Modeled after the “Colosseum” itself, Mississauga ITALFEST’s Heritage Centre features interactive displays and exhibits in which visitors can experience Canadian Italian history. The Centre pays tribute to great Canadian-Italians and their accomplishments.
In partnership with Heritage Mississauga we bring to life the journey of Italian immigrants to Pier 21 and Ellis Island and the joys and struggles of early Italian immigrants in Mississauga including those who worked at the Brickworks.
On a huge map of Italy visitors are asked to put a red dot on the town or city they came from thus mapping the journey of Italian immigration to Mississauga.
Military and police representatives such as the “Bresaglieri”, “Carabenieri”, “Gli Alpini” and “Polizia” honour the event with their presence and traditional marches.
Each year the Heritage Centre spotlights a key region of Italy, displaying photography, art, furniture, music and various artifacts specific to the area. For 2018, the region of focus is Tuscany.
Tuscany is a region in central Italy known for its landscapes, traditions, history, artistic legacy, and its influence on high culture. It was the original territory of the ancient Etruscans, is regarded as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and has been home to many figures influential in the history of art and science. It contains well-known museums such as the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace and produces wines, including Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano and Brunello di Montalcino.
From the glories of Renaissance Florence, with its wealth of artistic treasures, to the golden landscape and hilltop towns of the Tuscan countryside; from the terraces of the Chianti and Montepulciano vineyards to Pisa’s notorious Leaning Tower and Siena’s scallop-shaped piazza: this is a region that has delighted the senses of countless visitors for many years.
