FILÒFILÒ

A Journal for Tyrolean AmericansA Journal for Tyrolean AmericansWinter 2014Winter 2014

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An Introduction . . . An Introduction . . .

The Filò is to be published and distributed on a quarterly basis and is targeted to the chil-dren of our immigrant parents. The Filò (pronounced fee-lò) was the daily gathering in thestables of the Trentino where the villagers met and socialized. The intent is to provide asummary of our culture, history, and customs in plain English to inform and provide youwith the background of your roots and ancestry.. If you wish to contact us, call LouBrunelli at 914-402-5248. Attention: Your help is needed to expand our outreach to fellowTyrolean Americans. Help us identify them, be they your children, relatives or acquaintanc-es. Go to filo.tiroles.com and register on line to receive the magazine free of charge. Youmay also send your data to Filò Magazine, PO Box 90, Crompond, NY 10517 or fax themto 914-734-9644 or submit them by email to filo.tiroles@att.net.

Front Cover: Val di Ledro

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Remedy-The Cooperative MovementRemedy-The Cooperative Movementt the start of the 20th century, the Trentinoregion found itself with manyproblems -both economic and social. Politically, thisarea was part of the Hapsburg Monarchy,

and remained so until after the First World War. Theeconomy was principally agricultural, while industryplayed a minor role and consisted mainly of artisanalproducts.

Commerce was poorly developed. The area was moun-tainous and unyielding - three quarters of the land is ataltitudes of over 1000 meters (3900 feet). The underly-ing rock makes it difficult to sustain a large population -it was a region of poverty and uncertainty. In order toimprove their living conditions, many families resorted tothe collective use of large portions of the land - espe-cially that which lay on the steeper slopes. Such land didnot belong to a single owner, but to the community, or insome cases to an extended family, working together touse the resources for the common good. At the begin-ning of the Nineteenth Century, a growing populationmade it ever more difficult to maintain this precariouseconomic balance. The situation became more unstabledue to a series of events giving rise to more social ten-sion. Two vine diseases, oidium or vine mildew ( a fungaldisease) and phylloxera (a disease attacking the roots),drastically reduced wine production. And an epidemic ofprebane, a parasite which attacks silk worms, caused theshutdown of many already struggling silk mills. Thefloods of 1882 and 1885 caused extensive damage tofarms, while a financial crisis in Vienna negativelyimpacted the Trentino, though not as much as in otherparts of Europe. In short, the economy of the Tyrol wasimpoverished, centered on individual owners who didnot have the know how to deal with the market and itschanging demands.An immediate response to the situa-tion lay in emigration, which increased dramatically inthe late 1890's and changed its direction.

No longer was the flow of emigrants directed to thecountries of central Europe, but to the Americas -North,South and Central. Emigration was effective in improv-ing the lot of the individual emigrant, and ultimately alsohelped those who were left behind. But the real remedyto the economic situation had to come from measures toimprove the local productive system. The path taken inthe Trentino, as in other similar situations was to launchcooperatives to help the peasant world with three basicneeds: easy access to credit, the possibility of buying gro-ceries and agricultural supplies at reasonable cost and oncredit when necessary, and the ability to sell their pro-duce at competitive prices, getting fair recompense fortheir labor. Thus, in 1890, the first consumer cooperativewas organized in Santa Croce in Bleggio.Its founder,Don Lorenzo Guetti, called it a 'family cooperative',implying that it would be managed with the same spiritof solidarity which is found in a family. Two years laterin 1892, another cooperative was born in the town ofLarido nella Quadra, also in the Bleggio area and alsosponsored by Don Lorenzo, now known as the father ofthe cooperative movement.

The furrow had been traced! The movement spreadfrom these two pioneering cooperatives to include fruitgrowers' depots, communal wineries and cooperativedairies for cheese-making , etc. all helping to organize thefarm world.

Written by Professor Alberto Ianes, Museo Storico

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s in the rest of the world, in Italy, and espe-cially in the Trentino, whose territory is56.6% forest land, wood was widely used inthe building of homes up until 1900. But

there were many other uses for wood - in furnishings,utensils, and in a wide variety of other items. However,with the passage of years, wood has been replaced byother materials such as cement and brick for housing, orsteel and plastic for commonly used household objects.Additionally, wood has been used more sparingly - mas-sive solid wood furniture has given way to lighter piecesusing plywood and veneers.

Il Museo degli Usi e Costumi della Gente Trentina, ( thatis The Museum of the Ways and Customs of the Peopleof the Trentino), memorializes how widely wood wasused in pre-industrial society, in every aspect of the dailylife of the Alpine people. A series of exhibits gives theviewer a glimpse of this world, rich in imagination andcreative ingenuity. The displayed pieces dazzle the view-er both because of the technical virtuosity and the artis-tic uniqueness used in their creation.

Throughout the galleries of the Museum, wood is dis-played in many different applications: in the constructionand equipment of entire structures such as a water milland a Venetion saw-mill; being worked into furniture orinto agricultural implements; in use at a textile mill or ata milk processing station; being transformed into carni-val masks or into clogs and shoes; painted, carved andturned on a lathe; woven into baskets of various shapesand uses; in the staves of casks used to store the 'nectarof the gods'; and in the form of charcoal, that

indispensable fuel for the smithies and copper foundries.And each of these products was made from a differentspecies of tree - almost as if each plant's destiny was pre-ordained.

The exhibits at the Museum are organized so that the vis-itor may make his way down a 'Road of Wood', designedby Sebesta, the founder of the Museum. The road beginswith a room dedicated to the stilt houses of Ledro, withphotographs of the excavations by Battaglia in 1937, afew acual pilings excavated at the site and tools used inbuilding the houses, e.g. adzes of polished stone. Thisexhibit reminds the visitor that wood was used in build-ing homes even in prehistoric times. Next stop on theRoad is in the woods. Here we see the tools thewoods-man used to fell the trees, remove the branches, peel offthe bark and finally move the logs from the woods to thevalley below. The move was accomplished by using natu-ral or man-made channels. Once the wood arrived in thevalley, it was transported along what we might call the'highways' of the past - the rivers. Using the Adige andother rivers of the Trentino, the logs were floated ongiant rafts - a method of transportation which, thanks tothe fast current, was economical and quick, and requiredlittle labor. In some cases, carts and sleds were used fortransporting the logs. These were of various types,depending on the material being carried and the terrainbeing traversed. These are displayed in the next room on

The Use of Wood by Our PeopleThe Use of Wood by Our People

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the Road. Moving down the Road, the visitor enters theVenetian sawmill, recreated in its entirety. Here the tree trunksare cut into boards and beams, using a small, hydraulicallydriven wheel to turn the gears of the saw. This setup is typicalof the sawmills of the area. The next few displays on the Roadare dedicated to the wood itself in all its various uses. Here arethe tools and the products of the carpenter and the cabinetmaker, the workbench and tools of a carriage maker, the turn-er's equipment as he worked on his lathe, and the tools of thewoodcarver. A small display shows the production of whips,as they were formerly made in Taio, in the Val di Non. The lastexhibit in this room is an example of inlay-work on a cradle.A final stop on the Road is dedicated to 'nuptial customs'. Tworooms of a home are reproduced. A 'stua' or family roomfrom the Val di Fiemme is panelled with painted, decorativewood designs. The master bedroom shows off inlaid furniturefrom the Val di Noce.

The Museum also has a collection of about forty bridal chests,all of high quality. These were made from the mid 1600's tothe late 1800's and are excellent examples of Alpine work-manship. These were the chests a woman brought with herwhen she moved into her husband's home. They contained allof her dowry, her linens and her finer dresses. Often therewere some more valuable items, like jewelry, prayer books, ordevotional statues.

Looking back at the end of the Road, we have seen wood inall its uses, noting its great functionality - at times for essentialitems, at other times for less serious purposes, but always solidand adequate for the task at hand.

Written by Daniela Finardi, Museo dei Usi e Costumidella Gente Trentina.

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Family Stories: Fedrizzi Family Stories: Fedrizzi he story of the GIUSEPPE FEDRIZZIFAMILY of Coltura; There is more than oneFedrizzi family line. We are of the“CORTES” line. There are also the

“BETUS”, “JESEPIN”, and “PICAT” families withinter marriage relationships. I was able to trace the(Federizzi, Federici, Fedrizzi) Family names to the mid1600 in Struz, Val di Non.

Our family history starts in Coltura (as far back as I couldresearch) with GIUSEPPE FEDRIZZI, my Bis, Bis, BisNonno circa 1735. A side note, the walls of my Nonno’shouse in Coltura have been dated by archeologists to1200 AD or before. With the need to support his fami-ly, my Nonno, Emanuele, sailed from Le Harve France in1903 to work in Steubenville OH, in the coal mines tosupport his family. In 1907 my Nonna Maria Sala died inColtura and my Nonno returned home. In 1908 myPapa, Pietro Primo, at the age of 14 came to Ohio withmy Nonno, Emanuele, to work in the coal mines until1914, then returned to Coltura. WWI started and myPapa was conscripted into the Austrian army and foughtas part of the Austro-Hungarian Tiroler Kaiserjager.

In 1922, my Nonno died in Coltura. Two years earlier in1920, my Papa, along with his only brother, Zio Luigi,had returned to Steubenville OH and worked in the coalmines together. My Papa got his citizenship in 1928, andreturned to Italy in 1929. Later that year, he married myMamma, Erina Maffei, in Stenico. My Mamma’s Brother,Zio Pietro Maffei, moved to Youngstown Ohio andraised a family. In November 1929 Mamma and Papa leftGenoa and settled in Solvay NY, just outside of Syracuse.He worked at the Solvay Process Co. along with otheremigrants from the Trentino. They started a familybeginning with my sister Nostra (Robert De Lucia), mybrother Rudolph (Patricia Bates) and me, Emanuel (Julia

McKinley). Zio Luigi Fedrizzi (Connie Armani) alsomoved to Solvay and raised a family. In 1936 my Mammabecame a citizen and in 1939 they built a house atLakeland NY.

We had a wonderful garden with everything you wouldwant to eat, and raised chickens and rabbits. We ate well.My Papa was from the old school, he and Zio Luigi madered Wine and Grappa. Zio Luigi made Salamini. InSolvay they were considered the best and everyone want-ed to buy them. We made Polenta and Salamini conPeverada or con coniglio on a regular basis. My Mammawas a cook of the highest order and her Risotto confunghi, Canederli con pezzi di salame and of course,homemade pasta, was to die for. Mamma died in 1963 inLakeland NY, at the age of 68. In 1972 we took my Papaback home to Coltura, the first time he had returned in42 years. It was quite a reunion with his family andfriends of his youth. As a boy my Papa would spend hissummers in the mountains of the Val d’Algone tendingthe cows at the Malga Movlina making butter and cheese.In 1980 my Papa died at age 86 in Syracuse NY. Thememories of my family and relatives while growing up,and the stories of the old country that my Mamma andPapa would tell are still fresh in my head and heart. Theystarted with little and worked hard to create a wonderfullife for themselves and their children here in America.

Written by Emmanuel Fedrizzi, Pownal, Maine

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Zio Luigi and My Papa Pietro (circa 1926)

Pietro Fedrizzi, third from left, middle rowAustro-Hungarian Tiroler Kaiserjager (circa 1915)

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La Me Baita. . .My Mountain HutLa Me Baita. . .My Mountain Hut

La Me Baita

Se fa sera`ntorna la me baitaCo le ombrie che le scondi `l bel deiMoc co na foschia spessa e scuraChe ai me oci `l ciel fa smorza.

Grii che ciacera e parla lu co l`alterN` del contarse del di che e`passa.Osei che ciacola e che po n`del ni sgolaPer gatarse per scaldarse.

Ormai l`è sera e sto cor en po solengoEl se `ntrista al vadar el di che mor.Zito zito `l se cucia. `l se remenaMa per scaldarse no ghe` brase.

`L foc è mortFreda e vota l`è la baita La me baita l`è `l to cör.

My Mountain Hut

Evening gathers around my hutWith the shadows of evening which hides the beau-ty of the mountains with a mist dense and darkThat does not allow my eyes to see the sky.

There are the crows who are talking to themselvesRecalling the things that happen the past dayBirds who twitter e join their nestsTo gather together and warm themselves.

It is already evening and my heart is lonelyIt becomes sad seeing the fading dayQuiet! Quiet! One huddles e is agitatedBut to warm oneself there is no more wood

The fire has gone outMy hut is empty and coldMy hut is your heart.

his is lovely song of the Val di Ledro captures the everpresent love and fascination for the mountains of ourpeople. Our emigrant forebearers could never forget theirbeloved mountains no matter where they came to live.

The lyrics are a love song that recounts not just the hut but the entireenviornment of its place and its meaning in the solititude among themountains: the silence, the various birds singing and nesting, thesundown, the mist, the skies, the aloneness, the chill. With the firespent, the poet uses a metafor for his beloved hut, the heart of hislover, a heart where one finds understanding and comfort.

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Coro Cima d`Oro

The choir Cima d`Oro (Choir of the Golden Peak) wasestablished in 1967 and is directed by Cristian Ferrari. Ithas 38 singers and an affiliated choir of 30 children. Ithas recorded two CD’s Ledro Canta (Ledro Sings) andTasi e Scolta (Be Quiet and Listen). The lyrics werewritten by Luciano Daldoss and the music by GiorgioBartoli, both members of the choir. They have sungthroughout Italy and Europe. Visit their website:www.corocimadoro.it. To hear this lovely song, go to theFilo’s website: filo.tiroles.com

Coro Cima D’Oro

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Our Cuisine: Gnocchi dei BoemiOur Cuisine: Gnocchi dei Boemihe people of the Ledro Valley were trapped between fronts in the ItalianTheater of World War I. The Ledro and Chiese valleys were caught inthe advance of the Italian army attempting to come up and thorughtheir valleys. Their villages were heavily bombarded and burned. As cit-

izens of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ledro Valley was evacuated. Theresidents of the Chiese Valley were move up above Tione, while those fromLedro repopulated in Bohemia and Moravia (now the Czech Republic). Duringthis time, they integrated in the life and culture of Bohemia. During thissojourn, the Trentini women learned new dishes and one of them was Gnocchidei Boemi (Bohemian Dumplings). This dish is a reminiscence of their exilemuch as the matzoh, the unleavened bread of the Israelites reminded themduring their own exile. Despite their sweetness, they can be served as a “primo piatto” - first dish - with either sauer-kraut or spezzatino or goulash.

Here are the ingredients: 4¼ cups of lour, 2¼ of milk, ¼ cup of vegtable oil,two eggs, one packet of dry yeast, dry pitted prunes and salt. For the topping,one melts butter (burro fuso) along with a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, andpoppy seeds (optional). Create a “sponge,” place the yeast in a small bowl, add¾ cup of lukewarm milk, wait 10 minutes and then add ½ cup of flour. Allowthe sponge to rise for ½ hour. Then, combine all the ingredients (except thebutter) either by hand or machine. Cover with a wet cloth and let the doughrise in a greased bowl for two hours. Then, roll and cut into strips and roll thestrips into pieces about 6 inches in diameter, place one or two pitted prunes,seal and roll into a sphere. Cover the spheres and let rise for an hour.

Place the spheres into boiling water adding salt and 2 tablespoons of oil.Boil for for 7-9 minutes. Remove them witha slotted spoon. Sprinkle them with sugar and cinnamon and then laddle the melted but ter (burro fuso

Many thanks to Valeria of the Hotel Maggiorina (www.albergomaggiorina.it) in Bezzecca of thei Ledro. She pro-vided me with a tutorial of how to make this special dish of the Val di Ledro.

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o fully appreciate thecareer of EusebioChini, one must knowa little about the Jesuit

Order in the 17th century. Today,there are mostly known for theirhigh schools and universities, butat the time they were the CatholicChurch’s “best and brightest”playing the role of scientist,scholar, linguist, explorer andmissionary. The Society of Jesuswas the world’s first international organization with out-posts from Japan and China in East Asia to the series ofmissions in the New World that Chini played a centralrole in creating. The Jesuits were often the critical link tospreading European culture throughout the world andbringing the knowledge of foreign cultures and landsback to Europe. While their religious function wasl cen-tral, they were the “Peace Corps” of its day. An excellentexample is Chini’s cousin, Martino Martini (anotherTrentini), an important missionary to China, and is con-sidered the “Father of Chinese Geography.”

Chini’s mission to Mexico and the American Southwestwas serendipitous. After completing his university edu-cation, excelling in science and mathematics, the King ofBavaria offered him a university teaching position.However, Chini, inspired by his cousin Martino, wishedto go to China. His superiors had a different idea:Mexico. He left the Tyrol in 1678 to join 17 Jesuit mis-sionaries. During this time, he conducted and publishedpioneering astronomical work on comets. In addition,during his first few years in Mexico, he served as the“royal cosmographer” for the Spanish government,

responsible for making both astral and geographicalmeasurements for the Spanish viceroy. Soon after arriv-ing in Mexico’s Atlantic Coast, he joined the expeditionof Admiral Atondo y Atillòn to Yaqui on the PacificCoast. Inspired by this journey, Chini became one of thefirst to suggest the possibilty of a man-made waterwayacross the Central American isthmus to join the Atlanticand Pacific Oceans, foreshadowing the construction ofthe Panama Canal. Chini would spend the rest of his lifeevangelizing the Yaqui, Seri and Guayama tribes ofMexico’s Pacific Coast and the American Southwest.During his ministry, this “Renaissance Man” showed thediversity of his talents and knowledge. He introducedanimal husbandry, particularly cattle, to the AmericanSouthwest. It is no small exaggeration that the Americancattle culture built on Chini original efforts as Spanishlonghorns migrated north. Chini also introduced cerealsand fruits from the Val di Non to the first cooperativecommunities he established among the tribes.

However, his greatest contribution was his skill as a car-tographer. At the time, Europeans knew little of thePacific Coast. Just as other explorers searched for a“Northwest Passage” through the Arctic, it was unknownwhether Baja California was a peninsula or an island.Chini was the first to establish its geographical form andhis original maps were copied throughout Europe.

Written by Alberto Chini. President, Museo di PadreEusebio Chini. Segno, IT

Chini: Renaissance Man Chini: Renaissance Man

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Chart of the Comet’s Transit from Chini’s Research

Map of Chini’s First Exploration

He wasn't the tallest manin the history of mankind- at least, not if it is truethat the Biblical giant

Goliath was six cubits and a palm tall,or ten feet, 6 inches. And RobertWadlow of Alton, Illinois measured inat eight feet, eleven inches. But from allwe know, Bernardo Gilli of Bezzeccawas a giant of a man. Born in 1726, attwenty, he stood eight feet, six inchestall. He was a gentle giant, so much sothat the people of Bezzecca called him“el popo” - in the local dialect, an affec-tionate term for a little boy. From hisyouth, he would amaze his fellowtownspeople with his strength, lifting acartload of hay with one hand. At nineteen, he joined thecircus. He was engaged by a high wire artist from Nomi,Giambattista Perghem, known as Carattà who hadreturned home from a long circus tour through the citiesof central Europe. Hearing that there was a “giant” liv-ing in the Ledro valley, he investigated and persuaded theyoung man's parents to entrust their son to him, as a sortof apprentice.

In those days, “freaks of nature” excited great interestand curiosity and the various circuses paid very dearly forthe opportunity to exhibit them in their sideshows. Infact there was cut-throat competition as to which circuscould obtain the most deformed or the strangest exam-ples - from a bearded lady to a furry ‘dog-man,’ to a pret-ty dwarf - a young lady who, at the age of twenty,weighed just under twenty pounds and was all of twentytwo inches tall. The American circus of P.T. Barnum,boasted of its Siamese twins and of its “Venus de Milo,”a beautiful young woman who had been born withoutarms. In short, these vagaries of nature aroused the inter-est of the crowds who eagerly paid to view them and thecircuses were most happy to exhibit them. BernardoGilli, docile from his youth, started to roam throughEurope at the age of twenty - from Madrid to Warsaw,from Rome to St. Petersburg. In every city, he attractedpaying crowds; at every exhibition he received applauseand tips. Because the strangeness of his height called foran exotic presentation, Carattà dressed “el popo” as aTurk and he himself adopted oriental attire. Dressed insilks and brocades, they appeared before princes, queens,

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El Popo . . . The Gentle GiantEl Popo . . . The Gentle Giantcardinals and even the Roman pontiff.This was the Age of theEnlightenment when witch trials andburnings at the stake were no longerhappening, and the world was transi-tioning to an Age of Reason.

With the money earned in the plazas ofEurope, the giant Gilli bought farm-land and pasture land in his valley. Hedispensed charity to his fellow towns-people, he lent money and he rentedout some of his property. He was wellliked because of this generosity. Hereached a weight of 386 pounds and tosupport his great mass, he had a sturdylounge chair constructed to measure.

He greeted all with a smile. “His face,” wrote his con-temporaries, “never showed any anger, but only reflectedthe good humor of a mountain man.” He wanderedthrough Europe with two servants and was treated as anobleman. Aware of his great size and his uniqueness, heleft instructions that at his death, all his flesh was to beremoved from his corpse and his skeleton was to begiven to science, “to preserve a perpetual memory of myextraordinary size.” He added that science should studythe skeleton's structure and hand down its findings toposterity. El Popo of Bezzecca died in 1791, at 55, and asurgeon of Riva was immediately called to remove theflesh from the cadaver. His skull (gigantic, needless tosay) and a femur ended up at the civic museum ofRovereto. These were displayed in a case (not built until1872!). Along with the bones were a single extra large silkstocking, his passport and a few other personal docu-ments. The First World War and a bomb which fell onthe museum, provided final, posthumous burial of thisgentle giant. What remains are only the memories and afew drawings executed over the course of a century.

Bernardo Gilli had a rather famous predecessor.Bartolomeo Bon, a peasant from Riva del Garda, whowas as large as “el popo.” He lived in the mid-1500's atthe court of Archduke Ferdinand II of the Tyrol. He wascalled Bartlmà and a wooden effigy of him, eight feet sixinches in length, can still be seen in the Hall ofArmaments of the castle of Ambras near Innsbruck.

Written by Alberto Folgheraiter, Trento, Italy

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Family Stories: The Bellotti’s Family Stories: The Bellotti’s y Nono and Nonna came to the UnitedStates to seek a better life for themselves.One sad day, a nine year old chimneysweep in Balbido, Austria, young Mario

Bellotti was told that his mother had died. He weptbriefly and returned to work. Born on August 30, 1893in Balbido, Austria he emigrated through Ellis Island atthe age of 17. He boarded at the home of Luigia Farinain Yatesboro, PA. where he had found work in the coalmines. There he met Ottavia Angeline Calieri, the sisterof Luigia and a cook from Milan. Ottavia was born onOctober 5, 1887 in Cavrasto, Austria. She and Mariowere married August 4, 1923 in St. Mary’s Church inYatesboro. They lived their entire lives there. First resid-ing in a company house owned by the mining company,they later moved down the hill to the house that theirdaughter, Adelaide Bellotti lives in today. Together theyraised three children during the Great Depression,Leviana, Adelaide and Alexander. Emma passed away asan infant.

Mario worked as a coal miner and enjoyed Tyroleanmusic. Massolin de Fiori was his favorite song. He madehomemade sausage and wine. He enjoyed bocce, playingmorra under his arbor and made tamburello to play withhis grandchildren. Calf-skin was stretched over a wood-en round circle to form a tambourine shaped racquet. Atennisball was hit back and forth outside. The crack ofthe ball against the tamburello still echoes in my ears. Heloved to tease us, by stealing our “noses” and playing asimple string game with his fingers. He would remind us

MM to “take off our gloves”before we ate; his way of ask-ing us to wash our hands.Each time my mother toldhim she was pregnant hewould make a smallAdirondack chair for the yardand stencil our names onthem. He made seven chairs;one for Guido, my dad, Lee,my mom and Mary Lou, Bob,Nancy, John and Dan. Afterthe mines closed he worked ina local Italian store, Roncher’s

Cheese House making homemade salami. Mario wonprizes for his gardens that were weed free and of greatvariety. He was an avid hunter and owned bird dogs. Hewas a member of the Yatesboro Hunting Club and waspart owner of a hunting camp in Elk County. On mymother’s birthday every November he would present herwith a woodcock or grouse.

Ottavia loved opera music as did my mother, Leviana.Once they were convinced to “demo” a radio beforemaking the purchase. Ottavia found the opera channeland she convinced Mario that they could afford the pur-chase. Upon the death of her mother she shut the radiooff for one year to mourn. Everyone was happy the daythe music was put back on. She was strict and forbadeher daughters to wear shorts for gym class. A woman ofstrong faith she walked to mass. Our Nonna was a won-derful cook. She had worked for rich people in Milan soher techniques in the kitchen were efficient and wastefree. She made meat ravioli served in chicken broth fromleftovers. She made bagna cauda at holidays. She madezabaglione by cracking eggs and measuring the Marsalain the eggshells. Every guest was offered a “coffee royal”made with a shot of whiskey and lots of sugar. One fre-quent guest was a missionary priest from Italy, Fr.Bonifacio Bolognani. He would say mass at St. Mary’sChurch in Yatesboro and invite the Trentini. He wouldvisit Adelaide at least once a year on his visits to the USA. Ottavia predeceased Mario. She passed on April 15,1955, I was barely two years old. Our Nono lived oneleven years passing on February 28, 1966. Luckily forme, and my 4 siblings we all have fond memories of him. Written by Mary Lou DeRosa of Fairfield, CT -Granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mario BellottiRear: Julia Farina, Tabia. Front: Mario Bellotti & Ottavia Bellotti

Mario Bellotti with his dog, Alba

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The Churches of LedroThe Churches of Ledrohen our Tyrolean relatives moved about their fields, when they lifted their eyes from tilling their fields,when they looked to the distance of their valleys, what did they see and behold? They saw churchsteeples and lovely churches embellished with frescoes and artifacts contributed by many over theyears. When they moved about their villages or led their cattle, they would meet lovely

shrines…capitelli or a crucifix. Looking up the mountainsides, they behold ancient castles replete with art from avariety of artists, castles where feudal lords meted out justice and exacted tithes on behalf of a higher authority. TheTrentino countryside is marked by architectural works complete with sculptures and paintings by skillful artists.When the town dwellers moved about their cities and towns, when the people from the countryside came to thesetowns for services or to transact their affairs, they passed edifices and monuments that boasted of charming art andsculpture and communicated a sense of continuity and harmony. Poor as they were, they had the riches of so muchart in their ordinary and everyday environments. So it is in the Val di Ledro..

Like most valleys, the Val di Ledro does not have museums of art but it has its churches where you have architec-ture, sculptures, frescoes and paintings.Whereas Ledro was associated with the Alta Garda and Riva, it became a sep-arate municipality combining the municipalities of Pieve di Ledro, Bezzecca, Concei, Molina di Ledro, Tiarno diSopra and Tiarno di Sotto. Similarly, the parishes with their churches were united as one pastoral entity with onlyone pastor. Beginning with top of the valley via Riva del Garda and descending down to Storo of the Val di Chiese,one encounters the following churches in order

Pieve di Ledro (Pop. 380) shares a church with Mezzolago, the church of the Anunciazione di Maria, mentioned inthe records in 1235 and rebuilt in 1750. It has 12 shrines in the interior, laden with silver, provided by the Ledro mer-chants living in Venice. Carlo Prati, the father of the poet Giovanni Prati of Dasindo of the Val delle GiudicarieBezzecca (Pop. 600) has the church of San Stefano dedicated in 1521. Next to the church, there is a memorial tothose who died in the battle with Garibaldi in 1866.

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Chiesa di Bezzecca Pieve di Ledro Pieve di Ledro

Chiesa di Mezzolago Chiesa di Prè Chiesa di Lenzumo

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Mezzolago- Its church is dedicated to St Michael the Archangel and is noted in 1537

Molina di Ledro (Pop. 1180) has the church of San Virgilio, the patron of the Tyrol. The church was built in 1758.It is has a tall campanile of granite

Pre` di Ledro (Pop. 200) has the church of San Giacomo Maggiore (St James the Great). It is mentioned in recordsof 1537. It adopted a baroque style in the middle of 1800’s, a style quite prevalent in many churches of the Tyrol.Outside, there stands a granite cross recalling the death of 27 of its inhabitants who died in the evacuation campsin Bohemia.C

Tiarno di Sotto (Pop. 691) has the church of San Bartolomeo, built in1862. Its bell tower is 72 m high and is distin-quished in the Trentino.Tiarno di Sopra (Pop. 1060) has the church of San Pietro e Paolo, enlarged in 1740 and rebuilt in 1939Biacesa (Pop. 230) has the ancient church of Sant`Antonio. It was rededicated in 1521 and rebuilt in the 1800’s.Legos has the church of SS. Trinità (Most Holy Trinity)Concei (Pop. 849) It constitutes one parish comprising the churches of Locca, Enguiso and Lenzumo. Their churchis located in Enguiso and is dedicated to the Presentation of Mary.

Written by Alberto Folgheraiter. A frequent contirbuer to the Filò, Alberto’s knowledge of the Trentino isextraordinary. He has just published a new book along with Gianni Zotta, a photo-journalist, I villaggi dai CaminiSpenti, (Villages of the Empty Chimneys), detailing the evolution of once vibrant villages into veritable ghost towns.It can be purchased by contacting the publisher, Curcu & Genovese. ww.curcugenovese.it

Chiesa di Tiarno di SopraChiesa di Enguzio Chiesa di Tiarno di Sotto

Help us find Tyrolean Americans . . .

We wish to reach as many Tyrolean-Americans as can be identified so that we might be able tobring them information and resources regarding their roots and ancestry. Please providenames of friends, relatives, familymembers os that we can begin sending the Filò on a regularbasis. Go to filo.tiroles.com and register on-line to recieve the magazine free of charge. Youmay also send your information to Filò Magazine, PO Box 90, Crompond, NY 10517 or faxthem to (914) 734-9644 or submit them by email to filo.tiroles@att.net.

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Ledro’s Prehistory: The PalafitteLedro’s Prehistory: The Palafittehile the Ledro Valley reflects somuch history of the past hun-dreds of year in their villages,but its pre-history exploded

into the awareness of the world in 1929. Whilethe lake was being lowered for the construc-tion of a hydro electric plant, there appearedover 10,000 pilings or stilts revealing the exis-tence of lake dwellers dating back to the StoneAge and the Bronze Age 70,000 to 50,000years ago. The Ledro lake dwellers were notbrutish in type like the Neantherdal man butquite intelligent and found that they could puttheir ideas of living better on the banks of alake than anywhere else. Such dwellings protected themfrom enemies and animals and provided them proximityto fish and water. This settlement spans the Stone Ageand reaches its height in the Bronze Age. There werefound a variety of objects that provide us with glimpsesof their way of living.

There are no human remains since they probably cre-mated their dead. stone was still used for a wide varietyof tasks combined with wood in a whole range of tools:arrows and axes and hoes. A neighbouring glaciermoraine provided crystal for beads. Volcanic stone, gen-erally granite, was comparatively widely used for hand-mills, clubs and hammers. The amber which regularlyrecurs on the site was clearly used for personal orna-ments. There is evidence that such objects were used tobarter trade with other lake settlements. They wove clothwith a loom with weights and spindles and dyed theircloth with vegetable dyes. Their food included the ani-mals of the woods, their domesticated animals, fish andoysters. They cooked vegetables and porridges of cereals. These food remains are founded encrusted in the dis-covered pots. Wood was used extensively and wasworked with confident skill and technique: the piles and

platforms of their houses and the pal-isade around the ledro settlement, themajority of household utensils, weaponsfor war and hunting, and canoes. Thecommonest objects are bowls, dishes,plates or the handles of unknown imple-ments - most probably used to preparefood. Weapons comprise clubs withspherical heads, throwing sticks andbows. The agricultural use of wood isevidenced in a plough with a sharply-pointed coulter and a pole for the beam..Animal horns of elk and their domesti-cated animals as well as bones became

hammers and punches, handles. The variety and quantityof pottery at Ledro is vast. Their type, shape and size dif-fer enormously. The coarse clay is broken down by theaddition of minerals to produce a paste which is oftendelicate, smooth and glossy. The colour is a monotonousblack, darkish brown or red, Of most common occur-rence are the large biconical-bodied jars used for storingfoodstuffs and decorated, almost without exception, inribbed patterns either incised into the body of the pot orapplied to its surface. They often encircle or spiral roundit in a style which survives to this day. There are many dif-ferent types of beakers, bowls and small cups. The imageof a person playing the harp suggests that they under-stood music. They had elements of religion and probablyworship their deities to celebrate the winter soltice withNew Year’s being the occasion of special festivities.

The Val di Ledro has constructed replicas of thedwellings as well as a museum where these many artifactsare displayed. Can it be said that these artifacts, cuisineand culture..as well as music of these lake dwellers werethe elements that created and fashioned our people?Who knows…mmmmm….? I think so.

WW

Statue of Harp Player found in Ledro

Artistic Depiction of the Ledro Settlement

Modern Reconstruction of the Palafitte

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Leggende: The Pagan MountLeggende: The Pagan Mountany are the legends surrounding thismountain which has always stirred theimagination, the attention and the affec-tion of the people of the Valley of

Ampola. Why is it that here and there, near the top, thereare large iron ring embedded in the rock of this highpeak which rises from the Ledro valley near the plains ofthe river Chiese? Legend gives us an explanation.

In the times when the Romans dominated this area, agarrison was posted on this peak. From there, they over-looked the whole valley, guarding it against possibleattacks by barbarian hordes. One day though, a troop ofenemies besieged the Roman garrison. The Romans didnot become aware of the mad pack until it was too lateand the mountain was about to fall into the hands of thebarbarian army. The odds were against the Romans -theywere outnumbered by ten to one, or even, some say, by ahundred to one! The affair would surely have concludedwith a massacre of the entire garrison. But, suddenly,unexpectedly, there was a sound - the loud rat-a-tat of a woodpecker pecking away at a tree trunk and issuing anappeal to all the birds in the vicinity. From the top of themountain there rose a flock of crows, black as night,

which hovered over the battle scene. "WOW! Look atthat!" yelled one of the Romans. "the crows! the crowsare flying over us. The gods have sent them as messen-gers, urging us to resist. and to win!" So it was that thissmall group of desperate men regained their will andtheir strength, and, protected by divine forces, succeededin routing the barbarians. These same Romans, after theirvictorious battle, pounded some large rings into the rockof the mountain as a thanksgiving offering to the gods.Thereafter the peak became known as the Pagan Mount.

From that moment a priest of Saturn lived on the moun-tain to defend its sacredness. The last of the priests, feel-ing threatened by the Christians, hid the temple treasure(Some say it was a Golden Calf!) in a cave on the PaganMount and entrusted its care to a nymph.

Several centuries later, a young doctor happened upon

the nymph and fell madly inlove with her. However,some peasants discoveredthe lovers. The nymph,thinking she had beenbetrayed, killed the youngdoctor and disappeared for-ever, along with the treasure.

MM

Verena De Paoli majored and specialized in the conservation ofthe cultural heritage of theTrentino. She has published eightbooks on the topic and has recitedthese stories to her four children.

The Pagan Mount - Val D’Ampola

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Introduction to the Val di Ledro Introduction to the Val di Ledro he Val id Ledro is a very quiet holiday resortsituated between the rocky towers of theBrenta Dolomites and the olive gardens onLake Garda. The mountain landscape is char-

acterized by the turquoise blue of Lake Ledro that is sur-rounded by the beautiful green thick woods and mead-ows. The Ledro Valley is located to the south west of theTrentino. The valley is connected with the Val di Chiese- Valley of the Churches - through the gorge of Ampolacarved by the river Palvico. A vehicular tunnel of 3600meters connects Ledro to Alta Garda, the hilly area andvillages above Riva del Garda. The Lago di Ledro - theLake of Ledro - with its characteristic blue color is locat-ed in the center of the valley. It is served the creekMassangla. It also serves as a reservoir that supplieswater to the hydroelectric power station of Riva delGarda.

Ledro is derived from the Roman names for the ancientinhabitants Leutrenses. The formation and consequentshape of the Valley is pre-alpine…created by glacialforces. Beyond geology, Ledro has the traces and evi-dence of a strong human presence during the NeolithicCopper Age. The evidence is the finding of 10,000 polesthat emerged when the Lake, the Lago di Ledro, was low-ered to construct a hydro-electric plant in Riva del Garda.These poles, referred to as paleofitti, were the pilings oflake dwellings attesting to the human dwellings makingthe Lago di Ledro one of the largest prehistoric sites dis-covered throughout Europe. There is a replica of such adwelling that serves a museum of that history.

At one time, Ledro was united administratively with theAlta Garda and the Garda Lake area. It is now separateand autonomous and comprises six muncipalities:Bezzecca, Concei, Tiarno di Sopra, Tiarno di Sotto, Pievedi Ledro and Molina di Ledro.

The Ledro Valley was the theater of two wars that lefttheir marks on the valley and its people. In 1866, duringthe third war of Independence of the Regno d`Italia, theItalian forces reached Bezzecca where Garibaldi foughtthe Austrian forces but withdrew at the command ofVictor Emannuel. The Valley was the border and frontierto Italy and was swept up in the hostilities of the WorldWar I. In 1915, while still the ancient Tyrol and belong-ing to the Austrian Hungarian Empire, the valley was awar zone with the Italian Army to its south. The people

were evacuated and moved to camps located inBohemia/Moravia (Czech Republic) and Austria.Villages were bombed and burned. To this day, onecomes upon dugouts and fortifications in both the vil-lages and in high areas of the mountains.

Ledro was well known for the production of broche:nails for carpentry and hob nails for shoes. (See article onpage…). This special and unique industry lasted two cen-turies and transformed the less productive agro-forestry-pastoral work into ironworks that required fur-naces, craftsmen, transportation and charcoal makers.The wooded areas of the valley supported this workquite adequately and thus provided an element of pros-perity. The valley relies heavily on tourism fueled by thebeautiful lake, its mountaineering opportunities, hikingtrails and entertainment.

There are two favorite dishes of the Valley…la polentacon le patate…and gnocchi dei Boemi…The latter dishthat they learned in their evacuation exile in Bohemiaduring the World War I.

TT

19

Val di Ledro

22

The ‘Merica of ColoradoThe ‘Merica of ColoradoAs we discussed in previous articles in Filò,a large percentage of Tyrolean emigrantsbetween 1880 and 1920, found employmentin the expanding American mining industry.

The transformation of the peasants from the Trentinointo miners occurred in various areas. But the most fas-cinating locales were the mines of Colorado and NewMexico - perhaps because of the breathtaking scenery, ormaybe due to the romantic images of the Far West asportrayed in Hollywood films.

In reality, except for a very small minor-ity of adventurers, notably the goldprospectors, who arrived in the valleys ofsouthern Colorado in the 1870's, mostemigrants experienced hard labor, 12hour work shifts, extreme living condi-tions, and a poverty not much differentfrom what they had left behind. "Knowthat things are bad all over Merica (theTyrolean dialect omits the 'A' inAmerica). Here we see many unem-ployed and poverty worse than in ourown villages. For those who have thou-sands, it's Merica, but for poor people it'smisery!" Thus wrote Nicolò Andreattato his sister Caterina from Central City in1919.

The history of the development of the Colorado miningindustry is tied to the vision and enterprise of a retiredCivil War general, William Jackson Palmer. As a Unioncavalryman, he was the recipient of the highest militarydecoration, the Medal of Honor. In civilian life, Palmerwas a railroad engineer, trained in France and England,and on the eve of the war, he had been entrusted withthe development of the railroad infrastructure inPennsylvania. Returning after his military service, hemoved to the West, where he founded his own railroad,the Denver & Rio Grande Railway (D&RG). He wasconvinced - and rightly so - that the rapid developmentof a railroad network toward the Pacific, and southwardtoward Mexico, would dramatically increase the demandfor steel.Therefore it was his aim to create a self suffi-cient industrial complex to support the growth of his lit-tle empire, from mining the coal, to the production ofsteel, and on to laying the tracks for the growth of theD&RG, all at reduced cost. To this end, a number of

AA closed companies were started in order to guaranteeaccess to the natural resources, i.e. water and coal, thatwere necessary for the production of steel. These com-panies - Central Colorado Improvement Company,Southern Colorado Coal and Town Company, andColorado Coal and Steel Works - were ultimately mergedinto the Colorado Coal and Iron Company in 1880.

During that same time period, another industrial pioneer,John Osgood, was assigned to evaluate the potential of

various carboniferous areas in Colorado,on behalf of the Chicago, Burlingtonand Quincy Railroad. For a few years, hevisited every mine in Colorado, and real-izing their potential, he proceeded toacquire both property and mineral rightsfrom the recently established State ofColorado. In 1887, Osgood founded theColorado Fuel Company, and after justfive years, the two giant rivals mergedinto the Colorado Fuel and IronCompany, under his leadership. Formany years it was the largest privateemployer in Colorado. In the last years ofthe 19th Century, however, the companyundertook a modernization project withlarge investments in new machinery - aproject which 'dried up' its liquidity andbrought it to the brink of bankruptcy.

The much needed recapitalization and an infusion ofready cash came from John D. Rockefeller, Sr., whogained majority control and retained it until the 1940's.As a result of the systematic exploitation of the veins ofcoal, starting in 1800, dozens of company towns sprangup - starting with Colorado Springs, founded by Palmer,then El Moro, Starkville, Sopris (near Trinidad), Walsen,Rouse, and Hezron (near Walsenberg) and many more.These towns were established for the sole purpose ofextracting and processing coal around centers served bythe Denver and Rio Grande Railway.

The growth of these towns went through three distinctphases: the first, or pioneering stage, from about 1880 tothe turn of the century, when the quality of life and theworking conditions depended almost entirely on the abil-ity and the initiative of the local mine supervisor; the

23

second, or 'paternalistic' phase, from 1900 to the GreatDepression, when the companies became directlyinvolved in the training and socialization, i.e.'Americanization', of the work force; and the final phaselasting until the 1950's, marked by the decline, and ulti-mate closure of the mines, due to the decreased demandfor coal in the economy.

During the first phase, the immigrants were mainly fromNorthern Europe, single, very mobile men, who had lit-tle interest in establishing a long term community.Starting around 1900, this pattern changed - immigrantsfrom Southern Europe began to arrive en masse. Theseimmigrants either arrived as families or had their familiesjoin them as soon as economic conditions permitted,thus creating mini-societies in every mining camp. TheColorado Mine Company established its SociologicalDepartment in 1901 and it remained in operation until1915. Its objective was to oversee all matters relating toeducation, sanitary conditions and any other issues con-tributing to the quality of life. The quality of life, how-ever, was overshadowed by the very harsh conditions ofthe underground work. Tens of thousands of minerswere killed or hurt in the very frequent explosions causedby pockets of methane gas, by tunnel collapses, and byfires - and there was no insurance. Until the strikes of1913 and 1914, the mining companies were not heldresponsible for any 'incidents' underground. These werealways attributed to a worker's negligence, or simply tothe laws of chance. Even if a miner had the good for-tune to avoid such disasters, he would most likely

develop permanent lung damage or back problems.

The demand for coal from Colorado started to declineafter the First World War. From 1920 onward, petroleumderivatives were widely used in American industry as analternative to coal. Despite a brief revival during WorldWar II, the decline led to the close of the mines, oneafter the other. In 1954, the total production fromColorado was three million tons, the smallest tonnagesince 1889. Many Tyrolean had returned home between1900 and 1910, only to return after World I. Theyreturned not as adventurers in search of a quick fortune,but as integrated citizens in a new society, a society nolonger dependent on coal.

Luca Angeli, a ten year resident of Chicago and a direct descendent of one of the thousands ofTyrolean coal miners in Colorado in the early 1900's. After much research, Luca has created a website,www.rouse1906.com, dedicated to the mining community of Rouse. The aim of the site is to preservecollective memories - letters, photos, and documents from the descendents of miners of that specificcommunity. If anyone wishes to contribute to this site, or wishes to establish a site for another community, Luca may be reached luca_rsna@yahoo.it.

Mario Bellotti. Yatesboro, PA

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Family Stories: The Crosina’s Family Stories: The Crosina’s y grandfather, FedericoCrosina, first immi-grated to the UnitedStates in 1890. My Zia

Regina was born I 1890 and so mygrandmother, Aida (Donati) waiteduntil she was two before she joinedhim. What courage they had to moveto a new country where customs andpeople were unfamiliar. When theyarrived in New York City, they weremet and taken to North Adams,Massachusetts. Nonno had arrangedfor them to board with anotherTyrolese family so Nonna had womento talk to and share fears and values.They moved several times as theirfamily increased, but always in thesame neighborhood. When theybought their home, Nonna took in boarders to helpfinancially and the girls helped with the house cleaningand cooking. The two older girls helped in the kitchenand they were fantastic cooks. The three younger girlscleaned the house and were not good cooks. What ashame! Zio Alfred, the only son, was born about thistime. Three of the daughters lived in apartments thatNonno had made. The other two lived close by. Wewould gather every Friday and Saturday night to visitwith Nonno and Nonna, We kids would listen to thegrown-ups talk or we would read magazines and thenNonna would get out the Tombola game. We loved toplay cards or Tombola with us. Nonno would disappearinto the basement to work on his photography or listento music. He was an accomplished musician and couldplay the piano, trumpet, violin and the mandolin andgave music lessons to many of the neighborhood chil-dren. Very few of the grandchildren learned to play aninstrument. He was far too strict with us – more so thanwith the other students. He organized an Italian march-ing band and they marched in many of the parades andat Italian festivals. Every Saturday afternoon, he and Iwould sit by the radio and listen to the opera.

My love for music and gardening came from my visitswith Nonno. Unfortunately, Nonna was beyond thecooking stage so many of the Tyrolean recipes are gone.It is such a loss for our family. I can remember as a childgrowing up, spending every Friday and Saturday evening

MM in Nonna’s Kitchen. All her familywould gather together. The grown-ups would talk and the children wouldlisten or read the magazines that werealways at the table. Then, Nonnawould get the bag with the Tombolaballs and jiggle it. That was the signalfor us to either play Tombola or cards.Nonno would get angry and storm outof the room. I remember when wefirst entered Nonna’s kitchen, youcould always smell the pot of soup shealways had simmering on the back ofher wood-burning stove, made fromthe 10-cent soup bone that she alwayssent me down to buy at the store . . .and always I had to make two trips tothe store because the first soupbonewas not large enough.

Nonna got a lot of comfort and joy by having her fami-ly close enough to visit. She seldom went out of thehouse except to sit on the porch and enjoy the view. I doremember friends coming to visit – the Vivaldi’s, Mrs.Risatti, the Rosasco’s and many more. She enjoyed thecompany and she would always put on coffee and havecookies. They would talk the afternoon away.

Nonno enjoyed gardening, music, reading, photographyand some woodworking. He seemed to be more intel-lectually inclined whereas Nonna’s interest lay mainlywith the house, family and neighborhood. Nonno didnot interact very much with his daughters or grandchil-dren. He was not easy to show any loving emotion. Ithink, outside of Alfred, his only son, I was the closestto him. Although I would not call it a warm, close rela-tionship. We shared a love for music and gardening andreading and I think he liked that.

When my Zio Alfred died at the young age of 40 yearsold, Nonno became even more distant. It seemed likehis only loving contact with everyone died with him. Ifelt like I had lost a Nonno too.

Written by Lois Benvenuti, North Adams, MA

Federico & Aida Crosina

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Family Stories: The Mora’s Family Stories: The Mora’s he Mora family is tracedback to our great-grand-father, Bernardo Mora(1831-1906). He married

Giustina (Segoc) Mora (1838-1921)on January 14, 1871. They had ninechildren. Teresa Maria, EgidioBernado, Giuseppe, AttilioBeniamino, Caterina Luigia, EdvigeMaria, Lorenzo Claudio and SantoGiovanni. Egidio, Attilio, Edvige andLorenzo immigrated to the US in1915. They settled in Chicago, IL.The men worked in various capaci-ties for Pullman Co. Egidio marriedMargherita Casari, Tiarno di Sotto onJanuary 19, 1910; they had two chil-dren Dirce Eufrasina (1910-1996) and Corrado Bernardo(1912-2003). Egidio, a widower, married MargheritaLaura Ferrari (1877-1969) of Pieve de Ledro onFebruary 5, 1921; they had one daughter Giustina Teresa(1922-2001). In 1932 Margherita, Dirce, Corrado andGiustina (aka Teresa) migrated to the US and lived inChicago for awhile before moving to Windsor, CA.Dirce Mora married Pierino Mini (Swiss Alps) in May1938. After she married, she moved to Vallejo, CA. Theyhad no children but she was the happy aunt of eightnieces and nephews. She worked most of her life in foodservices and was very involved in the OSIA.

She was a founder and first President of the NapaLodge. Dirce never returned to her homeland. CorradoMora married Evelyn Arietta (Cosenza, Calabria) on May30, 1942. He and his family resided in Vallejo, CA. Theyhad three daughters, Teresa Margaret, Mary Louise andEvelyn Flora. Corrado worked most of his adult life atMare Island Naval Shipyard until he retired in 1973. Hereturned to his homeland with two of his daughters,Teresa and Mary in 1987. The majority of time was spentin Bezzecca and Pieve di Ledro with family members andfriends. At that time they were able to visit first cousinson both sides. Teresa and Evelyn live in Napa, CA. andMary lives in Fairfield, CA. Giustina (Mora) marriedRicardo Ottavio Olivieri (Corona, Liguria) on January 26,1941 in Vallejo, CA. In 1942, they moved to Napa, CAwhere all five of their children were born; MargaretAnna, Richard Anthony (1948-1994), John Lawrence,Rosalie Mary and Michael Louis. They all reside in Napa.

Teresa and Ricardo bought a smallfarm and worked the land. Teresa, ahomemaker, was very active in theOSIA and served as treasurer for NapaLodge for over 35 years. Teresa neverreturned to her homeland. DaughterMargaret visited the region inSeptember 2013. She met first cousin,Alfio Mora in Bezzecca and her secondcousins, the Spagnoli Family (Ferrari) inPieve di Ledro. Margherita FerrariMora was a homemaker. She was awonderful mother and grandmotherand loved children. She was patientwith the young and taught them goodhabits. She was a great help to Teresa,especially in helping her to raise her five

children. She lived with her daughter Dirce until Egidiopassed in 1947. She moved to Napa to live with Teresashe until she passed in 1969. Attilio Mora stayed in theUS for a short time and later returned to Bezzecca andthere he worked as a mechanic. He was married twice butnever had children. Edvige married Clemente Mora andthey had two boys, Evo and Lorenzo. Unable to havechildren, Evo and wife Connie adopted a baby girl fromItaly in 1960. Lorenzo and wife Fleming had no children.

All of them remained in the Chicago area until theirpassing. Lorenzo married Rose Ariasi (Truckee, CA.)They settled in Santa Rosa, CA. They had three boys,Clemente (Clem), Lawrence (Nini) and Bernard(Barney). Clem and wife Ellen (Windsor) have four chil-dren, Clem (aka Boots), James (Jimmy), Mary Ellen andMaureen. Lawrence married Margaret (Windsor CA.)and they had a daughter, Dawn, two boys Timmy andLawrence (aka Robsie), they also adopted a daughter,Judy. Barney married Mary (Santa Rosa) they did nothave children. Some still live in the Santa Rosa area. Wegrew up with strong Tyrol/Italian (Trentino) values. Wewere taught to be frugal, respectful and appreciative ofwhat we have. We attribute this to our culture,Tyrol/Italian. The thing we agree most on is the foodand how much time is spent in preparing and enjoying itwith friends and family. Both of us have wonderfulmemories of our visits to and look forward to returning.

Written by Teresa (Cassari-Mora) Bean & Margaret(Ferrari-Mora) Olivieri, Napa, CA.

TT

Back: Dirce, Corado; Front: Antionio,Margherita; Standing Front: Giustina Teresa

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Tyrolean Baggage . . . Tyrolean Baggage . . . ur emigrant parents, nonni e nonne…pae-sani brought their things in a variety of suitcases and trunks….and there was yetanother “baggage” or tool kit ... a real pos-

sesion that was not visible or evident…but quite real andimportant. It was their literacy, their ability to read andwrite. This important skill was a gift from the Tyrol aswas their work ethic and seriousness that according toFather Bonifacio Bolognani, our apostle and biographerand historian, it made our people “preferred workers”.The Tyrol enjoyed a much more developed educationsystem than other areas of Italy. For example, whilenearly all Tyrolean emigrants were literate, over 80 per-cent of Italians were illiterate at the time.

The Tyrol had theenlightened and benev-olent Maria Theresa ofAustria, a Hapsburg.She was the only femaleruler of the Habsburgdominions and the lastof the House ofHabsburg. She was thesovereign of Austria,Hungary, Croatia,Bohemia, Mantua,Milan, Lodomeria andGalicia, the AustrianNetherlands and Parma.

By marriage, she was Duchess of Lorraine, GrandDuchess of Tuscany and Holy Roman Empress. Awareof the inadequacy of bureaucracy in Austria and, inorder to improve it, Maria Theresa reformed education.On December 6, 1774, Maria Theresa issued ilRegolamento scolastico generale (AllgemeineSchulordnung). In December 1774 Maria Theresa issuedthe General Regulations of the school. These new regu-lations were referred to as the La Riforma Teresiana.These rules dictate that every child was entitled to aneducation, girl or boy, in every place and differentoriginsIn a new school system based on the Prussianone, all children of both genders from the ages of six totwelve had to attend school. Education reform was metwith hostility from many villages; Maria Theresa crushedthe dissent by ordering the arrest of all those opposed.The municipalities, in the smallest villages were obligedto guarantee the instruction of both the boys and girls.

Each village estab-lished a school to teachthe three “R”s: reading,writing and arithmetic.These schools werecommon in rural vil-lages who adopted asingle classroom modelfor all students fromage six to twelve.Larger cities had“main” schools thattaught subjects beyondthe three “R”s, such as Latin, history, science, geography,geometry and sketching. The reform also created “nor-mal” schools for the training of teachers to staff the neweducation system.The local municipalities had to findlocal people to serve as teachers and to provide subsidiesfor their stipends. In the absence of trained teachersthroughout the territory, ordained priests assumed thatrole and function of instruction. The ordained priests,although not trained as teachers, had greatest amount ofeducation by virtue of their seminary education.

Many of us in our community might recall how our par-ents or nonni would sit at the kitchen tables to write theirletters to their relatives in the Province with that charac-teristic Italianate handwriting…and upon receiving a let-ter from Italy what joy they had as they would read andre-read these messages from their loved ones. Might youalso remember them reading from Italian prayer booksand possibly in thebigger cities Italiannewspapers or theRisveglio and occa-sional reading ofmaterials from theProvince or papersfrom the Italianconsulate. Readingand writing wereindeed precious“baggage” thatserved our people.

Written by Tomaso Iori, Curator of the MuseoScuola, Rango, Italy

OO

Schoolroom in Rango (Giudicarie)

Maria Theresa

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Nos Dialet . . . Our Dialect # 7Nos Dialet . . . Our Dialect # 7in…din…Dialect class is in session. The Trentino dialect is basically phonetic. It does have its conju-gation of verbs…barely. It does not follow whatsover Italian rules of grammar and syntax…then, itsimply is not Italian nor did it ever try to be. The generic Trentino or Tyrolean dialect was the languageand special possession of the Province further distinquished in pronunciation and some distinctive

words according to the individual valley. One characteristic is that it does not pronunce doubles e.g.sofio..mata…anelo instead of soffio, matta or anello. Due to the exceptional literacy of our people on account ofMaria Theresa (see adjoining article), they wrote in italian but whoever writes in dialect (as I insist on doing!) will findthat people have difficulty in reading and processing the sentences. Why does the Filò try to “teach” it? Rather itattempts to recollect the words and possibly the sounds to recall how our people spoke in the very own and dis-tinctive way. Recently, Dale Andreatta from Ohio wrote that the word “teston” in the vocabulary display practicallyrecreated the voice of his dad saying that very word to him. Someone else wrote that Valà…(You don`t say…) wasexpression of his nonni…Perhaps as we join them someday al di la…in the beyond, they will first emphatically sayto us…Ma valà….

devildifficultneitheryoung mana bunch of thingspigpearbuffonmorepauperbreakurinetappedhumidbitteragainvinegarlarge piece of woodsmall kiss

diavolodifficile neancagiovanemiscuglioporcelloperabuffonepiùpoverosprezzareurinatapatosoffocatoamaroancoraacetoasse largabaccino

diaoldifizilgnancajovenmisiotporcelpirpaiazopuporinscavezarpipistupàstofechamarotamóaséasonbasin

DD

Do consider going to the web site of the Museo degli Usi e Costumi della Gente Trentina (TheMuseum of the Ways and Customs of the Trentino People) to hear film clips of people in theProvince speaking the dialect…

Here is their website http://www.museosanmichele.it/alfabeto-delle-cose/

Mi son stàTi te sei stàLu l`è staNoi sem stadiVoi sè stadiLori i è stadi

(Io sono stato)(Tu sei stato)(Egli è stato)(Noi siamo stati)(Voi siete stati)(Essi sono stadi)

Vocabulary & PhrasesDialect is in RED; Italian in BLUE; English in BLACK

Mi sonte stà?Te set stà?Lu elo sta?Noi sente stadi?Voi sè stadi?Lori ei stadi?

Tasi e scolta. Taci e ascolta. Keep quiet and listen.

Far presa. Far fretta. Hurry up!

No ghe la fago pu. Non lo faccio più. I cannot handle it.

Scominzio `l libro. Incomincio il libro. I began to read.

Cossa ghe sarà a disnar. Che c’e da mangiare oggi. Whatis there to eat today?

Cossa dirà la zent? Che dirà la gente? What will peoplesay?

Quando me son desmissià, ero sudà. Quando mi sonosvegliato, ero sudato. When I awoke, I was soaked (withsweat).

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Our Emigrants and the UnionsOur Emigrants and the Unionsne characteristic of the Trentini and otherimmigrants from Northern Italy, which setthem apart from those from Southern Italy,was that they accepted unionization, join-

ing the unions en masse - a fact that may have kept themout of the clutches of criminal organizations. It is inter-esting to note that the unionization of Trentini inAmerica was approved by the Catholic Church ofTrento, which certainly did not do so at home where theyfeared the Socialistic ideas that unions were spreadingamong the working classes. In 1912, G. Rossi, a priest,circulated, in the Trentino and in their colonies abroad, abooklet entitled 'Vademecum - Advisory to theEmigrant'. The booklet, among other subjects, urged the

workers to join the unionsand if possible, to shun thebig American cities, where,it was feared, they wouldlose their faith. It alsoadvised them to avoid themines where they mightlose their health. In themines, life was usually diffi-cult - hard work, which wasoften injurious to theirhealth, and marginal andoften unsanitary housing.

These conditions were not wholly the fault of theemployers. The workers themselves often willinglyaccepted the harsh working conditions, lured by the mythof big money - those dollars, which sent back home, atfavorable exchange rates, would rescue their familiesfrom ruin. With the dollars and the francs, marks,Argentine pesos and Brazilian reis, the Italian Tyrol wasable to survive the severe economic crises of 1870through 1890.In the 1890's, cooperative banks began tospring up in the small towns of the Dolomites. The firstwas in the Bleggio region, inspired by Don LorenzoGuetti. But who, in these small mountain communitiescould put money into the bank? Only the emigrants. Themoney they sent home gave strength to the economy andpermitted its modernization.

Between 1890 and the First World War, the press in theTrentino printed numerous reports concerning the diffi-culties in the American mines. First, there were the min-ing 'incidents' - some Trentini lost their lives in disastersat Vulcan, Colorado in 1896; at Galouss, New Mexico

in 1901; and at the Union Pacific mine in Wyoming in1903. At least 25 perished in Trinidad, Colorado in 1907.Not a week went by without some mention of a minerlost in a tunnel collapse or an explosion. In addition tothe disasters, there was silicosis, called 'la Prussiera' in theTrentino dialect, which took the lives of men at the ageof 50, 40 or even 30. Just one example: the newspaper 'IlTrentino', in its issues of December 11th and 15th, 1911,reported the death of the last of seven brothers, theMarchetti's of Dovena in the Non valley. They were allvictims of the mines - the oldest was just 44.

At home these workers were pious churchgoers, submis-sive to the clergy, which sought to distance them fromthe lures of the labor movement and Socialism. Once inthe United States, however, they embraced new ideas,becoming socially and politically conscious. Some photo-graphs arrived back home, showing some miners fromthe Non valley, decked out in Masonic robes. At the timethe Masons were the great enemies of Catholicism! Butit was the unions which educated the workers as to theirrights and the Trentini not only joined the unions butdistinguished themselves by their activism. In 1893, inWeir City, Kansas, the miners rebelled, striking and caus-ing damage to the mines. The military were called in andfired upon the demonstrators. But a union representativelet the crowd know that 200 workers - Italians, Tyroleansand blacks - were on their way from Colorado to lendsupport. In 1905, a Trentino union member in Coloradowas killed by the police. The American working class,resisting the great power of the mine owners, oftenlaunched strikeswhich lasted days or even months. Thestrikers could persevere only with the solidarity of theirfellow workers, who collected and distributed food, med-icine and clothing. In the end, many would move on toanother mine, or another state, or back to the Tyrol. Butthose who stayed on were changed. A miner from Nonwrote home in 1897, "How many poor people withoutwork, without money, without bread! The poverty in theUnited States is awful and if the millionaires don't help,you will soon hear of chaos in North America. It won'tbe pretty for the workers, but it will not be much betterfor the rich, because the poor outnumber the rich. Inshort, either raise our wages or there will be civil war.”

Evidence of this new social awareness on the part of theAmerican miners was soon seen in the Trentino. In 1908,striking miners at Canal San Bove received dollars from

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the American workers and later, more dollars from theUSA were sent to striking woodworkers in Valle diFiemme. Mutual aid societies were founded by Tyroleanworkers at Black Hawk, Dilsunville, Premier, and Soprisin Colorado, and at Kemmer, Diamondville, andCambria in Wyoming. The mine and the United States ofAmerica were radically changing those mountain men -and not always for the better. From the newspapers ofTrento, we learn not only of Tyroleans killed in theStates, but of Tyrolean killers - almost unheard of athome. At Atlas, Pennsylvania, in 1910, a Trentino wassentenced to death for homicide, and in 1913, someTrentino miners were found guilty of stealing $100,000worth of minerals from the mine. The America of arro-gant capitalism, uncontrolled development, big cities andconsumerism, changed the soul of these men who hadleft their small communities -poor and isolated in theirmountains, and a society organized around their faith,their small properties and their family. Antonio Scaglia,from Storo, arrived in Cambria, Wyoming in 1903. Formany years he sent money back to his parents, workingboth in the mines and on the railroad. He became anAmerican citizen and married a local woman, who gavehim a son. In 1917, the American government sent himback to Europe, to fight the Austrians, whose armyincluded his own brothers. On his return, he rediscov-ered that American society was quite unlike the society ofthe Trentino. He wrote home, "My wife had changed andI left her and the government gave me a divorce."America, a new society, a new culture!

The children of the miners could go into business orwork in offices or in factories. The miners' wives fre-quently took in boarders - other miners, relatives or fel-low townsmen, providing them food and lodging, anddoing their laundry. Often the wives earned more thantheir husbands did. Some miners, especially those whose

families had joined them, established saloons and smallhotels. The United States was large - a whole continent!If there was no work in one state, you tried your luck inanother - in Alaska, for instance, some Trentini joinedthe Gold Rush. In 1897, two brothers from Brez in theVal di Non, left for the Yukon. Others from Creto inValle del Chiese, went to Dawson and later to the Sewardpeninsula. One worker from Transacqua, GiovanniDell'Antonia, went back to the Trentino after his ownquest for gold and was thereafter known as 'Laska'.

Other Trentini came to the States to become factoryworkers. A large number of them found work inSyracuse and in Solvay, New York. While Hazelton,Pennsylvania employed the greatest number of Tyroleanminers - 2000 in 1911 - it was Solvay which absorbed themost factory workers. The Trentino-American author,Rita Cominolli, wrotean excellent book, 'SmokestacksAllegro, the Story of Solvay, a Remarkable IndustrialImmigrant Village, 1880-1920'. She relates that in 1900,2500 of Solvay's 7000 residents were of Trentino origins.

For Trentini immigrants, American life was not easy.Initially they came up against a society that was very dif-ferent from their own, where they had to take on heavyand often unhealthy work. Often they were looked downupon as 'dagos' the disparaging term for Italians. To dis-tinguish themselves from other Italians, they formedTyrolean Clubs, dedicated to Franz Joseph and toAndreas Hofer. For the first generation, it was a wrench-ing transplant to the new world - homesickness, thank-less work, and even physical suffering. But what hurt themost was the realization that their children were nolonger 'us' - they were becoming part of 'them', speakinganother language and adhering to a new way of life, withdifferent family and religious values. Nevertheless, thesepeople were grateful to the United States for havinggiven them work and the possibility to put down roots.Above all they had a new dignity. The Trentino peasanthad been on the lowest rung of the social ladder, withfew, if any, opportunities to scale that ladder. In America,instead, if they worked hard, they would prosper andachieve higher economic and social success.

Renzo Grosselli is a noted journalist ofL’Adige the main newspaper of theTrentino. He has researched the historyof emigration from the Trentino and haspublished the book L’Emigrazione dalTrentino dall Medioevo all Prima GuerraMondiale (Trentino Emigration from theMiddle Ages to the First World War).

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Ledro: Fields of Flowers & BattleLedro: Fields of Flowers & Battlehe Alps of Ledro are a small group of peakssituated in the southernmost region of thewestern Trentino. On the south, they borderon Lombardy and on the west, with the Valli

Giudicarie. On the north lies Bleggio and Giudicarie andon the east is the Sarca valley and the Trentino segmentof Lake Garda, the largest lake basin in Italy. The peaksof the Ledro Alps are not particularly high - few are over2000 meters. The chain encircling Val Concei, withMonte Cadria at 2254 meters, are the highest of thisgroup. On the southern tier, the highest peak is Monte Tremalzo at 1974 meters. The streams running downthese mountains all flow into the Lake of Ledro, a gemof a lake, which since the 1930's has been used forhydroelectric purposes. But it remains a jewel, set in thegreen of the mountains, and it's the place to cool offduring the summer months. This region has no greatattraction for alpinists. Rather, it is a paradise for hikersand it attracts naturalists and history buffs. The natural-ists come because of the rare botanical specimens foundhere - over 1500 different plant species have been identi-fied. Due to an altitude variation of 2000 meters over 15kilometers, the vegetation ranges from Mediterraneanflora at the base to alpine landscapes at higher altitudes.The low altitude plants are best observed from thePonale path, the old road around the lake, built byGiacomo Cis in 1852 and up until 20 years ago, the onlyaccess road to the Ledro valley from the area of LakeGarda. As one climbs up from the lake, its influencediminishes and the vegetation changes. We pass throughstands of beeches, then through Alpine conifer woods tothe fields strewn with edelweiss and primula at the top.Botanists from all over Europe come to Monte Tremalzoto study the large number of rare plants found there. Inthe spring, the pastures are covered with lilies, gentians,bachelor buttons, and numerous species of orchids withtheir unique colors and scents- the small Bordeauxorchid smells like chocolate and vanilla. In summer,therocks and gravel beds are carpeted with the beautifulfuchsia, silene elisabethae, (named after GrandduchessElizabeth, the wife of the Viceroy of Lombardy-Venetia), as well as with the blues of rock primrose andCanterbury bells. Truly a scene not to be missed!

The valley is also of interest to military historians,because it was the scene of important battles and thereare remaining fortifications. The most famous battlefought among these mountains took place at Bezzecca

on July 21, 1866. It was during Northern Italy's third warfor independence, when the Trentino was ruled by theHapsburgs. Giuseppe Garibaldi led a corps of Italianvolunteers which fought the Austrians at Bezzecca. Buthe was forced to retreat by an order of VictorEmmanuel, (to whom Garibaldi reportedly replied"Obbedisco" - "I obey"), thus leaving the field to theconquered enemy. Even during the First World War,these mountains were the scene of many skirmishesbetween the Austro-Hungarian Empire and theKingdom of Italy. Alomg the northern wall of the valley,hundreds of meters of trenches were constructed, someof which are still traversible today. On the southern side,the Italians built an imposing road which is still beingused by numerous bikers descending and climbingbetween Tremalzo and Lake Garda.

Other remaining sites are at the refuge of Al Fagio in theConcei valley at 965 meters; the Grassi refuge hut atCampi di Riva (1047 meters); the Garibaldi refuge atPasso Tremalzo (1521 meters); and the charmIng SanPietro refuge on Monte Calino, with its adjacent church,built in 1683. Traveling by car from Riva del Garda, it issuggested that the first stop be at the waterfall, Cascatadel Varone, where the admission fee allows one to visit a lovely canyon which inspired several pages of ThomasMann's 'The Magic Mountain'.It was also the inspirationof many painters of the Nineteenth and Twentieth cen-turies, such as Theodore Compton, Zeno Diemer, etc.Beyond the Museum of the stilt houses of Ledro, is the'must see' medieval town of Canale di Terino with itsfamous "Artists' House" - one of the prettiest towns ofItaly, where the visitor feels as if he has been transport-ed more than 1000 years back in time.

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The Hobnail SmithyThe Hobnail Smithyt the Fucina delle Broche it is possible to seehow hobnails were once forged. These hob-nails were used as late as the last century toprotect the soles of shoes. In the Ledro val-

ley, it was a very important industry, so important that iteven allowed the Ledro men to be withdrawn from thefront during the First World War, and to avoid militaryservice during the Second. The establishment of iron-works in the seventeenth century brought widespreadchange and significant effects on the economy which hadgoverned the life of the valley for centuries - an unprof-itable economy based on farming, lumbering and shep-herding. The ironworks opened the doors to more lucra-tive occupations, which, for the next two centuriesemployed hundreds of workers: some directly in theforging of iron, others in factories using that iron in themanufacture of various products, and still othersinvolved in transporting supplies and products to andfrom Porto del Ponale. Additional workers wereemployed in converting wood to charcoal for the castingovens. A century later, there were 13 large ironworks inthe area. But Napoleon's triumphs and the subsequentpassing of the Trentino region to the administration ofthe Hapsburg Tyrol, led to significant decrease in pro-duction. The crisis continued until the 1850's when theironworks of Ledro closed completely. Only a fewsmithies remained open for the production of horse-shoes, farm tools and nails. A new push to the industryoccurred in 1866, when workers from the provinces of

Brescia and Bergamo con-gregated in the valley andreopened the closed estab-lishments. They initiated aproduct line far moresophisticated than the hob-nails of the past, requiringgreater ability and special-ization. The workers ofLedro resumed the produc-tion of 'shoe nails', especial-ly at Pre` and Molina,where, in the smithies, therhythmic beat of hammerscould again be heard. .These more modern hob-nails were of various shapesand sizes and served to protect the soles of shoes, whichfor the most part were leather, whereas they hadprevi-ously been made of wood. This activity continued untilthe ironworks were again closed when the workers wereconscripted to serve in the Austrian army during the FirstWorld War. As a result, the army lost its supply of hob-nails. Thanks to the efforts of the pastor of Molina, thegovernment at Vienna granted a furlough to many ex-nailmakers and assigned them to a few smithies which ithad built in the center of its empire. There they stayedthroughout the war, avoiding the risks of battle.BUT...each nailmaker had to turn out about 1,000 nails aday - no small feat, considering that each nail requiredbetween thirty and forty hammer strikes. Even during theSecond World War, 'shoe-nails' were in great demand, butdispensations from military service and furloughs werenot readily granted. So, in order to fill the need, youngboys and elderly workers went back to the ironworks.

Immediately after the war, the use of rubber soles dealt ablow to the industry. The nailmakers found themselvesunemployed! About forty years later, the Commune ofMolina decided to reactivate a small smithy with the aimof historic preservation. It consists of one furnace andfour workbenches, equipped with the old tools of thetrade. Also on display are samples of all types of the old'shoe nails.' Here, on special occasions, or by order ofLedro’s Consortium, the remaining smithies fire up thefurnace and demonstrate with great enthusiasm for visi-tors, how the old hobnails were fabricated. Consorzio per il Turismo della Valle di Ledro

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Family Stories: The Beretta’s Family Stories: The Beretta’s mongst my relatives and their friends theregoes a saying about polenta: the farther upthe Italian peninsula you travel, the harderthe polenta gets. This was true in the case of

my nuclear family. My mother, Leonilde Beretta, beingfrom Tuscany, made the polenta soft enough to spreadout on the serving board. Contrarily, my father’s familymade the polenta firm. When they were finished cook-ing it they had to scoop it out of the brass pot to serveit. The modern expression, “it’s all good,” certainlycould be applied to our polenta differences. Everypolenta meal with us was a celebration of our particularItalian heritage.

My father, Navarino Beretta, was given a unique name,and in many cases people with unique names developunique personalities. This was the case with my father.He was blessed with a fine Italian intellect and an uncan-ny ability for concentration. Although he could notdevote his main attention to his schooling, he had animmense respect and love for literature. He often toldme, during my childhood, that his one regret was nothaving the opportunity to study the great works of liter-ature. With his father deceased and being newly emi-

grated to the United States(during the GreatDepression), his time hadsevere economic demandsthat did not allow his pur-suing a much desired highereducation. He learned thetrade of machinist and tooland dye making. This acuteability for precision allowedhim to excel in his adoptedtrade. I came to respect hisabilities very much, butespecially as I grew older.

Regardless of his lack ofmusical talent, he loved

music, and in particular the Val di taro music that is sosignature to his place of origin—Val di Ledro Trentino.My career being musician and author certainly speaksdemonstrably for my father’s influence. While touringwith legendary rock guitarist Leslie West, on our 21 cityjaunt across Europe, making our way through the Alps, Icould feel the pull of the terra dei miei antenati.

It is real and it is powerful.The beautiful and majesticAustrian City of Graz was asfar south as our tour wouldallow us, regrettably. Myfamily’s 1969 journey to ourmotherland does have to suf-fice me for now. My lovelyand gracious wife of twentyyears, Theresa Beretta, hasalways had a dream of travel-ing to Italy. Through theexperiences of students

from Marist College—her beloved home of employ-ment—her dream is becoming ever so vivid and nevercloser to being realized. Our sons, Raphael AugustineBeretta and Valentino Blaise Beretta, have keen interestsin studying abroad in their ancestral native land, follow-ing in the footsteps of the fine Marist College studentsthat have preceded them.

In the last dream I had of my father (after his passing), Iwas sitting by a pool in the back yard of a beautiful,Italian-styled mansion. The pool, as well as the mansionitself, seemed to be in need of much care. My fatherlooked very happy working on his heavenly mansion. Hehad a knowing, relaxed way about him, and kept initiatingintimate conversations with me while walking back andforth to the sites of his self-designed improvements. Itwas much like his retired life, in which we shared manytimes like this one in my dream—minus the pool and themansion. Written by Paul John Beretta, Wappingers Falls, NY

L to R: Navarino, Domenica, Fausto,Teresa & Robert (front)

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Leonilde & Navarino Berretta

Navarino Berretta

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I Proverbi: Wisdom StoriesI Proverbi: Wisdom StoriesA sèt agn s’è pitèi a setanta s’è amò quèi. I vecchi sono come i bambini. At seven years, you are children and at theseventy you are again children.

Nó l’è bèl quel ch’è bèl, l’è bèl quel che piàs. La bellezza è soggettiva. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Nó sé sa se l’è mèi mantignìr ‘l gat o li sós. Non si sa se il rimedio sia peggiore del male. One does not know if theremedy is worse than the cure.

Ó prèst ó tardi sé paga tut Di tutto si deve rispondere prima o poi. One needs to attend to things sooner or later.

Ogni dì sé fa la luna, ogni dì sé n‘mpara una Ogni giorno si impara qualcosa di nuovo. Every day the moon comesout and every day one learns some new thing.

Poarèta che la cà che de vec nó ghén sa Povera quella casa che non ospita vecchi. Sad is the house that does nothost the elders.

Quande l’amór ‘l ghè, la gamba la tira ‘l pè L’amore dà la carica. Where there is love, your pulls your feet.

La bóca no l’è straca se no la sa de vaca Il pasto deve essere chiuso dal formaggio. The meal should conclude withcheese.

Tutti li cimi scorla. Tutti I geni sono un po` matti. All genius are somewhat disturbed.

Beretta Derives from Arts and crafts, especially those who made or sold hats and from some person who was sin-gular wearing a hat. Val di Ledro.

Casari derived from one who makes cheese; Val di Ledro, Val di Fiemme

Mora Nickname for someone of dark skin or hair. Val di Ledro. 1497 Pietro fu Bartolomeo de la Mora Bizzecca

Oradini From the name Oliuradino; Val di Ledro; 1551-Ser Bartol di Oradini in Pieve di Ledro; Francesco Oradini(1699-1754) born in Bezzecca, sculptor;Tomaso Oradini (XVII-XVIII) born in Val di Ledro, sculptor and architect.

Ribaga Attributed to the merchant of Ribaga Oil made with the branches of laurel. Arco-Riva. 1400 ser Bertolinodetto Ribaga a Tiarno.

Santi derived from the tradition and the devotion to a Christian saint—from the Latin Sanctus signifyig sacred, ven-erated, holy, respected

Segala-derived from the word for Rye, a cereal common throughout the Trentino; Val di Ledro; Niccola Segala adEnguisco

The Origins of Trentini NamesThe Origins of Trentini Names

Announcing….The ITTONA Convention will be held in Ogden, UtahJuly 17-20, 2014

To register, go to Ogdentrentini.com

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Alberto Chini, Presidente of Father Eusebio Chini Museum, Segno, ItalyAlberto Folgheraiter - Author, journalist and specialist in Trentino cultureChristian Brunelli - Technical ConsultantRicardo Di Carli - Biblioteca della Montagna-SAT, TrentoVeronica Coletti - Bronx, New YorkGiorgio Crosina - Director, Phoenix Informatica BancariaJim Caola - Genealogist, nutritional counselor, macrobiotic chef, Verena Di Paoli - Writer, Researcher, ScholarDaniela Finardi - Communications Department -- Museo degli Usi e Costumi della Gente TrentinaRenzo Grosselli - L`Adige, Journalist, AuthorTomaso Iori - Bivedo, Val di Giudicarie-Curator of Museo Scuola, RangoManuele Margini - Phoenix Bancaria InformaticaStefano Miotto - Phoenix Informatica BancariaIvo Povinelli - Director - Federazione Trentina della Pro Loco e loro ConsorziTrentino Marketing S.p.A - http://www.visittrentino.it/Trentino Sviluppo SpA -- Department for Tourism and Promotion - http://www.visittrentino.it

Luca Angeli - Chicago, ILTeresa Bean - Napa, CA Lois Benvenuti - North Adams, MA Paul John Beretta - Wappingers Falls, NY Mary Lou DeRosa - Fairfield, CTEmmanuel Fedrizzi - Pownal, ME Mirina Filippi - Consorzio per il Turismo della Valle di LedroProfessor Alberto Ianes - Museo Storico, Trento Margaret Olivieri - Napa, CA Stefania Oradini, Consorzio per il Turismo della Valle di LedroNatalia Pellegrini, Consorzio per il Turismo della Valle di LedroRoberto Ribaga, Tiarno, Val di LedroRomana Scandolari, Consorzio per il Turismo della Valle di Ledro

Front Cover: Gianni ZottoPage 5: Archivio della Federazione Trentina della CooperazionePages 6-7: Museo degli Usi e Costumi della Gente Trentina; Flavio FaganelloPage 9: Consorzio per il Turismo della Valle di LedroPage 10: Azienda per il Turismo-Val di Non Pages 14-16: Consorzio per il Turismo della Valle di LedroPage 18: Ben Weisenfarth Page 19: Consorzio per il Turismo della Valle di Ledro Pages 20-21: Trentino Sviluppo SpA -- Department for Tourism and PromotionPage 31: Ben Weisenfarth; Consorzio per il Turismo della Valle di Ledro; Consorzio per il Turismo, Valle di Ledro;Marco Simonini Page 32: Gianni Zotta

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