L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 3 ordinarily grown in size and popularity. Nowadays it offers an entire month of festivities for the whole family, featuring papi- er-mâché floats, mask contests, food fairs, and firework shows, which attract thousands of visi- tors from all over the world. Local painter Antonio D'Arliano introduced the use of papier- m â c h é i n 1 9 2 5 , a t e c h n i q u e handed down for generations that allows creating floats over 2 0 m e t e r s t a l l w i t h m o t i o n effects and spectacular details. After the parade, taking place along the seafront promenade since the early 20th century, a jury awards the best floats in terms of both creativity and exe- cution. In Apulia region, the small town of Putignano is home of another unique Carnival tradi- tion, and one of the oldest as it dates back to the year 1394, when a group of farmers cele- brated by singing and dancing t h e s o l e m n t r a n s f e r o f S t . Stephen's relics to the local church of Santa Maria La Greca. This practice was named "Festa delle Propaggini" and, despite losing its religious trait over the c e n t u r i e s , i t s t i l l m a r k s t h e beginning of the Carnival of Putignano. Starting from mid- S.F. Vanni, the oldest run- ning Italian bookstore in the U n i t e d S t a t e s , h a s r e l e a s e d n e w s o f i t s e n d - o f - J a n u a r y reopening in New York City. The bookstore was first found- e d i n 1 8 8 4 b y t h e S i c i l i a n (Caltagirone) Sante Fortunato Vanni in Greenwich Village at the height of Italian immigra- tion, and continued to stay in b u s i n e s s u n t i l 2 0 0 4 ; i t h a s stayed closed until recently. The S.F Vanni was run by its l o n g t i m e o w n e r A n d r e a Ragusa, when the store had o r i g i n a l l y b e e n l o c a t e d o n Bleecker Street and later relo- c a t e d t o W e s t 1 2 t h S t r e e t . Through the years, the book- store became known as a huge supplier of Italian books, peri- odicals, journals and magazines for the citizens of New York City, and also supplied books to other libraries and schools in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a n d e v e n Canada. After the passing of Ragusa, the S.F. Vanni was taken over by his two daugh- ters, Isa and Olga Ragusa, and s o o n t h e r e a f t e r t h e C e n t r o Primo Levi personally thanked t h e s h o p o w n e r s f o r t h e i r "enthusiasm, generosity and love for books." Centro Primo Levi Board member, Stella Levi, visualizes t h e n e w u r b a n l o c a t i o n a s " s o m e t h i n g b e t w e e n a b e i t midrash (a study hall) and a salon, a living space where a v a r i e t y o f e v e n t s w i l l t a k e p l a c e . " T h e C e n t r o L e v i Director, Alessandro Cassin, also has a vision for the book- store, and calls it "a long tradi- tion of Italian and Jewish fami- ly-based publishers that strong- ly impacted the surrounding culture." The bookstore is going to be "revamped" so that there is one room utilized for book presen- tations and operated as a "mul- tifunctional space" for lectures and film screenings as well. The second room will contain the original texts that were pub- lished and sold by S.F. Vanni, along with their many editions, and preserved as "urban archae- ology". Centro Primo Levi's CPL editions, e-books, and POD publishers will now operate from the new S.F. Vanni. The new shop will re-open at the e n d o f J a n u a r y i n h o p e s o f becoming a "pop-up bookstore and cultural space" under the support of the Centro Primo Levi. The company claims that "the goal is not to revive the old traditional bookstore but to re- imagine it for today." S . F. Va n n i b o o k s t o r e : G r a n d Reopening January, each Thursday is dedi- cated to a different group, such as monsignors, priests, monks, widows, single young men, mar- ried women, and cheated-upon husbands. In particular, the latter are involved in a satirical pan- tomime where their "horns" – symbol of the adultery – are cut off. This fun combination of s a c r e d a n d p r o f a n e u s u a l l y includes also folk music, dance, a n d m a s q u e r a d e s . O n M a r d i Gras, the last day of the celebra- tions, a fake procession is put on to bid farewell to the Carnival season, and a papier-mâché pig is burned off in a purification ritual. Among the best and most popular Carnivals in the world is t h e o n e i n V e n i c e , r u n n i n g January 31 through February 17, 2015. Its main theme will be closely linked to Expo Milan 2015, opening in May. Regional food and wine traditions will become an essential component not only of the historical parades of decorated boats along the canals and of renaissance cos- tumes (Festa delle Marie), but also of many other events going on in the city day and night. Usually intended as the feast of transgression and abundance, this year's Carnival will have to send a message of responsibility in regards to food waste to com- ply with the goals and mission of the Universal Exposition. Fortunately, not everything goes at Carnival. In Apulia region, the small town of Putignano is home of one of the oldest Carnival tradions as it dates back to 1394 BECKY ZEFERINO Continued from page 1 Giant puppets made with papier-mâché

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