Taste of Italy in our backyard
Local
100 years of immigrants from Altavilla Irpina adds up to a healthy appetite at the Norwood social club
It’s rare to find a large (12 inch) pizza for less than $20 these days but a culture club in the suburbs of Adelaide serves exactly that, with a side of Italian charm. Add a few dollars and a family-sized pizza arrives; so big it nearly takes up a whole table.
The generous serves and rambunctious background chatter are part of the appeal of Beulah Park’s Altavilla Club but what really makes it special is the devotion of its members to the preservation of their culture.
Altavilla Irpina is a small town in Campania, Italy, with a name meaning ‘higher town’, apt for a community 327 metres above sea level. The Altavilla Club was established in 1957, originally as a soccer and social club for migrants far from their homeland.
“This year is the 100-year anniversary of the first immigrants from Altavilla to come out to South Australia,” said club president Dominic Reppucci.
“More than 5500 Altavillesi have come here since. We are the largest single population from one town in the Campania region.”
It’s no wonder the humble volunteer-run club and its impressive menu attracts such a crowd. Many of them are related and most have family members who still call Altavilla home.
“Basically, everyone from Altavilla came out to South Australia,” Mr Reppucci explained.
“Some of them ended up going to Broken Hill to work in the mines, because there was a big mine there, and some went to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia but most of them always moved back to South Australia.
“They started off in Norwood (there was the Norwood ‘clan’ and the Prospect ‘clan’). After that, they started moving to Campbelltown and other areas. That’s why the club is enormous.”
The club fits approximately 160 people and an enclosed outdoor space, playground and kids’ menu means it’s family-friendly too.
In the kitchen, a dedicated team of volunteers (including Mr Reppucci’s wife) spend hours making pizza bases, pasta, bolognese and napolitana sauce.
“The ladies in the kitchen don’t come for money, they all volunteer for the friendship. They’ve been doing it for 20 to 30 years,” Mr Reppucci said.
“No one takes it too seriously. As I say to people, ‘when we’re busy, we’re busy’ but when we’re quiet, let’s just relax and enjoy. There’s what we’re here for.”
Mr Reppucci is also president of the annual San Pellegrino Martire Festa, celebrated by the Altavilla Club in January.
“San Pellegrino Martire is the patron saint of our village,” he said. “We strive to keep the traditions alive, which is getting harder and harder to do. If we don’t do it, no one is ever going to know.”
Don’t leave without trying the heaving bowl of spaghetti alle vongole (in a slurpy mix of olive oil, chilli flakes, parsley, and white wine), the trippa (tripe simmered in soup-like tomato sauce), and the sfogliatella (crisp pastry with a sweet, creamy filling). Wash it down with local wine, Italian reds, an impressive range of spirits and of course, limoncello.
If you must, there’s also schnitzel or fish and chips, but in an authentic place like this, I urge you to embrace traditional flavours.
The Altavilla Club is open to the public on Friday and Sunday from 5pm. 281 The Parade, Beulah Park, altavillaclub.com.au
