Donne di Merito Award2025 Historical recipient - Regina Lowrey Adducci (1935-2000)
Regina Lowrey Adducci is the 2025 posthumous Donna di Merito recipient. The award is in recognition of her many contributions to the Dante Alighieri Society and for her artwork, which is a lasting gift of beauty to Colorado churches and other communities.
Regina and her husband Joe were charter members of the Dante Alighieri Society of Denver, and Joe served as Treasurer for many years. Regina was actively involved in event planning from the start. She used her artistic talent to make each Dante event special. Her lasting gift to the Dante is the banner displayed at all events.
People who knew Regina as a young child described her as beautiful and serene, already proclaiming her desire to become an artist. Her high school friends said she was the go-to person whenever an art project or activity was needed. Always fascinated by stained-glass windows in cathedrals and by medieval icons and their ability to portray religious themes, Regina found them both to be perfect media for her talents.
Rosalie Caputo has been dedicated to the teaching of the Italian language and culture for most of her adult life as well as being active in numerous Italian-American cultural organizations in Colorado. She began her teaching career in 1981 in high schools in Pueblo, Colorado, teaching Italian and French at both South High School and Centennial High School until June of 2007. She served on the faculty of Colorado State University-Pueblo as an Adjunct Professor of Italian from 2007-2012. After relocating to Denver in 2012, she taught Italian at the Italian Institute of Denver in 2013 as well as teaching an after school Italian language program to elementary school children at Slavens Elementary School.
Alisa is a fifth-generation Italian-American woman. Since 1999 Alisa has been employed by History Colorado, and since May 2018 as Director of Curatorial Services and Senior Curator. Alisa was the founder of the Colorado Italian-American Preservation Association (CIAPA) in 2002. The primary goal of this organization is to develop research archives that document the history, people and traditions of the community. Alisa is the author of Italy in Colorado: Family Histories from Denver and Beyond. The book is currently in its third printing. Additionally, Alisa was the curator of The Italians of Denver exhibit at the Colorado History Museum from April 2007 to July 2008. She has also made a significant impact on our Italian community by writing several books and articles on the history and culture of the community. Alisa provides the monthly features of A Page in Time and Community Story in Andiamo!, Colorado’s Italian-American newspaper.
Roberta is Teaching Professor of Italian, the Anna Maglione-Sie Endowed Chair in Italian Culture, and Associate Chair in the Department of Languages and Literatures at the University of Denver (DU) where she teaches Italian language, literature, film and culture in the Italian Program and in the common curriculum. She co-founded and co-directed the DU/Bologna International Center for Civic Engagement in Bologna, Italy, and serves on the advisory board for the annual Maria and Tommaso Maglione Italian film award and the Showcase on Italian Cinema at the Denver Film Festival.