Little Italy in Baltimore is located east of the Inner Habor and is a busy area of restaurants and cafes. It is named after the many Italian immigrant families who moved into the district in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To this day the area is still home to many Italian families, many of whom can trace their history back to the first waves of immigration. Some still live in the original family homes in what is a close community.
Little Italy in Baltimore was founded in 1849 when the opportunity of railroad jobs and the gold rush brought considerable numbers of Italian immigrants to the city for the first time. By the beginning of the 20th century all the house-owners of the neighborhood's 12 blocks were Italian, and the area had become known for its Italian restaurants.
Little Italy got its first church when the Roman Catholic complex of St. Leo's Church was built in 1880. A year later it opened with the Rev. Joseph Leo Andreis using a blessing sent by Pope Leo XIII. Today the church is listed as a national historic shrine.
In 1904 Baltimore suffered from what became known as the Great Baltimore Fire. The story goes that the population of Little Italy prayed to St. Anthony to spare the district, and that after its salvation they decided to hold a festival in his honor every year. This celebration has become known as the Festival of St Anthony, which takes place around the historic church of St Leo. Dancing, processions, and of course lots of eating takes place over the two-day event in June.
Nancy Pelosi, Little Italy's most famous daughter was born March 26, 1940. She grew up in the neighborhood under the watchful eye of her father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., who was a Democratic congressman and Baltimore mayor. As of 2010, Pelosi, elected to Congress from a California district, was the first female speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and one of the most influential women in America.
In 1994 the first of Little Italy's open-air film festivals took place. Every year since then, it has grown in size and today it takes place each Friday night throughout July and August. The event is free, with movie-goers bringing their own chairs, blankets and snacks, as they sit back to watch a featured Italian-related movie. Free popcorn is provided along with live music, and the festivals are open to the public.
