My Inspiration
The inspiration behind this project stemmed from a number of things. I am not Italian. In fact, I am Turkish. I visit Turkey every summer and travel around Europe when I’m there. I fell in love with Italy the first time I visited and had plans to start Italian in college ever since. There’s something about the language, culture, history, food, people, and energy that I just love. I plan to study abroad at the Università di Bologna in the spring of 2022 through a language immersion program.
When given the assignment for one of my core classes in the Journalism major to create an informative piece supported by multimedia elements, the Italian community in Madison came to mind. I actually didn’t even know if there was one. To my surprise, the community was as vibrant as ever. From restaurants to relationships, Italians have left their mark on Madison.
Thank You!
This project would not have come to life without the help of many. I’d like to extend my appreciation to all those who participated. My biggest thank you to David Rizzo for connecting me to members of the Italian Workmen’s Club and Italian-American Women’s Club. I’d also like to thank Frank Alfano for his generosity and tour of the clubhouse. Lastly, to all my interviewees, as well as my professor Stacy Forster Benedict and fabulous Teaching Assistant Elaine Brittany-Simões Almeida.
Italians in Madison 