Esperienza: Celebrating and Preserving the Italian Culture
Meeting location: PRISM
1220 Zane Ave N, Golden Valley, MN 55422
Anna Bonavita is a former scientist with a passion for culture, cuisine, and environment. In 2018, Bonavita read a New York Times article about the plight of many small towns and villages in Italy that are suffering from a devastating population loss due to changing times. With her own history and love of Italy, Anna decided to do something about it, beginning with the region she knew best. From this, Esperienza was born. The non- profit small group tour company researches, educates, and provides authentic, curated experiences in Italian villages that are selected for their exquisite beauty, cultural wealth, and rapidly declining population. Esperienza brings visitors to the historic town of Pennabilli and the Emilia-Romagna region where they immerse themselves in the local community and learn about the language, arts, culture, and cuisine. Bonavita is also the founder and former president of the Italian Cultural Center as well as the Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Born in a small village in Bulgaria, but swept away by the waves of globalization, Anna claims several countries as the source of her cultural identity. She currently resides in Minneapolis, MN.