Your Door to All Things Italian
We Embrace All Who Enjoy All Things Italian and Desire To Expand Their Knowledge of a Beautiful Country, Its People and Its Language
The Dante Alighieri Society of Washington promotes the
Italian language and culture and welcomes all who share those
objectives. Each year we present English and Italian programs
open to the public, and host the Christmas party and the
Annual Wine Dinner featuring wines from throughout Italy. The
Society also sponsors an Italian Language program with
beginner to expert classes for everyone who wants to learn,
improve or perfect their fluency in Italian.
Sign up for our email list here.
You will receive news of upcoming events.
Information on becoming a Dante Society member is here.
News and Upcoming Events ...
- A second section of Italiano A1 has been added and the registration deadline has been extended to Sunday, September 29. Check out the classes page here. Questions? Contact the Italian Program Director, Giuseppe Tassone.
- The September 2019 La Voce is now available. Check up on the latest news and read about some recent travels of Dante Society members.
- The the Seattle International Film Festival's annual Cinema Italian Style runs November 7 - 14 this year. Check out the festival website for more information.
- Our annual Festa di Natale per i Bambini will be held Saturday, December 7 from 1 pm to 4 pm. This year's celebration will be at St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church in the Interbay neighborhood of Seattle. More information is available here.
- The Dante Alighieri Society's new home is St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 815 East Edgar Street, on the North side of Capitol Hill. Parking is available in St. Patrick's parking lot, off of E. Edgar street. The meetings take place in the Parish Hall, located in the basement of the church and is entered on the West side of the church, off the parking lot. Except for one or two meetings a year, this will be our new location.
Next English-language gathering:
Wed., Oct. 9, 2019, 6:30 pm
St. Patrick's
Catholic Church
An Avant-Garde Italia: The Futurists, Modern Art and the Promise of the 20th Century
In 1909 the writer Filippo Tommaso Marinetti published his Futurist Manifesto, in which he denounced the oppressive weight of Italy’s past and advocated a program of radical artistic, social and technological innovation. Soon, painters, sculptors, writers and musicians joined Marinetti in a quest to re-fashion Italian culture and are known collectively as The Futurists. What are we to make of their whirlwind of artistic output? What impact did they have? How Italian was this movement of passionate Italians?
Rob Prufer is a long-time participant in Dante Alighieri Society of Washington activities, including serving several years as vice-president. He is an avid student of the Italian language and Italian art history. He shares his passion for art history with his students at Newport High School and the wider public in his lecture series at the Bellevue Arts Museum, The Loggia Lectures.
Next Italian-language gathering:
Wed. Oct. 23, 2019, 6:30 pmSt. Patrick's Catholic Church
Claudio Mazzola
Italian Cinema and Immigration
Additional information to follow.
Next Italian language class series:
Fall Quarter 2019
October 1 - December 10
September 29
Membership goes from January to December each year and the cost for 2019 is the same as it's been the last few years: $40 for a single membership, $50 for a family. Membership is open to anyone who supports the objectives of the organization. We embrace anyone who supports our mission to encourage the enjoyment of Italian language and culture.
Your membership enables the Society to:
- Present 7 English and 6 Italian programs each year, and host the Christmas party and the Festa di Natale per i Bambini
- Publish our La Voce monthly newsletter, and maintain our website free to all
- Offer an Italian Language program with beginner to expert classes for everyone who wants to learn, improve or perfect their fluency in Italian
- Support Italian-themed community events such as Festa Italiana and the SIFF Cinema Italian-style film festival
Also
- Dante memberships and donations are tax-deductible
- Your Dante Society card provides discounts at some attractions in Italy
- Opportunity for free tickets SIFF's Cinema Italian-style film festival
- Come to our annual wine dinner for members and guests
And this year it's even easier to join or renew. Check out
our online membership and renewal options here.
Special Announcements and Events:
- Biblioteca Italiana Seattle (BIS), a library of Italian language literature is maintained by Il Punto! The library includes the Dante Alighieri Society of Washington's collection. Membership for BIS is free and users can borrow books at no charge. Library books can be picked up by visiting BIS at 14300 Greenwood Ave N on Sundays between 2 and 4pm, with the help of a volunteer. Learn more.
- Check out Italian Talk Radio, Mondays, 4:00pm - 5:00pm. You can find it in Seattle on KKNW 1150AM, in Tacoma on KLAY 1180AM or online live at 1150KKNW.com. Learn more about NW Italian Talk Radio.
- The Auburn Bocce Club offers free bocce instructions on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00 - 6:00 PM, mid-April through mid-October, weather permitting @ Les Gove Park in Auburn. See auburnbocce.org for more information.
- DAS Language Program Honored with a Grant for the second year from the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco and the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco.