2015 May Monza News

May 2015
May 2015 monza news 1
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Monza News
Editor
Melissa Saucedo
338 938 6783
editor@benvenutomonza.com
The Benvenuto International

Club of Monza
c/o Sporting Club Monza
Viale Brianza 39
20900 Monza (MI)
Co-Editor
www.benvenutomonza.com
Gayna Clark
Webmaster
Irmi Sieber
Advertising in Monza News

Contact the editor
webmaster@benvenutomonza.com
Members can also join the facebook group by
searching Benvenuto International Club of Monza.
Cover photo: Third Issue of Monza News

All other photos provided by Elda Elvedese
The Monza News is sponsored by Bolliger

International Movers
www.bolligerspa.com
1 May 2015 monza news
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The deadline for the June Monza News is

June 1, 2015
June theme will b,e
Monza
NEWS
May
Summer!
Editor
e
h
t
m
o
r
f
Letter
ADVERTISEMENTS....................................................3
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT.4
ADVERTISING PRICES................................................4
Dear friends,
ANNOUNCEMENTS .5
One of the many advantages of being on the

board is meeting people. As editor, Ive had the
honor of meeting such courageous women who
have shared their stories with me. Theyve taught
me the history of this precious club. Theyve
shared their views, their experiences, their
wisdom and their hearts.
FILM LIST....... .......................5
Im grateful to all those who took the time to

share. Im especially grateful to Lia Orlandi and
Anne Stubley who made this 25th anniversary
edition possible.
I hope to do the same in twenty-five years.
Moving onto another subject, in this issue you will
see the new rates for advertising in the
Monza News are on page four.
Thank you!
NEWCOMERS............................................................5
NEW BOARD ......................6
PREVIOUS EVENTS.................................................7-8
CALENDAR...................................................9
SPECIAL 25TH ANNIVERSARY ............................10-13
ADVERTISEMENTS..........................14-22
CALENDAR .......................18
MEMBERS ARTICLES.............22
SPECIAL 25TH ANNIV........................................23, 25
WOMB....................................................................24
EXPO.................................................................26-27
MEMBERS ARTICLES..............................................28
Melissa Saucedo
BIRTHDAYS..............................................................29
GROUP ACTIVITIES.......................................29-30
THE BOARD.............................................................31
BABYSITTERS & IMPORTANT INFO....................31-33
ADVERTISEMENTS.............................................34-36
We are deeply grateful to Bolliger

International Movers for the
continuous support for
our magazine production.
Quote of the month

In spite of everything I still believe that
people are really good at heart.
Anne Frank
letter from the president

Hello Ladies,
Well, it's the May 2015
edition of the Monza
News and this is my
penultimate letter to
you.
This month I had the
pleasure of a wonderful Chinese lunch with
some of our members at Yin Tao in Monza
and it was fantastic. It was a super group of
ladies and the food was lovely and fresh. A big
thank you to all those ladies who came.
I am looking forward to the Leonardo tour
later this month. Please see Julia if you need
tickets. Also, for Stomp the musical which is a
truly incredible experience. I cannot
recommend this event enough.
Also, this is it ladies, the final day to be able
to buy your tickets for the 25th celebration
party of Benvenuto Monza to be held at
Villa900 in Lesmo this Saturday night. Get
those dresses out and the heels on and catch
the party fever. It will be a great night and
Ivana has organised a wonderful full
evening's entertainment for us all.
Today, we have a booksale and jewellery sale
for charity. As usual, a huge thank you to
these ladies who make this happen, please
support them by buying a book or bracelet..
Next month it is the famous Irmsi catwalk,
(my favourite) and a chance to not only get
rid of all your unwanted dresses, coats, bags,
shoes but to go home with some new ones...Irmi
cannot do this without clothes to sell so please
contact her, or any member of the board, if
you can and they will be happy to help.
June coffee morning will also be the last
ws
Monza Ne tion
u
Contrib
All contributions in advance.
10% discount for a
full
current year.
chance to bring any food you can donate to

our charity. Pauline and other helpers will be
here to take your food and take it to the
charity on your behalf. Thank you to everyone
who has donated so far, I know some ladies
have even brought a few items every month
and believe me every tin, bag of pasta, rice etc.,
helps a whole family like you would not
believe. It's a simple way to give back
especially as we all go to supermarkets every
week.
Well it's that time of year for starting to look
forward to the Summer months. Wow, the
schools have long breaks. I have no idea how
working families manage with 10-14 weeks
off school. This is where it is hard if you are a
new parent or not local and do not have
grandparents, family to help. However, I do
know this area has some amazing summer
day camps available. My own children have
loved Monza park camp on their bikes, football
camp and last year tennis camp in
Villasanta. If you know of any great camps or
day trips etc., please let us know and we can
forward this information to members who
would benefit from this knowledge and
experience. That is the great thing about this
club, sharing common knowledge and helping
each other out.
Well I will see some of you ladies on Saturday
in our party clothes with a process in hand......
Have a great May ladies, see you in
June............
Janine Davies
PAGE
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PORTION
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NON MEMBERS
and MEMBERS
BUSINESS
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in color
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Announcements
Every Monday at 15.00, 18.00 and 21.00
(Except where * 17.00
and 20.30).
www.monzacinema.it
The International
Church of Milan
For info: stubley@iol.it
Phone 039 671 359
M LIST
L
I
F
H
ENGLIS
DATE
FILM
18 MAY
KINGSMAN: THE SECRET

SERVICE
25 MAY
WHIPLASH
1 JUNE
MORTDECHAI
8 JUNE
THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC

MARIGOLD HOTEL
Bible
Study
at
Monza
Friday Mornings at 9:45. Would you like to learn

more about Gods word? Join us for womens Bible
study as we grow in our knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. We meet in members homes in Monza.
For more information, please call Claire Wroe at 039
327 775.
COME STUDY WITH US!

The International Church of Milan is a Bible
believing, non-denominational, English speaking
church for the whole family.
We are now meeting at Viale Toscana 46/8, 20089 Rozzano (MI)
each Sunday at 17:30. Weekly Bible studies for men/women/
students are available.
For more info please contact
Jim at 349 766 9678 or refer to our website
www.icm-milan.org
Newcomers
Our Condolences go to
WELCOME!
Gabriella Mapelli
whose husband
Francesca Marchiori (IT)
Gianfranco Mapelli
passed away on May 3rd, 2015
If you are a newcomer and have not seen your picture

here, please contact Elda Elvedese to have your picture
taken
Previous events
April
Coffee Morning
Hana Da Ros
Zizeth Maroun
Irmgard Sieber
President
Treasurer
Membership Dir.
Maria Teresa
Gambero
Chiara Procaccini
Vice President
Public Relations
The Benvenuto Board 2015 - 2016
Susan Edick-Ferrara
Audrey Garny
Cheryl Stockman
Ivana MenegardoDevelter
Secretary
Newcomers Director
Editor
Special Activities
Previous events
se
Chine
Lunch
ine
by Jan
There is nothing quite like it when food is served fresh from

the pan, sizzling hot.
s
Davie
As the usual tradition, we ended the meal after coffee with

fortune cookies.
These are some of the proverbs inside them.....
Last week as a special activity some of us went to Yin Tao

chinese restaurant in Monza.
It was a lovely group of ladies and we had a super lunch,
trying different flavours. We had steamed ravioli to start,
rice, vegetables, chicken dishes , pork and my favourite
spicy chilli beef. There was also a section of vegetarian.
Written by Anna Bodini
Conscience is like a mother-in-law....always there...

Don't limit your challenges, challenge your limits..
Nothing is eternal, not even your troubles...
Never become irreplaceable, you will never get
promoted..
Caravaggio at the Serrone
Anna Vicentini had a great idea to make good use of Written by

the wonderful Caravaggio exhibition right on our Barbara De
Savorgnani
doorstep'' in the delightful Villa Reale.
It was a wet and rainy morning but we all brightened up
when we met outide the Serrone under dripping
umbrellas and finding ourselves in front of Caravaggio's
(Michelangelo Merisi born in Milan in 1571) devotional
painting was an experience worth sharing. This work is
similar to that of Saint Francis of Assisi that can be seen
in Rome in Santa Maria della Concezione. In the year
2009 experts proved that this work was also a
masterpiece produced by the same talented genius. We
were lucky to have a very pleasant young lady explain
the main points to us. www.cultureconsulting.it
Afterwards, some of us went to enjoy a good
'cappuccino' in the Reggia's bar and continued our
'cultural discussions' in a relaxed and friendly
atmosphere.
To our surprise another pleasant
exhibition was there waiting for us and of course we
made the most of this too.....
In the queue in
the rain! A 20 min
wait & in we
went. An
introduction &
video about
what's involved in setting up art exhibitions - it was
certainly interesting to have a bird's eye view of
behind the scenes.
After the video we went into another room where the
guide told us about Caravaggio himself - a very hotheaded young man, but in keeping with the times - &
from there into another room to see the painting itself.
Details of the painting were explained - the x-ray

examination during restoration had revealed that the
painting had been painted over another painting on the
canvas, and it was pointed out to us that the hood of the
subject's cape has been extended. Our attention was
drawn to the brushwork which gives texture and light to
the clothing, we were told to observe the cord around
This outing proved that:
the waist. It was explained how this is "the original" - it's
The more we get together, the happier we'll be! not a copy. However the painter may not have been
Thanks, Anna, for the inspiration and also for the Caravaggio himself, they don't really know for sure. I
found it all very fascinating as a book (called "Blink") I
coffee!!!
read quite recently discussed this intuition or 6th sense
of art critics. All in all It was a very informative morning,
well worth braving the bad weather, and Anna topped it
off with an invitation to join her at the bar for coffee - a
very kind gesture on her part.
Thank you Anna. We all owe you!
Previous events
LEONARDO...
Revisitied in Milan
by Lia Orlandi
Leonardo haunted my school years in a way or another. He was referred to in most subjects, and his scientific intuitions were connected with most invention occurring centuries later.
Not to mention all the.fuss about La GIOCONDA.
Around the world there are copies and
imitations of
this mythical femme fatale by his contemporaries
down to modern artists, like Lger, Duchamp, Dali,
Warhol, and also in other
irreverent versions
whether naked or with
moustaches. Who was she?
Or was he a man? Or a trans (though the girls from
my generation would not even dare to utter that
word!)?
Still his skill as an artist ranked only at the tenth place
within the curriculum introducing him to
Ludovico il
Moro in Milan around 1482.
Leonardo claimed that regular features do not impress

in portraits, and he was inspired by his countless
sketches with all kind of facial expressions, hand
gestures, body postures, and so on. Realistic details
would better reveal i moti dellanimo., that is inner
feelings and emotions.
In his RITRATTO di MUSICO the eyes of
kappel-meister seem almost flickering with the
changing light effects. His look is quite puzzling, we
almost feel his teeth clenching for a split of a second
before tuning his chant.
You cannot either resist La BELLE FERRONIRE,
whose magnetic eyes force you to follow her, as she
almost seems to turn to life from the dark background.
The same contrast from shadow to light would guide
another Master almost a century apart.
CARAVAGGIO...
Rediscovered in Monza
by Lia Orlandi
I came to terms with his genius in more mature years,

when curiosity led me to see also what is not visible at
first impact in artistic works. And with Leonardo there is
plenty to be seen..
My last experience was with the recent opening at
Palazzo Reale of the exhibition on LEONARDO Il
Disegno del Mondo, developing his theories about
PAINTING, which he considered the most perfect of all
sciences. Important works from famous museums
around the world are displayed, revealing a
comprehensive view of his extraordinary complexity.
The loans from the Louvre are remarkable, even
though the very Gioconda is missing! You can be
excited, even moved like turning the pages of an Art
book. It is a real pity that the many visitors, especially
groups, make hard to appreciate most portraits and
drawings closely, due to the small sizes of the works. I
have
allowed myself a second visit on my own,
concentrating on details and backgrounds that are to
be discovered through the many preparatory drawings
of his studies, exceptionally borrowed by the Biblioteca
Ambrosiana and Queen Elisabeths collection in
Windsor.
I could not help thinking of Leonardo again a few days

later in front of a SAINT FRANCIS by Caravaggio, on
temporary display at the Villa Reale. It was actually the
day before its closing, when a bunch of girls from
Benvenuto were ready for a visit thanks to Anna
Vicentini. She had actually witnessed the arrival of the
painting from Rome, and had a chance to follow its
installation backstage. Our group was introduced to
Caravaggios adventurous life and to the possible
execution of this painting during his exile. The curator
himself stressed all the critical facts leading to support
the authenticity of this very canvas versus a better
known painting with the same subject.
Against a dark background St Francis, seems about to
kneel for meditation, holding a skull in his hands. Direct
light hits parts of his melancholic face, a large tear on
his worn-out tunic, the skull and some fingers, plus a
cross on the stone. The whole image is conceived in a
climate leading to sacrifice and death, which would
reach soon Caravaggio through hired killers.
Calendar
May 2015
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Dont forget your canned goods for Charity, your fashionable

frocks for the fashion show/catwalk and to buy your tickets for all
the upcoming events!!!
19:30 Anniv Party
10:00 Coffee
Morning
Villa 900 Lesmo

50
17
18
19
22
BUNCO
Cinema Teodolinda
24
21
20
STOMP 15:30
Milan 32
19:00 Concorezzo
18
25
26
27
28
Cinema Teodolinda
23
29
30
Leonardo Tour
11:15 9 Contact
Julia Waters
31
June 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
10
11
12
13
19
20
10:00 Food+Body 10:00 Catwalk at

+Mind Lecture.
Coffee Morning
Sporting Club.
Free.
Cinema Teodolinda
14
15
16
17
18
Please note that if you are unable to attend a Special Activity for which you have paid, a
minimum
of 48 hours notice is required for
cancellation but a refund cannot always be guaranteed.
25 Years of Benvenuto Monza

HISTORY OF
BENVENUTO INTERNATIONAL CLUB
OF MONZA
by Anne Stubley
The roots of a coffee group in Monza where

International women meet, go back 35 years. This
group was part of the Benvenuto Club Of Milan.In
Monza there was a local group which paid its
dues to the Milan mother club. We met on a
monthly basis to have coffee mornings in
members homes and we had 2 book clubs and a
language Exchange Group. Some of us regularly
went into the main club in Milan but the majority of
our members did not.
By the early part of 1990 our small group had

grown to about 75 members and it was becoming
impossible to hold our meetings in each others
homes. We approached the Milan group Board
and asked for assistance financially in order to
rent a room somewhere, after all they were
receiving a lot of money from us!! They did not
want to know. So I organized an open meeting at
which it was decided to hold a ballot of our
members continue the status quo or form a new
club. The response was 100% for the latter and
Benvenuto International club Of Monza was born.
A group of ladies (of which only 2 Ursula Mosso
and myself are still around as members)agreed to
form the first Board and the work began.
The first task was to find a venue for our monthly

coffee morning which met all our needs easy to
get to, good parking, catering facilities , enough
space for the members and for baby sitting all at a
reasonable price. I wont bore you with the LONG
list of places we tried , but I will say it was not
easy. Eventually we agreed on the Teatrino (little
theatre) of the Villa Reale.
of bringing back from the US 3 large, catering size

coffee making machines.
The first year this venue worked out very well , the
second year a little less and by the third year we
had to move on. This time with the help of Marisa
Cerizzi we were able to persuade the Sporting
Club to accept the children and so it became our
new home and has been ever since.
Bolliger were approached and they agreed to pay
for the newsletter phew that was a relief.
Setting up the Aims of the Club,the Constitution
and the Policies and Practices took rather a long
time .
The symbol of our club was decided upon a
globe of the world encompassed by the Iron
Crown Of Monza. I believe Rosemary Gates
designed that.
The first year there were so many new initiatives
and so much to do. The first Bazaar made Lire
1,540,566, the first Raffle Lire 1194,000 and we
were ever so proud. The first charity was Mamma
Rita Orphanage in Monza we wanted to support
local charities.
An American lady called Judy Rosato started the
Quilting Group; .Katherine Robinson started the
Mother & Toddler Group; there was a keep fit
group; Pam Leefe had a Gardening group; Ursula
Mosso was in charge of a Gourmet Dining out
Group and of course the ever popular wine trip
(ever hear the story of the time the bus broke
down and we were stranded ?); Anne Violette
started a Video Club (no Dvds or Sky in those
days);
Cookery Lessons were always very popular ; .we
held Pizza evenings, charity lunches etc etc so
much went on.
25 years on,the club is going from strength to

strength and still fulfilling its main aim which is to
welcome English speaking women from all over
the world and foster international fellowship
through its various activities.
The catering we had to do ourselves, so an

American members husband was given the task

When did you join the Benvenuto Club and
why?
a way to improve my knowledge If this language.

Giovanna Meroni Casati
I joined the Benvenuto Club last September after my

family had moved to Monza in the summer. I consider
myself very lucky to have landed in a place with such a
wonderful organization for women! My family has lived
abroad once before (in Australia) but I did not join a
local organization (Petroleum Women of Perth, in that
case) because I thought the focus was too industry
specific. The Benvenuto Club has a great mix of
women: expat and local, young and old, single and
married, mothers to children of all ages, with many
different backgrounds, talents and interests. I am
looking forward to another year with women of
Benvenuto next fall. Jane Chesterman
I joined Benvenuto in September of 2011, which is the

month I moved to Italy to begin our first expat
experience. We worked with Anne Stubley to find our
house and she told me about and invited me to
Benvenuto. Having older children attending university
in the U.S., it would be more difficult for me to meet
people since I would not have the connections that are
made through the international school experience. I
was very nervous to attend my first Coffee Morning
and, honestly, it wasn't what I was expecting. I
assumed most members would be ladies in my same
situation: foreigners spending a few years in Italy
before moving on or moving back. I have come to
appreciate what an asset it is that our club has such
diversity in its membership. The native Italians, the
foreigners who have adopted Italy as their permanent
home by marrying Italians and the true expats each
bring a different strength to our club. After being a
member for one year, I was persuaded to serve on the
board as Secretary, which I did so for two years. As
with most things in life, you get out of it what you put
into it, so I encourage each of you to volunteer for the
club in some aspect. Most importantly, please try to
reach out to our newcomers because giving a proper
"welcome" is what "Benvenuto" is all about! Lisa
Harding
I joined the Benvenuto Club in September 97 because

I wanted to join the book club and the yoga group. I am
still a member of both of these groups which I enjoy
very much. At the time of joining I wasn't really thinking
about making friends, but looking back over the years,
I have met some truly amazing women and I am still
friends with a lot of them. Cindy Leiberum Brizzi
I joined the Benvenuto 7 or 8 years ago ( the President
was Paulette). I had been invited by Laura Ferrario
and I was very happy to join the club. The club
represented and represents a great opportunity for me:
the possibility of Speaking English and meeting ladies
from different countries. I'm so happy to
be a
Benvenuto member. I found in the club true friends.
Ester DeGiuli
I joined Benvenuto in 2010, after 3 or 4 years of being
on the waiting list. When they called me, I was very
happy because I really like meeting people, learning
about the different cultures and speaking in languages
that I know. I can speak French very well, Im always
working on my English, and a little German. Mara
Canti
I joined the Club in 1992 just near the Club's
foundation in 1990. I met , during my son's "asilo"
years , a Benvenuto's member ( Pauline O'Connor )
who introduced me to the Club. The main reasons for
me to join the Club were to meet women with different
cultures and origins and to have pleasant moments
with them. After that, the possibility to match with
different experiences and mentalities. That is the
fundamental principles for each personal growth. And
then the fact that English is the Club's language , was
I have been a member since Oct.2014 and the reason

is just to fresh up my English as I don't have many
opportunities to speak English. Edda Borner
I joined the Benvenuto Club in 2012 after being invited
by a friend to attend a Coffee Morning. Although I
have lived in Italy for over 45 years, I worked in Milan
until retirement so it seemed like a good idea to join
when I had more time; the pleasure for me has been
to meet English speaking women living locally and I
can say that i have been lucky to find some very nice
friends! Kate Icke
I joined the club in February 2012 because I wanted to
find people with whom I could speak English. After I left
work, where I used English daily, I found that apart
from speaking with my family I no longer spoke English
and was afraid that I would lose my ability to speak
fluently and suffer the loss of vocabulary even though I
am English mother tongue. Anna Caputi
I joined Benvenuto Club in late 2014, shortly after I

village where we spent quite a few years. Even though
it was only at a stone's throw from here, that village
was so remote that it seemed a world away. Strangely
enough, one of the best friends I made there was
English! It was she who first mentioned Benvenuto
Club to me and said that when she first had arrived in
Italy, feeling a complete stranger, she had been invited
at a Benvenuto Coffee Morning a few times and had
strongly appreciated the warmth and welcoming
atmosphere. Upon moving to Monza, a friend told me
about Benvenuto and invited me as a guest one
Thursday morning. It felt exactly as it had been
described, and I thought that joining the club would be
a good way to start my new life in town. Daniela
Magnoni
I came to Italy in 1987. I had been a lecturer at the
University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg for
many years. It was a very stimulating environment and
I was in contact with people of different cultures,
creeds and points of view. After a few months in
Agrate Brianza I really needed to speak to people... in
English...especially when my two daughters were at
school. Even though I could communicate in italian, I
felt I was not able to express my true self! I then heard
of the Milan club and I used to drive to the metro, catch
the train into Milan and then needed to catch a bus to
the Benvenuto club...where I enjoyed a hearty chat. It
was such a relief to meet up in homes of ladies later
on, in Monza even before the Benvenuto Monza ladies
started up the club....it started with 6/8 people...It is
such a great joy to see how it has GROWN! Anna
Bodini
I joined Benvenuto in 2000/2001 (I don't remember
exactly), when I moved to Monza. My children at that
time attended international School, and i was one of
the teacher. It was a natural step to extend my
international school life, into THE international
Benvenuto club. Since then, i feel part of this unique
community and proud to see that year by year the spirit
of the Club hasn't changed! I have lost many good
friend, but many new are arrived! I have learned the
respect for different cultures, religion, food, traditions,
but I always felt free to share my Italian point of view! A
perfect mix :) Raffaella Corti
I joined the club in Oct 2013. The reason why I joined
the club is that I wanted to make some more new
friends. As I am full time mom at this moment, I don't
have much opportunity to meet many people. And I am
very happy that I am getting to know so many nice

women at the club! Ginny Ju
Unfortunately I do not remember the exact year, I think
it must have been more or less the early nineteenth,
but perhaps you can help me find it out. I think it results
from the lists of the members that the membership
director has. The second is a little easier. I met in
occasion of the Swedish Christmas charity sale in
Milan a lady, Anna-Greta Robinsson, who lived in
Monza and was a member of Benvenuto Club and
thanks to her I joined. At that time I was working and
furthermore I live in Albavilla, between Como and
Lecco, so not so near to Monza, but even if I have not
always had the possibility to participate, during the
years, Ive had the pleasure to get to know many of the
members of Benvenuto and enjoying being together.
Ingrid Evander
I came back to Monza Benvenuto again three years
ago after about 12 years. My very, very first contact
with what was to become the Benvenuto dates back to
1968 when I arrived in Italy with my Italian husband
and 1 year old daughter. It was a very small town and I
was very, very lonely. My husband was at work all day
if he wasnt travelling, I hardly spoke Italian, the
weather was at its coldest, I knew no one who spoke a
word of English, and I was harassed and pestered by
neighbours because I was a foreigner.
What was to become the Benvenuto Milan, came to
me in the form of an invitation to a coffee morning from
the wives of the General Consuls of the British and
American
Consulates who invited all the newly
registered at the Consulates to meet for a coffee. It
was wonderful to speak English again and I was
thrilled to pieces. It all ended there however also
because I had to take a train to get to Milan and my
father was visiting then and looked after my daughter
while I was out.
I joined officially Milan Benvenuto in the year 1978
when it had finally become a club with different events,
outings, etc. and went together with other ladies from
Monza. I managed only the monthly coffee mornings
however having two daughters now and unable to
move around easily. There were quite a few of us but
it was not very easy for many of us to go to Milan
Some years later we decided to break away and start
a Monza group whilst still paying our dues to the Milan
Benvenuto. We held our coffee mornings in different

homes with a big coffee pot following us around
where needed, started a Book Club, a video club and
a bookworm book club for the children and began a
few other activities. There was a lot of cooperation with
the younger mothers and the ladies who had bigger
flats offered them for dinners, wine and cheese
evenings,
New Year, Carnival and end-of-year
parties. When our number grew, we had to look for
other venues as our homes were too small. Anyway, in
1992 I left Benvenuto to go to work and joined again
about 6 years ago. As far as I am concerned however
those were the very best years of the club and the
quintessential of the word Benvenuto.
There would be so very much for me to say here but it
would be too long. On my return, I found so many
things had changed. Where is the English speaking
club? I am sorry for some of my older Italian friends
who do speak English but the newer Italian ladies can
hardly understand you if you speak to them in English:
was this a way to bring more fees to the club? I hear
unfortunately more Italian than English now and would
like to understand how come?
On the other hand, I took great pleasure in seeing the
oldies once again. The number of members has grown
enormously and I do wish to insist on my appreciation
of the following. I appreciate the fact that such a large
number of members meant that a bigger venue had to
be found. I appreciate all the very hard work the Board
Members put into running the club, and what all the
other ladies do to help and make a success of the
club, which is an enormous amount of work especially
when there are big events. There may be many of us
who can afford all the various events but there may
also be many of us who cannot. The impression I get

is that there is an ongoing race to raise more and
more money. Every new Board seems to wish to outdo
the previous one by raising even more funds than its
predecessor. I may be ruffling some feathers, but that
is both my view and that of others who do not bring it
out in the open. Sadly this is not the Club I knew.
There is quite a big difference between the Benvenuto
of the past and the Benvenuto of today. The main aim
of the Benvenuto was, and should still be, to look after
and help its members first and above all, and then
think of charity without going overboard. Charity was
definitely not the aim of the club at the beginning, I am
not against this righteous cause but am quite sure that
many members like me already have a charity to
which they give money. I did not agree to the fees
being increased last time and definitely hope this will
not happen again, although there is a rumour going
around they probably will next year.
Do go ahead with your charities ladies but also help
your members and the Club.
There is nothing
shameful ladies in not being able to afford certain
things and certainly not to be looked down on because
of this.
The above will probably make me unpopular among
some in the club and will have my name entered in
someone's black book, it doesn't matter, I have said
what I believe to be fair unless the Benvenuto has
become an exclusive club and this is terribly and truly
sad and is definitely not the reason why I joined.
Yvonne El Masri
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Members Articles
Womens Social Clubs and Penitent Processions
By Rachel Martin
Mummy, can we follow the procession? my
younger son asks me, and thus we're walking
down the street of a seaside town in southern
Spain. It's Easter Sunday, Christ has risen and the
black near-macabre mourning robes of the Good
Friday pentinents have given way to a dignified
celebration of red robes, women with high
mantillas and children in their Sunday best.
Bedspreads and eiderdowns are hung from
balconies and windows and streets adorned with
flowers and rosemary to perfume the air. Yet
rosemary will always be for remembrance,
although today I am not quite sure what it is I'm
remembering whereas my younger son is so
serene and respectful that I wonder if maybe he
knows already and it is I who have failed to
understand. And as I walk slowly along the
cobbled streets to the intermittent outbursts of the
town's brass bands I envy this sense of belonging
that binds and draws this town together in the sunbaked south of Andalucia.
Several weeks later and I'm sitting in the park on
the hill in my village in the heart of Brianza. The
sun is shining and the mountains have donned
their very best finery. Look to the right and you
see the jagged saw-like Resegone and the peaks
of Grigna and Grignetta, while to the left Monte
Rosa flirts behind the warm hazy blue of what
feels like early summer; Monte Rosa, queen of the
snow-topped peaks that remind you of the beauty
of the universe. If as Hopkins claimed the world is
charged with the grandeur of God, then here it is
indeed. These are the days when I set off along
country paths and through fields past a memory of
agriculture retained in the various allotments.
These are the days when I feel like there is no
more beautiful place on earth and feel thankful
that I live, here and now.
But let's go back to the park. We're all there today,
children, mothers and grandmothers and a handful
of older women whose grandchildren have grown
or never arrived at all. We're talking about the
usual: so-and-so is pregnant, another has given
birth and we're sorry another has died. Now it's
about religion, brought on by talk of the village
priests.
On the women speak. Listen hard and you can

feel the poetic beat of mankind or in this case
womankind and I'm in a place without time, a
place which embraces the communal stone sinks
of times past and the dark kitchens of tiny
smallholdings where an elderly woman is stirring a
pot of polenta and another is nursing a child. Yet
these days are gone, and today there are new
mothers in the hill-top park where the children play
opposite the dead that lie in the tombs of the
cemetery across the road. Life is ever present in
all its forms, and as a result infinitely more
beautiful. One day all this will become memory
yet in the meantime we're in the years of the
women's social club and besides it's such a
beautiful day.
Which, if you strip it down, is exactly what
Benvenuto is: a women's social club, multigenerational, widely encompassing, with a strong
desire to help others. The other day we were in
the car, having one of those conversations
between parents and children which car journeys
seem to naturally induce. Mum, why do you go to
Benvenuto? my elder son asked me. A simple
question, and we all have our own personal
answer. What is important is that Benvenuto is
and that it continues to be.
Another day, still in the car, we're discussing
religion. My husband is batting for the West
whereas I'm trying to even things up and bowl for
the East. You know, the world is multi-coloured I
say to my elder son afterwards. Yeah I know,
mum, he replies with a conviction older than his
years.
The world is multi-coloured and life is multicoloured,
an
ever-changing
kaleidoscope
constantly moving forwards. This year we
celebrate
the
twenty-fifth
anniversary
of
Benvenuto, and here I imagine a multi-coloured
kaleidoscope made up of many lives from many
cultures all moving forward to build upon what has
been before and embrace the energy of new
generations.

YESTERDAY.that is 25 YEARS AGO!
by Lia Orlandi
I simply could not believe it, when I was reminded being a

Benvenuto veteran, joining even before there had been
The BENVENUTO INTERNATIONAL CLUB of MONZA.
I actually witnessed its gradual change from a sub-group of
Benvenuto Club of Milan from 1998.
At that time I was back to Italy after 15 years abroad,
moving to Monza for the first time.
Anne Stubley (then living in Monza) happened to.notice
some bulky containers, jamming the street right in front of
our building in Via Bellini. Fortunately, she met my children
whose American English had been recently washed in the
Thames for five years, so they..passed the language test.
Her welcome was an actual benvenuto. She became my
sheet anchor, also with advice for utility contracts! I felt so
grateful, when she introduced me to an international group
of ladies, most of them with my same problems. Though
Italian (hence with no language barrier, I thought), I was
feeling almost lost in my own country! I had forgot about
bureaucracy, shop hours, politics, football, chaotic driving
(and yet I had been driving everywhere since I was 18,
passing my test in Rome, if you know what I mean.).
The advantage of a small group meeting at home helped
making suggestions, exchanging experiences, accepting all
sorts of comments (cheering, as well as booing), sharing
discoveries.
How can I forget my first time around the Thursday open
market in Monza (held at that time in the very piazza Trento
e Trieste) snooping through the stalls?
It was really exciting when the newly founded BENVENUTO
INTERNATIONAL CLUB of MONZA (over 100 members
from 13 different countries) could meet at the Teatrino of the
Villa Reale for their first Coffee Morning on the second
Thursday of September 1990. The fact we had to bring
coffeepots, cups, sugar, brioches, and then clean up, didnt
bother us.
We managed to do all sort of activities to meet everybodys
taste (sounds familiar?), thanks to the succession of various
boards, and different personalities.
As most members had experienced life in different
continents our interest gradually was geared towards
different cultures and mutual influences. I enjoyed it a lot
because it gave me the opportunity for studying and
investigating new themes.
During a guided tour inside the Duomo of Monza we
stopped before the Teodolinda Chapel frescoed by the
Zavattari Brothers. Zavattari who? - most of us wondered. It
was a real blow for my art-lover pride, so I was stimulated to
know more about the history of Monza, and to share it with
my Benvenuto friends. Milan herself was a discovery for me.
Since then, we started meeting before most tours or
exhibitions to focus on the various artistic aspects, giving

good opportunities even to the members who could not take
part in the actual outings. When Giovanna became a regular
participant, she specialized in tough challenging questions.
My former training as a barrister often proved helpful
We became best friends, of course!
Members with big kitchen were doomed to host cooking
classes, always very popular. Beside Italian recipes, we
learn about French, German, Scandinavian, English,
Peruvian, Chinese, Indonesian, West African cuisine, and so
on. There was also a Gourmet Group ready for tasting all
delicacies
Very much on demand were Ursulas Wine Trips by coach.
Most of the time (mainly before the actual tasting!!!) they
gave us the opportunity to discover outlets as well as hidden
architectural jewels around Brianza and further afield.
Members with planning skills were bound to organize
special activities. And they were so good, considering the
budget. We managed to visit the most interesting places
in Northern Italy from Turin to Bergamo Brescia Cremona
Mantova Padova Parma Venice (even with the flood!), up to
Mount Tamaro (Switzerland), just to name some of our car/
train/coach trips.
But the event which actually involved most of the members
volunteers or volunteered has always been the yearly
BAZAAR. Help was always needed to assist at tables, to
donate books, magazines, national products, international
goods and foods, bottles, used toys, items for the White
Elephant Stall, and so on. How can we ever forget Giuly
always looking for empty jars for her jams and pickles?
Cooks were busy preparing home baked goods. Ladies from
various groups were ready with their sewing, quilting,
patchwork, you name it. But the outcome for charities has
always been a big reward..
We were always very fond of our Villa Reale tours, following
every step of its endless restoration, its misuse when
hosting the commercial Fiera del Mobile (Furniture Fair)
every year, but also learning the incredible variety of trees
around the gardens with botanic experts, discovering
magnificent views from the back through the trees into the
distance, exciting at the opening of the ancient Rotonda,
waiting gradual blooming from diverse kinds of roses in the
Roseto, enjoying musical fireworks lying on the grass under
the stars on St. Johns night.
It was also fun walking in the Park, organizing occasional
training, Keep Fit classes, bicycle rides, and of course being
tempted by trying the Grand Prix track.
When our 148 members from 20 nationalities could finally
use the Sporting Club and its facilities it was a different
story. No more cleaning up after the Coffee mornings! There
was also a hall for Yoga, a Tennis court for tournaments
(Giovanna winning most cups, but I finally managed to
conquer my one and only thanks to her.absence), a room
with audiovisual equipment.

By then Benvenuto had really grown into a large family,
sharing joys and sorrows. We felt particularly close to
some of our dear friends who had lost their children in
car accidents, joining their mourning from the deepest
of our hearts.
Approaching the new century the International Theatre
Group came to existence, that is a madding crowd of
ladies, not having the palest idea what to do, till Rose
with her best communication skills demanded almost
military discipline, and tried to give each of us a proper
role. We were having so much fun that we hardly
realized what we were supposed to do. We would not
miss any rehearsal, with no remorse leaving children at
home, managing to involve our husbands either
playing instruments, or acting, or singing, or dancing,
or helping somehow in the production. It was a full
house for the debut of The Tonight Show at the

Teatro San Carlo. All Benvenuto ladies, families and
friends were there not knowing what to expect. Neither
did most of us irresponsibly with no stage experience
in front of an audience. It happened to be a real
success! We couldnt believe how much we raised for
charity.
The following year Life on Earth was our second show
by popular demand. We behaved more responsibly
with a proper script and a thorough organization. All
went well! But we had to work very hard trying not to
disappoint our supporters, so there was not so much
fun any longer. And we decided to leave at the apex
of our success!
Long life to Benvenuto!
W.O.M.B.
Maria Grisolia. Age 97
(mother of Lia Orlandi)
I was sort of lucky when my husband was seriously
wounded at his leg. He was sent back to Rome for

recovery. He resumed his work as a doctor at the
hospital. It was a relatively safe place in spite of
curfews and air-raid warnings.
When and Why did you join Benvenuto? At the end of the war it was hard for a lot of
When? I don't remember... it was long long time
ago....
I was still living in Rome, coming quite often to
Monza visiting my daughter's family. I was
practically adopted by the Benvenuto members
right away, and invited to join their events. I liked it
immediately! I still treasure a Benvenuto trip to
Verdi's home and theatre at Busseto.
I also had opportunities to travel with some of the
ladies, touring (turning to Lia with some emotion,
trying to remember) India China Australia South
Africa.
(Pause)
What are the changes you have seen /

experienced for women in Italy from the
time you were married to now?
I don't know if I can answer this question correctly.... it
was such a different world!
I got married in 1943, almost at the end of the war....
Things were not easy for women! They had to cope
with constant panic and to protect their families for
survival during the absence of their men.
women to resume their family chores, ignoring the

new sense of freedom (brought by the Allies),
clashing with old prejudices. We had been taught
that a woman's place was at home, and that our
primary duty was attending husband and children.
Wearing trousers, smoking, drinking alcohol were
still not proper for a lady....
I had been practically discouraged from involving
myself seriously in painting. My younger sister,
who remained single, succeeded in becoming a
doctor thanks to her determination, and
overcoming discrimination in her profession.
My daughter should remember her University
years seasoned by serious arguments with her
Daddy for being too liberated...
About today? I appreciate the fact that women
have most choices open, and can express their
feelings freely. Still I honestly find that sometimes
they expect to deserve success just for being
women.

Commentary on the blog entitled What We
Could All Learn from Expats by Roz Zito
This is an article which rings true for me after our life

overseas and the many wonderful friends weve made
along the way. Hoisting a glass of champagne to you
all, I am sharing! R
Want to make friends? Move to another country.
Maybe somewhere third- world.
There you might meet a few of the locals who will
eventually enter your social circle, but the most likely
event is that you will end up with a large group of some
of the best friends you've ever had, and they'll all be
fellow expats. This process will take about a week.
There's a refreshing lack of pretension among expat
communities.
Expats, in general, are friendly. They want to meet you,
and know your story. They're fun to be around. They're
people who "do" rather than plan.
I've never lived long enough in another country to think
of myself as an expat. I have, however, hung out with
plenty of expat communities in countries around the
world, and I've seen a similar theme in the people I've
met. They share certain traits that anyone would do
well to take on.
Expats tend to be adventurous, to be risk-takers. After
all, they've already left their friends, their homes, their
comfort zones and probably most of their possessions
in another country to begin a new life abroad. That
takes guts. It's only a certain type of person who'll do
that.
So the ones you meet living overseas are the ones
who are prepared to take a punt on things working out
for the best. They'll jump in the back of that tuk-tuk.
They'll eat at that restaurant. They'll board that boat.
This attitude to "doing" things is pretty likeable. It's rare
you'll find an expat who sits around talking about all the
things they'd love to do, without actually making it
happen. People who've gone to live overseas are the
type to just do it, to stop all of the planning and the
wondering and just take things on.
Another thing you notice about expats is that,
regardless of the fact that they might have been living
in their adopted country for five, or 10, or 20 years, and
that they're holding down full-time jobs, and have
maybe even started a family, they still seem to live life

as though they're on a permanent holiday.
They're out most nights of the week, socialising,
hanging out with friends. They're going to restaurants
and bars and living it up. They're still travelling, too,
going off on weekends away to other parts of the
country, or to neighbouring countries. There's always
the sense that money doesn't matter so much it's
more about how much you enjoy yourself, how much
you see.
There's no reason why everyone can't live like that,
why you can't treat your own city like a holiday
destination. But people rarely do it. Oh, no, Im busy
that night! (My favourite T.V. show is on.)
Expats are incredibly friendly, and open to new people.
There are no "set" groups of friends they'll take
anyone in. I was in Seoul for only a couple of days
before I'd been invited to play in a football team and go
drink beers afterwards at the pub. I was in Dubai for
about six hours before I'd been taken out by complete
strangers and shown a good time.
There's a refreshing lack of pretension among expat
communities. There's very little of the "where did you
go to school" snobbery. Admittedly that's occasionally
replaced with "what are you doing here" snobbery
(English teachers to the back of the queue), but in
general no one cares where you came from, or which
school you went to, or who you worked for back home.
You're here now, everything's different.
Capital cities in Australia can be pretty cliquey places,
where everyone already has their mates and they're
not much interested in finding any more. For expats,
however, there's a constant revolving world of friends
as old mates move out of your life and new people
appear. It creates a culture of openness.
Strangely, I found that the more dangerous a country
is, the friendlier its expat population will be. Maybe
that's just a numbers thing with fewer expats around
they're still a novelty. There's not the "just another
Aussie" thing you might find in, say, London.
Regardless of where you go, however, if you do decide
to move overseas you'll always make friends, probably
with some very interesting, friendly, dynamic people.
People from whom we could learn a thing or two.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/travel/blogs/the
-backpacker/what-we-could-all-learn-from-expats20130711-2psde.html#ixzz2ZoZxuZ00
EXPO
MILANO
dresses up for
EXPO 2015
by Lia Orlandi
Milan, getting ready for Expo 2015, is determined

to introduce visitors not only to food, fashion, and
modern industrialisation, but also to its international artistic role throughout the centuries.
A series of exceptional exhibitions have been
opening this year to reveal unknown aspects of
Lombard history.
ARTE LOMBARDA dai VISCONTI agli SFORZA
celebrates some of its most glorious pages stressing the centrality of Milan at the cultural roots of
modern Europe.
I had the unexpected opportunity to visit the exhibit the day before the official opening among few
guests invited by one of the curators. She showed
all her pride for the accomplishment of discovering
Milans role as artistic and intellectual hub, highlighting how the Viscontis and Sforzas dynasties
spurred the extraordinary development of their
society, and also including quite a few of anecdotes off the records which made the visit more
intriguing.
A significant precedent was set in 1958 in the
same Palazzo Reale restored after 1943 bombings. Also at that time an identity search was
claimed to show a cultural and artistic tradition,
freed by a long-time inferiority complex owed to
other Italian regions.
The current exhibit resumes and expands that
project, and gives a new updated interpretation,
more relevant with present times, recognizing the
relationships with other territories in the continent
as substantial part of Lombard identity.
The period stretching from early XIV to early XVI
century includes the Viscontis rule followed by
the Sforzas, leading Milano to become one of the
most important cities in Europe until the invasion
of the French troops. This exhibition offers a
splendid occasion to revise the Lombard artistic
story, recognizing these two centuries as a sort of
Golden Age.
We are led very easily through a series of sections
detailing the progression of events in chronologi-
cal order, also displaying precious artistic works,

much in demand not only in the Lombard Court
life, but also acquiring international reputation
abroad to be known as louvraige de Lombardie,
symbol of excellence throughout Europe.
A series of portraits introduces us to main figures
of the two dynasties from obscure vassals to lavish Art patrons, finally accepted within the ranks of
European aristocracy also through to politically
arranged marriages, brushing off their status of
outsiders .
The first section offers a view of mid-XIV century,
when the Viscontis accession marked a turning
point to Lombard culture still linked to local tradition - with the appointment of foreign artists (one
for all, GIOTTO from Tuscany), with the opening
of building sites throughout the Ducal territories,
exploiting both urban and church properties, with
the founding of libraries (such as Pavias, which
became the most important in the Western world,
then displaced after the French conquest).
Rare artefacts in different techniques are exhibited
including paintings, sculptures (marble, wood,
stone, bronze), jewellery, stained glass windows,
miniatures, embroideries, tapestries, but also codices, maps, ancient coins, important historical documents from state archives, and so on.
The second section moves around 1400 under
GIAN GALEAZZO VISCONTIs magnetic personality, attracting relationship with other Courts, especially Paris but also Prague, Wien, Budapest,
the Flanders.
He is also the leading figure of late Lombard Gothic, thanks to the extensive building of the DUOMO
gathering workers from all over Europe. At this
point
our
guide
proudly
points
to
some statues exceptionally dismantled from the
Cathedral pillars and spires, just to allow the visitors an unusual close look. Then she seems much
moved before a precious manuscript from New
York not granted for the 1958 exhibition.
The third section deals with FILIPPO MARIA VISCONTI leading to the dynastys declining years.
Many artists leave Lombardy during his long reign
to join other courts, but local craftsmen are still
requested for their artefacts. Works on display
enhance the use of valuable materials, exquisite
textiles, besides rare wood temperas on gold-leaf
backgrounds and more sculptures. Special attraction is drawn by a precious diptych, reassembling
EXPO
...Continued from previous page
tion is drawn by a precious diptych, reassembling
two panels from Prague, by Francesco Zavattari
(an artist from the same family known for the frescoes in Theodolindas Chapel at the Duomo of
Monza).
The fourth section focuses on the end of the Viscontis power followed by the Sforzas rule with
FRANCESCO SFORZA (around 1450) till the end
of GALEAZZO MARIA SFORZAs government.
Francesco Sforzas initiatives are in line with the
past , but include also new experiences favoured
by political alliances, as the basis of the Dukes
power.
Also the decision of moving the Court residence to
Milan from Pavia makes room for extra working
power and new tendencies). Big workshops share
huge commissions for decorating the Castello
Sforzesco in Milan.
The last section covers the age of LUDOVICO il
MORO till his fall and the French troops invasion.
In spite of political and financial crisis trading is
still in full rhythm. These are years of radical
changes in town-planning, architecture and artistic
production altogether, thanks to such personalities
as Bramante and Leonardo.
Emphasizing the innate skill for trading and manufacturing Milan produces and exports wonderful
luxury products, such as enamels, jewels, embroideries mainly based on famous artists drafts, forerunner of the approach in modern design. The
Dukes ambition encourages competition with other Courts in spite of family ties, especially with
Ferrara, Bologna, Mantova.
Again precious works of jewellery, reliquaries,
medals, missals, bronzes, manuscripts show the
advanced skills of Lombard artecraft.
Special attention is finally dedicated to LEONARDOs and BRAMANTEs years of residence in Milan, and their impact on Lombard artists.
Besides the Palazzo Reale another very interesting exhibition is held at the Brera Gallery introducing BRAMANTE not so much as an architect, but
as a painter through a series of captivating frescoes.
Future unmissable events will include GIOTTO
and his years in Milan, and a huge undertaking
on LEONARDOs multifaceted genius.
If you are tired with the past, I would like you to

meet one of the most influential sculptor on the
international scenario. MEDARDO ROSSO lived
between the XIX and the XX centuries. He was
Italian by birth, but cosmopolitan by vocation, aiming to transform the way of making sculpture
through new techniques and materials.
The first room displays the four most significant
works from Rossos early years, all executed in
Milan (where he attended Brera Academy, soon to
be expelled for not agreeing with the teachers approach).
He felt challenged in trying to capture emotions,
feelings, and gestures hardly hinted,
so he
worked around the same subjects over an extended period of time, experimenting various materials
in an exhausting process of subtraction, achieving
different results.
His wax sculptures - often unfinished - would better enhance the effect of Light and split effects
over few details with no outline. His approach of
making sculpture like painting was revolutionary at
the time, so he was alternatively ignored by the
critics, or acclaimed as the master of
Impressionist Sculpture. Apollinaire considered
him the greatest living sculptor for his ability to
annihilate the difference between material and
psychological elements.
The last room is dominated by Madame X of
1896, a magnificent work on special loan from
Venice, the only subject in a single version, set in
dialogue with a series of photographs by Medardo
Rosso himself.
The artist used to photograph his own sculptures
and drawings, later touching up the same pictures
through colour changes, enlargements, photos of
photos, cut-outs, collages, traces of paint, incisions and abrasions, photographs from photographs, even accepting prints out of chance or
mistake.
Enjoy your visits!
Members Articles
WHY WE SHOUT IN ANGER
Mara Canti
A Hindu saint who was visiting river Ganges to take

bath found a group of family members on the banks,
shouting in anger at each other. He turned to his disciples smiled 'n asked.
'Why do people shout in anger shout at each other?'
Disciples thought for a while, one of them said,
'Because we lose our calm, we shout.'
When I was a little one I used to go with

mother in the meadows , where she used to
collect wild vegetables. My task was to fill a
bucket with green buds dandelion . But the
interesting thing was that " these buds are
little buttons that angels throw in the
meadows for good children " (this was the
story my mother told me).
This was my first approach with wild lawn
vegetables
and, little by little, I have
assimilated all my mothers knowledge.
Renata
SEE ADVERT PAGE 19
Confraternita delle Erbe
'But, why should you shout when the other person is

just next to you? You can as well tell him what you
have to say in a soft manner.' asked the saint
Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the other disciples.
Finally the saint explained, .
'When two people are angry at each other, their
hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they
must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier
they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear
each other to cover that great distance.
What happens when two people fall in love? They
don't shout at each other but talk softly, Because their
hearts are very close. The distance between them is
either nonexistent or very small...'
The saint continued, 'When they love each other even
more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper 'n they get even closer to each other in their love.
Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at
each other 'n that's all. That is how close two people
are when they love each other.'
Cuochi a domicilio e corsi di cucina

cell.3357066919
- 3930903079
renata.anedi@fastwebnet.it
VIMERCATE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Summer is coming up and most of us will be away for long or
short periods. You may be able to attend some of the
neighbourhood coffees we regulary have at LA CAMILLA
AGRITURISMO in Concorezzo on the first Thursday of each
month, just to keep in touch. You are all welcome! We meet at
the bar at 10am. It will be lovely to see you. The dates you can
jot down are:
4 JUNE
2 JULY
6 AUGUST
3 SEPTEMBER.
He looked at his disciples and said.

'So when you argue do not let your hearts get distant,
Do not say words that distance each other more, Or
else there will come a day when the distance is so
great that you will not find the path to return.'
PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR

THE MOST UP-TO-DATE
INFORMATION:
www.benvenutomonza.com
For the rest of this Benvenuto year BABYSITTING during coffee mornings is
FREE OF CHARGE.
Booking in advance is required.
Date
Name
May 17
Katrien Stragier
May 18
Barbara Valaguzza
Date
Name
May 18
M Ornella Pallavicini
June 8
Alessandra Galassi
May 23
Elda Elvedese
June 8
Norma Bianchi
May 23
Luisa Morales
Jun 10
Alda Mosconi-Meloni
May 29
Eliane Meyer
June 10
Shae Harrison
May 30
Nadia Ferronato
June 12
Ursula Mosso
May 31
Elena Marinoni
June 13
Johanne Trevisanato
June 3
M Cristina Tagliabue
June 13
Angela Bolis
June 5
Rosanna Dementi
June 15
Daniela Magnoni
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
MEMBERS CLASSES
Contact Details
Information
Class and Times
Venue
Janu Soner
Cell: 3482610278
Home: 0392305215
janusoner@hotmail.com
Get strong, flexible, focused, balanced and in

shape with YOGA, a more
holistic
approach to
your physical fitness.
Yoga 1 (Gentle Yoga)

Wednesday 9.30am
Sporting Club
Call/email for more info or

to book for a free trial
class!
Isabella Ranieri
Info: 333 6921877
Isabella.ranieri@alice.it
Rachael Martin
Cell: 338 5213 716
Yoga 2 (Dynamic Yoga)

Wednesday 11am
Friday Yoga (Free Spirit)
Friday 10am
Academy Dance and Fitness,

Via F Cavallotti, 18, Lissone
As above
PLACES AVAILABLE!!!
Dancer and Zumba
instructor.
Zumba classes every TuesFri mornings 10:00 11:00
Come and join us for a

fun fitness party that will
get you moving and
healthy! Zumba! Let it
move you!!!
@NG DANCE school

Via Schiaparelli 6
Villasanta
Mother-tongue English
teacher with experience
in all levels and ages.
To be arranged
To be arranged
ONE TO ONE and

GROUP ENGLISH/
ITALIAN CLASSES
adults, children and
teenagers
to be confirmed
Monza area
rachael_martin@yahoo.co
m
Diana Testa
338 9788281
diana_testa@hotmail.it
If you are a Benvenuto member and you wish to advertise your private classes, please contact the editor.
The monthly contribution is Euro %.00
GROUP ACTIVITIES
Activity
Contacts
Tel & email
Meets
Venue
Cost
BOOK CLUB
ONE
Barbara de
Savorgnani
039 200 6664

333 4931 018
barbianne@fastwebnet.it
3rd Thursday every

month,
10:00 to 12:00
Cindy Brizzis home
Annual book
cost 15
BOOK CLUB
TWO
Anne Stubley
039 671 359

stubley@iol.it
Usually 1st Tuesday

every month, 10:00 to Anne Stubleys home
12:00
Annual book
cost 20
READING
GROUP
Anne Stubley
039 671 359

Stubley@iol.it
Once a month
14:00 to 16:00
Members home or at a
bar
free
WRITING
GROUP
Anna Bodini
Twice a month
Usually at the Sporting

Club
Free
Every Tuesday
From 16:30
Cold/rainy weather: Crivi

Free
Bar, Vedano al Lambro.
Sunny days: SantAndrea
Park (exact location tbc)
PARENTS &
TODDLERS
Anna: 039 608 2896

annamurabitobodini@yahoo.com
Rachel Hawes racheljhawes@yahoo.co.uk
MOMS NIGHT
Gayna Clark
OUT
gaynaclark@hotmail.com
Once a month
Different restaurants
MONZA
WALKERS
Cindy Brizzi
039 321 284

cindy@brizzifamily.com
Every Monday,
9:15
Bar Cavriga, Monza Park
No charge
FRENCH
SPEAKING
GROUP
Ivana Menegar- 039 647 962

do-Develter
Ivanamenegardo @yahoo.fr
La renconte avec les

francophones est
mensuelle.
n/a
n/a
ENGLISH
SPEAKING
GROUP
Laura Panzeri
039 6064 698
Free
casatigiov@tiscali.it
Thur of Coffee
morning immediately
Sporting Club please
after meeting, and
contact Giovanna Casati
Thur 2 weeks later at
14:30
Laura_rol_818@hotmail.com
Giovanna
Casati
039 382 048
MONDAY
ENGLISH
MOVIE
Anne Stubley
039 671 359

Stubley@iol.it
Every Monday
afternoon
n/a
n/a
GERMAN
SPEAKING
GROUP
Ute Pastorelli
Wiechern
Ursula
Accordino
Ute: 039 367 397

ute.wiechern@teletu.it
Ursula: 039 920 5461
cicciono.uschi@alice.it
Every 1st and 3rd

Thursday
15:00 to 17:00
Sporting Club Lounge
Free
LANGUAGE
EXCHANGE
Marisa
Cerizzi
039 249 6967
Every Wednesday,
10:00 to 12:00
Sporting Club
Free
NEIGHBORHOOD
NETWORK
Vimercate
Anna Bodini & Anna: 039 608 2896

Gabriella
Gabriella: 039 685 0808
Mapelli
gabriella.mapelli@live.com
First Thursday of the

month - please
contact before
La Camilla, Vimercate
Free
BOARD
benvenuto monza
President
Janine Davies
RS
BE
MEM
Ivana Menegardo-Develter
331 54 24 443
president@benvenutomonza.com
338 53 54 240
vicepresident@benvenutomonza.com
Sushil Penuti
039324083 / 3409168552
Zizeth Maroun
secretary@benvenutomonza.com
320 31 43 665
treasurer@benvenutomonza.com
Secretary
Treasurer
Eleonora Litta Durban

347 22 44 927
Julia Waters-DeZordi
Membership @benvenutomonza.com
338 23 97 850
Membership
specialactivities@
benvenutomonza.com
Special Activities
Anna Vicentini
Newcomers
348 87 12 329
publicrelations@
newcomers@
benvenutomonza.com
Public Relations
Melissa Saucedo
Susan Edick-Gianferrara
392 16 05 714
benvenutomonza.com
Editor
Vice President
Charity Co-Chair:
3389386783
Marina Lambrechts
editor@benvenutomonza.com
Honorary Members:
Barbara De Savorgnani
CLUB RULES
The Benvenuto International Club of Monza
welcomes English-speaking women from all over the world and
fosters international fellowship through its various
activities.
A monthly Coffee Morning is the Clubs principal social function.
The Club is non-profit, non-denominational and a-political.
English shall be the official language of the Club. All work performed by the Board and its committees is done on a voluntary
basis.
Membership:
The membership year runs from September through June of
the following year. The Membership Fee for current members is
due and payable no later than the October Coffee Morning of
each year. A full years Membership Fee is payable by new
members until February at which time new members pay one
-half of the Membership Fee. For any questions about membership contact the Membership Director.
Name Badges:
Name badges are supplied to each member to be worn at each
Coffee Morning. If Members forget their name badge they will
be required to pay a fine.
Guests:
Members are welcome to bring a guest to one Coffee Morning
to introduce potential members to the Club. The same guest is
only allowed to attend two Coffee Mornings and the Christmas
meeting per year. The Guest Fee is 4. All guests will be given a
nametag to wear during the meeting.
Commercial Sales, Logo, Directory, Members Services:

No commercial sales are permitted at Club functions and neither the Benvenuto Club logo nor the membership
directory
is to be used for any commercial purposes. For a contribution,
members providing goods and services are
invited to post
advertisements in the Monza News.
Babysitting during coffee mornings:

Children are not allowed in the big hall in the Sporting Club
where the monthly meetings are held. This is due to the Insurance and the requirements of the Sporting club itself.
Babysitting is offered during coffee mornings, please contact
Ivana (vicepresident@benvenutomonza.com) to book Baby
Sitting. For the
moment this service is free of charge if you
book in advance.
Telephone
Service
Emergency Service Ambulance
(Pronto Soccorso) - www.118milano.it
118
National Police (Carabineri)
112
Local Police
113
Fire Brigade (Vigili del fuoco)
115
Forest Fire (Incendio boschivo)
1515
Car Breakdown Assistance

(Soccorso stradale)
116
Emergency Doctors (Medici Volanti)

7733
In Case of a night-time health

problem that is not serious
enough for the Hospital Emergency room service, but needs
to be attended to quickly, call:
Emergency Public Health Services
Guardia Medica Natl Call Number: 840 500 092
Recommendation*:
Listen to the recording (in Italian) and wait for an operator on the line.
If you dont speak Italian, ask for someone who speaks
English.
Provide all of your personal information: name, address,
telephone number and the description of your illness.
Ask if there is a doctor who speaks English or your language.
They will have a doctor call you back in the next hour
(usually faster). The doctor will tell you, if they need to
make a house visit or if you should to go to the nearest
GUARDIA MEDICA. They will give you the address of
the closest one to your location.
Visits usually free of charge. House visits may be different.
This service usually works very well for a quick diagnosis or to resolve a problem, and to obtain a prescription
to go to the pharmacy.
BABYSITTERS
From
Name
Language
Telephone
Transport
Carate Brianza
Camilla Riva
EN
036 299 3953 or 338 459 8262
Own
Cosetta Riva
IT, GER, EN
362 993 953 or 335 620 2887
Own
Albiate
Erica Callisaya Vela
IT, EN, ES
320 481 3559
Own
Lissone
Sujanika Elvitigalage Dona
IT, EN, ES
338 4735 895
Own
Macherio
Sara Valtorta
IT
338 247 5082
Own
Monza
Giorgette Savy
IT, FR, EN
039 380 816
Own
Daphne D'Amato
IT, EN, Dutch
346 628 1605
Own
Mileth Hernandez
IT, ES
327 291 5270
Own
Stefania Candurra
IT
347 645 0884
Wendy Hodgson
IT, EN
3407969829
Own
Giulia Milan
IT, EN, FR
3392071971
Claudia Ghilardi
IT, EN
3803458183
Francesca Barzaghi
IT, GER, EN
333 678 1489
Josy Arcaya
IT, ES, EN
329 073 3910
Sylvia Malnati
IT, FR
348 244 2570
Own
Genevieve Sumiller
EN
3884426131
Elizabeth Sabado
IT, EN
3450121809
Own
Maria Castro
IT, EN
3896488867
Own
Arianna D'Onofrio
IT, EN,Greek
0392496666, or 3468336219
No
Vedano al Lambro
Disclamer: This list of babysitters have been produced for information purposes only and the club takes no responsibility for the qualifications of
these babysitters. However, all these names have been provided by members who have used their services.
your family area

A TAILORED SPACE FOR YOUR CHILD'S BIRTHDAY,
OR A COOL SCHOOLMATES PARTY.
Are you planning a party but you dont know where? Burgers Family is waiting for you
in our new Family Area: a space for all kinds of celebrations, a place to stay together and
discover our exclusive plates. You can find traditional American sweets
and tasteful proposals for brunch, lunch and dinner or parties.
Burgers Family: a passion for bakery.
Info and booking: 039 896 2184
via Monti e Tognetti, 15 - 20900 Monza (MB)


2015 May Monza News

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May 2015

May 2015 monza news 1

The Benvenuto International

Advertising in Monza News

Cover photo: Third Issue of Monza News

The Monza News is sponsored by Bolliger

1 May 2015 monza news

The deadline for the June Monza News is

June theme will b,e

One of the many advantages of being on the

FILM LIST....... .......................5

Im grateful to all those who took the time to

We are deeply grateful to Bolliger

Quote of the month

3 May 2015 monza news

letter from the president

chance to bring any food you can donate to

May 2015 monza news 4

For info: stubley@iol.it

Phone 039 671 359

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET

THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC

Friday Mornings at 9:45. Would you like to learn

COME STUDY WITH US!

Francesca Marchiori (IT)

If you are a newcomer and have not seen your picture

5 May 2015 monza news

The Benvenuto Board 2015 - 2016

May 2015 monza news 6

There is nothing quite like it when food is served fresh from

As the usual tradition, we ended the meal after coffee with

Last week as a special activity some of us went to Yin Tao

Written by Anna Bodini

Conscience is like a mother-in-law....always there...

Caravaggio at the Serrone

Anna Vicentini had a great idea to make good use of Written by

Details of the painting were explained - the x-ray

7 May 2015 monza news

Leonardo claimed that regular features do not impress

I came to terms with his genius in more mature years,

I could not help thinking of Leonardo again a few days

May 2015 monza news 8

Dont forget your canned goods for Charity, your fashionable

19:30 Anniv Party

Villa 900 Lesmo

10:00 Food+Body 10:00 Catwalk at

9 May 2015 monza news

25 Years of Benvenuto Monza

The roots of a coffee group in Monza where

By the early part of 1990 our small group had

The first task was to find a venue for our monthly

of bringing back from the US 3 large, catering size

25 years on,the club is going from strength to

The catering we had to do ourselves, so an

May 2015 monza news 10

25 Years of Benvenuto Monza

a way to improve my knowledge If this language.

I joined the Benvenuto Club last September after my

I joined Benvenuto in September of 2011, which is the

I joined the Benvenuto Club in September 97 because

I have been a member since Oct.2014 and the reason

25 Years of Benvenuto Monza

very happy that I am getting to know so many nice

May 2015 monza news 12