Scigliano 2

Much to our surprise, while we were taking photos of the old church behind the hotel a car with two men pulled up - it WAS the owner of the hotel, and he had the mechanic drive around the town looking for us!  Word had gotten back to him that two American women were looking for him, and one of those women was in Scigliano to visit her grandfather's birth place.  They welcomed us with warm smiles, however, neither of them spoke a word of English and my Italian was so poor it didn't help our communication.  Suddenly, he made a telephone call and in just a few short minutes a woman pulled up... she was Sabrina, who spoke excellent English and was his cook at the hotel.  She brought along Natalie, who was a waitress at the hotel also.  I am wondering at this point if miracles ever cease... Sabrina was wonderful - she was from the next town and her parents moved to British Columbia Canada when she was a child.  As an adult in Canada she met her husband who was from Scigliano.  They had a family and when their children were in adolescence she and her husband decided to move back to Italy, to his hometown - Scigliano. The hotel was closed for the season however, the owner opened it up for us.  Pamela and I were amazed when Sabrina handed me the key to the front door and said to consider it our home while in town.  She cooked us a wonderful southern Italian dinner  and the 4 of us sat around the table eating and gabbing.  Sabrina was not staying at the hotel... we were there by ourselves and we were told to eat from the kitchen, note down what we ate,, and we would settle up when we left.  Pamela and I were in shock... a whole hotel to ourselves, and we were entrusted with the main key to the front door as if we were family...  Sabrina said that they don't get many visitors there from the USA and that the year before someone from another country came to town looking for their "roots" as well...

Left - Pam, Sabrina and Natalie

Below - Albergo Ginnasio

After Sabrina and Natalie left, Pamela and I decided to drive around the hamlets to "see what we could see."  It was going to get dark soon, so we tried to get as much sightseeing in as possible.  Here are some photos that describe exactly what Scigliano is all about...

Statue for Scigliano located in the park in the center of the main area

Main Street in Scigliano

Side street in the hamlet of Lupia

Pamela and I returned to the hotel after dark and decided we were hungry.  We found our way into the kitchen which is really difficult when you don't know where any of the light switches are!  This hotel is not big but certainly large enough to get lost in, in the dark.  We treated ourselves to several galatos and went upstairs for the night.  Our room was considered a "double" and with that, we each had our own sleeping room.  Pamela was thrilled because I was a bit of a snorer, and I sometimes kept her awake at night.  The next morning we woke and just lazed around... Unfortunately, I did not have my knee looked at after my first trip to Italy, and with all the walking I was doing during this journey I woke up with a very swollen knee!   I was determined to continue on my journey and ignored the pain and swelling.  I opened up the large shutters to my room and opened the window.  I still find it funny that every where we went in Italy, there were no screens on the windows!  Once we were both up and around I called Sabrina who was coming over to make breakfast for us.  Sabina begged us to let her make an "American" breakfast since it had been years since she'd done so... we ended up having fried eggs, bacon, toast, and potatoes... surely a meal fit for a queen. Sabrina invited us to stay another night since there the next day they would be celebrating Holy Communions in the town.  We were quite tempted, but we knew with more sightseeing ahead, we would want to leave Scigliano late afternoon to head towards Matera in Basilicata.  I almost hated to leave Scigliano since we were so warmly welcomed by everyone we came in contact with.  I really wanted to explore the cemetary and more of the hamlets before we left... Sabrina was quite understanding and told us if we changed our minds to give her a call... Pam and I went exploring and the following are just some cherished photos and memories...

Left - Beautiful yard down a narrow street Top - Close-up of the very same flowers Right - Narrow street in one of the hamlets Below - Various churches in some hamlets of Scigliano

One of the true highlights of my trip was go visit the cemetery in Scigliano.  There is only one... and this is where I found validation for my father and my paternal extended family... We spent several hours in this cemetery and I am confident I left not one row or alley untraveled.  This was a very emotional undertaking for me since I was the first in my family to travel to see my nonni's birthplace, and where he called home for the first 19 years of his life.  This is a beautiful old cemetery and the fact that Italians bury their loved ones above ground was very comforting for me.  I walked and sat... and walked again.  I felt so much energy here reaching out to me that at times it was simply overwhelming.  Here are just a few of many photos I brought home to my father, Alberto... Thank you grandpa Antonio... you are truly the reason I journied here and truly the reason I will someday return... Next time I will locate the house you were born in.

Above - Entering the cemetery in Scigliano, and the statue that greets you Left & Right  - Two of several  "Pallone" family mausoleums Right Bottom - A very old and beautiful coat of arms next to a Pallone crypt and in front of another crypt that was unreadable.

Local Scigliano Site

As a side note:  I paid to have research done on my grandfather and acquired official copies of his birth records from the town hall in Scigliano... My grandfather had always told his children there was just 1 sister named Francesca, who raised him after his mother died when he was young.  After my  nonni emigrated to the USA in his late teens and had his own family he mentioned to one of his children he also had a brother who passed away when he was a baby.  I now have the birth records of ALL of the children born to my great-grandparents ~  Nicolina & Angelo.  According to the town hall there were 6 siblings in all.  My father was both stunned and surprised to learn this news.  Unfortunately, some of his siblings didn't believe it.  I've explained that the birth records don't "lie" and that perhaps nonni didn't share these facts for his own personal reasons...  Or perhaps he didn't know since most of them were born well before he was.  As children, my aunts and uncles would ask nonni about Italy... sadly he often replied,  "We are Americans now, forget Italy."  Ironically, my father's parents never became U.S. citizens...

Next ~  Matera

Roma Again   ~  Praiano ~  Positano ~   Tritone   ~  The Boat ~  Casa Nureyev ~  Amalfi Coast ~  Sorrento   ~   Scigliano Matera   ~   Jonia Sea ~  Roccamorice ~  LaReserve  ~  Famiglia  ~  Zaccagnini ~  Bolognano ~  The Abbey   ~   Sulmona     USA Again  ~  Journey I   ~  Tribute ~  About Me ~  Washington DC ~   Links ~  Email Me ~  Home

Hosting by WebRing. Navigation by WebRing.