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Ottobre/October 2026
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President's Message
This President’s Message comes to you fresh off the weekend of FESTA ITALIANA. What a great time this year! Bravo as always to Dennis Caldirola and his staff for all the work that goes into Festa and for a successful event. Here were my highlights:
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Arriving to set up the booth at 8 AM Saturday. I’ve done this a number of times (owing to Festa always being opening weekend for PNB, I don’t load in Friday night like most vendors…) and I always love it. The vibe is palpable – people scurrying to get their booths ready, carts of food and supplies wheeling in, the unfailingly cheerful Seattle Center staff ushering my car down to load in…and the quiet Vino tent, poised and ready for action before anyone arrives.
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Then comes the chance to create our space in the booth, to represent Dante for all our visitors. Thanks to Alessandra and Austin’s updated banners and stands from last year, the booth goes together faster and better than in the old days.
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Thankfully, (unlike last year), my breakfast truck was present this year, Dolce Vita!
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And so, at 10:00 we were up and running
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Isabella Moriconi gave our two free sample Italian classes this year and was able to connect with nearly 60 participants. In Isabella’s words, “Both classes went very well!! First class gave me a round of applause… they had so much fun and I was flooded with questions for info after the class…It was AMAZING! Love teaching at Dante and at Festa.”
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Big thanks, Isabella and Giuseppe, for getting this all set up.
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For me, it was also great to connect with so many inquiries and folks pinning the map. I learned a bit more geography along the way….
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. . . and enjoyed many conversations. About 93 hard copy Season calendars for Dante events were picked up, along with all our Language Program info pages and some PLIDA exam flyers, plus countless photos taken of our QR codes, so hopefully we will greet many new faces at upcoming Dante meetings. I also got to reconnect with author Mary Lou Sanelli, who has spoken for us in the past, and tasty booth presenters including Ronnie’s Giardiniera and 11 Olives Olive Oils…and for lunch, enjoyed real Sicilian style Arancini from La Signora’s truck among the great food offerings upstairs! Big thanks to Bruce Leone, Joe Stanco, Houghton Lee, Mary Jo Enyeart and Bev Riter, Stephanie Rogstad, Emilio and Stefania Fonzo and Sandra Bordin for staffing the booth. It was a really fun weekend. Enjoy the other photos at the end of La Voce. See you October 14 at the next Dante English meeting!
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October Meetings
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We are pleased to have Richard Kinssies from the Seattle Wine Outlet join us for the English Meeting On Wednesday, October 14. He will lead us through a wine tasting of some of 'The Obscure and Intriguing Grapes of Italy', focusing on those little known varietals that produce some of the most interesting and distinguished wines of Italy.
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Richard Kinssies is owner of Wine Outlet on Elliott Ave in Seattle and has been a wine journalist since 1976 and the wine columnist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer since 1982. He is a features writer for The Wine News, a national wine publication and the author of Seattle Epicure, a book on dining in Seattle and The Art of Wine Tasting, an illustrated guidebook. Additionally, he has hosted his own television and radio programs on wine and is a frequent guest on National Public Radio.
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Kinssies, an experienced wine educator, is the director of the Seattle Wine School, which he founded in 1981. He created a wine curriculum for the Seattle Central Community College’s Culinary Academy and a wine professional certification program for the Washington Wine Commission. He has also been retained by the French government to educate the local wine trade on the wines of France.
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Richard has worked as a sommelier, and owned and operated a highly acclaimed Seattle restaurant and wine bar. He has traveled extensively to all the major wine regions of the world and is frequently a judge at national and international competitions.
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The presentation will be in English. Please join us at for a delicious Italian Pasta dinner or come after dinner for the presentation. The dinner and meeting will be at the usual venue:
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Greenwood Senior Center
525 N. 85th St
Seattle WA 98103
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Please reserve your place for dinner by 5:00 Monday October 12
Please bring wine, antipasti or desserts to share
Doors open 6:00; dinner 6:30, presentation, 7:30
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The October Italian meeting on Wednesday, October 28 will feature a presentation in Italian by Marcella Nardi. In her own words, this is what she will explore with us:
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When people think of Italy, a few things immediately come to mind: pizza, pasta, Ferrari, Venice, Rome...
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But there is a question that very few people ever stop to ask: How did a peninsula just over a thousand kilometers long, home to less than 1% of the world’s population, manage to leave such a profound mark on human history.
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What other country can claim, all at once, the Roman Empire, the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo, opera, modern banking, the piano, and the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
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Marcella Nardi was born in the charming medieval town of Castelfranco Veneto, Italy. She is an Italian author who combines analytical precision, imagination, and a lifelong passion for mystery.
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After earning a degree in Computer Science, she spent more than twenty years working in the technology sector in Milan before moving to Seattle, Washington. There, she began a new professional chapter teaching Italian and working as a technical translator.
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A passionate lover of history, travel, and photography, Marcella draws inspiration from the places and cultures she has explored. Her novels transport readers to Italy, the United States, Scotland, and many other fascinating locations, where mystery and adventure go hand in hand.
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Her work has received several literary awards, including First Prize at the Italia Mia Literary Competition (2014), Second Prize at the Philobiblon – Italia Medievale Award (2011), and a Special Recognition for Best Legal Thriller at the 12th International Navarro Literary Award (2022). For the past four years, she has also consistently received the Amazon All-Star Bonus for outstanding Kindle Unlimited readership.
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(Bio from the Amazon website)
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Greenwood Senior Center
525 N. 85 St
Seattle WA 98103
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No reservations for Italian meetings, but please bring
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beverages, antipasti or desserts to share
Doors open 6:00; Presentation 7:30
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Thanks to all who have renewed their Dante Membership. If you haven’t done so yet, please renew soon. Dues fund all our activities.
$40/individual, $60/family.
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Over the summer, Dante Seattle migrated to a new membership platform. Current members received an email announcing the change and directions on how to set up their accounts. The new platform allows members to check on their current membership status, add members to a family membership and, at renewal time, set up auto-renew. If you are a member and have any questions about your account, please email us at [email protected].
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Italian Language Program News
By Giuseppe Tassone – Language School Director
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Enrollment for our Italian language classes is off to a phenomenal start this school year, matching the incredible momentum of last year. Thanks to our dedicated community, student retention has reached a remarkable new milestone.
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This enthusiasm was fully on display at Festa Italiana on Saturday, September 26th, where instructor Isabella Moriconi led free introductory classes. Attendance was exceptionally high, and the event’s success triggered a wave of eager students adding their names to the waitlist for our already completely full A1 classes.
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In our most exciting news of the term, the vast majority of last year’s A1 students have chosen to continue their language journey together. Because so many beginners have stepped up to the next level, we are proud to announce that, for the first time ever, we are offering three separate sections of A2 – Elementary Italian.
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To support our growing student body and these expanded A2 sections, we are thrilled to grow our teaching team. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Francesca Lanza, who joins our faculty for the first time! Francesca will work alongside our wonderful returning instructors—Laura Ciroi, Eric Gusmaroli, Daniela Balestra, Nicla Riverso, Damiano Pinton, Tiziana Pibiri, and myself—to ensure all students receive the high-quality, personalized guidance they need to thrive.
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We also send our warmest wishes to Isabella Moriconi, who is taking a temporary break from teaching this year following her fantastic work at the festival, and Francesca Giambartolomei, who is returning as a substitute teacher.
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Thank you to our returning students for your incredible commitment, and a warm welcome to everyone stepping into our classrooms this season!
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Do you want to see Turandot, L'ultima Nota again?
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It's available on the dante.global website. Right click on the link dante.global to be taken to the webpage containing the film with English subtitles on YouTube.
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COOKS NEEDED FOR
PRE-DANTE PASTA DINNER
IN NOVEMBER!
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Our traditional community meal before the English meetings is a great opportunity for connecting with friends and sharing stories. Each of these meals is prepared by a volunteer (or team of volunteers), who decide the menu, shop for the food, prepare the meal and get reimbursed. Guidelines are available to make this easy and fun for new people, and there are always folks on hand to help on the evening you cook!
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What could be more fun than trying out your favorite pasta recipe on a deeply appreciative roomful of Italians/Italophiles? Say yes to this idea, and sign up to cook. Help make some memories and create the fun!
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November 11 is still open!
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More Festa Fotos
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Thanks for reading. Hope to see you at our meetings!
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