Segmento XVIII - Winter Edition 2019

UNAPOLOGETICALLY ITALIAN

The “Art” of doing business Winter 2019 - ISSUE XVIII

segmento.com.au

Italian Magazine

unapologetically Italian online and in print reaching more than 30,000 families Australia wide

www.segmento.com.au

CONTENT COVER STORY

Founder and Managing Director Daniele Curto daniele.curto@segmento.com.au 0418 891 285

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Associate Editor Halyey J. Egan editor@segmento.com.au

The “Art” of doing business Raffaele Caputo

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ENDORSEMENT

Italian Magazine

The future in their past A reflection Archimede Fusillo

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NOMIT’s role in the creation of a global network of young Italian expats Hayley J. Egan

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A place to call ‘Rome’ Jenna Lo Bianco

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Dora and Angelo, leading the revival of Italian folk music in Melbourne Hayley J. Egan

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My first close encounter with the young Italians Natalie Di Pasquale How ’Il bel canto’ mesmerized Australian opera singer Rachael Birthisel Jenna Lo Bianco

Graphic Artist Elaine Bocchini marketing@segmento.com.au Creative Consultant Imbarani Poonasamy Photographers Paco Matteo Li Calzi - Daniele Curto Ksenia Belova - Jonathan Di Maggio Giorgia Maselli For features, articles and editorial submissions: segmento@segmento.com.au For advertising equires please contact: marketing@segmento.com.au 0418 891 285

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Understanding the Italian bilingual program embraced by Brunswick South Primary School Jenna Lo Bianco

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The story of a ‘call’ that can’t be ignored Mara Rasulo

Cover photo credits Daniele Curto Wide Shut Photography

EDITORIAL

Translation Support Jenna Lo Bianco

Giuseppe and Riccardo bring Italian food craftsmanship to Australia Elaine Bocchini The facetious and unproven facts about Leonardo da Vinci’s life Hayley J. Egan

Italians and Cordelia syndrome Daniele Curto

RECIPE

Agata Grimaldi Archimede Fusillo Ivano Ercole Hayley J. Egan Francesco Ricatti Rachael Martin Elenoire Laudieri Di Biase Omar D’Incecco Daniele Foti-Cuzzola Mariantonietta Rasulo Jenna Lo Bianco Natalie Di Pasquale Elaine Bocchini Raffaele Caputo Jytte Holmqvist Valeria Suriano

DISCLAIMER The Editorial-Staff ensures that every details are correct at the

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Vegetable Cacciatore Nadia Fragnito

time of printing, however the publisher accepts no responsibility for errors and inaccuracies.

Daniele Curto

ITALIANS AND CORDELIA SYNDROME Surveys, as we know, are usually a waste of time. But the results of the YouGov demographic research, supported by English newspaper the Guardian as well as the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, are quite astonishing.

The poll asked participants to indicate which countries they admire most.

Well, the country that most Italians admire, is Italy.

For those who are Italian or for those who know Italians, this is not an obvious result. We Italians, particularly in recent decades, when asked an opinion on our country, are free with our bitter judgments and insults. We tend to think badly of ourselves.

Mocking, self-deprication and pathological complaining are among our favourite hobbies.

But then how to explain the results of this survey, that collide with the vision of Italy narrated by politics and newspapers? Could Italians suffer from Cordelia syndrome?

Cordelia was one of the three daughters of King Lear in the Shakespearian tragedy of the same name.

ISSUE XVIII

Masterchef favourite Pia Gava’s recipe for success Daniele Foti Cuzzola

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Contributors

Of the three, she was the one who refused to flatter her father, instead showing her true feelings towards him.

She was banned and disinherited for her refusal to stroke her father’s ego, but was later proved to be the most authentic and genuine.

The theory is fascinating, and somewhat forced, but the phrase that King Lear exclaims during the storm resonates in our heads: “I am more sinned against than sinning.”

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Archimede Fusillo

THE FUTURE IN THEIR PAST - A REFLECTION This proved more difficult than it seemed. I didn’t expect the reluctance I was met with. Many of these people did not want to tell their stories, many believing they had ‘niente da dire’ (nothing to say), that would add any clarity to the history they had been an integral part of. I did not foresee the reopening of old wounds for many of them, as they spoke of what took them away from their families, and what led them back to their homeland, la patria.

The stories are now in print for all to read. The reasons for migration, and for returning to Italy, are many and varied. There is no one reason, no one explanation to describe every circumstance. I will not list any here. They lie in the stories themselves.

I want to say: Grazie, Thank you, to these wonderful souls, for allowing me into your stories, for opening your homes and your hearts to me, for sharing with me, in some cases, stories you had never shared before. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to represent you, as accurately as I could, through the words you chose to have me record. I hope I did Archimede Fusillo at Co.As.It - Museo Italiano in Carlton, Melbourne

Photo Wide Shut Photography

justice to these stories through the four years of articles in Segmento. Thank you too, for giving me the

In 2014 I set out on a journey that has been both personally and professionally rewarding. I travelled to Italy, the recipient of the Literature Fellowship from the International Specialised Skills Institute, and the Italian Services Institute.

perception about these people and their reasons,

material that allowed me to produce the Fellowship

most of it gleamed from gossip, and the occasional

Report, ‘The Future In Their Past’, which was rec-

heated argument between paesani.

ognised by the Nino Sanciolo Award, which took me

What was missing was a primary source who could confirm or deny the rumours, passed down from one

you the print versions of those same stories you told

member of the Italian community to another.

me. Copies of this very magazine are now in some of the prestigious Immigration Museums in Italy.

My goal, of course, was not to interview every reMy endeavour, to try to record the stories of those people who came out to Australia after the second world war, ostensibly to make a new life here, only to then return to their native country.

I knew these people existed. I had heard talk of

to the first person detailed accounts citing the reasons for their initial outward journey and their subsequent return.

Like so many of my generation, and probably of the generation that came after me, I had some vague

Thank you also to our editor Daniele and his

turned immigrant, an unlikely feat since many of the thousands of Italians who set out in search of a new

team, for believing in this project, in these stories, in

life in Australia did, in the end, return ‘home’. Also,

the importance of these stories to our larger story

many of these people have passed on, including now

of Italian migration, and for believing in me. It has

some of the many people I had the great privilege of

been a life-changing journey for this writer, and an

meeting and spending time with.

eye-opener for me as the son of Italian migrants who elected to stay on in Australia despite all the odds.

them. There were members of my own family who had done just that. I had, however, never been privy

back to Italy in 2017 to personally share with many of

The focus of my fellowship was straightforward: to find as many of these returned Italians as possible, interview and photograph them, get them to tell me their stories in their own words, and try to draw some conclusions about why they left Australia

Finally, Thank you, readers, for following the journey.

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Hayley J. Egan

NOMIT’S ROLE IN THE CREATION OF A GLOBAL NETWORK OF YOUNG ITALIAN EXPATS According to the website emigrati.it, for every one hundred Italians living in Italy, there are another seven living abroad.

This same source also tells us that of the four million Italian citizens spread out across the globe, most are those that have left Italy in the last twenty years.

Currently, around 45,000 Italians emigrate per year.

Communication between these communities is needed, and this is why the network created in Palermo is so important. Italian President Sergio Mattarella expressed his ‘appreciation for this initiative, whose objective is to involve young people in the communities abroad in a process of growth of knowledge and mutual collaboration between (Italy) and the various realities in which they live, while gaugeing their expectations of Italy.’

While chatting to Fabrizio Venturini, I take the In April, over 200 of these migrants were selected

by COM.IT.ES (the Italian Comittee for overseas resi-

opportunity to ask about what NOMIT does to conOn the right Fabrizio Venturini attending the Seminar in Palermo last April

nect and engage the Italian community in Melbourne.

dents) and invited back to Palermo for a seminar created by the Consigliere Generale di Italiani all’Estero

Photo Courtesy of Fabrizio Venturini

of cultural events, but Fabrizio insists that the culture

NOMIT is actually heavily involved in the organisation

(the General Council of Italians Abroad or CGIE).

shock experienced by migrants today has taken on

The objective of this initiative was to create a global

a different form, and that NOMIT responds to these

network of young Italian expats and to mobilise all

changed needs accordingly.

Italian communities abroad, while strengthening the institutions that support them.

This however, is only a small part of what NOMIT

‘More than culture shock, what we see today is administrative shock. Years ago, if a migrant came to

tion has set up a Welcome Desk at the Italian Consul-

Melbourne from, say, a tiny village in Calabria, they

to one of the attendees, Fabrizio Venturini, who

ate. This is a free service that offers advice in those

would experience culture shock because they didn’t

attended the seminar as a representative for the as-

administrative and bureaucratic matters that can be

understand the language, they would find everything,

sociation NOMIT.

so disorientating for the newly arrived. The Welcome

the food, the culture, extremely unfamiliar. Today,

Desk was born as a service for Italians in Australia but

things are different. We are dealing with the more

is now open to anyone who needs assistance, in the

worldly Erasmus generation, and the problems are

spirit of reciprocity and intercultural exchange.

more practical.’

In the days following the event in Palermo, I spoke

NOMIT (The Italian Network of Melbourne) is a non-profit organisation that supports the growth of the Italian community in Melbourne through dialogue with other communities, and promotes contemporary Italian culture in Australia.

‘We answer questions online from Italians who are still in Italy, who haven’t left yet.

They might ask questions about the work situation, about visas, or about how to get their qualifications recognised.’ Fabrizio explains.

The Job Desk is another important initiative, where NOMIT seeks to provide support in the search for

not have emotional consequences. As a new migrant

employment, holding workshops in CV writing, cover

it can be hard to be articulate how you feel and what

letters, interview techniques, and networking. They

may be lacking, how you feel held back. This, accord-

also provide assistance in finding work experience

ing to Venturini was a common theme brought up at

opportunities and internships.

Palermo, particularly an issue for those representatives from counties outside of the European Union,

‘From day to day, we mostly answer questions

including Switzerland.

from young Italians needing specific information on things like Medicare, Visas, and how to activate a Tax

Maria Chiara Prodi, Chair of the Committee VII of CGIE Photo Courtesy of Fabrizio Venturini

That’s not to say that administrative shock does

ISSUE XVIII

does to support the Italian community. The organisa-

‘People are feeling like they want to do things,

File Number,’ says Venturuni, ‘But sometimes there

they want to contribute, but they can’t easily do ev-

are families. There are many different types of people

erything that an Australian can do.’

that come to see us, and many people who prefer to pass by the Welcome Desk and speak to a person rather than typing something into Google.’

In the meantime, NOMIT are serving as a bridge between two very different worlds. The organisation reduces the confusion around paperwork and

The administrative nightmare that immigration can

supports new migrants in the areas that make a real

be is something that is often underestimated, accord-

difference to expat life, while representing our com-

ing to Fabrizio Venturini, who in Palermo has just had

munity abroad, to create a Global Network of Italians

the opportunity to compare different experiences of

around the world.

Italian migrants throughout the world.

‘In Holland, for example, as a new migrant, I’d

Taking the Mystery out of The Acronyms

know where to go. I’d know where to vote, where to

COM.IT.ES Italian Committee for overseas residents

access health services. I’d have all the same rights

NOMIT The Italian Network of Melbourne

as a Dutch person. This is very important. How is a

CGIE General Council of Italians Abroad

migrant supposed to contribute to the community

AIRE Italian Registry for overseas residents

in a meaningful way when their rights are so limited?

This is why it’s not a simple thing to find a universal solution (to the problems faced by Italian migrants).

Of the 250 delegates present at the Palermo seminar, there were 250 different realities of Immigration. I The 115 delegates at the Seminar in Palermo, Sicily Photo Courtesy of Fabrizio Venturini

can work towards finding Australian solutions, but not a universal one.’

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Jenna Lo Bianco

A PLACE TO CALL ‘ROME’

Maria Pasquale in Rome with a copy of her book “I heart Rome” Photo HeartRome

Yes, it’s completely possible to engage in a love affair with a city - even more so when it’s a city like Rome. Well, actually, let me correct myself: there’s no city quite like Rome.

The subject of this particular story has engaged in just such a romantic pursuit for the past decade. Maria Pasquale, Melbourne native, has been living la dolce vita in the città eterna, where she’s on a never-ending quest to find the next great eat, aperitivo, or amazing place to socialise. Blogger, author and journalist, Maria has done and seen it all. If the old saying is true, then all roads have truly led her to Roma.

“It’s a special city. I always say it’s one of those places you fall in love with, then you hate it the next minute, and it will just get completely on your nerves... and you turn a corner and you fall in love with it again!”

She laughs at the irony of her relationship with Rome.

“There’s a lot of things wrong with Italy, and Rome - and there are a lot of problems, believe me - it’s not perfect.

I also say to Italians, no city or country is perfect. Rome consistently does something, just being itself, and somehow makes you forgive it all the time.”

Born and raised in Melbourne to Italian migrant parents, Maria’s story is one not unlike many that we have told at Segmento Magazine - she never set out to end up in her current career, living in Rome. “It’s a love affair that lasted much longer than it should have. You know there are times when you go, ‘I’m just going to call it quits!’ and then there are those days when I don’t heart Rome, I hate Rome. It’s something that once it’s in your heart it’s very hard to let go of. It’s like a virus... once it’s there, it’s there!” Life (and perhaps a little Roman magic) had other plans for her.

“I remember growing up in an Italian family, it was always very loud. You’d have friends ringing asking ‘Oh, are you having a party?’ ‘No, no, just my uncle’s over’, or whatever. It’s just Tuesday night in the suburbs. Everyone’s talking and having a good old time!

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I remember from a young age my mum used to make homemade pasta while we were growing up. I remember helping her, I remember the pasta board. It was very important. It is also very important in an Abruzzese family as we use it to serve polenta in winter.” She recalls visiting her zio’s home during one trip back to Italy when she was seven. He had recently closed his delicatessen business, and as such Maria found herself fascinated by the remaining produce he had tucked away in the garage. One of the strongest memories from her childhood is of the smell of coffee from the Moka bubbling away on her zia’s stove. She cites Italian hospitality, as witnessed in her family’s little Abruzzese village, as what really started and nurtured her interest in food from a young age.

It wasn’t always about food, though. Maria has two degrees from The University of Melbourne, a Bachelor of Arts (History/Political Science) and a Bachelor of Public Policy and Management. During the latter she wrote her thesis on a piece of legislation, ‘The Racial and Religious Tolerance Act, 2001’. This had not necessarily been her Plan A. Maria had initially considered going down the path of Law, given her studious past at school and love of talking. She felt the pull of responsibility, being the first-born child, telling me that she was always “striving to make sure everything was perfect and always doing the right thing.”

Maria recounts walking past the Law Faculty and seeing books floor to ceiling and deciding that Law perhaps wasn’t for her, after all. She had always sought to establish a career in journalism, but as luck would have it, she muddled the dates for the entrance test and ended up taking a very different path in Public Policy.

Having worked for the Victorian State Government for 6 years, she worked in the area of multicultural affairs policy. Her time and experiences were spent working on important pieces of legislation, policy briefings and parliamentary speeches concentrating on community tolerance, during a period that included September 11. During her last few years in government Maria worked in communications and events, managing ‘Cultural Diversity Week’ which honours the UN Day for the elimination of racism. She worked as the Communications and Events Manager for the Victorian Multicultural Commission for two years, as well as organising key events at Victorian State government level.

Moving into the corporate sector, Maria began working in PR; again, working in multicultural and indigenous affairs. During her time in PR she managed high profile events and networked extensively. At the age of 30 she began her own event management and PR firm. Throughout her professional career to that point the flexibility of working for the government and running her own business allowed Maria to travel extensively, enjoying many sojourns abroad - of which Italy always played a part.

“My grandparents never emigrated to Australia, so we had a very strong ties to Italy. I had been here as a child. I was seven the first time I came - and I always say, it sounds so cliché when I say it out aloud - but when I was about sixteen I fell in love with Italy. I think those are probably the impressionable adolescent years, and I swore to myself on some level that one day I would live here. I travelled here in my 20s, every year I would come via Rome. Even in a three-month holiday I would come to Rome 3-4 times. I would arrive in Rome, I would always leave from Rome. I would bawl my eyes out on the way to the airport. I would always cry when I left.”

Constantly reminded of that little niggle in the back of her mind, reminding her to do the right thing, she always wondered what it would be like to live in Italy. “Thankfully my family is very encouraging,” she says. “How could I leave? How could I live in Italy? Who does that? What would I do?” She would ask herself. Motivated by the fear of waking up and regretting not having had such an experience, she did it. Celebrating her 33rd birthday in Italy, she was met with some doubt by others, questioning if moving to Italy during an economically challenging period of high unemployment would be a wise move. With a strong work ethic, enviable CV and referees, Maria set to work on building her new Roman life.

Through her own research trying to find out where to eat, drink and socialise in Rome, Maria came across numerous blogs and online magazines. Sitting in her apartment one day she started her own blog, entitled ‘Trastevere Calling 2011’. “I started writing and literally it was my mum and my sister in law leaving comments and reading my stuff. That’s nice, because it’s always not fun talking to a wall.” Slowly from that point she spread her social media wings and extended her reach to Twitter and Instagram. Her blog had begun to gain traction, she registered the name and domain and the HeartRome enterprise was born. “I went from writing speeches for the Premier to living in Rome writing about food,” she laughs.

Above and previous page Maria enjoying the charm of Rome

In 2012 she began working with a start-up company running food tours of Rome, managing social media, press, blogs and PR, working with them for four years.

Recipe

In 2016 she had been speaking with a number of publishers about a book proposal she had prepared.

Smith Street Books, a publishing house in Melbourne, eventually signed Maria and the wonderful book ‘I Heart Rome’ was born. Bringing her professional journey up to date, Maria now gets to enjoy freelance writing, having written for The Telegraph (London), CNN, Fodor’s, The Rough Guide: Rome, and continuing in her monthly role for USA Today. Maria engages in strategic social media management and PR planning, alongside content development for hotels and the hospitality sector.

Recently, she has also been taking some book fans on walks around Trastevere. “It’s really lovely to be able to share. We go through the neighbourhood and they eat a lot of the things that you find recipes for in the book, and also meet some of the personalities you see… my local cheesemonger, the guy at the local friggitoria and we get supplì…”

I came away from my chat with Maria completely smitten. She’s a wonderfully generous character with lots of wisdom and stories to share. Maria and I share a deeply profound love of Rome, and I’m so glad that I get to share in her daily Roman adventures on social media, ‘heart-ing’ Rome together.

VEGETABLE CACCIATORE

ISSUE XVIII

Photo HeartRome

The company flourished, and expanded its food tour delivery to international destinations. “I really look back fondly on those four years as really formative years in Rome, because they also exposed me to a lots of suppliers here on the ground - the bakeries and restaurants, people that I already knew, but working with them at a professional level brought another aspect to that relationship. It helped me to penetrate the food sector in Rome.” Leaving that role and the security of a full-time wage in US dollars, her blog’s fame took her to work for USA Today as a Correspondent through press contacts.

Maria went on numerous food and blog trips and continued to work on developing her own content, exploring her love of writing.

by Nadia Fragnito

Cacciatore translates to ‘hunter’. But who says the chicken needs to be the one who is hunted? This vegan version is hugely satisfying with an array of fresh vegetables in a swoon-worthy broth. Don’t forget to serve with chunks of Italian crusty bread for the ultimate food pleasure.

6 tablespoons olive oil + extra to serve 250g button mushrooms 1/2 medium eggplant, diced 1 onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 carrot, diced 1/2 capsicum, sliced 1/2 cup vegan dry red wine 400g canned diced tomatoes 400g canned butter beans 1/2 cup whole black olives 1 cup ‘chicken’ style liquid stock 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt cracked black pepper

Nadia Fragnito, author of the cookbook “Discovering Vegan Italian”

Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the mushrooms and eggplant, fry for a few minutes at a high heat, until brown.

Remove mushrooms and eggplant from pan and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the saucepan. Lower the heat and add the onions and sauté for several minutes. Add garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.

Add carrot and capsicum. Fry for 1 minute. Pour in the wine and simmer until wine is completely reduced. Add the tomatoes, olives, beans and stock. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the pre-cooked mushrooms, eggplant, parsley, salt and pepper. Simmer for a further 5 minutes. Before serving, drizzle generously with olive oil.

Serve the cacciatore on its own with crusty bread or serve over pasta, polenta or mashed potatoes.

Photo Nadia Fragnito

SERVES 4 | 35 MINUTES

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Hayley J. Egan

DORA AND ANGELO, LEADING THE REVIVAL OF ITALIAN FOLK MUSIC IN MELBOURNE On stage they are mesmerising. She is perfectly coiffed. Her hairstyle defies gravity. The genuine, warm smile never leaves her face. He sits on the seat beside her with his accordion balanced on his lap, looking over to her regularly. She is the one with the incredible memory, and together it seems their repertoire is infinite as she picks out the melodies on her mandolin.

Dora and Angelo Marchese, well into their eighties, are again making their mark on Melbourne’s Italian music scene. Their songs are touching the hearts of audiences throughout the city, and so is their story.

The pair met when they were just ten years old, at music school. The only thing was, ‘music school’, in the town of Viggiano where both Dora and Angelo are from, happened to be the home of a local bricklayer named Marco who knew how to play a bit of mandolin, and dabbled in the accordion.

Dora was drawn to the mandolin from a young age.

She was interviewed by Salvatore Rossano for the National Library Folklore Archives, and during this conversation she remembers how she loved to listen

Photo Salvatore Rossano

Dora and Angelo Marchese

to visiting music ensembles.

Usually, a man would migrate to Australia, find em-

‘I would always sit closest to the mandolin’ she laughs.

Melbourne as they approached retirement, and after.

for a wife from his own village. Sometimes they would

They are no strangers to the Melbourne music scene,

be married ‘by proxy’ in Italy, with someone standing

but recently have given different audiences the op-

in for the absent groom. An estimated 12,000 Italian

portunity to listen to their beautiful, vast repertoire, in

women migrated to Australia this way. Of the men

a variety of different ways.

who did so, there is no statistic recorded. I know only of Angelo.

She showed a lot of talent at a young age, and it

The couple began playing together throughout

ployment and a suitable place to live, before sending

The last time I watched the couple play, Dora

At the first edition of the Taranta Festival, an initiative designed to engage new migrants, Dora and Angelo, with their friend and colleague Raffaele Basso

wasn’t long before she’d outgrown her teacher, who

came over to sit next to me after the performance.

played as a support act, for the headlining act Can-

acknowledged that if she wanted to learn more, it

She always asks about my children, remembering the

zoniere Grecanico Salentino, along with local group

would need to be at the conservatorium of music.

way my son terrified her by leaping from one of her

Vardos Trio. As experienced as Dora and Angelo are,

couches to another when he visited her home with his

they were a new act to many audience members that

father.

night, who could not help but be charmed by their

Attitudes towards women and education at the time meant that this wasn’t to be, but Dora, in her own way, was quite an unconventional woman. When

‘I stopped playing when mine were that age,’ she

warm stage presence, musical virtuosity and immense repertoire of very old, very beautiful traditional songs.

Angelo was sent to military service, Dora decided to

tells me. ‘And then, when they were grown up, my

migrate to Australia on her own. After settling there,

mandolin was high up on a shelf and Angelo said to

she sent for her childhood sweetheart, taking advan-

me “Will you get that mandolin down?” and I said,

amongst the audiences and on stage at Italian folk

tage of the legislation of the time that allowed ‘chain

“I won’t remember anything,” but actually, I remem-

events in Melbourne, a relatively new scene that has

migration’.

bered better than before!’

been built up during the past five years through the

More frequently I am beginning to see their faces

efforts of groups such as the Rustica Project, Sanacori Ensemble and Santa Taranta, all led by young migrants passionate about diffusing Italian folk music in Melbourne. Perhaps the scene was missing, however, a vital link to the established Italian migrant community in Melbourne. This is why the opportunity to meet and collaborate with such warm and generous musicians as Dora and Angelo Marchese has been met with enthusiasm. While we seek to renew the traditions, and give new life to old songs, we are fortunate to have access to living memory, people who play traditional music as they remember it. Dora and Angelo are revered in this community, known as the warm-hearted couple of many songs and many precious musical memories.

Photo Luigi Spanó

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Dora and Angelo performing at the Taranta Festival in Melbourne last March

Elaine Bocchini

GIUSEPPE AND RICCARDO BRING ITALIAN FOOD CRAFTSMANSHIP TO AUSTRALIA Italy, rich with culture and home to countless culinary traditions, is the inspiration for several businesses that have recently flourished here in Australia.

Giuseppe Minoia had moved to Australia with his

‘In fact, we moved our lives around this cheese,

family leaving Italy behind and bringing a little bit of

first setting up in Cairns to be close to the dairy herds

Conversano (Puglia, Italy) with them. They brought

and buffalo, later moving to Sydney to bring the fresh

cheese.

cheese closer to the tables where it was being served,’ Giuseppe explains. “We embraced Australia and Australia embraced us”.

Riccardo Siligato and his wife Josanne Rizzo started

When they met, Giuseppe and Riccardo had things

their business in 2009 because, as Josanne says, ‘Coming from Italy, we felt the need to bring a little bit

in common that they weren’t aware of, but fate in-

of Italy close to us and we started the production of

tervened and they are now working together, both

traditional Italian food in Epping in the warehouse of a

producing fine Italian food in Australia, both running

close friend’.

family businesses, both offering the chance to experience Italy from every little corner of Australia.

From that start back in 2009, they have grown

In fact, thanks to Riccardo’s business Food Art Dis-

to become one of the best producers of arancini in Australia, and have extended their production to

tribution, Vannella Cheese is now available in Victoria,

finger-food, calzoni, pizza bases and lasagne. Along

ready to be enjoyed and used in recipes by chefs,

with their new business partner Massimo Minutoli,

cooks, mums and foodies from every heritage and culture.

they have also developed an offshoot division, Food Art Distribution, which imports and distributes Italian

Josanne Rizzo, Riccardo Siligato and Massimo Minutoli

fine food and ingredients from Melbourne throughout Australia.

Like-minded people, loving the same simple things, deeply respecting their roots and sharing similar experiences often somehow find one another. This is the case for Riccardo Siligato and Giuseppe Minoia. They met here in Australia a few years ago at a business meeting organised by a mutual friend. Back then, they weren’t ready to work together, but on a personal

Giuseppe Minoia

Mozzarella Fiordilatte Vannella Cheese

ISSUE XVIII

level, the two hit it off immediately.

perfection behind every batch

distribution

E n ha n c i ng y o u r bu si n ess w ith f i ne f o o d & se r v i ce

vannellacheese.com.au @vannellacheese

largest Vannella Cheese distributor in VICTORIA ph. 03.9408.0499 info@foodartdistribution.com.au foodartdistribution.com.au @foodartdistribution

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Raffaele Caputo

THE “ART” OF DOING BUSINESS

From left - Phil Peluso and Giovanni Butera, business partners and friends Photo Wide Shut Photography

I was recently asked to do the courtesy of driving an elderly Italian-born gentleman to an appointment some 13 kilometers from where he lives. It was meant to be an easy task: we were to merely drop off one item and pick another, he navigated while I drove, and the round trip should not have taken much more than a half hour, even in heavy traffic.

Alas, the whole trip took a lot longer than anticipated. At some point in our journey we had made a wrong turn, which took us a further 15 kilometers in the opposite direction to our destination. At 88 years of age, my navigator’s short-term memory is obviously not the best.

But this wasn’t cause for alarm, for the same cannot said about his long-term memory, which is as sharp as a tack, and had indeed made our extended journey all the more worthwhile.

He regaled me with stories of his arrival in Australia in 1950 as a young man barely out of his teens. He was luckier than most other Italian immigrants, first because his father had been an 10

Australian resident prior to the war, and second because he had come out with his whole family, and so he wasn’t socially and culturally adrift. Nonetheless he had borne witness to the adventures—and misadventures—often dour but sometimes quite humorous—of the growing Italian community in Melbourne in the 1950s.

It was a community made up predominantly of young men, many of whom had not travelled outside of their home province let alone overseas, and who were isolated from family and had to contend with unfamiliar foods and customs, language and landscape.

It was inevitable, but also seemingly absurd, that as the Italian community

grew it would also become insular: they would stick to their own to the point, as it happened, of forming ‘Little Italys’ in major cities around the country, as well as regional associations or clubs, as with, for example, the Abruzzo or Veneto Clubs.

As someone born in Australia to Italian parents over a decade later, I could relate to his tales of both prejudice and privation even though I had not directly experienced either. But the really worthwhile outcome of having taken that wrong turn is that my friend’s stories got me thinking about how the experiences of his generation might compare with the experiences of the so-called new wave of Italian migration that began around 2004.

In particular it got me thinking about the extraordinary partnership formed between two people I have come to know well over the past couple of years - Giovanni Butera, who is a relative newcomer to Australia, and Phil Peluso, who belongs to the Australian-born generation of Italian parentage.

As a recent arrival from Italy, it would appear that Giovanni would have much in common with those who came in the 1950s for whom the primary motive was to seek employment and a better lifestyle. But this might very much be an optical illusion … Or another wrong turn, so to speak. Although Giovanni was born and raised in Calabria in Italy’s south, and Phil was born and raised in the country town of Shepperton in Victoria’s northeast, which is where his parents settled, could it be possible that Giovanni and Phil have more in common with each other than they would with their own parents?

In March 2017, the pair launched Nixora Group, an IT-driven data management, business intelligence and risk analytics advisory firm aimed at banks and large financial institutions. And they did so in creative fashion with an event that took place at the historic Queen’s Warehouse in the Dockland’s precinct, where their guests soaked in the splendid atmosphere of the Linfox Classic Car Collection, enjoyed exquisite food and jazz music, and were treated to an exhibition of Renaissance-inspired art supplied by the Global Association of International Artists (GAIA), for which Nixora is a main sponsor.

Nixora has been growing in leaps and bounds ever since. It has formed partnerships with global technology giants Moody’s Analytics, IBM, Oracle and Axiom. It has twice been invited to participate at the World Chinese Economic Summit (WCES) in 2017 and 2018 - and is likely to be invited again this year to discuss issues relevant to the global economy.

One key issue addressed at the WCES last year by Nixora was the concept of corporate philanthropy, which refers to the engagement of companies in bringing about positive social change by supporting beneficial causes and community projects. Nixora’s support of GAIA was singled out as having an important role in educating the corporate world about the social-economic advantages of corporate philanthropy.

ISSUE XVIII

There is more here than meets the eye. Unlike the earlier wave of Italian immigrants, which included large numbers of laborers and agricultural workers, Giovanni, like many of his immigrant cohorts, is highly educated, holds a master and a doctorate degree, had already held white collar and executive positions before settling here, and is well travelled. Sure, while the primary motive of people like Giovanni is to find better job opportunities, underlying that motive is a thirst for new life experiences. But let’s not forget that as a second-generation Italian-Australian, so too is Phil highly educated, well-travelled (having lived and worked in the UK for several years) and also open to new life experiences.

Giovanni Butera, Co-Founder of Nixora Group at its launch at the Queen’s Warehouse in the Dockland’s precinct

Nixora Group’s team at work Photo Wide Shut Photography

11

Both Giovanni and Phil are passionate about GAIA, a not-for-profit initiative aimed at opening global pathways for young and disadvantaged artists to use their art in promoting social cohesion by exploring the values, attitudes and beliefs of cultures that are not their own.

Under GAIA, Nixora has sponsored several cultural events over the past two years, including ADELE Il Viaggio delle Dee in 2017, Parici Women Connect’s annual gala event Melbourne Spring Fashion Rendez-Vous in 2018, and is set to support a major exhibition by Italian artist Veronica Pirraccini in November this year.

But this is not charity. Nixora’s idea of corporate philanthropy diverges from philanthropy’s traditional anchor and is not simply about providing funds to a socially responsible cause.

For Giovanni and Phil, GAIA is rather closely associated with linking people and connecting businesses in the creation of a diverse and cohesive communities, including but not exclusive to the Italian-Australian community.

Attendees at the launch of Nixora Group

Obviously, there is the ‘Italian connection’ between Giovanni and Phil, a shared heritage that is to be celebrated, and is indeed celebrated in their events.

But unlike the Italian community of old, they are riding the waves of Italian immigration by pointing beyond themselves to an expansive world of life and experience that is to be embraced at the same time as it is bound to transform that community. Something is dying while something else is being born in its place.

Which makes me wonder, what kind of stories might they tell future generations about their adventures—or misadventures—as part of the local Italian community?

Renaissance-inspired art supplied by the Global Association of International Artists (GAIA) at one of Nixora Group event.

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Phil Peluso Co-Founder of Nixora Group

ISSUE XVIII

Photo Wide Shut Photography

Nixora Group’s team at work Photo Wide Shut Photography

13

Hayley J. Egan

THE FACETIOUS AND UNPROVEN FACTS ABOUT LEONARDO DA VINCI’S LIFE

The Death of Leonardo da Vinci by the French artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. The painting is showing Leonardo da Vinci dying, with Francis I of France holding his head Leonardo da Vinci. The artist, scientist, architect, botanist, writer, historian, cartographer, inventor, in other words, the original ‘Renaissance Man’, is one of Italy’s most beloved historical figures, and this May marks 500 years since he died, reportedly wrapped in the embrace of the King of France.

In preparing this article, I’ve been down a da Vinci rabbit hole. What to say about such a revered figure?

I should have known that it would be counter-pro-

That Leonardo died in the arms of Francis I is, of course, one of the many unverified Leonardo ‘facts’, probably reinforced through the image of the artist’s deathbed, depicted in the 1818 painting, ‘The Death of Leonardo da Vinci’ by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.

Another point of uncertainty are the polymath’s remains. You can visit Leonardo’s tomb in the chapel of Saint-Huburt in Amboise, France, but the remains are only presumed to be those of the great painter (there’s a disclaimer in the form of a bronze plaque on the wall behind the tomb). While there’s a chance it could be anyone in there, soon we will know for sure. As I write this, Italian scientists are comparing DNA from the tomb to a lock of hair and DNA samples from da Vinci descendants. Another mystery soon to be solved!

ductive to attempt to ‘brush up’ my knowledge. The books, films and articles are endless.

As Dan Brown famously (and profitably) perceived, Leonardo’s life and work lends itself to fiction, partly because of the mystery surrounding it all. 500 years is a long time. It’s not surprising that there is much we don’t really know about Leonardo da Vinci, and lots we’ve made up to fill in the gaps. Historians have pieced together everything we do know from letters and journals, but it turns out Leonardo didn’t document his life on Instagram or ‘check-in’ at his favourite taverns, so there were periods of the artist’s life in which not even his whereabouts is known.

So loved was da Vinci during his lifetime, that apparently the King of France, Francis I, lost no time in (literally) scooping him up after the murder of the artist’s patron Giuliano de’ Medici.

14

A sketch of dog by Leonardo

Comical penises drawing from the notebook of Leonardo

Famously, da Vinci is thought to have been a vege-

his invention. The penises, however, do seem to be

tarian, possibly even vegan. This idea probably came

authentic, and may be the first record of what was

from the writings of the explorer Andrea Corsali, who

to become a traditional classroom decoration! Who

like Leonardo, was a beneficiary of the Medicis. When

knows why a bigger deal wasn’t made of it at the

Corsali came into contact with the Hindu faith, he

time?

wrote to Giuliano de’ Medici:

Apart from this, Leonardo of course actually studied human anatomy by dissecting cadavers and

‘Certain infidels called Guzzarati are so gentle that they do not feed on anything which has blood, nor will they allow anyone to hurt any living thing, like our Leonardo da Vinci.’

creating the first anatomical studies and diagrams of internal organs.

Drawing was always at the centre of his work and will largely feature in the various exhibitions organised worldwide to celebrate the 500th anniversary of his death, as well as some paintings and complete

A bicycle drawing probably made by one of Leonardo’s student

codices.

How could Corsali have known that from that one sentence, he would create a vegan icon?

In the United Kingdom, Leonardo’s anniversary

It’s not just historians and herbivores who have fun interpreting Leonardo’s artefacts. In 2016 the BBC

celebrations began with twelve museums hosting

published an article titled ‘Experts Critiqued da Vin-

parallel exhibitions of Leonardo’s drawings across the

ci’s CV. They Weren’t Impressed.’

country until the 6th May. All of these drawings were then brought together in a large exhibition of Leonar-

A letter from da Vinci requesting patronage from

do’s works at The Queen’s Gallery in London that will

the Duke of Milan was put under scrutiny by profes-

be open from 24th May until 13th October.

sional recruiters. While the letter was praised for not

In October, at the Uffizi Galleries of Florence, the

including crazy fonts and images, it was still considered ‘a little too simplistic.’ Suggestions included ‘a

anniversary will be celebrated with the exhibition

little more white space for the eye’ and ‘some font

‘The Leicester Codex of Leonardo da Vinci: Water

variation, headlines and categorisation.’

as Microscope of Nature.’ The work discusses the movement of water, fossils, and moonlight, and is

Interestingly, in this same letter, Leonardo claimed

being loaned by Bill Gates, who purchased it in 1990.

to have the ‘methods for destroying every fortress or

In Turin, the Biblioteca Reale is exhibiting the

other stranglehold, unless it has been founded upon

famous self-portrait of Leonardo, accompanied by

a rock.’

a Leonardo, Disegni Italiani del Rinascimento,’ The

not to have to include in their grant applications.

library is also creating a permanent display of the

There are a few facetious examples like this, where

thirteen Leonardo drawings they own, in addition to

Leonardo’s life is juxtaposed with the contemporary

the Codex of the Flight of Birds.

context from which we view his work now. Perhaps it

In Milan a pavilion at the Borsa Internazionale del

is because while every-day life during the renaissance

Turismo is showing Leonardo’s works contributed

is unfathomable to us, the work that Leonardo creat-

from the Sforzesco Castle, the Museum of the Vincia-

ed in that time is still extraordinarily relevant today.

no Cenacolo, the Ambrosiana Library and Art Gallery,

Drawings and notes on bridges, the parachute, the helicopter, armoured cars, guns, and drainage systems have all been found in his notebooks,

the da Vinci National museum of Science and TechPortrait of a man in red chalk.

Leonardo drew this self-portrait at about the age of 60.

among many other things. In the 1970s, a drawing of a bicycle was discovered on pages of a notebook

One of the largest collections of Leonardo’s draw-

previously glued together, surrounded by drawings

ings is part of the United Kingdom’s Royal Collection,

of penises. Italians everywhere were disappointed to

acquired by King Charles II around 1670. It contains

learn that the bicycle drawing did not date back to

more than 550 sheets that have been kept together

Leonardo’s time, so the bicycle was probably not

since Leonardo’s death.

Immerse yourself in Italy

ISSUE XVIII

drawings from the Italian Renaissance called ‘Intorno

Now that’s a skill that today’s artists are fortunate

nology and the Stelline Foundation.

Apart from the celebrations at any of these outstanding cultural institutions, there are many ways to remember Italy’s most famous polymath on the 500th anniversary of his passing. Think of him next time you cross a bridge, go para-sailing, sink your teeth into a vegie burger or… doodle in a notebook.

Vast range of Italian books, DVDs, CDs, Educational resources, Murano jewellery, Venetian masks, Calendars, Games, Novelties & Gifts

An Italian experience at your fingertips www.ciaoitaliabookshop.com.au Alessandra Corbino 0404 608 202 admin@ciaoitaliabookshop.com.au

15

Daniele Foti Cuzzola

MASTERCHEF FAVOURITE PIA GAVA’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Gava says it was gnocchi in particular that triggered her interest as a child, so it’s no surprise that Gava cooked gnocchi for her MasterChef audition.

‘I knew gnocchi had to be the dish to get me in the top 24, it was my family favourite and there was no other dish I wanted to show the judges,’ Gava recalls.

‘I had to trust my skills to make sure my gnocchi were pillowy and matched with my favourite gorgonzola sauce.’ While gnocchi is considered one of the most difficult dishes to prepare for a MasterChef audition, Gava’s gamble paid off when the judges declared Gava’s dish was ‘the perfect gnocchi.’

After Gava’s stint on MasterChef she was inundated with questions about how to make the perfect gnocchi and pasta, which lead her to write her debut cookbook, ‘Pia’s Table.’

‘My aim was to write each recipe to show that anyone could achieve every dish easily. So far, I have received many messages and food pictures from Above and centre Pia Gava during her participation at Masterchef Australia

people who bought my book and created some of my recipes. This is a major reward for me, to see people successfully create dishes I love.’

Ratings juggernaut MasterChef Australia is currently airing it’s eleventh season and has launched the

While Gava recognises MasterChef for giving her the courage to pursue a career in the food and media industry, Gava credits her Italo-Australian family for

family recipes from pasta, to risotto and biscotti, and creating the process was indeed a family affair.

careers of several contestants. But for every sea-

her skill set and passion for cooking. Both of Gava’s

son’s Julie Goodwin, Poh Ling Yeow, Adam Liaw

parents immigrated to Australia from Castiglione a

to achieve for many years, not just for me but also for

Casauria in the province of Pescara, Abruzzo after

my family. I had to ensure our family recipes would

World War Two. Gava fondly recalls growing up in an

continue and my cookbook was created like my

Italo-Australian household.

journal. One of the highlights was recipe testing with

and Hayden Quinn, there are many talented chefs who disappear into post-reality TV obscurity, after failing to make an impression with viewers in such an over-saturated market.

‘I remember our life was a mixture of both Italian and Australian, but at home, it was mainly Italian traditions that we held onto, including pasta making, pickling, passata bottling, wine making etc. I also remember our family gatherings and loved how sweet

Melbourne-based mother of two Pia Gava, however, has managed to do what few MasterChef alumni have. With her warm and nurturing personality, her passion for her Italian heritage and most notably, her impressive cooking skills, she has managed to win over a loyal legion of fans and industry professionals.

In the two years since Gava appeared on the ninth season of the reality series, the passionate home cook has carved out quite the career. Gava regularly runs cooking workshops and demonstrations, is

treats matched the occasion.’

Gava showed an interest in cooking from an early age, but like most Italian children had to patiently wait her turn before her mother would allow her to cook in the kitchen.

‘My earliest food memory was matching my mum create pasta while I sat on our kitchen step. I was only allowed to watch for a long time and then finally mum let me try my hand at pasta.’

invited to take part in food festivals and events and has even found the time to pen a cookbook, ‘Pia’s Table’. But the humble daughter of Abruzzese migrants credits her stint on MasterChef Australia for giving her the courage to pursue her recent endeavours.

‘MasterChef tested your knowledge and was definitely a fast, challenging environment…

My whole life thought-process has changed.

(MasterChef Australia) helped me to bring out my food passion, find my bravery to write my cookbook and venture out to teach classes, food demos and events”.

Pia Gava is the author of the Italian cookbook “Pia’s table”.

16

‘Pia’s Table’ features a number of Gava’s classic

‘It was a long road and something that I had aimed

my mum and making sure I translated her handwritten simple recipes well, it was like seeing her final approval. When I had handed mum the first printed copy of my cookbook her overjoyed expression was priceless.’

With her debut cookbook completed, Gava is already planning her second cookbook, and is currently in Italy researching.

‘I’m planning on tasting gnocchi at every place we stop, trying to meet chefs, do cooking schools, taste all the food, gelato, wine and Cicchetti.’

Natalie Di Pasquale

MY FIRST CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH THE YOUNG ITALIANS So far, all of my past articles have been surprisingly easy to write. That may be because I’ve been writing about my own experience as part of the Italo-Australian youth, as well as gli italiani anziani, the elderly Italians (or Nonni) with whom most of us Italo-Australians grew up with.

I giovani italiani (young Italians), on the other hand, was a group I had only interacted with throughout the last few years, whilst working at the iconic Brunetti café in Melbourne’s historical ‘little Italy’. When I thought of modern day migration back then, I never associated it with Italians. I was freshly graduated from high school, and in my limited experience, Italian migration was something that occurred years ago after the Second World War. Suddenly, I was walking through Melbourne’s CBD hearing more Italian spoken than English. It made me wonder what it would be like to live in Italy as a young person today, to not just be another Australian tourist. After all the stories from different sources, old and new, I just had to find out for myself. And throughout the last seven months, I’ve been doing just that. I’ve spent a semester studying abroad at the

When we think of the Italo-Australian youth, we tend to be generalised into a category.

‘We are ‘wogs’ who grew up with old-school Italian traditions. We are family-orientated with a lot of work ethic. We aim to grow up

In Italy, should one decide to go to university,

Natalie’s celebration of her 22nd birtday in Milan

I find it hard to imagine not being able to ‘drop

which many Italians do (average annual tuition costs

in’ at my grand-parents house or come home to eat

roughly $2,000 AUD compared to $8,000 AUD in

dinner with my family.

Australia); the workload is so intensive that many

My Italian friends were so jealous that I come from

young Italians don’t find the time to work. For those

Australia and were surprised to find that I identify so

lucky enough to find a job, there is no minimum wage.

strongly with my Italian heritage. They are following

Illegal employment is rife, so students may be em-

Anglo-trends, listening to music from England and

ployed without a contract and paid cash in hand. I did

the USA, and are looking far away from home for

not meet one Italian university student who worked

their next move, because they have to. They are flu-

regularly. I knew one who tutored occasionally.

ent in English, French and Spanish, and doing intern-

In the time I spent in Milan, I believe I met two Milanesi who claim to be from the city of Milan itself.

Every other person was from another Italian city or

ships at international firms. Young Italians create new lives in cosmopolitan, multi-cultural cities.

At university, Italian students are introduced to the

from overseas, like me. This means leaving home,

and marry another Italo-Australian. This is

Erasmus Student Network, which encourages ex-

being away from family from as young as 18. It’s a

a stereotype, but in my experience, it is quite

changes between universities in Europe. Many Italians

foreign concept to me. In my community, we usually

participate in Erasmus throughout their degree. It is

stay home until we marry, and even then we might

not obligatory, but so common you would just ask,

stay there!

‘What country did you go to for your Erasmus?’ It is

accurate! However, I am simply not able to generalise i giovani italiani the same way, for many reasons.

In February this year, Italy was recorded as having

Italy is made up of many towns, and when search-

ISSUE XVIII

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano, Italia.

A moment of relax between the intense semester of studying at the Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan

nearly a given. When I announced I was leaving home

ing for opportunity, the big city options are few.

to live overseas temporarily for my equivalent study

During the time I lived in Milan, my friends returned

abroad, it was such an absurd concept to my com-

the second highest youth unemployment rate, behind

home to visit family maybe once or twice if they

munity. I endured lectures from family members for

Greece (Istat). With a population of approximately 60

could, dependent on distance and cost. This trend

the months leading up to it.

million and a surface area 1/14th of that of Victoria,

makes ties with family distant. Traditions, if kept,

Italy is quite a competitive place. Australia has a pop-

would only occur on a few special occasions. Most

ulation of almost 25 million, with many young people

university, but there were others I met out and about,

said they haven’t participated in traditions since they

beginning part-time work as early as 15 years old.

working, and some old friends I had met in Mel-

were kids.

bourne and who had decided to move back to Italy

I giovani italiani I met abroad were mostly from

for various reasons. They are some of the smartest, confident and independent people I know. With or without a tertiary education, they hold strong opinions on politics and economics and have a wide general knowledge. Growing up with the same roots, the similarities between us created our bond. However, through them, I learnt so much more about the Italian culture. I was introduced to new foods and trends. Although they may not be making the passata anymore, the new generation of Italians are quick thinkers, ambitious and worldly with a love for food, family and friends.

Like our nonni, they give meaning to everything and always have room at the table.

The Aula Magna and Natalie at the Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan

17

Jenna Lo Bianco

HOW ‘IL BEL CANTO’ MESMERIZED AUSTRALIAN OPERA SINGER RACHAEL BIRTHISEL

Rachael Birthisel at the Concorso Internazionale di Canto Zandonai

Rachael Birthisel, Soprano - a name you may not yet know, but certainly one to keep an ear open for. I first met Rachael close to 15 years

A true lover of performance, she continued to dance through her twenties, though it was her time at Epping Secondary College - and thanks to her supportive and encouraging Italian teachers - that Rachael’s flair for languages took hold. Not one to shy away from the possibilities provided to her, Rachael moved to Mill Park Secondary College in order to study Dance, Music and Drama in her senior years of highschool.

ago at The University of Melbourne where we studied Italian together. Her journey has always been one that’s intrigued me. With ad-

classical music studies. “I was very lucky to win the Franco Schiavoni Memorial Scholarship, and I was inspired

miration (and perhaps a bit of jealousy!) I have

to go to Italy and spend some time there so I could really master the language and understand the culture

watched her go from strength to strength;

better,” she explains. “After speaking to the Italian Co-ordinator at Melbourne University I was told if I stud-

not only professionally, but as a determined young woman finding her way through life.

ied 3 months at the Università per Stranieri di Siena I would get a year’s credit for my second year of Italian. I decided I had to go. I completed the B2 course and loved every minute of the experience. I came home in July 2007 and by January 2008 I was back on a plane but this time for good!”

You see, Rachael made a bold choice many years

Passionate about her craft, Rachael continued to delve deeper into the world of classical voice training,

ago that, in essence, set her career into motion. Ra-

graduating from the Conservatory of Music of Bologna with a degree in Classical Voice while studying pri-

chael moved to Italy, leaving behind her family and

vately since in Prato with Mayumi Kuroki and Nicola Mottoran. Only last summer Rachael completed a course

friends, in search of a career she may not have been

at the Academy of Belcanto Rodolfo Celletti, which she tells me was an amazing experience.

able to realise here in Australia.

Growing up on a cattle farm in Wollert, Rachael spent her childhood running free on her family’s property. At a young age she showed signs of creative finesse, taking dancing classes from the tender age of four.

18

Keeping her passion for Italian alive on weekends at Saturday morning school, her studies saw her move on to The University of Melbourne where she began studying Arts before moving to Italy where she started

I ask Rachel what is it about this work - the singing, the performing, the hours of practice - that she loves so much?

“I love being in the theatre and performing, and I always have,” she says. “I love taking on the character and becoming someone else for a little while. I get to be a Queen, a loved-up teenage boy, a crazy woman… the list goes on. I also love challenging myself and studying classical music. It’s a challenge that never ends. You can always improve, study harder, learn something new. It’s a hard part of my life, but it’s the part that keeps me going.”

Despite the challenges that working as a Soprano poses, Rachael continues to rise and overcome each new hurdle with grace and dignity. She has been lucky enough to travel the world with her voice, performing some of the most famous operas on the world’s most recognised stages. “I would say the two most amazing adventures have been the scholarship to the Bayreuth Wagner Festival, where I got to live and breathe Wagner for a whole week, and the Rodolfo Celletti Accademia del Belcanto, where I worked with the best teachers in the world, including Australia’s own Richard Bonynge in beautiful Martina Franca, Puglia.” There’s no stopping this young Soprano, as she continues to meet each new role head-on. Last summer she made her debut at the Festival della Valle D’Itria in Puglia, playing the role of Riccardo, a type of young ‘Don Giovanni’ and yes, she played the role of a boy. “In opera, a woman singing as a man is called a ‘pants role’, and it’s actually quite common, especially in Baroque music. I performed with an amazing cast in an old masseria (a tradition-

Un ballo in maschera, Verdi Photo Carlotta Nasi

al farmhouse) and we received great feedback and great reviews. It was such an amazing experience for me and I learnt so much.”

“If you really learn the language well you understand that particular culture better, you understand how that group of people thinks and reasons about certain things, and it makes understanding others and your

But what of Italy, her second home? “Italy is such a rich, crazy, beautiful country full of contrasts. There are so many different types of beauty, from the

environment easier.” Italian set-up a solid language foundation upon which she has also learned to speak fluent Portuguese and some Spanish. “It was definitely much easier after learning Italian, and I do speak some Russian - but I’m fairly rusty,” Rachael admits.

North to the South, and you sometimes find it hard to believe they can all be found in the one country,”

So, what does the rest of the 2019 season hold for Rachael? “After my wedding in late May I plan on having a little bit of a holiday, then I will be back and ready for a new round of competitions this summer, and a

tablished for herself. “The countryside is like a paint-

concert in Martina Franca to receive a scholarship for being one of the best students at the Academy Rodolfo

ing; the cities are full of history and the theatres are

Celletti in 2018.” I ask Rachael if she has a sogno nel cassetto (a special dream) that she would like to realise

all so beautiful, even in the tiniest of towns. I don’t

in her career. “I would love to sing in some more Italian theatres,” she shares, “but also, I would love to sing in

think I can say that I have a favourite place but I have

Australia! I would love to bring back what I have learnt here to Australian audiences and one day share it with

always called Tuscany my home so it has a special

younger singers.”

place in my heart.”

ISSUE XVIII

Rachael shares, speaking fondly of the life she has es-

Despite the beauty that living in Italy brings to her life, living so far from home can be quite difficult for Uprooting her native English-speaking life in

Rachael. “I miss my friends and family so much, especially since my two nieces were born. It is hard missing

exchange for an Italian-speaking one wouldn’t have

weddings, birthdays and also not being there when my grandparents passed away. I also miss the weather. I

been easy. Rachael’s love of Italian makes a world

will never complain about Melbourne winters ever again, and I miss the long summers,” she adds. Sometimes,

of difference in being able to speak the language

in order to achieve great things you need to make significant sacrifices. Irrespective of the things that are

where she is studying and working. “It makes my life

missing from her life in Italy, she is grateful for all the wonderful opportunities that this life choice has provid-

a lot easier to be able to fully understand the Mae-

ed her. “I doubt I would have ever become an Opera singer if I stayed in Australia,” she admits quite candidly.

stri, the courses I have had to follow, and to be able

“I wouldn’t have found my passion and learnt how to use my voice in such a way. I also would never have

to communicate properly with people working with

met my Pugliese husband, Domenico, or have adopted my rescue dog, Luna. I am also the person I am today

me. Also, I feel like language isn’t just ‘knowing’ the

because of my life experiences here. I am blessed to have a beautiful family and friends in Australia, too - so I

grammar and vocab”.

really get the best of both worlds.”

Rachael Birthisel impersonating one of her characters

Olga Makarova

Festival Valle D’Itria Cecilia Vaccari (Il Trionfo dell’Onore)

Photo Olga Makarova

19

Jenna Lo Bianco

UNDERSTANDING THE ITALIAN BILINGUAL PROGRAM EMBRACED BY BRUNSWICK SOUTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Brunswick South Primary School, Victoria’s first Italian bilingual school, is a fascinating example of the positive power of Italian language education. I spoke with teachers Ivana D’Aprano, Lucy Curatolo and Nancy Cozzo to better understand the reality, challenges and joys of facilitating an Italian bilingual program.

What challenges does the bilingual classroom face?

“Our biggest challenge is resourcing. Replacing Italian teachers when they are on leave with proficient Italian speakers has been difficult, not impossible, but it does test us. The other point of challenge is resourcing in terms of books and games and everything else that students need to support their learning. We are constantly creating ‘be-

Bilingual education is quite a complex concept to frame in the mind. How does your typical bilingual classroom operate? What would one expect to see, hear and experience?

“At BSPS we team teach, this means that we share the learning and wellbeing of 50 students between one Italian and one English colleague and this happens across our school and at each level. Students are taught curriculum through the two languages: 50% of every student’s learning is taught in English and the other 50% taught in Italian. For example, students learn Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Number, History, Civics, STEM and Physical Education in English. In Italian, they learn Lettura, Scrittura, Comunicazione Verbale, Misura e Geometria, Statistica e Probabilità, Scienze, Arte and Teatro. We integrate our learning to promote deeper thinking skills; this allows students to make connections between all the learning areas. At BSPS we have nine bilingual Italian classroom teachers and two language assistants. COASIT also supports our school by providing a language assistant from Italy for eight months.

We do not teach Italian, just as we do not teach English, but we use those languages to deliver learning. Just as in English, when we learn about how to make our story writing more interesting by exploring the use of nouns, verbs and adjectives we do the same in Italian.”

What is it about Italy and its language and culture that are so appealing in a bilingual context?

“Italian has an alphabet that is recognisable to young

spoke’ resources that fit our needs. Obtaining these items from Italy does not always work, as the context is different.

Our students are not (usually) Italian, they do not come to us with a foundation in the language and they do not go home to be immersed in the language. This means that at school we have to immerse students in as much language as possible. This builds a framework for students to learn more complex issues in Italian. We are constantly adapting or

learners and the sounds are very similar to English. Read-

creating our own resources. We would love to have native

ing texts is an area where our learners have great success

speakers read and record our books so that our students

because of Italian’s phonetic nature. Italian is also a very

could then have take-home readers and read along with

melodic and ‘catchy’ language. Given this, using music,

them.”

chants, songs, and rhyme in class facilitate the learning of our bilingual learners.

Learning Italian at BSPS is a lovely cultural nod to the

Tell us about last year’s Italy study tour with operator Vita Italian Tour.

“Our inaugural BSPS Italy Tour was an outstanding

history of immigration our local area. Our students can go

success. Mario, Viny and Gianni from Vita Italian Tours

out and buy a gelato un cappuccino or to dinner and use

helped us plan a memorable trip. We travelled to Italy in

the language with their families and friends.”

late September for fourteen days with thirteen students,

I assume that you have taught in other non-bilingual

two parents and four teachers. Some of the highlights were

contexts before your time at BSPS. I’m curious to know if

learning how to fight like a gladiator, eating gelato, looking

your planning and preparation for this classroom context

up and just being amazed at the statue of David, making

is all that different from that of a ‘mainstream’ classroom?

pasta and then eating it all together, sampling all the Baci

“We are all very privileged to be working in the first Victorian Italian Bilingual Primary School. Planning and preparing for a bilingual classroom is completely different to a

chocolates available and decorating a mask. Plans are underway for our next visit in 2020!”

Does BSPS have any upcoming future plans, events, and

mainstream classroom. In addition to translating, adapting

activities that draw directly on the bilingual nature of the

What are the advantages, from your personal experiences, of bilingual education for young learners?

and creating resources we plan and deliver a comprehen-

school?

“Research suggests that there are many benefits and advantages to children being immersed in bilingual education.

experiential learning. It is very important to stress, unlike

to being bilingual. Each student receives instruction and

other language programs, we don’t use the Languages cur-

learning in subjects that students in other schools don’t

riculum from Victorian Curriculum. Our rigorous planning,

experience. All our stakeholders including our teachers,

teaching and assessment are informed by the Standards

both English and Italian, our principal and leadership team,

in English, Numeracy, Science, Visual Arts and Drama. At

school council, our school community and our partnership

Brunswick South Primary School, we believe that all stu-

with Melbourne University are committed to the delivery of

dents have the potential to achieve excellence in this unique

an inclusive and diverse bilingual education for every child.

Firstly, students who experience a bilingual education have better working memory and cognitive skills. Language structures and grammatical skills are reinforced as students make connections between their mother tongue and their second language. In addition, these students become biliterate. For languages with similar alphabets, research says that it can actually be beneficial learning to read and write in two languages simultaneously. There are many reading skills that transfer between languages and it can actually make kids stronger readers in both languages.

Furthermore, young learners who are educated in a bilingual setting are better problem solvers. They are able to think ‘out of the box’ when approaching challenging tasks and activities. They become more efficient at multitasking and making decisions.

Finally, students who have a bilingual education inevitably become bicultural. These learners become immersed in not only the language, but also the culture, traditions, history, music and cuisine of the second language. Fundamentally, these students become more aware of the diversity of other cultures.”

What expectations do you, as teachers and educators, have of your young learners in the bilingual classroom?

“Italian has an alphabet that is recognisable to young learners and the sounds are very similar to English.

Reading texts is an area where our learners have great success because of Italian’s phonetic nature. Italian is also a very melodic and ‘catchy’ language. Given this, using music, chants, songs, and rhyme in class facilitate the learning of our bilingual learners.

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Learning Italian at BSPS is a lovely cultural nod to the history of immigration of our local area. Our students can go out and buy a gelato, a cappuccino or to dinner and use the language with their families and friends.”

sive curriculum that engages our students in meaningful and

educational setting.”

“At BSPS everything we do is related to our commitment

On June 2nd, La Festa della Repubblica will be hosted in our school grounds. In October, all of our students will be participating in our annual Bilingual School Production, which is performed solely in Italian.”

Thank you Ivana, Lucy and Nancy. Your work, and the work of your colleagues and the entire Brunswick South Primary School community, is very important in continuing to highlight the importance of the Italian language and culture in Victoria.

Viny Vitellone, one of the Directors of Vita Italian Tours, also shared some insights into the wonderful tour enjoyed by the students and teachers of Brunswick South Primary School.

“The group visited some of the major cities such as Rome, Florence, Venice and Pesaro in Le Marche Region.

They visited and were guided through such icons as the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Ostia Antica, The Accademia and Uffizi Gallery, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, St Mark’s Square, the Bridge of Sighs, and Urbino, to name a few.

Students and teachers were taken by Mario and myself on excursions to visit many wonderful historic towns and attend interesting workshops during the tour. One such highlight was a tour in Rome of the Gladiator School.

Students were involved in an activity to learn some combat skills of the ancient Gladiators. In Venice they witnessed a demonstration of Murano glass making from a Master and had a demonstration of genuine mask-making, as well as decorating their own masks to take home.”

In the previous page, above and below: students in one of the bilingual classrooms at Brunswick South Primary School Photos Wide Shut Photography

ISSUE XVIII

the first school in Victoria to offer a bilingual education IN ITALIAN

56 Brunswick Rd, Brunswick East VIC 3057 - ph. 03 9380 1231 brunswick.south.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au

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Mara Rasulo

THE STORY OF A ‘CALL’ THAT CAN’T BE IGNORED Like Penelope Green in the famous novel “When in Rome”, Michelle Di Pietro leaves everything, career, home, family and friends to chase the infamous Italian dream and finally live the “dolce vita”.

But let’s go in order.

Michelle was born in Melbourne to parents of Abruzzese origin. She is a chef and has a disproportionate love for Italy, and in particular for Abruzzo, the homeland of her family. Up until the age of 20 she had only ever heard of Italy from her grandparents’ stories, which fascinated her. Finally, in 2008 she travelled for the first time with her family to the ‘Bel Paese’.

Michelle visited the must-see places: Rome, Florence, Venice and spent a lot of time between Filetto and Campo di Giove, small villages in the Province of Chieti and Aquila where most of her family lives.

“I couldn’t believe I was there for real,” she says in perfect Italian. “I remember that the first few days weren’t easy due to the language barrier. I knew a few words in dialect (which I thought was Italian!) that I had learned from my grandparents. Moreover, my family in Abruzzo didn’t speak English and the difficulty in making myself understood became evident.

Nevertheless, I felt immediately at home”.

“It was a love at first sight for Abruzzo,” she says proudly. “My relatives took me around to show me the beauty of this region. The more time I spent in there, the more my desire to stay grew. I wanted to live like an Italian and I wanted to feel Italian.

In Melbourne I had everything, a good career, my friends - but you know when you have that feeling that something’s missing?!” After her vacation Michelle returned to Australia and continued her career as a chef, working for great restaurants in Melbourne. Despite this, the desire to change her life was so strong that in 2010 she returned to Italy, but this time to stay.

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Michelle Di Pietro at Abruzzo Lab. The Arrosticini Bar in Epping, Melbourne Photo Courtesy of Michelle Di Pietro

“The second time wasn’t all fun and games,” she says. “The reality of working in Italy isn’t the best, even for me. I didn’t speak perfect Italian and I hadn’t studied as a chef in Italy. I tried everything, I also offered to work for free but no one at the time gave me a chance. I can confirm that the Italians are very hospitable, but when it comes to cooking they are really wary! The other discriminating factor was that I was a woman and an Australian chef.”

Thanks to her tenacity and great passion for being in the kitchen, Michelle learned the secrets of traditional Abruzzo recipes from her aunts and relatives. She reinvented herself by organising private dinners at a friend’s place. The first dinner was such a great success that the experiment continued with cooking courses, first for children and then for adults. Thanks to this wonderful idea Michelle soon received an important call: a job offer from a famous restaurant in Chieti that soon became her second family, giving her a permanent contract. It was there that Michelle gave the best of herself, delighting in Italian recipes and offering dishes and recipes from her Australian culinary experience.

“It was incredible. After doing some cooking tests, which were rigorously Italian, and a trial week, they offered me a permanent contract, the first one. My friends told me I was very lucky, not only for the job offer, but because it became a point of reference for me. I learned so much from my last work experience and I finally felt integrated into the place that became my home. One day I was talking to my aunt Emma and she, in her funny dialect, looking into my eyes said: “Michelle, now is the time to turn your passion into something for yourself, to open your own restaurant.” The idea floated around in my head for a while, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to go down that path. The news of the arrival of my first nephew and the joy of being able to hug him encouraged me to make a decision. After 6 years spent chasing and living my Italian dream I decided that my time in Abruzzo was over and that my task, from that moment on, would be to bring Abruzzo to Australia. It was from that point that ‘Abruzzo Lab’ was born - my little corner dedicated to the “Terra Verde” and to my love for the Abruzzese cuisine.”

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