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 DI NAPOLI COMPANIES.  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. 

 

Some engaging new items at the Villaggio include a meet-the-author, Chris Hudson who collected the writings of her 

mother in the form of a special book and tribute to her mom, Mary Reginato Hudson.   Chris also donated a copy to the IAHF Libary and will give a talk at the Italia Culinary and Cultural Pavilion about the book along with sharing some thoughts about self-publishing.  The book is handsomely done and will be available for sale. Chris will be at the Villaggio to meet with you.  Her mom published several of the stories in the IAHF Newsletter many years ago. Mary's roots were from the Shasta area of California which adds a whole fascinating dimension to her tales.

 

Another special exhibit will be by Festa donor Kathy Winkelman of Gioia Company regarding the Folk Art Traditions of Italy in the form of Ceramic ware. Not only is it a rich heritage and legacy but Kathy was part of an international network to support the folk arts during the Covid lock restrictions.   Down the line, we hope to plan a field trip to visit Kathy's showroom in Los Gatos, but her efforts to assist regional artisans are a story that needs to be told. 

 

And that ties into another exhibit at the Villaggio, regarding the online  Italifornian project, where we will be collecting relevant oral histories for sharing both with the project and the IAHF Oral History project.  John Romano will be preparing an exhibit about the Italifonians and there will also be a presentation by a Santa Clara University Intern helping with the project,  Agostino Pace.

 

As a Heritage Foundation, there will also be a St Josehp Day exhibit, compiled by Kathy and Larry  Lohman.  They have documented this activity throughout many years at the IAHF.  Aside from the Festa itself, St. Joseph Day activities are one of the largest day events, sustained by our membership and volunteers. And like the Festa "volunteer energy " is our greatest asset so please consider joining us as a Festa volunteer, shifts are just two-hour time slots, allowing you plenty of time to enjoy all the activities.  

 

"And almost finally" at the Cultural Village will be an emblematic symbol of Sicily, an actual hand-decorated Sicilian Corretto(cart) displayed by Ed Harlan. Ed is also scheduled to share his story about the cart at the  Italia Pavilion (in proximity to the Villaggio).  This is the first time the cart will be shown at the Festa.

 

We also hope to have an Italian lace-making exhibit, but this year no live demonstration as well as space permitting, more surprises await you on your visit to the village.