Italian Week began the prior Sunday with the Victorian Bocce Doubles Championship, held at the Fogolar Furlan Club.
On Monday, June 1, Consul General Mario Ferrari Di Carpi officially inaugurated an exhibition of figurative arts organised by the CIC and held at the Myer department store in Melbourne.
Consul Ferrari Di Carpi also announced the winners of the three prizes up for grabs at the opening.
The “Premio Italia” was a $200 voucher courtesy of Adriatic Insurance Co., awarded to the most outstanding artist.
The prize went to Kew-based artist Clifford Judge for his oil painting Carlton Houses.
The “Premio Comunità Italiana” was a return trip to Sydney courtesy of Flotta Lauro, awarded to the most original Italian artist (or artist of Italian background).
David Dyson from Doncaster won the award with his work Colour Transparency 3.
The “Premio Italia Giovane” was $50, awarded to the best Italian artist (or artist of Italian background) under the age of 25.
The prize went to Domenico De Clario from North Carlton, for his lithograph Trasanni III.
The judges who selected the winners were: Allan McCulloch, art critic for The Herald; William Frater, president of the Victorian Artists’ Society; and Laurence Course, professor of Fine Arts at the University of Melbourne.
On Tuesday evening, the St Kilda Town Hall hosted the traditional Ballo Nazionale (National Ball), in which around 1200 people participated.
Special guests included the Italian Ambassador to Australia, Mario Majoli, and Miss Australia Charity Queen 1970, Anna Iezzi.
Numerous members of the Italian community, among them representatives of the various Italian associations, participated in the mass held at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday.
The Banda Giuseppe Verdi, directed by Donato Marcianò, performed both at the Ballo Nazionale and after the mass.
