Frank Nechvatal
The Italian Club finished the 2021-22 season with its annual Patio Party. The club provided fried and roasted chicken along with potato salad and baked beans. Members brought side dishes and desserts. The changing of the guard took place during the party. Lisa Romero becomes the club president, with Treva Christenson as vice president, Jean Ann Buzan as secretary, and Frank Nechvatal as treasurer.
We look forward to the 2022-23 season to start the second Thursday of October and continue through April.
This month we will begin a review of the regions of Italy. This month we will explore the Region of Calabria. This Region forms the Toe of the Boot of Italy. The shoreline of Calabria quickly ascends into the mountainous areas that make up the greater part of this region. One of the oldest evidences of human habitation is found here and dates back to 700,000 BC. These inhabitants have become known as Homo erectus. About 1500 BC, the first evidence of an organized group of humans populated this area. They are now known as Oenotri. According to Greek legend, they were Greeks who settled in Calabria, led by their king Oenotrus. They were “vine cultivators,” and their efforts led to the development of wine vineyards.
The Itali were the first established people of Calabria. Later came the Bruttii. These tribes warred with each other until the rise of the Roman influence. After the sack of Rome in 410, the Visigoths took control of Calabria. From this time forward, Calabria came under the control of several different groups that included, in historical order, the Byzantine Empire, the Saracens, the Normans, and the Holy Roman Empire.
Presently, the food and textile industries are the most developed. Tourism attracts people year-round , especially around the coastal areas. Calabria’s agricultural fame lies in its production of olive oil from the many olive trees that are cultivated throughout the region. The cuisine is typical of Southern Italy, with meat dishes of goat, lamb, and pork being the most popular. Eggplant and pasta also dominate the dinner table.
Ciao bella