Fostering the Heritage of Abruzzo & Molise
The Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society of the Washington, D.C. area was established in June 2000 by a small group of Abruzzesi and Molisani (natives and descendants of immigrants) who eventually settled in the Washington, D.C. area.
Although the community of Italians and Italian-Americans in the Washington D.C. area is rather modest, it has a relatively large number of Abruzzesi and Molisani who recognized the need to foster the cultural heritage of these two regions specifically, as well as Italy broadly.
The Society welcomes anyone who has an interest in preserving and sharing in the rich traditions and values that are unique to Abruzzo, Molise, and to Italy in general to join!
[section]LATEST POSTS
A Message from the President - Greetings! The year 2025 is the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society! I am very proud of all we have accomplished over the last 25 years and the steps we are taking to make sure we will have a successful 25 more years.In honor of this milestone, we are collecting the stories of our founding members and immigrant members from our regions. These stories will be used for an event later in the year. Also to celebrate our anniversary, we are creating a digital archive which will be accessible via our new webpage later this year.In addition, we will be attempting to have two yearly events that highlight a unique element of Abruzzo or Molise. Our first regional event will be by past president Maria D’Andrea on the Transumanza/Tratturi. This event is not only a unique part of the patrimony of Abruzzo but also the last event before Maria relocates to Asheville, N.C. I would like to encourage everyone to make it to this event. We hope for this presentation to be one of our best attended events to send Maria off in a fitting celebration of our culture.I would also like to welcome our two new board members, Natasha Rovo and Teresa Black. They have both already contributed much to the Society this year. In addition to serving on the board, Natasha is the chair of the publications, publicity, web site, & social media committee, and Teresa is the chair of the programs & hospitality committee. In addition, immediate past president Raymond LaVerghetta is the chair of the scholarship and fundraising subcommittees.We have several happy hours, a hike, online events, and a May general meeting to look forward to.I hope everyone has had a great new year so far, and I look forward to seeing you all soon! Chris Renneker March/April 2025
A Joyful Carnevale - The AMHS annual wine tasting, held November 17, 2024, featured a return visit by Zachary Casagrande, who was back by popular demand after giving a very well-received talk in November 2023.
The Future of Italian-American Leadership - This past January, Chris Renneker attended the Italian-American Future Leaders Conference as a fellow. This event brings together hundreds of young Italian Americans from around North America to network and learn best practices to help bring Italian-American organizations into the future. 
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - Part of the “magic of the movies” is undoubtedly the musical score which swells below the images and heightens our emotional response to the story unfolding on the screen. One of the most talented practitioners of this special art is Michael Giacchino.
Montenero Val Cocchiara - The small town of Rotello is located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) northeast of Campobasso. in the province of Campobasso. It has about 1,190 inhabitants, called Rotellesi.
Annual Wine Tasting at Casa Italiana A Big Success - The AMHS annual wine tasting, held November 17, 2024, featured a return visit by Zachary Casagrande, who was back by popular demand after giving a very well-received talk in November 2023.
Former Art Conservator Stefano Scafetta to Speak at January Meeting - The featured speaker for our meeting on Sunday. January 26, 2025, will be Stefano Scafetta who retired in November 2008 as the senior conservator of paintings at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) in Washington, D.C. 
My Time in Italy - At the beginning of 2022, I was at a crossroads as my Bachelor’s program was coming to an end, and I was not certain of my next steps... About six months later, shortly after my 22nd birthday, I packed one giant suitcase and moved to Torino.
A Look at AMHS Programs in Recent Years - As my 11 years of organizing programs for the AMHS came to an end on December 31, 2024, I thought our members might be interested in seeing an overview of the programs we have had. In planning the programs, I always looked to further the educational, cultural, and social goals of the Society...
One Way to Say Thank You: Renaming an AMHS Scholarship - In considering how best to acknowledge these many contributions of the D’Andrea family, the AMHS looked to the scholarship program as perhaps the ideal vehicle for conveying its recognition and gratitude.
WITH THANKS TO ROMEO SABATINI AND RYAN TURNER
The Society dedicates its website to Romeo Sabatini, who worked tirelessly for over 10 years developing and maintaining our original site; and to Ryan A. Turner who, in honor of his grandmother Rosemarie Antonelli Turner (whose father Frank emigrated from Abruzzo), gifted the Society with funds to develop this new site. The Society is grateful for Romeo’s time and for Ryan’s generosity, which bridge the past with the future for the benefit of all AMHS members and friends.
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