San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk in North Beach Honors Dr. Mariana Bertola with Special Events November 7 & 8, 2024

Two Events Honor the Legacy of a Pioneering Physician, Educator, & Champion for Women & Immigrants in San Francisco

San Francisco, CA – November 5, 2024 –  The San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk (SFLIHW), in partnership with the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco, The Native Daughters of the Golden West, and Le Donne d'Italia, is honored to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Mariana Bertola with two special events in November. Dr. Bertola, a pioneering doctor, educator, and advocate, dedicated her life to serving the Italian-American community and advancing women's and children’s rights, healthcare, and immigrant assistance in San Francisco.

Dr. Bertola, born in 1865 to Italian immigrant parents in California, dedicated her career to healthcare and social advocacy, establishing herself as a prominent figure in the Italian-American community. She championed the “California Plan,” which required every county hospital to offer maternity and children’s wards. As a doctor, she served as an obstetrician at Children’s Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center, delivering over 3,000 babies, and she was committed to ensuring Italian-speaking patients received quality care. In 1909, she founded the Vittoria Colonna Club, one of many organizations she led to support immigrant women and families.

November Events:

●      November 7th

5:30 P.M.- 8:30 P.M. - 555 Baker St., SF: “The Legacy of Dr. Mariana Bertola Panel Discussion,” Reflections by Drew Bourn, PhD MLIS; Dawn Dunlap, PGP; and Laura E. Ruberto, PhD a special event at the iconic home of the Native Daughters of the Golden West. RSVP by Thursday, November 7th at 1 PM.

●      November 8th

11:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M. - 600 Union St., SF: The plaque ceremony honoring Dr. Mariana Bertola will occur at Washington Square.

Join us as historians and speakers Drew Bourn, PhD MLIS; Dawn Dunlap, PGP; and Laura E. Ruberto, PhD, share insights into Dr. Bertola’s extraordinary life and impact. The symposium will take place at the building built by the renowned Julia Morgan for the Native Daughters of the Golden West, where Dr. Bertola lived until she died in 1955. (Registration required: Event Registration)

The San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk commemorates influential Italian-Americans like Dr. Bertola, whose achievements in art, business, culture, entertainment, politics, science, social assistance, and technology have shaped the city’s legacy. Each honoree’s plaque, embedded along the sidewalks of North Beach, features a QR code linking to multimedia information, providing a richer historical experience. Additional plaques will follow, including ones dedicated to A.P. Giannini and Joe DiMaggio.

SFLIHW has initially identified 13 distinguished individuals to honor based on their contributions to art, business, culture, entertainment, politics, science, social assistance, science, and technology. The community is invited to recommend additional honorees through its website, www.sflittleitaly.us/. The organization aims to secure further funding to continue honoring these exceptional individuals and educating the public about their contributions.

The San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk Inc. was promoted and supported by the Italian Consulate General to unite various Italian and Italian American organizations in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The founding organizations include COM.IT.ES. SF, Italian Community Services, Italian Heritage Celebration, Inc., the Bay Area chapter of Italian Scientists and Scholars in North America Foundation, Le Donne d’Italia, the Museo Italo Americano, the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club Foundation, and the iTAL Foundation (former Silicon Valley Italian Executive Council).

High-resolution images and additional project details are available upon request.

For more information about the San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk Inc., please visit www.sflittleitaly.us/, email contact@sflittleitaly.us

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About San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk: Founded in 2023 under the auspices of the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco, the San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk, Inc. (SFLIHW) celebrates, preserves, and enriches Italian-American heritage and culture in San Francisco's Little Italy in North Beach. Its mission is to honor the voices, struggles, and triumphs of those who shaped this vibrant community. The bronze plaques, situated on the sidewalks of North Beach, will form the San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk, starting from the lively core of Washington Square, along Columbus Street and Broadway Avenue, and running along some adjacent streets. In addition to the physical plaques, honorees will have comprehensive profiles detailing their lives and contributions, which are available on a free app developed by COM.IT.ES. SF. The app will provide text in both English and Italian.

All plaque unveilings will be open to the public, inviting community members to celebrate the remarkable legacies of these honorees.