WOODBRIDGE – There could be no better date than June 1st, on the eve of Italy’s Republic Day, to officially mark the beginning of ITALUS, a new organization dedicated to the regeneration of the cultural and territorial heritage of Southern Italy (and beyond), with a special focus on preserving traditions and reinterpreting them in a contemporary way.
Next Monday, beginning at 6 p.m. with an inaugural ceremony hosted at the historic Wallace House (built in 1873 by Irish immigrants) on Market Lane, in the heart of the largest Italian-origin community in Canada (Woodbridge), the ITALUS journey will officially begin. Above all, “for the first time, the Italian flag will be solemnly raised on a Canadian heritage property, in a symbolic gesture dedicated to Italian culture overseas and its living legacy,” explains ITALUS creator and founder Daniela Sfara (in the pic below), a cultural archivist, ambassador of the heritage and culture of Southern Italy (and beyond), and guardian of Italian heritage.
Following the raising of the Italian flag beneath a commemorative plaque, the evening will continue until 9 p.m. with tarantella performances, live music, and appearances by emerging Italian artists, all under the evocative title “L’Arte Sussurra, Art Whispers.”
“The evening,” Daniela Sfara further adds, “is held in honour of the generations who carried tradition across the ocean, and the generations who continue to shape and carry it forward today through a renewed narrative.”
The works presented will range from historical memory to contemporary interpretation, involving artisans, cultural archivists, oral historians, photographers, writers, and storytellers committed to sharing lesser-known aspects of Southern Italian history or their own life journeys. Participating artists include Cassandra Marsillo, Michaela Di Cesare, Anthony Iocco, Elizabeth Colantoni, Ava Magliaro, Cassandra Sansosti, Liana Tarantini, Cathy Longo, Alberto Galeotti, Carina Della Valle with the Fonte d’Amore Tarantella dance group, Maria Iocco, Marina Tarantini, and Cosimo Commisso.
The event — which will also feature an aperitivo — will take place in both indoor and outdoor spaces, offering participants an immersive experience of art, memory, and live performances. It will be led by Daniela Sfara together with the management of the Historic Wallace House, represented by James Maynard and treasurer Nancy Payne.
The appointment is set for Monday, June 1st, at Wallace House, Market Lane, 137 Woodbridge Ave, Woodbridge. Admission is free.
In the imagine above: the event poster