ITALIAN NEWS - Issue # 12, December 2008

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

PIEMONTE (PIEDMONT)

Official Website: www.regione.piemonte.it

The region is mostly mountains and hills, on the
north-western border of Italy with France and Switzerland;
surrounded by some of the highest mountains in Europe,
such as the Gran Paradiso and Monte Rosa, it is occupied
to the East by the Pianura Padana, crossed by the largest
river in Italy, the Po, and its many tributaries.
Most of the population live in the plain, especially in the
wide metropolitan area of Turin, Novara and Vercelli where
a great many mechanical and car industries are located.
Thanks to the great abundance of water agriculture is very
important, the main products being rice, wine, maize,
potatoes and the precious white truffle. Tourism is also
especially lively in the winter resorts in the Alps. But in
spite of the advanced industrialization and modernity of the
cities, the Piedmontese are very conservative as far as
their traditions are concerned, and folk festivals are still
widely attended.

The Provinces of Piemonte
Province of Torino (TO), Province of Alessandria (AL),
Province of Asti (AT), Province of Biella (BI), Province of
Cuneo (CN), Province of Novara (NO), Province of
Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (VB), Province of Vercelli (VC)

History
The most ancient inhabitants of the region were the Celts
and Liguri, who were then occupied by the Romans. The
barbarian invasions of the 5th century completely destroyed
the region, and only under the Lombards civilized life was
re-established. Important Lombard dukedoms rose in
Novara, Ivrea, Asti, Tortona and Torino. After the Frankish
invasion of the late 8th century AD the feudal system was
introduced and many monasteries established. Then in the
11th century, as in the rest of Italy, the rise of free
Communes began, among them Asti, Chieri, Ivrea, Novara,
Torino, Tortona, Cuneo, Mondovì, Vercelli, Alba, Savigliano,
which often fought against the powerful Marquises of
Monferrato.

In the latter half of the 13th century the Communes sided
with Charles of Anjou, and the Angevin rule lasted
throughout the following century. During the Renaissance
the mighty Visconti family ruled over Alba, Alessandria,
Asti, Bra, Novara, Tortona, Vercelli, while the Savoy family
(the dynasty at the head of united Italy in 1860) from
Southern France started to spread in the region. In 1559,
after a war between France and Spain, the
Cateau-Cambrésis Treaty gave part of Piemonte to the
Savoy Duke Emanuele Filiberto and to the Marquis of
Monferrato, leaving to France the cities of Saluzzo, Torino,
Chieri, Pinerolo, Chivasso, Asti and to Spain the city of
Vercelli.

Then in the 18th century, while the European monarchies
were all involved in the Succession Wars, the Savoy were
able to unify the region. Then in the early 19th century the
Italian Risorgimento found fertile ground and the support of
the monarchs and of some enlightened ministers, like
Camillo Benso Count of Cavour, who was finally able to
weave the network of alliances necessary to allow the rise
of the Italian State.

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Italian Genealogy

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

Here are 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 Family
Name, or the Last Name of your Ancestors, and of your
Living Relatives in ITALY.

3- In the "Nome" box, Write the First Name of your
Ancestors, and of your Living Relatives in ITALY, or Leave
it Blank, if you are Looking for the Family Name in ITALY.

4- In the "Dove" box, Write the Name of the Birth Town, or
Province, or Region of your Ancestors, and of your Living
Relatives in ITALY.

5- Click on the button "Cerca": a List of Persons with that
Family Name, with their full names, addresses, and
telephone numbers will appear!

6- Save, and/or Print their full names, addresses, and
telephone numbers, and Towns, and/or Provinces that you
have found, where they are living in ITALY!

They are your "Potential" Living Relatives, and the
"Potential" Towns, and/or Provinces of Birth of your
Ancestors in ITALY!

7- Then, click on the LINKS here below, to Know HOW TO
OBTAIN Information and Extracts, Acts, Certificates of your
ITALIAN Ancestors, and/or HOW TO CONTACT your Living
Relatives in ITALY!

H OW TO OBTAIN Information and
Documents of your Ancestors in ITALY

H OW TO CONTACT your Living Relatives
in ITALY

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Italian Recipes

Fettuccine Cacciatore

Ingredients
8 ounces fettuccine, uncooked
2 teaspoons oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into
bite-size pieces
1 cup green pepper strips
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Italian Mozzarella/Parmesan
Cheese Blend
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cooking Directions
Cook pasta as directed on package.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.
Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add
peppers and mushrooms; cook 3 min., stirring
occasionally. Stir in tomatoes with their liquid and the
dressing. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min. or
until chicken is cooked through.
Drain pasta. Toss pasta with the chicken mixture; sprinkle
with cheese and basil.

Yield
4 servings
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Italian Companies

M.V. Agusta

MV Agusta Motor S.p.A.
Type: Private
Founded: 1945
Headquarters: Varese, Italy
Claudio Castiglioni, President
Industry: Motorcycle
Products: MV Agusta, Cagiva
Parent: Harley Davidson
Official Website: www.mvagusta.it

MV Agusta is a motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1945 near Milano (Milan) in Cascina Costa, Italy.

History

750 America

1954 MV Agusta CSTL 175 Turismo Lusso

The company began as an offshoot of the Agusta aviation company which was formed by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923.
The Count died in 1927, leaving the company in the hands of his wife and sons, Domenico, Vincenzo, Mario and Corrado.
Count Vincenzo Agusta together with his brother Domenico formed MV Agusta (the MV stood for Meccanica Verghera) at
the end of the Second World War as a means to save the jobs of employees of the Agusta firm and also to fill the post-war
need for cheap, efficient transportation. They produced their first prototype, ironically called "Vespa 98", in 1945. After
learning of that that the name had already been registered by Piaggio for its Vespa motorscooter, it was referred to simply
by the number “98”.

The company successfully manufactured small-displacement, quintessential Café racer style motorcycles (mostly 125-150
cc) through the 1950s and 1960s. In the 60s small motorcycle sales declined, and MV started producing larger
displacement cycles in more limited quantities. A 250 cc, and later a smart 350 cc twin were produced, and a 600 cc four-
cylinder evolved into a 750 cc which is still extremely valuable today.

Following the death of Count Domenico Agusta in 1971 the company declined and by 1980, it stopped producing
motorcycles altogether.

Resurrected by Cagiva

F4 750 Oro

Cagiva purchased the MV Agusta name trademarks in 1991 and in 1997 it introduced the first new MV Agusta motorcycle.
The new bikes were four-cylinder 750 cc sports machines (the F4 range), which included a series of limited production run
models, such as the all black paint work SPR model ("Special Production Racing") which was featured in the movie "I,
Robot (film)" and in 2004, they introduced their first 1000 cc bike. 2004 marked the end of production for the 750 sports
machines, with a limited production of 300 SR ("Special Racing") model in the traditional red and silver livery.

MV Agusta also made a limited number of F4 750 cc and F4 1000 cc "Ayrton Senna" editions in memory of the late Formula
One Champion of the same name (who was an avid Ducati and MV Agusta collector) in aid of the Instituto Ayrton Senna,
his charity foundation in Brazil for children and young people. 300 models of each were made in the early 2000's.

They also produce a range of 750 and 910 "naked" bikes called the Brutale. Production is somewhat limited, as it is the
policy of the company to produce an elite machine similar to Ferrari in motor cars. They do not compete directly with
Japanese manufacturers, whose motorcycles typically sell for considerably less than the cost of an MV Agusta. Rather
they compete with other Italian models such as Ducati sports bikes the 996, 998, 999, 1098, and the naked Monster. In
2005, MV Agusta introduced the Tamburini 1000, which is named after its creator, Massimo Tamburini, who previously
worked for Moto Guzzi, and most recently Ducati. Cycle World and Australian Motorcycle News magazine named it the best
sportbike in the world. Tamburini designed the Ducati 916 sports bike (predecessor of the 748 and 996 series) which
marked the return of Ducati as a successful motorcycle manufacturer over the last decade. The MV Agusta F4 refined the
innovative design of the 916. In recent publications, the MV Agusta has been highly praised as one of the best handling
motorcycles ever created[citation needed] and the 2008 F4 312R model is known to be the world's fastest production
motorcycle. Claimed power of the new F4 312R model is 183HP, although dyno tests suggest it is more in the range of 172-
175, in stock performance mode, a condition generally resolved by simple after market adjustments.

In 1999 the Cagiva group was restructured for strategic purposes and MV Agusta become the main brand comprising
Cagiva and Husqvarna.

Purchase and sale by Proton
Heavily indebted, the manufacturer was bought by Malaysian carmaker Proton in December 2004 for 70 million euro. In
December 2005 however, Proton decided to cut its ties with MV Agusta and sold it to GEVI SpA, a Genoa-based financing
company related to Carige, for a token euro excluding debt.

In 2006 that financing company, GEVI SpA, with 65% of the share capital, had refinanced MV Agusta, and by so doing
allowed the company to continue, and brought MV Agusta ownership back to Italy.

Husqvarna sale to BMW
In July 2007 MV Agusta Motor S.p.A, sold the Husqvarna motorcycle brand to BMW Motorrad for an undisclosed amount.
Accorting to MV Agusta president Claudio Castiglioni, the sale was a strategic step to concentrate all of the company's
resources in order to expand MV Agusta and Cagiva presence in the international markets having more financial
resources for new models development.

Acquisition by Harley-Davidson
Following years of stalled ownership, many customers were demanding a re-design of the outdated and geriatric F4 model,
but the financial status of the company did not allow it. On July 11, 2008 Harley-Davidson announced they had signed a
definitive agreement to acquire the MV Agusta Group for $109M USD (€70M). The purchase has sparked much interest and
hope for a new direction for the company. The acquisition was completed on August 8th.

Racing

Grand Prix Racing

Agostini "Ago" MV Agusta 350 Four Cylinder

Count Vincenzo and Domenico Agusta had a passion for mechanical workings and for motorcycle racing. They were
determined to have the best Grand Prix motorcycle racing team in the world and spared no expense on their passion. They
achieved this goal by hiring some of the best riders of the time, namely Carlo Ubbiali, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood,
Giacomo Agostini, Phil Read, and others, and having the best engineers, most notably Arturo Magni. The three and four
cylinder race bikes were known for their excellent road handling. The fire-engine red racing machines became a hallmark
of Grand Prix racing in the 1960s and early 1970s, winning 17 consecutive 500 cc World Championships, and 63 World
Championships overall. With the death of Count Domenico Agusta in 1971, the company lost its guiding force. The company
won their last Grand Prix in 1976, and by the 1980 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, they were out of racing.

Between 1948 and 1976 MV Agusta motorcycles have won over 3000 races.

In 1948 the company built a 125 cc two stroke single and entered Franco Bertoni in the Italian Grand Prix. Bertoni won the
event held in Monza and instantly put the new motorcycle manufacturer on the map.

In 1949 the 125 cc or Ultra light weight class gained new prestige. More motorcycle manufacturers were competing in the
inaugural World Championships that were held in Switzerland, Holland and Italy. The Mondial 125 cc Dohc design
dominated the 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. The MV riders placed 9th and 10th in the final standings.

1950 and 1951 were development years , as the company adopted the 125 Dohc four stroke engine. Racing efforts only
produced a fifth place finish at Assen Dutch TT in 1950. The 1951 results were only slightly better.

MV Racing engine 125cc

In 1950 Arturo Magni and Piero Remor joined the company after working with Gilera. Magni was the chief mechanic and
Remor was chief designer.

1952 saw the introduction of telescopic forks , full width alloy brake hubs and a sleek fuel tank on the 125 race bike.
Power was 15 bhp @ 10,800 rpms. Britain's Cecil Stanford piloted the new MV 125 to a Isle of Man TT victory and went on
to win the 1952 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

In 1953 the race engineers adopted the Earl-type forks to help with handling problems on the works racers. The 1953
season saw the introduction of the 350 Four. MV’s racing efforts now included the 500cc, 350cc and 125cc class.

With the success of the 52’ season , independent or “privateer” riders could now purchase a “catalog” version of the 125
Dohc , now available through the company. The Sport Competizione racer had many of the same features as the factory
bike. These included a multi-plate clutch , gear-driven oil pump , Dell'Orto 27mm SS1 carburetor and remote float chamber.
The bike was nick-named “The Boy Racer”.

The mid 1950’s saw the introduction of the 175cc class. MV Agusta produced the 175 CSS for street use and also
developed a 175cc production racer for privateer racing. The 175cc was very popular in Britain in the mid fifties. Racers
like , Micheal O’Rourke, Derek Minter and Bob Keeler raced the 175 and 125 Sport Competizione around Europe with a
great deal of success. The marketing strategy of “race it on Sunday , sell it on Monday” was employed . 1957 the young
Mike Hailwood raced the MV 175cc . Later , Hailwood would become the one of the most successful motorcycle racers of
all time.

For racing , early MV racing engines had the right side casting removed for instant access to the gear box.

The 1950’s had notable MV Agusta racers like Bill Lamos, Nello Pagani , Ray Amm , Fortunato Libanori , Luigi Taveri ,
Umberto Mosseti and Remo Venturi that brought many victories to MV Agusta racing. In late 1955 , MV approached and
signed John Surtees. Surtees , in his inaugural season with MV Agusta won the 1956 500c World Championship on the
Quattro Cilindri. From 1958-1960 , John Surtees would go on to win an additional six World Championships for MV in the
350cc and 500cc classes.

The 1960’s 500cc World Championships were dominated by MV Agusta , with riders Gary Hocking , Mike Hailwood and
Giacomo Agostini. In 1968 , Agostini won the 350cc World Championship title , followed by five consecutive years of
350cc World Championships for MV.

Return to Racing

Daytona International Podium, MV Agusta F4

Although there were no factory racing efforts , independent or ”privateer” teams were racing the F4 750. In 2003 , Big
Show Racing , Chicago Illinois; fielded an F4 750 in the Formula USA , Daytona International Speedway 200 Mile Team
Challenge. The team placed second overall with riders Larry Denning and Aaron Risinger piloting the bike.

In May 2007, the company confirmed its return to racing in the 2008 Superbike World Championship.Carl Fogarty's English
based Team Foggy Racing was going to run the team. Fogarty however abandoned the plans to return to the Superbike
World Championship because of lack of sponsorship.

MV Agusta's racing program for 2008 will see MV Agusta compete in the Italian Superbike Championship and, depending
on the level of competitiveness achieved, in select rounds in the Superbike World Championship. Luca Scassa will be the
only factory backed rider. His bikes will be developed directly by the MV Agusta racing department in Schiranna, Varese
Italy.

MV Agusta motorcycles will also compete in the Australian Superbike Championship, the German Superbike
Championship, the British Superbike Championship, the French Superbike Championship and the Endurance World
Championship.

Production Models 1946-1980
98cc 1946-1949
125 Twin 1947
125 3-Speed 1948-1949
125 TEL 1949-1954
125 CSL Scooter 1949-1951

1956 Pullman 125cc

250 1947-1951
125 Motore Lungo 1950-1953
125 CGT Scooter 1950-1952
500 Turismo 1950
Ovunque Scooter 1951-1954
150 1952-1953
175 CS 1953-1959
Pullman 1953-1956
125 Turismo Rapido 1954-1958
48 Moped 1955-1959

1952 150cc Turismo

Superpullman 1955-1957
300 Twin 1955
Raid 250cc-300cc 1956-1962
Ottantatre 83cc 1958-1960
175 A B 1958-1959
125 TREL. Centomila 1959-1963
150 4T 1959-1970
Chicco Scooter 1960-1964
Tevere 235 1959-1960
Checca ( 83cc-99cc-125cc ) 1960-1969
Liberty 50cc 1962-1969

1972 MV Agusta 350

Germano 50cc 1964-1968
Arno 166 GT 1964-1965
125 GT-GTL 1964-1973
125 Regolarita 1965-1970
250 Twin 1966-1971
Four Cylinder series 1965-1980
600 tourer
750 GT
750SS
750 Sport (drum brake)1972-74
750 Sport (Disc brake)1974
750 Sport America 1975-78
850SS
MV Agusta 350B Sport 1970-1974
350 Ipotesi 1975-1980
125 Sport 1975-1980

Race Models 1946-1976

MV Agusta Racing

98/125 Two Stroke 1946-1949
125 Twin-Cam 1950-1960
500cc Shaft Drive Four
MV Agusta 125 Sohc 1953-1956
175 Twin-Cam 1955-1958
250 Single 1955-1959
350 Twin 1957
250 Twin 1959-1966

500cc Four

500cc Six Cylinder 1957-1958
125 Disc Valve 1965
350cc Three Cylinder 1965-1973
MV Agusta 500 Three 1966-1974
350cc Six Cylinder 1969
350cc Four Cylinder 1971-1976
500cc Four Cylinder 1973-1976

Models , 1998 - Current
Brutale
Brutale 1078RR
Brutale 910S
Brutale 910R
Brutale 750S

F4
F4 1000 R / R 1+1
F4CC
F4 R312
F4 750 S / 1+1
F4 1000 S / 1+1

Limited Editions
F4 Tamburini
F4 1000 Senna
Brutale ORO
F4 SPR
Brutale America
F4 AGO
Brutale Gladio
F4 Mamba
F4 Corse

A limited production edition of the F41000R known as the F4 CC, named after Claudio Castiglioni (the managing director of
MV Agusta), is the most expensive production motorcycle with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $120,000 USD.

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Italian Language

Simple Prepositions

Preposizioni Semplici
di (d’) of, from
a at, to, in
da from, by
in in
con with
su on
per for
tra, fra between

Examples:
Vive a Roma. (She lives in Rome.)
L’aereo arriva da Londra. (The airplane arrives from
London.)
Abita in California. (He lives in California.)
Parlo con Andrea. (I’m talking with Andrea.)
I libri sono su un banco. (The books are on a desk.)
La penna è tra i quaderni. (The pen is between the
notebooks.)
La chiamata è per Teresa. (The call is for Teresa.)

The preposition di expresses possession as well as place
of origin:

Di chi è questa rivista?—È di Lucia.
Whose magazine is this?—It’s Lucia’s.

Di dov’è James?—È di Miami.
Where is James from?— He’s from Miami.

The English to and in are translated by the Italian
preposition a when used with the name of a city or a small
island.

Vado a Venezia. (I am going to Venice.)
Abitano a Venezia. (They live in Venice.)
Vanno a Capri. (They are going to Capri.)
Abitano a Ischia. (They live in Ischia.)

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Italian History

Italo-Venezuelani (Italian-Venezuelans)

Notable Italo-Venezuelani (Italian-Venezuelans)

Jaime Lusinchi Pompeo D'Ambrosio Johnny Cecotto

Total Population:
310,000
of whom 213,000 with Italian citizenship (census 1971)

Regions with Significant Populations:
Caracas, Valencia, Maracaibo, Puerto La Cruz, Maracay, Merida and surrounding areas.

Languages:
Italian, Spanish

Religion:
Roman Catholic

Italo-Venezuelani (Italian-Venezuelans) are the Venezuelan citizens of Italian descent. The word may refer to someone born
in Venezuela of Italian descent or to someone who has emigrated to Venezuela from Italy. Among European Venezuelans,
Italians are the largest groups of immigrants to settle in the country.

History
Before the discovery of huge deposits of oil in Venezuela, during the first half of the XX century, the emigration of Italians
to Venezuela was very limited. Only a few hundreds (like Agostino Codazzi) moved to Venezuela from Italy during the
colonial times and the Simon Bolivar era.

But in the 1940s and 1950s the Venezuelan President Marcos Pérez Jiménez promoted the European immigration to his
depopulated country, and so more than 300,000 Italians moved in (even if many returned later to Italy).

The Italians in the 1961 Venezuelan census were the biggest European community in Venezuela (ahead of the Spanish). In
1976 the "Dirección de Estadísticas" of Venezuela registered 210,350 Italians residents and 25,858 Italians
"naturalizaded" (who got Venezuelan citizenship).

Marisa Vannini calculated that in the eighties the Italo-Venezuelani (Italian-Venezuelans) were nearly 400,000, including
(and in addition to the Italians emigrated from Italy) more that 120,000 descendants of second generation. Actually, the
Italian language in Venezuela is influencing with some modisms and loanwords the Venezuelan Spanish and is
experiencing a notable revival between the Italo-Venezuelani (Italian-Venezuelans) of second and third generation.

Santander Laya-Garrido estimated that the Venezuelans with at least one grandparent from Italy can be nearly one million
at the beginning of the XXI century (like the former president of Venezuela, Raul Leoni, whose grandfather was an Italian
mason refugee of the XIX century).

Actually the Italians resident in Venezuela are reduced to less than 50,000 due mainly to demographic mortality and to
their return to Italy (because of a Venezuelan political and economic crisis in the 2000s).

Italian Population in Venezuela
Census Year Venezuelan population Italian population % Italians over foreigners % Italians over total population
1881 2,075,245 3,237 6.6 0.15
1941 3,850,771 3,034 6.3 0.07
1950 5,091,543 136,705 31.1 3.01
1961 7,523,999 113,631 24.6 1.51
1971 10,721,522 213,000 22.3 1.99
2001 23,054,210 49,337 4.86 0.04

Professions of the Italo-Venezuelani (Italian-Venezuelans)
Initially the agriculture was one of the main activities of the Italian Community in Venezuela. In the fifties entire Italian
families were moved from Italy to special agricultural areas, like in the "Colonia Turén" of the Portuguesa region.

But most of the Italians concentrated in commercial, building and services activities during the second half of the XX
century. In those sectors the Italians reached the top levels of the Venezuelan economy.

The main Italian newspapers of the community are Il Corriere di Caracas and La Voce d'Italia, both published in the
Capital, while the main Italian school is the Agustin Codazzi of Caracas (with courses from elementary to high school).
Since 2002, the Italian Government has become the promoter for a provision which makes it mandatory to teach the
Italian language as a second language in a consistent number of public and private schools within Venezuela.

Indeed, the Italo-Venezuelani (Italian-Venezuelans) have obtained significant results in the contemporary society of
Venezuela. The Italian Embassy calculates that 1/4 of the Venezuelan industries, not related to the oil sector, are directly
or indirectly owned and/or managed by Italo-Venezuelans.

Daniela Di Giacomo, Miss International 2006

In the Italian community, actually one of the most important in Venezuela, there are Presidents of Venezuela (like Jaime
Lusinchi and Raul Leoni), entrepreneurs (like ing. Delfino, who with his "Constructora Delpre" made in Caracas the tallest
skyscrapers of South America: Parque Central Complex), managers (like Pompeo D'Ambrosio), sportmen (like Johnny
Cecotto), artists (like Franco De Vita), beauty pageants (like Daniela Di Giacomo and Nina Sicilia), and many others
personalities.

Notable Italian-Venezuelans
Jaime Lusinchi. President of Venezuela (1984-1989)
Raul Leoni. President of Venezuela (1963-1968)
Agostino Codazzi. Geographer, Cartographer, Military Officer, Governor
Renny Ottolina. Artist, TV Anchor, Politician
Pompeo D'Ambrosio. Financial Manager, Vice-President of Bank
Johnny Cecotto. Sportman (moto & race cars)
Daniela Di Giacomo. Miss International 2006
Ivan Palazzese. Sportman (moto)
Franco De Vita. Artist, Singer, Composer, Pianist
Marco Scutaro. International Baseball Player
Italo Pizzolante. Poet, Composer, Musician
Viviana Gibelli. TV Host and Actress

Geographical Distribution and Origin
The Italians moved to Venezuela mainly from the poor regions of South Italy (like Sicily), but even from the north
(Emilia-Romagna and Veneto).

Areas where the Italian Community is Concentrated

The Italian Consulate in Caracas stated that in 1977 - of 210,350 Italians residents in Venezuela - 39,855 were from Sicily,
35,802 from Campania, 20,808 from Abruzzi, 18,520 from Puglia, but even 8,953 from Veneto, 7,650 from Emilia-Romagna
and 6,184 from Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

The Italians are concentrated mainly in the north-central region of Venezuela around Caracas. The Consulate stated that in
the same 1977 there were 98,106 Italians in the Distrito Federal of Caracas, 39,508 in Miranda State, 14,203 in Maracaibo,
12.801 in Aragua State and 8,104 in Carabobo State, but even 66 in the Amazonas equatorial region.

Actually, in the 2000s, nearly 90% of the Italo-Venezuelans are concentrated in the northern coastal section of Venezuela
facing the Caribbean sea. Aproximately 2/3 of them are residents of the metropolitan areas of the three main Venezuelan
cities: Caracas, Maracaibo and Valencia.

Main Italian-Venezuelan Institutions and Associations
Asociación Civil "Agustin Codazzi" in Caracas
Casa de Italia in Caracas, Maracay, Valencia, Ciudad Bolivar
Centro Italo-Venezolano in Caracas, Barcelona, Maracaibo, Valencia.
Club Social Italiano in Puerto La Cruz, Acarigua
Deportivo Italia Football Club
Instituto Italiano de Cultura in Caracas
Camera di Commercio, Industria ed Agricoltura Venezuelana-Italiana in Caracas
Regional Associations of Italians in Venezuela
Genealogía Italiana en Venezuela http://www.italven.org

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Italian Products

Gnocchi

Gnocchi mixed with ricotta. Gnocchi being prepared.

Gnocchi (pronounced [ˈɲɔːki] in Italian; singular gnocco) is the Italian name for a variety of thick, soft noodle or
dumpling. They may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, potato, bread crumbs, or other ingredients.

The word gnocco means "lump", and comes from nocchio, a knot in the wood. It’s been a traditional Italian pasta type of
probably Middle Eastern origin since Roman times (Imperium Romanum). It was introduced by the Roman Legions while
the enormous expansion of the empire into the countries of the European continent. In the past 2000 years each country
developed its own specific type of small dumplings, with the ancient Gnocchi as their common ancestor. In Roman times,
gnocchi were made from a semolina porridge-like dough mixed with eggs, and are still found in similar forms today,
particularly in Sardinia. One variety, gnocchi di pane (literally bread noodles), is made from bread crumbs and is popular
in Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The use of potato is a relatively recent innovation, occuring after the introduction
of the potato to Europe in the 16th century.

Gnocchi are eaten as entrées (primi piatti) in Italy or as alternatives to minestre ("soups") or pasta.

Gnocchi are widely available dried, frozen, or fresh in vacuum sealed packages in supermarkets and Italian specialty
stores. Classic accompaniments of gnocchi include tomato sauces, pesto, and melted butter (sometimes fried butter) with
cheese.

In Latin America
At the start of the 20th century waves of European immigrants arrived to Latin America. In Argentina, over 50% of those
immigrants came from Italy, and they brought their traditions and cuisine along with them.

In Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela, countries where Italian cuisine is especially popular,
gnocchi (known as ñoquis in Spanish-speaking countries or nhoque in Brazil) are traditionally eaten on the 29th day of
each month.[citation needed] Argentines, Paraguayans and Uruguayans gather each month (exept february) specifically to
eat "ñoquis del 29" (literally, "gnocchi of the 29th"). On these occasions, some people leave a banknote under the plate to
attract prosperity. There are two popular explanations for these customs. One is that 29th is the day before payday, when
money was tight and gnocchi were cheap and hearty fare. The other is that the 29th is the feast day of Saint Pantaleon, one
of the patron saints of Venice, who was canonized on this date. Pantaleon was a doctor in the 8th century who, upon
converting to Christianity, made a pilgrimage across Northern Italy. Along the way, he practiced miraculous healings that
led to his sainthood. On one occasion, he asked some poor farmers for a little bread, and they invited him to share their
meager meal. He blessed the farmers, who reported abundant crops the next year-another miracle. Eating simple food
(represented by the ñoquis) on his feast day is the customary way to honor that miracle and ask for prosperity and
blessings.

In a curious reversal of meaning, in Argentine and Uruguayan slang ñoqui has also become a way to denote a government
employee that is listed in the payroll but only shows up to collect his or her paycheck around the 29th of each month.

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Famous Italians

Enrico Fermi

Born: 29 September 1901 (1901-09-29)
Roma (Rome), Italy
Died: November 28, 1954 (aged 53)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
Citizenship: Italy (1901-1938), United States (1944-1954)
Fields: Physics
Institutions: Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, University of Göttingen, University of Leiden, University of
Roma (Rome) La Sapienza, Columbia University, University of Chicago, Alma mater Scuola Normale
Superiore
Known for: New radioactive elements produced by neutron irradiation, Controlled nuclear chain reaction,
Fermi-Dirac statistics, Theory of beta decay
Notable Awards: Nobel Prize for Physics (1938)

Enrico Fermi (September 29, 1901 – November 28, 1954) was an Italian physicist most noted for his work on the
development of the first nuclear reactor, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and
particle physics, and statistical mechanics. Fermi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1938 for his work on
induced radioactivity and is today regarded as one of the top scientists of the 20th century. He is acknowledged as a
unique physicist who was highly accomplished in both theory and experiment. Fermium, a synthetic element created in
1952 is named after him.

Childhood
Enrico Fermi was born in Roma (Rome), Italy. His father was Alberto Fermi, a Chief Inspector of the Ministry of
Communications, and his mother was Ida de Gattis, an elementary school teacher. As a young boy he enjoyed learning
physics and mathematics and shared his interests with his older brother, Giulio. When Giulio died unexpectedly of a throat
abscess in 1915, Enrico was distraught, and immersed himself into scientific study to distract himself. According to his
own account, each day he would walk in front of the hospital where Giulio died until he became inured to the pain. One of
the first source for the study of physics was a book found at the local market of Campo de' Fiori in Roma (Rome). That book,
entitled Elementorum physicae mathematicae comprehend different subjects as for example mathematics, classical
mechanics, astronomy, optics, and acoustics. Its 900 pages in Latin, written by father Andrea Caraffa, professor at the
Collegio Romano in Rome, have been deeply studied by the young Fermi, fact proved by the different notes found inside the
original book. Later, Enrico befriended another scientifically inclined student named Enrico Persico, and the two together
engaged in scientific projects such as building gyroscopes, and measuring the magnetic field of the earth. Fermi's interest
in physics was further encouraged by a friend of his father, Adolfo Amidei, who gave him several books on physics and
mathematics, which he read and quickly assimilated.

Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa
In 1918 Fermi enrolled at the prestigious Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, where he was later to receive his
undergraduate and doctoral degree. In order to enter the Institute, candidates had to take an entrance exam which
included an essay. For his essay on the given theme Characteristics of Sound, 17-year-old Fermi chose to derive and
solve the Fourier analysis based partial differential equation for waves on a string. The examiner, Prof. Giulio Pittato,
interviewed Fermi and concluded that his essay would have been commendable even for a doctoral degree. Enrico Fermi
ended up at the first place in the classification of the entrance exam. During the years at the Scuola Normale Superiore,
Fermi teamed up with a fellow student named Franco Rasetti with whom he used to indulge in light-hearted pranks. Later,
Rasetti became Fermi's close friend and collaborator.

Beside attending the classes, Enrico Fermi found the time to work on with his extra-curricular activities, particularly with
the help of his friend Enrico Persico, who remained in Rome to attend the university. Between 1919 and 1923 Fermi
studied general relativity, quantum mechanics and atomic physics. His knowledge of quantum mechanics reached such a
high level that the head of the Physics Institute, Prof. Luigi Puccianti, asked him to organize seminars about that topic.
During this time he learnt tensor calculus, a mathematical instrument invented by Gregorio Ricci and Tullio Levi-Civita,
and needed to demonstrate the principles of general relativity. In 1921, his third year at the university, he published his
first scientific works on the Italian magazine Nuovo Cimento: the first was entitled: "On the dynamic of a solid system of
electrical charges in transient conditions"; the second: "On the electrostatic of a uniform gravitational field of
electromagnetic charges and on the weight of electromagnetic charges". At first glance, the first paper seemed to point out
a contradiction between the electrodynamic theory and the relativistic one concerning the calculation of the
electromagnetic masses. After one year with a work entitled "Correction of severe discrepancy between electrodynamic
theory and the relativistic one of electromagnetic charges. Inertia and weight of electricity", Enrico Fermi showed the
correctness of his paper. This last publication was so successful that was translated into German and published in the
famous German scientific magazine "Physikalische Zeitschrift".

In 1922 he published his first important scientific work in the Italian magazine I Rendiconti dell'Accademia dei Lincei
entitled "On the phenomena that happen close to the line of time", where he introduces for the first time the so-called
"Fermi's coordinates", and proves that when close to the time line, space behaves as an euclidean one. In 1922 Fermi
graduated from Scuola Normale Superiore.

In 1923, while writing the appendix for the Italian edition of the book "Foundation of Einstein's relativity" written by A.
Kopff, Enrico Fermi pointed out, for the first time, the fact that beside(?) the famous Einstein equation (E = mc^2), there was
a enormous amount of energy (nuclear energy) to be exploited.

Fermi's Ph.D advisor was Luigi Puccianti. In 1924 Fermi spent a semester in Göttingen, and then stayed for a few months
in Leiden with Paul Ehrenfest. From January 1925 to the autumn of 1926, he stayed at the University of Florence. In this
period he wrote his work on the Fermi-Dirac statistics. When he was only 24 years old, Fermi took a [professorship at the
Rome (first inatomic physics in Italy) which he won in a competition held by Professor Orso Mario Corbino, director of the
Institute of Physics). Corbino helped Fermi in selecting his team, which soon was joined by notable minds like Edoardo
Amaldi, Bruno Pontecorvo, Franco Rasetti and Emilio Segrè. For the theoretical studies only, Ettore Majorana also took
part in what was soon nicknamed "the Via Panisperna boys" (after the name of the road in which the Institute had its labs).
The group went on with its now famous experiments, but in 1933 Rasetti left Italy for Canada and the United States,
Pontecorvo went to France and Segrè left to teach in Palermo.

During their time in Roma (Rome), Fermi and his group made important contributions to many practical and theoretical
aspects of physics. These include the theory of beta decay, and the discovery of slow neutrons, which was to prove
pivotal for the working of nuclear reactors. His group systematically bombarded elements with slow neutrons, and during
their experiments with uranium, narrowly missed observing nuclear fission. At that time, fission was thought to be
improbable if not impossible, mostly on theoretical grounds. While people expected elements with higher atomic number to
form from neutron bombardment of lighter elements, nobody expected neutrons to have enough energy to actually split a
heavier atom into two light element fragments. However, the chemist Ida Noddack had criticised Fermi's work and had
suggested that some of his experiments could have produced lighter elements. At the time, Fermi dismissed this
possibility on the basis of calculations.

Fermi was well-known for his simplicity in solving problems. He began his inquiries with the simplest lines of
mathematical reasoning, then later produced complete solutions to the problems he deemed worth pursuing. His abilities
as a great scientist, combining theoretical and applied nuclear physics, were acknowledged by all. He influenced many
physicists who worked with him, such as Hans Bethe, who spent two semesters working with Fermi in the early 1930s.
From the time he was a boy, Fermi meticulously recorded his calculations in notebooks, and later used to solve many new
problems that he encountered based on these earlier known problems.

When Fermi submitted his famous paper on beta decay to the prestigious journal Nature, the journal's editor turned it down
because "it contained speculations which were too remote from reality". Thus Fermi saw the theory published in Italian
and in German before it was published in English. Nature eventually did publish Fermi's report on beta decay on January
16, 1939.

The Manhattan Project
Fermi remained in Roma (Rome) until 1938. In 1938, Fermi won the Nobel Prize in Physics at the age of 37 for his
"demonstrations of the existence of new radioactive elements produced by neutron irradiation, and for his related
discovery of nuclear reactions brought about by slow neutrons".

Fermi (bottom left), Szilárd (second from right on bottom), and the rest of the pile team.

After Fermi received the Nobel Prize in Stockholm, he, his wife Laura, and their children emigrated to New York. This was
mainly because of the anti-Semitic laws promulgated by the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini which threatened Laura,
who was Jewish. Also, the new laws put most of Fermi's research assistants out of work.

Soon after his arrival in New York, Fermi began working at Columbia University.

In December 1938, the German chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann sent a manuscript to Naturwissenschaften
reporting they had detected the element barium after bombarding uranium with neutrons; simultaneously, they
communicated these results to Lise Meitner. Meitner, and her nephew Otto Robert Frisch, correctly interpreted these
results as being nuclear fission. Frisch confirmed this experimentally on 13 January 1939. In 1944, Hahn received the
Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the discovery of nuclear fission. Some historians have documented the history of the
discovery of nuclear fission and believe Meitner should have been awarded the Nobel Prize with Hahn.

Meitner’s and Frisch’s interpretation of the work of Hahn and Strassmann crossed the Atlantic Ocean with Niels Bohr, who
was to lecture at Princeton University. Isidor Isaac Rabi and Willis Lamb, two Columbia University physicists working at
Princeton, heard the news and carried it back to Columbia. Rabi said he told Enrico Fermi; Fermi gave credit to Lamb.
Bohr soon thereafter went from Princeton to Columbia to see Fermi. Not finding Fermi in his office, Bohr went down to the
cyclotron area and found Herbert L. Anderson. Bohr grabbed him by the shoulder and said: “Young man, let me explain to
you about something new and exciting in physics.” It was clear to a number of scientists at Columbia that they should try
to detect the energy released in the nuclear fission of uranium from neutron bombardment. On 25 January 1939, a
Columbia University team conducted the first nuclear fission experiment in the United States, which was done in the
basement of Pupin Hall; the members of the team were Herbert L. Anderson, Eugene T. Booth, John R. Dunning, Enrico
Fermi, G. Norris Glasoe, and Francis G. Slack. The next day, the Fifth Washington Conference on Theoretical Physics
began in Washington, D.C. under the joint auspices of The George Washington University and the Carnegie Institution of
Washington. There, the news on nuclear fission was spread even further, which fostered many more experimental
demonstrations.

Fermi then went to the University of Chicago and began studies that led to the construction of the first nuclear pile Chicago
Pile-1.

Fermi recalled the beginning of the project in a speech given in 1954 when he retired as President of the American
Physical Society:

Fermi's ID badge photo from Los Alamos.

"I remember very vividly the first month, January, 1939, that I started working at the Pupin Laboratories because things
began happening very fast. In that period, Niels Bohr was on a lecture engagement at the Princeton University and I
remember one afternoon Willis Lamb came back very excited and said that Bohr had leaked out great news. The great
news that had leaked out was the discovery of fission and at least the outline of its interpretation. Then, somewhat later
that same month, there was a meeting in Washington where the possible importance of the newly discovered phenomenon
of fission was first discussed in semi-jocular earnest as a possible source of nuclear power."

An image from the Fermi-Szilárd "neutronic reactor" patent.

In August 1939 Leó Szilárd prepared and Albert Einstein signed the famous letter warning President Franklin D. Roosevelt
of the probability that the Nazis were planning to build an atomic bomb. Because of Hitler's September 1 invasion of
Poland, it was October before they could arrange for the letter to be personally delivered. Roosevelt was concerned
enough that the Uranium Committee was assembled, and awarded Columbia University the first atomic energy funding of
US$6,000. However, due to bureaucratic fears of foreigners doing secret research, the money was not actually issued
until Szilárd implored Einstein to send a second letter to the president in the spring of 1940. The money was used in
studies which led to the first nuclear reactor — Chicago Pile-1, a massive "atomic pile" of graphite bricks and uranium
fuel which went critical on December 2, 1942, built in a hard racquets court under Stagg Field, the football stadium at the
University of Chicago. Due to a mistranslation, Soviet reports on Enrico Fermi claimed that his work was performed in a
converted "pumpkin field" instead of a "squash court", squash being an offshoot of hard racquets. This experiment was a
landmark in the quest for energy, and it was typical of Fermi's brilliance. Every step had been carefully planned, every
calculation meticulously done by him. When the first self-sustained nuclear chain reaction was achieved, a coded phone
call was made by one of the physicists, Arthur Compton to James Conant, chairman of the National Defense Research
Committee. The conversation was in impromptu code:
Compton: The Italian navigator has landed in the New World.
Conant: How were the natives?
Compton: Very friendly.

This successful initiation of a chain-reacting pile was important not only for its help in assessing the properties of fission
— needed for understanding the internal workings of an atomic bomb — but also because it would serve as a pilot plant
for the massive reactors which would be created in Hanford, Washington, which would then be used to produce the
plutonium needed for the bombs used at the Trinity site and Nagasaki. Eventually Fermi and Szilárd's reactor work was
folded into the Manhattan Project.

Fermi moved to Los Alamos in the later stages of the Manhattan Project to serve as a general consultant. He was sitting
in the control room of the Hanford B Reactor when it first went critical in 1944. His broad knowledge of many fields of
physics was useful in solving problems that were of an interdisciplinary nature.

He became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America in 1944.

Fermi was present as an observer of the Trinity test on July 16, 1945. Engineer Jack Aeby saw Fermi at work:

“ As the shock wave hit Base Camp, Aeby saw Enrico Fermi with a handful of torn paper. "He was dribbling it in the air.
When the shock wave came it moved the confetti. He thought for a moment."
Fermi had just estimated the yield of the first nuclear explosion. It was in the ball park.
”

Fermi's strips-of-paper estimate was ten kilotons of TNT; the actual yield was about 19 kilotons.

Post-War Work
In Fermi's 1954 address to the APS he also said, "Well, this brings us to Pearl Harbor. That is the time when I left Columbia
University, and after a few months of commuting between Chicago and New York, eventually moved to Chicago to keep up
the work there, and from then on, with a few notable exceptions, the work at Columbia was concentrated on the isotope
separation phase of the atomic energy project, initiated by Booth, Dunning and Urey about 1940".

Fermi was widely regarded as the only physicist of the twentieth century who excelled both theoretically and
experimentally. The well-known historian of physics, C. P. Snow, says about him, "If Fermi had been born a few years
earlier, one could well imagine him discovering Rutherford's atomic nucleus, and then developing Bohr's theory of the
hydrogen atom. If this sounds like hyperbole, anything about Fermi is likely to sound like hyperbole". Fermi's ability and
success stemmed as much from his appraisal of the art of the possible, as from his innate skill and intelligence. He
disliked complicated theories, and while he had great mathematical ability, he would never use it when the job could be
done much more simply. He was famous for getting quick and accurate answers to problems which would stump other
people. An instance of this was seen during the first atomic bomb test in New Mexico on July 16 1945. As the blast wave
reached him, Fermi dropped bits of paper. By measuring the distance they were blown, he could compare to a previously
computed table and thus estimate the bomb energy yield. He estimated that the blast was greater than 10 kilotons of TNT,
the measured result was 18.6. (Rhodes, page 674). Later on, this method of getting approximate and quick answers
through back-of-the-envelope calculations became informally known as the 'Fermi method'.

The Enrico Fermi Street in Roma (Rome)

Fermi's most disarming trait was his great modesty, and his ability to do any kind of work, whether creative or routine. It
was this quality that made him popular and liked among people of all strata, from other Nobel Laureates to technicians.
Henry DeWolf Smyth, who was Chairman of the Princeton Physics department, had once invited Fermi over to do some
experiments with the Princeton cyclotron. Walking into the lab one day, Smyth saw the distinguished scientist helping a
graduate student move a table, under another student's directions. Another time, a Du Pont executive made a visit to see
him at Columbia. Not finding him either in his lab or his office, the executive was surprised to find the Nobel Laureate in
the machine shop, cutting sheets of tin with a big pair of shears.

After the war, Fermi served for a short time on the General Advisory Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission, a
scientific committee chaired by J. Robert Oppenheimer which advised the commission on nuclear matters and policy.
After the detonation of the first Soviet fission bomb in August 1949, he, along with Isidor Rabi, wrote a strongly-worded
report for the committee which opposed the development of a hydrogen bomb on moral and technical grounds. But Fermi
also participated in preliminary work on the hydrogen bomb at Los Alamos as a consultant, and along with Stanislaw
Ulam, calculated that the amount of tritium needed for Edward Teller's model of a thermonuclear weapon would be
prohibitive, and a fusion reaction could not be assured to propagate even with this large quantity of tritium.

In his later years, Fermi did important work in particle physics, especially related to pions and muons. He was also known
to be an inspiring teacher at the University of Chicago, and was known for his attention to detail, simplicity, and careful
preparation for a lecture. Later, his lecture notes, especially those for quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, and
thermodynamics, were transcribed into books which are still in print.

Also in these later years he mused about a proposition which is now referred to as the "Fermi Paradox". This absurd
contradiction or proposition is this: that with the billions and billions of star systems in the universe, one would think that
intelligent life would have contacted our civilization by now; yet this has not happened since it takes only about 600 years
for a civilization to reach potential for annihilating itself with weapons of mass destruction as it grows in knowledge
exponentially.

Fermi died at age 53 of stomach cancer and was interred at Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois. Two of his graduate
students who assisted him in working on or near the nuclear pile also died of cancer. Fermi and his team knew that such
work carried considerable risk but they considered the outcome so vital that they forged ahead with little regard for their
own personal safety.

As Eugene Wigner wrote: "Ten days before Fermi had died he told me, 'I hope it won't take long.' He had reconciled himself
perfectly to his fate".

A recent poll by Time magazine listed Fermi among the top twenty scientists of the century.

The Fermilab particle accelerator and physics lab in Batavia, Illinois, is named after him in loving memory from the
physics community.

Fermi 1 & Fermi 2 nuclear power plants in Newport, Michigan are also named after him, as are many schools such as
Enrico Fermi High School in Enfield, Connecticut.

Fermi Court in Deep River, Ontario is named in his honour.

In 1952, element 100 on the periodic table of elements was isolated from the debris of a nuclear test. In honor of Fermi's
contributions to the scientific community, it was named fermium after him.

Since the 1950s, the United States Atomic Energy Commission has named its highest honour, the Fermi Award, after him.
Recipients of the award include well-known scientists like Otto Hahn, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Freeman Dyson, John
Wheeler and Hans Bethe.

Laura and Enrico Fermi Family Legacy
Enrico Fermi's mother built her own pressure cooker and perhaps this inspired Enrico to build the first nuclear reactor in
1942. A pressure cooker is metal containing steam pressure. Enrico's pile was graphite containing uranium from
exploding (copyright Olivia Fermi 2001-2008, unpublished manuscript). In 1928, Fermi married Laura Capon. They had two
children while living in Rome, Italy: a daughter Nella Fermi Weiner, PhD (1931–1995), artist and feminist; and a son Giulio
("Judd") Fermi, PhD (1936–1997). Laura and Enrico's son Giulio worked with the Nobel laureate Max Perutz on the
structure of hemoglobin.

Toward the end of his life, Enrico realized his faith in society at large to make wise choices about nuclear technology was
questionable. Enrico Fermi said:
"Some of you may ask, what is the good of working so hard merely to collect a few facts which will bring no pleasure
except to a few long-haired professors who love to collect such things and will be of no use to anybody because only few
specialists at best will be able to understand them? In answer to such question[s] I may venture a fairly safe prediction.
History of science and technology has consistently taught us that scientific advances in basic understanding have sooner
or later led to technical and industrial applications that have revolutionized our way of life. It seems to me improbable that
this effort to get at the structure of matter should be an exception to this rule. What is less certain, and what we all
fervently hope, is that man will soon grow sufficiently adult to make good use of the powers that he acquires over nature."
His wife, Laura Fermi (1907–1977), early environmentalist, systems thinker, prolific writer and New York Times bestselling
author of "Atoms in the Family: Life with Enrico Fermi, Architect of the Atomic Age" said, of our nuclear dilemma:
"But above all, there were the moral questions. I knew scientists had hoped that the bomb would not be possible, but
there it was and it had already killed and destroyed so much. Was war or was science to be blamed? Should the scientists
have stopped the work once they realized that a bomb was feasible? Would there always be war in the future? To these
kinds of questions there is no simple answer."

Rachel Fermi (1964–), photographer and teacher, Laura and Enrico Fermi's 3rd grandchild, continued to question the sanity
of nuclear weapons in her book, "Picturing the Bomb". The authors juxtapose photos from the top secret world of the
Manhattan Project with family photos from Los Alamos and Hanford.

Olivia Fermi (1957–), formerly Alice Caton, M.A. A.B.S. - Leadership in Human Systems, ConRes Cert, photoartist, writer
and business consultant, Laura and Enrico's first grandchild, is currently researching the legacy of her grandparents for a
series of books she plans to publish.[21] On September 29, 2001, shortly after the destruction of the World Trade Center in
New York City, Olivia flew to Rome, Italy to deliver a speech to the International Conference: Enrico Fermi and the
Universe of Physics. She had been invited to speak to this gathering of physicists as a representative of the Laura and
Enrico Fermi family. Olivia said]:
"All of us alive today, and all who will come after us, are heirs to Enrico Fermi’s scientific legacy. We all have a stake in
it. Since the end of World War II, humanity has had knowledge of nuclear energy and its incredible potential for benefit as
well as harm.
"Enrico Fermi gave us a lot. And there is more to be done. Enrico Fermi’s work, and the work of other scientists, exists in
a world full of people who, in a certain way, are like Enrico... [funny anecdotes about occasional Enrico errors]... He, like
all of us, was both brilliant and fallible.
"We have a collective, developmental task. We must learn to integrate our scientific knowledge and our human
experience to find the answers to the nuclear dilemma, and to the many other dilemmas facing us today. ... Our world has
yet to find the right nuclear recipe – how to harness nuclear power for the benefit of all living things.
"We will need all of our human gifts to survive and flourish on this planet. From here, it looks to me like Enrico contributed
all of his gifts. Now it’s up to us to contribute ours. We can look back to Enrico for inspiration, if we look to ourselves for
the future."

The two male grandchildren of Laura and Enrico are Olivia's brother: Paul Weiner, PhD (1959–), mathematician and
professor; and Rachel's brother: Daniel Fermi (1971–). Between Paul and Rachel, there are four great-grandchildren of
Laura and Enrico Fermi. These two children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren are all the direct descendents
of Laura and Enrico Fermi.

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ITALIAN LANGUAGE: Lessons of Italian Grammar, Spelling, and Usage: Simple
Prepositions
ITALIAN GENEALOGY: How to Find Places of your Ancestors and Living Relatives in
Italy
ITALIAN REGIONS: Piemonte (Piedmont)
ITALIAN PROVINCES: Torino (Turin) - Alessandria - Asti - Biella - Cuneo - Novara -
Verbano-Cusio-Ossola - Vercelli
ITALIAN RECIPES: Skillet Rosemary Focaccia - Fettuccine Cacciatore
ITALIAN HISTORY: Italo-Venezuelani (Italian-Venezuelans)
FAMOUS ITALIANS: Enrico Fermi
ITALIAN COMPANIES: M.V. Agusta
ITALIAN PRODUCTS: Gnocchi
ITALIAN LATEST NEWS: Life in Italy

In This Issue:

Issue # 12, December 2008

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Italian Recipes

Skillet Rosemary Focaccia

Ingredients
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water (110 degrees F to 115 degrees F)
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cool water (70 degrees F to 85 degrees F)
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon whole fresh rosemary leaves

Cooking Directions
In a medium glass bowl, stir together the yeast, lukewarm
water and sugar. Let the mixture stand until foamy, about 5
minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1 1/2 cups
of the flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a
warm spot for about 2 hours, until the mixture has doubled
in volume. Remove the plastic wrap and stir in the cool
water, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, the whole wheat flour, the
remaining 1 cup of all-purpose flour and the chopped
rosemary to form a wet dough. Transfer the dough to a
mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 3 to 5
minutes on medium-low speed. Lightly coat the inside of
another bowl with oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover
with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator 2 hours before
baking to give it time to warm up. The dough will be bubbly
and loose. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Position a
rack on the middle shelf. Brush a cast-iron skillet (or 2-quart
baking dish) with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Gently scrape
the dough into the skillet. Drizzle with the remaining
tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and top with
rosemary leaves. Set the dough aside to rise for 20
minutes, then bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.
Cool the focaccia in the pan for at least 20 minutes before
slicing.

Yield
8 servings
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