Columbus Day in New York

Gens Italica considers Columbus Week and the New York City Columbus Day Parade to be manifestations of lasting ties to “Italianeity,” or the Italian spirit.They are acknowledgments of the creativity, civilization and traditions of our Italian ancestors, which are well matched with our awareness of being conscientious and hard-working citizens of the United States, the country of our birth and adopted nation of our forefathers.
These are the values at the base of the initiatives promoted by the Association; they fostered the collaboration between the Columbus Citizens Foundation and Gens Italica, in order to promote the 2007 Parade to Italy and all the communities of Italian origin all over the world.

The Association encourages all communities of Italian origin to broadcast via Internet events representing their bonds to Italy.. The Columbus Citizens Foundation kindly allowed us to make use of the NBC coverage, so that on October, 8, 2007 we were able to broadcast, streaming live via Internet, the Columbus Day Parade. This aroused great interest in Italy and other countries which host strong communities of Italian origin.
We are certain to repeat this next year, and we hope to see many such initiatives in other countries, joining us in a large international movement of the Italian spirit.

Direct broadcast

New York Columbus Day Parade
October, Monday 8, 2007
New York, 12:00 a.m. – Italy, 6:00 p.m.
See the Columbus Day Parade livestream
(www.wnbc.com)

Live from New York: the Columbus Day Parade for the first time in Italy

For the first time, thanks to our broadcast, everyone in Italy could watch the Columbus Day Parade, organized annually by the Columbus Citizens Foundation since 1929. This event garnered a remarkable response, especially among provinces in which many have relatives living abroad. National and local institutions widely appreciated the initiative for its contribution to maintaining and strengthening the relationship between Italy and Italo-Americans, as well as among the various communities of Italian origin. This appreciation [or recognition] will help energize Gens Italica to develop new initiatives, paying particular attention to the involvement of students, young people and diplomatic representatives.

RadioSapienza: Interview with Mario Belati

RadioSapienza was founded by the Communication Sciences Faculty of the University of Rome, La Sapienza, the largest University in Europe. Its aim is to strike new paths, offering innovative content to students and beyond.

Gens Italica Network considers internet broadcasting of the Columbus Day Parade to be very important, and not only for its visual aspects. Gens Italica focuses on the Italian contents and messages sent by Italo-Americans, showing their desire to initiate a dialog with Italy and other communities of Italian origin spread all over the world and connected by their common roots.

In collaboration with RadioSapienza and the University of Rome, Gens Italica directs its attention especially to the young, as they represent the future; this network, which connects all of the world’s Italian communities, presents a great opportunity to build their tomorrow. The success of Italian creativity lives in its networks of research, culture and economy, and not only in its geographic location.

Today, the Internet allows us to manage human relationships in a very simple way which was impossible before: it is an extraordinary instrument for knowledge and business.

Listen to the interview:

A Columbus Day of and for youth

di Ferruccio Formentini

Now that Columbus Day direct is over, let us take a moment to reflect. I feel fully satisfied in informing you that a lot of net surfers connected to our portal watched the entire Parade. This was an excellent occasion, as the Italian news usually shows only tiny pieces of it, such as the face of the dutiful politician who crossed the ocean for the event.
Moreover, we must thank the Columbus Citizens Foundation, NBC, WNBC, and the gracious hostess Maria Bartiromo, who allowed the direct livestream. Finally, a promise: next year we’ll do more and better, as we don’t lack for ideas nor enthusiasm. But let’s have a look at the Columbus Day Parade, which we watched for the first time with our noses glued to the monitor.

Of course, we could talk about the great number of enthusiastic participants, on both sides of the crush barriers, which for three hours never collapsed; we could talk about the floats decorated with much care; we could talk about the bands in historic dress, marching and playing with their chests out, of the choreography of various groups and guilds, of the many girls and the 50 Vespa Cinquanta, of the vrooming historical cars, worthy representatives of the Italian genius; finally, we could talk about the great number of celebrities who marched in the parade alongside all this. But what surprised and moved us most was the great and joyful participation of children and teenagers who innocently showed an unaffected involvement in the merry remembrance of their roots, feeling themselves Americans as well. Recognizing ourselves in our past, without discrediting our present and future, is fine and salutary.

Also a good example for the Italian young men, too many of whom sing the national anthem only when Totti, Buffon, Pirlo and Del Piero take to the field. Finally, a gem: it is a coincidence, but we like to interpret it as a sign of our destiny: while all of this was occurring in New York, in Sweden Mario Capecchi, an Italo-American who emigrated at nine from Verona after a difficult childhood, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Congratulations!

The Parade, a great musical itinerary: from Mario Belati to Enzo Pizzimenti

I watched the Columbus Day Parade for the first time in front of my computer.

It was an event of great cinematic power and wide participation; it also included some elegant and discrete aspects that revealed all the work and cultural concern generously provided to this event. These also deserve our attention.

Above all, the music: I won’t hide the fact that musical moments, even during the Fifth Avenue Parade, moved me deeply. Famous artists, both Italian and of Italian origin, brought out some important aspects of Italian music.

The intense parade route was softened by a variety of musical styles, from lyric opera to jazz. It was left to us to intuit the logic and sensibility of this complex itinerary. The philosophy behind the sequence of musical appearances deserves to be articulated so that everyone can fully appreciate it.

Enzo Pizzimenti, the Chairman of the Parade, is very keen on classical and folk music. He will surely appreciate the consideration we are giving to it. The concert we attended was so exceptional that it merits a promotional live show. Music is the people’s Esperanto and a network cannot renounce it.

Passione:

Bella enamorada:

Quiéreme mucho:

Core 'ngrato:

It was our first participation to the Columbus Day Parade

Riccardo Massironi is the young deputy chairman of the folk group “La Brianzola”. His account on the Columbus Day Parade is worth to be read. It is especially dedicated to all the Italo-Americans who, with love and affection, have organized the Parade.

A member of the folk group wrote an e-mail showing her astonishment and joy arising from the meeting with Italian communities abroad.

“La Brianzola” participates to international folk festivals since more than twenty years, all over Europe, from Portugal to Bulgaria, but this time crossing the ocean has been a really different experience for all them!

Impressions on the Parade

Some pictures

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