On October 21, 2013, I began a “journey” with my paternal grandfather, Alexander Capraro, via letters he wrote home to my grandmother, Modesta Rose (Maude). He was returning to Europe in 1938 for the first time since he left for America at age four with his parents and younger sister.
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My final post of that series, written on July 3, 2014, was about Len and my reaching his birth town, Pietrabbondante, and finding his birth home… or so I thought!
For those seeking information about your ancestors, my advice is to never give up. As you will see, in this and several posts to follow, TEN YEARS LATER, my new incredible “ending” has become an extended awareness of our family history as well as the beginning of wonderful new familial connections.
Len and I returned to Pietrabbondante September 14-16, 2024, for an incredible recognition of my grandfather. But first, some expanded information I learned about the town and its history.
When my grandfather visited in 1938, he described Pietrabbondante in his letter home:
“The town has about 4000 people, electric light, and a secondary railroad. It is well named for the mountain peaks of stone and rocks… The scenery is beautiful beyond imagination.”
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Today, the full time population is less than 200, but expands greatly during holidays and summer months. As with large and small towns throughout Italy, the annual cultural and religious festivals and celebrations are always on the calendar. There are no longer schools or restaurants in town, but among the places I noticed on my walk were two bars, two groceries, two butcher shops, a tabacchi, a post office, a pharmacy, a barber, a beauty salon, the church, and the municipal building. Some of these are pictured below.
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©blogginginitaly.com Pietrabbondante Municipio
Pietrabbondante is located in the province of Isernia, (Molise region), a two hour train ride from Rome. Interestingly, when my grandfather was born in 1895, the town was part of the Abruzzo region. (Seems like redistricting happens everywhere!)
Looking closely at the monument above, you’ll see a statue depicting an ancient Samnite soldier. This statue is a tribute to the fallen soldiers from Pietrabbondante in WWI. The funds for the statue were raised by an immigrant committee in America in 1919, and in 1920, the local city council used the funds to construct the monument.
But why a Samnite soldier, and who were the Samnites? More about the ancient history of Pietrabbondante in the next post.
For now, I’ll leave you with a short lesson in Italian:
Pietrabbondante = pietra [stone] + abbondante [abundance].
As my grandfather said, it is well named indeed!
Ciao,
Judy
Blogging In Italy 