ITALIAN NEWS - Issue # 18, June 2009

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

UMBRIA

Official Website: www.regione.umbria.it

The Territory
In the true heart of Italy, the region is not touched by the sea,
and the territory is for one-third mountains and for the rest
hills covered with olive trees and vineyards, and
acknowledgedly among the most beautiful landscapes in
Italy. Rich in waters, being crossed by many rivers -- the
Nestore, Paglia, Chiascio and Velino which flows into the
Nera with a 165 mt jump, giving origin to the spectacular
Marmore waterfalls -- and comprising the largest lake in
central Italy, Lake Trasimeno, the territory is suited to
agriculture, the main produce being cereals, tobacco,
sugar-beet, sunflowers, vineyards; Umbria is also among
the first producers in Europe of black truffle. Industry is
especially connected to the electrical power plants and
steel mills in the province of Terni. Renowned ceramic
production is flourishing in Deruta, Gubbio and Orvieto.
Thanks to the temperate climate, the beautiful landscapes
and the religious, cultural and artistic wealth of many cities
like Assisi, Gubbio, Spoleto, Perugia, tourism is also an
important resource.

Provinces of Umbria
Province of Perugia (PG), Province of Terni (TR)

History
Inhabited by the ancient Umbrians, the region was in the first
millennium BC under the influence of the Etruscans, then
was conquered by the Romans in the 4th century BC and
later became the Sexta Regio of the Roman Empire. With the
barbarian invasions and the destruction that followed the
fall of the Western Roman Empire, the region shared the
destiny of great part of Italy: the beautiful flourishing cities
were plundered and destroyed, the population took refuge in
the mountains, where later the Lombards, giving finally
some political stability, built castles and citadels and
established the Duchy of Spoleto in 571, including also parts
of Marche, Abruzzo and Latium. The Lombards were in the
late 8th century defeated by the Franks, though Spoleto
maintained its dominant position in central Italy still for
centuries. The rise of the Communes brought along intestine
wars in Perugia and Assisi, and then coalitions against the
Emperors Frederick I and Frederick II.

The region fell more and more under the influence of the
Church State, which was practically in power since the 15th
century until 1798, when the region was occupied by
Napoleonic Army and a Republic established in Rome. With
the Restoration of 1815 Umbria was returned to the State of
the Church, though the movement of the Italian Risorgimento
was strong among the population, which was finally united
to the Italian Kingdom after a referendum in 1860, at the time
of the Second War of Italian Independence.

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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 Companies

Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani S.p.A.
Type: Private
Founded: Milan, Italy, 1975
Founder: Giorgio Armani and Sergio Galeotti
Headquarters: Milan, Italy
Area Served: Worldwide
Key People: Giorgio Armani
Industry: Fashion and Leisure
Revenue: $1.69bn (2005)
Employees: 4,700
Official Website: www.giorgioarmani.com

Giorgio Armani S.p.A. is an Italian fashion company. The company designs and manufactures products in several
categories including fashion accessories, apparel, cosmetics, fragrances, home interiors, jewelry, eyewear and watches
under several labels including Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, Armani Junior, Armani
Exchange A|X, and Armani Casa. End of year sales for 2005 were $1.69 billion.

Armani is also planning together with Emaar Properties to launch a chain of luxury hotels and resorts in several big cities
including London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, Dubai and Milan. The company already operates a range of cafes
worldwide, in addition to a bar, restaurant and nightclub.

History
Giorgio Armani and Sergio Galeotti founded the company in Milan in 1975 with capital of $10,000. Armani today employs
about 4,700 employees and has 13 factories around the world. It has nearly 300 stores in 36 countries around the world.
Recently, the house has begun a haute couture operation, showing in Paris during the Haute Couture fashion week, under
the name of Armani Privé.

Unlike much of the fashion industry, which is held by massive multi-nationals like LVMH and relies heavily on licensing,
Armani is held privately by Giorgio Armani and produces the vast majority of its products in-house.

Lines

Armani Casa
Armani Casa ("Armani Home" in Italian) is the high-end home collection by Armani features furniture, lamps, linens, and
dining essentials. The Home Collection is expensively priced. For example, the highly acclaimed Tchaikowski Armchair
retails at $9,985. Armani Casa is available at its 40 worldwide boutiques and select Neiman Marcus stores.

Armani Collezioni

A design board of an Armani Collezioni t-shirt.

Armani Collezioni is a high-end line from fashion designer Giorgio Armani. The line is more expensive than the Armani
Exchange and Armani Jeans and Emporio Armani lines but less expensive than the high end ready-to-wear line, Giorgio
Armani (sometimes referred to as Armani 'black label') and the haute couture line, Armani Privé. The line is typically aimed
at an older customer who does not desire 'trendy' design, but places emphasis on high quality more classic items. It
replaced the Giorgio Armani Le Collezioni line. In addition to being sold in freestanding boutiques (which feature the
Collezioni line exclusively), it is also sold in high-end department stores such as Harrods, Harvey Nichols, David Jones,
Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.

Armani Cosmetics
The beauty brand by Armani features cosmetics, skin care, perfumes, and colognes. It is produced and distributed by the
luxury division of L'Oreal, with which Armani has a long-term partnership agreement. It is available at many department
stores worldwide and has very few boutiques.

Armani Exchange

Armani Exchange

Created in 1991, Armani Exchange (often A|X) is geared towards younger customers and features urban style, prêt-à-porter
products, especially T-shirts, jeans, polos, and sports coats.

Armani Exchange is the most affordable of all the Armani lines and mainly targets the American market. It is geared toward
older teens and young adults with a contemporary fashion style. The line features 69 stores and 6 outlets in the United
States and over 50 stores internationally. The United Kingdom's first stores opened in Bluewater, Kent, the Trafford Centre,
Manchester and in the Metquarter, Liverpool. And in 2007 it opened its biggest store in the Bullring, Birmingham.

The Armani Exchange Presents Tiësto In Search of Sunrise Summer Tour 08 is a partnership tour between Tiësto and
Armani Exchange. The purpose of this junction between both is to promote themselves, Armani will offer exclusive
apparel to Tiësto and a special limited edition release containing 3 CD's of his In Search of Sunrise 7: Asia compilation
which is due June 10. The In Search of Sunrise: North American Summer Tour 2008 is only taking place in North America
on May 23rd and ending on July 4.

A/X has expanded in Canada with 2 locations in Toronto and Vancouver. It has also opened a new boutique in Mexico
City's Antara Polanco mall.

Armani Hotels
Armani and Emaar Properties signed an agreement in 2004, for Emaar Hotels to build and operate at least seven luxury
hotels and three vacation resorts under the Armani name. Armani would be responsible for overseeing all aspects the
interior design and style of the hotels. The initial hotel in Dubai is expected to be ready in early 2008.

The bottom 37 floors of the Burj Dubai skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will house the world's first Armani Hotel,
and Giorgio Armani is also designing the interior of the skyscraper proper.

Armani Jeans
Armani Jeans is a lower-priced collection of denim-related clothing created in 1981 by Giorgio Armani. Unlike Armani's
other lower-end collection Armani Exchange, Armani Jeans is mainly sold in department stores instead of freestanding
stores, although there are fifteen freestanding Armani Jeans stores in the world, in addition to an Armani Jeans Cafe in
Milan.

In terms of design, the clothing from this line does not feature Giorgio Armani's signature simplicity and often has larger
logos than the clothing in any of his other collections. The colours used for Armani Jeans are more diverse than those
found in his higher end lines or Armani Exchange, which feature monochromatic colour schemes and focus on cut and
material over colour.

There are several Armani Jeans freestanding stores throughout the world, including several in Italy, Dubai, Lebanon,
Japan and Spain. The brand is particularly popular in Asia, where it is often sold in Takashimaya department stores.

Armani Junior
This line that features clothing for children. It can be purchased at its 15 worldwide boutiques and select Neiman Marcus
and Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

Armani Privè
Armani's haute couture line made history being the first haute couture Paris fashion show to be streamed live online. The
label is strictly made to wear and not available for purchase in stores but can be ordered and tailored at a very high price.

Emporio Armani

Emporio Armani Store, Tokyo.

Emporio Armani is a more youthful inspired Armani Line that markets for younger adults. The line is the third-least
expensive Armani Brand and can be bought at its 13 American boutiques and over 140 worldwide boutiques, making it the
largest distributed Armani brand. Products encompassed by this brand include ready-to-wear clothes, sunglasses,
perfume, accessories and watches. The line is considered a "bridge line" as it features higher-end products than Armani
Exchange or Armani Jeans but is not as expensive as the exclusive Armani Collezioni or Giorgio Armani ('black label')
lines. Emporio Armani is sold in freestanding Emporio Armani boutiques, in high-end department stores, and through their
online store.

Giorgio Armani
The Armani signature label is the most expensive Armani label and is available in its 75 worldwide boutiques.

Armani/Air
Giorgio Armani will launch an airline by 2010. Called Armani/Air and initially fly from Milan to New York and Dubai. Offering
a high quality service in two class aircraft, the premium cabin will be called Prive/Air and will feature individual
passenger suites.Other destinations will follow, Los Angeles and Tokyo are due to be added. The passenger cabin will be
fitted out in a distinctive Armani style and aims to be quite different from other airlines flying today.[citation needed]

Other Ventures
Armani also invests in the fine dining industry. Throughout the world, he has 14 Emporio Armani and Armani Jeans cafes.
There is also an Armani Bar in Hong Kong and his two new restaurants, NoBu & Prive, are found worldwide. He also has a
bookshop (Armani Libri) and a florist (Armani Fiori) under the Armani name and a confectionery company known as Armani
Dolci. These smaller brands are mostly sold within larger Armani shops, like the Milan flagship, 31 via Manzoni, and at the
Armani/Chater House at 11 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong.

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Italian Language

Nouns
You've heard it since grade school: What's a noun? A
person, place, or thing. Nouns (i nomi) are one of the first
things that people learn, whether it's their native or second
language. Bicchiere, vino, funghi. Glass, wine, mushrooms.
And in Italian, what's noticeable almost immediately is that
nouns have endings that change depending on the gender.

The table below includes a few nouns to start with:

ITALIAN NOUNS
MASCULINE FEMININE
banco (school desk) cartella (book bag)
libro (book) lavagna (chalkboard)
nonno (grandfather) nonna (grandmother)
ragazzo (boy) ragazza (girl)
specchio (mirror) scuola (school)
zaino (backpack) materia (subject)
zio (uncle) zia (aunt)

Most Italian nouns end in a vowel—those that end in a
consonant are of foreign origin—and all nouns have a
gender, even those that refer to a qualities, ideas, and
things. Usually, Italian singular masculine nouns end in -o,
while feminine nouns end in -a. There are exceptions, of
course (see table below).

ITALIAN NOUNS ENDING IN -E
MASCULINE FEMININE
giornale (newspaper) frase (sentence)
mare (sea) nave (ship)
nome (name) notte (night)
pane (bread) classe (class)
ponte (bridge) canzone (song)

All nouns ending in -amma are masculine, while all nouns
ending in -zione are feminine. Almost all nouns ending in -
ore, -ere, -ame, -ale, -ile, and a consonant + -one are
masculine: il pittore, il cameriere, lo sciame, l'animale, il
porcile, il bastone.

Plural Nouns
When forming the plural of Italian nouns, the vowel endings
change to indicate a change in number. For regular
masculine nouns that end in -o, the ending changes to -i in
the plural.

The table below includes a few nouns to start with:

PLURAL FORMS OF ITALIAN MASCULINE NOUNS ENDING IN
-O
SINGULAR PLURAL ENGLISH
fratello fratelli brothers
libro libri books
nonno nonni grandfather
ragazzo ragazzi boys
vino vini wine

Regular feminine nouns that end in -a take on -e endings in
the plural.

PLURAL FORMS OF ITALIAN FEMININE NOUNS ENDING IN -A
SINGULAR PLURAL ENGLISH
casa case houses
penna penne pens
pizza pizze pizzas
ragazza ragazze girls
sorella sorelle sisters

When forming the plural of nouns ending in a consonant,
such as words of foreign origin, only the article changes: il
film/i film; la photo/le photo. Here are some exceptions to the
rule for forming feminine plurals:

Feminine-noun ending -ea changes to -ee in the plural. For
example: dea/dee (goddess/goddesses).
Feminine-noun ending -ca changes to -che in the plural. For
example: amica/amiche (friend/friends). Remember that -che
is pronounced as "keh" in Italian.
Finally, be aware that some nouns end in -e. The plural
forms of these nouns will end in -i (regardless of whether
these nouns are masculine or feminine).

PLURAL FORMS OF ITALIAN NOUNS ENDING IN -E
SINGULAR PLURAL ENGLISH
bicchiere bicchieri (wine) glass
chiave chiavi keys
fiume fiumi rivers
frase frasi phrases
padre padri fathers

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Italian History

Italo-Britannici (Italian-Britons)

Notable Italo-Britannici (Italian-Britons)

Frankie Dettori Lawrence Dallaglio - John Florio - Benjamin Disraeli - Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Total population
150,000 Italian Born
300,000 - 500,000 Italian Ancestry
Up to almost 1% of total British population
Unknown Numbers of Partial Ancestry, due to the huge numbers of Italians residing in the UK over several centuries

Regions with Significant Populations
Wales · Peterborough · Manchester · Glasgow · Chelsea · South Kensington · Bedford · Westminster · Kensington

Languages
British English · Italian (and related forms)

Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic

Related Ethnic Groups
Italian, English, Scots, Welsh, Maltese, Gibraltarians

Italo-Britannici (Italian-Britons) also known as Britalians, are British citizens whose ancestry originates in Italy. The phrase
may refer to someone born in the United Kingdom of Italian descent, someone who has themselves emigrated from Italy to
the United Kingdom or someone born elsewhere (eg the United States) who are of Italian descent and have migrated to the
UK. More specific terms used to describe Italian British people include: Italian English, Italian Scots and Italian Welsh.

According to the 2001 census a total of 107,002 Italian-born people are currently living in the United Kingdom, of whom
38,694 reside in London. The British Embassy recently estimated that 19,000 Britons reside in Italy, and 150,000 Italians
reside in the UK. Up to 500,000 British people have some Italian ancestry[citation needed], with the Italian language being
the first language of 200,000 Britons.

Roman Britain
The Romans were the first Italians to settle in the British Isles who came as far back as AD 43, when Emperor Claudius
invaded.

Fifteenth to Eighteenth Centuries
According to historian Michael Wayatt, there was "a small but influential community" of Italians "that took shape in
England in the fifteenth century initially consisting of ecclesiastics, humanists, merchants, bankers, and artists." In the
aftermath of the English Reformation, amongst other religious refugees from the European continent, many Italian
Protestants found Tudor England to be a hospitable haven, and brought with them cultural Italian ties. The fifteenth century
also saw the birth of a pivotal Italo-Englishman in the form of John Florio, a famed language teacher, lexicographer, and
translator. The Titus family is another significant group that settled in England in the time of the Renaissance.

The arts flourished under the Hanoverian dynasty and this attracted many more Italian artists and musicians to Britain.

Second World War
When the dictator Benito Mussolini declared war on the Allies in June 1940, angry mobs attacked Italian restaurants and
ice-cream parlours. Many Italians living in Britain were interned. Amongst some of the Italians interned were Mussolini's
left-wing opponents who had fled to Britain after being involved in anti-fascist activities in Italy.

Italians were held in various camps all over the country. Eventually, like other refugees, they would appear before
tribunals individually, which had them classified into one of three groupings: A class aliens were interned, B class aliens
were allowed to leave the camps but had certain restrictions placed upon their movements, and the vast majority of
refugees, identified as C class aliens, were allowed to go free. The Home Secretary, Sir John Anderson, ordered the arrest
of over 2,000 male aliens living in coastal areas on 12 June 1940. A few days later all B class aliens were placed into
internment camps. The author, H. G. Wells, joined the campaign against this, and accused the Home Office of being run by
"Nazi sympathisers". He pointed out that a large number of those interned had a long record of being involved in
anti-fascist activities in Germany and Italy. Many of these people were deported to Canada and Australia after the War
Cabinet had decided to expel them.

The 1,500 ton SS Arandora Star set sail from Liverpool bound for Canada early on 01 July 1940. On 02 July at 07:00 am the
ship was torpedoed 125 miles west of Ireland by the German U Boat 47 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Günther
Prien. The Arandorra Star sank within 30 minutes, with a loss of over 700 lives. The sinking was, and still is, the most
tragic event in the history of the Italian community: no other Italian community in the world has suffered such a blow. On
the 19 July the Home Secretary, wrote a letter to Lord Halifax, the Foreign Secretary, in which he made it clear that he
realised mistakes had been made in selecting Italians for the Arandora Star. Lord Snell was charged with conducting a
government inquiry into the tragedy. He recognised that the method of selecting dangerous Italians was not satisfactory
and the result was that among those earmarked for deportation were a number of non-fascists and people whose
sympathies lay with Britain.

Post-War to the Present
The region of the country containing the most Italian Britons is London, where there are over 50,000 people of Italian origin
live, Manchester, where 25,000 Italians live, Bedford, where there are over 14,000 people of Italian origin living, and
Peterborough has the highest concentration of Italian immigrants in the UK. This is mainly as a result of labour recruitment
in the 1950s by the London Brick Company in the southern Italian regions of Puglia and Campania. By 1960 approximately
7,500 Italian men were employed by London Brick in Bedford and a further 3,000 in Peterborough. In 1962 the Scalabrini
Fathers, who first arrived in Peterborough in 1956, purchased an old school and converted it into a church named after
the patron saint of workers San Giuseppe. By 1991 over 3,000 christenings of second-generation Italians had been
carried out there.

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Italian Products

Tortellini

Tortellini in broth

Tortellini is a variety of ring-shaped pasta. They are typically stuffed with Parmesan cheese and occasionally with a mix of
meat (pork loin, prosciutto crudo and mortadella). Originally from the Italian region of Emilia (in particular Bologna and
Modena), they are usually served in broth, with cream, or sometimes with a ragù.

Packed, refrigerated or frozen tortellini and tortelloni (similar but larger) appear in many locations around the world,
especially where Italian communities have a certain relief. Tortellini and tortelloni are made in special industrial lines
supplied, all over the world, by Italian companies such as Arienti & Cattaneo, Ima, Ostoni, Zamboni, etc.; "fresh" packed
tortellini have usually 7 weeks of shelf-life.

The origin of tortellini is surrounded by several legends.

One says that this dish is born in Castelfranco Emilia (province of Modena), Italy. One night during a trip, Lucrezia Borgia
checked into an inn in the small town. Over the course of the night the host became so captivated by Lucrezia's beauty
that he couldn't resist the urge to peek into her room through the keyhole. The bedroom was only lit by a few candles, and
so he could merely see her navel. This pure and innocent vision was enough to send him into an ecstasy that inspired him
to create the tortellini that night.

Another separate but similar legend, originating in medieval Italy, tells how Venus and Jupiter (the Roman equivalent to
the Greek gods Aphrodite and Zeus) arrived at a tavern on the outskirts of Bologna one night, weary from their
involvement in a battle between Modena and Bologna, Italy. After much food and drink, they shared a room. The innkeeper,
captivated by the two, followed them and peeked through the keyhole. All he could see was Venus's navel. Spellbound, he
rushed to the kitchen and created tortellini in its image.

Comparison to Tortelloni
Tortelloni is pasta in the same shape, but larger, typically 5 g, vs. 2 g for tortellini. Although either can be filled with a wide
variety of foods, meat-based filling as less common in tortelloni. Tortellini may be served with sauce or in a broth;
tortelloni are rarely served in a broth.

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Italian Latest News

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Famous Italians

Giuseppe Verdi

Giuseppe Verdi in 1876.

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (pronounced [dʒuˈzɛpːe ˈverdi] in Italian; October 9 or 10, 1813 – January 27,
1901) was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of Italian opera in
the 19th century. His works are frequently performed in opera houses throughout the world and, transcending the
boundaries of the genre, some of his themes have long since taken root in popular culture - such as "La donna è mobile"
from Rigoletto, "Va, pensiero" (The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Nabucco, and "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" (The Drinking
Song) from La traviata. Although his work was sometimes criticized for using a generally diatonic rather than a chromatic
musical idiom and having a tendency toward melodrama, Verdi’s masterworks dominate the standard repertoire a century
and a half after their composition.

Biography
Verdi was born in Le Roncole, a village near Busseto, then in the Département Taro which was a part of the French Empire
after the annexation of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. The baptismal register, on 11 October, lists him as being "born
yesterday", but since days were often considered to begin at sunset, this could have meant either 9 or 10 October. The
next day he was baptized in the Roman Catholic church in Latin as Joseph Fortuninus Franciscus. The day after that
(Tuesday), Carlo Giuseppe Verdi (Verdi's father) took his new born the three miles to Busseto to register him. The baby was
recorded as Joseph Fortunin Francois; the clerk wrote in French. "So it happened that for the civil and temporal world
Verdi was born a Frenchman." When he was still a child, Verdi's parents moved from Piacenza to Busseto, where the
future composer's education was greatly facilitated by visits to the large library belonging to the local Jesuit school. Also
in Busseto, Verdi received his first lessons in composition.

Giuseppe Verdi in Vanity Fair (1879)

Verdi went to Milan when he was twenty to continue his studies and he took private lessons in counterpoint while
attending operatic performances , as well as concerts of, specifically, German music. Milan's beaumonde association
convinced him that he should pursue a career as a theatre composer.

Returning to Busseto, he became town music master and, with the support of Antonio Barezzi, a local merchant and music
lover who had long supported Verdi's musical ambitions in Milan, Verdi gave his first public performance at Barezzi’s
home in 1830. Because he loved Verdi’s music, Barezzi invited Verdi to be his daughter Margherita's music teacher and
the two soon fell deeply in love. They were married in 1836 and Margherita gave birth to two children, both of whom died
in infancy, followed by Margherita herself in 1840. Verdi adored his wife and children, and he was devastated when they
all died in the prime of youth. During the mid 1830s he attended the "Salotto Maffei" salons in Milan, hosted by Clara Maffei.

Initial Recognition
The production of his first opera, Oberto, by Milan's La Scala, achieved a degree of success, after which Bartolomeo
Merelli, an impresario with La Scala, offered Verdi a contract for two more works.

It was while he worked on his second opera, Un giorno di regno, that Verdi's wife and children died. The opera was a flop,
and he fell into despair vowing to give up musical composition forever. However, Merelli persuaded him to write Nabucco
in 1842 and its opening performance made Verdi famous. Legend has it that it was the words of the famous Va pensiero
chorus of the Hebrew slaves that inspired Verdi to write music again.

A large number of operas followed in the decade after 1843, a period which Verdi was to describe as his "galley years".
These included his I Lombardi in 1843 and Ernani in 1844.

For some, the most original and important opera that Verdi wrote is Macbeth in 1847. For the first time, Verdi attempted an
opera without a love story, breaking a basic convention in 19th Century Italian opera.

In 1847, I Lombardi, revised and renamed Jerusalem, was produced by the Paris Opera and, due to a number of Parisian
conventions that had to be honored (including extensive ballets), became Verdi's first work in the French Grand opera
style.

Middle Years

Giuseppina (Peppina) Strepponi.

Sometime in the mid-1840s, after the death of Margherita Barezzi, Verdi began an affair with Giuseppina Strepponi, a
soprano in the twilight of her career. Their cohabitation before marriage was regarded as scandalous in some of the
places they lived, but Verdi and Giuseppina married on 29 August 1859 at Collonges-sous-Salève, near Geneva. While
living in Busseto with Strepponi, Verdi bought an estate two miles from the town in 1848. Initially, his parents lived there,
but, after his mother's death in 1851, he made the Villa Verdi at Sant'Agata his home until his death.

As the "galley years" were drawing to a close, Verdi created one of his greatest masterpieces, Rigoletto which premiered
in Venice in 1851. Based on a play by Victor Hugo (Le roi s'amuse), the libretto had to undergo substantial revisions in
order to satisfy the epoch's censorship, and the composer was on the verge of giving it all up a number of times. The
opera quickly became a great success.

With Rigoletto Verdi sets up his original idea of musical drama as a cocktail of heterogeneous elements, embodying social
and cultural complexity, and beginning from a distinctive mixture of comedy and tragedy. Rigoletto's musical range
includes band-music such as the first scene or the song La donna è mobile, Italian melody such as the famous quartet
Bella figlia dell'amore, chamber music such as the duet between Rigoletto and Sparafucile and powerful and concise
declamatos often based on key-notes like the C and C# notes in Rigoletto and Monterone's upper register.

There followed the second and third of the three major operas of Verdi's "middle period": in 1853 Il Trovatore was
produced in Rome and La traviata in Venice. The latter was based on Alexandre Dumas, fils' play The Lady of the
Camellias.

Between 1855 and 1867 an outpouring of great Verdi operas were to follow, among them such repertory staples as Un
ballo in maschera (1859), La forza del destino (commissioned by the Imperial Theatre of Saint Petersburg for 1861 but not
performed until 1862), and a revised version of Macbeth (1865). Other somewhat less often performed include Les vêpres
siciliennes (1855) and Don Carlos (1867), both commissioned by the Paris Opera and initially given in French. Today, these
latter two operas are most often performed in their revised Italian versions. Simon Boccanegra followed in 1857.

Giuseppe Verdi, the celebrated portrait by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 (National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome).

In 1869, Verdi was asked to compose a section for a Requiem Mass in memory of Gioacchino Rossini and proposed that
this Requiem should be a collection of sections composed by other Italian contemporaries of Rossini. The Requiem was
compiled and completed, but it was not performed in Verdi's lifetime. Five years later, Verdi reworked his "Libera Me"
section of the Rossini Requiem and made it a part of his Requiem Mass, honoring the famous novelist and poet
Alessandro Manzoni, who had died in 1873. The complete Requiem was first performed at the cathedral in Milan, on 22
May 1874.

Verdi's grand opera, Aida, is sometimes thought to have been commissioned for the celebration of the opening of the Suez
Canal in 1869, but, according to one major critic, Verdi turned down the Khedive's invitation to write an "ode" for the new
opera house he was planning to inaugurate as part of the canal opening festivities. The opera house actually opened with
a production of Rigoletto. It was later in 1869/70, when the organizers again approached Verdi (but this time with the idea
of writing an opera), that he again turned them down. When they warned him that they would ask Charles Gounod instead
and then threatened to engage Richard Wagner's services, Verdi began to show considerable interest, and agreements
were signed in June 1870.

In fact, the two composers, who were the leaders of their respective schools of music, seemed to resent each other
greatly. They never met. Verdi's comments on Wagner and his music are few and hardly benevolent ("He invariably
chooses, unnecessarily, the untrodden path, attempting to fly where a rational person would walk with better results"), but
at least one of them is kind: upon learning of Wagner's death, Verdi lamented: "Sad, sad, sad! ... a name that will leave a
most powerful impression on the history of art." Of Wagner's comments on Verdi, only one is well-known. After listening to
Verdi's Requiem, the great German, prolific and eloquent in his comments on some other composers, said, "It would be
best not to say anything."

Twilight and Death

Verdi's statue in the Piazza G. Verdi, Busseto

During the following years Verdi worked on revising some of his earlier scores, most notably new versions of Don Carlos,
La forza del destino, and Simon Boccanegra.

Otello, based on William Shakespeare's play, with a libretto written by the younger composer of Mefistofele, Arrigo Boito,
premiered in Milan in 1887. Its music is "continuous" and cannot easily be divided into separate "numbers" to be
performed in concert. Some feel that although masterfully orchestrated, it lacks the melodic lustre so characteristic of
Verdi's earlier, great, operas, while many critics consider it Verdi's greatest tragic opera, containing some of his most
beautiful, expressive music and some of his richest characterizations. In addition, it lacks a prelude, something Verdi
listeners are not accustomed to. Arturo Toscanini performed as cellist in the Orchestra at the world premiere and began
his friendship with Verdi (a composer he revered as highly as Beethoven).

Verdi's last opera, Falstaff, whose libretto was also by Boito, was based on Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor and
Victor Hugo's subsequent translation. It was an international success and is one of the supreme comic operas which
shows Verdi's genius as a contrapuntist.

In 1894, Verdi composed a short ballet for a French production of Otello, his last purely orchestral composition. Years
later, Arturo Toscanini recorded the music for RCA Victor with the NBC Symphony Orchestra which complements the 1947
Toscanini performance of the complete opera.

In 1897, Verdi completed his last composition, a setting of the traditional Latin text Stabat Mater. This was the last of four
sacred works that Verdi composed, Quattro Pezzi Sacri, which are often performed together or separately. The first
performance of the four works was on April 7, 1898, at the Grande Opéra, Paris. The four works are: Ave Maria for mixed
chorus; Stabat Mater for mixed chorus and orchestra; Laudi alla Vergine Maria for female chorus; and Te Deum for double
chorus and orchestra. While staying at a hotel in Milan, Verdi had a stroke on January 21, 1901. He grew gradually more
feeble and died six days later, on January 27, 1901. Arturo Toscanini conducted the vast forces of combined orchestras
and choirs comprised of musicians from throughout Italy, at the State Funeral for Verdi in Milan, following the composer's
death in 1901. To date, it remains the largest public assembly of any event, in the history of Italy.

Verdi's Role in the Risorgimento

Giuseppe Verdi, the bust outside of the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Italy.

Music historians have long perpetuated a myth about the famous Va, pensiero chorus sung in the third act of Nabucco. The
myth reports that, when the Va, pensiero chorus was sung in Milan, then belonging to the large part of Italy under Austrian
domination, the audience, responding with nationalistic fervor to the exiled slaves' lament for their lost homeland,
demanded an encore of the piece. As encores were expressly forbidden by the government at the time, such a gesture
would have been extremely significant. However, recent scholarship puts this to rest. Although the audience did indeed
demand an encore, it was not for Va, pensiero but rather for the hymn Immenso Jehova, sung by the Hebrew slaves to
thank God for saving His people. In light of these new revelations, Verdi's position as the musical figurehead of the
Risorgimento has been correspondingly downplayed. On the other hand, during rehearsals, workmen in the theater
stopped what they were doing during "Va, pensiero" and applauded at the conclusion of this haunting melody.

The myth of Verdi as Risorgimento's composer also reports that the slogan "Viva VERDI" was used throughout Italy to
secretly call for Vittorio Emanuele Re D'Italia (Victor Emmanuel King of Italy), referring to Victor Emmanuel II, then king of
Sardinia.

The Chorus of the Hebrews (the English title for Va, pensiero) has another appearance in Verdi folklore. Prior to his body
being driven from the cemetery to the official memorial service and its final resting place at the Casa di Riposo, Arturo
Toscanini conducted a chorus of 820 singers in "Va, pensiero". At the Casa, the Miserere from Il trovatore was sung.

Style
Verdi's predecessors who influenced his music were Rossini, Bellini, Giacomo Meyerbeer and, most notably, Gaetano
Donizetti and Saverio Mercadante. With the possible exception of Otello and Aida, he was free of Wagner's influence.
Although respectful of Gounod, Verdi was careful not to learn anything from the Frenchman whom many of Verdi's
contemporaries regarded as the greatest living composer. Some strains in Aida suggest at least a superficial familiarity
with the works of the Russian composer Mikhail Glinka, whom Franz Liszt, after his tour of the Russian Empire as a
pianist, popularized in Western Europe.

Throughout his career, Verdi rarely utilised the high C in his tenor arias, citing the fact that the opportunity to sing that
particular note in front of an audience distracts the performer before and after the note appears. However, he did provide
high Cs to Duprez in Jérusalem and to Tamberlick in the original version of La forza del destino. The high C often heard in
the aria Di quella pira does not appear in Verdi's score.

Although his orchestration is often masterful, Verdi relied heavily on his melodic gift as the ultimate instrument of musical
expression. In fact, in many of his passages, and especially in his arias, the harmony is ascetic, with the entire orchestra
occasionally sounding as if it were one large accompanying instrument - a giant-sized guitar playing chords. Some critics
maintain he paid insufficient attention to the technical aspect of composition, lacking as he did schooling and refinement.
Verdi himself once said, "Of all composers, past and present, I am the least learned." He hastened to add, however, "I
mean that in all seriousness, and by learning I do not mean knowledge of music."

However, it would be incorrect to assume that Verdi underestimated the expressive power of the orchestra or failed to
use it to its full capacity where necessary. Moreover, orchestral and contrapuntal innovation is characteristic of his style:
for instance, the strings producing a rapid ascending scale in Monterone's scene in Rigoletto accentuate the drama, and,
in the same opera, the chorus humming six closely grouped notes backstage portrays, very effectively, the brief ominous
wails of the approaching tempest. Verdi's innovations are so distinctive that other composers do not use them; they
remain, to this day, some of Verdi's signatures.

Verdi was one of the first composers who insisted on patiently seeking out plots to suit his particular talents. Working
closely with his librettists and well aware that dramatic expression was his forte, he made certain that the initial work
upon which the libretto was based was stripped of all "unnecessary" detail and "superfluous" participants, and only
characters brimming with passion and scenes rich in drama remained.

Many of his operas, especially the later ones from 1851 onwards are a staple of the standard repertoire. No composer of
Italian opera has managed to match Verdi's popularity, perhaps with the exception of Giacomo Puccini.

Verdi's Operas
Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio - Teatro alla Scala, Milan, 1839
Un Giorno di Regno - Teatro alla Scala, 1840
Nabucco - Teatro alla Scala, 1842
I Lombardi alla prima crociata - Teatro alla Scala, 1843
Ernani - Teatro La Fenice, Venice 1844
I due Foscari - Teatro Argentina, Rome, 1844
Giovanna d'Arco - Teatro alla Scala, 1845
Alzira - Teatro San Carlo, Naples, 1845
Attila - Teatro La Fenice, Venice, 1846
Macbeth - Teatro della Pergola, Florence, 1847
I masnadieri - Her Majesty's Theatre, London, 1847
Jérusalem - Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique, Paris, 1847 (revised version of I Lombardi)
Il corsaro - Teatro Grande, Trieste, 1848
La battaglia di Legnano - Teatro Argentina, Rome, 1849
Luisa Miller - Teatro San Carlo, Naples, 1849
Stiffelio - Teatro Grande, Trieste, 1850
Rigoletto - Teatro La Fenice, Venice,1851
Il trovatore - Teatro Apollo, Rome, 1853
La traviata - Teatro la Fenice, 1853
Les vêpres siciliennes - Théâtre de l'Académie Impérial de Musique, Paris, 1855
Le trouvère - Théâtre Impérial de l´Opéra, Paris, 1857 (revised version of Il trovatore with a ballet added)
Simon Boccanegra - Teatro La Fenice, Venice, 1857
Aroldo - Teatro Nuovo, Rimini, 1857 (revised version of Stiffelio)
Un ballo in maschera - Teatro Apollo, Rome, 1859
La forza del destino - Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, Saint Petersburg, 1862
Macbeth - Theâtre Lyrique, Paris, 1865 (revised version)
Don Carlos - Théâtre Impérial de l´Opéra Paris, 1867
La forza del destino - Teatro alla Scala, Milan, 1869 (revised version)
Aida - Khedivial Opera House Cairo, 1871
Don Carlo - Teatro San Carlo, Naples, 1872 - (first revision of Don Carlos)
Simon Boccanegra - Teatro alla Scala, 1881 (revised 1857 version)
Don Carlo - Teatro alla Scala, Milan, 1884 (second revision, 4 Act version)
Don Carlo - Teatro Municipale, Modena, 1886 (third revision, 5 Act version)
Otello - Teatro alla Scala, 1887
Falstaff - Teatro alla Scala, 1893

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CIAO! Hello Dear Friends of ITALY!

Enjoy This Issue of ITALIAN NEWS, Periodical On-Line that Promotes, Supports, Spreads ITALY,
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Many Thanks! Best Regards!

Your ITALIAN Friends,

Carlo Tognoni, founder, and Davide Tognoni, administrator
THE ITALIAN PROJECT www.theitalianproject.com

ITALIAN LANGUAGE: Lessons of Italian Grammar, Spelling, and Usage: Nouns - Plural
Nouns
ITALIAN GENEALOGY: How to Find Places of your Ancestors and Living Relatives in
Italy
ITALIAN REGIONS: Umbria
ITALIAN PROVINCES: Perugia - Terni
ITALIAN RECIPES: Spaghetti with Tomato Basil Sauce and Tender Garlic-Parmesan
Meatballs - Green Bean Salad with Tuna Sauce and Olives - Cappuccino Parfaits
ITALIAN HISTORY: Italo-Britannici (Italian-Britons)
FAMOUS ITALIANS: Giuseppe Verdi
ITALIAN COMPANIES: Giorgio Armani
ITALIAN PRODUCTS: Tortellini
ITALIAN LATEST NEWS: Life in Italy

In This Issue:

Issue # 18, June 2009

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Italian Recipes

Cappuccino Parfaits

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) container part-skim ricotta
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
4 crisp amaretti cookies

Cooking Directions
In a food processor, puree ricotta, sugar, and espresso
powder until very smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as
needed, 1 to 2 minutes.
Dividing evenly, spoon mixture into four glasses or serving
dishes. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve, at least
30 minutes and up to 1 day.
Just before serving, crumble cookies over parfaits.

Yield
4 servings

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Italian Recipes

Spaghetti with Tomato Basil Sauce
and Tender Garlic-Parmesan Meatballs

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion, finely chopped,
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, 4 medium tomatoes,
peeled, seeded and diced into small cubes, 4 sprigs fresh
oregano or thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes,
4 (14.5 ounce) cans WOLFGANG PUCK'S Organic Classic
Tomato with Basil Soup, 1/4 cup butter, 1 medium onion,
finely chopped, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 4 thick slices
Italian bread, crusts removed, cut into small cubes, 1/4
cup milk, 2 pounds lean ground veal, 1 egg, lightly beaten,
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnishing,
1 tablespoon minced parsley leaves, plus extra for garnish,
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves, 1 teaspoon
minced fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 1/2
pounds dried spaghetti, Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Directions
Make the sauce: In a large pot, heat 4 tablespoons of olive
oil, and saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add
chopped tomatoes, oregano or thyme, and chili flakes and
simmer for 20 minutes. Add tomato soup and cook for 5
more minutes. Make the meatballs: In a medium skillet,
over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and garlic, cook
for about 5 minutes, until soft, taking care not to brown the
onions. Remove from skillet, set aside to cool. Reserve.
In a bowl, combine bread and milk. Allow to soak for 10
minutes or until all the milk is absorbed. In a large bowl,
combine ground veal, sauteed onion and garlic, soaked
bread, egg, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon of
parsley, basil, thyme, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix until
thoroughly combined. With wet hands, divide the meat
mixture into 8 portions. Roll each portion into a large
meatball. Transfer to a plate. Repeat process until you have
8 large meatballs. Carefully lower meatballs into
simmering sauce, cook covered, for about 30 minutes or
until done and the sauce has thickened and the flavors
have developed. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted
water to a rolling boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente.
Drain. With a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs from the
tomato sauce and transfer to a bowl plus about 1-1/2 cups
of sauce. Add the drained pasta to the tomato sauce
remaining in the saucepan. Stir to coat spaghetti thoroughly.
To serve: Twirl sauced spaghetti onto each of 8 heated
pasta plates. Top with a meatball and drizzle with some of
the reserved sauce. Garnish with minced parsley and
Parmesan cheese.

Yield
8 servings

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Italian Recipes

Green Bean Salad
with Tuna Sauce and Olives

Ingredients
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 (3 ounce) can white tuna packed in oil, drained and flaked
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
2 tablespoons Nicoise or other small brine-cured black
olives
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Cooking Directions
Cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water,
uncovered, until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain in a
colander and immediately transfer to a large bowl of ice
and cold water to stop cooking. When beans are cold, drain
and pat dry with paper towels, then arrange on a platter and
season with salt.
Puree tuna with olive oil, water, lemon juice, and anchovy
paste in a blender, scraping down sides as necessary, until
very smooth. Season sauce with salt and pepper and
spoon over beans. Scatter olives and parsley leaves on
top.

Yield
4 servings

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