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Last Updated September 1, 1997.
Copyright © 1997 Louis S. Alfano
All rights reserved.
My Alfano ancestors came from the Comune of Angri, in the Province of Salerno, Campania Region, Italy. My great-great grandfather, Luigi Alfano, was born around 1820 in Angri. He married Emmanuela Forino.
Luigi and Emmanuela had a son named Giovanni, my great-grandfather, who was born in Angri on April 28, 1848. Giovanni was a baker. He married Preziosa Generosa Desiderio (known as Generosa), who was born in Angri in March of 1854, on November 16, 1878. Generosa's parents were Aniello Desiderio (born around 1830) and Marianna Raiola.
Giovanni and Generosa had 7 children:
In 1896, the family emigrated to America.
I have found a way to "visit" the Italy from which my ancestors emigrated; not just going back to the ancestral town, but also back in time, without even moving from my armchair. I do this by locating the proper resources - turn-of-the-century travel guides to Italy. I visited several book sales seeking "Italy" books, and was fortunate enough to obtain copies of "Baedeker's Southern Italy" (1896 and 1903 editions). Each of these little red books covers many more towns than are mentioned in modern travel guides, and gives me some idea of what is was like to travel in Italy around the time when my ancestors were emigrating.
These guides were not written for the Italian peasant, but, rather, for the wealthy English or American "holiday maker," who was traveling for pleasure. Prices throughout are shown in francs (fr.), which are actually lire; the French franc and Italian lira being worth the same amount in this era of the gold standard. In a few places I have inserted explanatory notes within the quoted text; these notes are contained in square brackets thus: [ ]. The automobile was not invented until 1885, and was not in common use until a few decades later, so travel was accomplished by rail (if one had sufficient means), by horse-or-mule-drawn wagon or coach, or on horse-or-mule-back. The 1903 Southern Italy states that:
"The rate of travelling on the railways of Southern Italy is slow, especially on the lines S. of Naples and in Sicily; and the trains are often late, so that only express trains (usually 1st and 2nd cl. only) can be relied upon to make connection. The first-class carriages are fairly comfortable, the second resemble the English and French, while the third class is chiefly frequented by the lower orders." [Just guess which class your ancestors might possibly be able to afford!](p. xiv)
"Only those travellers who seek a more particular acquaintance with the country and its people have occasion to use the Diligenze or Vetture Corrieri [these were stagecoaches] in Southern Italy or Sicily. On the more frequented routes a Carriage with one horse may generally be hired for 1/2 - 3/4 fr., and on the less frequented for less than 1/2 fr. per kilometre....A horse (cavallo), mule (mulo), or donkey (asino, somaro; Neapol. ciuco; Sicil. vettura, applied to all three animals), between which the difference in expense is trifling, often affords a pleasant and cheap mode of travelling, especially in mountainous districts, where the attendant (pedone) also acts as a servant for the time being. Side-saddles for ladies are also generally procurable. A bargain should be made previously, tutto compreso, a gratuity being added if the traveller is satisfied. The donkey-drivers have an unpleasant habit of inciting their animals to the top of their speed when passing through a town or village and it is well to warn them beforehand that their 'mancia' will suffer if they do not go quietly through the streets." (p. xviii)
Since the principal means of travel was by railroad, practically any town which had a station rates a mention in the guide. I was able to find the following references to Angri (from the 1903 Southern Italy, unless the 1896 is cited).:
"19 1/2 M. [from Naples] Angri, with 11,281 inhab., large factories, and the chateau and park of Principe d'Angri. In the vicinity is the battlefield of Mons Lactarius. A mountain-road is being made from Angri to Amalfi. - The district gradually becomes more mountainous, and the scenery is picturesque the whole way." (p.163)
"Teias, the last king of the Goths, was defeated by Narses near Angri in 553, after having descended from Lettere on Monte Sant'Angelo to the plain." (1896 edition, p. 158)
