Two women holding small children walk down a gangway from a ship

From Nonna with Love: Stories of Tradition and Triumph

Ground Floor

Celebrate the stories of Italian migrant women who helped shape Western Australia’s cultural identity. 

From Nonna with Love: Stories of Tradition and Triumph brings to life the inspiring journeys of numerous Italian women who made Western Australia their home.

Leaving Italy in search of a better future, these beloved women made lasting contributions to Western Australia's culinary landscape, arts scene and community life.

Discover powerful personal stories told through treasured photographs, meaningful objects, and heartfelt memories. Trace the early migration journeys, the strength of community connections, and the enduring role of faith, music, and food in preserving cultural identity.

Take a seat at Nonna’s kitchen table—an immersive experience where the sights, sounds, and aromas of traditional home-cooked meals embrace the warmth of the family table.

While the exhibition highlights the journeys of nonnas, their experiences represent those of countless Italian women whose resilience and cultural legacy have helped shape life in Western Australia.

From Nonna with Love is more than a tribute to the past—it’s a celebration of legacy, resilience, and the enduring bonds that continue to shape our communities today.

From Nonna with Love: Stories of Tradition and Triumph is presented by the WA Maritime Museum in partnership with Nella Fitzgerald Events.

Promoted Deep Dives

A woman and 4 girls wear colourful traditional Italian dress, with bright scarves and shawls in reds, greens and blues.

From Italy With Love:

Following the migration journey of women from Italy to Fremantle (Gallery trail)

Hero Objects

A colourful medley of cooked vegetables including eggplant, potatoes and tomoatos in an earthenware dish

A Recipe from Nonna with Love

Nonna profiles

Deep Dives

Strands of spaghetti twirled around a fork in red sauce, in a white shallow bowl.

Calabrian Chilli Pepper Pasta

Nonna Maria Papalia

Article

Golden brown biscuits dusted with sugar sit on a white platter

Biscotti al Latte

Nonna Carolina Vinciullo

Article

Stuffed Eggplant (Melanzane Ripieni)

Nonna Rosie Ventrice

Article

Browned cooked meatballs in a red tomato sauce and topped with finely grated cheese and parsley

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Nonna Giuseppina Saffioti

Article

long strands of spaghetti pasta tossed through a red sauce and topped with grated cheese. It sits on a white plate with a black rim.

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Nonna Franca Roberti

Article

glazed shiny balls of fried dough in a shiny brass dish

Pignolata

Nonna Giuseppina Ricciardo

Article

A browned crumbed artichoke on a wooden board garnished with parsley

Italian Stuffed Artichokes (Carciofi Ripieni)

Nonna Marianna Re

Article

Maria’s Frittata

Nonna Maria Ricciardello

Article

fried dough balls in a pile on a plate, next to some proscuitto

Calabrian Fritters (Zippoli Calabrese)

Nonna Paola Pulitano

Article

cooked, browned meat and bones served on top of yellow cooked polenta

Capretto (Slow-cooked goat)

Nonna Maria Pizzale

Article

A ball of crumbed and fried rice, with a meat sauce, cheese and pea filling. It is cut open to show the centre and sits on some parchment baking paper on a wooden board with a basil leaf garnish

Sicilian Arancini

Nonna Betty Pisconeri

Article

squid in a tomato sauce lie nestled on a bed of spaghetti in a green bowl.

Stuffed Squid and Spaghetti

Nonna Louisa Perroni

Article

On a blue plate rests a joint of cooked rabbit, smothered in a glistening mushroom sauce, and garnished with finely chopped parsley.

Nonna Mela’s Slow-Cooked Rabbit (Coniglio)

Nonna Carmela Paratore

Article

close up image of biscotti dusted in icing sugar

Nonna’s Biscotti (Like Aunty Concetta’s)

Nonna Frances Minervini

Article

Sardine tail visible amongst rolled sardine fillets sprinkled in breadcrumbs

Stuffed Sardines with Tomato Sauce

Nonna Rosa Mendolia

Article

uncooked gnocchi sit on a floured wooden board. A wooden gnocchi roller is visible in the upper left corner if the image

Potato Gnocchi

Nonna Vittoria Melia

Article

Tiramisu

Nonna Doris Marocchi

Article

Long finger-shaped biscuits on a black countertop. One is snapped in half showing the airy centre and crumbs are on the surface of the bench it sits on.

Sicilian Savoiardi Biscuits (Giammelle con lo zucchero a velo)

Nonna Vincenza Mancuso

Article

Biscuits baked in a twisted shape and dusted with icing sugar.

Crostoli

Nonna Adele Forlani

Article

golden baked biscuits with an almond in the centre

Aeolian biscuits (Spicchitedda Eoliana)

Nonna Anne Ferrari

Article

A cooked artichoke with breadcrumb topping browned in the oven sits in a white baking dish on a green table cloth.

Carciofi Ripieni (Stuffed Artichokes)

Nonna Rosa Conti

Article

Vibrant orange prawns sit atop long strands of spaghetti garnished with parsley, on a black plate

Crayfish or Prawn Pasta

Nonna Anna Camarda

Article

Gnocchi in a tomato mince sauce, garnished with bright green basil leaves

Potato Gnocchi

Nonna Mimma Buti

Article

Layers of moist beef mince visible between sheets of pasta

Lasagne

Nonna Giulia Altieri

Article

Calabrian Fritters (Zippoli Calabrese)

Nonna Lena Agostino

Article

Carolina Vinciullo

Article

Rosie Ventrice

Article

Guiseppina Saffioti

Article

Franca Roberti

Article

Daniel Ricciardo

Article

Maria Ricciardello

Article

Marianna Re

Article

Maria Pizzale

Article

Betty Pisconeri

Article

Louisa Perroni

Article

Carmela Paratore

Article

Two men wearing suits in an important discussion as they walk a busy street.

Paul Papalia

Article

Frances Minervini

Article

Rosa Mendolia

Article

Vittoria Melia

Article

Gary Marocchi

Article

Vincenza speaks passionately into a microphone.

Vincenza Mancuso

Article

Adele Forlani

Article

Anne Ferrari

Article

Rosa Conti

Article

Anna Camarda

Article

Tony smiling and holding up his Affirmation of Office.

Tony Buti

Article

Tina Altieri

Article

Lena Agostino

Article

Vittoria Melia Disembarking the ship in Fremantle with her daughter
Source: From Nonna With Love Exhibition