In 2016, Andrea Canepari, who was then the consul general of Italy in Philadelphia, began talking with Temple University Press about his idea for a book drawing from his longtime role as consul general of Italy connecting Philadelphia and Italy. That same year Canepari received the Global Philadelphia Award from Temple.
The driving force of Canepari’s book was sharing with others his keen appreciation for the many elements of Italian cultural heritage in Philadelphia. Besides increasing tourism, some of his other goals were creating commercial, economic and political links with Europe.
The resulting book, “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia”, is part of a larger promotional program developed from 2013 to 2017 by the Consulate of Italy in Philadelphia and organized around three themes: people, places and culture.
With previous experience writing about the Italian legacy of other cities where he had lived and worked, such as Washington, D.C. and Santo Domingo, Canepari was well prepared to tackle this project, especially with the help of his writing/editing partner, Temple Professor Emerita of Anthropology and Urban Studies, Judith Goode.
After working for 47 years at Temple University, Professor Goode retired in 2014, and instead of using her extra time to slow down and relax, she joined Canepari’s project in 2017, adding her insights and helping to structure the book. She had already worked on many related publications and ethnographic projects linking the role racial and ethnic aspects play in everyday life in Philadelphia.
The expertise of these two aficionados of Italy seemed the perfect match for a meaningful collaboration on the subject of Philadelphia’s Italian roots. Temple University Press agreed to publish the English language edition and Treccani, the Italian edition.
“Understanding the history of places can create living bridges to the future and opportunities for everybody,” Canepari said.
He began his work by reaching out to some Philadelphia museums and universities he had previously worked with as consul general. Once these institutions agreed to contribute relevant information about the long history between Italy and Philadelphia, the five-year process of writing the book started.
His greatest challenge was making sure everyone stayed motivated throughout the long writing process. This was particularly difficult during delays caused by the start of the pandemic in 2020.
After developing a unified table of contents, Goode and Canepari organized the book around how historically different eras influenced the exchange of cultures between Italy and Philadelphia. This approach fit with their interest in the flow of people, ideas, and cultural artifacts throughout the different periods of Italian history. They included the immigration from both Northern and Southern Italy, as these groups came to Philadelphia at different times.
“We also put together arts and popular culture,” Goode said. “We looked into ties between Italy and the present and past.”
According to Goode, developments keep happening, especially recently because of globalization. Not only are current changes in U.S. and Italian immigration policies easing the way for Italians to come again to Philadelphia, but they are also motivating Philadelphians to go to Italy to learn about their ancestors’ lives.
“The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia” has a special place in Goode’s heart, as this was the first time she worked on a publication for a non-academic audience, and it also was the first book she worked on with extensive photos.
“It is a really great mixture between text and visuals; they are directly related,” she said.
Goode and Canepari want people who read the book to understand not only how Italy affected Philadelphia, but also how Philadelphia affected Italy. From arts to food and culture, many immigrants came to Philadelphia with Italian ideas and Americanized them.
“There are multiple ways Italian culture can travel, be adapted, changed and fused,” Goode said. “I want them [the readers] to understand the many ways in which Italy has influenced our city.”
FALL EXHIBITION AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY ROME
The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia, curated by Shara Wasserman, ran from September 13th until the 28th, 2022 at the Temple University Rome Gallery of Art. See the Temple Rome website for more information about this and other Temple Rome exhibitions.
By Renata Buscher Kaminski, communications intern ’21-’22
Cover image from The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia by Andrea Canepari (editor)
and Judith Goode (editor) and published by Temple University Press.