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Southern Italian Heritage
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Entry 57: Salvatore and a Bull Named Baggiano - Sarvu e u Toru cu Nomi Baggiano
From 1947, Baggiano played a crucial role in fathering herds of cattle across rural Siderno. Despite what the name implies, words like "silly", "foolish" and "worthless" certainly do not describe this particular stud bull.


Entry 56: A Chat with Salvatore Moschilla - Na Chiaccarata cu Sarvu Moschilla
An elderly 98-year-old immigrant sits at the kitchen table, shuffling a pack of cards as he prepares for a game of 'Briscula'. Freshly brewed coffee gurgles on the stovetop, steaming hot, ready to be poured into espresso cups.


Entry 55: Black Smock with a White Collar - Grembiuli Nigru cu Collettu Iancu
Although Girolama Moschilla loved everything about school, especially learning to read and write, at the age of 11 years she was not allowed to continue.


Entry 54: An Oil Lamp - A Lumera
When olive oil was no longer suitable for cooking, it was repurposed as a fuel for lighting lamps.


Entry 53: Calabresella Perfume
Amid the lingering scent of citrus, the simple luxury of Calabresella perfume filled Concetta's home with happiness.


Entry 52: Three PINTABONA Siblings Marry Three CASELLA Siblings
When arranging suitable marriages, Antonino Pintabona and Rosaria Princiotto, together with Carmelo Casella and Francesca Catrini, had a combined pool of 16 children to select from!


Entry 51: Basilia Pintabona (Part 6) - Flawed Beauty
More than a century ago, a 16-year-old Sicilian girl became engaged to a local boy from Sant'Angelo di Brolo.


Entry 50: Basilia Pintabona (Part 5) - Baptism of her sister, Giuseppina
On the day of her sister's baptism, did Basilia know she would soon be playing a central role in strengthening the connection between the Pintabona and Casella families?


Entry 49: Francesca Catrini - Kindness with Chicken Soup
There was one less rooster crowing in the mornings and strutting around the yard demanding attention - that was because Francesca had used him for something very special!


Entry 48: Fire and Water - Focu e Aqqua
From the 1930s to the 1950s, Salvatore, Concetta, and their eight children could not have survived life in Siderno without either FIRE or WATER, no matter how much food they had.


Entry 47: The Rooster with a Beautiful Red Comb - U Gallu ca Crista Bella Russa
When Cecilia entered her aunt's home, the ‘focularu’ (hearth) was already lit and a welcoming warmth infused with the aromas of burning firewood filled the kitchen.


Entry 46: The Glow of a Lamp - A Luci du Lumeri
On rainy days, when outdoor chores couldn't be completed, and during the evenings by the glow of a kerosene lamp, women worked with their needle and thread.


Entry 45: Basilia Pintabona (Part 4) - Nonna Carmela Ricciardo, Not Yet Married
In 1863 Carmela was an aging 31-year-old spinster living in the Sicilian town of Piraino and facing a terrifying predicament.


Entry 44: The Girl in a Pink Dress - A Cotrara ca Vesta Rosa
Girolama grew up among grandparents, aunties, uncles and a massive number of cousins, all living within walking distance or a short donkey ride from one another.


Entry 43: The Godmothers of Flowers - I Cummari di Hiuri
The tradition of 'Cummari' and 'Cumpari' was something children were familiar with from a young age, incorporating it into their games and rhymes.


Entry 42: Your Daughter and Sister, Girolama - La Vostra Figlia e Sorella, Girolama
Girolama writes a message on the back of a photo, which is sent to her father, Salvatore, and brother, Giovanni, who are living and working in Australia.


Entry 41: Girolama’s Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation - U Battisumu, a Prima Comunioni e a Crisima i Girolama
On the day baby Girolama was baptised, her mother Concetta wrapped her up in a white, silk swaddling cloth known as a 'fascia'.


Entry 40: Basilia Pintabona (Part 3) - Marriage of her Parents, Antonino Pintabona and Rosaria Princiotto
Following the birth of their first child, Antonino and Rosaria broke a significant and long-standing tradition when they named their daughter "Basilia" - after someone other than a grandparent.


Entry 39: Basilia Pintabona (Part 2) - Birth of her Father, Antonino Pintabona
Basilia Pintabona's father, Antonino, was born on a Tuesday morning in 1872 in Sant'Angelo di Brolo, at the family home on Contrada Miceli.


Entry 38: Basilia Pintabona (Part 1) - Her Birth
Basilia Pintabona was born on 17 October, 1897 in the Sant'Angelo di Brolo region of Sicily.
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