Colonel Tamboli's slide presentation will explore this controversial battle, which resulted in 130,000 casualties (30,000 of whom were Americans) from a number of perspectives. How did the battle fit into the overall Italian campaign? What was its strategic value? Was it even necessary? Don't miss this important program

Next Meeting: Jul 15, 1998 -- Cocktails 6:30, Dinner 7:00
DaBaldo's Restaurant -- RSVP 644-1645 (Marie Wehrle)

Italy is the world's fifth greatest economic force. At the end of the war Italy was largely an agricultural nation but by 1987 , she became the world's fifth largest economic power in terms of GNP when she surpassed Great Britain. Since then, she has retained that position while also having a higher rate of general developmen t and a lower inflation rate than England.

But Italy has a number of economic and political difficulties. Italy has certain economic and political difficulties which unfortunately ke ep the Italian nation from being perceived as powerfull as its economic growth a nd stature should allow.

From the economic perspective, the problems center on a high trade def icit, a relatively high rate of unemployment, a history of fluctuating currency values, and limitations due to the relatively small size of Italian companies. Politically, Italy suffers from a cultural tendency for individualized control and a nati onal distrust of centralized power manifesting itself in frequent governmental r eshuffling. Today's government is the 55th in 52 years, a record that has made it very difficult for Italy to exercise the degree of international influence that it should have based on its economic strength. Also, the numerous political parties, with tw enty having current representation, make it difficult to establish and maintain a long term coal ition.

Two major initiatives to correct these problems have been tried during recent years. In the last several years, two significant political and economic initiatives have been pursued to address the problems described above. These were an attempt towards constitutional reform and the use of the Euro for monetary transactions.

The constitutional reform involved the 1997 appointment of a commission to study and recommend changes to the Italian constitution. The basic idea that evolved was to create a federation, instead of republic. The effect would be to decentralize national power by giving greater power to individual constituent "states" thereby increasing overall stability by increasing the stability of the local governments. The initiative was able to effect some modest changes in individual laws, but overall, no consensus could be reached and the Commission was dissolved with no significant governmental restructuring.

The second initiative involved the proposed replacement of the Lira with the Euro, a single currency that would be used by most of the member nations of the European Union (EU) and which would lead towards the creat ion of a single European market. Italy wants to be part of the EU and to use the Euro. Italians are optimistic that its adoption will help Italy economically; resulting in a more stable currency, less volatile inflation, and a stronger and more cohesive European market.

Apparently, this desire to be part of the EU and to go to the Euro has had a good effect on the Italian economy. Inflation is down, exchange fluctuations have been nominal, and nation al fiscal policy is being directed in a focused manner.

This award is given annua lly by the Club to an individual who has distinguished him or herself through service to the Italian-American community of Saint Louis. Congratulations, Joe, we appreciate all you have done, and continue to do, for our community!

Barbara says that her major motivation was pride in her Italian heritage and a desire to be a citizen of the country for which her grandfather fought for four years during the first world war. In addition she stated that Italian citizenship has practical value for her. It will facilitate her ability to practice her profession of public accounting in any country in the European Union.

Congratulazioni alla nostra stimata tesoriere.

In Italia, i giorni festivi sono considerati:

• 1 gennaio (Capodanno)
• 6 gennaio (Epifania del Signore)
• Lunedi di Pasqua (mobile)
• 25 aprile (Anniversario della liberazione)
• 1 maggio (Festa del lavora)
• 15 agosto (Assunzione di M.V.)
• 1 novembre (Ognissanti)
• 8 dicembre (Immacolata Concezione)
• 25 dicembre (Natale)
• 26 dicembre (S. Stefano)

Translation:

Holidays

In Italy, the following are considered legal holidays:

• January 1 (New Year's Day)
• January 6 (Epiphany)
• Monday following Easter (floating)
• April 25 (Liberation Day)
• May 1 (Labor Day)
• August 15 (Assumption of the Virgin Mary)
• November 1 (All Saint's Day)
• December 8 (Immaculate Conception)
• December 25 (Christmas)
• December 26 (St. Stephan)

In addition, the feast day of the patron saint of the city where you live or work is considered a holiday. For example, if you worked in Arconate, Italy, you would have August 17 as a holiday because that is the feast day of the local patron, St. Xavier.

(Hmmm...I wonder, when is the feast day of St. Louis?)

Nel periodo giovanile, perfezionando gli ideali di Giorgione, Tiziano stabilisce un canone della bellezza della figura umana; nel periodo della maturità (circa. 1525-1545), approfondendo i successi giovanili, tende a rendere la figura nella sua essenzialità, con una gamma cromatica vibrante, piena di accensioni improvvise; nell'ultimo periodo della sua attività, il periodo a cui appartiene questo quadro, Tiziano crea un intimo linguaggio tragico che dà nuovo vigore alla sua pittura: i suoi personaggi non hanno più corpo, sono apparizioni fantastiche, evocazioni, fantasmi immersi nella luce di un cosmo magico.

Questo linguaggio, sfuggito alla totalità degli imitatori suoi contemporanei, fu ascoltato da Tintoretto, Rembrandt, El Greco e pochi altri. E' chiaro che l'Ecce Homo è un'opera incompiuta, con vari pentimenti e con dettagli completati dai suoi discepoli o seguaci; pare inoltre che questo sia il prototipo per ben altre 14 opere dipinte nella bottega di Tiziano; tuttavia l'impronta del grande maestro è visibile nell'inconfondibile uso del colore e nell'intensità dei ritratti.

Ecco dunque il giovane paggio, con un sorriso di scherno che riflette quello della folla, invisibile, che non sa quello che fa. Pilato, con la parte superiore del volto in ombra, indeciso e imbarazzato dalla situazione in cui si trova, che con la mano pare voglia schermirsi da ogni responsabilità. E Cristo, con gli occhi abbassati ma bene aperti e fissi non sulla folla ma sul suo destino inevitabile. Un quadro minore, che tuttavia rivela l'arte insuperabile del grande pittore Tiziano Vecellio.