Istituto Italiano Cultura SF

🟠 officially opened with a special event featuring Italian writer Andrea Bajani, 2025 Strega Prize Winner. His work, "The Book of Homes," offers a powerful reflection on memory, identity, and the true meaning of "home." It is truly a book not to be missed!

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to Andrea for opening the festival; it was an absolute honor for us.
Special thanks also to Sara Marinelli for guiding such a thoughtful and engaging dialogue, and to Consul Davide Corriero for his introductory remarks.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us and made this first night of "La Piazza" festival truly unforgettable.

This is just the beginning...
Stay tuned for what's next! 📅 April 10-13, 2026

Deep Vellum Publishing Feltrinelli Librerie Centro per il libro e la lettura Comites San Francisco Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis Mauro Aprile Zanetti Romana Bracco UC Davis Humanities Institute UC Davis Europa Editions Edizioni E/O

From April 10-13, 2026, San Francisco will host the first Italian literary festival in the city, "La Piazza" - San Francisco Italian Literary Festival.

Organized by the Istituto Italiano Cultura SF in collaboration with the Italian cultural association Librai in corso, under the auspices of the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco, the festival brings some of Italy's most exciting contemporary writers to the Bay Area, creating a space for dialogue between authors and readers and celebrating the richness of Italian literary culture.

Over four days, audiences will have the opportunity to discover new voices, explore different genres, and engage in conversations about literature, ideas, and storytelling.

The festival also includes "La Piazza Kids," two days dedicated to books and activities for young readers in the schools.

The festival will officially launch on March 16th with a special opening event featuring Andrea Bajani, winner of the prestigious Premio Strega 2025.

Celebrate Italian literature and its voices with us!
Discover the full program and register on La Piazza San Francisco website (https://www.lapiazzasanfrancisco.com/home).

Deep Vellum Publishing Feltrinelli Librerie Centro per il libro e la lettura Comites San Francisco Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis Romana Bracco CoorItalia UC Davis Humanities Institute UC Davis Europa Editions ITAL Foundation Marchesi Antinori Mauro Aprile Zanetti Italian Community Services

"The Geek of Chick" Book presentation | Left to right: Mauro Aprile Zanetti, Federico Marchetti, Ms. Maria Manetti Shrem, Consul Davide Corriero, Cultural Attaché Mario Zaccagnino, IIC San Francisco

Throwback Wednesday, February 4: a memorable event with Federico Marchetti presenting his book "The Geek of Chick" in an inspiring and dynamic conversation with Mauro Aprile Zanetti, introduced by Consul Davide Corriero. We were honored to welcome among our guests Maria Manetti Shrem, Diego Piacentini, and Alberto Acito.
Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco Innovit - Italian Innovation and Culture Hub Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis

Breakfast of champions! 🇮🇹📚 ☕️ Discover the story of how @federicomarchetti turned passion and grit into a global fashion empire in his book “The Geek of Chic: An American Dream, Italian Style”. A must-read for dreamers 💭 #marchetti #federicomarchetti #sanfrancisco #book #yoox

Join us for the first event of our 2026 program: the opening of the exhibition GIOVANNI DA NOLA, ANNUNCIATION. A REDISCOVERED MASTERPIECE OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE
With Elizabeth Defeis (Friends for Preservation of Cultural and Artistic Heritage of Italy), Antonio Amendola (SENIOR Srl), Ivan Allevi (Travel Verse) and Jane Williams (FAMSF)
January 19, 2026 | 6:30 PM
Italian Cultural Institute
710 Sansome St, San Francisco

Open to the public | Reservation required
LEARN MORE & REGISTER https://iicsanfrancisco.esteri.it/en/gli_eventi/calendario/art-giovanni-da-nola-annunciazione/

The exhibition is an international cultural project dedicated to the restoration and valorization of two extraordinary sixteenth-century polychrome wooden statues depicting the Annunciation, created by the renowned Neapolitan Renaissance sculptor Giovanni da Nola.
The exhibition integrates historical content, physical displays, artistic installations, original restoration tools, and advanced digital experiences, offering visitors an immersive journey that connects Renaissance art with contemporary technologies.

opening event > GIOVANNI DA NOLA – ANNUNCIATION January 19-20, 2026 Giovanni da Nola, Annunciation. A Rediscovered Masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance Opening event with Elizabeth Defeis, Antonio Amendola, Ivan Giovanni Allevi and Jane Williams January 19, 2026 | 6:30 PM Italian Cultural Institute 710 Sansome St, San Francisco REGISTE...

🎄✨ Let's celebrate the holiday season with the Smuin Ballet THE CHRISTMAS BALLET! ✨🎄
We are thrilled to see Italian dancer Jacopo Calvo take the stage in this iconic Bay Area holiday production.

Enjoy an exclusive 30% discount dedicated to friends of the Italian Cultural Institute San Francisco — just use the code JACOPO at checkout!
🎟️ Valid on all seats for all San Francisco performances.

📅 Performances run December 18–28 in San Francisco
ℹ️ Tickets and more information: https://www.smuinballet.org/events/christmas-2025/

Don’t miss this magical holiday tradition — Ci vediamo a teatro! 💃🎁✨

DÖKK | A live media performance by fuse*
FRI DEC 5 | 7:30 PM Stanford University, Memorial Auditorium

Everything that surrounds us is nothing but a collection of atoms, particles, and electromagnetic fields, vibrating without any apparent meaning. When these impulses are interpreted by our mind, they become colors, tastes, music, memories, and emotions: the foundations of what each one of us perceives as reality.

Dökk is a journey through the subconscious mind, where reality is represented by worlds and universes that take form and dissolve within the mind, as it constantly seeks a balance between light and darkness. Experience an unparalleled live media performance that deeply connects a performer with an incredible digital landscape.

Following the performance, there will be a conversation onstage between fuse* co-founders Luca Camellini and Mattia Carretti and Risa Wechsler, director of Stanford’s Kavli Institute of Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology.

Presented with the support of the Italian Cultural Institute San Francisco.

BUY TICKETS https://live.stanford.edu/events/25-26season/memorial-auditorium/dokk-by-fuse-2/

Memorial Auditorium
551 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford

✨🎞 Europe on the big screen! The Istituto Italiano Cultura SF and the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco are proud to be part of the first-ever ODE TO JOY - EUROPEAN CINEFEST SF! Join us at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura San Francisco at INNOVIT for the free screening of:
📅 DIAMANTI (sold out ) FRI NOV 7 | 5:30
📅THE SOUTHERN CHRONICLES | SAT NOV 8 | 6:30 PM
🎟️ RSVP: https://bit.ly/OdeToJoySF

'Ode to Joy' European CineFest San Francisco Experience the rich storytelling and artistry of Europe at the San Francisco European Film Festival. This event showcases films from Italy, Sweden, France, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Finland, Ireland, and the Czech Republic. All screenings are free.

Celebrate the enduring influence of poet, activist, publisher, and cofounder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers, Lawrence Ferlinghetti through a special discussion between longtime collaborator Mauro Aprile Zanetti and curator Natalia Lauricella. The conversation will highlight the exhibition FERLINGHETTI FOR SAN FRANCISCO at the Legion of Honor Museum, which presents Ferlinghetti’s work as a printmaker. Together, the talk and exhibition explore what it means to “live poetry” in both art and life.

NOV 5 | 6-7 PM | VIRTUAL
LEARN MORE & REGISTER:
https://www.famsf.org/events/conversation-mauro-zanetti-ferlinghetti-san-francisco

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Mauro Aprile Zanetti is a longtime collaborator of poet laureate Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
Natalia Lauricella is the curator of prints and drawings at the ACHENBACH FOUNDATION FOR GRAPHIC ARTS at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

A Conversation with Mauro Aprile Zanetti on Ferlinghetti for San Francisco Celebrate the enduring influence of poet, activist, publisher, and cofounder of City Lights Bookstore Lawrence Ferlinghetti through a special discussion between longtime collaborator Mauro Aprile Zanetti and curator Natalia Lauricella. The conversation will highlight the exhibition Ferlinghetti for....

FERLINGHETTI FOR SAN FRANCISCO
In conjunction with the exhibition "Ferlinghetti for San Francisco," on view at the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco from July 19, 2025, to July 19, 2026, Mauro Aprile Zanetti (MAZ), writer and filmmaker, tech evangelist and philanthropy strategist—longtime collaborator of poet laureate Lawrence Ferlinghetti (1919–2021)—will share his reflections on the rich spiritual and cultural legacy Ferlinghetti left to the city he loved, and especially to the Italian-American community.

Introducing Zanetti will be Natalia Lauricella, curator of prints and drawings, and Sally Martin Katz, curator of photography—both at the ACHENBACH FOUNDATION FOR GRAPHIC ARTS at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF).

This event is part of the 25th edition of the Week of the Italian Language in the World, whose theme this year is "Italophonia: Language Beyond Borders," and it also forms part of the Italian Heritage Month celebrations.

WEEK OF THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE & ITALIAN HERITAGE MONTH
MON OCT 13 | 6:30 PM (doors open at 6 PM)

Event open to the public | Registration required:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/pqk66cq?mode=preview&source_id=2c4517d9-4395-43a2-8d17-643f8376764c&source_type=em&c=${Contact.encryptedContactId}

Photo credits:
– Lovers at Sea, 1992. Lithograph, 20 x 26 in. (50.8 x 66.04 cm). Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Gift of the Lawrence Ferlinghetti Artworks Trust.
– Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Mauro Aprile Zanetti, January 2018. Photo courtesy of Walter Pescara