CASTEL DI IERI
Province of L’Aquila, Region of Abruzzo
The beautiful small town of Castel di Ieri is located in the province of L’Aquila. It has
approximately 326 inhabitants, known as Casteldieresi.
Siamo Una Famiglia
A small but hardy band of AMHS members and friends gathered in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., on the morning of May 3 for a short hike along the C&O Canal towpath.
A Grandson’s Quest for Real Poncio
Our story starts with an email sent to the AMHS in March 2025. Dominic Palumbo, a farmer at Moon in the Pond Farm and educator at Farm education, Inc., in Sheffield, Mass., wrote the following:
Influential Novelist and Screenwriter John Fante
Often referred to as the quintessential L.A. novelist and a precursor to the Beat writers of the 1950s, John Fante was one of the first novelists to portray the tough times for writers during the Great Depression. John Fante also had roots in Abruzzo.
Along the Shepherds’ Tracks: Traturri and Transumanza
At the most recent AMHS general meeting, held on March 23 at Casa Italiana, former Society President Maria D’Andrea-Yothers reprised her presentation on the famed herding trails in Abruzzo and Molise, known as the trattoria which make up the interconnected system known as the transumanza.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Michael Richard Pompeo was born in Orange, California, on December 30, 1963, to Wayne and Dorothy (Mercer) Pompeo.
Montenero Val Cocchiara
Montenero Val Cocchiara, the name of the village, is nearly synonymous with the unique bread of a horse, the Pentro. These horses have galloped in the majestic spoon-shaped valley below Montenero (black mountain) for over 2,500 years.
The Future of Italian-American Leadership
This past January, over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, I had the great pleasure to attend the Italian-American Future Leaders Conference as a fellow.
A Joyful Carnevale
The AMHS was a co-sponsor of this year’s Festa di Carnevale Italiano celebration held at Casa Italiana on Sunday, February 23.
A Message from the President
Greetings!
The year 2025 is the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society!
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.
Michael Giacchino: Talented Composer of Film and TV Musical Scores
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.