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The Cesare Battista Lodge #27 has a long and proud history of serving the Italian-American community of Northwest Indiana. Formed in 1919 as the Loggia Cesare Battisti Musicale, the group soon joined forces with a large Chicago-area fraternal organization that morphed into the Italo American National Union, which eventually merged with the Italian Sons and Daughters of America. After decades of meeting in halls throughout the area, the lodge built a clubhouse in 1956 in East Chicago, and then a new, multi-million-dollar facility in 1989 in Schererville. Dubbed Villa Cesare, the new clubhouse boasts three banquet rooms, a commercial kitchen, …

The editors of “Routledge History of Italian Americans” pored through thousands of images in their search for the best ones to illustrate their new compendium, which encompasses 40 contributors and 660 pages. For the cover, they ultimately settled on “The Migrants,” a painting by John Cadel that hangs in the permanent art exhibit that bears his name at the Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italian in Stone Park. Cadel was a teacher at the Art Institute in the 1970s when the Rev. August Feccia, then the director of the cultural center, commissioned the work. The artist passed away in his …

Scuola Italiana Enrico Fermi recently received a $20,000 grant from the National Italian American Foundation. The grant was presented to school co-founder Laura Granara and Italian Consul General Giuseppe Finocchiaro by National Italian American Foundation Executive Vice President Robert V. Allegrini during a ceremony attended by the school’s students and board members. Located at 1510 N. Claremont Ave. in Chicago, the school offers bilingual education via the world-renowned Reggio Emilia method. It is only the second school in the United States to be accredited by both the American and Italian education systems.

Veteran boxing judge Mauro DiFiore was attending the World Boxing Association’s international convention in Azerbaijan when he was inducted into the Illinois Boxing Hall of Fame, so longtime friend Anthony DiBiase accepted the honor on his behalf. The pair later met up for an informal presentation ceremony at Carmine’s Restaurant in Chicago. DiFiore has presided over championship matches around the world and has appeared on HBO, Showtime, ESPN and several international networks, where he has been seen by millions of fight fans.

When the Avondale Neighborhood Association asked Tony Passero to paint a pair of murals beneath the Metra viaduct on Kedzie near Belmont, the artist wanted to conjure something that reflected the spirit of the community. Having grown up in the neighborhood, he was in a unique position to tap into that spirit. He first went in search of the one word that best captures the essence of Avondale, but came up with a whole list instead: Strength, Grit, Perseverance, Ambition, Resilience, Hardiness, Motivating, Persistence, Tenacity, Diligence, Dedication, Commitment, Fortitude, Dignity, Honor, Passion, Vitality, Grace, Poise, Elegance, Finesse, Flexibility, Decency, Agility, …

A 15-story-tall wooden sphere inspired by the geometric shapes of Leonardo da Vinci’s studies will alight in Chicago in 2018 to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the sister city relationship between Chicago and Milan, Italy. The project, which was recently announced at a press reception at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Chicago, is being created by il Consorzio Orgoglio Brescia, a consortium of 18 highly specialized Italian companies from the Italian province of Brescia. Orgoglio Brescia gained international fame for having designed the famous Tree of Life, which served as the focal point of the 2015 Milan Expo. The …

La Befana is known for her ability to be in several places at once. Otherwise, how could she shower every good boy and girl around the world with gifts in the wee hours before the Feast of the Epiphany? Those powers will come in handy when Italy’s good Christmas witch pays a visit to three local events in the days surrounding Jan. 6. On Jan. 7, she’ll stop by the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii during the 11 a.m. Mass. Children will participate in the Mass readings and prayers and will have an opportunity to ask La Befana questions. …

The Four C Notes will pay tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at a special holiday concert presented by Navarro Catering & Events on Dec. 17 at the Knights of Columbus Lodge in Elmhurst. Backed by a live band, the C Notes are led by John Michael Coppola, who appeared in Chicago’s long-running production of “Jersey Boys” after serving as understudy for the role of Frankie Valli during the show’s Broadway run. Titled “Season’s Greetings,” the Dec. 17 performance will feature the greatest hits of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons plus holiday classics made famous by artists …

One of the most stirring moments in “Piano Piano: Stories From My Father,” comes when an Italian-American man tells how his immigrant father went in search of food during the Great Depression. The church’s food pantry ran out before he could get any, but on his way home, he saw a “for lease” sign and leased a grocery store, which helped get his family get through the Depression. The play takes place as a conversation between Rocco Chrisfotano, played by Antonio Brunetti, and his daughter Roxanne Christofano Pilat. She plays herself in the Italian American Theatre of Chicago’s debut production, …

The Comboni Mission Center honored Rose Mary Ranallo on Nov. 25 at Porretta’s Banquets in Chicago. Ranallo is the chief financial officer and manager of her family businesses, NS Builders and Arno Decorating. A resident of Schaumburg, she grew up in Chicago and Elk Grove Village with her two sisters, Josephine and Lisa, and her parents, Gina and Natale Sclafani, who immigrated to the United States from Sicily. A past treasurer and president of the Women’s Division of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, she has chaired the division’s Italian Heritage Ball and Cotillion as well as its Scholarship …