Festival Italiano 2019 Map

See you all on Sunday 20 October for Festival Italiano! Please find below the Festival Map, or click this link to view, print or unload the larger pdf version.

Zona Bambini (kids' area) at Festival Italiano

Come to our Zona Bambini (kid's area) at Festival Italiano 2019! Located inside Rialto Centre, this year we'll have a full programme of entertainment for the little ones with the teachers of the Italian Language School Società Dante Alighieri Auckland, including art workshops inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. See you next Sunday!! Click here for more info

 http://festivalitaliano.co.nz/event/1831/

Please note: children will need to be accompanied by a caregiver at all times.

Festival Italiano 2019 Opening Party

Italianità. Photo by Gianni Flego

Our Dante Festival staff and volunteers had a wonderful evening at Non Solo Pizza in Parnell on Tuesday 8 October. We were joined by representatives of the Waitematā Local Board and Newmarket Business Association, our major commercial sponsor Peroni NZ, and several other sponsors and stakeholders, such as Campari NZ, Ghella, Ecoware, Edit. etc. The Italian Ambassador H.E. Fabrizio Marcelli joined us and made a short speech, together with Festival Director Alessandra Zecchini.

Italian Aperitivo. Photo by Gianni Flego

Thank you to NSP for the wonderful food and service, Peroni, Aperol Spritz, Cinzano Prosecco and San Pellegrino for the drinks, and all our friends who attended. Click here to see more photos.

Speeches. Photo: Glenda Fryer

Admir from Peroni and Luce from Edit. Photo by Gianni Flego

The Last Supper - Leonardo 500

This year is the 500 anniversary since the death of Italian artist and genius Leonardo da Vinci. Many cities in Italy and around the world celebrates this Master with a rich calendar of events, and for Festival Italiano we will have an installation in scale of the central piece of the famous L'Ultima Cena(Last Supper), reproduced with tassels from Peter Greenaway' book Leonardo's Last Supper. The installation, by Arte Mani, will be in Rialto Centrefrom Monday 14 October to Sunday 20
October, the day of Festival Italiano in Newmarket.

And don't forget to visit the Zona Bambini, with more Leonardo inspired art workshops for the children!
These events are free and organised for educational purposes by Festival Italiano and the Dante Alighieri Society of Auckland.

Italian music and entertainment at Festival Italiano Auckland!

Italy is a musical country 🎼 so check out our entertainment schedule! on our website 🇮🇹 classic and modern, traditional and contemporary, opera and jazz, folk and DJ tunes... plus dances and parades and beautiful Italian spot prizes all throughout the day. 🇮🇹

Dante Musical for the XIX Edizione della Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel mondo - L’italiano sul palcoscenico

Società Dante Alighieri of Auckland presents:

a free adaptation of the musical

Aggiungi un Posto a Tavola

Musical in English with Italian songs!

This event opens in New Zealand the XIX Edizione della Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel mondo  (19th edition of the Italian Language Week in the World, 21-27 October). This year’s theme is L’italiano sul palcoscenico (Italian on stage).

The Dante Alighieri Society Auckland acknowledges the generous contribution of Società Dante Alighieri in Rome towards the costs of this free performance

Free Entry

Info: info@dante.org.nz

Sunday 13 October, 5pm
Saint Luke Church 130 Remuera Rd, Remuera, Auckland

An Italian refreshment will follow

The Plot

Don Silvestro, pastor of a small mountain town, receives a phone call from the Almighty who announces the arrival on the earth of the second universal flood and gives him the task of building a wooden ark to rescue all the inhabitants and animals of the town from the flood. To do that, the parish priest will need the help of his fellow villagers, who will not immediately believe him, but will be convinced by a miracle: the ringing of church bells at Don Silvestro’s mere nod.

Clementina, daughter of the mayor of the town, Crispino, is in love with Don Silvestro. Crispino is greedy and hostile to the parish priest and tries to hinder him in every way, creating problems especially in the construction of the ark, since the carpentry and all the wood available in the village are of his property. But even in this case, thanks to a telephone “miracle”, everything will be resolved: Don Silvestro will have his wood and the villagers will begin the construction of the ark. While everyone is caught up in the work, Consolation, a woman of easy virtue, arrives in the village to distract men from their conjugal duties…

More HERE 

Cast and Production Team

Matteo Telara =  stage director

Paul Barrett = musical director/ pianist

Luca Manghi = music advisor/language coach 

David Kelly = translator 

Flavia Berucci = producer

Solo:

Chris McRae = Silvestro

Caroline Everitt = Clementina

Angus Simmons = Toto

Anna Simmons = Consolazione

Chorus:

Warren Shephard  (Mayor)

Kathy Meyer (Ortensia)

Nick Anson (Geo)

Michael Goodger (Agostino)

Luca Manghi (Cardinal)

Catherine Morris (town person)

Katherine Findlay (town person)

Anya Christiansen (town person)

Prue Moyle (town person)

Diana Reinhard (town person)

Nobuko Delowe (town person)

Namir Battani (town person)

Fintan McArdle (town person)

Peter Chevin (town person)

October 2019 Newsletter

La newsletter di ottobre è pronta, cliccare qui

The October newsletter is ready, click here

Festival Italiano - meet the team!

Festival Italiano is the largest event organised by Società Dante Alighieri Auckland, which is an Italian language school, a society and a registered charity in NZ.

The Dante Auckland is also an important hub for the local Italian community, and all our events are open to Kiwis of all ethnic backgrounds, to connect with us and each other in a friendly environment, and also to learn about Italian culture, language and lifestyle.

At the Dante we organise Festival Italiano every year to offer the city of Auckland a little taste of Italy, and as the event grows every year so grow the number of people involved.

Click here to find out a few interesting facts about the Festival management team, and come to the event to meet the 100 or so other volunteers, Italian and New Zealanders, who make this event happen.

And remember, this is a free community event, so every visitor can also help out our volunteers and staff with a smile and a grazie, and by having a good time!

Opening of Cinema Italiano Festival and discount for Dante members

Great evening at Cinema Italiano Festival opening gala, and what a perfect Italian evening in Auckand! 🇮🇹 
Check out the Festival programme as there are many Italian movies to watch - Dante Alighieri Auckland members and students: remember that you have a special discount, just have your Dante Society card on hand when booking your seats.

 Plus, (and for all): if you fancy a pizza or Peroni or Prosecco before the movie show your ticket and get a 15% discount at the Bar of Gusto at the Grand for the duration of the Cinema Italiano film festival in Auckand (Offer available at the Gusto Bar time 5m-7pm, until 30 September), check on the here for details.

Piano concert with Alessandro Marangoni, and the opening of the Italian Festival Season in Auckland

Photos from Friday's concert "un dialogo romantico" (Rossini and Chopin) with Alessandro Marangoni, which was followed by an Aperitivo ⭐️ Thank you all for coming, the Italian Season in Auckland is open!! 🇮🇹

Special thanks to:
Maestro Alessandro Marangoni
Italian Embassy in Wellington
Istituto Italiano di Cultura Sydney
Cidim Comitato Nazionale Musica
Festival Italiano - Auckland

Photos by Sébastien Valmont
Catering by Societa Dante Alighieri Auckland volunteers with the help of our sponsors and friends Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Massimo's Italian Cheeses, Campari New Zealand (for the prosecco), and A Touch of Italy
Also special thank you to Dmitry of St Matthew-in-the-City