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Now available to buy The Scotsitalian Handbook
is a stand alone accompaniment to
this website. It is available to buy from just £9.95 with all profits
re-invested in this site. Please note that as each copy is printed individually
by a third party, regrettably we cannot offer a refund. You are free however to
preview it.
New memorial appeal launched to celebrate and
commemorate Italians in Scotland. Read all about the proposed
Italian Cloister Garden
for Glasgow.
Now
available to buy The Scotsitalian Handbook
is a stand alone accompaniment to
this website.
It
is available to buy from just £9.95 with all profits
re-invested in this site. Please note that as each copy is
printed individually by a third party, regrettably we cannot
offer a refund. You are free however to
preview it.
Introduction
Italians, like the Scots in many respects, have been
renowned for migrating to all corners of the
earth, often through necessity rather than choice.
This can be traced back as early as medieval times (even earlier
if you count the Romans) when the great maritime
states such as Genoa, Pisa, Naples and Venice freely traded with the rest of Europe.
The migration
of Italians to the America's and beyond is often recounted
in books, films, television and countless newspaper
articles.
It's a
different story entirely when we talk of migration to
Scotland and the Scotsitalians* themselves.
There really is very little material and
information out there.
Consequently,
much of the content of this website comes to you from word
of mouth and we rely on your help to ensure its
effectiveness and ability to offer and insight into Scottish
Italianness or should that be Italian Scottishness?
*Scotsitalians
are also sometimes referred to as
Italo-Scots.
Scotland,
land of promise or wrong turn?
Many of today's Scotsitalians can trace their history directly back to
the mass migration of the late 1800's where their forefathers escaped
famine, drought and poverty in their homeland for a better life here in
Scotland.
Scotsitalians are proud of their heritage, and justifiably so, as their
ancestors worked hard to settle in their new home, overcoming problems of
integration and the distance from their loved ones.
Legend has it
that the great great nonni who arrived at the turn of
the 19th century to Scotland mistook the ports of Greenock
and Leith for New York and Boston and as their boat sailed
West they were left full of dreams and ambition in Scotland
instead.
Today, Scotsitalians can be
found in all manner of professions, with many excelling in their field.
Many of you will have
heard of contemporary music sensations of Paolo Nutini and Nicola
Benedetti. There are numerous others in far less illustrious fields that
are equally worth mentioning. What about Jonny Moscardini born in
Falkirk but one of the Azzurri's most prolific goal scorers of his time.
Visit one of
Scotland's towns today and the chances are you'll still come
across a "Chippie" or Cafe that's been in an Italian family
for decades. Find out just what would you get if you ordered
a slider.
Perhaps you overheard some of
the older generation talking about the tragedy of the
Arandora Star or have seen pictures of the Italian Chapel in
Orkney ?
A taste of Umbria's Agriturismo
is coming to Glasgow's Southside the last weekend of Febraury
with visiting chefs from the Piana delle Selve farm. Details
from Cookie a
restaurant, coffee shop and deli now open.
Acclaimed book 'Before
the Earthquake' by Maria Allen transports you to life in a
sleepy Campania village at the turn of the last century.
Ronnie Convery has just been named as
secretary of CoCAIS
(Comitato Coordinamento Associazioni Italiane in Scozia),
a role inherited from Giuseppe Riato. He can be emailed direct on
Ronnie.Convery@rcag.org.uk.
From just £10 per month in
our classified section, or £20 per month for front page ads.
With over 29,000 visitors you too can reach a wider target
audience.
Please remember this is a non-profit site, revenue from
advertising will be used to pay for hosting services,
domain, & maintenance costs only.
We can also design your ad at
no extra charge, get
in touch for details....
Showfolk: The story of Frank Codona and
his family (by Frank Bruce) - a fairground dynasty that has lasted for
over two hundred years in Scotland, told mostly in their own words.
Travelling showfolk have been entertaining Scots for centuries and a
visit to ‘the shows’ was a highlight of the year until recent memory.
The Codonas are one of the longest and most established show families,
having arrived from the continent in the late eighteenth century.
Using original research Showfolk draws on interviews from three
generations to give a vivid and richly anecdotal account of this
ever-changing world enhanced by many previously unseen illustrations.
Available to
Buy
Anita Pugh's debut novel The
Hokey Pokey Manis now complete.
The novel concentrates
on a Welsh Italian family saga spanning around 60 years from the late
1800s touching on the tragedy of the Arandora Star. You can find out
more by following the link below, which includes a detailed synopsis.
The novel is available from most
on-line bookstores.
Request for information for
Puccetti's fromAda Smith
(click to send email)
I wonder if you can help me
please. I left Glasgow many years ago and lost touch with a dear friend
and her husband. Isobel and Ilario Puccetti. They came from the
Kelvindale area of Glasgow. Isobel retired a good few years ago and I
believe they retired back to Italy. They had one son Edward who worked
for Scotrail. Ilario was a member of the Italian Club in Glasgow. I
used to visit the club with Isobel when you had your ladies film
night. If you have any information as to their whereabouts in Italy i
would be really grateful or if you could pass this email on to them that
would be great.Thank you in anticipation. Ada
1950's Ice Cream Van
Tracing an old
friend, Cesare Marini from Mary
MacArthur (click to send
email).
My name is Mary MacArthur
and many years ago I was friendly with a lovely man called Cesare
Marini. He used to work at the Casa Italia in the
seventies. I worked with his "adopted" daughter Maggie Leigh (Hayman
after marriage) and enjoyed many happy Italian themed outings and meals.
However, I moved to England to work in 1978 and Maggie moved to the
middle east before returning to Scotland mid eighties?? Sadly we lost
touch - days before email and mobile phones! I am now living back in
Scotland on the island of Islay, home of all the lovely malt whisky. I
would very much like to contact Maggie again and cannot find any details
on the usual sites. However, I recall that Mr. Marini had four children
(who must be in their forties or fifties) by now and wondered if they
had kept in touch. They were Paulo, Anna, Ricardo, and Giovanna - please
excuse my spelling. I know the Scots Italian community was "close knit"
so i hope someone will know contact details for one of them, if not
Maggie personally. Any help you can give would be much appreciated.
Thank you. Mary.
A taste of Umbria's Agriturismo
is coming to Glasgow's Southside the last weekend of Febraury
with visiting chefs from the Piana delle Selve farm. Details
from Cookie
restaurant, coffee shop and deli now open.
"Celebrating over 150 years of Italians in Scotland."
Scottish or Italian, a crisis of identity or
best of both?
This is a somewhat peculiar question but one I
often asked
myself growing up. In Scotland, I was often made aware of my Italian
roots and in Italy itself I was always known as l'inglese (despite my numerous
but ultimately fruitless attempts at elementary geography lessons). Somehow I never really felt
a 100% Scottish in Scotland or for that matter 100% Italian in Italy.
In my Cafe, the
Seaview, there is Andrea Boccelli on the radio
and square slice and tatty scone on the menu. A curious
mix to some, comfortable to me.
Playwright Sergio Casci said in a recent interview
that it wasn't until he turned thirty that he understood. Neither was he a Scot
with a funny name, nor a poor relation to the locals he met when on holiday in
Italy.
What he was, is a 100% pure bred Scotsitalian,
part of a group with a history
that spans three centuries and whose members have had an influence in business,
sport and the arts that is out of proportion to their modest numbers.
I think how things have changed since our
forefathers arrived in the late 19th century and what they had to endure not
just to make a living but to get here in the first place.
Nowadays
getting
to and from Italy is a relatively easy task. Indeed many of the Italians who
land fresh off the plane today are easily identifiable. Invicta backpacks for
the young, long designer coats for the old and endless quest for the perfect
espresso for all. Yet they as the New Italians and us in a sense as the Old have
come to appreciate the same things from Scotland, the landscape, the people and
the experience. In a strange twist, to some of these
New Italians, (and here I'm talking about those that come to visit distant relatives or
friends living here), we have become those people living in Scotland. We are
that experience, or least part of that.
They take back memories of
hunting "funghi" in the Trosacchs
or having a chat about football with the man who has just fried them their tea.
Ultimately though I like to think I gained the best of
both these worlds, a
sense of fair play and good humour from my Scottish side and love of food,
respect for family and tradition from my Italian side.
I suppose this is what makes me proud of my Scottish Italian roots.
Has Dolmio had its day?
We'd like to hear your
opinions on these ads. They adhere to every stereotype in the book, and
yet, what would be the reaction if say a Chinese or Indian meal were
portrayed in the same manner? I know these jars are a joke in many a
household, and to add to that they are in fact made in Holland.
They remain however one
of the UK's most recognisable brands.
So we ask you then do you
find these ads slightly offensive, funny or are you indifferent.
Further to this and on a more serious
note, a number of our readers have voiced their concern over the recent
strikes at the Total Lindsey Refinery. Specifically referring to the BBC
coverage and the use of derogatory terms used to describe Italian
workers by those interviewed.
Katia a student at the University of
Edinburgh has forwarded us a questionnaire to
help with her thesis on the Italian language and its effect amongst the
Scotsitalians of today. Please help and follow the link to the
questionnaire. Many Thanks !!
Peter Guidi:
Our congratulations go out to Jazz
flutist and Recording Artist Peter Guidi. Peter was recently granted a
Knighthood by the Netherlands Government (Order of Oranje-Nassau) for
his work in Jazz education. Be sure to check out
www.peterguidi.com. Check
Peter's photo's here.
At
the heart of Italy this wild and beautiful region is located
only 50km from Rome.
£33,000
Fully furnished and equipped, this one bed
roomed house is part of a new development on the edge of the
village of Cellino Attanasio with magnificent views of the
Gran Sasso Mountains. Beach 25km, Ski slopes only 53km.
La Barca
is nestled in the Apuan Alps, famed for
its marble, in one of the most
picturesque locations of the region.
This 200
year old stone terraced cottage has been
fully renovated and restored in a
sympathetic and traditional style to
provide a low maintenance retreat in the
Tuscan countryside. The cottage has a
new roof, has been replumbed and
rewired throughout as well as having new
bathroom facilities & central heating
installed. All the walls have been
replastered with in certain places the
beautiful natural stone left on display.
Amenities
close by include restaurants, shops,
doctors and public transport. Skiing at
Abetone and the beaches in Versilia are
all within an hours drive. La Barca is 5
minutes from the town of Gallicano & 10
minutes from historic Barga.
Lucca is
only 30 minutes away and the
international airport at Pisa is
approximately one hours distance.
Florence, Siena and San Giminiano can
also easily be reached by car.
Holiday home for rent
in the charming and
stylish Pregelato, near
Turin. The studio flat
sleeps 5 and is ideally
situated for skiing and
walking.
This pretty village was
the site for the ski
jump and cross country
events of the 2006
Winter Olympics. A small
number of characteristic
restaurants, bars,
cafe's and boutiques
make this destination a
true gem.
Direct cable car access
to Sestriere opens up
over 400km of piste and
larger facilities.
The Italian
Cultural Institute, founded in 1979, is an office of the Italian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs - Department for Cultural Promotion and Cooperation.
If you're looking for Old Italy then look no further. If you're
looking for a second home that offers you tranquillity, Italian
authenticity and a slower pace of life – then you have arrived.
Read
this article about the
Italian Sustainable Tourism Project with houses for sale
starting from just
25,000 Euros.
This cost includes refurbishment and furnishing.
