Tag Archives: Festa della Repubblica

At press time, a scaled-back Festa della Repubblica was in the works for June 6 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Chicago. Hosted by Comitato Tricolore Italiani nel Mondo, the event celebrates the birth of the Italian republic. The occasion will be marked by an 11 a.m. Mass at the shrine, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at Columbus Plaza in Arrigo Park. Reservations for the Mass are a must. (312-421-3757) A procession and street festival are possible additions if state and city restrictions are sufficiently lifted. For an update, call Carlo Vaniglia at 708-217-1004.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Chicago was filled to capacity on June 3 for the ninth annual Festa della Repubblica hosted by Comitato Tricolore Italiani nel Mondo. After the Mass, a parade featuring the flags of Italy’s regions and the banners of local organizations made its way through the Taylor Street neighborhood to the Christopher Columbus Monument in Arrigo Park, where speeches were made, and a petition was signed to preserve the names of Balbo Street and the Balbo Monument. Participants returned to the shrine for a street festival featuring Italian music, sandwiches for purchase and a …

  The Italian Consulate General in Chicago marked the 70th anniversary of the Festa della Repubblica in grand fashion on June 4. Held for the first time at Casa Italia, the celebration featured an audience filled with community leaders, a host of dignitaries from Illinois and Italy, and delicious food served by some of the Chicago area’s finest purveyors. The event marked the first public appearance of newly installed Consul General Giuseppe Finocchiaro, who spoke on behalf of recently appointed Italian Ambassador Armando Varricchio, who was unable to attend due to a flight cancellation. On hand was a delegation from …

  Comitato Tricolore Italiani nel Mondo has been organizing Festa della Repubblica at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii since 2008. We did it to bring the entire community together, similar to Columbus Day, which is a celebration that every Italian American should support. Unlike Columbus Day, which is a celebration of our contributions to America, Festa della Repubblica celebrates Italy in all its modern glory. As Italian Americans, it’s important that we gather as a community to celebrate our ancestral home. As many of you know, the Italian Consulate also holds a Festa della Repubblica, and we fully …

  Italian Consul General Adriano Monti presented Umberto “Tony” Turano with the Cavaliere dell’Ordine al Merito della Stella d’Italia at the consulate’s Festa della Repubblica celebration on June 2 at the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago. The award was bestowed by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano upon Tony in honor of his contributions on the business and cultural fronts to promote Calabrian and Italian culture in America. “It was a tremendous honor to have my work in the community acknowledged in this way,” Tony says. “But my greatest honor has been to work with my brothers for the …

  Italian Consul General Adriano Monti presented Josette Mentesana Weber with the Cavaliere dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana at the consulate’s Festa della Repubblica celebration on June 2 at the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago. The award was bestowed by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano upon Josette in honor of her contributions to the preservation of the Italian language and culture in the Chicago area. “This honor would have made my parents very happy and proud,” Josette said. “To me, it is both an exhortation and a responsibility to do more for our community, especially for the …

  It was a Festa della Repubblica the likes of which Chicago had never witnessed. On June 2, more than 400 revelers converged on the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame on historic Taylor Street to enjoy a gala event staged by Onesti Entertainment. The event was sponsored by the Chicago offices of the Italian Consulate General, Italian Cultural Institute and Italian Trade Agency as well as the Italian American Chamber of Commerce-Midwest and Onesti Entertainment. “The Hall of Fame was the perfect setting, and Onesti Entertainment took the event to a new level,” Consul General Adriano Monti stated. …

  Chicago was blessed with two Festa della Repubblica celebrations this year, with the first being held on May 31 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii. The Pompeii event has the distinction of being the only such celebration in America that involved a parade through the streets of the city. Following a Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, hundreds of participants made their way down Taylor Street for a wreath-laying ceremony at Garibaldi Park, at which World War II veteran Adelco D’ascezo was honored.