Montréal will be honouring the beauty and diversity of Italy through music, culture, food and folklore at Italian Week, held August 5 to 14. The agenda includes an outdoor opera, a star-lit fashion show, classical and popular music concerts, a Fiat 500 car exhibit, a dessert contest and much more. Now boarding for la dolce vita!
Food
You can’t even mention Italy without thinking about the country’s cuisine. At 2 p.m. on August 14, Saint-Laurent Boulevard’s Shamrock Stage will turn into a buttery battlefield with the official Best Coda d’Aragosta Contest. Before your very eyes, master pastry chefs will be going head to head to impress a handpicked jury of discerning eaters. Rest assured that once the deliberations are over, the flaky creations will be available for you to sample! But if it leaves you still feeling hungry, try one of these fantastic pizzerias or authentic Italian restaurants. Meanwhile, the Ateliers & Saveurs culinary school in the Old Port will be offering several cooking classes and wine tastings inspired by the flavours of Italy. Treat your taste buds while feasting your eyes on their fantastic heritage space!
Culture
If there’s an exhibit you should check out this week, it’s Pompeii. Running at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts until September 5, this exhibition features more than 220 archeological artifacts in a unique multi-sensory environment.
Not to be overlooked is the awe-inspiring ELEGANZA – Italian Fashion from 1945 to Today exhibition presented at the McCord Museum until September 25. It’s a celebration of the designers who shaped Italian fashion, particularly during the post-WW2 period. See the splendours of Valentino, Armani, Fendi, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Emilio Pucci, and discover pieces by emerging talent. Also on display are accessories, photos, magazines, sketches and film clips. Along the same stylish lines is a starlit fashion show, which will take place on the Mastro & San Daniele stage on Saint-Laurent Boulevard on August 13 at 9:30 p.m. This is where you can catch a glimpse of the latest trends as imagined by a handful of select designers.
On a more serious note, the Stewart Museum will be showing The Internment Camp, an exhibit that recounts the history of 25 civilian and military camps in Canada from 1940-1943. These camps received more than 300 Italians from Great Britain.
You can also learn more about artists of Italian origin at the Leonardo da Vinci Centre, Galleria d’art Elisa or at the outdoor exhibits being set up for the occasion. One thing you won’t want to miss is the selection of Fiat 500 cars, including collector models and more recent generations.
More of a book worm than movie buff? You’re in luck. Montréal’s Italian Week is proud to present its seventh Literary Event, in collaboration with the Association of Italian-Canadian Writers. Presentations and discussions will take place on August 12 to 14 at the Pavillon des écrivains, located at the corner of Mozart Street and Saint-Laurent Boulevard.
Curious about Little Italy, one of Montréal’s much revered old-world neighbourhoods? Learn about the area’s history by joining one of the guided tours hosted by Amarrages sans frontiers. Tours are available in French (August 13 and 14), English (August 14) and Italian (on request).
If you can’t get enough of culture, stop in at the Arte, Misteri e Segreti alla Corte di Urbino conference at the Leonardo da Vinci Centre on August 11 at 7:30 p.m. Here, several mysteries surrounding Duke Montefeltro’s palace will be revealed as you take a digital trip comprised of both text and images. Or, to truly explore the spirit of the neighbourhood on your own, check out these 11 cool places to visit in Little Italy.
Concerts
What’s a festival without music? On August 12, Marco Calliari, a local singer with Italian roots, will be presenting a festive and colourful show. He’ll cover some of the most captivating songs from Quebec songwriters—but this time in Italian—as well as some Italian classics. Starting at 9 p.m. on August 14, there will be an outdoor presentation of Tosca, the opera that depicts the love story between opera singer Floria Tosca, and painter and activist Mario Cavaradossi. Watch it for free on the Mastro & San Daniele stage.
Family and outdoor fun
Budding artists and aspiring Leonardo da Vincis can unleash their passion at Il Piccolo Leonardo, an art contest open to kids aged 4 to 12. The concept involves letting your creativity run wild as create a representation of the festival’s feature region. Grab your paintbrushes and register!
If games are your thing, Montréal’s Italian Week is setting the bar high with its second annual Scopa tournament. Scopa is a traditional card game played at social gatherings. For information on how to register, click here. Last but definitely not least, you can join one of the festival’s bocce ball tournaments by registering with the neighbourhood’s local pétanque club.
Enjoy the festivities, Italian-style!
Up next: Portuguese chicken in Montréal
The post What’s Happening during Montréal’s Italian Week appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.