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New memorial appeal launched to celebrate and
commemorate Italians in Scotland. Read all about the proposed
Italian Cloister Garden
for Glasgow.
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 ?
This and more in the all new
scotsitalian.com.
EURO
2008
The countdown to the biggest
event of the summer for Azzurri fans has begun.
Can Italy win it or will
France get their own back, check out our poll on the
Azzurri page.
For more
information, to keep up to date with developments or even to
offer suggestions please
email us.
"Celebrating over 150 years of Italians in Scotland."
The
Scots-Italian's author Joe Pieri and his
new book
Dario
Franchitti winner Indy series 2007
Congratulations Dario !!!
Well done Dario Franchitti on
winning the 2007 Indy Car title, his first ever and
what a way to do it, on the last few laps!!!!!!! He
drives some of the fastest cars on the planet (and
recently bagged the fabled Indy 500), has a
collection of Ferrari's, flies helicopters for fun
and is married to a Hollywood actress, not bad for a
lad from Bathgate......
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 Scots-Italian,
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.
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.
The Italian
Cultural Institute, founded in 1979, is an office of the Italian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs - Department for Cultural Promotion and Cooperation.
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