De Rada Sample of Special Guests 

No other summer programs in Italy

will offer you these great opportunities.

• Carmine Abate, One of the best Italian writers of the moment was our 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 special guest. Abate has published several acclaimed novels and short story collections and is represented by Italy’s leading publishing house Mondadori. His work has also been translated into several European languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Albanian, etc.) and recently also into Arabic. Two of his award-winning novels have been published in the United States: Tra due mari (2002) under the English title Between Two Seas, and La festa del ritorno (2004) as The Homecoming Party. Abate’s novel La Collina del Vento (The Hill of the Wind) was awarded the 2012 Campiello Prize (Venice), the most prestigious Italian literary prize given by the readers. His new book Il Bacio del Pane (The Bread’s Kiss) has placed among the top ten books sold in Italy in 2013. For more information please visit http://www.carmineabate.net

• Dacia Maraini was our 2013 special guest. Maraini is one of the finest Italian woman writers alive today. She's won, among others, both Campiello and Strega prizes, which are the most prestigious Italian literature awards. In 2012 Maraini was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature (awarded to Mo Yan): she was the highest ranking female writer on the list. Maraini's books are translated in 22 languages and some of her bestsellers, such as Storia di Piera, L'età del malessere, La lunga vita di Marianna Ucrìa, Voci and Memoria di una ladra, were turned into successful movies. For more information on Dacia Maraini, please visit  http://www.daciamaraini.it/biografia_english.htm
• Tommaso Affaldano, gelato-maker (gelato is the Italian ice-cream) was our 2008-2013 special guest. Considered one of the best "gelataio" in the world, Tommaso Affaldano was born in Ortona, in the region of Abruzzo.  He studied the art of making gelato at the very well known school "Copac" in Milan, and he worked in Italy (Ortona and Reggio Emilia), in Germany (Frankfurt a. M., Munich, and Travemunde) and in the United States (Cambridge and Natick, MA).    He was elected twice among the best gelato-maker in the world in Longarone, Italy, and he offered seminars on the history and art of making gelato at Harvard University, MIT, University of Rhode Island, GE School. Many articles were written about Tommaso's gelato in different newspapers such as Boston Globe, Herald, USA Today, Natick Daily News; an article was also published by Cooking Light on the back cover of the magazine (see on the left).  Recently he has also been interviewed by the Italian public TV RAI International. Tommaso Affaldano is one of our special guest and he will stay with us for about ten days to teach to our students what gelato is, how it's made, and even how students can make their own gelato at home.

• Giuseppe Roma, Professor of Medieval and Christian Archeology at the University of Calabria
• Eva Benedikt, screenwriter and director from the Boston area will give lessons on movie production.
  
• Demetrio Loricchio, Head producer of the production company Nuovo Film, Rome, Italy. 
• Renato Guzzardi, independent movie director and Professor of Mathematics at the University of Calabria.  
  
• Nery Villanueva, former Assistant Professor of Spanish and Film Studies at Salve Regina University.
  
• Fulvio Orsitto, Associate Professor and Director of Italian & Italian- American Studies, California State University, Chico. Prof. Orsitto is a Film expert and it will be a great opportunity for us to attend his two lectures: in the first one he will talk about some of the movies we are going to watch during the De Rada Summer Program: Cinema paradiso, Mediterraneo and Lamerica; in the second one he will focus on the  Italian Cinema from 1990 to 2011 and on the interviews of some Italian directors, which he is making for his new book.
• Giovanni Braico, Ph.D. Candidate and Teaching Assistant of Italian at New York University.
• Francesco Paolo Lavriani, photographer.
  
• Franco Azzinari, painter.  Born in San Demetrio, Franco Azzinari is considered one of the best painters in Italy.  He is famous not only for his landscapes of Calabria, but also for his painting of Cuba. Azzinari, who has been with us already in the Summer 2006 and 2007, will direct the art project I Colori del Mediterraneo (Mediterranean's Colors). Inspired by the Mediterranean colors and culture students can paint, make pictures, write poems, etc. The work will then be selected and exposed in an art exhibition.
• Giovanni Morello, President of the Foundation for "I Beni e le Attività artistiche della Chiesa", Global Coordinator of Art Exhibitions for the Vatican Museums, director of some of the most important art exhibitions in the world, Giovanni Morello  will offer seminars and a public lecture on artists such as Michelangelo, Bernini, and Caravaggio.
• Francesco Sisci, journalist for "La Stampa", and Director of the Italian Institute of Culture in China.  Author of the book Another China, Doctor Sisci will offer special lessons on journalism to the Advanced students and will give a public lecture on the political and economical aspects of China.    
• Dante Della Terza, Emeritus Professor of Italian, Harvard University-Università Federico II di Napoli.  Considered one of the best Professors and Critics of Italian Literature in the World, author of many books including Da Vienna a Baltimora, Della Terza will teach the Italian Literature class and part of the Advanced class.  He will also give a lecture on Italian Literature.          
• Alessandro Ghisalberti, Professor of History of Medieval Philosophy and Theoretics, and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the Università La Cattolica, in Milan.  Expert of Hoccam and St. Thomas Aquinos, Prof. Ghisalberti will give seminars on the philosophy of the twentieth century and on the works of Pirandello and Svevo.  Professor Ghisalberti will also give a lecture on Medieval Philosophy.   

Donations to our non-profit organization

Thank you very much for your kind donation which will be be used to improve our program. If you want to establish an endowment for scholarships given on your name, or if you want to sponsor our movie production or any other activity please contact us and let us know.

The De Rada Italian Institute is a 501 C3 non profit organization and therefore your donation is tax deductable. For your tax deduction, please contact your tax consulter.