Huerfano County, Colorado
Dante Alighieri


Contributed by John Bellotti, page contributed by Karen Mitchell
NOTICE All data and photos on this website are Copyrighted by Karen Mitchell. Duplication of this data or photos is strictly forbidden without legal written permission by the Copyright holder.
The Dante Alighieri Society is a non profit organization whose objective is to promote and foster Italian language and culture.

Inspired by the Nobel poet Giosuč Carducci, the Dante Alighieri Society was founded in 1889 by a dedicated group of men of letters with the aim of promoting Italian culture and language. From its very beginning the Dante Alighieri Society received an enthusiastic welcome particularly among the many Italian communities that had established themselves throughout the world.

It was not until 1926 that the Society set up its present headquarters in the Firenze Palace in Rome. There are currently 450 "Dante Societies" around the world with the number continuing to grow.

The Dante Alighieri Socity in Huerfano County was established at Rouse on October 26, 1902 by the many Italian immigrants who came to Huerfano County to work in the coal mines. It was then transferred to Walsenburg on December 21, 1913.

In a booklet owned by John Bellotti it says:
the object of the Society is "to enliven and keep between its members the principles of brotherly love and solidarity which is the best guarantee and good will of a colony, the same must exemplify the proper activities in the midst of a grand and civilized nation and to maintain highly and honorable, the Italian name."

It goes on to say that, in the deliberations of the Society, political and religious matters would be excluded. Membership was restricted to males of ages 16 to 45, with a graduated schedule of admission fees ranging from $5.00 to $12.00.

Interestingly, "The funds of this society which will be gotten by initiation fees, fines, dues, and other sources after deducting the expenses of the Society the balance of the fund will be used to pay sick and death benefits to our members."

The back of the booklet lists the founding members, numbering 70, which looks like a collection of the pioneering Italian immigrants who settled in the Walsenburg area, mostly coal miners.

Soci Fondatori (Founders):

Giuseppe Bianchi
Carlo Brunelli
Giuseppe Mandolini
Stefano Mattivi
Giuseppe Odorizzi
Giuseppe Benedetti
Antonio Rosia
Giovanni Moviaggi
Fortunato Mattivi
Giuseppe Coltrini
Giuseppe Vincenzo
Antonio Mautino
Eugenio Underrainer
Teofilo Miori
Giovanni Zancanella
Michele Zancanella
Agostino Odorizzi
Cleto Travisani
Emidio Damico
Beniamino Antonelli
Guerrino Cristelloni
Carlo Donardi
Eugenio Benine
Vittorio Antonelli
Vigilio Miori
Angelo Telk
Antonio Boldrini
Pietro Brunetti
Domenico Mordini
Battista Mordini
Bortolo Andreatta
Michele Marchiori
Giuseppe Fabiana
Fortunato Miori
Battista Zancanella
Davide Zancanella
Antonio Zancanella
Antonio Savini
Antonio Mastro
Domenico Amidei
Domenico Galassini
Atilio Lenzini
Costante Jori
Luigi Casata
Cesare Demate'
Luigi Serafini
Alessandro Gottardi
Teodoro Fabiani
Luigi Edoardo
Michele Vigilio
Angelo Benini
Giuseppe Martinelli
Guerrino Sisti
Romano Berasi
Antonio Taroli
Fortunato Andreatta
Carlo Rufatti
Pio Jacomet
Eugenio Folgheraiter
Salvatore Andreatta
Giacomo Santi
Manuele Serafini
Giuseppe Brunelli
Francesco Marchiori
Angelo Benedetti
Giuseppe Bersani
Narciso Bersani
Enrico Faes
Daniele Boldrini
Giovanni Scarpone



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