British Magazine "Flight": "Although establishing no recognized world's 
records, the flight just completed by the Marquis of Pinedo is in many ways 
one of the most remarkable in the history of aviation..."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to H-ITAM (Prof. Ben Lawton, Editor)

CHICAGO COMMEMORATES ITALIAN AIRMAN'S 1927 FLIGHT TO CITY

The life and deeds of Francesco De Pinedo, a trailblazing Italian aviator and 
one-time international hero whose fame was rivaled only by Charles 
Lindbergh's, will be the focus of a day-long commemoration in Chicago on 
Wednesday, May 15th, 2002. The date, which has been officially designated "De 
Pinedo Day" by Mayor Richard M. Daley, marks the 75th anniversary of the 
intrepid transatlantic flyer's visit to the city, a call he made as part of 
his sensational aerial tour of the Western Hemisphere in 1927.

The event has been organized by Italian Consul General Enrico Granara with 
the participation and support of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, the 
Italian Trade Commission, the Italian Government Tourist Board, and numerous 
local, national, and international Italian and Italian American 
organizations, institutes, and private businesses. Notable guests will 
include Italian Ambassador Ferdinando Salleo, Mayor Daley, and Countess Maria 
Fede Caproni, daughter of Italian aircraft builder Gianni Caproni and founder 
of the famous Caproni Aviation Museum in Trento.

"After arriving in Chicago in 1999", Granara stated, " several of the more 
historically-minded members of the Italian American community recalled my 
attention to De Pinedo and his role in one of early aviation's most 
extraordinary episodes of valor, courage and initiative. The first European 
aviator to fly to the United States, he landed here after having flown across 
the Atlantic from Africa to Brazil in a Savoia Marchetti seaplane which had 
been christened, quite symbolically, the Santa Maria."

The day's events will begin with the opening of an exhibit of Italian 
aviation memorabilia at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, after which Dr. 
Gregory Alegi, one of the leading European authorities on early aviation 
history, will lecture on the details of De Pinedo's achievements. Alegi's 
presentation will be followed later that afternoon by the official opening at 
the Richard J. Daley Center of an exhibit entitled "Wings of Italy", 
featuring 44 original, Futurist-style Italian aviation posters from the years 
1910 through 1943. Currently on display at the Estorick Gallery of London, 
this rare collection is part of the Massimo & Sonia Cirulli Archive of New 
York, and will be available for viewing by the general public from May 16th 
to June 15th, 2002 at the Daley Center. 

"The exhibit offers a thematic overview of three decades of Italian aviation 
activity that coincided with three, critical and decisive epochs of Italy's 
history, specifically World War I, the rise of Fascism, and the subsequent 
events that led to the Second World War", noted Granara. "The exhibit and the 
other events of the day constitute an invitation from the Italian and Italian 
American communities to all Chicagoans to call to mind a seldom remembered 
but glorious page from the history of this great city, written by a small 
crew of intrepid, Italian aviators under the command of Colonel De Pinedo."

The May 15th commemoration will conclude with an outdoor concert in tribute 
to De Pinedo featuring Italian patriotic and thematic music performed by 
Caliendo's Banda Napoletana under the sponsorship of the Joint Civic 
Committee of Italian Americans. The 45 minute concert will begin at 6:30 PM 
at the Daley Plaza and will be open to attendance by the general public.

Subsequent to the Chicago celebrations, De Pinedo will again be the focus of 
commemorative activities in St. Louis, New Orleans, Milwaukee, and Madison, 
Wisconsin. The St. Louis events, sponsored by the "Italy at St. Louis" 
electronic news magazine (www.italystl.com) and the Federation of Italian 
American Organizations, will include a lecture by Dr. Alegi and an exhibit of 
fifty-one photographs from the Italian Air Force Historical Office 
chronicling De Pinedo's American tour. Detailed information on De Pinedo and 
all of the upcoming commemorative events can be found at 
http://www.italystl.com/pride/.

Italic Institute of America representatives and Fra Noi correspondents Don 
Fiore and Robert Allegrini, both long-time admirers of De Pinedo and members 
of the commemoration's planning committee, credited Granara with what they 
view as the crucial first steps toward restoring the forgotten aviator's 
place in history. "About 20 years ago, I came across an old recording of a 
1927 song entitled "'l Volo di De Pinedo' which recounted the exploits of 
some great Italian aviator of whom I had previously never heard a word", said 
Fiore. "I started to suspect some artistic exaggeration, since there was 
utterly no mention of him in any of the English language aviation histories 
that I subsequently consulted. But when I checked newspapers from 1927, there 
he was all over the front page. 

"Like Garibaldi, De Pinedo can be viewed as an almost 'perfect hero' and one 
who should serve as a powerful, inspirational icon to all Italian Americans, 
especially in our struggle against the ongoing brutalization of the Italian 
and Italian American image by the entertainment and pop culture media. The 
Consul General has launched the first, visible initiative in over seventy 
years to return this hero to the Italian American community. Hopefully, the 
community will respond with all due appreciation and support."
================================================
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

<A HREF="http://www.italystl.com/pride/">Francesco de Pinedo 75th Anniversary 
Commemoration</A> 
http://www.italystl.com/pride/

 <A HREF="http://www.italystl.com/pride/page7.htm">backgrnd</A> (The life and 
deeds of Francesco de Pinedo by Don Fiore)
http://www.italystl.com/pride/page7.htm

 <A HREF="http://www3.sympatico.ca/giorgio-lidia.zanetti/depinedo.html">
FRANCESCO DE PINEDO - AVIATOR</A> 
http://www3.sympatico.ca/giorgio-lidia.zanetti/depinedo.html