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# 78 APRIL 18 , 2016
great success.
Other Italian American
neighborhoods are the
coastal areas. For example, in Malibu, streets are
named “Castellammare,”
“Ischia,” “Sorrento,” or
“Sanremo”. Then, there is
the Venice neighborhood, with his canals and
streets, which shows Californians’ love for Italy and
its architectural and urban
peculiarities. At the turn of
the 21st century, an American entrepreneur built
some canals in the neighborhood, in order for it to
recall the city of Venice.
Even though the project
remained incomplete due
to the Great Depression,
these canals and other
constructions give a sense
of “home” to the neighborhood.
I’d like to mention also
Arizona – in my District
as well –, where the architect Paolo Soleri left us his
Arcosanti and Ponte del
Sole, in Phoenix. Thinking
about Las Vegas, great Hotels are inspired by Italy:
the Bellagio, the Venetian,
the Caesar’s Palace. Some
Italians may laugh at tho- nally kitsch, for Las Vegas ver, I see them as a great
se reconstructions, consi- was born as a big amuse- evidence of love for Italian
dering them as intentio- ment-park-like city. Howe- architecture and history,
8 | WE THE ITALIANS
www.wetheitalians.com