MELBOURNE - Marking the opening of the Week of the Italian Language in the World, the award ceremony took place last Saturday at the Co.As.It. headquarters, where participants were recognised for their effort and courage in stepping onto a stage and reciting, by heart, a poem before an audience.

Students could choose from a wide range of works, from the timeless verses of Dante Alighieri to modern and contemporary poets from both Italy and Australia, giving the nearly 1500 students representing 48 schools across Victoria a rich list to choose from.

The competition, first held in 1961 with 120 students (mostly from Catholic schools), was coordinated this year by Teresa Castelvetere, who has overseen its remarkable growth over the decades, peaking at over 3000 participants in 1996.

This year’s ceremony gathered about 120 people, including students, teachers and families, and was opened by the society’s president, Dominic Barbaro, who welcomed guests and expressed gratitude to the central headquarters of the Dante Alighieri Society in Rome for recognising the Melbourne branch’s longstanding efforts with a generous donation of 10,000 dollars to support the competition’s organisation.

Also in attendance was Italy’s Consul General in Melbourne, Chiara Mauri, who, following her institutional greetings, highlighted the significance of the event in the broader context of the Week of the Italian Language in the World.

Castelvetere praised the interpretive depth of many students, noting that some “moved the judges” by showing that “they weren’t simply reciting the words, but trying to understand and embody the emotion within the poem”.

This, she explained, is part of why memorising poetry remains valuable today; it’s a process that requires discipline and perseverance, but also “teaches resilience and leaves you with a set of words that you’ve made your own and filled with meaning”.

“Besides, memorisation helps with learning in general,” she added.

Students competed not only by school year but also by category: native speakers and learners of Italian as a second language - divisions that, according to Castelvetere, “reflect the changing demographics of Australian society”.

Winners:

Year 9

Second Language: Azura Baglioni (Victorian School of Languages)

Native Speaker: Giuseppe Angelone (Caroline Chisholm Catholic College)

 

Year 10

Second Language: Danica Lobo (Marian College, Sunshine West)

Native Speaker: Luca Gottoli (Xavier College)

 

Year 11

Second Language: Joint winners Alyssa Kelly (Killester College) and Rosaria Sweeny (MacKillop Catholic College)

Native Speaker: Cristina Morreale (MacKillop Catholic College)

 

Year 12

Second Language: Lucas Murphy (Xavier College)

Native Speaker: Luca di Marco (MacKillop Catholic College)

In her closing remarks, Castelvetere thanked everyone involved in what she described as a “well-oiled but essential machine of participation”.

“I couldn’t have done it without the invaluable help of my assistants, Nadia Sibillin and Josie Campana, the judges and ushers, the University of Melbourne for providing the spaces, and the teachers, the most precious resource the competition and Italian language education have in Victoria,” she concluded.