Welsh Italians are an ethnic minority of
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
or mixed Italian and Welsh descent living in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. Most
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
immigration to Wales took place in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with the largest number of migrants settling in
Glamorgan and
Newport.
Migration history
Italian immigrants to Wales, mainly originating from the
Apennine Mountains and in particular the town of
Bardi, established a network of
cafés
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-c ...
,
ice cream parlours and
fish and chip shops
A fish and chip shop, sometimes referred to as a chip shop, is a (often fast food) restaurant that specialises in selling fish and chips. Usually, fish and chip shops provide takeaway service, although some have seating facilities. Fish and c ...
in Wales from the 1890s onwards.
[The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press 2008] In the
Rhondda Valley
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( cy, Cwm Rhondda ), is a former coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley ...
the cafés became known as "Bracchis" after an early café owner.
The number of Italian cafés in Wales was more than 300 before World War Two. 11 of these are still run by the same families. The brothers
Frank
Frank or Franks may refer to:
People
* Frank (given name)
* Frank (surname)
* Franks (surname)
* Franks, a medieval Germanic people
* Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang
Curr ...
and
Aldo Berni, who started in business in
Merthyr Tydfil, went on to found the
Berni Inn chain.
Ystrad Mynach
Ystrad Mynach is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough, within the ancient county of Glamorgan, Wales, and is north of the town of Caerphilly. The urban area has a population of 19,204, and stands in the Rhymney Valley. Before the Industr ...
has seen many Italian cafes over the years, owned by families such as Lusardi, Massari, Bracchi and Sidoli. The last Italian cafe in the town, John's Cafe, was owned by the Sidoli family and closed in 2017 after over 50 years of trading.
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, Welsh Italians without
British citizenship
British nationality law prescribes the conditions under which a person is recognised as being a national of the United Kingdom. The six different classes of British nationality each have varying degrees of civil and political rights, due to the ...
were declared
enemy aliens
In customary international law, an enemy alien is any native, citizen, denizen or subject of any foreign nation or government with which a domestic nation or government is in conflict and who is liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured an ...
and a number were
interned
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...
on the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
or in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. 53 Welsh Italians lost their lives in the sinking of the passenger ship in 1940. A memorial was placed in
Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral in 2010 to commemorate the tragedy. A memorial chapel is in the cemetery in Bardi.
Notable people
* Boxer
Joe Calzaghe
Joseph William Calzaghe ( ; born 23 March 1972) is a Welsh former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2008. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the unified WBA (Undisputed), WBC, IBF, WBO, '' Ring'' magazin ...
* Member of Parliament for Gower,
Tonia Antoniazzi
Antonia Louise Antoniazzi (born 5 October 1971) is a Welsh Labour Party politician. She was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Gower at the 2017 general election.
Early life
Antoniazzi was born and raised in Llanelli by a Welsh mo ...
* Actor
Victor Spinetti
Vittorio Giorgio Andre "Victor" Spinetti (2 September 1929 – 19 June 2012) was a Welsh actor, author, poet, and raconteur. He appeared in dozens of films and stage plays throughout his 50-year career, including the three 1960s Beatles films ...
and his brother
Henry
Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
* Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
* Boxer
Enzo Maccarinelli
Enzo Maccarinelli (born 20 August 1980) is a Welsh former professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2016. He held the WBO cruiserweight title from 2006 to 2008. At regional level, he held the European and British cruiserweight titles betwe ...
* Musician
Pino Palladino
Giuseppe Henry "Pino" Palladino (born 17 October 1957) is a Welsh musician, songwriter, and record producer. A prolific session bassist, he has played bass for acts such as The Who, the John Mayer Trio, Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan, Jeff Beck ...
* Footballers
David D'Auria and
Donato Nardiello
* Rugby players
Robert
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
and
Peter Sidoli,
Theo Bevacqua,
Ben Cambriani,
Mark Perego
Mark Perego (born 8 February 1964 in Winchester, England) is a former Wales international rugby union player. A flanker, he played club rugby for Llanelli and attained 9 caps for the Wales national rugby union team.
Rugby
Perego made his Wales ...
,
James Ratti
James Ratti (born 14 October 1997) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for the Ospreys as a lock and blindside flanker.
Ratti made his debut for the Ospreys in 2018 against Zebre having previously played for the Ospreys academy and Aberavo ...
* Artist
Andrew Vicari
Andrew Vicari (born Andrea Antonio Giovanni Vaccari; 20 April 1932 – 3 October 2016) was a Welsh painter working in France, who established a career painting portraits of prominent people. Despite being largely unknown in his own country, ...
* Chef
Michael Bonacini
In popular culture
The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
broadcast a two part documentary about Welsh-Italians. It was presented by Michela Chiappa (a Welsh Italian who was born in Merthyr Tydfil) who went to visit
. Café owner
'' is an Italian citizen living in Wales.