History of Piazza Dante

  • Piazza Dante was constructed in 1967 by the City of Ottawa and the Canadian Italian Professional Business Association. 
  • In 1958, during the reign of Mayor Charlotte Whitton, an Agreement was reached with the Italian Canadian Community, represented by Father Jerome Ferrarro of St. Anthony’s Church, to develop the site located at Gladstone Avenue and Booth Street. This area was developed in 1967 as Piazza Dante. The name Dante comes from the Dante Academy situated across the street, and known today as St. Anthony’s School.
  • Dante Academy, built in 1924, had language classes in English and Italian. Father Italo Tiezzi and Professor Gino Tiezzi taught the Italian language. A bust of Dante was located in the Piazza until ten years ago when it was vandalized. At present, the bust created in 1967 sits on a pedestal on the property of St. Anthony’s Church. The community wishes to install it in the Piazza Dante.
  • CIPBA, under the leadership of Italo Tiezzi, and in partnership with the City of Ottawa, constructed the Piazza in 1967, and since 1967 to present, the work has been done to the Piazza, except that the Italian Community (Albaine Association) has placed a monument in the Piazza at a cost of $50,000.00 to the community.

Location

Across from St Anthony’s Church‎, corner of Gladstone and Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canda. 

Original 1968 Ottawa Journal News Article

Italian Piazza Opened - September 9, 1968 - The Ottawa Journal Piazza Dante, In the heard of Ottawa’s Italian section, was officially opened Sunday. The square, at Booth Street and Gladstone Avenue, was constructed jointly by the Italian Business and Professional Men’s Association of Ottawa and the three levels of government as a centennial project. Among speechmakers at the ceremony were Italian Ambassador Alessandro Farace, Grenville-Carleton MP Gordon Blair and association president Italo Tiezzi. The Piazza, opposite St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church and St. Anthony’s School, is named not only after Dante Alighieri, but after Dante Academy, a name by which the school was known among the Italian community. An RCMP band provided Italian chamber music and a group of young people entertained the large crowd with Italian folk dancing.

 

Thank You!! Geazie!!! For supporting the Piazza Dante Reconstruction Fundraising Dinner

The Fundraising Dinner raised over $5,000

Support these pillars in your local city for giving back to the community.

Because of their efforts, we will make Ottawa a better place for all of us to enjoy, now and in the future.

    • Association Centro Abruzzese Canadese
    • Association Rapinese di Ottawa
    • Association Roccamontepiano
    • Association Pretorese
    • Italian Canadian Community Centre
    • Italian Canadian Community Historical Society of Canada
    • St. Anthony’s ladies Aid 
    • St. Anthony’s Church
    • St. Anthony’s Italia Soccer Club
    • Canadian Italian Professional Association
    • Ottawa Firefighters Community Foundation
    • Chin Ottawa 97.9FM
    • L’ora di Ottawa
    • Slan Printing
    • Eastern Ontario Italian Charitable Foundation
    • Associazione Carabinieri di Ottawa
    • Slan Printing
    • Remax - Susan Anderson and Rick Locatelli