INCONTRI CON GLI AMICI MOLISANI
On June 30, 2017, while in Molise, Italy, I, along with AMHS Board member Albert Paolantonio, had the great pleasure to meet Michele Petraroia, Consigliere Regionale, Molise, in Campobasso. Michele learned that I was in Italy from my Uncle Joe (I and Albert had been in Agnone, Molise, studying at the program Live and Learn Italian). So I received a text message from Michele asking if I would have time to meet him.
A very fortuitous occasion and a wonderful meeting. We discussed the Society’s work to promote the regions of Molise and Abruzzo, the longevity and health of the Society (at 300+ members!), and the types of events we hold and scholarships we award. Michele spoke about the activities and events that he and others do to promote the region, both in Italy and abroad: honoring the late Giuseppe Tedeschi, and the grain museum in Jelsi. Michele also took us to visit the “Associazione Sociale e Culturale “Giuseppe Tedeschi”, which serves not only as a social hall, but highlights the philanthropy of the region: programs (schools) to which the region partners in Africa, food drives, etc.
Alberto and I spent about 1 ½ hours with Michele, who the Society made an Honorary Member in 2015. To top off our time together, we went to a nearby café and there, a group of singers and dancers from Argentina, all of whom have Molisani roots, were serenading the crowd with popular Molisani folksongs. Quite the treat to see them in their costumes! (In recent news, Michele contacted me to let me know that his daughter, Giulia, will be doing an internship at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC from September through December.
I have contacted Giulia to assist with lodging options and let her know that we will be welcoming her to Society events while she is in DC). More recently, at the July 23 general Society meeting, we had the distinct pleasure of honoring as our guest Giuseppe Iglieri, who is from Isernia, Molise. Giuseppe is currently the personal assistant to Molise’s Regional Deputy (consigliere regionale delegato) for “Culture” and “Molisani in the world” (Molisani nel Mondo). He is also a Ph.D. student at the University of Molise in Campobasso.
He is in the United States as a Visiting Research Scholar at Columbia University to complete his research related to Adriano Olivetti, an Italian engineer, politician and industrialist and his political experience in a party called Community Movement (Movimento Comunità). He was connected to our Society through Michele Petraroia, the regional Counselor for Molise. He brought a 3-minute message from Nicolo’ Ioffredi, President of the Molisani nel Mondo, who spoke to us on behalf of Paolo Di Laura Frattura, President of the Region of Molise (to view the video, go to AMHS Facebook page): https://www.facebook.com/abruzzomoliseheritagesociety/videos/
Both encounters – in June and July – afforded a great opportunity to our Society to connect more closely with the region of Molise and showcase the vibrancy of our organization.