12
Poche Parole PRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE WWW.ITALIANCULTURALSOCIETY.ORG 301-215-7885 February 2019 Vol. XXXVI No. 6 SOCIAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS OVERVIEW PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE O n January 20 we had a crowd of over 50 people come to the ICS head- quarters to listen to Prof. Gianni Cicali’s presentaon on “The Grand Tour and the birth of the myth of Italy”. The presenta- on was very engaging and it explained the passion with which Italian patrons invested in talented painters, sculptors, architects and other arsts, who contrib- uted to what came to be known as the Italian Renaissance. It also covered the subject of the beginning of the launch of tourism in Italy. Our next event will occur on February 24 and is intended to celebrate Carnevale at the Chevy Chase Village Hall. In collabo- raon with Le D.I.V.E. and Italians in DC, we will provide music by the i-Talians, and beverages. Please contribute a Carnival dessert. Other details are specified in this issue. Come in a costume and join in the fun. The Italian word “Carnevale” refers to a Chrisan interpretaon of the expression carnem levare” (to abstain from meat), a celebraon of merry making that reached its climax in Italy in cies like Venice, Rome, Florence, Naples, Ivrea and Turin during the middle ages, and is believed to have derived from the pagan Saturnalian feast of ancient Rome. This city in fact has been most notable as a center of carnival acvity, and the splendor and riches of the fesvies that marked its observance in Rome have rarely been surpassed else- where. We look forward to your parcipa- on and ancipate a fesve atmosphere for adults and children alike. - Luigi M. De Luca, President ICS FESTA DI CARNEVALE 2019 - IN COLLABORATION WITH LE D.I.V.E. AND ITALIANS IN DC Sunday, February 24th, 3:30pm at the Chevy Chase Village Hall 5906 Conneccut Ave. NW, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    4

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

Poche ParolePRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

WWW.ITAL IANCULTURALSOCIETY.ORG 301-215-7885

February 2019Vol. XXXVI

No. 6

SOCIAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS OVERVIEW

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

O nJanuary20wehadacrowdofover50peoplecometotheICShead-

quarterstolistentoProf.GianniCicali’spresentationon“TheGrandTourandthebirthofthemythofItaly”.Thepresenta-tionwasveryengaginganditexplainedthepassionwithwhichItalianpatronsinvestedintalentedpainters,sculptors,architectsandotherartists,whocontrib-utedtowhatcametobeknownastheItalianRenaissance.ItalsocoveredthesubjectofthebeginningofthelaunchoftourisminItaly.

OurnexteventwilloccuronFebruary24andisintendedtocelebrateCarnevaleattheChevyChaseVillageHall.Incollabo-rationwithLeD.I.V.E.andItaliansinDC,wewillprovidemusicbythei-Talians,andbeverages.PleasecontributeaCarnivaldessert.Otherdetailsarespecifiedinthisissue.Comeinacostumeandjoininthefun.

TheItalianword“Carnevale”referstoaChristianinterpretationoftheexpression“carnem levare”(toabstainfrommeat),acelebrationofmerrymakingthatreacheditsclimaxinItalyincitieslikeVenice,Rome,Florence,Naples,IvreaandTurinduringthemiddleages,andisbelievedtohavederivedfromthepaganSaturnalianfeastofancientRome.Thiscityinfacthasbeenmostnotableasacenterofcarnivalactivity,andthesplendorandrichesofthefestivitiesthatmarkeditsobservanceinRomehaverarelybeensurpassedelse-where.Welookforwardtoyourparticipa-tionandanticipateafestiveatmosphereforadultsandchildrenalike.

- Luigi M. De Luca, President ICS

FESTA DI CARNEVALE 2019 - IN COLLABORATION WITH LE D.I.V.E. AND ITALIANS IN DCSunday,February24th,3:30pmattheChevyChaseVillageHall5906ConnecticutAve.NW,ChevyChase,MD20815

Page 2: O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

Poche Parole February 2019Vol. XXXVI

No. 6

PRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

WWW.ITAL IANCULTURALSOCIETY.ORG 301-215-78852

ICS BOARD OF DIRECTORSLuigi De Luca: PresidentFrancesca Casazza: ExecutiveDirectorArrigo Mongini: VicePresidentBruce Esposito: TreasurerChiara Gastaldi: Secretary-EventsStefania Amodeo: HospitalityEllen Coppley: FundraisingCarola Mamberto: CommunicationandEventsSara Forden: CommunicationandEventsGiovanna Sedda: MarketingMaterialPaolo Vidoli: Admin.ConsultantandHospitalityRomeo Segnan:MemberAtLargeAnnelise Brody:EventsandILPAdvisorDavid Flaxman:MusicandcultureDavid Cieslikowski:Photographer

WELCOME NEW MEMBERSSingle: CarlosFranzetti,EmilyAlexander,KathrynEszeki,SaraKaul,MaryHaber

Couple/Family: MaryEllenCosentino&spouse,PaminaFirchow&FabrizioCicconeandfamily,MaurizioGuadagniandfamily

Bronze Sponsor 2018/2019:Redfin

TABLE OF CONTENTSJanuarySocialEvent............................................3-6FebruarySocialEvent-FestadiCarnevale.............7FromtheILP............................................................8LetteratureItaliana............................................9-10Advertisements...............................................10-11

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORSPLATINUMSPONSORGALA2018:MediasetItalia

SILVER:MarcoStilliTeam-TTRSotheby’sInternationalRealty,BethesdaTravelCenter

BRONZE:Pirelli,Colavita,TheCapitalGroup,CapitalOneBank,JTPPrinting,Inc.

BEVERAGESPONSOR:Campari,IlCanaleincollaborationwithImperoWine,IlCantiniereImportsanddistributing,Inc. APPETIZER,DESSERT,COFFEESPONSORS:LaTomate–ExecutiveChefDomenicoApollaro,DolcieGelati–ChefGianluigiDellaccio,Illy

INDIVIDUALDONORS:Ellen&JacksonFund,Anonymous

Page 3: O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

February 2019Vol. XXXVINo. 6 Poche Parole

4833RUGBYAVE,SUITE#201,BETHESDA,MD20814

PRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

3

JANUARYSOCIALEVENTWITHDR.CICALIBY LUIGI M. DE LUCA

IlProfessorGianniCicalidell’Universita’diGeorgetowne’statoilnostrospeakerdomenica20gennaio.Nella sua presentazione su “Il Grand-Tour e la nascitadelmitodell’Italia” Cicali ha riassunto inmodoelegantee divertente il periodo fecondo di eventi e conquisteculturali, ilperiodochehaseguito ilMedioevo in Italiaesoprattutto in Toscana. Cicali ha spiegato come i diversimecenatihanno investito somme ingentididenaronellaproduzione di opere di pittura, scultura, architettura edaltre discipline che poi sono venute a rappresentare ilRinascimento Italiano. Il professore ha anche spiegatocome queste opere e la loro ammirazione hanno creatoquanto e’ poi diventato la ragione fondamentale delGrand-TouredelmitodellanostraItalia,chehaattrattoecontinuaadattrarretantivisitatori.Cicalihacominciatolasuaconferenzacondelleimmaginidella Roma imperiale, col suo Tevere al centro dellaleggendadiRomoloeRemo.Questofiumehavistotantevicende della Roma antica dal Ponte Milvio al PonteFabricius (adesso in rovina) ed al Castel Sant’Angelo.Dal trattamento del mondo dell’antica Roma, Cicali hapoi parlato della lingua Fiorentina e di come questa siadivenuta la lingua ufficiale della penisola attraverso gliscrittideigenidella letteratura italianaDante,PetrarcaeBoccaccio.Hapoi fattovedere la statuadiDante situatanelMeridianPark.Questastatuaerastatal’argomentodiunaconferenzadelProfessorCharlesRussellsemprenellanostrasede.Bancheecompagniemercantilicontribuironoal Rinascimento sovvenzionando in modo concreto gliartisti di diverse discipline, compresi scultori, pittoried architetti. Cicali ha continuato mostrando un’operafondamentale, l’illustrazione della Città Ideale che orae’ conservata presso la Walter Gallery di Baltimora.Quest’opera e’ attribuita al pittore Fra Carnevale erappresenta una scena cittadina incontaminata daalcuna attivita’ umana. Cinque strutture architettoniche

Ourguest speaker for January20wasProf.GianniCicaliof Georgetown University. His presentation on “TheGrand Tour and the birth of themyth of Italy” gave anarticulatedandentertaining synopsisof the very fruitfulperiod that followed the Middle Ages in the ItalianpeninsulaandmainlyinTuscany.Itexplainedthepassionwithwhich Italianpatrons invested in talentedpainters,sculptors, architects and other artists, who contributedtowhatcametobeknownasthe ItalianRenaissance. ItalsocoveredthesubjectofthebeginningofthelaunchoftourisminItaly.CicalistartedhislecturewiththeimagesofImperialRome,withtheTiberriverasthecenterpieceforthebeginningofthelegendofRomulusandRemusandthesitewheremosttypicalRomanbuildingssuchastheFabriciusbridge(nowinruins)andtheCastelSant’Angeloareportrayed.Hethenswitchedtotheequallyimportantsubject of the Florentine language and of its becomingtheofficial languageof Italy through thewritingsof theGeniusesthatwereDante,PetrarcaandBoccaccio.DanteiscelebratedallovertheworldandhisstatueinMeridianParkhadbeenthesubjectofaprevioustalkbyProf.CharlesRussell.Banksandmerchantsgreatly contributed to theRenaissance by providing support for artists of differentdisciplines, including sculptors, painters and architects.ProfessorCicali proceededwith showing thepaintingoftheIdealCitynowattheWaltersgallery.TheIdeal Cityisa15th-centurypaintingusuallyattributedtothearchitectand artist Fra Carnevale. The painting consists of a citylandscape, uncontaminated by human activity. Thereare five structures that define the space. At the centeris a Roman triumphal arch, reminiscent of the Arch ofConstantine in Rome; the amphitheater, which recallsthe shape of the Colosseum in Rome, and which couldrepresenttheimportanceofprovidingentertainmentforthewell-beingofthepeople.TheoctagonalbuildingistheonlystructurenotspecificallyRoman,beingmodeledafter

Page 4: O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

Poche Parole February 2019Vol. XXXVI

No. 6

PRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

WWW.ITAL IANCULTURALSOCIETY.ORG 301-215-78854

definiscono lo spazio centrale, fra queste c’e’ unArcodiTrionfo simile all’Arco di Costantino; un anfiteatro chericorda il Colosseo,e che rappresenterebbe l’importanzadioffrirespettacoliperilbenessereedildivertimentodelpopolo. Un palazzo ottagonale e’ l’unica struttura non-romana,ma che ricorda il Battisterodi Firenze. Cicali haconcluso che lo spazio rappresentato in quest’opera e’unapiazzaitalianatipica,doveleattivita’umane, incluseloscambiodivedutepoliticheedingeneralel’interazionesociale avvengono, come d’altra parte si puo’ osservaretuttoraancheneipiccolicentriurbani.Questoperiododigrandeproduttivita’ artistico-culturale ha coinciso con lacostruzionedell’enormecattedralediFirenze,SantaMariadelFiore.IFiorentinisuperaronotuttiilorocompetitorialNordoalSuddellapenisolaeprodusserounabellissimastruttura, che pero’, per via dell’enormita’ della suastruttura,nonpote’esserecopertadaunacupolaerimasesenza tetto per un intero secolo! Finalmente il genio diBrunelleschiriusci’acolmarlaconunacupolacheatuttorae’lapiu’grandecupolainmattonemaicostruitaalmondo.Questo naturalmente richiese nuove tecnologie, inclusol’usodistrumentispecialiperpernettereilsollevamentodigrandipesi, l’approvviggionamentodiquantitàenormidilegnodatuttalaToscanaezonelimitrofeedaltrisviluppitecnologici che permettessero la fabbrica di quantitainauditedimattoni,diconcieditegole.LaSagadell’Italiaedell’influenza italiana rimanefinoadoggi.Ilmitodell’Italiaedellasuaculturahaattrattolementipiu’ interessateedambiziose.Toursdellanostrapenisolasonostatiorganizzatiperfamiglierealiepergruppidinobilie di studiosi stranieri. Ed infatti, nessuno poteva essereconsideratounapersonadiculturaefinezza,senonavessesperimentatoevisto iprodottiartisticidelnostropaese.Byron,Goethe,Causeway,Milton,Munte,Stendhal,Keats,Shelly e molti altri scrittori ed artisti stranieri volevanovisitarel’Italiaeincluderequestaesperienzanellalorovita.L’architetturadellacitta’diWashingtoncoisuoimonumentid’ispirazione greca e’ stata influenzata notevolmente daarchitetti italiani. Cicali ha fatto vedere l’architettura del

theBaptisteryinFlorence.Finally,CicaliarguedthatthespaceencircledbythesemonumentswasatypicalItalianPiazzawherehumanactivity,includingpoliticalexchangeand social discourse usually took place and still do indifferentcitiesandevenmoresoinsmallurbancenters.This most fruitful period of flourishing arts, includingarchitecture, painting, and sculpture is defined by thebuildingof thehugeCathedralof Florence (SantaMariadel Fiore). The Florentines outdid all their competitorsto the North and South of the peninsula and produceda beautiful structure, which however, because of itshumongoussize,couldnotbecoveredbyadomeatthecenterandremainedwithoutoneforsomeonehundredyears! When the genius of Brunelleschi permitted itsconstruction, the dome was the largest structure andstillremainssuchforbrickdomesallovertheworld.Thisrequiredmajoradvancesintechnology,includingtheuseofspecialinstrumentsforleverage,theharvestingofwoodfromtheentireregionofTuscanyandvicinityandotherdevelopments intechnology. Inthemeanwhiletherulesof socialbehaviorand interactionwerebeingdefined inthe book Il Cortegiano by Baldassarre Castiglioni. Thisbookwasorderedandbecameavailable inmostCourtsandinmanylanguages.The Saga of the Italian influence has continued afterthe Renaissance. TheMyth of Italy and its culture wasattractive to the most inquisitive and ambitious minds.Tours of Italian sights were being organized for Royaltyand High Society people. No one could be consideredas acculturated and sophisticated who did not have

Page 5: O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

February 2019Vol. XXXVINo. 6 Poche Parole

4833RUGBYAVE,SUITE#201,BETHESDA,MD20814

PRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

5

Palazzo della Corte Suprema che ricorda gli edifici dellevillepalladianedelVeneto.IlProfessorehaancheparlatodell’influenzacheMacchiavellihaavutoconilsuoPrincipenell’ambientedellebegheesotterfugipoliticiperottenereilcontrollodelpotere.Prof.CicalihaconclusolasuapresentazioneparlandodellanascitadelteatroconilMetastasioedell’operaconRossinieVerdifraglialtriedelcinemaconFellini,Rossellini,DeSica,Pasolini,emoltialtri.La sua ultima diapositivamostrava la scena di una calledi Venezia che dava su un canale reso invisibile perche’sovrastato dalla massa di un’enorme nave da crociera.Questavisioneportavaallamentelapossibilita’dieventicatastroficichedistruggerebberoquantoe’statocostruitoinmillennidilavoroediarte.Questieventisonodaevitareatuttiicosti,haconclusoilProfessore.

knowledge of Italian culture. Byron, Goethe, Causeway,Milton, Munte, Stendhal, Keats, Shelly and many manyothers made sure that they included a detailed visit toItaly intheir lives. ThearchitectureofWashington itselfisatestimonytotheinfluenceofItalianarchitectureandinparticularofthearchitectureoftheMasterPalladioonbuildings such as the building of the Supreme Court inWashingtonDC.Machiavelli’s Prince finally summarizes the ability atpolitical maneuvering that kings and in general leadersof cities and political parties should have to be able togovernsuccessfully.Prof.CicaliconcludedhispresentationtalkingaboutthebirthoftheaterwithMetastasio,operawithRossiniandVerdiamongothersandtheartofmoviemaking by directors such as Fellini, Rossellini, De Sica,Pasolini,Rosiandmanyothers.HisfinalpicturefeaturingasceneinoneoftheCa’sinVenicewithahugemultistoriedcruiseshipnavigatinginthecanalwasasadmessageonthepossibilitiesofcatastrophiceventsthatmightdestroywhathasbeenbuiltovercenturiesbyamiscalculationoranaccidentalfaultymaneuver.Heconcludedthatwemustprotectourculturalheritageandavoidsuchevenremotepossibilitiesfromhappening.

Page 6: O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

Poche Parole February 2019Vol. XXXVI

No. 6

PRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

WWW.ITAL IANCULTURALSOCIETY.ORG 301-215-78856

SUPPORT ICS’S MISSION TO PROMOTE ITALIANLANGUAGEANDCULTURE!

InadditiontoILPtuition,memberships,sponsorshipsanddonationssupportICSobjectivestoenhancetheappreciationandknowledgeofItalianlanguageandcultureintheWashington,DCarea.

ICSBoardMembersservewithoutremuneration.

JoinorrenewyourmembershiponlineorsendformonthelastpageofPocheParole.MembershipisopentoeveryonewhosharesaninterestinItalianculture,regardlessofheritage.

ICS membership renews in September. Ifyouarenotcurrentlyamember,pleasejoinbyFebruary24toreceiveaspecialgiftofFramorepastaand

sauce,whichmaybepickedupatLaFestadiCarnevaleorattheICSheadquarters.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS:AccesstoanimpressivelibraryofItalianbooksandDVDs

DiscountonItaliancoursesDiscountsonspecialevents,socialmeetingsorganizedbyICS,aswellas,concerts,

filmsandeventsorganizedbyotherorganizations(e.g.,someKennedyCenterconcerts)ICSnewsletterdeliveredbymail,uponrequest

***BECOME AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ICS - VOLUNTEER

TheItalianCulturalSocietycontinuestoexpandandournetworkofvolunteersplaysavitalrole.Whereasourvolunteershaveawiderangeofexperienceandinterests,allenjoyworkinginapositiveenvironmentand

beingabletospeakItalianlanguageinaninformalsetting.PleasecalltheofficeforinformationonsupportingICS’smission.

Page 7: O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

February 2019Vol. XXXVINo. 6 Poche Parole

4833RUGBYAVE,SUITE#201,BETHESDA,MD20814

PRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

7

FESTADICARNEVALE!TheprogramisbelowandyoucanfindmoreinfoandRSVPathttp://www.italianculturalsociety.org/carnevale-2019/

Page 8: O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

Poche Parole February 2019Vol. XXXVI

No. 6

PRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

WWW.ITAL IANCULTURALSOCIETY.ORG 301-215-78858

FROMTHEITALIANLANGUAGEPROGRAM

On January 26th, Chiara Gastaldi and Jenna Lordo,AssistanttotheExecutiveDirector,attendedthe2019BilingualEducationFairofDC,promotingtheItalianlanguagetogetherwithCasaItalianaandtheEmbassyofItaly.ThisfairispartoftheDCLanguageImmersionProject,anon-profitfoundedbytheItalianDott.ssaVanessaBertelli.

ThisWinterterm,37coursesforadults,and10kidscoursesbeganinBethesdaand3coursesforadultsand2forchildrenbeganinFairfax. Inourheadquarters,we also hostMusic Together in Italian, for children0-5 years old and their parents and grandparents,whichisorganizedbyMusic Together. Irecommenditforthoseofyouwhohavebabiesandtoddlers,asafunactivityfortheentirefamily.SixteenmorecoursesshouldstartinFebruary(WinterSession2),includingCooking classes, with a 3 lesson-course in ChevyChaseorPotomac,“Live from Italy: conversation and writing (B1-C2)”, an intermediate/advanced coursewith the journalist Nicoletta Nencioli and Regionalcuisine:history, traditions and recipes withVivianaDiSciullo.

IwouldliketodrawyourattentiontoourCourses + Trips, in particularDiscover Veneto in February andDiscover Sicily, starting in March. Please visit ourwebsite at http://www.italianculturalsociety.org/coursestrips/tolearnabouttheunique,personalizedtripsthatwerecommend,andseeourStudyabroadwebpage.

Finally, Summer Camp registration is open!We areofferingasignificantdiscount forenrollmentbeforeApril1st.

ChildrenarenowgettingreadyforCarnevale,andarelearningthesongLa gatta,byGinoPaoli,oneofthefamousItaliansongwriters.Theywillsingitwiththeband,thei-Talians,atFestadiCarnevale.Aftertheirfun concert, the band will lead karaoke for adults,teenagersandkidswhoarewillingtosing!SeeyouallattheFestadiCarnevale,onFebruary24th!

Uncarosaluto,Francesca Casazza

FEBRUARY 2018

Page 9: O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

February 2019Vol. XXXVINo. 6 Poche Parole

4833RUGBYAVE,SUITE#201,BETHESDA,MD20814

PRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

9

LETTERATURA ITALIANABY NICOLETTA NENCIOLI AND TRANSLATED BY ARRIGO MONGINI

Duecento anni e non li dimostra. L’ 'Infinito' - concettoinafferrabilesenzatempo-ispiravaalloracomeoggi.Unaemozionepatrimoniodell’umanità.Senzadistinzioni. Mafu’proprioacavallotrail1818edil1819che‘L ‘Infinito’trovo’ la sua espressione piu’ compiuta, inavvicinabilenellasuaperfezione:inunapoesia,dallostessotitolo,cheinmolti ritengono lapiùgrandedell’Ottocento.Quindiciendecasillabi sciolti che si muovono flessuosi e veloci,racchiusi in una sola parola,espressione dell’ anima e dellasensibilità esasperata del conteGiacomoLeopardi.Autoreditantaoperaappenaventenne.Oggi,perdodicimesil’Italiacelebraiduesecolidell’amatissimopoemae del suo capolavoro di intensità’emotiva, con una serie di eventi,mostre, conferenze. Sia nelleMarche, patria di Leopardi, che inaltreregioniecittàdellapenisolaepersino dell’ Europa.Un’ iniziativaglobalechiamata‘InfinitoLeopardi’.Sitrattadiincontrivoltiaricordaree celebrare non solo la poeticarivoluzionariamaanchel’umanità’di quel Leopardi, primogenito di10 fratelli, figli del conteMonaldoedellamarchesa,DonnaAdelaide.Autoretraipiu’analizzatiestudiatitantodaicriticiletterariquantodaglistudentidellescuoledelBelpaese,Leopardihalasciatoconl’'Infinito',ineredita’allalinguaitaliana,frasiediciturechesiusanopersinooggi.Intellettualeatuttotondoa livellomondiale,filosofo,scrittore,glottologo,Leopardinacquenel1797aRecanati,nelleMarche.Giovanearistocratico,dicostituzionefragile,sinoasviluppareunaveradeformitàcon ilpassaredeglianni,Giacomoe’uneruditosopraffino:inizialesostenitoredel Classicismo diventa - pur senza mai formalmenteaderirvi - grande esponente del Romanticismo.Secondo

200 years, and it does not show its age. “Infinity,” thatelusiveandtimelessconcept–thenasnowit inspiredapatrimonialemotionofhumanitywithoutdistinctions.Butitwasexactlybetween1818and1819that“infinity”found itself more accomplished, unapproachable in itsperfection: inapoemofthesametitle,thatmanyclaimtobethegreatestofthenineteenthcentury.Fifteenlooselines of eleven syllables that move subtly and rapidly

enclosed within one word,expressions of the soul andexasperated sensibility of CountGiacomo Leopardi, author ofmanyworks,atbarely20yearsofage.Today for 12 months Italycelebrates two centuries of themuch loved poem, Leopardi’smasterpieceofemotiveintensity,with a series of events, exhibits,lectures, both in Le Marche,Leopardi’s region of origin, andother regions and cities of ourpeninsula, and even of Europe.An initiative known as “InfinitoLeopardi”.Itconsistsofmeetingsdesignedtorememberandcelebratenotonlytherevolutionarypoetry,butalso

onsofMonaldoandMarchesaDonnaAdelaide. Amongthemostanalyzedandstudiedauthorsby literarycriticsand by the students of our country’s schools, Leopardi,with, “Infinity,” has bequeathed to the Italian languagephrasesandsayingsthatareusedeventoday.A world class intellectual in every sense, philosopher,writer, linguist,Leopardiwasborn in1797inRecanatiinLeMarche.Ayoungaristocratoffragileconstitutionevendevelopingarealdeformityastheyearspassed,Giacomowasveryerudite,initiallyanexponentofClassicismwhobecomes an exponent of Romanticismwithout formally

Semprecaromifuquest’ermocolle,equestasiepe,chedatantapartedell’ultimoorizzonteilguardoesclude.Masedendoemirando,interminatispazidilàdaquella,esovrumanisilenzi,eprofondissimaquïeteionelpensiermifingo;oveperpocoilcornonsispaura.Ecomeilventoodostormirtraquestepiante,ioquelloinfinitosilenzioaquestavocevocomparando:emisovvienl’eterno,elemortestagioni,elapresenteeviva,eilsuondilei.Cosìtraquestaimmensitàs’annegailpensiermio:eilnaufragarm’èdolceinquestomare.

"L’infinito" di Giacomo Leopardi

Page 10: O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

Poche Parole February 2019Vol. XXXVI

No. 6

PRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

WWW.ITAL IANCULTURALSOCIETY.ORG 301-215-788510

alcuni,precursoredell’Esistenzialismo.Ilpoetaimparo’sindaragazzoillatinoeilgrecoantichi,el’ebraico.Semprechinosui librinellabibliotecapaterna,Leopardisviluppo’una tristezza esistenziale, un pessimismo cosmico chelo porto’ ad essere definito ‘poeta dei sentimenti edell’immaginazione’.Immaginazione necessaria a volare nel suo 'Infinito',ancheacausadellesueprecariecondizionifisichechelocostrinsero per anni fermo nella magione di famiglia, aguardareilmondodallafinestra.DopoalcuniannitrascorsiaviaggiaretraMilano,Bologna,PisaFirenze,senzaperòtrarnealcunpiacere,èinquestoquadrochenascel’‘Infinito’.Pocherighechesiconcludonocon uno dei versi piu’ conosciuti dagli italiani : “ed ilnaufragarmie’dolceinquestomare’(conunatraduzioneimpossibilema approssimativa in inglese corrispondentea ‘..and to lose myself in this ocean becomes so sweet ..’ ). La poesia comparse per la prima volta alpubblico nel 1825 sul ‘Nuovo ‘Raccoglitore’. Le paroleruotano intorni ai luoghi cari al poeta, i suoi ‘colli’, inuna trasmutazione del suo dolore esistenziale. In unaricerca dell’ ‘infinito’, trovato alfine tra ‘quegli spaziinterminati’, quell’ ‘infinito silenzio’, quella‘profondissima quiete’. Dove l’ uomo, con la suaimmaginazione, si può’ sentire finalmente felice,immergendosi in una ’natura’ fatta di ‘immensità’ in cuipercepire‘l’eterno’.llmanoscritto - cheappareessere stato compostod’ungetto-e’oraconservatoallaBibliotecaNazionalediNapoli.Tra le celebrazioni - inaugurate a fine dicembre ed incorso appunto tutto l’anno - vi e’ anche la realizzazionesia di sezioni espositive a rotazione, tra cui quella daltitolo ‘Infinito/Immensita’/Manoscritto’ all university’di Macerata. Manoscritti, cimeli, documenti autografi,oggettiappartenutialpoetaoraproprietà’delcomunediRecanatisonoinoltreinmostraaVilaColloredoMels.

takingpart in it.According to somepeopleaprecursorof Existentialism, the poet learned, even as a child,Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Always immersed in booksinhis father’s library, Leopardidevelopedanexistentialsadness, a cosmic pessimism, which caused him to bedefined as “poet of sentiments and imagination”, animaginationneededtofly inhis”infinity”,alsobecauseofhisprecariousphysicalconditionsthatforyearslimitedhimtoremain insidehis familymansion, lookingat theworldfromthewindow.After several years traveling between Milan, Bologna,Pisa,andFlorencewithoutgettinganypleasurefromthis,it was in these circumstances that “Infinity” was born.Hereareafewlinesthatendwithoneofthemostwellknownversesby Italians “ed ilnaufragarmie’dolce inquesto mare” (with an impossible English translationcorresponding approximately to “and to losemyself inthisoceanbecomessosweet”The poem appears for the first time publicly in 1825on “Nuovo Raccoglitore” (new collector). The wordsrevolvearound theplacesdear to thepoet,hishills, ina transmutation of his existential pain in a search for“infinity”, finally found among those indeterminatespaces,that“silentinfinity”,thatverydeepquiet.”Wheremanwithhis imaginationcanfeelhimselffinallyhappy,immersing himself in a nature made of immensity inwhichonecanperceivetheeternal”.Themanuscript,thatappearstohavebeencomposedasadraftisnowconservedintheNationalLibraryofNaples.Among the celebrations inaugurated at the end ofDecemberandinthecourseoftheentireyearthereisalsotheachievementofexpositivesectionsinturns,includingthe one with the title ”infinity/immensity/Manuscript”at the University of Macerata. Antique manuscripts,autographeddocuments,objectsoncebelongingtothepoetnowthepropertyofthetownofRecanati,arealsoondisplayatVilaColloredoMels.

Giacomo Leopardi

Page 11: O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

February 2019Vol. XXXVINo. 6 Poche Parole

4833RUGBYAVE,SUITE#201,BETHESDA,MD20814

PRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

11

LOCALEVENTSOFINTEREST

ABOUTPOCHEPAROLEToadvertiseonPocheParole,[email protected],orcall301-215-7885Ratespermonth,per3months:Businesscard-1/8page:$60;1/4page:$100;1/2page:$150;Fullpage:$200Fortheyear(9issues):20%discount

PocheParoleispublishedeachmonthfromSeptemberthroughMay.Deadlineforadandarticlesubmissionsisthe22ndofthemonthprecedingpublicationoftheissue.Pleasesendsubmissionstolanguage@italianculturalsociety.org

AdvertisersappearinginPocheParolehavepaidafeeorprovidedserviceinkindtoICSforpublishingtheirrespectiveads.PublicationofanyadvertisementinPocheParoledoesnotreflectICSendorsementorguaranteeoftheadvertiser’sservices,productsorstatements.MaterialcontainedinarticlesisthesoleresponsibilityoftheauthoranddoesnotindicateICSendorsement.

Please visit our webpage: www.italianculturalsociety.org/eventsAnd visit The Italian Cultural Institute’s calendar:www.iicwashington.esteri.it/iic_washington/it

Simply the Best for You and the EnvironmentSince 1985

Process & Spot Color Printing, High Quality Digital Printing,

Variable Data Printing, Printed Binders, Fliers, Small Books,

Catalogues, Pocket Folders, Labels, Note pads, Total Administrative Printing,

Letterheads, Envelopes, Forms, Post-It-Notes, Carbonless Forms, and more!

Contact: Jeffrey R. Herndon8120 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 100

Bethesda, MD 20814Phone: 301-656-3325

Email: [email protected]: www.jtpinc.com

Page 12: O D S OVERVIEWfor the beginning of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the site where most typical Roman buildings such as the Fabricius bridge (now in ruins) and the Castel Sant’Angelo

Poche Parole February 2019Vol. XXXVI

No. 6

PRESERVING AND PROMOTING ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

WWW.ITAL IANCULTURALSOCIETY.ORG 301-215-788512

THEITALIANCULTURALSOCIETYOFWASHINGTOND.C.

4833RugbyAvenue,Suite#201Bethesda,MD20814

301-215-7885www.italianculturalsociety.org

Return Service Requested

Become a member!

Mail or bring this form to:

SponsorDiamondSponsor$10,000 +