John Viola, Part 1
Slow Down & Follow the Spirit: John Viola
on Our Trip to Italy & Honoring Your Ancestry
Season 3
Episode 8
Things discussed in this episode:
Finding creative friends who support you
Traveling to Sicily
Italy as the “country of plan B”
The ups and downs of relocating to Italy
Magical moments while traveling
Being guided by the Holy Spirit and living slow enough to listen
The pace of life in Italy vs. the pace here in the States
Honoring our ancestors
Doing the work and going out of comfort zones to connect to and honor the past
John Viola is host of The Italian American Podcast and previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), where he served with incomparable energy and passion from 2012-2018 as the youngest president in NIAF’s history.
John serves as co-vice president for New York City of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) and on the Boards of Directors of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago, as well as other Italian cultural boards. He was fundamental in the creation of Pope John Paul II Family Academy in Brooklyn, N.Y., serving as the Academy’s General Director, and the Director of the Madonna della Neve Foundation for many years.
He is a Knight of Merit with Star of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, one of the oldest Orders of knighthood in the world, and serves as the United States Delegate for the Constantinian Order and the other Chivalric Orders of the Royal House of Borbone of the Two Sicilies. He is also a Knight of the Order of Merit of Savoy, the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. He also serves as president of the Florida Panthers Foundation.
A native of Brooklyn, John traces his ancestry to the Vallo di Diano in the province of Salerno, Puglia, Basilicata, and his beloved Sicily.
Resources:
House of Tocumen: Use Code “Bella25” for 25% off all rugs
Dry Farm Wines: Use link dryfarmwines.com/bellafigura to receive a bottle for just a penny in your first order!
Shop: Bella Figura Shoppe
Substack: “The Tradition of Living Beautifully”
Shaye Elliott Sicily Episodes: Episode 1 and Episode 2
Guest:
Dolores:
Dry Farm Wines: Use link dryfarmwines.com/bellafigura to receive a bottle for just a penny in your first order!
Substack: “The Tradition of Living Beautifully”
Bella Figura Shoppe on Etsy
