but the speck of Alto Adige is not bacon at all. Made from pork leg, not pork belly, it is brined with herbs and garlic and then cold smoked and aged, resulting in a texture reminiscent of Italian prosciutto and a flavour that resembles pancetta. Speck is eaten thinly sliced as an antipasto with figs or melon, and is also used in cooking to flavour everything from pasta sauces to pizza and dumplings.

Gulasch di selvaggina Cubes of venison meat are browned with onions and garlic and combined with Worcestershire sauce, oregano and covered with water. This is a typical hearty second dish of the region.

Good eats • Batzenhäusl (Via Andrea Hofer 30, +39 0471 050950, www.batzen.it, meal for 2 about €35). It's the town's oldest restaurant, dating back 600 years, and is housed in one of Bolzano's typically tall and narrow Tyrolean-style buildings.

• Hopfen & Co micro-brewery (Piazza Erbe 17, +39 0471 300788, www.boznerbier.it, meal for 2 about €25). We stopped to enjoy a beer with brezen from the rack on the bar. The huge woven pretzels are soft and light and pair perfectly with a glass of the house dunkel beer, a darkish, spicy brew.

• Haselburg bar and restaurant (Via Castel Flavon 48, +39 0471 402130, www.haselburg.it, meal for 2 about €45). It dates back to the 12th century and has been transformed with contemporary style.

• Luferkeller (Luferweg 1, Rifiano +39 0473 241071) is particularly packed during Törggelen. It has a large sun terrace where you and your family can enjoy local cuisine while taking in the breathtaking surroundings!

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Celebrate Christmas in Bolzano

By Francesca Spizzirri

Italy’s Christmas Capital

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Deep in the rolling hills of Alto Adige/South Tyrol’s regional capital, the true spirit of an Old-World Christmas comes to life on the medieval streets of Bolzano where visitors indulge in holiday treats and Yuletide joy at the Mercatino di Natale: Italy’s largest Christmas market.

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BOLZANO rom November 29 to December 23, the picturesque streets of Alto Adige/South Tyrol's regional capital invite you to experience the magic of an Alpine Christmas during the annual Mercatino di Natale. Thousands of visitors come to celebrate the holiday season by strolling through Bolzano’s fabled Christmas market with a steaming cup of hot mulled wine in hand as they inhale the sweet scents of cinnamon and spice.

The beautifully decorated Piazza Walther is the festive meeting place where family and friends gather to share in Yuletide joy. This historic square in the town’s medieval district is a picturesque scene right out of a children’s storybook with over 80 stalls stacked with glass Christmas tree decorations, handmade arts and crafts, wooden toys, candles and ceramics.

Here the romance and magic of a traditional Christmas is alive and well.

Shimmering lamps and candlelight bathe the city in a magical glow as people celebrate the traditions of a bygone era while indulging their sweet tooth with artfully decorated seasonal pastries that seem to have jumped off the pages of a medieval cookbook.

Live Christmas concerts are also held throughout the historic centre in churches and other venues, along with beautifully displayed nativity scenes. There are also horse-drawn carriage rides as well as numerous activities and exhibitions.

This is a special time of year in Bolzano where the outdoor market is filled by the sights, smells and sounds of a good old-fashioned Christmas.

However, an Alpine Christmas would not be complete without the Sfilata di San Nicolò e i Krampus. Though most Canadians are familiar with Jolly Old Saint Nick’s European heritage, few are familiar with his dark servants the Krampus: towering mythical devils with pointed horns, bulging eyes and whip-like tongues who accompany him on his earthly journey.

On the eve of December 5, when the sun sets behind the mountain peaks and darkness envelops the land, the Krampus come out from the woods to parade through the streets and alleyways of Alpine villages to scare adults and children.

During the parade, the rowdy Krampus scare bystanders with their pitchforks, sticks and whips as the procession of Saint Nicholas makes its way to the local church.

While Saint Nicholas rewards children who have been good with gifts and sweets, the scary Krampus are there to punish those who have made the “naughty list.” One look at the Krampus and children are scared straight back to the path of good. After the parade, the noisy Krampus are rewarded with holiday drinks to celebrate the holiday.

The Krampus provide the same spirited fun of Halloween and are a great addition to your traditional holiday festivities!

Next time you’re planning your Christmas holidays, consider taking the whole family on an adventure to Bolzano to experience the magic and fun of an old-fashioned Alpine Christmas while enjoying the beauty of the region’s magnificent landscape.

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Where to stay Feel snug and at home this winter with a stay at the lovely Hotel Greif in central Bolzano, steps away from the Cathedral of Bolzano and the Monument of Walther von der Vogelweide. It is also within close proximity of Piazza Walther where the Christmas Market is located.

Experience old-world opulence at the state-of-the-art Parkhotel Laurin located in the heart of Bolzano. The ground floor is also home to one of Bolzano’s best restaurants and the perfect place to enjoy a great meal after a day of sightseeing.

If retreating to the countryside for rest and relaxation is on your to-do list, then a stay at Hotel Hanny is in order. Located 2.5 km from the centre of Bolzano, the hotel is surrounded by mountains and tranquil cycling and hiking trails.

Where to eat If you’ve ever wanted to dine in a 13th century medieval castle then here’s your chance!

Located up the hill from Bolzano, Ristorante Castel Flavon-Restaurant Haselburg offers a new take on traditional dishes with panoramic views over the city.

Enjoy the hearty flavours of the South Tyrolean Mountains at the elegant Restaurant Laurin where chefs use locally grown ingredients to create their signature mouth-watering dishes.

After a long day you’ll appreciate the hearty servings of traditional dishes at Hopfen & Co, an 800-year-old inn set in the Habsburg era.

Surroundings This South Tyrolean capital is a charming city with lively streets and historic squares, surrounded by vineyards and an incredible landscape leading into the magnificent Dolomites. The city’s Austrian influence is displayed in the town’s food and culture.

Bolzano is a great destination for nature enthusiasts with its beautiful walking trails, green hills and three cable cars that whisk visitors away to enjoy the panoramic views of this outdoor wonderland.

Getting there Bolzano is located on the crossroads between Northern and Southern Europe and is easily accessible by train as it is a major hub of the railway system in the Central Alps.

The Airport Bolzano Dolomites is located 5 km outside of the city centre and can be reached from most major European cities.

“While Saint Nicholas rewards children who have been good with gifts and sweets, the scary Krampus are there to punish those who have made the “naughty list.”

One look at the Krampus and children are scared straight back to the path of good.”

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I vini “eroici” dell'Alto Adige Gaia Massai

L’Alto Adige è un territorio pieno di fascino che ha mantenuto nel tempo una spiccata autonomia e una personalità d’oltralpe.

Conosciuto anche come Südtirol, l’Alto Adige è stato infatti parte del territorio austriaco fino alla Prima Guerra Mondiale, quando fu ceduto all’Italia nel 1919. tedesco è ancora oggi la lingua piu’ parlata, i cartelli stradali sono bilingue e molte ricette tipiche hanno nomi che inequivocabilmente rimandano alla loro origine austriaca come la minestra di canederli (Knödel) e il dolce di frutta secca e noci detto Zelten. Storia, arte, paesaggio e perfino l’eno-gastronomia della regione sono fortemente caratterizzati ed influenzati dalle maestose Dolomiti che rendono questa terra uno splendido mosaico di picchi innevati, altipiani lussureggianti e valli disseminate da pittoreschi paesi. Nel Südtirol settentrionale le pendici boschive, che il duro lavoro e la proverbiale tenacia dei contadini altoatesini hanno reso terra coltivabile, sono il teatro della cosiddetta “viticultura eroica”. Sfidando a volte la legge di gravita’, vitigni autoctoni e poco conosciuti trovano casa su impervi fazzoletti di terra la quale spesso viene portata a mano dal fondovalle e contenuta da terrazzamenti creati con muretti a secco. I vini ottenuti da vitigni tipici quali Schiava, Lagrein e Gewürztraminer spesso non superano le poche migliaia di bottiglie l’anno e le vendemmie si svolgono rigorosamente a mano. I piccoli produttori curano personalmente tutte le fasi di lavorazione e sono accomunati dalla stessa filosofia: valorizzare le produzioni autoctone in modo da preservare un importante patrimonio culturale.

La maggior parte dei vini provenienti da questa zona viene distribuita localmente e spesso non varca i confini regionali: degustare vini “eroici” ascoltando la storia di produttori appassionati è certamente una ragione in piu’ per visitare questo splendido territorio. Alcuni dei produttori degni di nota per il loro impegno nel contribuire a un paesaggio unico: il conte Michael Goëss-Enzenberg di Manincor, Peter Dipoli di Egna, Franz Pratzner della tenuta Falkenstein, Peter Pliger del Kuenhof e Franz Gojer del Glögglhof.

Nella parte meridionale della regione, dove le montagne si fanno meno ripide e le valli più ampie e soleggiate, si trovano varie cooperative vinicole che producono oltre il 60% del vino altoatesino da vitigni autoctoni e non. È interessante notare come nell’ultimo decennio, grazie alla crescente popolarità e richiesta di vitigni quali Pinot Grigio e Chardonnay, la produzione di vino bianco sia aumentata notevolmente, a scapito dei vini rossi prodotti tradizionalmente. La “Strada del Vino dell'Alto Adige”, uno dei percorsi del vino più antichi in Italia, è una strada che scorre parallela alla valle dell'Adige costeggiando più dell’80% dei vigneti di tutta la regione ed è costellata da numerose aziende vinicole aperte al pubblico per degustazioni e visite guidate.

Una delle tappe più interessanti sulla Strada del Vino è sicuramente Bolzano che, oltre ad offrire al visitatore uno sguardo completo su arte, cultura e storia della

Il

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regione, permette in poco tempo di scoprirne il patrimonio vinicolo. Due delle sei sottozone della “Alto Adige Doc” si trovano infatti sulle colline intorno a Bolzano: la zona Colli di Bolzano si trova sulle colline a sud della città e produce vini leggeri, vivaci e “beverini” prevalentemente dal vitigno autoctono Schiava. La seconda sottozona, a nord di Bolzano, è il Santa Maddalena: si producono qui vini più pieni, corposi e fruttati dai vitigni Schiava e Lagrein. Tra le aziende degne di nota ricordiamo la Tenuta/Cantina Convento Muri Gries, sede di un convento benedettino dal 1845 e il Maso Unterganzner, di proprietà della famiglia Mayr dal 1629, dove si porta avanti con costanza la tradizionale “coltura a pergola”.

Per maggiori informazioni sulla Strada del Vino dell’Alto Adige e consigli su pernottamenti e ristoranti: www.suedtiroler-weinstrasse.it/italiano

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Alto Adige, una fabbrica di campioni

Fabio Forlano

Le stelle del passato e i fuoriclasse del presente: Bolzano sarà ancora protagonista a Sochi 2014 Bolzano e Benessere: un connubio perfetto all’insegna dello sport. La provincia altoatesina è terra di grandi imprese atletiche. Qui sono nati alcuni tra i campioni che hanno dato lustro all’Italia nel mondo intero. E qui, sulle orme di questi fuoriclasse assoluti, migliaia di appassionati si cimentano quotidianamente nelle attività sportive più disparate. Ce n’è per tutti i gusti e per tutte le stagioni. Se in estate i sentieri di montagna si prestano al trekking e alla mountain bike, in questi mesi freddi gli stessi scenari diventano teatro per i classici sport invernali.

Inforcando un paio di sci Da queste parti lo sci alpino sta un po’ come il calcio al Brasile. In Alto Adige sciatori e snowboarders hanno a disposizione circa mille chilometri di piste. Le località più famose si dividono nei comprensori Ortles Skiarena e Dolomiti SuperSki. A Trametsch, per esempio, c’è la pista più lunga della regione: nove chilometri e 1.400 metri di dislivello. Mentre a Obereggen si può sciare anche di notte, tre sere a settimana. Il cuore dell’attività agonistica, tuttavia, è legato a due piste mitiche: la Gran Risa e la Saslong. La prima, in Alta Badia, è il tempio dello slalom gigante: qui, per intenderci, Alberto Tomba conquistò il suo primo podio in Coppa del Mondo, nel 1986. La Saslong (Val Gardena) è invece pane per gli uomini della velocità: discesa libera e super gigante. Anche quest’anno le due piste rientrano nel calendario di Coppa del Mondo maschile, con appuntamento dal 20 al 22 dicembre 2013.

La valanga azzurra L’Italia intera ha iniziato ad appassionarsi alle vicende dello sci alpino grazie alle vittorie della valanga azzurra. Con questo nome viene ricordato un gruppo di sciatori capaci di dominare la scena internazionale nei primi anni ’70. Del team facevano parte due altoatesini Helmuth Schmalzl e, soprattutto, Gustavo Thöni. Nato in Alta Val Venosta, Thöni è entrato di diritto nella storia di questo sport per aver vinto quattro Coppe del Mondo, quattro titoli mondiali, un oro e due argenti olimpici.

Negli anni la provincia di Bolzano ha dato tanti altri fuoriclasse alla nazionale italiana. Forse la più amata è Isolde Kostner, due volte campionessa mondiale e argento olimpico a Salt Lake City nel 2002. Oggi cinque componenti della squadra World Cup maschile sono altoatesini, compreso Christof Innerhofer, campione del Mondo di supergigante nel 2011.

Il più grande di tutti – Armin Zöggeler da Foiana Forse il nome non dice granché al grande pubblico eppure questo signore di 39 anni è uno degli atleti più vincenti di sempre. In sella a uno slittino ha portato a casa cinque

medaglie olimpiche (due ori), sei titoli mondiali e 10 Coppe del Mondo. Per 115 volte è salito sul podio in una gara internazionale e anche alle Olimpiadi di Vancouver 2010 ha saputo regalare un bronzo alla nazione. Nel 2014 cercherà di diventare il primo atleta di discipline olimpiche invernali a vincere una medaglia in sei edizioni diverse delle Olimpiadi.

Fondo e combinata Come lo sci alpino, anche il biathlon e lo sci di fondo fanno tanti proseliti in Alto Adige. L’ambiente è dei migliori: 1800 chilometri di piste incastonate in uno scenario unico sono un piatto assolutamente appetibile per gli appassionati. Anche l’attività agonistica è fervente: la Coppa del Mondo 2013-14 tornerà a far tappa in provincia di Bolzano, a Dobbiaco (sci di fondo) e Anterselva (già sede dei Mondiali di biathlon).

Le nazionali maschili e femminili di entrambi gli sport attingono a piene mani dal serbatoio di alteti bolzanini. Così come fa il team di combinata nordica che annovera tra le sue punte di diamante Armin Bauer, presente anche alle Olimpiadi di Vancouver.

Con i pattini sul ghiaccio Un possibile trait d’union tra il Südtirol e il Canada è la passione per l’hockey su ghiaccio. L’Hockey Club Bolzano è la squadra più titolata d’Italia con 19 scudetti in bacheca. Quest’anno, tuttavia, il team ha deciso di abbandonare il campionato di Elite. A per entrare nella più competitiva lega austriaca. Ai nastri di partenza della prima divisione ci saranno comunque tre formazioni altoatesine: Brunico, Collalbo e Vipiteno.

Tenendo sempre lo sguardo rivolto all’attività indoor, infine, non possono sfuggire le imprese di Carolina Kostner, pattinatrice artistica di assoluto livello. Alle Olimpiadi di Vancouver non ha fatto faville ma negli ultimi due anni si è riscattata alla grande vincendo i Mondiali di Nizza e finendo seconda in quelli di London (Ontario).

Anche per lei, come per tutte le altre stelle altoatesine degli sport invernali, l’appuntamento della stagione restano i Giochi olimpici di Sochi (dal 7 al 23 febbraio 2014).

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Il presepe napoletano e i suoi simboli Anna Ferrari San Francesco e le origini del presepe “Ecco il momento di accennare ad uno svago caratteristico dei Napoletani: il Presepe”, scrive Goethe nel “Viaggio in Italia.” Affreschi e sculture con scene della Natività compaiono fin nei primi secoli del cristianesimo in molti edifici di culto in tutta Italia, ma il vero presepe, che ebbe a Napoli la sua patria d’elezione, è un’altra cosa: rappresentazione a tutto tondo della nascita di Gesù, deriva il suo nome dal latino praesepe o praesepium, “mangiatoia”, poi “stalla, grotta”.

Una leggenda ne attribuisce l’invenzione a San Francesco, nel 1223, a Greccio; la storia racconta che il primo presepe fu commissionato da Papa Onofrio IV nel 1283 e realizzato con statue di Arnolfo di Cambio. I Francescani, tuttavia, anche se non lo “inventarono”, furono molto attivi nel diffonderlo; proprio a Napoli la protezione che essi ottennero dagli Angioini dovette favorire la loro opera di diffusione del presepe, tanto che il secondo esemplare noto, in ordine cronologico, fu quello che la regina Sancia donò alle Clarisse napoletane nel 1340 (se ne conserva solo la statua della Madonna Giacente, nel Museo di San Martino).

Dopo San Francesco, un posto nella storia del presepe napoletano spetta a un altro santo, Gaetano da Thiene: giunto a Napoli nel 1534, secondo la tradizione introdusse nel presepe personaggi ispirati ai costumi del tempo. Nello spirito della Controriforma, il presepe sembrava uno strumento adatto a ravvivare la pietà

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popolare, e conobbe perciò una grandissima fortuna. I monasteri gareggiavano nel possedere le statue più belle, e scultori famosi, come Pietro e Giovanni Alemanno, vi si dedicavano con passione.

Movimento e spettacolarità: il presepe napoletano tra Barocco e Rococò Le statue, a grandezza naturale, divennero nel Seicento manichini di legno snodabili, in posizioni svariate, ai quali si aggiungevano parrucche, abiti di stoffa, occhi di vetro. Il gusto per le scene spettacolari, il movimento, le scenografie grandiose, la riproduzione fedele della realtà, tipici del barocco, trionfa nei presepi napoletani seicenteschi, che diventano vere e proprie macchine teatrali, smontate e rimontate ogni anno per Natale.

La ricchezza scenografica e la riproduzione fedele della quotidia-nità sono tipiche anche del presepe napoletano del Settecento, in stile rococò, che si avvale di un’innovazione dell’artista napoletano Michele Perrone: la sostituzione dei manichini di legno con anime di ferro, molto più mobili e flessibili.

Parallelamente, nella scenografia del presepe si introducono sempre più spesso personaggi che non hanno nulla a che fare con la Natività, ma trasformano il presepe in uno spaccato della vita napoletana del tempo: vi entrano, oltre ai

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ARTS & CULTURE tradizionali pastori, anche animali, artigiani, commercianti, scene di taverna, musici, soldati, mendicanti, architetture moderne, resti antichi che riflettono le recenti scoperte archeologiche (del Settecento sono i ritrovamenti di Pompei e Paestum).

La scenografia si fa sempre più ricca, anche perché a farsi costruire i presepi non sono più soltanto le chiese e i monasteri, ma i nobili per i propri palazzi.

Il presepe è diventato laico e legato all’attualità, e tale rimarrà in tutta la sua storia successiva, fino a oggi: chiunque percorra la pittoresca via San Gregorio Armeno, nel centro di Napoli, vedrà occhieggiare nelle vetrine delle botteghe, tutte dedicate all’arte del presepe, immagini di personaggi dei nostri giorni, come Obama o Berlusconi…

I personaggi e il loro valore simbolico Poi ci sono i singoli personaggi, ciascuno dei quali è portatore di uno specifico significato: il Bambinello, la Vergine (che nei presepi più antichi era sdraiata, come una donna mortale partoriente, e non inginocchiata), San Giuseppe, gli angeli, i magi e i pastori fanno parte del racconto del Vangelo; gli altri sono aggiunte di valore simbolico.

La figura del pescatore allude a Cristo pescatore di anime (il nome greco del pesce, ichthys, conteneva le iniziali dell’espressione “Gesù Cristo Figlio di Dio Salvatore” ed era un antichissimo simbolo cristiano); il macellaio, associato al sangue e alla morte, incarna il diavolo; i mendicanti richiamano i defunti che implorano la preghiera dei vivi; la zingara, che sa leggere il futuro, preannuncia un destino spesso sinistro; la donna col bambino (Stefania) è viceversa simbolo di sere-nità (la leggenda raccontava che, essendo vergine ed essendo vietato alle vergini di andare a venerare Gesù neonato, essa avvolse in fasce una pietra fingendo che fosse un neonato, e alla pietra per miracolo Gesù bambino diede vita, facendola starnutire); Zi’ Vincenzo e Zi’ Pasquale, giocatori di carte nella taverna, hanno, come la zingara, poteri divinatori; e non mancano neppure riferimenti più o meno espliciti ad antichissimi culti pagani, come quello di Demetra e Kore, dee greche della fertilità, alle quali allude la donna che dà da mangiare alle galline, mentre Ciccio Bacco, seduto su una botte, richiama il vino dell’Eucarestia, ma anche Dioniso o Bacco, dio del vino e della vita gaudente. Benino o Benito, infine, è il pastore addormentato, al quale gli Angeli diedero l’annunzio della nascita del Salvatore: secondo la tradizione napoletana non bisogna mai svegliarlo, altrimenti il presepe sparirebbe…

“

Parallelamente, nella scenografia del presepe si introducono sempre più spesso personaggi che non hanno nulla a che fare con la Natività, ma trasformano il presepe in uno spaccato della vita napoletana del tempo.

“

Il simbolismo del presepe: la scenografia e gli ambienti Animali, personaggi e ambienti del presepe napoletano non sono però solo ispirati all’attualità: ogni figura ha un preciso significato simbolico.

La scenografia, innanzitutto: la grotta, simbolo del grembo materno, è legata, anche in molti culti precristiani, all’idea della rinascita e del trionfo sulla morte. Il castello che troneggia su un’altura rappresenta il potere di Erode; le colonne e i ruderi antichi sono lo specchio della civiltà pagana giunta ormai al tramonto, che la nuova fede riesce a re-dimere. I corsi d’acqua indicano la purificazione del battesimo; il fuoco simboleggia la forza vitale e insieme le capacità artigianali dell’uomo; gli alberi si richiamano all’idea della forza naturale, della crescita, della sapienza (come l’albero biblico del Bene e del Male); il mulino, davanti al quale siede spesso una vecchietta che fila, è immagine del tempo che passa e che s’incarna nel filo della vita, già nella mitologia greca tessuto dalle Parche. La taverna, luogo di perdizione, è spesso popolata di ubriachi, tra i quali la presenza di un monaco può alludere alla corruzione temporale della Chiesa.

Le scene di mercato e i cesti di frutta e verdura richiamano il sogno di abbondanza di chi conosce bene la fame.

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“I’d like to go back and review the mistakes, to accelerate my personal growth.”

By Claudia Prestigiacomo hat excerpt from Franco Battiato’s “Passacaglia,” the third song in his set list, seems to focus on the innate spirit of the singer/songwriter’s artistic output.

Battiato, one of the greatest Italian singer-songwriters, with a performance that covers about 40 years in il Bel Paese’s musical history, was in Toronto for the first time on October 10 where he appeared at the Phoenix Concert Theatre.

Battiato’s interview warrants thorough preparation given the philosophicalcultural profundity of the Sicilian singer-songwriter’s lyrics. Consider, for example, “Ti vengo a cercare” where the emotion of love is tied to divine, mystic dynamics.

Fans waiting since 6:30 p.m. for theatre doors to open appear well-aware of this.

They are from various generations, older immigrants and recent, students and fans.

Italian, in all its nuances, being the only underlying theme as they wait. Never mind single file – the crowd assembles in a circle. There are smiles, pleasantries are exchanged, there’s talk of concerts attended – an atmosphere typical of expectant crowds where friends come together for an evening.

Everyone seems to agree on one point: Battiato is considered to be a profound artist whose every word is analyzed under a microscope.

It’s enough to begin conversing with him to catch a glimpse of the intense and sparkling gaze that characterizes artists of his stature. A genius, whose art takes form from the steady progress on the spiritual path he wants to share with the rest of the world.

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Panoram Italia: This is your time in Canada. How do you prepare to face a live audience for the first time, with the intent of relaying your emotions?

Franco Battiato: Well, I never concern myself with those kinds of things, in the sense that when you’re on location, you do what you have to do. So, it’s not that a lot changes.

What changes is the fact that you have to present something that may or may not go as planned. I can’t ever be concerned about what will happen.

PI: Aside from specific album launches, is the playlist selection influenced by the city where you’re performing?

FB: That’s a good question. For example, this evening I’d exclude my experimental period. Yesterday in New York we played it, but tonight it may be a bit out of place, because the audience may not appreciate the experimentalism that at times is very extreme.

PI: On October 8, the digital version of Apriti Sesamo was released in Great Britain, the United States, and Canada. Only “Testamento” and “La Polvere del branco” were translated in their entirety into English. Why? FB: It’s in homage! I could have done the whole record in English, but it’s more enjoyable this way, because certain sonorities are untranslatable from Italian.

PI: So in selecting lyrics for translation, do you take into consideration a particular assonance, one that better lends itself to translating?

FB: Where possible I adapt them. If it’s not possible, I don’t do it.

PI: In an interview given some time ago, you said that you don’t ultimately aim for success. You’d rather offer useful advice to those interested in undertaking a spiritual life.

So, in this perspective, is the decision to resort frequently to multilingualism due to a desire to spread this advice as widely as possible?

FB: At times, multilingualism for me is just a question of sonority. It’s to favour the actual concept of the sound.

PI: However that way, your desire to spread this message for those wanting to take a spiritual path ends up involving only a limited segment of your fans.

FB: That’s very true. However, the great Bulgarian pianist who died last year (Editor’s note: Alexis Weissenberg), in answer to a question like, ‘but when you’re in front of an audience of a thousand, two-thousand people, do you think you can influence them?’ answered, “When I manage to touch a single individual, I’m happy.”

PI: In Open Sesame’s “Caliti Junku,” the Sicilian saying “Caliti junku ‘ca passa la china” (Abbassati giunco, finché passa la piena) [to ‘bend like the willow’ until the worst is over] is preceded by the line: “An ancient Chinese or Tibetan, Arabic-Sicilian saying goes like this…”

FB: That was intentional! A joke. As if one wouldn’t be aware this domination had occurred. Yet in effect, it could sound like Chinese because of its intonation.

PI: Let’s move on to social issues for a moment. How do you personally view, on a spiritual level, the serious events involving immigrants in Italy?

FB: I detest those who defend their roots in this manner, who do they think… [the artist pauses]. One’s place of birth is purely by chance. So for me, those things are unacceptable…

Just ten minutes after our meeting, there he is, emerging to the applause of a highly electrified and excited crowd. Then the first requests are heard: “Bandiera Bianca”!, “Stranizza D’Amuri”!, which would be satisfied at the appropriate moment.

A couple quickly unfurls the Sicilian flag with its Trincaria, at the artist’s feet.

Battiato seats himself, smiles, dons his headphones, and to the opening notes of “Un Irresistibile Richiamo” begins a concert that at times is very emotional, causing some teary eyes, and at times so captivating that even the most reluctant get up to dance.

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Franco Battiato

in Toronto “Vorrei tornare indietro per rivedere gli errori, per accelerare il mio processo interiore.”

Claudia Prestigiacomo questa frase tratta da Passacaglia, terza canzone in scaletta, sembra concentrarsi lo spirito insito nella produzione artistica di Franco Battiato.

Per la prima volta a Toronto dopo una tappa a New York, ecco esibirsi al Phoenix Concert Theatre uno dei più grandi artisti-cantautori italiani, con una produzione che copre ben quarant’anni della storia musicale del Bel Paese.

L’intervista a Battiato va preparata con cura certosina dato lo spessore filosofico-culturale dei testi del cantautore di origini siciliane. Si pensi ad esempio a “Ti vengo a cercare” dove il sentimento dell’amore viene collegato a meccaniche divine e mistiche.

Sembra saperlo bene la gente che a partire dalle 6.30 del pomeriggio aspetta che si aprano le porte del teatro. Generazioni diverse, vecchi e nuovi emigranti, studenti e appassionati. L’italiano, in tutte le sue sfumature, unico sottofondo nell’attesa. Più che in una fila, le persone si dispongono in cerchio. Si sorride, si parla, si racconta dei concerti ai quali si è stati, quando e dove, in quell’atmosfera tipica di attese durante le quali si stringono piacevoli amicizie di una sera.

Su una cosa tutti sembrano essere d’accordo: Battiato viene percepito quale artista profondo, cui ogni parola sembra essere stata analizzata al microscopio prima di essere inserita, con precisione estrema, all’interno di una trama superba.

Ad attendere noi di Panoram Italia un uomo distinto e gentile con un sorriso accennato ma dolce. La sua figura riservata e apparantemente timida, inizialmente, non sembra riflettere quella di un artista tanto eclettico quanto sperimentale. È sufficiente cominciare a parlargli per coglierne già nel solo sguardo quell’intenso luccichio che caratterizza artisti del suo spessore. Un genio, la cui arte prende vita dal costante avanzare in un percorso spirituale che vuole condividere con il resto del mondo.

In

Panoram Italia: Se non sbaglio questa è la sua prima volta in Canada, a Toronto.

Come ci si prepara ad affrontare un pubblico per la prima volta dal vivo, volendogli trasmettere le proprie emozioni?

Franco Battiato: Beh, non mi curo mai di questo genere di cose, nel senso che quando sei in un luogo, poi vai e fai quello che devi fare. Quindi, non è che cambia tanto. Cambia il fatto che devi rappresentare una cosa che può andare a segno, e può non andare a segno. In qualche modo, non posso mai pensare a quello che succederà.

PI: A prescindere dal lancio specifico di un album, la scelta della scaletta è influenzata dalla città in cui si esibisce?

FB: Questa è una bella domanda. Per esempio, stasera io toglierei il mio periodo sperimentale. Ieri a New York l’abbiamo fatto, però stasera forse è un po’ fuori luogo, perché l’audience magari non ne apprezzerebbe lo sperimentalismo a volte molto estremo.

PI: Ma in questo modo il suo desiderio di diffondere questo messaggio per chi vuole intraprendere il percorso della spiritualità finisce per coinvolgere solo una fetta limitata del suo pubblico.

FB: Questo è molto giusto. Però, un grande pianista bulgaro morto l’anno scorso [n.d.a.

Alexis Weissenberg], a una domanda del tipo: “ma lei quando si trova davanti ad un pubblico di mille, duemila persone, pensa d’influenzarlo?”, ha risposto: “Quando io riesco a emozionare un solo individuo, sono felice.”

PI: In “Caliti Junku” di Open Sesame, il detto siciliano “Caliti junku 'ca passa la china” (Abbassati giunco, finché passa la piena) è preceduto dalla frase: “un antico detto, cinese o tibetano, arabo-siciliano dice così…”

FB: L’ho fatto apposta! Uno scherzo. Come se uno non fosse a conoscenza che ci sia stata questa dominazione. In effetti, però, potrebbe sembrare cinese per il suono.

PI: Spostandoci sul sociale per un momento. Come vive personalmente, al livello spirituale, i gravi episodi verificatisi ultimamente in Italia che vedono come protagonisti gli emigrati?

FB: Detesto quelli che difendono le radici in questo modo, che si credono…[pausa dell’artista]. Si nasce in un posto per puro caso! Quindi, per me, sono cose inaccettabili…

Ad appena dieci minuti dal nostro incontro, eccolo spuntare tra gli applausi di una folla tanto elettrizzata, quanto emozionata. Alle spalle si odono le prime richieste: “Bandiera Bianca!”, “Stranizza D’Amuri!” che, al momento giusto, verranno accontentate. Una simpatica coppia incontrata durante l’attesa, come promesso, si affretta a stendere la bandiera della Sicilia con la sua Trinacria ai piedi dell’artista.

Battiato si siede, sorride, indossa la sua cuffia e sulle note di “Un Irresistibile Richiamo” dà il via a un concerto a tratti tanto emozionante da provocare qualche lacrimuccia, a tratti coinvolgente da far ballare anche i più restii.

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PI: L’8 Ottobre è stata pubblicata digitalmente una versione di “Apriti Sesamo” per Gran Bretagna, Stati Uniti e Canada. Solo “Testamento” e “La Polvere del Branco” sono state tradotte integralmente in inglese. Perché?

FB: È un omaggio! Avrei potuto fare tutto il disco in inglese, ma così è più giusto, perché certe sonorità sono intraducibili dall’Italiano.

PI: Dunque, nella scelta dei testi da tradurre tiene in considerazione una certa assonanza, quello che si presta meglio alla traduzione?

FB: L’adattamento, quando riesce, lo faccio volentieri. Se non riesce, non lo faccio.

PI: In un’intervista rilasciata tempo fa ha detto che in fondo lei non mira al successo, quanto ad offrire consigli utili a chi è interessato a intraprendere una vita spirituale.

Dunque, in quest’ottica, la scelta di ricorrere spesso al multilinguismo rientra nel desiderio di diffondere questi consigli il più possibile?

FB: A volte, il multilinguismo per me è solo una questione di sonorità. È da privilegiare proprio il concetto del suono.

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From top clockwise: Man with Blue Eyes, 2000 pastel on paper, 30” x 22” Terminus, 2009 oil on canvas, 43” x 64” Colosseum, 2009 oil on canvas, 48” x 72”

Marco Sassone Celebrates the Creative Life Italian painter’s “Sanctuary” retrospective spans four decades of work

By Rosanna Bonura

Italian painter Marco Sassone will take his fans and art followers on a journey spanning four decades with his latest exhibit, “Sanctuary,” a retrospective of his works at Toronto’s Berenson Fine Art, which runs until December 12, 2013. The show features a selection of 25 oil paintings and works on paper from 1968 to 2013. he exhibit’s title, “Sanctuary,” is indicative of how Sassone feels about his profession. “A sanctuary is a place where you feel good and creative,” he explains.

“When you walk into the studio, the works are surrounding you, speaking to you, giving you suggestions and at the same time they’re also giving you energy and spreading the energy beyond the walls of your sanctuary.”

Sassone was born in the Tuscan village of Campi Bisenzio in 1942. His family then moved to Florence in 1954, and for any artist at heart, this was the ultimate place to learn. “You cannot help but look around and be inspired,” Sassone says. “Florence is one of those special cities, even if you’re just visiting, it remains with you.” Sassone enrolled at the Istituto Galileo Galilei where he studied architectural drafting for seven years. He later went on to study with painter Silvio Loffredo, professor of art at the Accademia in Florence. Sassone then developed his own style and vision, gaining inspiration from the works of the 19th century Italian impressionists: the Macchiaioli - Giovanni Fattori, Vito D'Ancona and Silvestro Lega.

In 1967, following the Florentine flood, Sassone traveled to the U.S. and settled in California. “That was a spontaneous decision,” he recalls. “I basically left with a box of paint.” Although it was a culture shock, it was an experience without any regret.

“When you grow up in Florence and you are living surrounded by the masters of art, I think the weight of this cultural upbringing and the weight of the Renaissance sometimes is overwhelming for an artist, so stepping out and moving somewhere else was very good for me and it had a lot to offer.”

By the late ’80s Sassone became increasingly concerned with social themes, which led to a series documenting the homeless in the ’90s. His interest in such delicate matters is testament to Sassone making a difference through his art. It also made him more socially aware. “There were themes that pushed me to look into other

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aspects of life aside from the artistic paintings on location that I used to do. I began to go into the streets and talk to the homeless. This process was very rewarding for me.

Artistically it was tough, but it was very good for the growth of an artist, to accept humility and to continue with your own work.”

Sassone’s personal and artistic journey would take yet another direction in 2005 when he relocated to Toronto, the city he’s called home ever since. Love and his wife are what led him here. Toronto also proved to be a great source of inspiration leading to his works of the city’s urban landscapes. “I discovered an entire new city and like I did in other places, I walked and painted from the ground up. Street scenes, freeways, railroad tracks – that’s a cycle of paintings that really identifies with Toronto. It’s not just tracks, it’s the departure and arrival and anything else that takes place in between.

Toronto was a new journey and a new arrival and I feel like I’ve done some of my best work here.”

Over the years, Sassone has received international acclaim, with exhibits spanning the globe. Fans and collectors of his work include the late Luciano Pavarotti and Ella Fitzgerald, Tina Turner, and Sophia Loren, just to name a few. Although this is an accomplishment any artist can be proud of, Sassone says belief in oneself and one’s craft is the key to success. “It’s a way of life. I think you need to be a certain individual to go through the pains of survival. It offers many perspectives and reflections. You go through trials and you experience all these evolutions. I had to go through a few years of panic, but I knew that I was going to succeed and so I continued.”

Looking forward, Sassone hopes that his art will continue to enrich people’s lives and transcend time. “In my artwork I leave all of myself, all my sweat and tears, so if someone gets emotional over a piece of artwork, that is particularly rewarding and those are moments that I cherish.”

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NEWLYWEDS

Love and Marriage, Italian Style

By Vanessa Santilli

Two days before Christina Grossi tied the knot, she sat in her bedroom while the sounds of Italian music filled the autumn air.

Standing in the driveway outside her home was her fiancé, alongside an accordion player and guitarist, who serenaded her.

There were also about 50 family members and friends gathered for this traditional “serenata.” our prince is down at the bottom waiting for you,” says the now Christina Marshall, describing the once-in-a-lifetime experience. “It was that sort of a feeling. It was a nice feeling to have.”

Despite the changing times, Italian-Canadian brides and grooms are holding on to their roots by incorporating various Italian wedding traditions into their special day.

Christina’s mother Sophie Grossi was the driving force behind orchestrating this Italian wedding tradition at their home in Toronto. “That’s what our parents did in their hometown and I thought it would be nice for that to continue because they both passed away, so that was how I represented them,” says Grossi, whose family hails from Terelle in the province of Frosinone in Lazio.

While Marshall was serenaded, she lowered down a basket with presents including a watch, candy and beer – a spin on the traditional prosciutto, bread, wine and cheese, adds Grossi. The lowering of this basket indicated her acceptance to get married in a few days. “And then once he emptied the basket, he put flowers in there for her,” she says. “And she lifted the basket back up.” Then, the bride-to-be joined the festivities outside and danced with her future husband, followed by a dance with her father. After this, everyone went inside the house to celebrate the impending union with drinks and dessert. “It was an overwhelming sensation to have all your family and friends come to support your new life,” adds Marshall.

Back in Italy, explains Grossi, the groom along with his parents and relatives would walk to the bride’s house. She’d be in her bedroom with the light off and the groom would sing songs to the bride. “And the song is saying, ‘this is the last night you’re going to be at your parents’ home and you are going to be starting a new life

“Y

tomorrow’ and if she is content with being married, she would turn on her lights and that is how she accepts that she is going to be moving on to a new life.”

Along with the “serenata,” another Italian wedding tradition that Grossi has continued is that of the groom’s parents coming over to the bride’s house. “They are showing acceptance of the wedding,” she says.

The “courtesy visit” where the hopeful groom asks for the future in-laws’ blessing is also common. This is what Toronto-based Salvatore De Angelis, 27, did before asking his future bride Diana to marry him a couple of years ago. “I’m Abruzzese, and in our culture you always ask the parents for their permission and approval before you go ask your bride-to-be,” he says. “I did it out of respect and to know that you’re accepted into the family,” says De Angelis, who was married last September.

He says his future in-laws were quite happy when he paid them a visit to ask this very special question. “We just started talking and they wanted to know what my ideas were and what we were going to do in the future. We had a bichierino – a shot – and that’s it. We went from there.”

At their fall wedding, the couple’s menu was made up of traditional Italian food, including pasta and special antipasto stations including prosciutto and various cheeses.

As well, when the couple returned from their honeymoon in Hawaii they discovered that their mothers “dressed their bed” with money, flowers and other treats “And that’s an Italian tradition per buon fortuna,” adds De Angelis. “Tradition is good to have because not only does it show you have respect for your culture but it also shows that you have respect for your ancestry and what your parents did.”

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NEWLYWEDS

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Lindalisa & Michael Tigani April 27, 2013

Melissa Rotundo & Johnathon Budway October 19, 2013

Sabrina Zito & Domenico Andrea Marcone September 7, 2013

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Cynthia De Sanctis & Eric Lebel July 6, 2013

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Tanya D’Amico & Brian Gauthier May 25, 2013

Jessica Bertot & Thomas Bongiorno September 7, 2013

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NEWLYWEDS

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Samantha Moscato & Joey Innocente September 7, 2013

Melanie De Luca & Alexandre Laoun July 13, 2013

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Antonella Cucchiara & Marc Paliotti September 28, 2013

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Amanda Bissi & Marco De Stefano September 21, 2013

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Melodie Parent & Ralph Nardi September 28, 2013

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EVENTS

The Venetian Ball Salutes 20 Years It was an event that surpassed expectations. On October 26, more than 1,000 guests cheered on the 20th anniversary of the Venetian Ball, one of the top philanthropic galas in Toronto. Funds raised will support Villa Charities, which provides support to seniors as well as individuals with intellectual and mental health issues.

“Tonight we celebrate our supporters, our community, the best of Italian culture, and the incredible work of Villa Charities,” said Mauro and Adriana Baldassarra, co-chairs of the gala.

“We are so humbled to be a part of this incredible evening.”

Guests enjoyed an array of antipasti followed by an Italian-themed five-course dinner.

Afterwards, ten dessert stations satisfied all those with a sweet tooth. Carnevale was the theme of the gala and in keeping with the ambience, entertainment included Commedia dell’Arte character Arlecchino. There was also a special appearance by singer/songwriter Paul Anka who delighted the crowd with his classic songs. Friendly competition came in the form of live auction bids for giveaways including a seat at the 2014 Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monza, Italy. (Rita Simonetta)

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4. Paul Anka performs at The Venetian Ball Photography by Gregory Varano

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EVENTS

Steeles Paint Supports the Give Pink Campaign gallon sold of any colour of Benjamin Moore eco-friendly paint and products as well as Para Paints zero-VOC paint.

The 20,000 square-foot store on 4190 Steeles Avenue West was decked out with campaigninspired messages throughout the month of October and staff wore “Steeles Paint Supports CBCF” T-shirts to reflect the store’s commitment.

Grisolia said he decided to participate because the issue was close to his heart.

“My mother died from breast cancer, and my sister beat it,” he told Panoram Italia magazine. “I wanted to do something, but I didn’t just want to write a cheque. I wanted to raise some awareness.”

(Rita Simonetta)

Photography by John Packman/ Sal Pasqua for Dolce Media Group.

On Saturday, October 26, Steeles Paint and Decorating Centre held a party in pink to present $20,000 for the Give Pink campaign in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Ontario Region (CBCF).

“We had originally hoped to raise $10,000, Steeles Paint owner Claudio Grisolia told Panoram Italia magazine, “but we doubled our goal.”

Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, who attended the event, added a further $5,000.

“When a person faces a challenge, we all face a challenge,” he said.

“To see the community gathered here today is really heartwarming.”

Throughout the month of October, Steeles Paint & Decorating Centre donated $1 for every

Rosa’s Centre Fundraising Dinner

Maria Pronesti, founder and president of Rosa’s Centre

Antonio Panetta, vice-president of Rosa’s Centre

It was an evening to celebrate turning life’s challenges into opportunities. On September 20, Rosa’s Centre raised $8,000 at its second annual fundraising dinner and dance; the money will go toward providing care for developmentally and physically challenged adults throughout Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon. The event, which was held at La Primavera Hospitality and Convention Centre, included a silent auction featuring Toronto Maple Leafs autographed memorabilia and a Tom Thomson limited edition print.

Rosa’s Centre was named in honour of Rosa Panetta who tirelessly cared for her two developmentally challenged children at a time when resources and specialized programs across Ontario were limited.

And as she neared old age, the situation became overwhelming, so her other two children, Maria Pronesti and Antonio Panetta, found a way to help their mother and others like her. In 2008, Rosa’s Centre was born with the mission to help developmentally challenged individuals become more confident, productive members of society through community outings and programs.

Maria Pronesti, founder and president of Rosa’s Centre, spoke with her mother Rosa by her side.

“Through my mother’s love, perseverance and hope, Rosa’s Centre exists,” she told the 200 guests.

“Your support is so critical and greatly appreciated by all the families,” vice-president Antonio Panetta added, noting that the centre is planning to expand its services in the near future. (Rita Simonetta)

Riviera Hairstylists Celebrates 45 Years

Emilio Chiappetta was born and raised in Rende (Cosenza), Calabria, Chiappetta immigrated to Canada in 1966. Three years later, in 1969, after attending hairdressing school in Scarborough, he opened up Riviera Hairstylists Inc in Oakville, which still operates to this day. Chiappetta has come to be loved by his hundreds of loyal clients – who come regularly from as far away as Barrie, Orillia and Peterborough –and this year, he celebrates 45 years in business. Auguri Emilio!

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EVENTS

The New Humber River Hospital Gets a Helping Hand from the Calabrian Benevolent Association of Ontario The new Humber River Hospital under construction at Keele Street and Highway 401 in Toronto got a welcome boost from the Calabrian Benevolent Association of Ontario (CBAO) on October 23.

The newly created organization announced a donation of $500,000 for the facility, which upon its completion, will be North America’s first fully digital hospital.

The hospital is situated in a community with a bustling Italian-Canadian population and Calabrese community, CBAO Chair Ralph Chiodo told Panoram Italia magazine, and just as important it serves over 850,000 people throughout the GTA. “We felt the donation was a good way to make an impact in the community for general community benefits,” Chiodo said.

The pledge, announced at the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery in the Columbus Centre, was the first philanthropic act from the newly formed CBAO, which was launched about three months ago by 12 members from the Calabrain community in the GTA. “We felt there was an opportunity for our regional business professional and entrepreneurs to come together,” Chiodo says of the organization’s launch.

The hospital’s Cardiology Clinic will be named in recognition of CBAO’s contribution to the community.

At the event, Eddy Battiston, Chair of the Humber River Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, thanked the CBAO for its support.

“We applaud the CBAO for their generosity, for their leadership and for their commitment to our hospital and its future,” he said. “This gift is a tremendous demonstration of community in action. Their belief in our shared vision to bring accessible, world-class healthcare to its surrounding communities is demonstrated through their deeds. We feel privileged that the Calabrian Benevolent Association of Ontario is championing our cause.”

The Humber River Hospital houses Ontario's first Centre of Excellence for laparoscopic bariatric surgery, the country’s first home nocturnal dialysis program as well as a major cancer program. It currently operates on three sites with a total of 549 beds and 3,000 staff members. (Rita Simonetta)

In celebration of 75 remarkable years, the Società Femminile Friulana hosted their Jubilee Gala Saturday, October 26 at Famee Furlane Club in Woodbridge.

President of the Società Femminile Bruna Facca and the Famee Frulane Club’s president Matthew Melchior were both in attendance to celebrate the organization’s long-running success. “Let’s remember the strength of character demonstrated by the ladies that formed and participated in the Società—they were ladies that really made a difference for each and every family,” said Melchior. “The truth of the matter is it was these ladies who moved all our families forward, and it was these ladies who provided a heel of courage and dedication that made us who we are today.”

Established in 1938, the Società Femminile Friulana is the only Italian women’s society in the federation across Canada. Throughout the evening, past presidents and executive members were commemorated through a slideshow of photos, offering a glimpse into the Società’s founding accomplishments. Members of Famee Frulane Clubs outside of Toronto were also in attendance including visitors from Hamilton, the Niagara region and St. Catharine’s.

“From the first president to our current one, there’s a legacy that has really made an impact —not a simple thumbprint, but a whole boot print on Canadian society and how we as Friulanes have integrated into that society,” said Melchior. “The fact that they have shown their spirit and elegance for 75 years is an inspiration for us all, and it is a great platform to take this organization forward.” (Stephanie Grella)

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Società Femminile Friulana Jubilee Gala

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SPORTS

The Resurgence of AS Roma This past summer, AS Roma finished their North American tour with a friendly match against Toronto FC at BMO Field. The game ended with a convincing 4-1 victory for Roma, and the change of tactics, skill and mindset that AS Roma has experienced under Rudi Garcia was clearly noticeable. This revolutionary transformation has resulted in an undefeated start to the season for the giallorossi.

By Dante Di Iulio he last team before Roma to start off the Serie A season undefeated after 13 games (as of Saturday, November 30, 2013) was Juventus during the 2011/12 season. Following four years of playing mediocre soccer and changing three coaches, Juve made several key off-season acquisitions, but most importantly hired a new coach (Antonio Conte) with a new mentality, and it proved successful, resulting in two consecutive Scudetti.

After being taken over by American Thomas DiBenedetto in 2011 and his investment group, Roma made several acquisitions and plans that proved unsuccessful. Former Barcelona ‘B’ coach Luis Enrique was brought in to create ‘Tiki Taka alla Romana,’ resulting in a rather boring brand of calcio that went nowhere. Some systems only work with the right players, and they did not have them that year.

In 2012, Zdenek Zeman, who had just brought Pescara back to Serie A after 20 long years in B, was asked to return to the Roma bench for the second time in order to create a sparkling brand of football. No matter what anyone says about Zeman’s coaching, one cannot argue how entertaining his sides are. Of course, Zeman’s philosophy never paid much attention to defense, which resulted in his early dismissal. After two years at the helm, romanisti could be excused for their skepticism concerning their Yankee owners and their misguided plans. First they chose to replicate Barcelona, and then they tried to sell tickets with the promise of a giostra del gol.

The third time’s the charm is what they say. After coming to an agreement with Nike to be the official sponsor in 2014/15 (there is no jersey sponsor this season) and revamping the Roma crest, management decided to bring in Rudi Garcia as the next team manager. The Frenchman, who led Lille, France, to a Ligue 1 championship in 2010/11, was heralded by many as an attack-minded coach who achieved results, something that tickled the fancy of the Americans.

With a good core group from the previous seasons set in place, management decided to get rid of mercurial striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, starlet Erik Lamela and made a massive 35 million Euros off of one-season wonder Marquinhos. With some extra cash to play with, they decided to bolster their squad in the right areas. In the back end, they added veteran goalie Morgan De Sanctis and in front of him the likes of Mehdi Benatia and Maicon. To add to their impressive midfield of De Rossi, Pjanic,

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Florenzi and Bradley, the Dutch starlet Kevin Strootman was persuaded to come to the capital as well as Gervinho and wantaway playmaker Adem Ljajic.

“This year, Roma finally started on the right foot. Garcia has brought a different mindset to the squad, making every player feel important, from Totti to the last ‘primavera’ player,” says Vito Caressa, head of Magica Roma Toronto Fan Club.

“Players from last year who didn’t work well with Zeman, like De Rossi, Pjanic and Castàn, have become indisputable starters. I think that the Coppa Italia final defeat (against archrivals Lazio) signaled the push to start over. Under Garcia, Roma found the perfect asset, someone who is able to find the perfect balance throughout the squad. In every game, their opponents get very few shots. Most importantly, we have an incredible goalie,” adds Caressa.

Whether or not Roma can continue this sparkling run of form and take the Scudetto is unknown, but if they don’t sustain injuries or lose focus, only Juventus, Napoli, Inter and Fiorentina have a chance of dethroning them from the top. The 2013/14 campionato has witnessed a plethora of budding young Italian talent fighting for a spot in Brazil 2014, a hugely disappointing AC Milan and an abundance of goals scored week in and week out. With a Scudetto victory, Roma would have their first league title in 14 years, but more significantly, become the first foreign-owned Serie A team to lift the title. “My heart says the Scudetto is in the bag, but my brain knows it’s a long uphill battle with the other power houses breathing down our necks,” says Giuseppe Recine, president and founder of Roma Montreal Club. “What gives me hope this year is that with all of our injuries to key players, we still managed to hang tough and get results.”

Serie A has always been considered a little xenophobic when it comes to foreign investors, and has suffered over the past decade as a result. The best players go where the money is, and Italy has lacked that for quite sometime, resulting in the loss of a Champions League spot and largely being labelled a “seller’s market.” A Scudetto win for Roma would not only create euphoria in the Caput Mundi but demonstrate the success of foreign investment. The world is a ball and money makes it go round. The sooner Serie A figures this out, the better it will be for the league, teams, players and fans.

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