Culture, consciousness, and connection to boot. ℠

heritage

saving our collective narrative

Our Storied Past: Preserving a Historical Narrative

Beginning in Little Italy and reaching beyond, Convivio (through its auxiliary, the Italian Historical Society of San Diego), is preserving Italian heritage…and creating a lasting historical tableau through research, archival work, and historical projects, exhibits, and events coordinated in conjunction with local universities and other organizations. The Little Italy Heritage Museum at the Convivio Center will serve as a central, community resource to catalog and display Italian community historical artifacts and recount the collective historical narrative of this community.

If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears. ~Cesare Pavese

 

Italian Historical Society of San Diego

The Italian Historical Society of San Diego (established 2006) is a Convivio auxiliary and comprises the following:

  • Italian Community Archives of San Diego (at UCSD)
  • Italian Community Digital Archives (ItalianArchives.org)
  • Little Italy Heritage Museum (at the Convivio Center)
  • Little Italy Heritage Commission

Italian Community Archives at UCSD and Digital Repository (italianarchives.org)

The cornerstone of Convivio’s preservation focus is the Italian Community Digital Archives, established in 2006, which preserves the local Italian community’s history through photographs, documents, and oral histories. In 2007, Convivio partnered with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), to establish the physical counterpart to the digital archives at the university’s Mandeville Special Collections Library. As a result of this landmark development, we are accepting original materials such as photographs, documents, manuscripts, books, and film, which will be housed at the library for preservation as well as public/research access. Our research team continues to duplicate the community’s historical materials for inclusion in the digital archives.

Visit digital archives

Our Publications

 

San Diego’s Fishing Industry (Arcadia Publishing, 2009)

San Diego’s Little Italy (Arcadia Publishing, 2007)

Available at your local bookstore or online. Proceeds benefit Convivio Society.

Jim Bregante and Essays on Little Italy

Jim Bregante presents a few of his essays on local Italian history, below. Enjoy. For more information on Jim Bregante’s speaking engagements on the history of San Diego’s Waterfront district, please visit his web site at myhistoricalpresentation.com.

Essays on Little Italy by Jim Bregante

In Grandfather’s Footsteps ☞

Remembering the Cottages ☞

Childhood Memories of Little Italy ☞

 

 

Italian Community Archives Contact Form

Italian Community Archives Contact Form

Please fill out our contact form to contribute materials to the Italian Community Archives.