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Nino Andreotti Poesia e Storia

Fiumefreddo Bruzio-chiese e torri Fiumefreddo Bruzio,the tower seen from north-east.(Photo 2005).

ROSSIS

TOWER

Its anoriginalbuilding oftheeighteenthcentury.The tower lies north-west of the

speedwaytunnel, in theCordierisarea, inMarina of Fiumefreddo.The tower has beautiful eighteenth century balconies in wrought iron, aporch with arches and the roof bordered with stone lilies. Until a fewyears ago, this tower was used as a dwelling house.

Actually this building looks more like a mansion housethan a tower. As a matter of fact, almost all the old towers ofFiumefreddo Bruzio, which belonged to vassals and vavasours, look like

large houses of goodappearance, that show,however, unmistakable,distinguishing marks andfeatures of the old giganticfeudal towers, such asbattlements, jutting

brackets, loopholes,embrasures, porches, oldstone fireplaces, oldterracotta tiles, etc.

Front and side views (west-south) of thetower.

This black and white photograph was taken a century ago.

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Fiumefreddo Bruzio-chiese e torri

PONZIOS TOWER

Ponzios tower

GiandomenicoPonzio (Ioannes

Dominicus Pontius)built this tower in1561, to defend hisland. It has woodenbeam floors.The tower lies to thesouth of SanBiase, a big villageof Fiumefreddo,between Luisi and

Muraglie ( twohamlets in the landof S.Biase) and itsvery difficult toarrive at the toweron foot.

You can see the old windows, the loopholesand a big broken stone slab which remindsus of the date of the towers construction.

The tower was a center of resistance, in1806 Calabrian antinapoleonic revolution.Today the old building is falling to pieces.

Ponzios tower as it appears

in an ink drawing made by

Don Antonio Rotondo . (See

page 145).

The Latin inscriptionon this broken slab ofstone, attests that Ioannes Dominicus Pontiusis the owner of the feudal tower, built in 1561.

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ANTONIO ROTONDOAN ILLUSTRIOUS PRIEST OF FIUMEFREDDO BRUZIO

Antonio Rotondo was born in Fiumefreddo Bruzio, a small town in theprovince of Cosenza, on October the 3rd, 1883, and died, in the same

town, on December the 24th

, 1967.As soon as he was ordained a priest, Fiumefreddo Bruzio, 1946. Don Antoniohe devoted himself to doing the celebrates Mass in the MotherChurch,parish-priest in Fiumefreddo assisted by Don Luigi Provenzano, St.Bruzio for a few years, Franciss parish Priest. (Photo Vittorio Amendola).and then, the archpriest in the sametown: a religious and spiritual missionwhich he always undertook withenthusiasm, uprightness, self-denialand paternal affection, specially onbehalf of the poor and of those inneed of help.During the last years ofhis priesthood, for disagreementsarisen between him and theecclesiastical authorities, DonRotondo was forced to celebrate Mass behind closed doors, in thechurch called La Madonnella (see page 131). Some years later, theevents and the facts proved him right and the hierarchy of the Church, inthe meantime changed, did its utmost for an opportune reconciliation,

but, by that time, Don Antonio was a sick man, confined to a wheelchair.The archpriest was a many-sided autodidact artist. He was a good

painter, mainly ofreligious topics: a bigpainting portrayingSaint Francis of Paola, carefully kept,until a few years ago,in the church

Fiumefreddo Bruzio, August the 7th, 2007 11 o clock, p.m.

Largo Santa Domenica. Outdoor, night-time, memorial ceremony, at the endof a day marked by warm demonstrations of affection in honour of Don Antonio.People are listening to the speakers who are commemorating Don AntonioRotondo, on the 40thanniversary of his death. At the speakers table, from Photo 1left: Mr. Nino Genovese, moderator, Mr. Franco Del Buono and Mrs.Viviana

Andreotti, featured speakers, Mr. Attilio Spina, a disciple of Don Antonios.

Fiumefreddo B., August the 7th, 2007- 11 o clock a.m.The house (photo 1, partial side view) where don Antonio lived, atLargo Santa Domenica. The memorial tablet, fixed to the wall ofthe house (enlarged photo, see red arrow), has just been unveiled aftera religious ceremony. People, gathered here today, are happy torecall memories of Don Antonio Rotondo and to remember him as a goodpriest and an eclectic artist born in Fiumefreddo Bruzio.

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Il Natale, a Christmas booklet, by don Antonio. It contains Christmas carols, prayers, customs, traditions, andhelps the reader to live Christmastide with Christian consciousness. In the booklet there are photographs of

don Antonios famous presepi.

which is named after Saint Francis, isnt there any more andnobody knows where it is. Don Antonio established in his town

a band of more than thirty musicians, and wrote severalmarches and various compositions ( of which nothing was found), healso set to music some Christmas carols which we find in his booklet IlNatale. He wrote Memoria Storica, anessay on Calabrian antinapoleonicrevolution, based upon historicalsources. Don Rotondo, at Christmastime, used to create presepi of greatartistic value, using terracotta statuetteshe himself moulded and refined; many of

these statuettes are now in the House ofthe culture in Palmi, and some of themare considered true masterpieces. A terracotta don Antonio moulded andI would also like to mention the miracle finished for his presepi. (Private collection).plays, performed outdoors by young people of Fiumefreddo written,produced and directed by Don Antonio. When these events occurred,

local residents and people from neighbouring towns,crowded the streets and the squares of Fiumefreddo, toenjoy, to applaud and to praise the actors performances.

Of these mysteries written by the priest, unfortunately,nothing was found among his papers.The memory of don Antonios merits and generosity, stilllives in the hearts and in the minds of elderly people ofFiumefreddo Bruzio.

Memoria Storica by Antonio Rotondo.An essay on Calabrian antinapoleonic revolution (1806/1807).

PRESIDENT EMERITUS FRANCESCOCOSSIGA* - freeman of Fiumefreddo Bruzio -Senator Francesco Cossiga* : the eighth President of the Italian Republic from

July 3

rd

, 1985 to April 28

th

, 1992.

The town council of Fiumefreddo Bruzio - Cosenza- hasconferred the freedom of the city, on President, Senator forlife, Professor Francesco Cossiga, for the followingreasons we read in the resolution of the municipal counciln. 17, approved unanimously on July 27th , 2004:Senator Francesco Cossiga is a statesman who has been devoting his life toasserting the values and the interests of our Country. While holding the highestoffices of the State, President Cossiga faced, with great determination andcourage, complex situations which implied hard decisions, always working forthe common good. The so-called esternazioni or mattock blows, have

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helped people to wake up and have made them reflect, even those of a small town like ours, and this highcivic tribute, is a mark of esteem in

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