OUR MANDATE
The Casa d'Italia, officially known as the Centre communautaire de la Petite Italie — Casa d'Italia, is Montreal's first Italian community centre. Built in 1936 by the local Italian community of Montreal, the Casa d'Italia's mission is to honour and remember the history and heritage of Montreal's Italian community. As such, the Casa d'Italia's mandate is to showcase, encourage and support today's Italian community of Montreal.
The Casa d'Italia was built in 1936, thanks to a subscription to which the Italian community of the time responded massively. An unprecedented test and social example that materialized with volunteer labor, professional contributions and offers of services and bricks and mortar. And to say that our community then numbered only 25,000 souls! It should be added that, renowned personalities of Montreal architecture such as Sandra Collin and Rosa Cohen (Art Déco de Montréal), called the building: ''a jewel of Montreal art deco.''
More than constituting the first place of community assembly, the Building is concrete evidence of encounter with Quebec society as well as a symbol of integration in this great land!
In fact, the land for the construction of the ''House,'' was a gift from the city of Montréal, thanks to Mayor Camillien Houde. The same mayor who, during the Second World War, was interned in a concentration camp in Petawawa, along with ''ses amis italiens,'' for his pro-Mussolini and anti-British convictions; as well as for having argued: that ''never would his administration have allowed compulsory conscription among young Canadiens-Francais, to send them to fight on the side of albion, against its Latin sister, Italy!''
The Casa d'Italia was built in 1936, thanks to a subscription to which the Italian community of the time responded massively. An unprecedented test and social example that materialized with volunteer labor, professional contributions and offers of services and bricks and mortar. And to say that our community then numbered only 25,000 souls! It should be added that, renowned personalities of Montreal architecture such as Sandra Collin and Rosa Cohen (Art Déco de Montréal), called the building: ''a jewel of Montreal art deco.''
More than constituting the first place of community assembly, the Building is concrete evidence of encounter with Quebec society as well as a symbol of integration in this great land!
In fact, the land for the construction of the ''House,'' was a gift from the city of Montréal, thanks to Mayor Camillien Houde. The same mayor who, during the Second World War, was interned in a concentration camp in Petawawa, along with ''ses amis italiens,'' for his pro-Mussolini and anti-British convictions; as well as for having argued: that ''never would his administration have allowed compulsory conscription among young Canadiens-Francais, to send them to fight on the side of albion, against its Latin sister, Italy!''
