THE ITALIAN CLUB CAVOUR COLLECTION EXHIBITION
Co.As.It.’s Italian Historical Society is honoured to receive the Italian Club Cavour Collection on the occasion of the club’s centenary. To celebrate this donation from Melbourne’s earliest Italian club, , a special temporary exhibition of selected artefacts from the collection has been developed and is now on show at Co.As.It. from 6 October 2017 to 4 November 2017.
The exhibition tells the unique story of the Italian Club Cavour from its beginnings in 1917 as the Circolo Italiano Cadorna, later renamed Circolo Italiano Cavour after the nineteenth century Italian statesman Camillo Benso Cavour, a principal figure in the Risorgimento, the movement leading to the Italian unification in 1861.
A social and cultural centre for many of Melbourne’s Italians both before and after the Second World War, the Italian Club Cavour, was responsible for organising a wide range of events for its members and the Italian community. Activities included, balls, dances, fund-raisers, theatrical and m social evenings and language classes, picnics, and sporting events. There was a Cavour Drama Club and private as well as community functions were held in the clubrooms.
The artefacts on display highlight the many people in Melbourne’s Italian community who have been involved in the Club during the last 100 years, as well as the Club’s many and varied activities. Key items from the collection include the club’s Honour Board of Founding Members and Committee; a framed limited edition portrait of Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour; the Club’s Albo d’onore, which includes the names of the members of the 1956 Italian Olympic team; sporting trophies; commemorative medals; invitations and a wide range of photographs, including a rare panoramic view of a Club picnic in c1935.
The Italian Club Cavour Collection Exhibition provides a window into the long and memorable history of the club and commemorates the many individuals from Melbourne’s Italian community and their families who have contributed to its success. We hope you enjoy the exhibition.
If you have any items or stories to share regarding the Italian Club Cavour you are encouraged to contact the Italian Historical Society: [email protected]
Image caption:
The Ladies Committee of the Circolo Italiano Cavour, South Melbourne, c1934., Co.As.It. – Italian Historical Society Collection
