ITALIAN NEWS - Issue # 11, September

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Italian Companies

Olivetti

Olivetti Tecnost
Type: Public
Founded: Ivrea, Italy
Founder: Camillo Olivetti
Headquarters: Torino (Turin), Italy
Area served: Europe, South America
Nicolò Nefri Chairman
Giovanni Ferrario (CEO)
Massimo Canturi Managing Director
Industry: Information Technology
Products: Computer Printers, Calculators, Microsystems, Photocopiers, Computer Peripherals, Hardware
Employees: 1,570 (2005)
Parent: Telecom Italia
Official Website: www.olivetti.it

An Olivetti Lettera 22, circa 1950.

An Olivetti Valentine, 1969, designed by Marcello Nizzoli and Ettore Sottsass.

Ing. C. Olivetti & Co., SpA., known as Olivetti, is an Italian manufacturer of computers, printers and other business
machines.

History
The company was founded as a typewriter manufacturer in 1908 in Ivrea, near Turin, by Camillo Olivetti. The firm was
mainly developed by his son Adriano Olivetti. Olivetti opened its first overseas manufacturing plant in 1930, and its
Divisumma electric calculator was launched in 1948. Olivetti produced Italy's first electronic computer, the transistorised
Elea 9003, in 1959, and purchased the Underwood Typewriter Company that year. In 1964 the company sold its electronics
division to the American company General Electric. It continued to develop new computing products on its own; one of
these was Programma 101, regarded as the first personal computer produced by a company.

Design
Olivetti was famous for the attention it gave to design:
[a] preoccupation with design developed into a comprehensive corporate philosophy, which embraced everything from the
shape of a space bar to the color scheme for an advertising poster.
—Jonathan Martin, International Directory of Company Histories

In 1952, the Museum of Modern Art held an exhibit titled "Olivetti: Design in Industry"; today, many Olivetti products are
still part of the museum's permanent collection. Another major show, mounted by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in
1969, toured five other cities. Olivetti was also renowned for the caliber of the architects it engaged to design its factories
and offices, including Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn, Gae Aulenti, and many others.

From the 1940s to the 1960s, Olivetti industrial design was led by Marcello Nizzoli, responsible for the Lexicon 80 (1948)
and the iconic[who?] portable Lettera 22 (1950). Later, Mario Bellini and Ettore Sottsass directed design. Bellini designed
the Programma 101 (1965), Divisumma 18 (1973) and Logos 68 (1973) calculators and the TCV-250 video display terminal
(1966), among others. Sottsass designed the Tekne 3 typewriter (1958), Elea 9003 computer (1959), the Praxis 48
typewriter (1964), the Valentine portable typewriter (1969), and others. Michele De Lucchi designed the Art Jet 10 inkjet
printer (1999) (winner of the Compasso d'Oro) and the Gioconda calculator (2001). George Sowden worked for Olivetti from
1970 until 1990, and designed their first desk top computer, L1, in 1978 (following ergonomic research lasting two years).
In 1991, Sowden won the prestigious ADI Compasso d'Oro Award for the design of the Olivetti fax OFX420.

Computers
Olivetti's first modern personal computer, the M20, featuring a Zilog Z8000 CPU, was released in 1982. In 1983 Olivetti
introduced the M24, a clone of the IBM PC using DOS and the 8086 processor (at 8 MHz) instead of the 8088 used by IBM
(at 4.77 MHz). In 1985 the company acquired a controlling share in the British computer manufacturer Acorn Computers Ltd;
a third partner was Thomson SA. Olivetti sold the Thomson MO6 and Acorn BBC Master Compact with brand names
Olivetti Prodest PC128 and PC128s respectively.

The Olivetti M24 was a successful product and became a reference in Europe, used by many public administrations.
However, as Intel moved on to the faster Intel 386 CPU, Olivetti failed to deliver reliable new products based on that
processor.

End of Computer Production
Olivetti did attempt to recover its position by introducing a fully multimedia PC[citation needed], to be used in the living
room; this project was a failure, and it might have been too advanced for its time (Packard Bell managed to successfully
introduce a similar product in the US but only some years later[citation needed]. The main problem of the company was its
inability to conjugate innovation with the quality standards it had committed itself to, at a time when the margins on the PC
market were diminishing as not only the market but also the amount of PC clone producers grew. The company continued
to develop personal computers until it sold its PC business in 1997.

End of Olivetti as a Separate Company
The Luxembourg-based company Bell S.A. acquired a controlling stake in Olivetti in 1999, but sold it to a consortium
including the Pirelli and Benetton groups two years later. In 2003 Olivetti was absorbed into the Telecom Italia group,
maintaining a separate identity as Olivetti Tecnost.

Olivetti today operates in Italy and Switzerland, and has sales associates in 83 countries. Research and development are
located in Agliè, Arnad, Carsoli, and Scarmagno in Italy, and Yverdon, Switzerland. Recently the company has started to
sell again a line of office fax/scanners/printers devices.

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Italian News
Periodical On-Line that Promotes, Supports, Spreads ITALY,
and ITALIAN Language, History, Culture, Tradition, Genealogy,
Articles, Products, Services, Every Aspect of ITALIAN Life Style
by THE ITALIAN PROJECT

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Italian Regions

TOSCANA (TUSCANY)
Official Website: www.regione.toscana.it

The Territory
Located in central Italy, the territory of Toscana (Tuscany) is
characterized by mountains in the East and north, among
them the Alpi Apuane, rich of the renowned white marble,
and wide hilly areas throughout the central part, covered
with olive plantations, vineyards and sunflowers, while the
plain territories along the coast, Versilia and Maremma,
once unhealthy and marshy, were reclaimed in the early
20th century and offer now landscapes of great natural
beauty. The very large plain called Valdarno, going from
Florence to the mouth of the Arno river, is one of the most
attractive art areas of Italy.

The Provinces of Toscana (Tuscany)
Firenze (Florence) (FI), Arezzo (AR), Grosseto (GR), Livorno
(LI), Lucca (LU), Massa-Carrara (MS), Pisa (PI), Pistoia (PT),
Prato (PO), Siena (SI)

The Economy
Modern agriculture systems make Toscana (Tuscany) among
the first producers in Italy of sunflowers, tobacco, potatoes,
vegetables and olives. As far as industry is concerned, the
region has a variety of well-managed, small and medium
sized industries in the most different sectors. Thanks to the
presence of the many art cities and medieval boroughs
(Firenze / Florence, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, Arezzo..),
the well-developed seaside resorts in Versilia, the
intelligent tourist promotion which make the region a model
for tourist development, tourism is a primary resource all
over the year.

History
Inhabited in prehistoric times mostly around the lakes and
rivers, far from the marshes of the coast, the region was
occupied in the 11th century BC by the Etruscans, people of
Eastern origin, who originally occupied a great part of
central Italy including Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria and
Marche. The Etruscans were artisans and merchants, and
established an organized civilization in the region, founding
cities like Chiusi, Volterra, Cortona, Arezzo, Fiesole. Like the
Greeks, their political organization was based on
federations of independent cities, united by national and
religious identity and, though the source of their rich culture,
this was also the reason of their defeat by less civilized but
better militarily organized peoples like the Romans, who
finally in the 3rd century BC occupied the region, which was
first still called Etruria (and included also Umbria) but later,
as the Septima Regio of the Empire, came to be called
Tuscia and its capital city became Florentia.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the region was occupied
by the Lombards who established the Tuscia Dukedom in the
early 7th century AD, then by the Franks who founded the
marquisdom of Toscana (Tuscany) with capital Lucca. In
1115 Countess Matilde left all her possessions to the
Church, which was at the origin of the conflicts with the
Empire and the rise of the two parties Guelphs (followers of
the Pope) and Ghibellines (followers of the Emperor), and
wars were fought between the Tuscan cities, until the
Guelphs, at whose head was Firenze (Florence), finally
prevailed. In Firenze (Florence) at that time a model
capitalistic economy developed, based on the financial
power and banks on the one side, and on the textile industry
on the other. Wealth and independence gave rise to culture
and art, to the supremacy of the Tuscan dialect which
became centuries later the model of the Italian language and
therefore to strong feelings of national identity for Italy that,
though would remain politically divided until 1860 and
beyond.

Toscana (Tuscany) was the starting point of the Revival of
Learning and the Renaissance, long before the conventional
date of the end of the Middle Ages in 1492. The Tuscan
cities, that had enjoyed for century independence, economic
wealth and freedom, were gradually suppressed first under
the Medici rule and then in 1569 when Cosimo I Medici was
appointed by the Pope as Granduke of Toscana (Tuscany).
When finally the Medici dynasty died out, the region passed
to first in 1718 to the Spaniards, and then in 1737 under the
Habsburgs of Austria. Apart from the Napoleonic period, the
restoration of Grand-Duke Leopoldo II marked a period of
liberalism and tolerance, and Toscana (Tuscany) became a
center of reforms, though the movement in favor of Italian
unity under the Savoy prevailed, and Toscana (Tuscany) was
united to the Italian Kingdom through a referendum in 1860.

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Italian Provinces

Province of FIRENZE (FLORENCE)
Region TOSCANA (TUSCANY)
Official Website: www.provincia.firenze.it

The larger part of the province of Firenze lies in the plain of
the Arno river, and rotates around the city of Florence, while
the northeastern area is higher in the Apennines and is
much less populated and urbanized. Apart from
world-famous Florence, other beautiful centers include
Barberino Val d'Elsa, Fiesole, Greve in Chianti and
Tavarnelle Val di Pesa.

Info: Area: 3,514 km² -- Population: about 950,000
inhabitants -- Zip/postal codes: 50100 -- Phone Area Codes:
055 -- Car Plate: FI -- Communes: 44 communes (until 1992
the province included also the communes of Prato,
Cantagallo, Carmignano, Poggio a Caiano, Montemurlo,
Vaiano and Vernio, which now form the province of Prato).

The Comuni in the Province of Firenze (Florence)
Bagno a Ripoli | Barberino di Mugello | Barberino Val d'Elsa |
Borgo San Lorenzo | Calenzano | Campi Bisenzio | Capraia e
Limite | Castelfiorentino | Cerreto Guidi | Certaldo |
Dicomano | Empoli | Fiesole | Figline Valdarno | Firenze |
Firenzuola | Fucecchio | Gambassi Terme | Greve in Chianti
| Impruneta | Incisa in Val D'Arno | Lastra a Signa | Londa |
Marradi | Montaione | Montelupo Fiorentino | Montespertoli |
Palazzuolo sul Senio | Pelago | Pontassieve | Reggello |
Rignano sull'Arno | Rufina | San Casciano in Val di Pesa |
San Godenzo | San Piero a Sieve | Scandicci | Scarperia |
Sesto Fiorentino | Signa | Tavarnelle Val di Pesa | Vaglia |
Vicchio | Vinci

What to See
The province is one of the most fascinating in Italy, for the
artistic beauties of the city, but also a great place for
shopping: Florentine fashion in the ateliers siding the
ancient streets of Florence, artistic craft in the workshops in
the historical quarters, the latest fashion and trends in the
Mall in Leccio, one of the best-supplied fashion outlets in
Italy; fine ceramics in Montelupo Fiorentino, and in
restaurants and trattorie a taste of typical local products,
accompanied by Chianti wines, makes the stay even more
enjoyable.

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Italian Genealogy

HOW TO OBTAIN Information and
Documents of your Ancestors in ITALY

Here are our Step by Step, Detailed, and Useful
Suggestions:

1- Go to PAGINE BIANCHE.it Web Site, by clicking HERE.

2- In the "Cognome o nome Azienda" box, Write the word
"municipio", or "comune", or "archivio di stato", if you are
looking for Registry Offices and State Archives, or Write the
word "parrocchia", or "chiesa", or "curia", or "diocesi", or
"arcidiocesi", if you are looking for Parish Churches and
Dioceses, where to Request Information, and Documents,
as Extracts, Acts, Certificates of your ITALIAN Ancestors.

3- In the "Nome" box, Leave the space blank.

4- In the "Dove" box, Write the Names of the Towns, or
Provinces, or Regions of Birth, Matrimony, Death of your
ITALIAN Ancestors.

5- Click on the button "Cerca": a List of the Registry Offices
and State Archives, or of the Parish Churches and
Dioceses, with their full names, addresses, and telephone
numbers will appear!

They are the Places where you can Request Information,
and Documents, as Extracts, Acts, Certificates of your
Ancestors in ITALY!

6- Write Informal and Personal Letters in ITALIAN to all
them, with ALL Information, and Details!

If you are not able to write in ITALIAN, Click on ITALIAN
TRANSLATION, in this Page, and/or Contact us!

7- With your Letters to ITALY, include fees and costs for
each Certificate requested (just a few U.S. Dollars or Euro
Each), explain ALL the reasons for your Letters, and
indicate Full Names, and Dates or Years of Birth,
Matrimony, Death of your ITALIAN Ancestors that you are
requesting Information, and Documents, as Extracts, Acts,
Certificates, and wait for their Answers, and Results
(usually after two or three months, up to a year, depending
from cases and areas)!

HOW TO FIND Places of your Ancestors
and Living Relatives in ITALY

H OW TO CONTACT your Living Relatives
in ITALY

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Italian Recipes

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
6 medium tomatoes
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
coarse salt
1 pound pasta (fusilli or spaghetti)
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Nutrition Info Per Serving
Calories: 720 kcal
Carbohydrates: 63 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Fat: 44 g
Protein: 18 g
Sugars: 6 g

Cooking Directions
Make chile oil: Stir together 1/2 cup oil and 2 teaspoons red
pepper flakes. Let stand at room temperature at least 2
hours or up to 2 days.
Make sauce: Core tomatoes and tear into bite-size pieces
directly into a serving bowl. Add garlic, remaining 1/2
teaspoon red pepper flakes, the oregano, basil, 1 1/2
teaspoons salt, and remaining 1/2 cup oil. Lightly crush
together using a wooden spoon. Let stand at room
temperature 1 to 8 hours.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt to taste. Add
pasta; cook until al dente. Drain. Add hot pasta to tomato
mixture. Discard garlic cloves. Serve with Parmesan
cheese for grating and with the chile oil for drizzling.

Yield
6 servings

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Italian Provinces

Province of AREZZO
Region TOSCANA (TUSCANY)
Official Website: www.provincia.arezzo.it

The Province of Arezzo has a surface area of 3,235 sq km,
with a total population of about 325,000 inhabitants. It is
administratively divided into 39 Municipalities. The
province, one of the inner areas of Tuscany, is celebrated
for the its rich Etruscan history, the artistic presence of a
number of great Renaissance painters such as Piero della
Francesca, art and history like uncontaminated gems
hidden within the many protected areas along the Arno
valleys, Valdarno, the Arezzo and Casentino valleys, the
Valtiberina and the valleys of the Marecchia and Foglia
rivers, fine events like the Giostra del Saracino, held since
the 13th century on 17 June.

The Comuni of the Province
Anghiari | Arezzo | Badia Tedalda | Bibbiena | Bucine |
Capolona | Caprese Michelangelo | Castel Focognano |
Castel San Niccolo' | Castelfranco di Sopra | Castiglion
Fibocchi | Castiglion Fiorentino | Cavriglia | Chitignano |
Chiusi Della Verna | Civitella in Val di Chiana | Cortona |
Foiano della Chiana | Laterina | Loro Ciuffenna | Lucignano |
Marciano della Chiana | Monte San Savino | Montemignaio |
Monterchi | Montevarchi | Ortignano Raggiolo | Pergine
Valdarno | Pian di Sco' | Pieve Santo Stefano | Poppi |
Pratovecchio | San Giovanni Valdarno | Sansepolcro |
Sestino | Stia | Subbiano | Talla | Terranuova Bracciolini

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Province of GROSSETO
Region TOSCANA (TUSCANY)
Official Website: www.provincia.grosseto.it

The Province of Grosseto has a surface area of 4,504 sq
km, with a total population of about 210,000 inhabitants,
administratively divided into 28 Municipalities, and
includes the larger part of the Natural Park of the Maremma,
traditionally populated by the butteri, cattle-breeders who
used horses until recently, with a distinctive style of
saddle. Once unhealthy because of the many marshes,
Maremma was drained during the fascist regime and
re-populated with people coming from other Italian regions,
notably from Veneto. Today the area is provided with
significant natural and environmental resources, where
ancient traditions have survived and Tuscan culture is
preserved. It is being promoted as a destination for
agritourism.

The Comuni of the Province
Alberese (a frazione of Grosseto) | Arcidosso |
Campagnatico | Capalbio | Castel del Piano | Castell'Azzara
| Castiglione della Pescaia | Cinigiano | Civitella Paganico |
Follonica | Gavorrano | Grosseto | Isola del Giglio |
Magliano in Toscana | Manciano | Massa Marittima | Monte
Argentario | Monterotondo Marittimo | Montieri | Orbetello |
Pitigliano | Roccalbegna | Roccastrada | Santa Fiora |
Scansano | Scarlino | Seggiano | Semproniano | Sorano

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Province of LIVORNO
Region TOSCANA (TUSCANY)
Official Website: www.provincia.livorno.it

The Province of Livorno has a surface area of 1,211 sq km,
with a total population of about 330,000 inhabitants. It is
administratively divided into 20 Municipalities.
The province includes the beautiful island of Elba, 20 km
from the coast, the largest island of the Tuscan
Archipelago, and the third largest Italian island, divided into
eight communes: Portoferraio, Campo nell'Elba, Capoliveri,
Marciana, Marciana Marina, Porto Azzurro, Rio Marina and
Rio nell'Elba.

The Comuni of the Province
Bibbona | Campiglia Marittima | Campo nell'Elba |
Capoliveri | Capraia Isola | Castagneto Carducci | Cecina |
Collesalvetti | Livorno | Marciana | Marciana Marina |
Piombino | Porto Azzurro | Portoferraio | Rio Marina | Rio
nell'Elba | Rosignano Marittimo | San Vincenzo | Sassetta |
Suvereto

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Province of LUCCA
Region TOSCANA (TUSCANY)
Official Website: www.provincia.lucca.it

The Province of Lucca has a surface area of 1,773 sq km,
with a total population of about 370,000 inhabitants. It is
administratively divided into 35 Municipalities, the most
populous being the rpovince capital Lucca, Viareggio,
Capannori, Camaiore and Pietrasanta. The territory includes
the 3 main areas of Piana di Lucca, Garfagnana and
Versilia.

The Comuni of the Province
Altopascio | Bagni di Lucca | Barga | Borgo a Mozzano |
Camaiore | Camporgiano | Capannori | Careggine |
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana | Castiglione di Garfagnana |
Coreglia Antelminelli | Fabbriche di Vallico | Forte dei
Marmi | Fosciandora | Gallicano | Giuncugnano | Lucca |
Massarosa | Minucciano | Molazzana | Montecarlo |
Pescaglia | Piazza al Serchio | Pietrasanta | Pieve
Fosciana | Porcari | San Romano in Garfagnana |
Seravezza | Sillano | Stazzema | Vagli Sotto | Vergemoli |
Viareggio | Villa Basilica | Villa Collemandina

History
Including the historical area of the Duchy of Lucca, the
province was enlarged in 1923 with the following
communes of Garfagnana previously belonging to the
province of Massa-Carrara: Camporgiano, Careggine,
Castelnuovo Garfagnana, Castiglione di Garfagnana,
Fosciandora, Gallicano, Giuncugnano, Minucciano,
Molazzana, Piazza al Serchio, Pieve Fosciana, San
Romano in Garfagnana, Sillano, Trassilico (oggi Fabbriche
di Vallico), Vagli Sotto, Vergemoli and Villa Collemandina.
In 1928 the communes of Bagni di Montecatini, Buggiano,
Massa e Cozzile, Monsummano Terme, Montecatini Val di
Nievole, Pescia, Ponte Buggianese, Uzzano and Vellano,
previously in the province of Lucca, passed under the
jurisdiction of the province of Pistoia.

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Province of MASSA CARRARA
Region TOSCANA (TUSCANY)
Official Website: www.provincia.ms.it

The Province of Massa Carrara has a surface area of 1,156
sq km, with a total population of about 200,000 inhabitants.
It is named after the two main towns in its territory: Massa
and Carrara. Its capital is the city of Massa. Its economic
relevance, once mainly based on the production of the
famous white Carrara marble, has now shifted to the
importation and fabrication of blocks of marble and granite
from all over the world. It is administratively divided into
17 Municipalities.

The Comuni of the Province
Aulla | Bagnone | Carrara | Casola in Lunigiana | Comano |
Filattiera | Fivizzano | Fosdinovo | Licciana Nardi | Massa |
Montignoso | Mulazzo | Podenzana | Pontremoli | Tresana |
Villafranca in Lunigiana | Zeri

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Province of PISA
Region TOSCANA (TUSCANY)
Official Website: www.provincia.pisa.it

The Province of Pisa has a surface area of 2,444 sq km,
with a total population of about 380,000 inhabitants. The
territory goes from the Arno basin to the Ligurian Sea, with
a coastline of about 15 km where the seaside resorts of
Calambrone, Tirrenia and Marina di Pisa are situated. The
northern part includes the Appenine group of the Monti
Pisani (highest summit Monte Serra, 917 m a.s.l.). The
southern part is mostly gentle hills, a typical Tuscan
landscape, with two valleys, Valdera and Alta Val di Cecina
where the famous Etruscan town of Volterra is situated.

The Comuni of the Province
Bientina | Buti | Calci | Calcinaia | Capannoli | Casale
Marittimo | Casciana Terme | Cascina | Castelfranco di
Sotto | Castellina Marittima | Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina |
Chianni | Crespina | Fauglia | Guardistallo | Lajatico | Lari |
Lorenzana | Montecatini Val di Cecina | Montescudaio |
Monteverdi Marittimo | Montopoli in Val d'Arno | Orciano
Pisano | Palaia | Peccioli | Comune of Pisa | Pomarance |
Ponsacco | Pontedera | Riparbella | San Giuliano Terme |
San Miniato | Santa Croce sull'Arno | Santa Luce | Santa
Maria a Monte | Terricciola | Vecchiano | Vicopisano |
Volterra

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Province of PISTOIA
Region TOSCANA (TUSCANY)
Official Website: www.provincia.pt.it

The Province of Pistoia has a surface area of 965 sq km,
with a total population of about 260,000 inhabitants. It is
administratively divided into 22 Municipalities. The
province is mountainous, not connected to the sea, and is
the seat of the first Eco-Museum established in Italy (in
1990), with central seat is at Gavinana , including six
different itineraries in the open and in historical centres and
palaces: ice, iron, stone, sacred art, everyday life,
naturalistic itineraries. The province is renowned also for
the Abetone skiing facilities and the spa establishments at
Montecatini.

The Comuni of the Province
Abetone | Agliana | Buggiano | Chiesina Uzzanese |
Cutigliano | Lamporecchio | Larciano | Marliana | Massa e
Cozzile | Monsummano Terme | Montale | Montecatini Terme
| Pescia | Pieve a Nievole | Comune of Pistoia | Piteglio |
Ponte Buggianese | Quarrata | Sambuca Pistoiese | San
Marcello Pistoiese | Serravalle Pistoiese | Uzzano

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Province of PRATO
Region TOSCANA (TUSCANY)
Official Website: www.provincia.prato.it

The Province of Prato has a surface area of 365 sq km,
with a total population of about 220,000 inhabitants. It was
formed from part of the province of Florence in 1992. It is
administratively divided into 7 Municipalities.

The Comuni of the Province
Cantagallo | Carmignano | Montemurlo | Poggio a Caiano |
Prato | Vaiano | Vernio

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Province of SIENA
Region TOSCANA (TUSCANY)
Official Website: www.provincia.siena.it

The Province of Siena has a surface area of 3,821 sq km,
with a total population of about 250,000 inhabitants. It is
divided into seven historical areas. The territory is hilly: in
the north is Monte del Chianti; Monte Amiata is the highest
point at 1738 m; and in the south is Monte Cetona. To the
west are the Metallic Hills, while the Val di Chiana lies to
east. Historically, the province corresponds to the former
republic of Siena. The economy is based on agriculture
(wheat, grapes and fruit), production of Chianti wine, silk
culture.

The Comuni of the Province
Abbadia San Salvatore | Asciano | Buonconvento | Casole
d'Elsa | Castellina in Chianti | Castelnuovo Berardenga |
Castiglione d'Orcia | Cetona | Chianciano Terme | Chiusdino
| Chiusi | Colle di Val d'Elsa | Gaiole in Chianti | Montalcino
| Montepulciano | Monteriggioni | Monteroni d'Arbia |
Monticiano | Murlo | Piancastagnaio | Pienza | Poggibonsi |
Radda in Chianti | Radicofani | Radicondoli | Rapolano
Terme | San Casciano dei Bagni | San Gimignano | San
Giovanni d'Asso | San Quirico d'Orcia | Sarteano | Comune
of SIENA | Sinalunga | Sovicille | Torrita di Siena |
Trequanda

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Italian Language

Bello and Quello
The adjectives bello (beautiful, handsome, nice, fine) and
quello (that) have shortened forms when they precede the
nouns they modify. Note that the shortened forms are similar
to those of the definite article.

MASCHILE
Singolare Plurale
bello/quello begli/quegli (before s + consonant or z)
bel/quel bei/quei (before other consonants)
bell'/quell' begli/quegli (before vowels)

FEMMINILE
Singolare Plurale
bella/quella belle/quelle (before all consonants)
bell'/quell' belle/quelle (before vowels)

Chi è quel bell’uomo? (Who’s that handsome man?)
Che bei capelli e che begli occhi! (What beautiful hair and
eyes!)
Quell’americana è di Boston. (That America woman is from
Boston.)
Quelle case sono vecchie. (Those houses are old.)

Bello retains its full form when it follows the noun it modifies
or the verb essere.

Un ragazzo bello non è sempre simpatico. (A handsome boy
is not always a likable boy.)
Quel ragazzo è bello. (That boy is handsome.)

Subject Pronouns
In modern Italian he, she, and they are usually expressed by
lui, lei, and loro, respectively. (Egli, ella, essi, and esse are
used more in written Italian than in the spoken language.
Esso and essa are seldom used.)

Remember that tu and its plural form voi are used in
addressing members of the family, peers, children, close
friends, and animals. In all other cases, Lei and its plural
Loro are used. Note that Lei and Loro always take,
respectively, the third person singular and the third person
plural of the verb.

Ascolti, Luisa? (Are you listening, Luisa?)
Ascoltate, ragazzi? (Are you listening, boys?)
Ascolta Lei, signorina Rossi? (Are you listening, Miss
Rossi?)
Ascoltano Loro signorine? (Are you listening, young ladies?)

Singolare Singular
io I
tu you (familiar)
lui (egli/esso) he
lei (ella/essa) she
Lei you (formal)

Plurale Plural
noi we
voi you (familiar)
loro (essi) they (m.)
loro (esse) they (f.)
Loro you (formal)

Since the endings of conjugated verb forms indicate person
and number, subject pronouns may be omitted in Italian
except when necessary: (1) for clarity, (2) when modified by
anche (also), or (3) when emphasis or contrast is desired. It
and they referring to things are almost never used in Italian
and need not be translated.

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Italian History

Italo-Brasiliani (Italian-Brazilians)

Italian Immigrants in Brazil

Total Population
c. 28,000,000 Italian Brazilians
15% of Brazil's Population

Regions with Significant Populations
Mainly Southern and Southeastern Brazil

Languages
Predominantly Portuguese. Some also speak Italian and/or Italian dialects

Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic

Related Ethnic Groups
White Brazilian, Italian People

An Italian Brazilian (Italian: Ítalo-Brasiliano, Portuguese: Ítalo-Brasileiro) is a Brazilian citizen of full or partial Italian
ancestry. There are 28 million Brazilians of Italian descent, the largest population of Italian background outside of Italy
itself.

Italians in Brazil

Monument to the Italian immigrants in the State of Rio Grande do Sul.

Italian Brazilians Ethnicity in Brazil
Brazilians of Italian descent are the 4th most populous group of Brazilians, just behind the descendants of Portuguese
settlers, descendants of African slaves, and Amerindians. Italian surnames are common among Brazilians since 28
million Brazilians have Italian ancestors.

Although victims of some prejudice in the first decades and in spite of the persecution during the Second World War,
Brazilians of Italian descent managed to mingle and to incorporate seamlessly into the Brazilian society.

Brazilians of Italian descent tend to be very participant in all aspects of Brazilian public life. Many Brazilian artists,
footballers, models and personalities are or were of Italian descent. Also are or were of Italian descent, several States
Governors, Congressmen, mayors and ambassadors. Three Presidents of Brazil were of Italian descent: Pascoal Ranieri
Mazzilli, Itamar Franco, and dictator Emílio Garrastazu Médici.

Citizenship
According to the Brazilian Constitution, anyone born in Brazil is a Brazilian citizen by birthright. In addition, many who
were born in Italy have become naturalized citizens after settling in Brazil. In recent years, a considerable number of
Brazilians of Italian descent have in turn acquired Italian citizenship becoming dual citizens, as they do not lose their
Brazilian citizenship by doing so. Italian law grants citizenship to those of Italian descent, on some conditions, without
requiring them to live in Italy or speak fluent Italian.

History of Italian Immigration in Brazil

Italian Crisis in Late 19th Century

A family of Italian emigrants.

Italy only united as a sovereign national state in 1861. Before that Italy was politically divided several kingdoms, ducates
and other small states. It was only a geographic region, the Italian peninsula. This fact influenced deeply the character of
the Italian emigrant. "Before 1914, the typical Italian emigrant was a man without a clear national identity but with strong
attachments to his town or village of birth, to which half of all migrants returned." The feeling of a national Italian identity
and of a united ethnic group was created later on for those emigrants, when they were already in Brazil.

During the early 19th century, many Italians fled the political persecutions in Italy, mainly after the failure of revolutionary
movements in 1848 and 1861. Although very small, these well educated and revolutionary group of emigrants left a deep
mark where they settled. In Brazil, the most famous Italians of this epoch were Giuseppe Garibaldi and Libero Badaró.
Despite that, the mass Italian emigration that shaped Brazilian culture started only after the Italian unification.

During the last quarter of the 19th century, the newly united Italy suffered an economic crisis. In the Northern regions,
there was unemployment due to the introduction of new techniques in agriculture, while Southern Italy remained
underdeveloped and untouched by modernization in agrarian structure. Thus, poverty and lack of jobs and income
stimulate the northern and southern Italians to emigrate to Brazil (as well as to other countries, such as Argentina and the
United States). Most of the Italian immigrants were very poor peasants, mainly farmers.

Brazilian Need of Immigrants

Italians getting into a ship to Brazil, 1910.

A ship with Italian immigrants in the Port of Santos: 1907.

The Lack of Workers
In 1850, under British pressure, Brazil finally passed a law banning the international slave trade. The enforcement of this
law was very irregular (this being the origin of the Brazilian expression "para inglês ver" - for the Englishmen to see -
meaning something a law that is not intended to be actually enforced). But the increased pressure of the abolitionist
movement, on the other hand, made clear that the days of slavery in Brazil were coming to an end. So the discussion
about European immigration to Brazil became a priority for Brazilian landowners.

An Agriculture Congress in 1878 in Rio de Janeiro discussed the lack of labor and proposed to the government the
stimulation of European immigration to Brazil. Immigrants from Italy, Spain and Portugal were considered the best ones,
because they were white and, mainly, Catholics. Therefore, the Brazilian government started to attract more Italian
immigrants to the coffee plantations.

The "Whitening Project"
At the end of the 19th century, the Brazilian government was influenced by eugenics theories. According to some
scholars, it was necessary to bring immigrants from Europe to enhance the Brazilian population. Brazil issued laws
prohibiting the entry of Asian immigrants in 1889 and the situation changed only with the Immigration Law of 1907.

The increasing of European immigrants made some scholars to believe that in some decades, the Blacks would
disappear from Brazil through miscegenation.

On July 28, 1921, representatives Andrade Bezerra and Cincinato Braga proposed a law whose Article 1 provided: "It is
prohibited in Brazil immigration of individuals from the black race." On October 22, 1923, representative Fidélis Reis
produced another project of law on the entry of immigrants, whose fifth article was as follows: 'It is prohibited the entry of
settlers from the black race in Brazil and, to Asians, it will be allowed each year, a number equal to 5% of those existing
in the country.(...)'.

In 1945, the Brazilian government issued a decree favoring the entrance of European immigrants in the country: "The entry
of immigrants comes from the need to preserve and develop, in the ethnic composition of the population, the more
convenient features of their European ancestry".

Beginning of Italian settlement in Brazil

A 19th Century House Built by Italian Immigrants in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul.

Stone house in Nova Veneza, in the State of Santa Catarina, landmark of Italian immigration.The Italian immigration in
Brazil increased after 1850 when the enforcement of the law proscribing the international slave trade created labor
shortages. Then, the Brazilian government, headed by Emperor Pedro II, instituted an open-door immigration policy
towards Europeans. The Brazilian government had yet created the first colonies of immigrants (colônias de imigrantes) in
the early 19th century. These colonies were established in rural areas of the country, being settled by European families,
mainly Germans immigrants that colonized many areas of Southern Brazil. Following the same project, colonies with
Italian immigrants were also created in southern Brazil.

The first groups of Italians arrived in 1875, but the boom of Italian immigration in Brazil happened in late 19th century,
between 1880 and 1900, when almost one million Italians arrived.

A great number of Italians was naturalized Brazilian at the end of the 19th Century, when the 'Great Naturalization'
conceded automatically citizenship to all the immigrants residing in Brazil prior to November 15, 1889 "unless they
declared a desire to keep their original nationality within six months."

During the last years of the 19th century, the denouncements of bad conditions in Brazil increased in the press. Reacting
to the public clamor and many proved cases of mistreatments of Italian immigrants, the government of Italy issued, in
1902, the Prinetti decree forbidding subsidized immigration to Brazil. In consequence, the number of Italian immigrants in
Brazil fell drastically in the beginning of the 20th century, but the wave of Italian immigration continued until 1920.

About one half of the Italian immigrants came from Northern Italy regions of Veneto, Lombardy, Tuscany and
Emilia-Romagna. About 30% emigrated from Veneto.[6] On the other hand, during the 20th century, Central and Southern
Italians predominated in Brazil, coming from the regions of Campania, Abruzzo, Molise, Basilicata and Sicily.

Main Italian Settlements in Brazil

Southern Brazil

Wine production introduced by Italians in Caxias do Sul.

A typically Venetian community in Southern Brazil.

The main areas of Italian settlement in Brazil were the Southern and Southeastern regions, namely the states of São Paulo,
Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais.

The first colonies to be populated by Italians were created in the highlands of Rio Grande do Sul (Serra Gaúcha). These
were Garibaldi and Bento Gonçalves. These immigrants were predominantly from Veneto, in northern Italy. After five
years, in 1880, the great numbers of Italian immigrants arriving caused the Brazilian government to create another Italian
colony, Caxias do Sul. After initially settling in the government-promoted colonies, many of the Italian immigrants spread
themselves into other areas of Rio Grande do Sul seeking further opportunities. They created many other Italian colonies
on their own, mainly in highlands, because the lowlands were already populated by German immigrants and native
gaúchos. The Italian established many vineyards in the region. Nowadays, the wine produced in these areas of Italian
colonization in southern Brazil is much appreciated within the country, though little is available for export. In 1875, the
first Italian colonies were established in Santa Catarina, which lies immediately to the north of Rio Grande do Sul. The
colonies gave rise to towns such as Criciúma, and later also spread further north, to Paraná.

In the colonies of southern Brazil, Italian immigrants at first confined themselves within their own ethnic group, where
they could speak their native Italian dialects and keep their culture and traditions. With time, however, they would become
thoroughly integrated economically and culturally into the larger society. In any case, Italian immigration to southern Brazil
was very important to the economic development, as well to the culture and ethnic formation of the region.

Southeastern Brazil

Coffee Plantation in the State of Minas Gerais, Employed Italians.

Italian immigrants in the State of São Paulo.

A part of the immigrants settled in the colonies in Southern Brazil. However, the majority of them settled in Southeastern
Brazil (mainly in the State of São Paulo). In the beginning, the government was responsible for bringing the immigrants (in
most cases, paying for their transportation by ship), but later the own farmers were responsible to make contracts with
immigrants or specialized companies in recruiting Italian workers. Many posters were spread in Italy, with pictures of
Brazil, selling the idea that everybody could become rich there by working with coffee, which was called by the Italian
immigrants the green gold. Most coffee plantations were in the States of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, and in a smaller
proportion also in the States of Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro.

Italians used to immigrate to Brazil in families. The colono, as rural immigrants were called, had to sign a contract with
the farmer and was obliged to work in the coffee plantation during a minimum period of time. However, the situation was
not easy. Many Brazilian farmers were used to command slaves and treated the immigrants as indentured servants.

While, in Southern Brazil, the Italian immigrants were living in relatively well-developed colonies, in Southeastern Brazil
they were living in semi-slavery conditions in the coffee plantations. Many rebellions against Brazilian farmers occurred
and the public denouncements caused great commotion in Italy, forcing the Italian government to issue the Prinetti decree
that established barriers to immigration to Brazil.

Italian-Brazilian farmers in 1918.

Other Parts of Brazil
Although the majority of Brazilians of Italian descent live in the South and Southeast part of the country, in recent decades
(1960s-present), people from southern Brazil, mainly of Italian descent, have played a vital role in settling and developing
the vast "cerrado" grasslands of Central-West, North and the west part of Northeastern Brazil.

These areas, once economically neglected, are fast becoming one the world's most important agricultural regions. The
cerrado (Portuguese for thick and dense, meaning thick grassland) is a vast area of savanna-like grasslands in Brazil. In
the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Italian descendants are 5% of the population.

The Prosperity

Italian Immigrants in a Factory of São Paulo.

Brazilians of Italian descent with President Lula, in Rio Grande do Sul.

Italians were divided in two groups in Brazil. Those living in Southern Brazil were closed in rural colonies, in contact
mostly with other Italian immigrants. On the other hand, Italians living in Southeast Brazil, the most populated region of
country, were quickly integrated into Brazilian society.

After some years working in coffee plantations, some immigrants earned enough money to buy their own land and become
farmers themselves. Others left the rural areas of Brazil and moved to Brazilian urban centers, mainly São Paulo,
Campinas, São Carlos and Ribeirão Preto cities. A small minority became very rich in the process, and attracted more
Italian immigrants to their possessions. In early 20th century, São Paulo was known as the city of the Italians, because
30% of its inhabitants were Italians. Even today, São Paulo is one of the cities that have more people of Italian ancestry in
the world, second only to Rome. In Campinas, street signs in Italian were frequent, a large commercial and services
sector owned by Italians developed, and more than 60% of the population had Italian surnames. Today, Belo Horizonte has
nearly 30% of its population composed of people of Italian descent.

Italians and their descendants were also quick to organize themselves and establish mutual aid societies (such as the
Circolo Italiano), hospitals, schools (such as the Instituto Dante Alighieri, in São Paulo), labor unions, newspapers (such
as La Fanciulla), magazines, radio stations and even soccer teams (such as Palestra Itália, later renamed Sociedade
Esportiva Palmeiras in São Paulo, and Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte during World War II).

Italian immigrants were very important to the development of many big cities of Brazil, such as São Paulo, Porto Alegre,
Curitiba and Belo Horizonte. Bad conditions in rural areas of Brazil made thousands of Italians to move to these big cities.
Most of them became laborers and participated actively in the industrialization of Brazil in the early 20th century. Others
became investors, bankers and industrialists, such as Andrea Matarazzo, whose family became the richest industrialists
in São Paulo, with a holding of more than 200 industries and businesses.

Characteristics of Italian Immigration in Brazil

Areas of Origin
Most of the Italian immigrants to Brazil came from Northern Italy; however, they were not distributed homogeneously along
the extensive Brazilian regions. In the state of São Paulo, the Italian community was more diverse including a large
number of people from the South and from the Center of Italy. Even today, 42% of the Italians in Brazil came from the
Northern regions, 36% from central regions and only 22% from the south of Italy. Brazil is the only country with a large
Italian community where the Southern Italian immigrants are minority.

In the first decades, the vast majority of the immigrants came from the North. Since Southern Brazil received most of the
early settlers, the vast majority of the immigrants in this region came from the extreme North of Italy, mainly from the
Veneto and particularly from the provinces of Vicenza, Treviso and Verona. In Rio Grande do Sul, many came from
Cremona, Mantua, from parts of Brescia, and also from Bergamo, in the region of Lombardy, close to the Veneto. The
regions of Trento, particularly the area of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and of Friuli-Venezia Giulia also sent many
immigrants to the South of Brazil. Of the immigrants in Rio Grande do Sul, 54% came from the Veneto, 33% from Lombardy,
7% from Trento, 4.5% from Friuli-Venezia Giulia and only 1.5% from other parts of Italy.

Starting in the early 20th century, the agrarian crisis also started to affect Southern Italy and many of them immigrated to
Brazil. The Southerners went mostly to the state of São Paulo, since it was in need of workers to embrace the coffee
plantations. Among the Italian immigrants in São Paulo, most came from Calabria, Campania and the Veneto.

Areas of Settlement
Among all Italians who immigrated to Brazil, 70% went to the State of São Paulo. In consequence, São Paulo has more
people with Italian ancestry than any region of Italy itself. The rest went mostly to the states of Rio Grande do Sul and
Minas Gerais.

Due to the internal migration, many Italians, second and third generation descendants, moved to other areas. In the early
20th century, many rural Italian workers from Rio Grande do Sul migrated to the west of Santa Catarina and then further
north to Paraná.

More recently, third and fourth generations have been migrating to other areas, then nowadays it is possible to find people
of Italian descent in Brazilian regions where the immigrants had never settled, such as in the Cerrado region of
Central-West, in the Northeast and in the Amazon rainforest area, in the extreme North of Brazil.

Italian Influences in Brazil

Italians in Brazil in 19th Century.

Italian Influences in Brazilian Portuguese
Nowadays, most Brazilians with Italian ancestry speak Portuguese as their native language. Italian language and dialects
along with all foreign languages were forbidden to be used in the press, radio and in the schools during the Estado Novo
dictatorship of the president Getúlio Vargas from 1938 to 1945. During the Second World War, Italian, German and
Japanese were forbidden to be used publicly.

The Italian dialects influenced the Portuguese spoken in some areas of Brazil. In São Paulo, the diversity of the languages
of the immigrants resulted in a accent which differs substantially from the Caipira accent that prevailed before the arrival
of the Italians. The new accent resulted from the influence of Italian accents in the Portuguese language. Currently, the
Italian influence in the Portuguese spoken in São Paulo is not as great as in the past, although the accent of the city's
inhabitants still has some traces of Italian accents common in the beginning of the 20th century. It is noteworthy that the
Italian influence in the spoken language of São Paulo is fairly widespread up to embrace those who are not of Italian
descent. The lexic influence of Italian in Brazilian Portuguese, however, remained quite small.

A similar phenomenon occurred in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, but encompassing almost exclusively the people of
Italian origin. On the other hand, there exists a different phenomenon, the dialect named Talian, which emerged mostly in
the northeastern part of the state (Serra Gaúcha). Talian is a dialect mostly based on the Venetian language, but with
influences from other Italian dialects and Portuguese language. In southern Brazilian rural areas marked by bilingualism,
even among the monolingual Portuguese-speaking population, the Italian-influenced accent is fairly typical.

St. Vito Festival

Italian Women in Serra Gaúcha.

St. Vito Festival is one of the most important Italian festivals in São Paulo. It is a celebration in honor of Saint Vito, the
patron saint of Polignano a Mare, a city in the Puglia region, in Italy. Many Italian immigrants in Brás, a São Paulo district,
came from Puglia. Festa de São Vito is also a time when the Italian community in São Paulo gathers to party and eat
traditional food. Other important Italian celebrations in São Paulo are Our Lady of Casaluce, also in Brás (May), Our Lady
of Achiropita, in Bela Vista (August), and St. Gennaro, in Mooca (September). Italian immigrants from the Puglia region
who moved in great numbers to the Brás neighborhood in São Paulo at the end of the nineteenth century brought along a
devotion to Saint Vito, a Christian martyr who was killed in June of 303 a.D.

Just like Polignano a Mare, eventually Brás had a church devoted to St. Vito. An association was formed and hosted the
first festival in June 1919. As São Paulo grew, so did the Italian community and St. Vito Festival. Today, about 6 million of
São Paulo's 10,886,518 inhabitants are Italians and descendants (known as "oriundi"), according to statistics provided by
Conscre, a São Paulo state council for foreign communities. An estimated 140,000 people are expected to attend the
festival in 2008.

Other Influences

The Italian-Brazilian Benvenutti Family, in 1928.

Use of ciao ("tchau" in Portuguese) as a 'goodbye' salutation (all of Brazil),
Adoption of the pizza, pasta and panetone in the national cuisine (initially in the South and Southeast, now in all of Brazil),
Wine production (in the South),
A bunch of loan words (italianisms), such as ravióli, espaguete, macarrão, nhoque, pizza, lasanha, panetone, esquifoso,
feltro, pivete, bisonho, cicerone, and many others.
Softening of the Brazilian pronunciation (mostly São Paulo, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul).[32]
Early introduction of more advanced low-scale farming techniques (Minas Gerais, São Paulo and all Southern Brazil).

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Italian Products

Polenta

Polenta with sopressa and mushrooms. This polenta was made with yellow flour of Storo.

Polenta is a dish made from boiled cornmeal. Although the word is borrowed into English from Italian, the dish (under
various names) is popular in Italian, Savoyard, Swiss, Austrian, Bosnian, Croatian (where it is called žganci or, in
Dalmatia, pura), Cuban, American, Hungarian (where it is called puliszka), Slovenian, Serbian (kačamak in Serbian),
Romanian (where it is called mămăligă), Bulgarian, Georgian, Corsican, Argentine, Uruguayan, Brazilian, Peruvian,
Venezuelan, Haitian, Mexican and Turkish (typically from the Black Sea region, known as mamalika) cuisines, and it is a
traditional staple food throughout much of Northern Italy.

Description
Polenta is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal, (ground maize). It can be ground coarsely or finely depending on
the region and the texture desired. As it is known today, polenta derives from earlier forms of grain mush (known as puls
or pulmentum in Latin or more commonly as gruel or porridge) commonly eaten in Roman times and after. Early forms of
polenta were made with such starches as the grain farro and chestnut flour, both of which are still used in small quantity
today. When boiled, polenta has a smooth creamy texture due to the gelatinization of starch in the grain, though it may not
be completely homogenous if a coarse grind or a particularly hard grain such as flint corn is used.

Preparation

Polenta, by Pietro Longhi

Polenta was originally a peasant food. However, since the late 20th century, polenta has become a premium product.
Polenta dishes are on the menu in many high-end restaurants, and prepared polenta can be found in supermarkets at high
prices. Many current polenta recipes have given new life to an essentially bland and common food, invigorating it with
various cheeses or tomato sauces.

Polenta is often cooked in a huge copper pot known in Italian as paiolo. In northern Italy there are many different ways to
cook polenta. The most famous Lombard polenta dishes are polenta taragna, polenta uncia, polenta concia, polenta e
gorgonzola, and missultin e polenta; all are cooked with various cheeses and butter, except the last one, which is cooked
with fish from Lake Como. It can also be cooked with porcini mushrooms, rapini, or other vegetables or meats, such as
small song-birds in the case of the famous Venetian and Lombard dish polenta e osei.

Western polenta is denser, while the eastern one is softer. The variety of cereal used is usually yellow maize, but
buckwheat, white maize or mixtures thereof are also used.

Polenta is traditionally a slowly cooked dish. It sometimes takes an hour or longer, and constant stirring is necessary. The
time and labor intensity of traditional preparation methods has led to a profusion of shortcuts. These include alternative
cooking techniques that are meant to speed up the process. There are also new products such as instant polenta, popular
in Italy, that allow for fast, easy preparation at home.

In his book Heat, Bill Buford talks about his experiences as a line cook in Mario Batali's Italian restaurant Babbo. Buford
details the differences in taste between instant polenta and slowly cooked polenta, and describes a method of preparation
that takes up to three hours, but does not require constant stirring: "polenta, for most of its cooking, is left unattended.... If
you don't have to stir it all the time, you can cook it for hours—what does it matter, as long as you're nearby?" Cook's
Illustrated magazine has described a method using a microwave oven that reduces cooking time to 12 minutes and
requires only a single stirring to prepare 3 1/2 cups of cooked polenta. Kyle Phillips suggests making it in a polenta maker
or in a slow cooker.

Fast Food Polenta

Cooked polenta can also be shaped into balls, patties, or sticks and fried in oil until it is golden brown and crispy; this
variety of polenta is called crostini di polenta or polenta fritta. Similarly, once formed into a shape it can also be grilled
using, for example, a brustolina grill.

Regional Variations
In Bosnia, it is called pura.
In Croatia, polenta is common on the Adriatic coast, where it is known as palenta or pura; in northwestern part of Croatia
and around Zagreb, it is known as žganci. In the Adriatic Croatian coast, polenta goes together with fish or frog stew
(brujet, brudet).
The Corsican variety is called pulenta, and it is made with sweet chestnut flour rather than cornmeal.
In Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia the dish is called kachamak (качамак).
The Serbian variety is called palenta or kačamak (качамак).
The Romanian variety is called mămăligă; this word is also borrowed into the Russian (Мамалыга). The most notable
feature of this Romanian variety is the feta cheese cooked in the Polenta.[citation needed]
In southern Austria Polenta is also eaten for breakfast (sweet Polenta); the Polenta pieces are either dipped in café au lait
or served in a bowl with the café au lait poured on top of it (this is a favourite of children).

Similarity with Other Foods

North and South American Foods
Polenta is very similar to corn grits, a common dish in the cuisine of the Southern United States, with the difference that
grits are usually made from coarsely ground kernels. When properly cooked, grits and polenta have similarly smooth
textures, "grit" referring to the texture of the dried corn before cooking. Another variation uses ground hominy, lye-treated
corn kernels.

Polenta is similar to boiled maize dishes of Mexico, where both maize and hominy originate.

The Brazilian variety is also known as angu. Originally made by native Indians, it is a kind of polenta without salt nor any
kind of oil. However, nowadays "Italian" polenta is much more common at Brazilian tables, especially in the southern and
southeastern regions (which have high numbers of Italian immigrants), although some people still call it "angu". The city of
São Bernardo do Campo is famous for its restaurants specialized in frango com polenta (fried chicken with fried polenta).

African and Afro-Caribbean Foods
In South Africa, cornmeal mush is a staple food called mealie pap; elsewhere in Southern Africa it is called sadza, in
Zimbabwe, phaletshe, in Botswana, and nshima, in Zambia, and "Oshifima" or Pap in Namibia. In East Africa a similar dish
is called ugali, named from the Swahili language. Fufu, a starch-based food from West and Central Africa, may also be
made from maize meal. In the Caribbean, similar dishes are cou-cou (Barbados), funchi (Curaçao) and funjie (Virgin
Islands). It is known as funche in Puerto Rican cuisine and mayi moulin in Haitian cuisine.

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Italian Latest News

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Famous Italians

Enzo Ferrari

Enzo Ferrari (left) and Ilario Bandini

Born: February 20, 1898 (1898-02-20)
Modena, Italy
Died: August 14, 1988 (aged 90)
Maranello (Modena), Italy
Nationality: Italian
Occupation: Head of Ferrari

The racecar drivers Enzo Ferrari (1st from left), Tazio Nuvolari (4th) and Achille Varzi (6th) of Alfa Romeo with Alfa Romeo
Managing Director Prospero Gianferrari (3rd) at Colle Maddalena.

Enzo Anselmo "the Commendatore" Ferrari (February 20, 1898 – August 14, 1988) Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMR] was an
Italian car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of
the Ferrari car manufacturer.

Biography
Born in Modena, Enzo Ferrari grew up with little formal education but a strong desire to race cars. During World War I he
was a mule-shoer in the Italian Army. His father, Alfredo, died in 1916 as a result of a widespread Italian flu outbreak.
Ferrari became sick himself and was consequently discharged from Italian service. Upon returning home he found that the
family firm had collapsed. Having no other job prospects he sought unsuccessfully to find work at FIAT and eventually
settled for a job at a smaller car company called CMN redesigning used truck bodies into small passenger cars. He took
up racing in 1919 on the CMN team, but had little initial success.

He left CMN in 1920 to work at Alfa Romeo and racing their cars in local races he had more success. In 1923, racing in
Ravenna, he acquired the Prancing Horse badge which decorated the fuselage of Francesco Baracca's (Italy's leading ace
of WWI) SPAD fighter, given from his mother, taken from the wreckage of the plane after his mysterious death. This icon
would have to wait until 1932 to be displayed on a racing car. In 1924 he won the Coppa Acerbo at Pescara. His
successes in local races encouraged Alfa to offer him a chance of much more prestigious competition. Ferrari turned this
opportunity down and did not race again until 1927. He continued to work directly for Alfa Romeo until 1929 before starting
Scuderia Ferrari as the racing team for Alfa.

Ferrari managed the development of the factory Alfa cars, and built up a team of over forty drivers, including Giuseppe
Campari and Tazio Nuvolari. Ferrari himself continued racing until the birth of his first son in 1932 (Alfredo Ferrari, known
as Dino, who died in 1956).

The support of Alfa Romeo lasted until 1933 when financial constraints made Alfa withdraw. Only at the intervention of
Pirelli did Ferrari receive any cars at all. Despite the quality of the Scuderia drivers the company won few victories (1935
in Germany by Nuvolari was a notable exception). Auto Union and Mercedes dominated the era.

In 1937 Alfa took control of its racing efforts again and again, reducing Ferrari to Director of Sports under Alfa's
engineering director. Ferrari soon left, but a contract clause restricted him from racing or designing for four years.

He set up Auto-Avio Costruzioni, a company supplying parts to other racing teams. But in the Mille Miglia of 1940 the
company manufactured two cars to compete, driven by Alberto Ascari and Lotario Rangoni. During World War II his firm
was involved in war production and following bombing relocated from Modena to Maranello. It was not until after World
War II that Ferrari sought to shed his fascist reputation and make cars bearing his name, founding today's Ferrari S.p.A. in
1947.

The first open-wheeled race was in Turin in 1948 and the first victory came later in the year in Lago di Garda. Ferrari
participated in the Formula 1 World Championship since its introduction in 1950 but the first victory was not until the
British Grand Prix of 1951. The first championship came in 1952–53, when the Formula One season was raced with
Formula Two cars. The company also sold production sports cars in order to finance the racing endeavours not only in
Grand Prix but also in events such as the Mille Miglia and Le Mans. Indeed many of the firm's greatest victories came at
Le Mans (14 victories, including six in a row 1960–65) rather than in Grand Prix, certainly the company was more
involved there than in Formula One during the 1950s and 1960s despite the successes of Juan-Manuel Fangio (1956),
Mike Hawthorn (1958), Phil Hill (1961) and John Surtees (1964).

In the 1960s the problems of reduced demand and inadequate financing forced Ferrari to allow Fiat to take a stake in the
company. Ferrari had offered Ford the opportunity to buy the firm in 1963 for US$18 million but, late in negotiations, Ferrari
withdrew. This decision triggered the Ford Motor Company's decision to launch a serious European sports car racing
program. The company became joint-stock and Fiat took a small share in 1965 and then in 1969 they increased their
holding to 50% of the company. (In 1988 Fiat's holding was increased to 90%).

Ferrari remained managing director until 1971. Despite stepping down he remained an influence over the firm until his
death. The input of Fiat took some time to have effect. It was not until 1975 with Niki Lauda that the firm won any
championships — the skill of the driver and the ability of the engine overcoming the deficiencies of the chassis and
aerodynamics. But after those successes and the promise of Jody Scheckter title in 1979, the company's Formula One
championship hopes fell into the doldrums. 1982 opened with a strong car, the 126C2, world-class drivers, and promising
results in the early races.

However, Gilles Villeneuve was killed in the 126C2 in May, and teammate Didier Pironi had his career cut short in a
violent end over end flip on the misty backstraight at Hockenheim in August. Pironi was leading the driver's championship
at the time; he would lose the lead as he sat out the remaining races. The team would not see championship glory again
during Ferrari's lifetime.

Enzo Ferrari died on August 14, 1988 in Modena at the age of 90. His death wasn't made public until two days later, as by
Enzo's request, to compensate late registration of his birth. He died at the beginning of the dominance of the McLaren
Honda combination. The only race which McLaren did not win in 1988 was the Italian Grand Prix. It was held just weeks
after Ferrari's death, and, fittingly, the result was a 1-2 finish for Ferrari, with Gerhard Berger leading home Michele
Alboreto. After Ferrari's death, the Scuderia Ferrari team has had further success, notably with Michael Schumacher,
Rubens Barrichello, Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen from 1996 onwards. He witnessed the launch of one of the greatest
road cars Ferrari F40 shortly before his death, which was dedicated as a symbol of his achievements. In 2003 the first car
to be named after him was launched in the Enzo Ferrari.

Made a Cavaliere del Lavoro in 1952, to add to his honours of Cavaliere and Commendatore in the 1920s, Ferrari also
received a number of honorary degrees, the Hammarskjöld Prize in 1962, the Columbus Prize in 1965, and the De Gasperi
Award in 1987. In 1994, he was posthumously inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

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THE ITALIAN PROJECT www.theitalianproject.com

ITALIAN LANGUAGE: Lessons of Italian Grammar, Spelling, and Usage: Bello and
Quello - Subject Pronouns
ITALIAN GENEALOGY: How to Obtain Information and Documents of your Ancestors in
Italy
ITALIAN REGIONS: Toscana (Tuscany)
ITALIAN PROVINCES: Firenze (Florence) - Arezzo - Grosseto - Livorno - Lucca - Massa
Carrara - Pisa - Pistoia - Prato - Siena
ITALIAN RECIPES: Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce - Manicotti alla Romana
ITALIAN HISTORY: Italo-Brasiliani (Italian-Brazilians)
FAMOUS ITALIANS: Enzo Ferrari
ITALIAN COMPANIES: Olivetti
ITALIAN PRODUCTS: Polenta
ITALIAN LATEST NEWS: Life in Italy

In This Issue:

Issue # 11, September - October 2009

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Italian Recipes

Manicotti alla Romana

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and
drained
1 (12 ounce) package manicotti shells
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
2 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Nutrition Info Per Serving
Calories: 692 kcal
Carbohydrates: 56 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Fat: 35 g
Protein: 37 g
Sugars: 4 g

Cooking Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions
until translucent. Saute garlic for 1 minute and stir in
ground beef. Cook until well browned and crumbled.
Season with salt and set aside to cool.
Cook spinach according to package directions. Meanwhile,
bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add
manicotti shells and parboil for half of the time
recommended on the package. Drain and cover with cool
water to stop the cooking process and prevent the shells
from cracking.
To the ground beef mixture add the cooked spinach and
ricotta cheese. When the mixture is cool, add the beaten
eggs. Spread 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a
9x13 inch baking dish. Gently drain the manicotti shells and
carefully stuff each one with the meat and cheese mixture;
place shells in prepared dish. Lightly cover the dish with
plastic wrap or a clean, damp towel to prevent shells from
cracking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a small
saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken
bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring
constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half and half and
bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring
constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Pour or
ladle the sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.
Stir the basil into the remaining spaghetti sauce. Carefully
pour or ladle spaghetti sauce over the white sauce, trying
to layer the sauces without mixing.
Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven,
uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake,
uncovered, for 10 minutes more.

Yield
7 servings

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