ll Circolo Italiano was originally founded at Washington Square in October of 1919 and is the oldest language club at NYU today. There was also an Italian Club at the former University Heights campus in the Bronx, Circolo Bocaccio, which dates even further back to the years of 1912-13. In 1979, the Italian-American Students at NYU was founded, followed soon after by Aiuto!, a relief group formed in response to the devastating earthquake that shook Naples and left thousands of people homeless. Both groups later merged with Il Circolo Italiano in the mid-1980's.
The purpose of Il Circolo Italiano is to promote and encourage within the student body of New York University interest in and study of Italian culture, literature and history. To these ends, Il Circolo Italiano sponsors a number of events and activities. They have included weekly meetings, discussion groups, film presentations, cooking lessons, lectures and seminars featuring prominent guests and speakers. The club has also published literary journals, in both Italian and English, which provided its members an opportunity to print essays or articles to express their ideas and opinions. Special events have included outings to the New York Metropolitan Opera House, the San Gennaro feast at Mulberry Street, ski trips to the Catskills, as well as visits to the Belmont Italian American Playhouse located in the Bronx. Il Circolo Italiano sponsors a number of parties throughout the year at which Italian food is served and festivities are enjoyed.
We are looking to form stronger ties with our alumni and other Italian clubs in the area, as well as with the NYU Italian Department located at 24 West 12th Street--the Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo. We are always open to new ideas and welcome all members of the NYU community to attend our events. If interested, consult the Meeting Schedule and/or Special Events sections to see the meeting times and places of activities we have scheduled. If you wish to contact us, please click on the "Contact" link and fill out the comment form as instructed. Or if you prefer, leave a note in our mailbox (Box #82) on the 7th Floor of the Kimmel. Be sure to indicate your e-mail address so that we might add you to our E-mail list.