Italy was finally united in 1861 from a collection of independent states and regions controlled by foreign powers. Forging a nation out of the various loyalties was going to be daunting.
Ironically, despite its tardy unification, Italy’s history, culture, and language had an ancient rich legacy. Italians could be proud of their heritage, which would be the glue that would forge a national consciousness and be Italy’s gift to the rest of the world.
Not long after the unification of Italy, a mass migration of Italians to other countries in Europe, North and South America, and Australia would begin. These millions of emigrants deserved to know and preserve a sense of Italian culture and language for themselves and their children. At the same time, the richness of Italian culture and the beauty of the Italian language enthralled many people who were not of Italian descent.
To reach out to these people in 1889, a group in Rome led by the Italian poet Giosuè Carducci formed the Dante Alighieri Society, whose mission would be to promote their new country’s language, literature, and culture. The society was named for Italy’s most excellent writer, Dante Alighieri, author of The Divine Comedy and one of the most admired writers of the great literature of all time. Initially centered in Italy, it soon expanded to cities worldwide where Italians had settled and other admirers of things Italians could gather, learn, and appreciate everything Italy had to offer across the spectrum of human endeavors. With 87 chapters in every region of Italy, it has grown to over 450 chapters worldwide.
Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan
In 1924, a chapter of the Dante Alighieri Society was founded among the Italian residents of Detroit, centered on the lower east side of the city where most Italian immigrants lived. As the city of Detroit attracted large numbers of Italian immigrants, it also was home to many non-Italians who were admirers of the language and culture of Italy. Paolo Polidori and other local citizens formed the society’s local chapter. Efforts were made to serve the many Italian immigrants living in the growing city and to showcase Italian culture and progress to their American neighbors. It was hoped that these immigrants and their descendants would value their heritage even as they adapted to their new homeland.
The society flourished through the 1920s and 1930s, offering Detroiters language classes and cultural events until the tragic war when Italian Americans chose between their beloved Italy and their new homeland. Almost all of them proved to be loyal to their new land. With the outbreak of war between Italy and the United States in 1941, the Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan was dissolved for fear that it would be an outpost of enemy infiltration in America.
In the 1940s, with the war over, a renewed interest in Italy led to the rebirth of the Michigan Chapter. Doctor Piero Foà, an Italian Jewish refugee from Fascist Italy who had settled in Detroit during the 1930s, organized leaders of the Italian community in Detroit, and the society once again set out to achieve its goals. Since then, Italian language, literature, art, music, film, history, design, and all other aspects of Italian culture have been promoted and encouraged in the metro Detroit region.
“Since 1924, the Dante Alighieri Society has aimed to be the “face” of Italian culture in southeastern Michigan.
The Dante Alighieri Society – Michigan Chapter promotes the Italian language and culture through Italian Language Courses for Adults and Children and cultural events, the Il Mosaico newsletter, and other cultural resources. In addition to Italian 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, and a DVD lending library for members. For younger student members, there was the Gruppo Giovanile, which organized activities with the interests of the youth in mind.
History of the Dante Alighieri Society
The Società Dante Alighieri’s inaugural meeting in Michigan was held on December 21, 1924, at the Detroit Public Library Main Branch. The guiding purpose was “to promote Italian cultural programs.”
Cultural Events
The Dante Alighieri Society hosts cultural and networking events to bring Italian culture to the broader community, often in partnership with other Michigan Italian cultural or educational institutions. Visit the Events page for a calendar of upcoming events and a summary of past events.
Il Mosaico
The Dante Alighieri Society publishes its newsletter, Il Mosaico, twice yearly. Each issue of Il Mosaico brings the latest Society news to our members and articles about Italy by our members. To submit an article for Il Mosaico, please contact: Mosaico
Visit the Il Mosaico page to view past issues.
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, presents the art, science, literature, and contemporary Italy’s global political, social, and economic life. La Società’s membership reflects all nationalities, vocations, and ages of persons interested in Italian culture.
Offices (Detroit Area): 30100 Telegraph Rd. Ste 322 | Bingham Farms, MI 48025
From the Società Dante Alighieri Archives
Michigan Chapter Committee
The initial contacts for the foundation of a Dante Alighieri Society Committee in Detroit date back to 1922. However, the official establishment and inauguration occurred on December 21, 1924, in the Detroit Main Public Library. The Board of Directors comprises a group of highly honorable individuals: executive president Dr. P. F. Carlucci and vice president Eng. G. Mazzetti, secretary Eng. L. Bosa, and treasurer Miss A. De Martino. The Committee sought support from the Central Headquarters to obtain two rooms for its activities (among various initiatives, they wanted to open an employment office and an information office for various circumstances requiring knowledge of immigration laws and regulations to lighten the workload of the Consulate) and Italian books to donate to the best students of Italian courses in public or private schools and the Detroit Public Library.
Among the initiatives of these early years was the monthly public lecture given by Prof. Giuseppe Sansone on a literary topic and the opening of three evening schools conducted by the Committee: one at the branch of the Public Library at Moran and Gratiot, the second at the headquarters of the Italian Chamber of Commerce at Erskine and Ripelle, and the third at the City Club, all attended by the children of emigrants. In 1930, soprano Emilia De La Ronche Quisenberry was awarded a merit diploma for a concert held for the Committee. The Italian language class for Americans was also highly successful, with some students applying for enrollment at the University for Foreigners of Perugia.
In 1932, the Board of Directors was renewed: President Dr. Pietro F. Carlucci, Vice President Dr. Frank Rizzo, replaced by Eng. Luigi Candelise, secretary Luigi Buggelli, and treasurer Angelina Di Martino. A new Italian course was opened at the Detroit College in the same year. However, the increase in students coincided with a financial crisis and a reduction in the Committee’s members, making it impossible to renew the subscription to “Pagine della Dante.” The crisis continued in subsequent years; 1934 the Board of Directors resigned. Deputy Consul G. Ungarelli appointed lawyer Giuseppe Solari as the extraordinary commissioner of the Dante Alighieri Society, tasked with evaluating appointments and rebuilding the committee from scratch. Among the first goals was the unification of elementary schools with those of the “Ordine Figli d’Italia,” establishing seven schools. The Board of Directors was successfully renewed: President Father Don Filippo Bartoccetti, Vice President Prof. Domenico Pucci, and Secretary Prof. Giovanni Giovannini.
Among the period’s initiatives were awarding Miss Angelina Di Martino the merit diploma with a silver medal in 1934 and a series of conferences on poetry and literature conducted in Italian and English by the best professors from the University of Michigan. One of the most attended was given in 1937 by M.o Bernardino Molinari on the theme “I 28 anni di Concerti all’Augusteo di Roma.”
In 1935, the committee had 18 Italian classes spread across two universities, three high schools, seven parochial schools, and six private schools, attended by 531 students, mostly children of Italian-Americans. Due to the high participation and following the Committee’s actions, the Detroit School Board decided that from the 1936 school year, the Italian language would be added to other foreign languages in high schools.
In 1937, the Italian Victory was celebrated at the Sacred Family Church in the presence of 600 people. Speaker S.E. Mons. Gallagher gave a vibrant and patriotic speech on the occasion, wearing both his religious authority and his role as a member of the Dante Society. At the award ceremony for students of the Italian courses established in 1938 at Detroit’s parochial and public schools, approximately 1500 people attended. The Davison School group and the Eastern School boys performed a series of gymnastic exercises of great athletic commitment and significant choreographic effect. Consul Bencredi, present at the ceremony, expressed sincere gratitude to all those who, well aware of the noble mission of Dante, did not spare their help. The evening ended with all attendees singing Italian and American songs in chorus in a climate of great fraternity.
Only from subsequent documentation can the events be understood. In North America, Dante Alighieri Committees were dissolved during the war because they were considered centers of fascist propaganda. However, a report by Consul G. Della Croce di Dojola from 1962 revealed that the Detroit section of Dante was not dissolved by local authorities when the USA entered the war with Italy but by the American police. After a few months from the beginning of the war, the police raided the Committee’s premises and caught some boys singing “Giovinezza.” The society was dissolved and listed among subversive associations; the leaders were threatened and imprisoned despite being completely innocent and unaware of the incident. For these reasons, reopening a Committee, even years after these events, remained difficult, with continued distrust.
In 1959, initial attempts at reconstitution began. The Italian Consul, Eric da Rin, was not very optimistic about it: while it was true that new Dante Committees were allowed to be opened in the USA, those who were members of the Dante Alighieri Society in the period 1935-40 were still subject to sanctions established by Executive Order 10450, which cast a painful shadow over Dante’s name. Additionally, the old Committee members had become members of the newly formed “Italian-American Cultural Society” at the Consulate’s initiative. Therefore, the Consul’s advice was to wait and consider transforming the Cultural Society into a Committee.
The following year, Prof. Paolo Polidori expressed his intention to reconstitute the Committee, given his strong interest in the Italian language (he had opened language courses at the Club Italia), and began the reconstitution procedures. He managed to get Dante recognized by local authorities, but this was not enough. To give new impetus, he needed to involve prominent local individuals. The goal was achieved only in 1963: president Prof. Paolo Polidori, vice presidents Ferruccio Serdoz and Loretta Tata, secretaries Rose Serdoz, Maria Tisdall, and Stella Soave, treasurer Frank Marini. Prof. Polidori was awarded the Star of Solidarity by the Italian Consul Della Croce on behalf of the Italian Government. In 1967, the Board of Directors was renewed as follows: President Giovanni Magni, Secretary Adalberto Ferrari, and Treasurer Marion Macioce. Unlike others, the Michigan Committee never requested financial aid.
In 1970, the Central Headquarters asked Prof. Polidori to make a short film about the Committee (headquarters, schools, courses, cultural and artistic events, etc.) for a documentary illustrating the importance and vastness of our work worldwide to the Italian public. In 1979, the Board of Directors was renewed: honorary president Prof. Paolo Polidori, president Prof. Andrea Di Tommaso, vice presidents Mr. Vincent Bruno, Dr. Teresa Zanini, and Dr. Giuseppina D’Alleva, treasurers Mr. Frank Moriconi and Mrs. Annamaria Bee.
1989- President Di Tommaso wanted to resume activities after the crisis period following Prof. Polidori’s passing. During this period, the Committee was hosted at the University Center for Etruscology Studies, and in 1990, the Central Headquarters donated a bust of Dante to be displayed at the headquarters.
In 1992, Prof. Piero P. Foà was elected president of the Dante Alighieri Society Michigan Section, vice president Mrs. Marisa Petrella, secretaries Mrs. Emily Wiedmann and Mrs. Isabella Tucci, treasurer Mrs. Maria Nielsen-Harris. Dante Alighieri Society Michigan Section is the new name adopted by the Detroit committee, driven by the desire to encompass Dante’s activities throughout Michigan; moreover, this designation allows for federal and state tax exemptions.
In 1997, Prof. Foà was replaced by Mr. Frank de Santis and awarded the merit diploma. In 1998, the Youth Group was formed. In the same year, the Board of Directors was renewed: president Mr. Frank De Santis, vice president Aurelia Tranchida, secretaries Caterina Savone and Mary Louise Rynski, and treasurer Michael Basile.
The 2000s were marked by rapid changes in the Board of Directors. The Board for 2000 and 2002 consisted of President Mrs. Josephine M. Gambini, Vice President Emily Wiedemann, Secretary Tonino Corsetti, and Treasurer Anita MacSorley. In 2002, the positions were filled as follows: President Mrs. Maria Clotilde Pfaff, Vice President Marie De Luca, Secretary Tonino Corsetti, Treasurer Anita MacSorley; in 2003, Vice President Mrs. Aurelia Tranchida, replaced in 2004 by Mr. Mike Basile, and Secretary Mrs. Liana Spalla, replaced in 2004 by Mrs. Diana Manzo.
Correspondence from these years concerns scholarships and book shipments. However, the Committee faced serious difficulties, being at risk of closure. In 2000, the Ente Gestore NOI (New Italian Horizons) was founded to group Associations promoting Italian language and culture, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of members and a cut in government funding for other cultural institutions, including Dante. The honorary president of the Committee, Professor Foà, was deeply committed to the issue. Still, a real recovery began in 2003 when the Committee signed a memorandum of understanding with the NOI Foundation.
Despite the period’s difficulties, the first issue of the Committee’s semi-annual bulletin, Il Mosaico, was published in 2002 to inform members about Italy-related content and promoted initiatives.
In 2005, Mrs. Liana Spalla was appointed president, and together with Secretary Frank Romano and Treasurer Diana Manzo, they led the Committee for a year; in the 2006 elections, the vacant positions were renewed and assigned: President Liana Spalla, Vice President Tim Hinkle, secretaries Frank Romano and Daniela Henderson, treasurer Diana Manzo. In 2007, Consiglia Adelfi was appointed secretary, replacing Mr. Romano.
In 2008, the Board of Directors included President Daniela D’Amico Henderson, Vice President Consiglia Adelfi, Secretary Liana Spalla, and Treasurer Diana Manzo. Two different Italian programs were promoted: Italian as a second language and Italian as a first language; to become a PLIDA center, the committee needed a headquarters, which it obtained at the end of 2009.
Among the period’s initiatives were the Italian film series at the Committee’s new headquarters and the celebrations for the IX Italian Language Week in the World (October 19-25, 2009) titled “Italian between Art, Science, and Technology,” in collaboration with COM.IT.ES. of Detroit, the N.O.I. Foundation, and Wayne State University, under the auspices of the Italian Consulate in Detroit. In 2011, the 150th anniversary of Italy’s Unification was celebrated. Since then, the Chapter has celebrated the Week of Italian Language and Cuisine in the World and other institutional celebrations.
Among recent recognitions, the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy was awarded in 2015 to Vice President Consiglia Adelfi and Secretary Paola Melara De Sandre. This distinction is awarded by the President of the Italian Republic and qualifies as a second civilian honor of the State. It represents a particular honor on behalf of all those who have acquired special merit in promoting friendly relations and cooperation between Italy and other countries and the promotion of ties with Italy.
In 2024, the committee’s centenary is celebrated with a significant and symbolic initiative: restoring the Dante monument on Belle Isle. Funds for the restoration were minimally raised among members and significantly provided by the Project LoveItDetroit sponsors (Consulate of Italy in Detroit and Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan), part of the Committee’s cash reserve, and a contribution from the Central Headquarters.
Manifesto Fondazione 1889
ITALIANI!
Intenti a compiere l’unità politica della nazione, noi italiani paremmo finora dimentichi che la patria non è tutta dentro i confini materiali dello Stato. Di tale dimenticanza ci fecero accorti gli stranieri, additandoci con l’esempio la necessità e il modo di ripararvi.
Tedeschi, Slavi e Francesi adoperandosi a tutelare e diffondere nei paesi di confine o disgiunti dalla madrepatria, la lingua, la cultura e il sentimento di essa, ci insegnano che dovunque suona un accento della lingua nostra, dovunque la civiltà nostra lasciò tradizioni, dovunque sono fratelli nostri che vogliono e debbono rimanere tali, ivi è un pezzo della patria ché noi non possiamo dimenticare. Non solo: ma quanto quei fratelli nostri, per le condizioni particolari dei luoghi nei quali dimorano, corrono maggior rischio di perdere, con la cognizione e l’uso della lingua italiana, la coscienza della patria, tanto noi abbiamo maggiore obbligo di accorrere in loro aiuto.
Istituzione di scuole, incitamenti a frequentarle, diffusione di libri, aiuti ed incoraggiamenti ad ogni altra qualsiasi opera animata dagli stessi propositi, sono i mezzi che quelle nazioni straniere usarono e usano per conseguire il loro intento; e quei mezzi vogliamo usar, noi.
Invitando a ciò gl’Italiani, ci è sembrato che nessun nome. potesse consacrare più degnamente l’impresa nostra che il nome di DANTE ALIGHIERI.
Quella che noi promoviamo è un’opera altamente ed essenzialmente civile e pacifica, a cui ogni italiano, qualunque sia la sua fede religiosa, qualunque siano le sue opinioni politiche, deve sentire il bisogno e il dovere di prender parte.
Se dubitassimo che i nostri concittadini potessero rispondere freddamente all’appello – nostro, dovremmo dubitare che il sentimento nazionale fosse men vivo fra noi che fra gli stranieri.
Roma, Luglio 1889. – SOCIETÀ DANTE ALIGHIERI