MAY 15 PROGRAM WILL FOCUS ON ETRUSCAN LEGACY

Our program on Sunday, May 15, 2016, at Casa Italiana will examine “The Etruscans – An Amazing People” and you may find out many things that surprise you, such as the fact that there were Etruscans in Abruzzo.

Our speaker will be Carla Kosciuszko, who after graduating with an art history degree from DePaul University in Chicago, studied Italian art history and language at the Istituto Dante Alighieri in Florence and did research at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, also in Florence. This program will be held in collaboration with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura (IIC), Washington, DC, and we thank Director Angela Tangianu for facilitating IIC's participation.

The program will look at the significance of the Etruscans - a civilization of ancient Italy - and the areas of Italy where Etruscan artifacts have been found, the theories of the origin of the Etruscans and their alphabet, engineering, tombs and afterlife, and of course their art. The Etruscan civilization flourished in Toscana, western Umbria and northern Lazio from about at least 800 B.C. until the late 4th century A.D. when it was absorbed into the Roman Republic.

Many if not most Etruscan cities are older than Rome. Historians have no literature and no original Etruscan texts of religion or philosophy; so much of what is known about their civilization comes from grave goods and tomb findings. As far as architecture, the Etruscans absorbed the Greek influence and they made lasting contributions to the architecture of Italy which were adopted by the Romans and through them became standard to Western civilization.

And as far as art, the Etruscans had a strong tradition of figurative art using terracotta and bronze. Among the most beautiful examples is a picture of the Flute Player, from the Tomb of the Leopards from about the 5th century B.C. So if you would like to learn more about this amazing civilization that had such an influence on Italian art and culture, you should come to our program and bring your family and friends too. Lunch will be catered by Carmine’s Restaurant, Washington, DC.

The menu will include penne with vegetarian marinara; sausage and peppers; salad, bread, and dessert. Beverages are also included. Paid reservations can be made online, using Mastercard or Visa, at https://www.abruzzomoliseheritagesociety.org/mission/events/# !event/2016/5/15/amhs-general-society-meeting, or by sending in your paid reservation, by check, using the flyer contained elsewhere in the Notiziario. Paid reservations are required by May 11, 2016