At the Table, We Remember

My name is Chiara. I am a third-generation Italian and the founder and Nonna behind the Instagram page nonnas_casa. I am a Melbourne girl with an Italian heart, aiming to advocate for the young Italo-Australian community.

I am a secondary school teacher by day and transform into my alter ego Nonna Angela in my free time. My Instagram account began in 2023 to promote my one-woman show, based on my real Nonna Angela, the heart of my family and keeper of every recipe and story. It has since become more than just theatre, but a place rooted in the Italian customs of family, heritage, community, food, laughter and most importantly, authenticity. My hope for my page is to ensure whoever visits leaves with a full stomach, a full heart and perhaps some wisdom, just as Nonna has always done.

I am deeply passionate about the Italo-Australian community, particularly promoting the youth, as they are the next generation and ‘flagbearers’ for the continuation of the Italian-Australian identity. The next generation is revitalising the once “Wog” customs and traditions into positive displays of identity. Culture is more than just the origins of a surname; it is generations of labour-intensive work by many Genitori and Nonni who arrived with little English, heavy accents and heavier hopes for their families.

I often consider myself a mix of the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. My father’s side hails from the north, specifically Istria and Croatia, while my mother’s side originates from Basilicata and Reggio Calabria. After arriving in Australia in the late 50s and early 60s, my ancestors were met with vilification, exclusion and cultural misunderstanding. They combatted this with pride, the ‘Testa Dura’ mentality and constant desire to provide.

I grew up with heavy influence from my Italian heritage, my grandparents still make their own pasta, sauce, salami and wine, traditions for many Italian households, that signifies more than just the end product, but a labour of love, continued sacrifice, community and determination.

The Italian saying “a tavola non si invecchia” (at the table, one does not grow old) is more than its literal meaning. To me, the table is the heart of the Italian home, one of the first purchases made when arriving in Australia, a compass, a place where laughing, crying, celebrating, yelling, food, family and friends come together, where the Italian traditions are cemented and where stories are told again and again so they are never forgotten.

Grazie Nonna e Nonno per tutto quello che avete fatto per me!

Chiara