Dear Readers,
An August assortment of Italian Connections for you: August, the 8th month of the modern calendar, was named for the Roman Emperor Augustus. It was connected with some fortunate happenings in his career. Before the name change, it was called sextillus (the 6th month) when counting March as the first. To make August equal to July, the Roman Senate took one day from February and added it to August.
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Augustus (63 B.C. - 14A.D.), the first Roman Emperor, was the grandson of Julius Caesar’s sister Julia, who adopted him. His name was originally C. Octavius, but after adoption, was changed to Gains Julius Caesar Octavianus. The title Augustus the Revered was added by the Senate and “popolo” in 27 B.C.
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Albanian born, “blessed Mother Teresa” has an August birthday and this year on her birthday, August 26, the U.S. postal service will be issuing a stamp in her honor. August 2010marks the centenary of Mother Teresa, who was born in 1910 in Skopje, a small town in modern-day Albania.
Mother Teresa’s parents, Nikolle and Drana Bojaxhu, were from the city of Kosovo, but moved the family to Skopje where Agnese (the name with which Teresa was christened) was born. In 1928 she left Skopje to become a nun and before sailing to India changed her name from Agnese Gonxhe Bojaxhiu to Sister Mary Teresa of the Child Jesus.
As we all know, she lived most of her life in India, where she passed away quietly on September 5, 1997. Teresa is buried in Kolkata, India, headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, which also has convents in San Francisco, California and the Bronx in New York City. Last year, to celebrate the 30- year anniversary of the nun’s Nobel Peace Prize, the President of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu, pro- claimed 2010 the Year of Mother Teresa, thus providing a great opportunity for the Catholic Church, representing a minority in that war-torn region.
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Albanians from many groups in the Balkans fled to Italy dur- ing the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. At the end of the 15th century John II allowed an Albanian community to settle in Western Sicily. Now known as the Comune di Piana degli Albanesi, the community originally took the name of Piana dei Greci because the inhabitants belonged to the Greek Orthodox Church. The place was renamed Piana degli Albanesi for its colorful religious festivities, such as those during the Epiphany and Easter.
The celebrations in honor of the patron saint Santa Maria Odigitriaare followed by traditional folk festivities. Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, in the heart of town, is home to the municipio (town hall) and the Orthodox church of Santa Maria Odigitria, which has a beautiful iconostasis inside. Opposite the parish church is the oldest church in Piana degli Albanesi, San Giorgio, which was altered in the mid-1700s.
Along the avenue is the cathedral San Demetrio, named after the Albanian national hero Giorgio Kastriota Skanderberg. As is customary in Orthodox churches the apses are closed off by the iconostasis. On the vault is a fresco representing the Apostles, Christ and the four Orthodox patriarchs. Near the town is an artificial lake created by a dam built in the 1920s, containing 1,129.6 million cu.ft. of water.
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The Albanian Hall in Los Angeles, California was once the scene of many happy gatherings including big wedding celebrations in the 1950’s and 1960’s between the “gey geys” (Italo- Albanian men) and lovely Italo- American ladies. I am not sure if the Albanian community is still operating the hall and would appreciate an update from readers with happy Albanian Hall memories.
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Arturo Criscione, long-time L’Italo-Americano reader and his family have an “abbondanza” of August birthdays. His late mother Elena, a sweetheart of a signora, had an August 3rd birth- day. Her two grandchildren have August birthdays as well, as do her two sons Arturo and Federico. “Fred” is now retired, but the Italian bakery he opened in 1960, known as Federico’s, is still specializing in rum cakes, wedding cakes, pastries, cookies and all occasion cakes under new owners.
Federico’s main plant is in Duarte, California (626-357- 9866), but the Italian inspired treats can be found in Pasadena (626-795-4484) and in Chino, CA at Spectrum Marketplace. Now thanks to a statewide distributor, the Italian Deluxe Federico’s Cookie Assortment is available in Northern California and several San Francisco markets I personally know of, such as Delano’s on the corner of Geary Blvd. at 27th Avenue. Visit for more info. All the best wishes and Buon Compleanno to the Criscione Brothers...
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Apulia’s city of Bari, in the “Red Years” following World War I (1918-1920) when the men came home from the Front and the number of unemployed skyrocketed, seemed to be on the brink of a Russian-style revolution. There were countless strikes, demonstrations and army officers booed.
Fascist squadristi were smashing labor unions and breaking strikes throughout the province. The Black Shirts made ready to stem “the rising Bolshevik tide.” Organized by the firebrand Giuseppe di Vittorio on August 1, 1922, it rose in a carefully planned revolt, a vicious struggle raging between armed workers on one side and troops, carabinieri and Black Shirts, on the other. But after three days the Red Baresi were broken. What happened in Bari during the Fascist Era is often deliberately confused.
Mussolini found more supporters when he was seen to be firmly in power. Economic expansion was revived and an annual trade fair, the Fiera del Levante, was established in 1930 to encourage trade between Italy and the Middle East. A university was founded. Emigration continued and many Baresi settled in Abyssinia when it was an Italian colony.
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Affectionately known as “La Perla di Bari” Teatro Petruzzelli, the Opera House built in 1903, saw many memorable productions and also many an Italo-Americano, having a photo taken on front of the Petruzzelli for reasons of the heart. In 1991 it was completely destroyed during a fire started by rival claques, but was eventually restored and re-opened in 2008.
