La Bella Vita in America: 2013 is the year of Italy!!

Did you know that 2013 is the year of Italian Culture in the US!? I did not until I saw a sponsored post on Facebook last week. The Italian Ministry on Foreign Affairs and Italian Embassy in the United States, along with various government and corporate partners, organized this year long program. Held simultaneously in Italy and the United States, its main goal is to educate potential visitors about Italy's contributions to art, music, film, science and technology.

I think this is fantastic. Italy is a contributor to world culture, unfortunately, news stories about unstable government may take away from that. The events in this program will hopefully show unlikely visitors that Italian culture is relevant in the 21st Century.

Italy in the US 2013's Logo
photo credit: italyinus2013.org

Exciting Italian events are happening all over the country! Some of the events I find interesting are: 

• Italian Film Festival (Italian film with English subtitles) - taking place in midwestern and mountain states!
• "Digital Italy" a presentation at the Massachussets Institute of Technology
• Week of Italian Language 2013
• "Save Venice" Lecture Series in New York and Boston
•  Divina Natura Jam Session at the Chicago Field Museum

Best of luck to all involved with the Year of Italian Culture, I hope to attend some of the Chicago events! 

For more information on events in your area, www.italyinus2013.org is a great resource!