The Italian Cultural Society of Washington D.C.

The first week of our Kids’ Summer Camps has come to an end! 🌞🇮🇹👭

This past week, ICS children were encouraged to speak Italian through singing, cooking, completing art projects, and playing indoor and outdoor Italian games in the Battery Lane Park, behind the ICS.

The second week has now begun, and the next weeks will continue until August 21st!

Lights, camera, action! 🎬🍻
ICS friends and members gathered last night at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center for an evening of Italian film and fun. Ticketholders for The Last One for the Road, an award-winning Italian film, enjoyed conversation, snacks, and crisp drinks between showtimes. Many thanks to Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Ferrero Rocher for supporting the arts and our aperitivo! Stay tuned for more events by joining the ICS email list: http://bit.ly/4xvFco6

Calling all Music and Opera Lovers! 🎶

We are delighted to invite you to an upcoming lecture exploring one of the most beloved works in the Italian operatic repertoire:

👉🏻 The Listener’s Guide to Rossini’s La Cenerentola

Lecture with Diego Rodriguez
📅 Monday, June 15
⏰ 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 In person at ICS & online via Zoom
🍷 Complimentary wine reception for in-person guests

Get ready for Wolf Trap Opera’s June performances of La Cenerentola with a specialized guide to the history and language behind the music. This lecture takes us to Rome in 1817 to explore how Rossini and librettist Jacopo Ferretti transformed a childhood fable into a human comedy of morals. Focusing on the original Italian text, we will decode Rossini’s musical playbook, mapping out how the libretto’s poetry shapes the lightning-fast pacing, ensembles, and soaring melodies of the bel canto style. Leave with a fresh listening strategy for the performance!

Performances take place at The Barns at Wolf Trap on June 18, 21, 25, and 27, 2026.

For in-person participation, please register by Monday, June 15, at 1:00 PM.

For online participation, please register by Monday, June 15, at 5:00 PM. A Zoom link will be sent to online attendees approximately 30 minutes before the lecture begins.

Contact [email protected] if you have any questions.

We look forward to sharing this musical journey with you!

Get your tickets today! Registration details are available on our website under: UPCOMING EVENTS
👉🏻 https://italianculturalsociety.org/events/

The last children’s courses ended last Saturday, even in Fairfax!

Great job and thank you to all teachers, students, and parents 👏🏻

We will see each other in September, stay tuned for the fall schedule, which will be ready by the beginning of July!

In the meantime, please consider keeping the Italian language going with our summer camps, if you are not registered yet! We start on June 15th.

Buona estate 🌞🌞

We are pleased to share that the Spring edition of Poche Parole is now available online! 🌸🗞️

Read here 👉🏻 https://italianculturalsociety.org/poche-parole/

In this issue, you will find messages from our Board, including a preview of our Summer schedule, as well as information on upcoming events and highlights from our spring activities, including Gala 2026. If you missed the Gala, you can read more on the Gala 2026 webpage, which now also features the event video available on our YouTube Channel 👉🏻 https://italianculturalsociety.org/special-events/gala-2026/

Featured articles include contributions from our instructors Carlo Ellena, reflecitng on our last trip in Liguria, and Alessia Riccardi, presenting her region Campania, Basilicata and Puglia, the destinations of our upcoming trip in August- September. Today is the last day to reserve your spot to join this unique experience alongside ICS members and instructor Cristiana Fabiani.

Stay connected with our classes and events by following us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and by exploring our YouTube channel.

Buona lettura!

Aperitivo and Movie Screening 🎬🍹

On Sunday, June 14th, join fellow film and Italian culture enthusiasts at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center for a special screening of Last One for the Road and an ICS Aperitivo!

📍 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
8633 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Choose either the 4:00 pm or 6:30 pm showtime and enjoy light refreshments with ICS members and friends before or after the film. We will be in the lobby serving drinks and snacks from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.

🎬 About the film:
Two middle-aged friends, who swear each drink is their last, cross paths with a shy architecture student and take him under their wing on a free-flowing journey through the Italian countryside. Francesco Sossai’s dazzling sophomore feature is many things at once: a road movie, a casual caper, a tribute to a vanishing industrial Italy, and an intergenerational adventure filled with humor, friendship, and unexpected encounters.

Please visit our Upcoming Events webpage to purchase your tickets 👉🏻 https://italianculturalsociety.org/events/

Ci vediamo al cinema!

ITALIAN COOKING CLASS 🇮🇹👩‍🍳

On Saturday, June 6th, from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm in McLean, Virginia, Ornella will welcome you into her home for a cooking class and guide you through the preparation of three delicious Italian recipes:

👉🏻Mini piadine ripiene di prosciutto e formaggio – Mini piadinas stuffed with ham and cheese: a dish that is perfect both as an appetizer and as a main course. Piadina -originally from Emilia-Romagna- is one of the most versatile staples of Italian cuisine, and in this class, we will prepare it with extra-virgin olive oil.
👉🏻Polpette al limone – A delicate and flavorful variation of the famous Italian meatballs, enhanced with the fresh taste of lemon.
👉🏻Biscotti ferro di cavallo – A classic Italian cookie found in bakeries and pastry shops throughout Italy. These delicious treats are shaped like horseshoes and finished with chocolate-covered tips.

Please register by Thursday, June 4th by selecting “Cooking Classes” on the registration page 👉🏻 https://reg131.imperisoft.com/italianculturalsociety/Search/Registration.aspx
Visit our website to learn more about this and upcoming culinary events 👉🏻 https://italianculturalsociety.org/cooking-classes/

Buon appetito!

SUMMER 2026 CLASS SCHEDULE 🌞🇮🇹

As another school year comes to a close and our young students proudly receive their diplomas, we look ahead to a summer of Italian language, culture, travel, opera, conversation, cooking, and community.

⭐️ Our Summer 2026 Schedule is online, and registration is open!

This summer we are offering:
👉🏻 Intensive two-week beginner courses starting on June 15th and one-week review programs
Conversation classes at multiple levels

👉🏻 Special cultural courses, including:
• Italy Today
• Discover Sicily, the Island of a Thousand Faces
• The Collections of the Barberini Palace in Rome
• Live from Italy
• Opera lectures connected to Wolf Trap performances
• Cooking classes in McLean
• Latin immersion courses for teens and adults
• Summer camps for children and teens
• Weekend immersion programs for travelers

‼️ We will have in-person and online options, with schedules also convenient for West Coast participants.

We will start on June 4th in Bethesda, with a special 10-week Beginners 1 course, while Session 1 courses start on June 22nd, Session 2 on July 6th and Session 3 on August 24th.

✈️ We are also looking forward to our upcoming ICS trips:
👉🏻 Secret Tuscany at Villa Bonizella (Aug. 22–29)
👉🏻 Cilento, Basilicata & Puglia (Aug. 28–Sept. 7)

Whether you are continuing your studies, preparing for travel, reconnecting with Italian culture, or learning for the first time, we hope you will join us this summer.

Please visit our website for the complete schedule, course descriptions, and registration information 👉🏻 https://italianculturalsociety.org/ilp/

Buona estate!