The story starts with my great-great-grandfather, Andrea DelSignore, a landowner, a farmer and businessman in the town of Sulmona, Italy. Andrea and his wife Cecilia had three sons, Panfilo, Cosimo (my great-grandfather) and Francesco. The story goes that Panfilo gambled and lost the family land and fortune forcing his two younger brothers to leave to find their way in America. Cosimo and Francesco emigrated to the United States in 1909 leaving their wives and children in Italy. They would later join them in Pennsylvania in 1911.
Our plan was simple to take my mother to the town in Italy from which her grandfather and grandmother had emigrated and see the region that had influenced our family’s traditions. The trip was the catalyst to gather all our family stories and genealogy charts together. We reached out to distant relatives to refresh our memories and to collect the information they had from the old country. We researched and found documents from Ellis Island and naturalization papers, all growing our understanding and knowledge of our ancestors’ experience. But even with all the preparation, we were not prepared for the tremendous connection returning would create for our family.
My family comes from the Abruzzo region of Italy in the heart of the Italian peninsula. Abruzzo is east of Rome in the center of the Apennines Mountains and includes the Gran Sasso d’Italia and Majella, two of the tallest mountain ranges in mainland Italy. The mountains provide the backdrop to the 130km Adriatic coastline with extensive rolling hills, valleys and plains sloping between. Additionally, the region includes waterfalls, caves and meandering rivers all in rural untouched settings along with three national parks.
Beyond its natural beauty, the rugged topography created the unique civilization of Abruzzo. While there is evidence of human activity dating back 300,000 years, the mountains and peaks deterred the Romans and the region was largely focused on sheep farming and populated by rural, mountain people. I referred to it as the Appalachia of Italy. The Romans eventually prevailed, and as you travel throughout Abruzzo, medieval villages and castles are built into the mountainside making a wonderful driving tour with treasures at every turn. There is a beautiful drive from Anversa to Scanno with cliffs, towns hanging off, leading into a valley with a pristine lake concluding in Scanno, a town known for its gold filigree work.
While our destination was Sulmona, we based our travels out of Abbateggio, where we found a beautiful estate in an olive grove to call home. Our evening view was of the sun setting behind the olive trees with Abbateggio in the background. Definitely off the beaten trail, we were surrounded by natural beauty with tremendous hiking and biking options for our more active group members. (Insert Picture Abbateggio here)
The morning of our visit to Sulmona dawned with blue skies and much anticipation. With my brothers and parents, I headed to Piazza Garibaldi where we met our local genealogist, Mirella, to learn what she had discovered. A local historian or genealogist was critical as most records were housed in the individual Catholic churches and are not available electronically or in English.
In the heart of Sulmona, Piazza Garibaldi features a medieval aqueduct with 21 Gothic arches, built in 1256, which is still functioning, as well as multiple 14th- to 16th-century churches and buildings. It is situated at the base of the mountains with majestic views. Sulmona is the birthplace of the Roman poet Ovid and has a rich history of churches and traditions. It is famous for its Running of the Virgin Mary on Easter Sunday.
Our first stop was city hall where we were greeted by the mayor and vice mayor in the council chamber. They welcomed us and shared stories about the region, its families and rich history. (insert Facebook Picture here)
As we moved through the town, our next stop was at my great-great grandfather’s house. The local historian joined us and was able to share the 1900 census information showing the house and its inhabitants including my family. (Insert picture 4 generations here)
We learned both my great-great- and great-grandparents had been married in the adjacent church, Santa Maria della Tomba and baptized at the Cathedral of San Panfilo. Mirella was able to uncover the documentation around my great Aunt Clara’s adoption and the story around why my great-grandmother had spent years in a convent. The pieces filled in gaps in stories and added texture to what had created our family values and traditions.
One of our questions to Mirella involved finding out what had happened to Panfilo, the older brother. We wondered whether we had any DelSignore relatives left in Sulmona (DelSignore is comparable to Smith in the United States.)
In her sleuthing she confirmed elements of the original legend: The wealth had been lost, but in a twist, Panfilo had also immigrated to the U.S., leaving no remaining DelSignore relatives in Sulmona; but he had not reconciled in the U.S. with his brothers. While we have no DelSignore relatives remaining in Italy, Mirella found my great-grandmother’s family, Ficorilli, and we were able to meet a second cousin, see the family land and compound and speak with a 93-year-old family member who remembered the stories and history and was willing to share.
Abruzzo is an undiscovered treasure in Italy, with the medieval towns, stunning artwork and churches, but it also has nature’s beautiful treasures. My favorites include Campo Imperatore in Gran Sasso, which is an alpine plateau surrounded by jagged limestone peaks known as the Tibet of Italy. Our visit to Trabocchi Coast and eating on wooden fishing huts with net systems built on wooden stilts jutting out into the Adriatic Sea was exceptional. The drive from Anvers to Scanno rivals the most beautiful drive anywhere, and we were blessed with a blue-sky sunny day.
A most treasured memory of the trip was our nightly dinners celebrating the rich cuisine of the regions, including the fish, the pasta and the tremendous wines (Montepulciano d’Abruzzo). And in true Italian fashion we spent hours at the table eating, drinking and reflecting on the experiences of the day and our time together.
My great-grandfather was born in 1881 in Sulmona Italy. Life brought him by boat to Ellis Island in 1909. He created a life for his wife and 10 children in America, but he brought a lot of Italy with him. As my family reflected on the journey, my children noticed they saw many elements of Abruzzo life in our family’s food, celebrations and traditions. I can only hope we continue to pass them on to future generations.
