John Viola, Part 2
Slow Down & Follow the Spirit: John Viola on Our Trip to Italy & Honoring Your Ancestry - Part 2
Season 3
Episode 9
Things discussed in this episode:
The history of Mattera and its region of Basilicata
Why people have often chosen community over ease in the past
The history of Southern Italy vs Northern Italy
The spirit of Naples
Naples’ history and how it continues to shape not only the city’s character, but Italy’s as a whole
Things to see in Naples
Character traits that connect us to our ancestors
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”
“The Hidden History of Southern Italy’s Glory” - Part 1, The Italian American Podcast
“The Hidden History of Southern Italy’s Glory” - Part 2, The Italian American Podcast
Slow Down & Follow the Spirit: John Viola on Our Trip to Italy & Honoring Your Ancestry - Part 1
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
