American Cousins Visit Castiglione – Day 1
This article by Mary Mollicone was published in the ANDIAMO magazine in Denver, Co., October 2006 edition, just 2 months after returning from a trip to Castiglione. It is such a good description of the events, and it was such a succesfull trip for all people involved, that it is a great read!
On Friday, July 21, 2006, descendants of Nicola and Lucia di Domenico arrived in Castiglione di Carovilli in the Molise region of southern Italy. More than 100 years earlier, Nicola and Lucia left this tiny mountain farming community to take a chance at a new life in America.
Eighteen American cousins and spouses arrived in the town square of Castiglione around 4:30 pm. We were greeted by a variety of men sitting on benches in the shade, including Pierino Rossi, our Italian/Canadian cousin. Pierino’s great grandfather Vincenzo di Domenico was Nicola’s older brother. Pierino was born in Castiglione and emigrated to Canada in 1967 with his wife Angelina Testa, a native of nearby Carovilli.
The first event on our itinerary was to climb to the top of the hill to visit the remains of the “old” church that had once been a castle occupied by a duke or land baron before the Renaissance. Two more cousin/guides, Giovanna Di Domenico Hilj (born in Castiglione and living in Akron, Ohio) and Stefano Di Domenico joined us. Along the way up the hill, we stopped at a site where the original di Domenico house had stood. Today it is only a collection of tumbled down stones covered with wild bushes and grass.
At the top of the hill, we entered what had once been the Chiesa San Nicola di Bari – the old church that had overlooked the rolling hills below for more than 400 years. The bell tower was still in great condition, so we took turns climbing the twisting staircase to soak in the breathtaking view, ring the bell, and wonder if Grandpa Nick had ever done the same.
According to the legend, before being a church it was a castle and that’s where the name of Castiglione cames from. This is consistent with the design of the walls of the church. Looking from outside, the walls are not vertical, but they lean inward. But on the inside the same walls are perfectly vertical, which means that they were ticker at the bottom and narrower at the top, just like castles were made. Older people seemed to remember other walls in front of the church, kind of enclosures to protect that vulnerable side of the castle. We don’t know who occupied the castle, however, before Napoleon Buonaparte’s occupation and his law of resolution of the Latifondo (1806) all of Southern Italy belonged to a score of Dukes, Barons and Marques, who were buying and selling properties including the people living on it. I believe they were the owners also of the castle. The castle had been built by the Samnites that inhabited the area before the Romans. A line of castles that streached from Duronia ( capital city of the Samnites ) to Pescolanciano, to Castiglione on the hill, to Castiglione on Vallefredda, to Vastogirardi provided a line of defence against the Romans that wanted to conquay the region. Against this defence the romans had very hard time and lost several wars until a decisive buttle that was fought right in Vallefredda where the Romans played a trick to the invincible and stabburn Samnites: late in the afternoon, when the defenders were all tired up for having fought all day long, the Romans came from west with several horses draging behind large bushes arising an enormus dust. The Samnites thought the dast was from a new roman legion ready to take over the fight. Beeing allready tired and badly outnumbered the Sumnites had to retreat toward east to defend their capital city of Duronia and the fortess of Bovarium, today ‘s Bojano. There is still an area in Vallefredda called “Polverone” , “big dust”, from that battle. To note that the Sumnites lost that battle but were not bitten up by the Romans!
Pierino Rossi
Back down in the square, we got into our cars and headed to dinner at a new agritourismo facility Colle Panetta, about five miles out of town. The view from the patio attached to this newly renovated restaurant and hotel (formerly a house and barn) was again spectacular – rolling hills dotted with hay shifs And the sound of bells as sheep moved across the grass looking for a place to graze.
Our host Serafino had many surprises on the menu including plates of antipasto filled with locally produced prosciutto, cheese and liver sausage. Whenever we ate, there were always baskets filled with fresh bread, bottles of red wine and plenty of acqua naturale. We were treated to a local soup-like specialty made with potatoes, zucchini and pork rind, a traditional staple for families in this region. Then we were served homemade ravioli, roasted lamb, fried sausage and green salad with the lightest touch of white vinegar and olive oil dressing. For those brave enough to order dessert, there was overall agreement that the tiramisu was the best. We ate and drank and talked and laughed for hours! That’s what you do in Italy.
American Cousins Visit Castiglione – Day 2
American Cousins Visit Castiglione – Day 3