history of the organization
The Bit Center (formerly Italian Cultural Center of Maryland) was founded in 1955 by Professor Regina Levi-Bianchini Soria, Dr. Raffaele Canevaro, and Mrs. Helen Knipp as Circolo Culturale Italiano and incorporated in 1999 joining forces with ItalCultura, founded by Hon. Francesco Luigi Legaluppi.
This decision was made to be more incisive in promoting the contribution of the people of Italy, their descendants, and the immigrant's contribution to Maryland and especially to Baltimore City.
Since 2014 under Monica E. Lapenta leadership, all the community programs were created.
The Bit Community Center Inc. is a 501C(3) charity registered in Maryland, working every day to build community health and wealth for citizens of the world who call Baltimore home and promoting Italian Culture and Heritage in Maryland.
About Prof. Soria
Professor Soria moved to the U.S. in 1940 and joined the Notre Dame college faculty in 1942, teaching Italian.
A 1979 article in The Sun described her as "a sturdy woman with a big smile, a living room populated principally with books and overstuffed furniture, a dedication to Italy and Italian culture, and a husky voice that gets a lot of exercises." Prof. Soria was the first to point out what Italians have done in Baltimore when she organized in 1979, "The Marble Door," a conference about the influence of Italians in early Baltimore. In it, she discussed Enrico Causici, sculptor of the George Washington statue atop Baltimore's monument to the first president in Mount Vernon Place. She said she wanted the lectures to offset the negative image of Italians brought by The Godfather novel and films.
A memento of Professor Soria, the Center established THE REGINA LEVI-BIANCHINI SORIA AWARD that recognizes excellence in Philanthropy.
a picture is worth a thousand words
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