March 2023 Notiziario

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

I am amazed at this spring, this conflagration of green fires lit on the soil of the earth. D. H. Lawrence. Looking out my window I’m not seeing a “conflagration of green” but rather the dirty snow pile left over from the last storm. But not to worry, Spring is due to arrive soon. In the meantime, the Dante Alighieri Society has plans to fill the time. Appropriately, winter will be given one last showing at our March 10 Cultural Meeting. In celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Tonya Clement, a Dante Alighieri member, will be relating her 2006 climb of Mt. Everest, leaving the way for Spring to arrive shortly thereafter. Plan now to attend. I know you will be captivated by the tale of her historic adventure. Also, be sure to check out our other upcoming events listed here in the Notiziario and on our website, dantealighieriofdenver.com.

John Giardino, President

MARCH 10 CULTURAL PROGRAM:

Tonya Clement did not expect to be invited to climb Mt. Everest but when the offer was extended in 2006 to join a team, she rose to accept the challenge.  Tonya is the 20^th US woman to have climbed Mt. Everest, and the 9th American woman to have reached the summit by the treacherous North Ridge.  It is often said the position selects the woman and then the woman lives up to the potential.  Tonya will share with us what a HUGE step it was for her to step out of her comfort zone and onto the world’s highest mountain with a team of men that she had never met.  Tonya is excited to tell her story as she firmly believes everyone has a mountain to climb.  Join us in celebration of International Women's Day and National Women's History Month to hear this exceptional account by one of our own members.  Friday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the parish hall of Mt. Carmel Church, 3549 Navajo St., Denver.

SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDY IN ITALY 2023-2024:

We will again be awarding scholarships to university students planning to study in Italy in the coming year.  The deadline for submitting applications is Saturday,

April 1. If you or a student you know might be a candidate for a scholarship, please look for more information and application forms on our website:  dantealighieriofdenver.com 

SAVE THE DATE:

Please plan to attend our annual Awards Luncheon to be held this year on Sunday afternoon, May 7, at the Mt. Vernon Canyon Club.  We will honor the winners of the 2023 Donne di Merito award and present this year's scholarship recipients.  Details will be available in the April edition of the Notiziario and on line at dantealighieriofdenver.com.

BENVENUTI:

The Dante Alighieri Society of Denver gives a warm welcome to the following new members: Ellen Bracchi, James Jackson and Amy Zimmer.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS:

It's that time of year again.  Membership in the Dante Alighieri Society runs from January through December so 2023 renewal cards were mailed near the end of December. Please make any corrections on the card before mailing it back with your payment.  Thank you, Rhonda.

LANGUAGE STUDENTS:

You can renew and pay for your 2023 membership online when you register for classes.

FEBRUARY 10 CULTURAL PROGRAM:

Music historian Betsy Schwarm gave us a delightful presentation on Italian love songs.  The program was highlighted by the voice of Luciano Pavarotti who performed a Neapolitan song by DeCurtis and arias by composers Leoncavallo, Tosti and Puccini.  It was indeed a very entertaining evening.  Grazie, Betsy.

COOKING CLASS OF FEBRUARY 11:

Created especially for Valentine’s Day, the February 11, culinary class, Cena di Amore, was “loved” by all the participants. How could it not be, considering the menu – an antipasto of spicy roasted red pepper, capocollo and gorgonzola piccolo rollino served with a basil salad bruschetta; a primo of seared beef tenderloin served with a creamy lobster ravioli and heirloom tomato salad; and finally, a dolce of Italian strawberry crepes drizzled with a chocolate hazelnut sauce and topped with ricotta whipped cream! Stay tuned to the Dante Alighieri Society website and the Notiziario for the date of the next culinary experience. Buon Appetito!

MOTHER CABRINI SELECTED FOR COLORADO WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME

St. Frances Cabrini (Mother Cabrini) has been selected for induction into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, based upon the nomination submitted by the Dante Alighieri Society of Denver.  Mother Cabrini is receiving this prestigious award for her outstanding accomplishments as a champion of immigrants, children, and the poor.  A native of Italy, she was sent to the United States in 1889 at the direction of Pope Leo XIII to assist the masses of Italian immigrants who were living in harsh conditions.  She established 67 schools, orphanages, hospitals, and social service agencies in the United States, in Central and South America, and in Europe.  Mother Cabrini arrived in Colorado in 1902.  At that time, Italian immigrants working in the mines were dying of lung disease, leaving many children orphaned.  Mother Cabrini started her first orphanage in the Notary house on Navajo Street.  Soon after she established a bigger orphanage, the Queen of Heaven orphanage at 4825 Federal Boulevard which operated until 1968, when orphanages were closed and replaced by foster care homes.  Mother Cabrini has a special connection to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church.  She was one of the leaders who raised funds to rebuild the Church that is standing today, after the original structure was destroyed by fire. She established its elementary school for the children of Italian immigrants in 1902.  Mother Cabrini founded a summer camp for orphan girls on the grounds of the Shrine in Golden in 1910.  On March 15, 2023, Mother Cabrini will be inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in a formal induction ceremony and celebration at the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel. Tickets to the Gala will be available in January at www.cogreatwomen.org  If you would like to sit at a table with other Dante Alighieri Society members, please contact Suzanne Fasing at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 303-810-9042.   

ITALIAN LANGUAGE CLASSES SPRING SESSION BEGINS MARCH 27, 2023

The Spring 2023 session of Italian language classes offered by the Dante Alighieri Society of Denver will be in-person language classes at 3549 Navajo Street, Denver, in the parish office of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church.  Each class meets for 90 minutes, once a week, for 10 weeks, beginning the week of March 27, 2023.  The class schedule is listed below, and it is also posted on the Society website.  Classes are taught by talented bi-lingual instructors who have significant experience teaching Italian.  Cost is $115 for members and $145 for non-members.  New members are welcome to join the Dante Alighieri Society when they register for classes.  For more information, please contact the Education Chair Suzanne Fasing at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The registration and payment deadline for the spring session is March 20, 2023.

REGISTER NOW

Beginner 1.  Wednesdays, 6:00 to 7:30 pm, beginning March 29, 2023 through May 31, 2023 (Brunetti).   In this class students with little or no knowledge of Italian will learn to communicate in simple everyday situations. Students will study the basic building blocks of the Italian language, including the alphabet, rules of pronunciation, basic syntax, and grammatical structures. Topics include subject pronouns, definite and indefinite articles, regular verbs in the present tense, and noun-adjective agreement.  Required Text: The New Italian Project 1a 

Beginner 2.  There are two sessions of this class (Brunetti).  One session meets on Mondays, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., beginning March 27, 2023, through June 5, 2023 (no class on Memorial Day, May 29).  The other session meets on Tuesdays, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., beginning March 28, 2023, through May 30, 2023.

In this class students will build upon their existing knowledge while incorporating new vocabulary and grammatical structures through conversation, role plays, listening, reading and writing activities. Topics include irregular and modal verbs in the present tense, articulated prepositions, and possessive adjectives.  Required Text: The New Italian Project 1a

Beginner 3.  There are two sessions of this class (Brunetti).  One session meets on Mondays,  7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., beginning March 27, 2023, through June 5, 2023 (no class on Memorial Day, May 29).  The other session meets on Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., beginning March 28, 2023, through May 30, 2023.  

In this class, students will build upon their prior studies through listening, reading and writing activities. Topics include past and future verb tenses, and the required text will be covered in its entirety.  Emphasis will be placed on everyday conversational situations using grammar and vocabulary from the textbook.  Required Text: The New Italian Project 1a

Beginner 4.  Thursdays, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., beginning March 30, 2023, through June 1, 2023  (Brunetti).   In this class students will build upon their prior studies through role plays, listening, reading and writing activities. Topics include future verb tenses and learning about holidays and train travel in Italy.   Required Text: The New Italian Project 1a

Intermediate 3.  Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., beginning March 29, 2023, through May 31, 2023 (Brunetti).  In this class students will continue to expand their studies of increasingly complex grammatical structures and vocabulary through listening activities, role plays, readings, education videos and written assignments. Topics include indirect object pronouns and imperative verb tenses. Required Text: The New Italian Project 1b 

Advanced 3.  Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., beginning March 31, 2023 through June 1, 2023 (Brunetti).  This class will be predominantly in Italian, and will introduce more advanced vocabulary, past tenses of verbs, and subjunctive tenses, with topics including Italian history.  Students will continue to develop their reading, listening, writing and speaking abilities.  And   Required Texts:  The Italian Project 1b and The Italian Project 2a

AUGURI DI BUON COMPLEANNO

We wish our members Buon Compleanno during their birthday month.

We want to include more members in this column, so please send a quick email,
with your birthday month and day, to Dante Society board member, Suzanne Fasing, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Grazie!

TIPS ON ITALY   By Tonya Clement

Top five questions that you want to be sure to be able to ask when visiting Italy:

1. Dov’e’ il bagno? = Where is the bathroom?  You can substitute words like ATM or museum (museo). 
2. Mi scusi, mi puo aiutare?  = Can you help me?  This is a good way to approach someone that you intend to ask about directions.
3. Quanto costa? = How much does it cost?  Nice when ordering a bottle of wine or purchasing something in a store.
4. Che cosa mi consiglia?  = What do you recommend?  It is often worthwhile to ask this of your waiter or waitress.
5. C’e’ un centro commerciale nelle vicinanze?  Is there a shopping center nearby? You can substitute words like pharmacy (farmacia), restaurant (ristorante). 

I find these to be good questions to carry on a piece of paper in your pocket as they can each be adapted to cover a variety of uses. 

BRIEF NEWS FROM ITALY   from the Guardian and We the Italians.

• Italian police seize €250 million and arrest 56 in latest mafia blitz. In its latest mafia sting, Italian police took down a large 'Ndrangheta ring in southern Calabria, placing 56 people under investigation including a regional councilor and a former head of the regional tourism department.
• US tourist fined €500 for driving on Florence’s Ponte Vecchio bridge. Italian police fined a Californian man after he drove a rented Fiat Panda across Florence’s iconic and pedestrian-only Ponte Vecchio.
• Herculaneum fresco among looted relics returned to Italy from US. Italian art investigators have exhibited a fresco that survived the destruction of the ancient Roman beach town of Herculaneum in the AD79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius only to be plundered from its ruins and smuggled to the US, among 60 relics returned to home soil. The total value of the works, some of which date back to the first century BC, looted from Italy over the past five decades and eventually traced to the US is estimated at more than $20m (£16m). The relics, which were displayed during a press conference in Rome on Monday, include a terracotta Etruscan kylix, bronze busts, ancient vases and kitchenware.
• In Italy electric cars are not more popular. Italy has one of the lowest rates of electric vehicle use in Europe, and says it won't be ready to stop selling gas and diesel cars by 2035.
• Book fairs and literary festivals in 2023. Italy has a wealth of cultural and literary events that take place each year.
• The Tuscan city of Siena recently closed museums, schools and universities after a series of small earthquakes in the area. Luckily, no damage or injury was reported.
• Italy is already braced for another major drought. After experiencing its worst drought in seven decades last year, Italy looks on course to experience another water emergency in the coming months.
• Italian regions of Veneto, Lombardy and Emilia Romagna rank fourth, fifth and eighth respectively on a list of ten European regions predicted to be most exposed to extreme weather events by 2050.
• Starbucks launches olive oil coffee in Italy. US coffee giant Starbucks launched a new range of coffees laced with olive oil this week in its latest bid to appeal to the Italian market, but the idea has had a mixed reception.

FUND RAISING OPPORTUNITY FOR SCHOLARSHIP FUND

King Soopers offers organizations a simple way to raise money by returning 5% of grocery sales made on your card to the organization. To participate in the program…

For Computer Users:

• Go to kingsoopers.com - in the upper right-hand corner of the page – hover over the Account icon
• First sign into your account. (Or create a new account) Once that is done, go back to the same drop-down menu by hovering over the account icon again, this time click on the My Account Button.
• This will take you to another page – scroll to the bottom of the page and look for COMMUNITY REWARDS SECTION – click on the view Community Reward link.
• This will take you to another page look for the Find Organization Spot – type in Dante Alighieri and hit the magnifying icon and it will bring up Dante Alighieri Society of Denver click that and you will be enrolled.

To enroll using the app on your cell phone:

• Go to the King Soopers app once you are there go to the top right of the of the app where the three lines are, hit the three lines.
• This will send you over to another page – three spots down on this page is the Rewards Link, hit that spot.
• This will take you to the rewards area, click on the Community Rewards Link
• This will take you to the enrollment page – hit the blue button to search for organizations – then type in Dante Alighieri and hit the search and this will bring up the Dante Alighieri Society of Denver click on the name and you will be enrolled.

After you shop, at the bottom of your receipt will state: “we are contributing to the Dante Alighieri Society of Denver”.
If you have any questions, kindly contact Veronica Goodrich 303-421-1547 or Carol Marsala 303-237-0688.

CALENDAR 2023

MISSION STATEMENT
The Dante Alighieri Society of Denver strives to share and celebrate
the richness of the Italian culture and language with the entire community.