Historical Aperitivo: Marie Antoinette - February 5, 2026

Marie Antoinette’s destiny is often recounted as a Shakespearean tragedy defined by hamartia, conflict, catastrophe, and a glimpse of restored order within the French Revolution. She is the most well-known of Maria Theresa’s sixteen children. The only female ruler of the Hapsburg dynasty, Maria Theresa excelled in early modern marriage politics, and “happily ever after” was the exception -- certainly not Marie Antoinette’s case.

Queen Marie Antoinette in 1787 with Marie Thérèse, Louis Charles, and Louis Joseph. Palace of Versailles (Wikimedia Commons)

Inspired by the blockbuster exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, we will revisit Marie Antoinette’s agency in the fishbowl that was Versailles. Was she an innocent in the wrong place at the wrong time? Did her acts of disloyalty have malicious intent? Or was she, perhaps, a Helen of Troy whose face launched 17,000 guillotine blades? She was, in part, all of those things. Our contemporary view of her tends to emphasize idolization and pity more than hatred and outrage.  We will be so bold as to ask why.

Light refreshments will follow the lecture and discussion with historian Christine Contrada.

When: Thursday, February 5th, 2026.

Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Private residence (near Corso Trieste); exact address sent to confirmed participants.

Cost: €15 members; €20 non-members (who must, however, be guests of a current member)

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina.

NB: Book early, as space is limited. Payment required by 1 February 2026.

CCR Book Club - February 22, 2026

In February the CCR Book Club is going to discuss "The Personal Librarian" by M. Benedict & V. C. Murray. This historical fiction tells the story of J.P. Morgan’s real personal librarian, a famous and wealthy "career woman" in New York society in the early 20th century who "passed" as white. Known as Belle Da Costa Greene, she walked the tightrope between maintaining the impression her mother wanted to create that they had no African American heritage and her links to her father, an equality advocate and the first black American to graduate from Harvard.

When: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026

Time: 1 p.m.
Where: Private residence of CCR member. Exact address sent to confirmed participants by email. Open only to current members of the CCR. 
Potluck: Please let Lucy know what food you'll be bringing.
Further info & RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Lucy. As space is limited, reservation is compulsory.

CCR Wine Tasting: Abruzzo, Wines from the Apennines to the Adriatic – February 7, 2026

Join the CCR as we escape to the inland and coast of Abruzzo. A brief wine lesson will be followed by a guided tasting of 5 typical Abruzzo wines. As we journey through the region, we will savour crisp Trebbiano, unique Cerasuolo and structured Montepulciano. The wines will be paired with local cheese and charcuterie providing an authentic taste of this increasingly important Italian wine region. 

 

Sommelier Gilberto Gangarossa will guide the event. The tasting will be in Italian and English.

When: Saturday, Feb.7, 2026
Time: 7 p.m.

Where: Residence of CCR members (Monteverde Vecchio area). Exact address details will be sent to registered participants.
Cost: €35 for members (€45 for non-members). Advance payment required to confirm your place. A light dinner will follow the wine tasting.
RSVP to Linda at canadarome@gmail.com. Payment required by Monday, Feb. 2. Please note that you are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Special Visit: Palazzo Colonna - January 31, 2026

Palazzo Colonna houses one of the richest private art collections in Italy and offers a rare glimpse into the grandeur of a palace that is still home to members of one of Rome’s most famous noble families. For more information about this very exclusive visit, have a look at this recent article in the Independent.

Our private guide, Rebecca Harden, will begin the tour in Galleria Colonna and the Great Hall. The grand Baroque gallery, is lined with masterpieces by artists like Tintoretto, Guercino, Carracci, and Bronzino, and the Great Hall is longer than Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors, with dramatic ceiling frescoes, ornate gilding, marble, and painted mirrors. The second part of the tour will include the Princess Isabelle Apartments, preserved exactly as she left them in 1984. The rooms are filled with period furniture, silk-covered walls, and intimate heirlooms, as well as works by Pinturicchio, Brueghel, and Vanvitelli. Finally, we will also visit the terraced gardens on the Quirinal Hill, with fountains, citrus trees, and Roman sarcophagi.

When: Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026

Time: 10 a.m.-12 noon; group gathering by 9:45 a.m.

Meeting Place: Bar Bibo, Piazza S. Apostoli (next door to Palazzo Colonna) 9:45am

Cost: Guided visit for CCR members €28, non-members €36. A maximum of 15 guests can be taken on this private tour, so please book your spot early. Advance payment required.

RSVP: ATTN Charlotta at canadarome@gmail.com

CCR Book Club - January 24, 2026

At this luncheon meeting, the reading group will discuss their first book choice of the new year, "Perfection" by Vincenzo Latronico. This novel was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize and is available in both its original Italian version ("Le Perfezioni") and in the English version translated by Sophie Hughes.

When: Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026

Time: 1 p.m.

Where: Private residence of CCR member (Quartiere Trieste). Exact address sent to confirmed participants by email. Open only to current members of the CCR. 

Potluck: Please let Lucy know what food you'll be bringing.

Further info & RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Lucy. As space is limited, reservation is compulsory.

Welcome New Year Aperitivo - January 9, 2026

Join us, after the end of the winter holiday period in Italy, to toast the new year. We'll be soothed by the jazzy sounds of Hotel Quirinale’s house pianist as we catch up over a glass and an aperitivo spread!

When: Friday, Jan. 9, 2026
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. 
Where: Hotel Quirinale, Via Nazionale 7
Cost: Advance payment of €20 for CCR members and €25 for non-members, including a choice of 1 drink (wine, beer, or cocktail) and an assortment of coldcuts, cheeses, fritti, olives, etc.. Any additional drinks must be paid to the server right after ordering ("No Host").
RSVP & PoP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina by  Jan. 7th.