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Terroni & Sons , now known as Terroni in Clerkenwell , opened next door , providing the migrant community with a taste of home .
In the post-war period , Italian migrants became an essential addition to the British workforce to help recover the economy . Research by Reading Museum shows that , by 1949 , around 8,500 Italian migrants were arriving in Britain each year .
Massimo ’ s parents were part of the wave of Italian immigration when they arrived in England in the 1950s . They started coming to Casa Italiana because of the place it held within London ’ s Italian community . “ My dad arrived from Italy six years after the country was at war with [ Britain ]… you didn ’ t necessarily shout about
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being Italian back then . The club was probably a much more pivotal and important focal point [ for ] Italians because it was a safe space , where you could go and be Italian without being sneered at .”
Casa Italiana is at the heart of Little Italy , an area engulfing Clerkenwell Road and the surrounding streets . The fabric of this part of London has a distinct Italian influence , including the Michelin-acclaimed Italian restaurant Luca on St John ’ s Street and the late Russell Norman ’ s Florentine trattoria Brutto .
While the Italian identity of this area is not under threat , there have been concerns over how much longer Casa Italiana can keep its doors open . In July ,
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Giulia Crouch reported in The Guardian that Casa Italiana was struggling financially , unable to attract younger members and facing the prospect of closure . Massimo admits that the article caused panic among some older members of the social club but the attention it brought to Casa Italiana has been vital .
Earlier this year , the perfume company Ffern released their ‘ Summer 24 ’ scent , inspired by the flavours of Tuscany . Ffern came into Casa Italiana to film the perfume ’ s promotional video , featuring members like Franca , and became so enamoured that they launched a fundraiser . The final total raised was over £ 15,000 .
Casa Italiana ’ s story also caught
Source : Charlotte Stead
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the attention of the BBC and , in October , it became the backdrop to Roman Kemp ’ s interview with Arsenal ’ s Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori . In November , the social club housed an event for Italea , the Italian government ’ s cultural programme promoting Italian heritage and tourism , and a Christmas dinner fundraiser with Big Mamma Group , a company that owns five Italian restaurants in London .
These brand collaborations have been key to growing Casa Italiana ’ s profile and to raising money , ensuring the social club will survive in the immediate future . But to make Casa Italiana operate on a more sustainable footing , attracting a new generation of Italians – or British Italians – is paramount . This is the focus of Massimo and his new ‘ youth committee ’.
Francesca , 24 , has been one of Casa Italiana ’ s younger members driving its youth revolution . “ My grandad and my grandma used to come here ,” she says . “ My grandad is no longer with us and I don ’ t think my grandma comes here anymore , but she [ used to ] be part of the [ older ] age group doing events and trips , and they ’ d have lunch together . Then , in the summer , my sister saw the article in The Guardian and said , ‘ This is
Source : Bruno Quinney
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The club can ’ t just carry on in its own way because times are changing really sad , we should do something to try and bring the club back ’.”
Francesca has family from both the north and south of Italy , with her nonna from Caserta and her nonno from Lucca . While she recognises the role of Casa Italiana in bringing the older Italian community together , Francesca suggests the attraction of Casa Italiana as a social club is not as strong for younger people . “ When you think of our generation and you put things in context of how we socialise , we exist in different ways with social media , WhatsApp chats , [ we have ] so many social spaces across London that make us spoilt for choice .”
For Alberto , 25 , Casa Italiana allows him to tap into the culture he left behind in Modena seven years ago – although he was not initially interested in keeping his Italian identity alive . “ When I moved to the UK , I went through a few years when I thought , ‘ I ’ ve been in Italy all my life , I ’ m sick of Italians , I ’ m not going to speak a word of Italian .’ Then , my fourth year [ living in the UK ] kicks in and I start getting a bit nostalgic .”
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But if the ways that younger people socialise have shifted , what place does Casa Italiana have for these generations ? For Alberto , the social club has been a way to rediscover his Italian identity in communal spaces . “ Especially with Covid and the times when we had to live in our bedrooms , there is a big desire for community ,” he says . “ This is a place you can come to on Sunday , it ’ s familiar , it ’ s easy , you don ’ t have to dress up . I won ’ t say it ’ s family but it is familiar – and people have a desire for that .” |
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Part of Casa Italiana ’ s charm is in its retro look , but Alberto suggests the social club
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