The Italian Piazzas of New York: A Guided Tour
Sat. Oct. 19 9am-4pm
Reserve a spot before Oct. 1 by filling this
The Italian piazza is an iconic space in the collective imaginary. A multi-functional place that serves commercial, socio-cultural, and political purposes, and more, the “piazza” is where people meet to protest, stroll, run errands at an open-air market, attend a religious ceremony, or enjoy a gelato. It is also a stage for architectural display as it interweaves buildings, fountains, and monuments thus operating as a space of memory production, i.e. an exercise in public historiography.
Tourists from the U.S. often dream of a walk through a piazza – think Piazza Navona in Rome, Piazza del Duomo in Milan, but also, smaller ones like la Piazzetta di Capri as part of a never-dying allure for the Grand Tour. But what if one could get a taste of Italian history and art, as well as lived experience, in piazzas that are much more reachable for people living in the Tri-State area? Manhattan offers numerous opportunities to experience public places infused with Italian stories, and this tour will provide a taste of them. From statues of both canonical literary and musical authors as well more contested explorers to a recent labor-focused project that speaks of collective memories of pain and transformation, this passeggiata (walk) through Italian squares in New York will provide important insights into the formation of national Italian identity in the transnational space of the diaspora. And it offer opportunities for material and physical interactions that deliver much more than digital journeys in the space of the Internet and social media.
Itinerary:
Washington Square: Garibaldi statue (video*) and Triangle Fire Memorial (video)
Columbus Circle area: Columbus statues and Mazzini statue
Dante Square Park at Lincoln Center (6rd St.) (video*)
Verdi Square (72ndSt.) (video*)
Tour guide: Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies)
Cost: There is no fee attached to the tour, but cash will be collected to purchase pizza slices. Bring your own water (or soft drink).
Reservation: There are only 20 spots available. Priority will be given to MSU students, alumni, and donors but the tour is open to anybody. Interested participants should fill out this Google form by Oct. 1. Confirmation of acceptance will be sent via email.
Organized and sponsored by the Inserra Endowed Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies in collaboration with the Italian Program (Department of World Languages and Cultures). Inspired by the 2024 NEH Summer Seminar “Creative Spaces/Contested Spaces: Reinterpreting Italian American Public Art in New York City,“ in which Dr. Fiore participated, and enriched by the NYU digital project *”Nuova York: Hidden in Plain Sight.”
Short link: https://tinyurl.com/ItalianpiazzaNYC