Dante Alighieri Society Wollongong Chapter records, 1958, 1977-1990, together with the papers of Dr. Vincent Cincotta, 1974-1987, relating to Italian Studies and the Italian student association, Il Circolo Italiano dell' Universita di Wollongong, at the University of Wollongong

MLMSS 5288 ADD-ON 1971

fonds

1958, 1974-1990

889522

1.44 metres of textual material (8 boxes)

The Dante Alighieri Society is a cultural organisation founded in 1889 by a group of Italian nationalists eager to keep alive Italian culture under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Society draws its name from the great Italian poet, Dante Alighieri (1265-1321). His masterpiece, La divina conimedia (The divine comedy), was one of the first literary works written in the Italian vernacular. The Society’s principle objectives are to promote the knowledge of Italian culture and to sponsor Italian language teaching programs world-wide.

The Wollongong Chapter was founded in October 1977 by Dr Vincent Cincotta. A former member of the Society in America, Cincotta founded Italian Studies in the Department of European Languages at the University of Wollongong. His activities at the University provided the impetus for the establishment of the student association, Il Circolo Italiano dell’Università di Wollongong.

The Chapter’s Steering Committee implements a wide-ranging cultural program including support for the teaching of Italian in the community, lectures by visiting scholars and annual Italian regional dinners.

Italians in New South Wales : a guide to archives in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales / compiled by James Andrighetti. Sydney : State Library of NSW Press, 1995 -

Information transferred from Manuscripts Leaf Catalogue No. 2 as part of the eRecords Project, 2009-2010