Filippo Vagnoni on Emigration, Nostalgia, and the Marchigiani of Venezuela
Filippo Vagnoni, an Italian-Venezuelan writer and winemaker, reflects on his experience of forced emigration at age fourteen. Born in Ascoli Piceno, he was left in a boarding school/orphanage in Poggio del Brenta when his parents moved to Venezuela. In 1960, he joined them in Caracas, feeling estranged. He describes emigration as always violent, involving rupture and lifelong bitterness, though it also opens new horizons. His writing, including the short story collection "Momenti di nostalgia," draws on autobiographical lacerations and the concept of verisimilitude over truth. Vagnoni now produces wine in the Marche region through his winery Vagnoni Molina. He founded the association of Marchigiani del Venezuela, turning nostalgia into positive action by investing in his home region. The interview was published in Artribune Magazine #34.
Key facts
- Filippo Vagnoni was left in a boarding school/orphanage in Poggio del Brenta at age nine when his parents emigrated to Venezuela.
- He joined his parents in Caracas in 1960 at age fourteen.
- Vagnoni defines emigration as always violent and forced, involving a sense of bitterness.
- His short story collection 'Momenti di nostalgia' is based on autobiographical experiences and those of other emigrants.
- He emphasizes verisimilitude over truth in his writing.
- Vagnoni produces wine in the Marche region through his winery Vagnoni Molina.
- He founded the association of Marchigiani del Venezuela.
- The interview was published in Artribune Magazine #34.
Entities
Artists
- Filippo Vagnoni
Institutions
- Artribune
- Vagnoni Molina
- Associazione dei Marchigiani del Venezuela
Locations
- Poggio del Brenta
- Ascoli Piceno
- Italy
- Venezuela
- Caracas
- Marche
- Panama
- Australia