PREVIEW: ITALIAN MEMORIES IN WALES
St Fagans National History Museum
Until Mon 3 May
words: Tom Hartrey
Those who paid attention in History classes may already know about the upsurge of Italians families settling on our Celtic turf after the Second World War, but for those slightly uneducated on the subject – myself included – St. Fagans have a new exhibit to fill us in.
Italian Memories in Wales leads us through the migration of many Italians from their war-torn roots to the land of dragons, sheep and Tom Jones where they found employment and support.
They fared pretty well, helping transform the crippled post-war food market into a booming success. Their exotic new foods were welcomed by the Welsh, and their family restaurants flourished into successful businesses (The authentic eateries you see today, not Pizza Hut).
The Italians’ experiences’ of leaving their homeland in search of a new life is shown in the Oreil 1 building with photographs of the settlers’ journey and their own fascinating personal accounts of it.
For those of you that have never experienced the time-travelling wonders of Wales’ National History museum, this free exhibition is the perfect excuse.