Villa Charities – Villa Charities honour’s the generations of fathers who made the arduous journey from Italy to Canada with a dream to secure a better life in a new country. Here is an excerpt of one family’s legacy: Giovanni Diodati and Franceschina Derose were born in Sartano, Calabria. They married in 1945 after the war where dad was a cook, medic, and prisoner, and he was recognized by the Italian government with a medal of honour. They had their first two children, Carlo and Venera in Sartano. Times were difficult in Italy. Dad wanted a better life for his family, so he immigrated to Canada in 1950.
