Reconstructing Italy traces the postwar transformation of the Italian nation through an analysis of the Ina-Casa plan for working class housing, established in 1949 to address the employment and housing crises. Government sponsored housing programs undertaken after WWII have often been criticized as experiments that created more social problems than they solved. The neighborhoods of Ina-Casa stand out in contrast to their contemporaries both in terms of design and outcome. Unlike modernist high-rise housing projects of the period, Ina-Casa neighborhoods are picturesque and human-scaled and incorporate local construction materials and methods resulting in a rich aesthetic diversity. And unlike many other government forays into housing undertaken during this period, the Ina-Casa plan was, on the whole, successful: the neighborhoods are still lively and cohesive communities today. This book examines what made Ina-Casa a success among so many failed housing experiments, focusing on the tenuous balance struck between the legislation governing Ina-Casa, the architects who led the Ina-Casa administration, the theory of design that guided architects working on the plan, and an analysis of the results-the neighborhoods and homes constructed. Drawing on the writings of the architects, government documents, and including brief passages from works of neorealist literature and descriptions of neorealist films by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italo Calvino and others, this book presents a portrait of the postwar struggle to define a post-Fascist Italy.

Reconstructing Italians in Chicago is an Anthology based on presentations given at the May 2008 Conference of the same name at Casa Italia Chicago. It is dedicated the Professor Rudlph Vecoli and it contains works by over thirty authors from different disciplines on the subject of Italians in Chicago.There is something for everybody in this eclectic volume. Every reader will find a topic or a writer that s/he wants to know more about. Publication of Reconstructing Italians in Chicago Compiled and edited by Dominic Candeloro and Fred L.Gardaphe' is a major step toward making Chicago's Italians the best documented (and best understood) in the nation. The writers represented in this Anthology include: Leonard Amari, Michael Antonucci, Tony Ardizzone, Robert Benedetti, Adria Bernardi, Dominic Candeloro, Kathy Catrombone and Ellen Shubart, Paolo Ciminello, Jerry Colangelo, David Cowan and John Kuenster, Bill Dal Cerro, Lisi Cipriani, Peter D'Agostino, Fr. Gino Dalpiaz, Tina DeRosa, Annette Dixon, Chickie Farella, Anthony Fornelli, Fred Gardaphe' Thomas Guglielmo, Billy Lombardo, Calogero Lombardo, Robert Lombardo, Ernesto R Milani, Rose Ann Rabiola Miele, Gloria Nardini, Daniel Niemiec, Gianna Panofsky and Eugene Miller, Peter Pero, Tony Romano, Vince Romano, Judy Santacaterina, Giovanni Schiavo, Anthony Sorrentino, Rudolph Vecoli, and Peter Venturelli.

February 21-September 1, 2014 The first comprehensive overview of Italian Futurism to be presented in the United States, this multidisciplinary exhibition examines the historical sweep of the movement from its inception with F.T. Marinetti's Futurist manifesto in 1909 through its demise at the end of World War II. Presenting over 300 works executed between 1909 and 1944, the chronological exhibition encompasses not only painting and sculpture, but also architecture, design, ceramics, fashion, film, photography, advertising, free-form poetry, publications, music, theater, and performance. To convey the myriad artistic languages employed by the Futurists as they evolved over a 35-year period, the exhibition integrates multiple disciplines in each section. Italian Futurism is organized by Vivien Greene, Curator, 19th- and Early 20th-Century Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. In addition, a distinguished international advisory committee has been assembled to provide expertise and guidance.

An exploration of the American role in Italy prior to the decisive elections of 1948.

Drawing on a wide range of sources, notably the testimonies of key witnesses, contemporary media reports and surviving garments, this book exposes the depth of American involvement in Italian fashion in a crucial phase of its development.

This text examines 22 restored homes in Italy. Owners and designers share anecdotes about their experiences with local artisans, vendors, and bureaucracy, while offering real-world advice on the tactics of restoring a house in a foreign country.