This month's View over Italy is special in a couple of ways. First of all, Tonco, in the province of Asti in the Piemonte region. is the hometown of Giovanni and Rosa Casorzo, so this beautiful footage from Luca Lanari gives us a sneak peek into their story, debuting later this month in a full-length documentary. 

Secondly, it's also close to the hometown of the Rampone family (who come from Frinco) and our own Don Rampone is over there right now, doing some family tree research. 

There are not a lot of people in Tonco, which according to Wikipedia has a population of about 900 people. It's about 40 kilometres east of Torino, which would be the nearest major city.  Agriculture is the primary industry and the Casorzo family still has a factory in Tonco which manufactures farming equipment. 

The 13th annual ICAP conference will be held in Kelowna, BC and will highlight a project undertaken by one of ICAP’s Institutional Members, The Kelowna Canadian Italian Club. The theme for the conference this year is “LEGACY: From Personal Stories to A Community Narrative.” 

KCIC Members can register for the conference for free. For more information about the conference, the program and registration link, visit the ICAP site by clicking the link below. You can also contact us at kcicnfi@gmail.com...

Congratulations to KCIC member Matilde Arrigoni who graduated from Kelowna Secondary School.

We are pleased to announce that Matilde has received the KCIC Bursary 2023.

Matilde is an active member of the Club since she moved to Canada from Italy in 2015. She participated in the Lady of the Lake program as Miss Kelowna Canadian Italian Club 2022. She also regularly volunteers at the monthly dinners and helps La Bella Tavola cooking classes.

Matilde is fluent in Italian, is very proud of her Italian origins and culture, and happy to be part of the Italian Club.

After a long journey that brought her to Kelowna with her family, Matilde became a Canadian Citizen this year.

She loves Kelowna and the Okanagan and she will be studying at the Faculty of Science at UBCO in September, her goal being to pursue a career in Medicine.

ITALIAN:

Congratulazioni a Matilde Arrigoni, membro del Kelowna Canadian Italian Club che si è diplomata questo fine settimana a KSS Kelowna Secondary School.

Siamo lieti di annunciare che Matilde ha ricevuto la Borsa di Studio del Club KCIC per l'anno 2023. 

Matilde è un membro attivo del Club fin da quando è immigrata in Canada dall'Italia nel 2015. Ha partecipato al programma Lady of the Lake come Miss Kelowna Canadian Italian Club 2022. Partecipa anche come volontaria agli appuntamenti delle cene mensili ed aiuta durante le lezioni di cucina della Bella Tavola.

Matilde parla perfettamente italiano, è orgogliosa della propria cultura e origini italiane, e felice di far parte del Club Italiano di Kelowna.

Dopo una lunga avventura che l'ha portata con la famiglia a Kelowna, quest'anno Matilde è diventata Cittadina Canadese.
​
Adora Kelowna e l'Okanagan ed in settembre inizierà una nuova avventura studiando alla Facoltà di Scienze dell'Università della British Columbia campus dell'Okanagan, per perseguire la carriera di Medico.

For today's View over Italy, we fly over to the Marche region and visit the comune of Mondavio for some stunning views of Rocca di Mondavio - the imposing castle built in the 15th century, designed by Tuscan architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini. 

Notes from Luca Lanari: Mondavio (Pesaro e Urbino) - Rocca Roveresca - Ottobre 2022 - Ripresa Aerea con Drone Mavic Air 2 - Music: Thomas Lemmer - Awakening - Edit: Da Vinci Resolve

From Wikipedia

Mondavio is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region Marche, located about 45 kilometres (28 mi) west of Ancona and about 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Pesaro.

Things to see:

Rocca di Mondavio, a Renaissance castle designed by Francesco di Giorgio Martini and built between 1482 and 1492.
Santi Pietro e Paterniano
Santa Maria della Quercia
San Francesco
Civic Museum and Pinacoteca, Mondavio

From the Mondavio Guide:

Mondavio, is one of Italy's most enchanting destinations. The drive from Ancona unveils a scenic route, winding uphill through picturesque hills that lead you further inland. As you approach Mondavio, the sight becomes increasingly impressive. The majestic castle and the striking trio of bell towers, nestled within the impeccably preserved town walls, command attention and dominate the idyllic countryside that stretches beyond.

Prepare to be captivated by the timeless beauty and rich history of Mondavio, a place where past and present seamlessly merge.

Link to Marche Tourism Site

For this month's View Over Italy, we return to Lago di Como and the small town of Griante, on the western shore. 

Notes from Luca Lanari

Griante (Lago di Como) - Giugno 2022 - Ripresa Aerea con Drone Mavic Air 2 - Music: Cydelix (ft Fotis Kostopulos-Shelter) - Tobacco Juice - Edit: Da Vinci Resolve

From Wikipedia

Griante is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located on the western shore of Lake Como about 25 kilometres (16 mi) northeast of Como between Menaggio (to the north) and Tremezzo. Griante also borders the communes of Bellagio and Varenna on the other side of the lake. The commune of Griante itself is situated some 50 metres above lake level, on a wide plateau. The portion of the commune sitting on the lake, where the community's tourist industry is situated, is known as Cadenabbia di Griante.

In 1853, Giulio Ricordi built a mansion, Villa Margherita Ricordi, in Cadenabbia di Griante on the shore of Lake Como where Verdi visited and is thought to have composed some parts of La Traviata.

Tourism Info for Griante (from Mylakecomo.co)

The village of Griante is located in a wide plain within the central area of Lake Como, opposite to the Bellagio promontory and with the Grigne Dolomite range as a background.

Thanks to its privileged location, which grants the town a temperate climate, Griante area is full of villas. The majority of these villas are located near the lakeshore and were built between the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, when tourism steeply increased in Tremezzina and Griante began to attract British and German tourists. The villas hosted distinguished personalities: Giuseppe Verdi composed the most beautiful arias of La Traviata surrounded by the quiet of Villa Margherita (also called Villa Ricordi). The Chartreuse de Parme, Stendhal’s masterpiece, was mainly set in Griante. H. W. Longfellow dedicated some marvellous lines to Cadenabbia.
​
Furthermore, among the personalities who stayed in Griante, feature: Queen Victoria of England, Nicholas II of Russia, the German Emperor Wilhelm II, the Prince Umberto II di Savoia (before becoming the last king of Italy), pope Pius XI as well as chancellor Konrad Adenauer, one of the European Union’s founding fathers, who used to describe Griante as his “second home.”

Griante’s beautiful villas, surrounded by gardens and parks hosting precious tree species, present a fascinating path stretching from Cadenabbia to Menaggio, along the Greenway.

Worth a visit: the Anglican Church of Ascension, the church of Santi Nabore e Felice and the church of San Martino, with its panoramic trail.

​Find out more at the Lake Como Tourism Website.

The nearest major airport to Griante is Malpensa Airport in Milan.

The Kelowna Canadian Italian Club was recognized by Heritage BC for their work in collecting and preserving the Italian heritage of the Central Okanagan. Don Rampone and Gord Hotchkiss, co-chairs of the La Nostra Famiglia Italiana (Our Italian Family) Committee, both received the Outstanding Impact Volunteer Award at the Heritage BC Awards Ceremony, May 27th in Chilliwack, BC. 

​The Club is currently working on a full schedule of heritage events for this fall, including partnering on a major exhibit with the Okanagan Heritage Museum celebrating 140 years of Italian contribution to the Central Okanagan, a wine tasting event recognizing Italian contributions to the industry and the debut of their Legacy Video series. 

"Heritage BC is pleased to award to Gord Hotchkiss and Don Rampone, Co-Chairs of La Nostra Famiglia Italiana Committee, our Outstanding Impact in Volunteering award", says Britney Dack, Chair of Heritage BC. The storytelling of Italian Canadian pioneer families is an example of community led cultural heritage preservation. The success of the project required exhaustive research and a commendable commitment building community".

For Gord and Don, the recognition is welcome acknowledgment of the importance of preserving these stories: “During these past five years we have written 150 family stories, conducted 32 online family tree workshop sessions, presented 30 public heritage evenings, scanned 2500 documents for our local archives and we have over 60 hours of video interviews for our Legacy video series which is currently in production.  
 
During all of these events and activities we have been rewarded with many connections we have discovered between people, families, places and events.  Being presented with a Heritage BC award is the icing on the cake, that will keep us motivated to continue this project.”

"It is with an immense amount of pleasure that I congratulate Gord Hotchkiss and Don Rampone for this fantastic accomplishment,” adds KCIC President Rosann Nanci. “We are so proud of these two individuals and are so grateful for their dedication to the preservation of Italian Canadian history in the Central Okanagan.

Italian Canadians have made significant contributions to our region for over 140 years, specifically in the areas of agriculture, construction, and winemaking.  Without the diligence of people like Gord and Don, who are painstakingly sifting through less than perfect archives, individual collections that have been relegated to boxes in the garage, or worse; that history would be lost.

The KCIC's mission statement is to preserve our heritage and promote our culture, and I believe these two gentlemen have helped to fulfil that quest.

Mille Grazie!”

For more information about the award or for media inquiries, please contact the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club at kcicnfi@shaw.ca or call Gord Hotchkiss at 778 484 7100. 

This month, we head to the far south of Italy (about as far as you can go!) and feature a beautiful tour over Scilla in Reggio Calabria, courtesy of Luca Lanari. Here are Luca's production notes:

Scilla (RC) - Castello Ruffo - 1 Gennaio 2023 - Riprese Aeree con Drone Mavic Air 2 - Music: Kinobe - Slip Into Something More Comfortable - Edit: Da Vinci Resolve

Here's Some Information on Scilla From Wikipedia:

Scilla is a town and comune in Calabria, Italy, administratively part of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria. It is the traditional site of the sea monster Scylla of Greek mythology.

Description

The town, 22 kilometres (14 mi) from the city of Reggio, lies in front of the strait of Messina, and is composed of two parts: the downtown, where the town offices and the residence of the patron saint are situated, and Marina di Scilla, the beach-front, populated by tourists and thus heavily characterized by hotels and restaurants. Its beach is the first place north of Reggio Calabria where the waters are not cooled by the strait draughts.

Scilla's coastal district of Chianalea is included in the I Borghi più belli d'Italia association of small Italian towns of historical interest list.

The Ruffo Castle, a fortress built by the Dukes of Calabria, overlooks the beach. On a seaward-facing terrace is Scilla Lighthouse, an important aid to ships entering the Strait of Messina from the north.

History

It is said that Tyrrhenian pirates were the first to settle this coastal area in 493 BC, but others claim it was already settled during the time of the Trojan Wars in the 12th century BC.

The town of Scilla has ancient origins that relate mainly to the period of the destruction of Troy and invokes the myths and legends of Ulysses with Scylla and Charybdis, of Homer and Dante Alighieri. The town's name derives from the mythological figure of Scylla, a young nymph who refused Glauco's love. He thus went to the sorceress Circe, who was in love with him, and asked her to help him win Scylla's heart. The offended sorceress poisoned the sea-pool where the nymph used to bathe, turning her into a horrific six dog-headed monster who destroyed every ship crossing the Strait of Messina. Scylla is said to live in the rock of Scilla, which the Castello di Ruffo sits on.

In 1806, during the British expedition to Sicily to oppose the French invasion of Naples, the Castle of Scilla was twice besieged.

Visiting Scilla

If you're flying directly to Scilla, you can either fly to the Tito Minniti Strait Airport, or the larger airport at Lamezia Terma. You can also take the national trains (Trenitalia) from any other location in Italy to the Piazza Garibaldi train station at Reggio Calabria, then take the regional trains to Scilla. 

Official Tourism Page: 
https://turismo.reggiocal.it/en/metropolitan-area/tyrrhenian-coast-reggio-calabria/scilla

TripAdvisor Scilla Page
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Tourism-g1125982-Scilla_Province_of_Reggio_Calabria_Calabria-Vacations.html​

Images courtesy of ​https://turismo.reggiocal.it

Scholarships are available for students of Italian descent (including those without an Italian passport) who enroll in a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree program at Luiss University in the Management, Business, Marketing, Finance, International Relations, Law, Innovation and Sustainability areas.

In the heart of Rome, Italy, Luiss University specializes in the fields of economics, political science and law, and the programs are taught entirely in Italian or English.

Luiss University is internationally recognized and among the top 15 universities in the world for Political Science and among the top 50 for Management and Law in the QS World University Rankings.

I Deadline: 31 May 2023

I Application form

I Scholarship form

For more information contact
internationalprograms@luiss.it

This month, we head south to Campania for our view over Italy. Santa Maria di Castellabate is on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea, on the south end of the Gulf of Salerno, across from the Amalfi Coast.

Production Notes from Luca Lanari:
Santa Maria di Castellabate (SA) - Gennaio 2023 - Riprese Aeree con Drone Mavic Air 2 - Music: Taco-Town :: Acerado - Edit: Da Vinci Resolve

MORE INFORMATION

Here's a little bit more about Santa Maria di Castellbate - from Wikipedia:

Santa Maria di Castellabate (Cilentan: A Marina) is a southern Italian town and hamlet (frazione) of Castellabate, a municipality in the province of Salerno, Campania. It is the most populated frazione of its comune and the seat of the town hall building.

History
The town was known in the 18th century as "Isca delle Chitarre", its original area and now the old town. The downtown is extended by two squares, Piazza Matarazzo and Piazza Lucia and the oldest houses are located in front of the little harbour in a place named "Porte le Gatte".

Geography
Santa Maria lies in the central-northern side of Cilento, alongside the Tyrrhenian Sea, and is extended from the zone of Lago, to the beach of Pozzillo. The town is only 3 km away from the old town of Castellabate, 12 from Agropoli, 20 from Acciaroli and 60 from Salerno. The town has a little harbour, the greatest port in the comune is at the nearer hamlet of San Marco.

​TRAVEL

The town is part of  "Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park", its natural environment is composed of "Maquis", which is typical of mediterranean countries. It attracts a lot of tourism, especially in summer, because of good road links to Agropoli, Salerno and Naples and because of the quality of its water; which give it the Blue Flag beach[1] award every year from 2003.

From in-italia.com

"Santa Maria is a small town located right next to the sea in the north of Cilento nature reserve. Here you will find long sandy beaches and a cute small town with a seafront promenade.

It's not big but there is both a commercial street and a seafront promenade in the town. There are a number of sandy beaches and the atmosphere is cosy with many good restaurants. You will feel like you have stepped back in time, especially in the low season when the weather can be quite stunning still and yet there are very few tourists."


If you're planning a trip, learn more at the official travel website of Campagnia and the Salerno region:
https://www.italia.it/en/campania/salerno

Also, here is the TripAdvisor page for Santa Maria.

 

Notes from Luca Lanari:

​Conosciuta anche come Isola Superiore, l'Isola dei Pescatori è la più piccola delle Isole Borromee ed è l'unica ad essere stabilmente abitata.
​
Isola dei Pescatori (Lago Maggiore) - Febbraio 2023 - Ripresa Aerea con Drone Mavic Air 2 - Music: Francesco Fagiani plays The Beatles - Michelle - Edit: Da Vinci Resolve

Also known as Isola Superiore, Isola dei Pescatori is the smallest of the Borromean Islands and is the only one permanently inhabited. 

Isola dei Pescatori (Lake Maggiore) - February 2023 - Aerial Shooting with Mavic Air 2 Drone - Music: Francesco Fagiani plays The Beatles - Michelle - Edit: Da Vinci Resolve

MORE INFORMATION

Here's a little bit more about the Island - from Wikipedia:

Isola dei Pescatori (meaning Fishermen's Island) is an island in Lake Maggiore in northern Italy. As the most northerly of the three principal Borromean Islands it is also known as Isola Superiore and, with a population of 25 in 2018, it is the only one to be inhabited all year round. Unlike Isola Bella and Isola Madre, the island has never belonged to the Borromeo family.

The island is about 375 metres long by 100 metres wide. A narrow street running along its spine is joined by cobbled alleys to the promenade that encircles the island. The promenade is frequently flooded and the houses built against it are constructed to allow for this.

In 1971, the population of the island was 208,[1] but has steadily declined to 25 in 2018. While the traditional occupation of fishing still exists—local restaurants providing a ready market for the fish—tourism has become central to the economic life of the island as its picturesque charms have made Isola dei Pescatori a popular destination, particularly for day-trippers, but also for more extended visits. In addition to the hotels, restaurants and gift-shops, there are boutiques selling craft products, holiday homes, and a small fishing museum in the old elementary school .

The church of San Vittore (Victor the Moor) retains traces of an ancient chapel that was probably constructed for the monks of Scozzòla (an abbey of San Donato di Sesto Calende founded by Liutardo, bishop of Pavia, in the mid ninth century[2]). The church was previously dedicated to S. Gangolfo (Gangulphus), whose veneration is linked with the Abbey of San Donato.

TRAVEL

​You can stay right on the island at the Belvedere Hotel and Restaurant. They offer a private boat to get you there - departing from Stresa lido di Carciano or from Baveno (both on the west shore of the lake) in the evening. There are other restaurants on the island, naturally known for their seafood (It is Fisherman's Island, after all). Both Stresa and Baveno are just a 45 minute drive from Malpensa Airport in Milan. 

If you're planning a trip, learn more at the official travel website of Lago Maggiore:
 https://www.illagomaggiore.com/en_US/home