Italian culture featured in American presses.

In 1787, Thomas Jefferson, who was then serving as Minister to France, traveled to northern Italy where he explored the region’s agriculture, language, architecture, art, music, food, and wine. It was during this trip that Jefferson was introduced to Italian culture, which he later brought back to the United States and infused into everyday American life. This influence is documented in “Italian Culture in America: How a Founding Father introduced Italian Art, Architecture, Food, Wine, and Liberty to the American People”, a book by architect, educator, lecturer, and author Ralph G. Giordano, which pays tribute to Jefferson on his 280th birthday on April 13.

Roman Prosperity and Italian Immigration

Ralph Giordano’s book provides an overview of the period of peace and prosperity in Ancient Rome known as the Pax Romana, which lasted for over 200 years from 27 BCE to 180 CE. During this time, many advancements were made in art, architecture, and engineering. Italian culture also made its way to America during the colonization period, with Italian immigrants arriving and making important contributions to the new nation. In particular, Jefferson had an affinity for Italian culture and employed Italian stonemasons to work on his home at Monticello. Jefferson also brought Italian musicians to America to form the Marine Band and even invented his own hand-operated pasta machine.

Italian Culture Blends with American History

According to Giordano’s book, Jefferson’s knowledge of Italian culture was informed by various sources, including interactions with Italian immigrants, reading ancient Roman classics, and studying the works of Renaissance philosophers, artists, and architects. Jefferson was also greatly influenced by the works of Andrea Palladio, a Renaissance architect whose texts provided Jefferson with information about the ancient Roman and Renaissance works that he later applied to buildings in the new American republic, such as Monticello and Washington D.C. Giordano notes that the new American republic was based mainly on Ancient Rome, with a nod to the Ancient Greek idea of “democracy.”

Italian American History

Giordano’s “Italian Culture in America” is a well-documented volume that delves into how Italian culture influenced the growth of a new nation and provides a detailed look into the life of Thomas Jefferson. The book covers every aspect noted in the subtitle, including Italian art, architecture, food, wine, and liberty, as well as Jefferson’s relationship with Maria Cosway and his tour of northern Italy. The book’s bibliography provides sources, and its extensive index makes it an ideal resource for Italian American history, both in the classroom and in personal libraries.