Join us for the official launch of Italian Week 2021!

Tullio and his brother have not spoken for over twenty years due to a dispute over land inheritance in Italy. To create the appearance of a man of leisure, Tullio turns the business over to his sons, putting Massimo, the younger, educated, favourite son in charge. Joe, who has worked alongside his father in the dirt, is shunned. Massimo makes a fatal business error which puts the family company in jeopardy. The whole thing explodes in a family war between father and sons that wrecks not only the family garden, but forever changes the dynamics within the family.

THE CHAIN play was a critically acclaimed box office smash thirty years ago and again in 2019.

A favourite Italian tradition is the aperitivo, a pre-meal cocktail drink that takes place at the end of a workday ahead of dinner, otherwise known as the Italian happy hour.

In this interactive virtual masterclass, Mati Ottawa's Marty Pineault will guide participants in preparing their own traditional aperitivo. Participants will learn about the rich history of aperitivo, specialties and traditions of different Italian regions, and varieties of Italian cocktails.

Italian-Canadian comedian Joe Cacchione returns for an entertaining evening of Italian trivia, comedy, prizes and more!

Note: You don't need a team, but we encourage you to invite friends to join the fun!

Italian Week's Stefano Bianco will take you on a brief historical tour of the traditional procession route that follows the annual outdoor Mass. Starting from the steps of St. Anthony’s of Padua Church in Ottawa, Stefano will travel the procession route on a vespa, stopping at prominent sites in Little Italy to speak with members of the Italian community.

Strega Nona returns by popular demand and in collaboration with the Dante Alighieri Society. Join Canadian theatre director, producer, and writer Jessica Ruano for an exciting new adventure with Strega Nona Meets Her Match (read in English).

Strega Nona is a beloved children’s series featuring elements of Italian culture. Appropriate for all ages.

In this interactive hands-on virtual masterclass, participants will follow holistic chef and TV host of Simply Cooking by Mmm Chef Daniela Crocco, to learn how to make pasta dough by hand from a few simple ingredients.

No equipment needed.

Strega Nona returns by popular demand and in collaboration with the Dante Alighieri Society. Join actress, art director, and producer Marinella Montanari for an exciting new adventure with Strega Nona: Her Story (read in English).

Strega Nona is a beloved children’s series featuring elements of Italian culture. Appropriate for all ages.

Join Emma Terrell, The Urban Botanist, for a one-hour interactive virtual lesson where you can learn how to grow your green thumb. We will be talking all things tomatoes, herbs, soil, fertilizers, and more!

Learn how to plant, prune, stake, and fertilize your tomatoes. Up your garden game this summer with lots of helpful tips and tricks from Ottawa’s own Urban Botanist.

Strega Nona returns by popular demand and in collaboration with the Dante Alighieri Society. Join Canadian actor, playwright, and director Eleanor Crowder for an exciting new adventure with Big Anthony: His Story (read in English).

Strega Nona is a beloved children’s series featuring elements of Italian culture. Appropriate for all ages.

Dante's Perspective is a multidisciplinary event to appreciate Dante's poetry from three different perspectives: politics, nature, and love.

Princeton Professor and author Simone Marchesi will guide the audience in new approaches to Dante, and the artists from Jobel Art for Earth will bring to life some of the most famous and beautiful of Dante's verses. Woven throughout will be a storyline tracing some of the more mysterious aspects of Dante’s life.