Presentations
Avventure Siciliane
From April 4 to April 7 in 2014, with support from the Società Isole Eolie of Melbourne and CO-AS-IT, Cristina organised a series of presentationswith Professor Marcello Saija titled Avventure Siciliane. Presented at the Museo Italiano in Faraday Street, Carlton, the program included lectures and films on the subject of Sicilian migration with the following events:
Wednesday 2 April
Venue: Museo Italiano (Co.As.It), 199 Faraday Street, Carlton
6.30pm LECTURE – Through Times of Plundering and Prosperity: a historical look at the movement of peoples to and from the Aeolian Islands by Professor Marcello Saija followed by a Q&A with the public.
Thursday 3 April
Venue: Eolian Hall, 836 Lygon Street, Carlton North
6.30pm EXHIBITION – Aeolian Crossings to Australia and Derived Communities Presented by Tindaro Li-Donni, President of the Società Isole Eolie
Friday 4 April
Venue: Museo Italiano (Co.As.It), 199 Faraday Street, Carlton
6.30pm FILM – La Voce del Corpo (The Voice of the Body) by Luca Vullo (Italian/Sicilian) followed by Q&A with the Director, L.Vullo. Presented by: Dr. Paolo Baracchi, Co-ordinator of the CO.AS.IT. Italian Historical Society. With guest speakers: Janetta Ziino, Social Director of the Società Isole Eolie, Massimo Petterlin, President of the Sicilian Association of Australia, Sebastiano D’Angelo, President of the Associazioni Ragusani nel Mondo and Marcello Saija, President of the Rete Musei Siciliani dell’Emigrazione
Saturday 5 april
Venue: Museo Italiano (Co.As.It), 199 Faraday Street, Carlton
3.00pm LECTURE – The Forces Behind Sicilian Migration in the 20th Century: Exploring the political and economic factors behind mass migration to the new worlds by Professor Marcello Saija. FILM – La Grande Migrazione dei Siciliani in America 1892–1924 by M. Saija (Italian with English subtitles)
4.30pm FILM – Dallo Zolfo al Carbone by Luca Vullo (Italian with English subtitles) followed by Q&A with the Director, L.Vullo.
Dr. Paolo Baracchi, Co-ordinator of the CO.AS.IT. Italian Historical Society.
Sunday 6 April
Venue: Ibleo Social Club, 450 High Street, Northcote
1.00pm Buffet luncheon – 2-course traditional lunch.
3.00pm MUSICAL PERFORMANCE – Canti popolari: La Sicilia dai Borboni al Regno d’Italia by Marcello Saija accompanied by Stefania Castiglia and Francesco Saija. Presented by Roberto Cilia, President of the Ibleo Social Club.
Monday 7 April
Venue: Museo Italiano (Co.As.It), 199 Faraday Street, Carlton
6.30pm EXHIBITION – banners created by the participants of the Eoliano Heritage Study Program (EHSP)
BOOK LAUNCH – Siamo Eoliani by Cristina Neri. Presented by Dr. Paolo Baracchi, Co-ordinator of the Co.As.It. Italian Historical Society
Aeolian Magic Lantern Slide Presentation
On Friday October 13, 2017 and June 3, 2018, Cristina presented a unique treasure from the CO.AS.IT. Italian Historical Society’s collection, titled Aeolian Magic Lantern Slide Presentation.
Donated to the collection by Crina Virgona, the Aeolian Islands Magic Lantern Slides include over 70 beautifully hand-coloured projections that explore the Aeolian Islands as they were during the early 1900s to 1940s.
During both presentations, Cristina offered an historical account of the development and use of magic lantern projection technology and then presented each of the 70 slides from the collection. As Cristina examined the subject of each slide, she then invited the audience to contribute as a means to facilitate the gathering of any additional knowledge for archival prosperity.
Aeolian Heritage Lecture Series
On the weekend of the 26th and 27th of August, 2023, Cristina and Rosalie Paino presented the inaugural Aeolian Heritage Lecture Series at the Five Dock Library through the support of the Council of Canada Bay.
The Aeolian Heritage lecture series focused on migrant history, language, and genealogy with a special interest to those of Aeolian and Sicilian heritage.
Author-Curator Cristina Neri presented a virtual tour through the collection of the Museum of Aeolian Emigration in Salina. The presentation explored the factors and events that shaped the Aeolian diaspora in the New World. This included the rise and fall of the maritime and pumice industries; viticulture and wine exportation; the pull factors regarding migration to North America and Australia; an exploration of Aeolian communities and mutual aid societies established on both continents.
Michael Angelini, an Architectural Documenter, and a passionate genealogist on Aeolian ancestry, together with Local Studies Librarian John Johnson delivered a detailed workshop on researching Italian ancestors, how to research and decipher Italian records online and how to use library resources to help build your family tree.
Janetta Ziino, a bilingual researcher, and certified Italian-English Interpreter took audiences on an interactive journey into the sayings that our Aeolian forefathers used. The presentation explored how these proverbs shaped their lives and how relevant these pearls of wisdom are today.
All three lecture presentations were heavily booked with participants eager to attend future events as one of the attendees wrote …
‘Thank you for arranging these lectures on the Aeolian Islands. All speakers were enthusiastic and knowledgeable in their presentations. I am looking forward to future events that may be conducted. Keep up the good work. A healthy attendance was an indication that people are interested in learning about their Italian culture.’
