Villaggio Culturale Italiano

We are excited to share Italian culture at our Festa. Show your Italian pride and stick a pin on the map of Italy to show us where your family's origin. It's fun to see how many others are from the same place as you. Not Italian? No worries, stop by learn a little about genealogy, see the other exhibits and talk to some of the Italians mulling around. Rest in the shade and join us for one our discussion sessions on the Culinary Stage.

2026 Festa Villaggio Culturale Sponsor

A VISIT TO THE VILLAGGIO CULTURALE (CULTURA VILLAGE)

A cornerstone of the Festa experience for many is a visit to the Villaggio Culturale graciously sponsored by the JP DiNapoli Companies, Inc. It is a piazza-like space, to stroll through and interact with, as part of the Festa visit. We have some traditional items such as our regional maps, history or storyboards made possible by a County of Santa Clara History Grant, and our "Roots map" to pin where your families came from in Italy.

In many ways, the Villaggio Culturale at the Festa encompasses the mission of the IAHF to promote Italian heritage and culture. It is a not-to-be missed part of the 44th Italian Family Festa. The Villaggio Culturale or Cultural Village is located adjacent to the Culinary and Cultural stage. The Cultural Village is also a place where you can network and explore so many diverse parts of Italian Heritage.

The IAHF is justifiably proud of its long-term Scholarship Program, and there will be a display of our recent recipients. We also have photo boards of all our scholarship recipients going back to the 1970's; space does not permit a full review but there will be a special acknowledgment to the 2026 scholarship recipients. There will also be a donation book sale where you can purchase Festa raffle tickets.

Also on display, thanks to a special Santa Clara County History Grant, are "Storyboards" that highlight many aspects of the contributions of Italian Americans in Santa Clara County. This year, we will revisit the internment of Italian Americans during WWII with special acknowledgment of the efforts of recently deceased IAHF member Chet Campanella, who worked so hard to get some recognition of the injustices of the interment during the War. Likewise, thanks to Christina Olivolo Sauvageau, there will be a display about the Sharp Park detention center in Pacifica.

At the Village on Saturday will be a display by the Museo Italo Americano, a nationally focused Museum, promoting Italian American artists, heritage and culture. On Sunday, historian and author, Rich Di Giacomo, will share his research about the real Columbus and other Italian navigators. Also joining us is Linda Thomas, an author visiting from Ohio who will share her work both at a lecture and at the Village. Her presentation is titled “A Table for Everyone.”