2025-2026 Perseverantia
During the 2025-2026 academic year, Fitchburg State University’s Center for Italian Culture celebrates the enduring nature of Italian culture and civilization with programming highlighting perseverantia, which is the motto of Fitchburg State University. The Latin term perseverantia carries a range of meanings, including steadfastness, perseverance, and even obstinacy. In keeping with the university’s motto, our 2025-2026 programming will highlight individuals, events, practices, and traditions that exemplify the lasting quality of Italian culture and civilization.
Thursday, April 30, 2026
5:30 p.m.
Falcon Pub, Hammond Hall
Join us for an exclusive “Film & Feast” evening celebrating the profound synergy between art, nourishment, and a life well-lived.
The night begins with a screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary Viva Verdi! (2024), an intimate glimpse into the lives of distinguishes opera singers and musicians currently living out their “third act” while mentoring international music students who live among them at Milan’s unique retirement home Casa Verdi, built by Giuseppe Verdi in 1896. This moving film reveals how a lifelong devotion to music serves as a “living masterpiece” of longevity, following residents aged 77 to 107 who prove that relentless passion and the act of creation can defy the aging process.
Following the screening, enjoy a curated dinner hosted virtually by Fred Plotkin—the “renaissance man” of opera, food, and wine. A Cavaliere della Stella d’Italia and self-described “pleasure activist,” Plotkin will lead a spirited conversation on the soulful connections between Italian gastronomy and endurance. He will share insights on how the traditional Italian diet—anchored in fresh, seasonal ingredients and the “slow” appreciation of every sense—sustains both the voice and the spirit for a lifetime of performance.
After the success of last year’s trivia night, the Center for Italian Culture invites you to join us again for un’altra serata trivia – another exciting evening of food, fun, and trivia that will test your knowledge of all things Italian!
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025
Time: 5:30 p.m. (Doors opened at 5 p.m.)
Location: Falcon Pub, Hammond Hall
Cost: $10
What to Expect:
- Team Trivia Fun: Participants will compete in teams of six, so gather your friends or make new ones on the spot! Whether you're an expert in Italian history, culture, or food – or just here for a good time – this event is for you!
- Tasty Treats: Your ticket price includes participation in the trivia competition and a delicious selection of cicchetti (Italian-style appetizers) prepared by Chartwells.
- Italian Drinks: A variety of Italian wines and beers will be available for purchase at the Falcon Pub bar.
- Prizes and Laughter: With exciting prizes up for grabs, plenty of laughs, and great company, you won’t want to miss this evening of friendly competition celebrating the enduring contributions of Italians and Italian Americans to history, politics, the arts and culture!
To mark the beginning of Italian-American Heritage Month, the Center for Italian Culture will screen the Italian action and adventure film, The First King: Birth of an Empire (Il primo re) (2019). This historical drama, which was directed by Matteo Rovere, presents the classic story of two brothers destined to found the greatest empire the world has ever seen – but only one can rule! This action-packed cinematic re-telling of the story of Romulus and Remus is set in the 8th century BC. All of the dialogue in the film is spoken in archaic Latin, an early form of the Latin language of ancient Rome. English subtitles will be provided.
The First King: Birth of an Empire (Il primo re) (2019) screened on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 3:30 p.m. in the Ellis White Lecture Hall (Hammond Hall, Rm. G-01). Admission is free and open to the public.
Each October, the United States recognizes the many important contributions of Italians and Italian-Americans by celebrating Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month. Italian-Americans have played significant roles that have helped to shape the social, cultural, economic, and political fabric of the United States, leaving indelible marks on many aspects of American life. Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month provides an opportunity to celebrate these invaluable contributions.
For the month of October, the Center for Italian Culture has several events planned. We hope that you will join us!
2024-2025
Professor Rala Diakite (Humanities) led a book club examining the recently-published (2022) biography of Edda Mussolini, Mussolini's Daughter: The Most Dangerous Woman in Europe, by Caroline Moorehead. A screening of the film Vincere directed by Marco Bellocchio enriches the topic of the private life of the Italian dictator, telling the tragic story of his first wife Ida Dalser and her child Benito.
The book club met Tuesday, April 22, in Hammond Hall, Room G-11.
Participation in the book club and attendance at the film screening is free and open to the public.
Just in time for baseball season, the Center for Italian Culture hosted a public screening of It Ain’t Over (2022), a heartfelt and inspiring documentary about New York Yankees Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra.
The film screened at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 18 in Ellis White Lecture Hall in Hammond Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.
This documentary chronicles the journey of Lorenzo Pietro “Yogi” Berra, the son of Italian immigrants who grew up in St. Louis. From his humble beginnings, Berra rose to greatness as a Yankee legend, playing alongside icons like Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio between 1946 and 1963, and later served as a manager and coach with the Yankees, New York Mets, and Houston Astros.
Featuring rare archival footage, insightful interviews with Berra and his family, and commentary from renowned figures such as Vin Scully, Bob Costas, Billy Crystal, Joe Torre, Derek Jeter, Joe Madden, and Joe Girardi, It Ain’t Over paints an intimate portrait of Yogi Berra’s life, both on and off the field.
This film will be introduced by long-time Center for Italian Culture Board member, Italianista, and baseball lover Professor Teresa Fava Thomas of the Department of Economics, History & Political Science.
As an added incentive to come out and screen this fascinating film, an autographed copy of Yogi Berra’s autobiography, Yogi: It Ain’t Over (1989) by Yogi Berra will be raffled off after the screening to someone in attendance.
Whether you're a lifelong baseball fan or simply curious about this great Italian-American, one of the sport’s greatest personalities, this film is a must-see!
The Center for Italian Culture hosted celebrated jazz singer Vanessa Racci at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, in Weston Auditorium.
Vanessa Racci is a professional vocalist and touring artist of Italian descent with a passion for retro jazz and music made famous by Italian Americans. She puts a fresh claim on classic pop and jazz tunes with intoxicating vocals and presence that leave every audience member feeling nostalgic, enchanted and like family.
Racci has been acclaimed for her rich and enthusiastic voice in both English and Italian, reinterpreting classic songs with sass and swing.
Celebrate Italian-American Heritage Month this October with Italian trivia
Fitchburg State University’s Center for Italian Culture invites you to join us for La Serata Trivia – an exciting trivia night that will test your knowledge of all things Italian!
Date: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024
Time: 5:30 p.m. (Doors open at 5:00 p.m.)
Location: Falcon Hub, Hammond Hall
Cost: $10
What to Expect:
- Team Trivia Fun: Compete in teams of six, so gather your friends or make new ones on the spot! Whether you're an expert in Italian history, culture, or food – or just here for a good time – this event is for you.
- Tasty Treats: Your $10 ticket includes participation in the trivia competition and a delicious selection of cicchetti (Italian-style appetizers) prepared by Chartwells.
- Italian Drinks: A variety of Italian wines and beers will be available for purchase at the Falcon Hub bar.
- Prizes and Laughter: With exciting prizes up for grabs, plenty of laughs, and great company, you won’t want to miss this evening of friendly competition and celebration!
2023-2024 Nuovo Mondo A Century of Migrants from Italy
During the 2023-2024 academic year, the Center for Italian Culture will explore the Italian immigrant experience, past and present, with our programming series Nuovo Mondo--A Century of Migrations from and to Italy.
Through lectures, film series, food events, discussions, workshops, and more, the CIC will examine the impact and legacy of the emigration of Italians to the United States and contemporary migration into Italy.
This term, we will be “flipping the script” on our theme and turning to the topic of recent immigration into Italy. The films and other events that we will be sponsoring this term will explore aspects of this phenomenon from a variety of perspectives.
Nuovomondo - This 2006 drama film recounts the Mancuso family's migration from rural Sicily, Italy to New York City at the beginning of the 20th century. Screened at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21 in Ellis White Lecture Hall in Hammond Hall.
On Feb. 29, the screening series continued with Billo - Il grand Dakhaar (2007), a delightful Italian comedy directed by Laura Muscardin. In this film, a quasi-documentary, hip-hop designer Thierno Thiam is the star of his own real-life story as a Senegalese boy who arrives in Italy in search of fortune with the desire to work in the fashion industry, but life puts him face to face with tragicomic situations. This film screened at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb 29 in Ellis White Lecture Hall in Hammond Hall.
Keynote Address
Thursday, Oct. 19 | 3:30 p.m. | Hammond Hall, G02 (Ellis White Lecture Hall)
Dr. Joseph Luzzi Residency Keynote Address: My Two Italies-A Personal and Cultural History - The child of Italian immigrants and an award-winning scholar of Italian literature, Dr. Joseph Luzzi, Asher B. Edelman Professor of Literature at Bard College, discussed the subject of Italian immigration to America, with special reference to his 2014 memoir, My Two Italies: A Personal and Cultural History.
Thursday, Oct. 26 | 2-4 p.m.
Virtual Italian Genealogy Workshop: Getting Started in Italian Genealogy (co-sponsored by ALFA) - This two-hour custom webinar program, hosted by nationally-recognized professional genealogist and lecturer, Rhonda R. McClure, Senior Genealogist with American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society, explored how to get started in researching your Italian ancestors by examining the records generated in the U.S. and Italy and what is most important in effectively researching in Italian records.
Italianamerican - This 1974 American documentary film, directed by Martin Scorsese, features his parents, Catherine and Charles Scorsese, who reflect on their experiences as the children of Italian immigrants to New York City. Thursday, Nov. 9 | 5:30 p.m. | Hammond Hall, G02 (Ellis White Lecture Hall)
Do the Right Thing - This 1989 American comedy-drama film, produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee, explores the simmering racial tensions in a Brooklyn neighborhood between African-American residents and the Italian-American owners of a local pizzeria, culminating in violence and tragedy on a hot summer day. Thursday, Nov. 30 | 5:30 p.m. | Hammond Hall, G02 (Ellis White Lecture Hall)
Maka (2023) presents Geneviève Makaping's life in Italy and perilous migration journey. Inspired by Reversing the Gaze by Geneviève Makaping, a Cameroonian-Italian anthropologist, writer, and the first black woman to serve as the editor of a newspaper in Italy, Maka explores Makaping’s perilous migration journey and her life in Italy, offering a poignant reflection on displacement, identity, and belonging. Tuesday, April 2 | 5:30 p.m. | Ellis White Lecture Hall. Following the screening, Associate Professor Kevin McCarthy of the Communications Media Department facilitated a virtual question and answer session with the film’s writer, Simone Brioni.
5:30 p.m. Friday, April 12 | Hammond Main Lounge
Fred Plotkin, co-author of Rick Steves' Italy for Food Lovers, discussed the scambio, or exchange of food, between Italy and America and back. Come taste how American corn made its way into Italian polenta and how a popular sandwich on the streets of Palermo turned into a classic of New Orleans. Guests savored enduring mealtime customs and wine pairings as they learned about the cross-cultural influences of food.
6 p.m. Tuesday, April 16 | Online
This custom virtual webinar program, hosted by genealogists and members of the Vermont Italian Cultural Association, Lisa DeNatale (President), Mark D'Ambrosi, and Jerry Carbone, examined how to apply for Italian citizenship as an Italian American. The workshop was free and open to the public.
An Introduction to Obtaining Italian Citizenship took place Tuesday, Apr. 16.
To celebrate Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month, the Fitchburg State University Archives and Special Collections, the Center for Italian Culture, and the Fitchburg Historical Society collaborated to present this digital exhibit on Fitchburg's Italian-American neighborhood, the Patch. All materials were sourced from the Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library, the Center for Italian Culture Archives, and the Fitchburg Historical Society.
This digital exhibit was created by Ross Caputi, archival assistant at the Center for Italian Culture Archives, and Asher Jackson, archivist at Fitchburg State University, in collaboration with the Fitchburg Historical Society.
2022-2023 Made in Italy
"Made in Italy" is a merchandise mark that developed in the course of the twentieth century to indicate that a product was completely designed, manufactured and packaged in Italy. It is one of the most well-recognized "brands" in the world.
The Made in Italy merchandise mark underscores the international uniqueness of Italian goods in four traditional industries: food, fashion, furniture, and mechanical engineering (such as the manufacture of automobiles and other motorized vehicles, industrial design, machinery, and shipbuilding), which are known in Italy as le quattro A ("the four As"): abbiglaimento (clothing), alimentare (food), arredamento (furniture and design), and automazione (automation). Italian products in these fields and others have come to be associated with high quality, specialization, differentiation, and elegance, and carry strong links to famous Italian industrial districts and makers. They are often connected with the concept of luxury.
Throughout the 2022-23 academic year, the Center for Italian Culture will explore the history of this merchandise mark, the industries and personalities that have driven it, its worldwide cultural impact, and its future, through a series of events including dinners, films and lectures.
Fred Plotkin, co-author of the just-published Rick Steves Italy for Food Lovers, will lead this guided tasting of classic Italian cheeses at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27 in the main lounge at Hammond Hall. His talk will discuss six Italian cheeses, their history and usage, and how to correctly taste them for maximum pleasure. Ideal wine pairing and sweet or savory accompaniments and a delicious Italian dessert will complete the occasion.
The series launched with an olive oil tasting and four-course dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10 in the Falcon Hub in Hammond Hall.
The event, featuring Olio Taibi olive oils and a selection of wines from Italy, was hosted by Giuseppe Taibo of Olio Taibi.
Film Screening: The Truffle Hunters
The events continued in December with the launch of a documentary film series from and about Italian made goods and products. The film events will include carefully selected feature films as well as rarely-seen short films, featurettes, that will highlight Italian designers, manufacturers and products, as well as their cultural impact.
7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1 - The Truffle Hunters (2021), Ellis White Lecture Hall, Hammond Hall
Directed by Gregory Kershaw and Michael Dweck.
A handful of quirky old men search for rare, expensive and delicious white Alba truffles deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy. Watch the trailer here.
Featurette: A Private Look into the Life of Carlo Mollino (2017)
Directed by Felipe Sanguinetti
A short documentary about the esteemed but enigmatic architect and designer Carlo Mollino, published in American Vogue, originally commissioned for Art Basel.
Film Screening: Stracci (2021)
The series continued on March 16, with a screening of the documentary film Stracci in Ellis White Lecture Hall in Hammond Hall.
Stracci is a journey. A documentary that talks about the sustainability of fashion by looking at it through the eyes of those who have always recycled used clothes and transformed them into raw materials. A journey that starts from Prato, the world capital of recycled wool, and goes around the world, to discover the impact on the planet of the excessive consumption to which the world of fashion has educated us.
Following the screening, Associate Professor Kevin McCarthy of the Communications Media Department facilitated a virtual question and answer session with director Tommaso Santi and his co-screenwriter Silvia Gambi.
Ten students traveled to Milan, Italy during their Spring Break in March with Professors Renee Scapparone and Jeanne Moore. The Luxury Brand Management Course was taught throughout the Spring 2023 term and had an embedded study abroad to Milan over Spring Break. The course will end with a group presentation to the campus and Center for Italian Culture on April 3.
Students learned about major luxury brands in Italy such as Lamborghini, Prada, Armani and more. The course focuses on how these Italian brands market their products and what type of advertisements they use for targeted audiences.
Students received the Center for Italian Culture Scholarship to help pay for the costs of their study abroad program prior to traveling and had an in-depth look at the "Made in Italy" experience.
Professor Elizabeth Krause from the Department of Anthropology at UMass Amherst presented this talk that drew on ethnographic research in the Made in Italy arena across two different sectors - slow figs and fast fashion - to theorize authenticity.
The talk was presented Thursday, March 30 in Ellis White Lecture Hall in Hammond Hall.
2021-2022 Confronting Italian Colonialism
The community was invited to join in this multidisciplinary exploration of the 1930s Italian invasion of Ethiopia
In October 1935, Italian Army soldiers invaded Ethiopia. The war was fought until February 1937, and is remembered in Ethiopia as the Italian Invasion, and in Italy as the Ethiopian War. The Center for Italian Culture invited the community to explore the complex legacy of this time period with a series of programs that explored history and culture from a variety of perspectives.
At the heart of this exploration, which spanned the 2021-22 academic year, was the acclaimed novel The Shadow King by Ethiopian-American author Maaza Mengiste. Faculty members led discussion groups centered on the novel, culminating with a keynote address by Mengiste herself. Other presentations will look at the history of Fascism in Italy and its repercussions across generations and continents.
The Fitchburg Art Museum hosted "Victory and Destruction: Interpreting Qes Adamu Tesfaw's Visions of Battle" by Wheaton College Associate Professor of Museum Studies/History of Art Leah Niederstadt at 2 p.m. Niederstadt is curator of the permanent collection at Wheaton College. Her talk will cover recent acquisitions of Ethiopian paintings of the Battle of Adwa to the Fitchburg Art Museum's collection. This program was presented by the museum in conjunction with the university's Confronting Italian Colonialism series.
Maaza Mengiste was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A Fulbright Scholar and professor in the MFA in Creative Writing and Literary Translation program at Queens College, she is the author of The Shadow King, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the HWA Gold Crown, and Beneath the Lion's Gaze, named one of the Guardian's Ten Best Contemporary African Books. Her work can be found in the New Yorker, Granta and the New York Times, among other publications. She lives in New York City.
This event began with an address by Mengiste about her novel The Shadow King, followed by an interview with the author. Following the interview, there was an open question-and-answer session.
Professor Roy Domenico, chair of the Department of History at the University of Scranton, focuses his teaching and research on 19th- and 20th-century European political and cultural, with an emphasis on Italy and Catholic nations. This talk looked at the history of fascism in Italy and lay the historical groundwork for our reading of The Shadow King.
If Only I Were That Warrior is a feature documentary film focusing on the Italian occupation of Ethiopia in 1935. Following the recent construction of a monument dedicated to Fascist general Rodolfo Graziani, the film addresses the unpunished war crimes he and others committed in the name of Mussolini’s imperial ambitions. The stories of three characters, filmed in present day Ethiopia, Italy and the United States, take the audience on a journey through the living memories and the tangible remains of the Italian occupation of Ethiopia — a journey that crosses generations and continents to today, where this often overlooked legacy still ties the fates of two nations and their people.
Q and A with If Only I Were That Warrior Producer/Director Valerio Ciriaci and Cinematographer/Producer Isaac Liptzin, 5 p.m., Ellis White Lecture Hall
Director Valerio Ciriaci and cinematographer Isaac Liptzin will discuss the making of the film and the questions it raises about the malleable nature of history.
Associate Professor Kevin McCarthy of the Communications Media Department introduced the screening and moderate the Q and A with the filmmakers.
Fellini Film Series
Our Center for Italian Culture took a closer look at the works of celebrated filmmaker Federico Fellini with a series of virtual programs that let audiences explore the work through the eyes of author and lecturer Fred Plotkin.
Fellini 101: Conversations with Fred Plotkin, a digital film festival showcasing three classic films from celebrated filmmaker Federico Fellini, each of them introduced by author and speaker Fred Plotkin, followed by an online a group discussion on three Sundays throughout the month.
The first event was preceded by a recorded introduction to this series and the first film, La Strada, by our host and guide, Fred Plotkin.
Visits from Plotkin, a celebrated writer on opera, food, and all things Italian, have become a Fitchburg State tradition, including more than 10 years of presentations where he guided visitors on culinary tours of Italy. This virtual event will allow his local fans another opportunity to learn about another treasured cultural export from Italy, that being the cinema of Federico Fellini.
The films in the series will be available to stream for free to Fitchburg State students, faculty and staff members, and will also be made available through the Fitchburg Public Library and Leominster Public Library.
How to access the films
The Fitchburg State Community has access to the films through the library's streaming film database Kanopy. Fitchburg State community members can click on the links below to access the films.
After clicking on the link, you will be prompted to login with your full FSU email address and password (the same as you do to access your FSU Google accounts).
If you are not a Fitchburg State student, faculty or staff member and would like to view the films, please contact the Leominster Public Library and the Fitchburg Public Library for assistance.
Fellini 101: Conversations with Fred Plotkin is presented with the generous support of Fitchburg State University’s Center for Italian Culture and the Sandro and Lillian Clementi Lecture Fund, in collaboration with the Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library at Fitchburg State University, the Fitchburg Public Library and the Leominster Public Library.
There has never been a face quite like that of Giulietta Masina. Her husband, the legendary Federico Fellini, directs her as Gelsomina in La Strada, the film that launched them both to international stardom.
I Vitelloni - Five young men linger in a post-adolescent limbo, dreaming of adventure and escape from their small seacoast town. They while away their time spending the lira doled out by their indulgent families on drink, women, and nights at the local pool hall.
Amarcord - This carnivalesque portrait of provincial Italy during the fascist period, the most personal film from Federico Fellini, satirizes the director's youth and turns daily life into a circus of social rituals, adolescent desires, and more.
