Newsletter - September 2026
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual Italian Trivia Quiz in August. We hope you had a fun afternoon! A special shout-out to Brenda Hayes for putting together all those fascinating quiz questions.
We don't have our monthly meeting in September, but that doesn't mean there are fewer Italian-related activities to enjoy this month: from the Italian Film Festival to our guided tour at the Art Gallery, there are plenty of opportunities to keep up with the Italian language and culture.
Settimana della lingua italiana nel mondo - Writing Competition
Open now, submit before 25 October
To celebrate the 26th Week of the Italian Language in the World in collaboration with Christchurch City Libraries, we are holding an Italian writing competition again.
Choose a book from the Libraries' Italian collection and let its title inspire a short story of your own, written in Italian. Open to Christchurch residents aged 13 and over, whether you're a learner or fluent speaker. Entries close Sunday, 25 October.
Italian Film Festival
3-27 September - Lumière Cinemas
We are right in the middle of the Italian Film Festival season, and all of these wonderful films are still showing at Lumière Cinemas. We highly recommend La Grazia, Diamonds, Napoli-New York, and Somebody to Love.
Don't miss out on the opportunity to see them on the big screen!
Italian Guided Tour
30 September, 6.15-7.15pm - Christchurch Art Gallery
Join us for a special guided tour in Italian at Christchurch Art Gallery. Giulia will introduce us to the gallery's latest exhibition, which has a special connection with the New Zealand exhibition at the Venice Biennale.
We'll meet at 6:15pm in the Art Gallery lobby. The tour is suitable for everyone, from native speakers to Italian learners, so come along and support this special initiative from the Christchurch Art Gallery!
Passeggiata di primavera
Sunday 4 October, 10.30am - Waitikiri Drive
Join us on the first Sunday of October for our annual Passeggiata di Primavera at Bottle Lake Forest. Enjoy a relaxed 3 km walk through the pine forest while practising your Italian, meeting fellow Dante members, and enjoying the spring air.
The walk is free and open to everyone, with an optional coffee afterwards at Wetland Eatery. Please note that this event replaces the Caffè & Chiacchiere for October.
Le elezioni per il rinnovo del COMITES
COMITES NZ
Care italiane e cari italiani, sono state indette le elezioni per il rinnovo del COMITES (Comitato degli Italiani all'estero), che si terranno il 4 dicembre 2026. Il voto avverrà per corrispondenza.
Attenzione: per ricevere il plico elettorale è necessario iscriversi all'elenco degli elettori entro il 4 novembre 2026. Possono votare gli iscritti all'AIRE che soddisfano i requisiti previsti dalla legge.
La richiesta di iscrizione può essere presentata per posta, e-mail, PEC, oppure di persona presso il Consolato, allegando una copia di un documento d'identità.
Non aspettate l'ultimo momento: fate domanda entro il 4 novembre e fate sentire la vostra voce!
Amici della Dante
We're very happy to welcome Cinque Terre and El Quincho as the newest additions to our Amici della Dante.
At Cinque Terre in Rolleston, Dante members can enjoy 10% off hot drinks at the café when they present their membership card.
Over at El Quincho, the Argentine BBQ restaurant at Riverside Market, Dante members can enjoy 10% off during September and October. It's a great new connection between our Italian community and the Italian-Argentine community here in Christchurch.
So next time you're in Rolleston or at Riverside, remember to take your Dante membership card with you and enjoy these new member benefits!
We appreciate the support from following local businesses. For all membership benefits, please visit our webpage.