Dorothea's House

The History of Dance in Italy
2025-10-05 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
Rome native Andrea Marini, who dances with the American Repertory Ballet Company, will give an overview of how dance has accompanied human beings—even before the emergence of language. In Italy, traditional folk dances still reflect the fusion between ancient Italic cultures and the influences of the various populations they came into contact with over time. Andrea will explore some of the most iconic Italian folk dances— from the Tarantella to the Furlana—leading up to the refined art of ballet and the prestigious Italian opera and symphonic foundations.

From Grape To Glass
2025-05-04 18:00 - 20:00
Fulvio Costantini, wine consultant at Public Wine Store in Princeton, will offer a wine-tasting of Italian white and red wines from North to South and discuss the various grapes and processes used to produce some of the country’s best loved and exported wines.

Starting Over After War
2025-04-06 17:00 - 19:00
Lost Bread, a book by Edith Bruck, recounts the author’s geographic and emotional dislocation during WWII, her departure from Hungary and arrival in Italy, where she found a new home in the Italian language. Gabriella Romani, professor at Seton Hall University, who translated the book with David Yanoff, will give insight to the author’s story.

The Legacy of Italian Stone Masons at Princeton University
2025-03-02 17:00 - 19:00
Many buildings on the Princeton University campus were constructed by stone craftsmen who settled in Princeton in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from Pettoranello and other places in Italy. The craftsmen worked on stone used in many of the Collegiate Gothic University buildings. Michael Mills, FAIA, an architect who has worked extensively at Princeton University, will show various stone masonry projects on the campus and focus on the contributions of Italian stone craftsmanship.

Michelangelo’s Unfinished Sculptures
2025-02-02 17:00 - 19:00
Michelangelo Buonarroti left over half of his marble sculptures—some 26 of his 44 works, ranging from his very first carving to his last—in various unfinished states (non-finito). Carolina Mangone of Princeton University will discuss the problem and appeal of the non-finito, focusing on a handful of Michelangelo’s sculptures and their relationship to the preparatory
arts of drawing and modeling.

Italian Piano Solos and Transcriptions from* the 18th to the 20th Centuries
2025-01-05 17:00 - 19:00
Dr. David Leifer, Adjunct Professor of Piano at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, and independent piano teacher, will present a program on the many contributions of Italian composers to the vast keyboard literature. The program will begin with works originally written for harpsichord, moving to works written for the piano. Dr. Leifer will feature solo piano works by Italian composers including Scarlatti and Clementi, as well as piano transcriptions from operas by Puccini and Verdi, and others.

Experience Sicily
2024-12-01 17:00 - 19:00
An Introduction to the Magic of the Island of the Sun Join Allison Scola, owner and curator of Experience Sicily, for an interactive presentation about travel in Sicily.
During the evening, you’ll garner valuable advice for navigating the region and learn insider tips. Allison will present the must-see sites, accommodation options, engaging experiences, and more. Bring your questions!

Polenta Festa
2024-11-03 17:00 - 19:00
It’s our annual homage to the humble cornmeal dish beloved in Italy. Bring a polenta dish to share, whether with cheese, meat, lentils or wherever your imagination takes you. Please bring it piping hot, since oven space is limited.

Marcelli Formaggi Cheese Tasting
2024-10-06 17:00 - 19:00
Join Andy and Tina Marcelli, the brother and sister team of Marcelli Formaggi in Clifton, NJ, to sample and learn all about the raw milk cheeses they import from their cousin’s organic farm in Anversa degli Abruzzi. Their guided discussion will explain why the cheeses are so highly prized, not just in Italy, but in some of the U.S.A.’s most renowned restaurants. They will also talk about how the centuries-old transumanza, the bi-annual migration from the lowlands in winter to the lush, mountainous regions in the summer, influences the delicious milk of their heritage breed sheep.

A Transatlantic History of Fashion and Film in Post-War Italy
2024-05-05 18:00 - 20:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Eugenia Paulicelli, Professor of Italian, Comparative Literature, Film and Women’s Studies with the City University of New York, Queens College and The Graduate Center, will present an illustrated lecture on film and fashion’s contribution to Italy’s economic reconstruction and moral rehabilitation in the years following the end of WWII and during the economic boom. In particular, the lecture will highlight the work of Italian designers who emigrated to NY and the impact they had on American fashion.

lL Sorriso di Caterina/Caterina’s Smile
2024-04-07 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Carlo Vecce, a professor at Orientale University in Naples, and renowned scholar in the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci, recently made a surprising discovery about Leonardo’s mother Caterina. Vecce will talk about his novel “Il Sorriso di Caterina” which recounts, through a combination of fact and imaginative fiction, the story of how Caterina was kidnapped from the Caucasus area of Central Asia and moved to Florence, then Vinci, as a slave.

Humanity and Progress: Olivetti S.p.A.
2024-03-03 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Before Apple took the world by storm, there was Olivetti, founded in 1908 with a unique business model
emphasizing employee welfare, redistributive earnings and a work environment offering cultural and educational opportunities. Andrea Capra, Cotsen Postdoctoral Fellow in Princeton University’s Society of Fellows, will delve into the captivating history of Olivetti S.p.A., highlighting its influence on global technology manufacturing and its vision of harmonizing progress with humanity, before it faded into relative obscurity.

Italian Choral Music from the 16 to 21 Centuries
2024-02-04 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Mostly Motets is a small vocal ensemble founded in 1996 when several local choral singers joined together to sing Renaissance polyphony. The group numbers about a dozen singers and the repertoire has expanded to include music from the Medieval to Post-Modern eras and secular as well as sacred texts. The program will feature works by composers including Claudio Monteverdi and Fabio Fresi.

Polenta Festa
2024-01-07 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Share your favorite polenta dish with the community for our annual feast celebrating the humble cornmeal dish beloved in Italy and around the world. Please bring your food piping hot since there is limited oven space.

Out of Rushmore’s Shadow
2023-12-03 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Lou Del Bianco portrays his grandfather, Luigi Del Bianco, and talks about his unsung contribution as
chief carver on our nation’s greatest memorial, Mount Rushmore. Lou uses authentic photos, timelines and primary source documents to bring Luigi’s story to life. Now a published book authored by Lou, “Out of Rushmore’s Shadow” is a dramatic and touching story about Luigi’s legacy and the immigrant struggle.

Italian Food For Thought
2023-11-05 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Domenica Marchetti, author of eight books on Italian cuisine, will discuss the concept of “authentic Italian food” and whether it even exists. Italian food in America has come to be interpreted in myriad ways unheard of in Italy, while Italian food in Italy can sometimes be influenced by American tastes. Domenica will also talk about America’s historic relationship with Italian food, starting with our nation’s founding, and reveal some highlights from her latest cookbook, “Williams Sonoma Everyday Italian.”

Film: “The Truffle Hunters”
2023-10-08 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Sit back and savor the sights and sounds of the Piedmont woods, in this delightful documentary featuring a group of aging men who forage in the Alba woods for their favorite tuber — the rare, prized white truffle. Guided by a secret culture and training passed down through the generations, as well as the noses of their cherished dogs, the men may hold the key to something even more valuable than the truffle – a rich and meaningful life.

Giacomo Puccini, and the End of the Golden Age of Italian Opera
2023-05-07 18:00 - 20:00
Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot was the last opera of the golden age in 1926, two years after the great composer’s death. Legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini supervised the last great moments of Turandot at
La Scala. Joseph Pucciatti, co-founder and director of Boheme Opera New Jersey, will discuss Puccini’s lifetime and his operas from 1890 through 1924.

Italian History Reimagined
2023-04-02 17:00 - 19:00
Join filmmakers Mary Lou and Jerome Bongiorno for a screening and discussion of “Hearing Voices,” a movie
they created where Italian Inventor Antonio Meucci and Patriot General Giuseppe Garibaldi reunite as ghosts at the home they shared in 1850s, in Staten Island, NY. The two hash out their legacies of the invention of the telephone and Italian unification and debate the bigger question of: why do we fight?

Maria Montessori’s Pacifism
2023-03-12 18:00 - 20:00
Due to a change in the speaker’s schedule, the program originally planned for March 5 at 5 pm (“Maria Montessori’s Pacifism”) has been rescheduled to March 12 at 6 pm. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Italian educator and physician Maria Montessori (1870–1952) is best known for the teaching method that bears her name. She was also a lifelong pacifist, although historians tend to consider her writings on this topic as secondary to her pedagogy. In this talk, Erica Moretti, assistant professor of Italian at the Fashion Institute of Technology-SUNY, will reframe Montessori’s pacifism as the foundation for her educational activism and unearths the transnational dimension of humanitarianism, emphasizing her vision of the classroom as a gateway to reshaping society.

Dining and Lovemaking in Pompeii
2023-02-05 17:00 - 19:00
The destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 CE allows us to reconstruct daily life in an Early Imperial Roman town, especially residents’ attitudes toward food and sex. Brian Rose, professor of archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania and deputy director of the University’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, will present an overview of those attitudes by examining the archaeological discoveries in both cities, including wall paintings, mosaics, dining rooms, and food remains. The discussion also includes cookbooks and dinner parties as well as prostitution and same-sex relationships.

Polenta Festa
2023-01-08 17:00 - 19:00
A beloved tradition returns to Dorothea’s House. Join the community and bring your favorite polenta dish to share, whether accompanied by sausages, mushrooms, or whatever suits your fancy. Oven space is limited, so please bring your dishes piping hot.

Cheese Culture From Ancient Rome to Now
2022-12-04 17:00 - 19:00
Join Carla Graifer, a certified cheese specialist, who will share how fermented milk became the sophisticated enterprise of cheese making in ancient Rome and led to the classics we enjoy today. Discover how Romans preserved and prepared their foods without refrigeration, salts, or sugars and imagine a feast from an appetizer of broiled dormice tossed with sesame seeds to a famous Roman cheesecake. Graifer also will discuss the Italian terroir that is integral to today’s regional classic cheeses.

The Betrothed
2022-11-06 17:00 - 19:00
Michael F. Moore, translator and interpreter, will present his new translation of “The Betrothed,” the masterpiece of Italian literature, the first new English version in 50 years. He will talk about how the author, Alessandro Manzoni, invented modern Italian and the relevance of his novel today, which is set during the plague in the 1600s, in light of the current worldwide pandemic. The program will feature an Italian/English format, with Moore reading in English and Princeton University Professor Pietro Frassica reading in Italian.

Bronzino and the Medici
2022-10-09 17:00 - 19:00
Rutgers University art historian Elizabeth Pilliod will give a talk about famous 16th century Florentine artist Agnolo Bronzino and his relationship with the Medici family. Bronzino not only preserved likenesses of members of the storied family and their court, but also re-animated some of them, in a perfected state through portraiture. As Leonbattista Alberti declared in his treatise On Painting “Through painting the faces of the dead go on living for a very long time.”

Fellini's Musical Circus
2022-05-01 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Join internationally recognized piano soloist, Cristina Altamura and percussionist extraordinaire, David Degge in Fellini’s Musical Circus, for a program that weaves the iconic surreal, bizarre and romantic film scores of Academy Award-winning composer, Nino Rota into a tapestry of fanfares, languid melodies, manic tarantellas, marches, and drinking songs. Audiences are treated to a complete experience with visuals of the films silently projected as the music transports.

Italian Virtuoso Guitar Music
2022-04-03 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Renowned classical guitarist Stanley Alexandrowicz will present a program of guitar music from the Baroque, Romantic, and Contemporary eras, including works by Girolamo Frescobaldi, Luigi Legnani (duo partner of Paganini), and Felix Mendelssohn. Also included will be the work,”Canti di Venezia” written in 2019 by Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey’s Maestro Robert W. Butts.

Art & Architecture of Southern Italy
2022-03-06 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Discover the treasures of Southern Italy, many of which are practically unknown outside Italy. Art historian and Feast On History co-founder Danielle Oteri will introduce to you the Greek temples at Paestum, the Byzantine mosaics in Palermo, the world’s largest palace at Caserta, and the cave paintings of Matera.

Canceled - Reanimating the Dead: Bronzino’s Talent
2022-02-13 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Art historian and Rutgers University Professor Elizabeth Pilliod explains how Agnolo Bronzino created and fashioned portraits of various members of the Medici family who were deceased to complete a family portrait gallery.

Canceled - Italian Virtuoso Guitar Music
2022-01-09 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
