THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016
www.italoamericano.org
3
P
aola Maria Savoia, native
of G enoa (capital of
Liguria, northw es tern
region
of Italy), directly
descends from the illegitimate
branch of the aristocratic Savoia
lineage, which was Italy's former
Royal Family (until the introduc-
tion
of the republic in 1946).
A b out five years ago, her
family and she left Milan, Italy,
for a voluntary exile into
Hollywood, CA.
Today,
it looks like Italians in
L.A. needed some royal blood to
reinforce the bonds within their
community.
Paola didn't accomplish that,
through
Royal decrees , but
through the Facebook group,
"Italiani a Los Angeles", which
boasts 8300 members, and count-
ing.
Strong suit of Paola's group is
the annual netw orking
event/party, called Epicureology,
which this year was held on May
12
th
in a beautiful location (in
Gardena, CA), decorated as a tra-
ditional French plaza.
Please,
introduce yourself.
What is your cultural back-
ground?
M y name is P aola M aria
Savoia (aka "Paola Cipollina")
and
I was born in Genoa.
In the 70s , as I w as s till
attending a secondary school
focusing on sciences, I felt a bent
for entrepreneurship. At 16, I
opened
a fashion school, special-
ized in cut and tailoring/dress-
making.
In the 80s, what was born as a
small project, expanded in fif-
teen
branches across Italy.
A t that time, I moved to
Milan (major world fashion and
design city), where I established
the headquarters.
In
the same capital city of
Lombardy, my husband, film-
maker M ax Leonida, and I
founded the performing art
s chool, Accadem ia dello
Spettacolo (1995-2002).
We also owned our own the-
atre ( T eatr o Es tr em o, 2000-
2003) and we created a video
Continued to page 4
LOS ANGELES
ITALIAN COMMUNITY
Paola Maria Savoia, queen of Italians in L.A., and her
Epicureology
VALERIO VIALE
Founders and Organizers, Daniela Agostini and Paola Maria Savoia. Photo courtesy of P.M. Savoia
