About the Dante Alighieri Society

The Dante Alighieri Society - Michigan Chapter promotes the Italian language and culture through education, cultural events, Il Mosaico newsletter and online rubriche, or guest columns on Italy-related topics.

Italian Language Courses

In Birmingham

In Shelby Township

In addition to courses, the Dante Alighieri Society maintains La Biblioteca Italiana, a substantial Italian-language collection held at Oakland Community College in Royal Oak for members and the community at-large. For younger members, there is the Gruppo Giovanile which meets in Ann Arbor. The Chairperson is Silvia Giorgini Althoen.

Visit the Italian Language Courses page for more information.

Cultural Events

To bring Italian culture to the wider community, the Dante Alighieri Society hosts cultural and networking events, often in partnership with other Michigan cultural or educational institutions. To see a calendar of upcoming events and a recap of past events, visit the Events page.

Il Mosaico

The Dante Alighieri Society publishes its newsletter, Il Mosaico, twice a year. Each issue of Il Mosaico brings the latest Society news to our members, with each issue centering on one of the twenty regions of Italy. Visit the Il Mosaico page to view past issues.

History of the Dante Alighieri Society

The inaugural meeting of the Società Dante Alighieri in Michigan was held on December 21, 1924, at the Detroit Public Library Main Branch. The guiding purpose was "to promote Italian cultural programs."

Presidents of the Michigan Chapter
(1924-2006)

• P.P. Carlucci
• Paolo Polidori
• Andrea DiTommaso
• Piero Foà
• Frank De Santis
• Josephine M. Gambini
• Maria Clotilde Pfaff
• Liana Spalla
• Daniela D'Amico Henderson (Current President)

The Dante Alighieri Society was established in Rome, Italy by Royal Decree in 1893, by King Umberto I di Savoia. La Società is named in honor of II Sommo Poeta Fiorentino, Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), who created the pillars of Italian literature and language and profoundly affected Western civilization with the universality of his wisdom.

The DAS, an international organization with over 500 chapters, presents the art, science, and literature, as well as the political, social, and economic life of contemporary Italy within the global context. The membership of La Società reflects all nationalities, vocations, and ages of persons interested in Italian culture.