A new exhibit titled Italian Montréal (Montréal à l’italienne in French) just opened at Pointe-à-Callière. The Montreal Archaeology and History Complex in Old Montreal is the city’s largest history museum. Its exhibits often highlight Montreal’s history.
“With a quarter of a million Montrealers today describing themselves as having Italian roots, Pointe-à-Callière wanted to acknowledge this community’s remarkable involvement and important contribution to economic, social, and cultural life in Montréal,” explains Anne Élisabeth Thibault, Executive Director at Pointe-à-Callière.
“What is really special about this exhibit is that the majority of the pieces came from Italian-Montreal individuals and families,” adds Samuel Moreau, Project Manager at the museum.
“For years we thought about doing this exhibit. Finally in 2019 we hired a researcher to meet with families and community associations to see if this was even possible. The question was, are there artefacts available to do an exhibit?” Moreau continues.
The answer was yes. The exhibit features over 325 artefacts from 46 lenders. Some objects made the journey from Italy to Montreal during the peak immigration period. Other pieces are more recent, highlighting the community’s adaption, integration and evolution within Montreal society. Also featured throughout the exhibit are short videos and excerpts from a cast of Italian-Montreal filmmakers and creators.
“The exhibition traces the journey of Italo-Montrealers from the early 20th century, when they arrived in Montréal in great masses, to the present day, when close to 280,000 residents describe themselves as Italo-Montrealers,” continues Thibault.
The exhibit is divided into five iconic spaces, each showcasing a different aspect of Italian Montréal.
The first space, a train station and a commercial street, highlights the arrival of Italian immigrants to Montreal, with a focus on the recruitment of manual workers, the arrival of women in the work force, and the development of some of the most iconic local Italian businesses. The next stop is the café, a hub for socializing, a gathering place for sports lovers, and a meeting place where social movements were hatched and planned. The home and the church each have their own dedicated spaces, as they were – and remain for many – the soul of Italian identity. The final space spotlights the accomplishments of Italian-Montreal creators and artists who have made an impact in the public sphere.
Local singer/songwriter Marco Calliari is one of the 46 lenders to the exhibit. He got to visit the exhibit just before its official opening on March 10.
“It was very touching to see these stories, to learn about the evolution of the story of Italians in Montreal. There’s always the dark parts of our history that are important and I’m happy the exhibit highlights this history. The parts that we should celebrate are the good parts, and there are many,” Calliari comments.
“Many of the elements that we consider important in Quebec, we need to credit the Italian community of Quebec. I did not realize this fact until I started working on the exhibit,” Moreau adds.
Italian Montréal continues at Pointe-à-Callière until January 9, 2022. For further details, please visit www.pacmusee.qc.ca.
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