Established in 1976, in 1982 the Institute moved to its present location from the Consulate’s building at 136 Beverley St. The current premises were built in 1897 by Strichland & Simons in Queen Anne Style, enriched with some Palladian elements.
The Institute building belongs to the Italian Government. It was renovated in 1979 by Architect Paul Martel. The gallery was also renovated in 1992 by Architects Francesco & Aldo Piccaluga on the occasion of the exhibit by Ettore Sottsass.
In 2001 an offsite location in Woodbridge was opened to offer Italian language courses in the Greater Toronto Area.
Since its foundation, the directors of the Institute have been the following:
• Veronica Manson 2021 –
• Alessandro Ruggera 2015 – 2020 (Acting Director)
• Adriana Frisenna 2008- 2014 (Acting Director)
• Martin Stiglio 2005 – 2010
• Carlo Coen 1998 – 2005
• Francesca Valente 1993 – 1998
• Martin Stiglio 1991 – 1993 (Acting Director)
• Francesca Valente 1985 – 1991
• Giancarlo Boccotti 1982 – 1985
• Giovanni d’Alba 1976 – 1981
Through the Institute, Toronto has had the opportunity of experiencing Italian theatre and ballet, with performances, among others, by Aterballetto, Il Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Vittorio Gassman and Franca Rame. Giorgio Strehler was the first Italian artist ever to receive an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Toronto. More recently, Mario Maranzana, Ugo Pagliai, Paola Gassman, Gian Antonio Stella were also brought to Toronto by the Institute.
In music, the Institute has organized concerts and/or seminars by soloists and ensembles, such as: Salvatore Accardo, Uto Ughi, Luciano Berio, Sylvano Bussotti, Giorgio Gaslini, Cecilia Gasdia, Renata Scotto, I Musici, I Solisti Veneti, Il Giardino Armonico, I solisti della Scala Trio, Paolo Olmi, Michelangelo Carbonara, Roberto Occhipinti, Roberto Prosseda, Mario Bernardi, La Scala Philharmonic, Duo Alterno, Ada Gentile and La Premiata Forneria Marconi.
In contemporary literature, the Institute has featured such authors as Giorgio Bassani, Patrizia Cavalli, Umberto Eco, Carlo Feltrinelli, Franco Fortini, Gina Lagorio, Mario Luzi, Luigi Malerba, Claudio Magris, Dacia Maraini, Alberto Moravia, Pia Pera, Edoardo Sanguineti, Fulvio Tomizza, Sandro Veronesi, and Paolo Volponi, Beppe Severgnini, Gianrico Carofiglio, Alessandro Piperno, Gian Antonio Stella, Claudio Angelini, Roberto Saviano, Nino Ricci, Valerio Massimo Manfredi and Andrea De Carlo. Among the philosophers that came to Toronto, thanks to the Institute we have to mention Renato Bodei and Gianni Vattimo.
In cinema, the Institute has arranged retrospectives of major Italian directors and actors like Federico Fellini, Totò, Alberto Sordi, Vittorio De Sica, Roberto Rossellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Bruno Bozzetto, Luchino Visconti, Marcello Mastroianni, Anna Magnani, Lina Wertmüller. The Institute co-operates very actively with AP, Film Italia (Cinecittà Holding) and the Italian Trade Commission in promoting Italian films in Canada and supporting the Italian participation at the Toronto International Film Festival. The summer event Opera in the Garden screens operas outdoor in the garden of the Italian Consulate General in Toronto.
In the field of architecture and design, the Institute has organized exhibitions and/or lectures by Gae Aulenti, Mario Botta, Renzo Piano, Aldo Rossi, Ettore Sottsass, Massimo Vignelli, Gruau, Paolo Portoghesi, Tobia Scarpa and Alberto Meda. Other highlights have included shows of the futurist architect Antonio Sant’Elia, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Carlo Bugatti, Venetian glasses, Piero Fornasetti’s works, and the exhibition Roma XX: The Lesson of Rome. The conference New Restoration in Italy has seen for the first time in Canada four of the most prominent Italian experts: Pinin Brambilla Barcilon (Cenacle The Last Supper of Leonardo Da Vinci), Gianluigi Colalucci (Sistine Chapel) , Giorgio Croci ( Basilica of St Francis of Assisi and Giuseppe Giunta (Façade of St Peter).
In photography, the Institute has organized solo exhibitions by many renowned italian photographers such as Massimo Vitali, Manuela Martines, Franco Fontana and Raffaela Mariniello. Italy 1946 – 2006: From Reconstruction to the New Millennium has been conceived as a photographic exhibition that covers an entire historical period, from the first expressions of newly regained liberty and the desire of the Italians in 1946 to reconstruct a normal life after the destruction of the Second World War.
In the domain of visual arts, the Institute has explored Italy’s artistic heritage from Leonardo da Vinci to Mimmo Paladino, from Giambattista Piazzetta to Lucio Fontana, from Giovanni Battista Piranesi to Marino Marini, from Gilberto Zorio to Emanuele Luzzati, from Francesco Clemente to Arnaldo Pomodoro, from Ottorino Mancioli to Giuseppe Zigaina, from Emilio Vedova to Francesco Vezzoli, from Gianni Tarli to Sabrina Landin and from Paolo Tesi to Guido Moretti. In 2004-2005 the Art Gallery of Ontario presented the first Canadian retrospective on Amedeo Modigliani. From 2006, on the occasions of the Scotia Bank Nuit Blanche, the director Martin Stiglio coordinated the organization of Euronight, an event with the participation of different European countries wishing to celebrate the vibrant cultural panorama of contemporary video art in Europe.
A science program initiated in 1995, in cooperation with the Embassy of Italy in Ottawa, has included lectures by Ugo Amaldi, director for CERN in Geneva, by the Nobel Prize winner for Medicine Renato Dulbecco, and in 2003 by Lamberto Maffei, Vice President of the Accademia dei Lincei, for this prestigious institution’s 400th anniversary. Recently, the Galileo Galilei and Guglielmo Marconi’s anniversary brought to Toronto Dr. Duccio Macchetto and the Professor Francesco Paresce Marconi.
In the field of Italian language and civilization, the Institute offers courses of Italian languange and culture on its actual premises. Since January 2000, also in the area of Vaughan, the Institute has promoted the organization of the Italian Language in the World Week, a worldwide event celebrated by all the institutes worldwide.
LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS & MUSEUMS
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Bata Shoe Museum, Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, Textile Museum of Canada, Power Plant, Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival, soundaXis, Organix, Contact Photography Festival, Artcore Gallery, Accademia Italiana della Cucina, Harbourfront Centre, Associazione L’Altra Italia, Federazione Italiana Cuochi, Centro Scuola di Cultura Italiana.
THEATER AND CINEMATIC INSTITUTIONS
Cinematheque Ontario, Toronto International Film Festival, Hot Docs Toronto International Documentary Festival, Jewish Film festival, Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Toronto Italia Film Festival.
MUSICAL INSTITUTIONS
Faculty of Music, Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra & Chamber Choir, Off Centre Music Salon.
UNIVERSITIES
U of T: Faculty of Music, Department of Italian Studies, Monk Center for International Studies; University of Guelph, Western University, Waterloo University, Queens University, York University, Mariano Elia Chair (York University).
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
Cambridge University Galleries, Design Exchange, University of Western Ontario.
MASS MEDIA
OMNI Television, AISE, Telelatino, Chin Radio, Lo Specchio, Corriere Canadese, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star.
(Updated on April 14, 2015)