THE GENIUS OF JANUS: Pescopaganesi in America

By Giovanni Pinto

The book is a representation of the Pescopaganese community in the United States of North America. It represents the research commitment of decades by Prof. Giovanni Pinto who has been a driving force and a leader in this community
for half a century. Besides an Introduction, Pinto’s book includes four sections: Part One – Our Italian roots and heritage: The territory, the history, the urban setting; Part Two: The causes of emigration, the passage, the communities, the progress; Part Three: A to Z: Genealogies, Profiles and Remembrances of deserving Families, Individuals and Businesses; and Part Four: Corollary documents. Prof. Pinto’s book is of great relevance to the history of America, of Italian Americans, and in particular of Pescopaganesi. This book would be a valuable gem in libraries of any Institution or Individual.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781984579492

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 by Giovanni Pinto.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 08/17/2020

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

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Janus Bifrons And The Sibyl Of Cumae

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

PART 1

Our Roots

A Brief History Of Pescopagano

The Territory

Le Contrade

A Tour Of The Town

PART 2

America

Why They Left

Pescopaganese Migration

The Early Pioneers

The Pescopaganese Arrivals

Traveling Together, 1913

Adjusting To The New Land

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Pescopaganesi In Brooklyn, New York.

Pescopaganesi In New Jersey

East Orange

St Joseph Roman Catholic Church And Parish

Ashland Avenue, West Orange

The Pescopaganese Mutual Aid Society

How I Joined Our Society

1974 Fifty-Fifth Anniversary Celebrations

The Earthquake Of 1980

1999—Our Society Celebrates Eighty Years Of Activities

The Missing Records Of The Ppmas

Progress Through The Years: Pride In Our Achievements

1961—Mons. De Marco And Justice Schettino Honored

The Pescopagano Club Inc.

Porta Sibilla Newsletter Is Published, 1974

1974—The Ladies Auxiliary

L’italico: The Italian-American Times News

The Original Montemauro Society, 1979

1992—Provida Progenies Youth Organization

The Religious Association Of St. Francis Of Paola

A Monument To Pescopaganese Emigrants

Our Society Celebrates Its Centennial: 1919–2019

2018 Pescopagano Usa: Continuity In Heritage

PART 3

A To Z

Pescopaganese Family Names

Nomenclature Of Pescopaganese Surnames

A

Altera

Angiolillo / Angelo

Apice

Araneo

Arista

B

Bace

Bavosa

Bracuto

Bracuto, Dr. Peter G. Cranford

Bruno

Bruno Pietrantonio

Buldo

C

Capasso

Carnevale

Cassese

Celano

Ciamboli

Ciampa

Ciccaglione

Cicenia

Cilano

Cilenti

Coppola

De Cillis

Di Fresca

Di Girolamo

Di Marco

Di Marco Giambattista

Di Rese

Di Rienzo

E

Errico

F

Farrell, Frank And Mary Lu Marinaro

Frasca

Ferrara

Frecina

Freda

Fricchione

G

Galdino

Gonnella

Graziano

Grieco

Kachmar

L

Lanza

Lobai

Lotano

Luciano

M

Maffullo

Marangi

Marciano

Margotta

Marinaro

Masini

Masino

Mazzeo

Mentana

Miele

Montano

Mungiello

Musano

Navarra

P

Pacio / Pace

Pelosi

Peluso

Pinto, Tabbacchieri, Paglietta

Pinto Shkardalana

Pizzuti

Ponzio

Preite

Pucillo

Q

Quaglietta

R

Racioppi

Ricciardi

Roselli

Rossano

Rubinetti

Santomo

Satiro

Savignano

Schettini

Schettino

Schettino—Others

Scioscia

Somma

Tenore

Toglia

Tringaniello

Torlucci

Tullio

Vallario

Valvano

Zaccardi

Zazzarino

PART 4

Archival Resources

Birth Record Of Giuseppe Gonnella

Birth Record Of Lorenzo Pucillo

Marriage Record Of Lorenzo Pucillo And Capuano Giustiniana Maria

Birth Record Of Pietro Roselli

A General List Of Pescopaganesi Immigrants To The USA

Passengers From Pescopagano 1914–1920

Climbing Up The Family Mast

The SS New England

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Articles Of Incorporation Of The St. Francis Society

Articles Of Incorporation Of The Societa Pescopaganese Di Mutuo Soccorso Di East Orange, New Jersey

Sample Membership Applications

All The Presidents Of The Pescopaganese Society

The Society’s Archives

The Incorporation Of The Montemauro Society

Becoming American

The Old Man’s Draft

The Presence Of Pescopaganesi Globally

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This book is dedicated to

the revered memory of my parents

Giuseppe Pinto

and

Maria Teresa Altera

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JANUS BIFRONS AND

THE SIBYL OF CUMAE

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"Provida Progenies, Cumae Grata Sibillae,

Incholit Hoc Saxum, Iano Traducta Bifronti.

Ex Hac Fatidica, Claro Cognomine Dicta

Porta Sibilla, Caput Lucanum Basilicatae."

T HIS REMARKABLE MILLENARIAN inscription, preserved in Pescopagano, tells us that

A forward-looking people, grateful to the Sibyl of Cumae,

Settled this rock, led by Janus Bifrons.

By this fateful event, with shining name, it was called

Porta Sibilla, Lucanian beginning of Basilicata.

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Janus was the first king of Italy, as recorded by legend. In times when exceptional humans could achieve the status of immortals, Janus was god of all new beginnings and god of peace. He was very wise since he knew the past and could see the future. Because of that, he was represented with two faces. Romans dedicated to Janus a temple where the people could go in times of war to pray for peace. To invite his blessings, all domestic entrances were called Ianua. The first month of the year, January, is named in his honor.

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The Sibyl of Cumae

by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel

The Sibyl was a sacred priestess. There were three famous Sibyls in the ancient world. They resided in holy shrines visited by throngs of pilgrims in search of an oracle. The most famous Sibylline shrine was in Delphi, Greece. The Cumaean Sibyl was in Cumae, a city in southern Italy near Naples. She guided Aeneas through the underworld. The people who came to the rocky place of Pescopagano, led by King Janus, were devoted to the Sibyl of Cumae, from whom they received endless blessings.

The story goes that above Porta Sibilla were displayed the towering stone statues of Zeus, also known as Jupiter, father of all the gods; of Janus Bifrons, protector of all initiatives; and of the Sibyl of Cumae, the interpreter of divine will. These statues, together with the important inscription, were dispersed when Porta Sibilla was restructured in 1570. Eventually found, with the exception of that of the Sibyl, they were preserved for posterity.

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Roman coin of Janus

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PREFACE

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T IGHTLY WOVEN INTO the social fabric of America is a strong silk thread called Pescopaganesi. This book is about this strand, a community that is a microcosm of the greater Italian family. The Pescopaganesi, now in their fifth generation in the United States, number from fifteen to twenty thousand.

I am a proud member of this community. As a native son of this ancient town, I came here at age sixteen with my parents. We settled in a resilient enclave in the city of East Orange, New Jersey, with well-established Pescopaganese ties. Like thousands and thousands of Italians before them, the Pescopaganesi came here in search of a better life and opportunity. For the most part, they have achieved their dream through hard work, faith, ability, and perseverance.

As a young student, I was able to see how my hometown paesani maintained their customs and traditions in this American mosaic through organizations and social/religious gatherings. With the passage of time, I wanted to make sure that future generations would learn and appreciate their heritage. Thus, for many years, I interviewed older peers and researched and documented their stories and their various organizations. This was realized in the Porta Sibilla, a newsletter that I initiated to chronicle their lives and achievements.

I compiled all aspects of this book to preserve my extensive research on the Pescopaganese people and their accomplishments. My hope also is to encourage the strands of threads from other Italian American communities to do the same. Like Janus, we need to become doorkeepers between our past legacies and our future generations.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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T HIS BOOK WOULD not have been made possible without the cooperation and support of many. First, I need to thank those who have shared their family profiles and histories, particularly, memories of their immigrant forebears who have left their mark on our community. Secondly, my utmost gratitude goes to our sponsors without whose financial assistance this book would not have seen the light of day. Their conviction and endorsement, that this project warrants recognition, guarantee that our legacy will be recorded for generations to come.

Thanks to our Janus/corporate sponsors: Larry Pucillo, CEO, L&M Inc. of Lodi, New Jersey; John Louis Pinto, CEO, Pinto of Montville Inc.; and Dr. Joseph Gonnella, MD, dean emeritus of Thomas Jefferson University Medical School of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Thanks to our platinum sponsors: Chris and Joe Buldo, president and vice president of Buldo Carting Inc. of River Vale, New Jersey; Rosa Pinto Kachmar; John Di Marco, CEO, Evergreen Recycling of Newark, New Jersey; and a sponsor who wishes to remain anonymous. Thanks also to our golden sponsors: Michael Gonnella Jr., CEO of Solid Waste Equipment of New Jersey Inc. of Mountainside, New Jersey, and Gianni Arturo Marciano of Garden City, New York. I am also indebted to our silver sponsors: Rosa Buldo Salluce, proprietor of Tress Chic Beauty Salon in Bloomingdale, New Jersey; John and Rosa Di Marco, proprietors of J&R Truck Repairs in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey; and Mina Masini Alessandro of New York. Our thanks also go to Giuseppina Buldo of River Vale, Mary Lu Marinaro-Farrell of Scotch Plains, and Grace Pinto-Ciccaglione of West Orange.

Acknowledgment of courteous cooperation from the ancestral town is also in order for Carmela Graziano and Antonio Zaccardi at the Office of Vital Statistics, to passionate collector Francesco Mungiello, to town historian Genesio Capasso, to impeccable Joe and Annemarie Miele, to photographer extraordinaire Ralph Vallario, video man Giuseppe Lanza and especially to my sister Angela Pinto D’Amico of Rome, Italy, for her inexhaustible energy, drive, and support.

I am also grateful for the family heritage books sent to me by Nick Ciampa, Dr. Peter Bracuto/Cranford, and Rosemarie Valvano-Pinto, as well as photographs and documents. No words can express my appreciation to two special friends from the Italian Genealogical Group who have contributed their talent and knowledge to make this book distinctive especially those interested in family history: American-born Prof. Mario Toglia, author of three valuable books on Calitrani in America, for his very valid assistance in research and writing, and to Prof. Mike Genovese, descendant of Aviglianesi in America, for his valuable contributions in framing and editing.

To all, a heartfelt Mille Grazie!

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INTRODUCTION

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T HIS BOOK HAS been long in the making with decades of collecting data. The actual writing of this book has taken two years. It has been a long journey. Personal and professional obligations have kept me from working faster. Some individuals hailed the Pescopagano USA Book Project and came forward quickly and generously. No book has ever been written on the Pescopaganesi in America.

My motivation in taking the challenge was my desire to know more myself, to record the deeds of our forefathers, and to introduce our story to our new generations.

Any omissions are unintentional and not selective. Some of the stories were prepared in the past and might not be currently complete.

If you have a story to share or an update, send it to my attention; a second edition is not out of the question.

I divided the book into four parts.

In part 1, I tell my readers about our roots: Pescopagano, the cradle of our culture. I survey the land, recount the history, and take you on a walking tour of the town.

In part 2, I review the migratory phenomenon, the crossing of the ocean, the settling in America, and the progress in New Jersey.

In part 3, I present Pescopaganesi Americans: A to Z, Genealogies, Biographies, Remembrances of Meritorious Families and Individuals.

In part 4, I assembled a collection of corollary documents relevant to our history.

Originally desiring to publish a book in full color, its prohibitive cost convinced me this black-and-white edition will serve us well.

It is my sincere hope that this work will be favorably received by all, especially the younger generations.

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Il Castello di Pescopagano

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Saint Francis of Paola, Patron of Pescopagano, is

carried in procession every June 30th

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PART 1

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OUR ROOTS

Pescopagano

The History, the Land

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View of Pescopagano

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF PESCOPAGANO

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T HESE STONE SCULPTURES reflect the pride and resilience of the descendants of Janus.

The rocky site where the town of Pescopagano stands today was originally inhabited in prehistoric times by Paleolithic people living in caves.

The torrential Guana was the safe abode for the early men who settled on its riparian walls. The intimidating surroundings of endless rock formations kept intruders out and provided more cave shelters and strategic safety tens of thousands of years ago. Contrada Le Grotte, La Serra, and Le Coste della Guana were dwelling sites to a large Paleolithic community. The highest point of the settlement was an ideal observation point overlooking the wide-open valley of the Aufidus River on the north, Monte Vulture and the Apulian Plain in the east, and faraway Partenium in the west. In the south, the high Apennine Mountains provided more security and an escape route to inland safety.

In the late prehistoric period, the incursions of better-armed outsiders displaced the original cave people, and they built a strong defensive complex, an arx on the rocky spur where a castle was eventually built.

An inscription in Oscan alphabet, found in the urban section of Pescopagano, confirms that the local population was of Oscan ethnicity.

In historic times, Greek colonists coming west along the Ofanto River built Compsa, a flourishing center at the strategic confluence of the Ofanto and Sele Valleys. A defensive perimeter was set up; the forts of Castrum Petrae, Cairanus, and Castrum Novum were strengthened.

The Greeks called the southern tip of the peninsula Italia. The success of the colonies attracted King Pyrrhus of Illyria, who came over to help Greater Greece from rising Roman power. His army featured towering elephants, never before seen here. His victory cost him very dearly. Another victory like this, and I am finished, exclaimed the invader, and left.

The Samnites and Hirpini across the Ofanto Valley, helped by the Lucani, fought Roman armies for a century. They humiliated the Romans at the Forche Caudine. The Punic Wars saw Hannibal and his Carthaginian armies on Italian soil. After the disastrous battle at Cannae on the lower Ofanto, Hannibal rested at Compsa, within sight of Castrum Petrae. But Roman power prevailed, and the south accepted the new order of things. Archeologic evidence at Pietra Scritta, Idolari, and elsewhere shows the prosperity of the area during the Roman Empire.

A Latin inscription, once on the gate to Castrum Petrae, tells us that a forward-looking people, liked by the Sibyl of Cumae, led by Janus, came to inhabit this rocky location. By virtue of that fact, with a distinguished name, it was called Castrum Petrae, the Lucanian beginning of Basilicata. For centuries, the people of the area enjoyed the Pax Romana.

The fall of Rome brought and foreign domination and the shattering of social order. The eastern emperors sent armies to reconquer the west. In the year 555, seven thousand Goths, pursued by General Narses, set up a last stance at Castrum Petrae. Defeated, they were sold into slavery and sent to Byzantium.

Franks and most ferocious and retrograde Lombards established iron control. Ambitious barbarians eager to imitate the grandeur of Rome established the Holy Roman Empire in alliance with the Church. In the struggle for supremacy between Church and the empire, some cities, aided by the Byzantines and by native ambition, gained self-rule, such as the Republics of Amalfi, Genoa, Milan, and Venice.

Feudalism, a system based on the rights of armed conquest, was imposed. The Christian church became part of that system. Rights and privileges of the warrior lords left little to the common people. Popes and emperors challenged each other for supremacy. Some cities escaped with independent government. But the south of Italy fell under Norman conquest. From their base in Melfi, they conquered all of southern Italy, establishing the Kingdom of Sicily. They were stopped from unifying all the peninsula by the popes, who had set up the Papal States under false claims that the land was a donation by Emperor Constantine.

The Germanic Swabian and the French Angevin dynasties followed the Normans; the Spanish Aragonese came next. The feud of Castrum Petrae was assigned, sold, and bartered to different lords, the Del Balzos and the Gesualdos. These held it with tyranny for three hundred years, then sold it to the de Andreis. The Spanish set up a corrupt system of viceroyalty that bled and vilified southern Italian society for three hundred years. Charles III of the Bourbon dynasty took the reins in 1735.

The French Revolution of 1789 ended feudalism. Napoleon, exporting the ideals of Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité, awakened in Italians the desire for independence. French administrative law set up districts. The district of the Ofanto included the canton or Republic of Pescopagano. But the forces of reaction were at work; civil war ensued between Republican Liberals and Conservative Royalists, throwing the South into social turmoil.

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This bronze plaque in the council chambers commemorates the 1799

Repubblica Di Pescopagano, capital of the Dipartimento dell’Ofanto.

The 1800s was a century of Risorgimento, awakening from foreign servitude. Mazzini’s republican ideals, Cavour’s monarchic diplomacy, and Garibaldi’s armed action led to change. Secret societies, revolutions, riots, and resistance! Bourbon absolutism and tyranny were rejected, but not without bloodshed. Annexed by Piedmont, Basilicata led a reactionary fight with questionable leaders. An army of a thousand men and women, labeled Briganti, invaded Pescopagano in November 1861 but were repulsed with high losses, ending the reaction. Since 1861, Italy has been a unified nation enjoying the merits and demerits of its laws and deeds.

Rome became capital of the new Kingdom of Italy in 1870. Much was done to improve the nation and bring together the diverse cultures of the north and the south. Colonialism helped relieve overpopulation and fueled aspirations to ancient greatness.

World War I freed northern Italy from Austrian yoke at the huge cost of human lives. A monument to the fallen stands as a reminder on Piazza della Vittoria in Pescopagano. The failure of democratic institutions brought about the Fascist state in 1922 under Duce Benito Mussolini, who dragged the nation into World War II on the side of Nazi Germany. Invading Allied armies landed on the sacred soil, including Italian-American soldiers, who frequently exchanged fire with their uncles and cousins. Retreating and pursuing armed troops passed through Pescopagano, leaving visible scars. The war over, Italians rejected the monarchy in favor of a republic, which was decided in a 1946 national referendum.

The Republic of Italy has shown great recovery from the heavy devastations of World War II, thanks also to the valid assistance of the United States. A staunch member of NATO during the Cold War, Italy has made great economic progress. Its millenarian culture has made immense contributions to the Western civilization. From the times of the Roman Empire through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and modern times, Italy has been an inexhaustible mother of the arts and life. It’s no wonder that today, Italy is the preferred destination of millions of tourists in search of beauty and style.

Pescopagano has emerged from the destructive earthquake of November 23, 1980, with signs of renewed energy. Yes, the older generation still bears the invisible scars of that event; but the new one is bright, educated, sophisticated, and confident of the future in a better world for all.

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THE TERRITORY

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Pescopagano, first urban center of Basilicata,

facing a magnificent view of Irpinia.

A N ALL-ENCOMPASSING VIEW of its territory is possible from the protruding rock fortress of Cairano, a town only four miles away as the crow flies. From its summit, looking south, one can see the rugged Apennine range gradually descending onto the Ofanto River valley that separates Campania from Lucania. An equally broad view is possible from Calitri, east of Cairano, or from Conza Antica, west of the same. Pescopaganesi rarely travel to Cairano or Conza Antica, and few of them have seen their town from that unusual vantage point. The adventurous tourist, however, will enjoy a breathtaking vista of Pescopagano and its territory from these unique locations.

What stands out immediately and clearly at the center of the vista, below the horizon, is a series of fierce white granite rocks emerging from the wooded green of the land. Right in the middle of these rocks is a cascading course of water that, in the course of geologic times, has carved a profound and obscure gorge. Our prehistoric ancestors saw in these rocks and in the steep walls of the watercourse a safe site to establish their abodes.

The rocky complex acquired the name Petra, the deep course of water (in Latin, Acquana) became L’Aguana or La Guana, and the complex of caves Le Grotte. Ice Age men, tens of thousands of years ago, inhabited the caves, or grotte. Easy defense, strategic escape routes, plenty of water, and abundant game made this site ideal for survival and a good life. But as it has happened untold times in prehistory and in historical times, new waves of invaders displaced the riparian people of Petra. And these, seeing the great value of the site, built there a defensive post, a fort known as Castrum Petrae, which was kept through the ages by succeeding rulers, including Oscans, Samnites, Lucani, Hirpini, Greeks, Romans, Goths, Lombards, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, Bourbons, and others.

Anyone who looks north across the Ofanto Valley from Pescopagano will enjoy a majestic view of the entire Hirpinia region. You can see Conza, Cairano, Calitri, and faraway Aquilonia, Bisaccia, Andretta, and Vallata on clear days; and at night, thousands of lights from the towns and the countryside, like so many lightning bugs, shine in the moon-lit darkness of the landscape. As I had occasion to tell the audience of mostly Andrettesi, Calitrani, and Vallatesi at an award ceremony in my honor in Westchester County, New York, a few years ago, The most beautiful thing in Pescopagano is the view of Hirpinia. The view across the valley is priceless: the far-away horizon, the many colors of nature, and the fresh air will surely awaken your senses, heal your tired body, stimulate your mind, and rejuvenate your outlook.

Looking south from Cairano, one can see the granite rocks of Castrum Petrae, which shield and hide the rest of the town. Cascading among dense vegetation, the Guana flows downstream from the high mountains, marking a dividing line of the territory and of the town itself. It joins the waters of the river Ficocchia, which continues downward to join the Ofanto on its way east to the Adriatic Sea. On the east side of this line is the 610-acre wood of Bosco le Rose, with its majestic oaks, and the areas of Nerico and Tragino. On the west side of the town is the rock formation of Pietre di Montecalvo, an iconic, easily identifiable landmark with its busy granite quarries. From here, the land gently descends west to the Sella di Conza, an important pass that separates the Ofanto River valley from that of the Sele River valley. The Greeks loved this fertile region and built the famed Paestum, near Salerno, on the Tyrrenian Sea. The Arso River separates Pescopagano from Sant’Andrea di Conza. South of our town, up the Guana Valley, is Granito and the high forests of Carruozzo and Laviano. Looking north is contrada Caperroni, once famed for its award-winning wines, now for its wheat production, and contrada Mesole, in the direction of Calitri, with its peculiar flat surface (mesole is from Spanish mesa, table), that conjures visions of a Roman army camp leveled by legionnaires.

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LE CONTRADE

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W E HAVE MENTIONED the major geographic features, but the territory of Pescopagano has many contrade; that is, country sections or areas outside the urban complex. Some are renowned for their beauty, some for their agricultural activities, and some still for their history. Even the natives are not familiar with all of them. It is not surprising that a great number of contrade are famous for their pietre, or rocky nature. Pietre di Montecalvo, Pietra Palombara, Cava Fontanella (once famous as a quarry), Pietre delle Grotte, Pietra di Pepe, Pietra del Corvo, Pietra Ogliarale for its petroleum spring, Costa della Guana. Contrade Nerico, Bosco Le Rose, Granito, and Carruozzo are famous for their arboreal beauty and value; Piano Marzano for its military origin; Abetina for its oregano; Pietrascritta for its niche to Silvano Deo; Caperroni for its wheat production; Castagneti for its chestnut production; Valle della Guana for its delicious prunes and vegetables; Saetta for its man-made lake and forgotten tourist bungalows; Ceraso, San Pietro, and Cisterna for their once-abundant spring waters; Montecalvo for its three peaks and once being a hamlet; Sammartino, once a casale; Montemauro for the Shrine of Our Lady of Montemauro and once being a casale; San Lorenzo in Tufara for its once famous Abbey; Idolari for its vineyards and archeologic discoveries; La Pastorella for its country church to the Little Shepherdess; Voraginese for its fossils from millions of years ago; La Domacchia for its natural beauty; Le Grotte for their prehistoric caves; i Piani for its agricultural culture; Tragino for its famous aqueduct and for the capture of English paratroopers during WWII (Operation Colossus); and many more.

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Of all the contrade, Voraginese is the most mysterious and

captivating. A depression in the earth, it marks geologic time

when the sea covered it. Fossilized giant clams and other sea

life are constantly uncovered by erosive action of its tufaceous

soil. At the top is Tufara with its Church of San Lorenzo.

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The ascending Appian road at Piano Marzano shows a

formidable view of the castle and the lower part of town.

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A TOUR OF THE TOWN

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The urban map of Pescopagano.

Donated to the Pescopagano Society Archive.

P ESCOPAGANO IS KNOWN as the Gateway to Lucania, and so our journey begins in the valley below, in Campania. Leaving the town of Sant’Andrea di Conza, a sign informs the visitors that they are leaving Campania and entering Basilicata. Along the ascending and winding road, the eerie ruins of the castle up high appear and disappear at every turn. A short distance from the town, a sign welcomes us: Benvenuti a Pescopagano.

The first landmark we encounter, the modest Church of San Leonardo, faces us. Closed now, this sacred place was the center of a thriving parish in centuries past. From here on, the road, now inside the town, takes the name of Via Nazionale. Two large buildings flank us; they belong to the Laviano families. Around the bend is Palazzo Don Franco, an architectural gem. The owners, no longer residing there, decided to turn it into a condominium; and according to builder and city-councilman, Michele Maffullo, it was a scempio, a desecration. Incredibly beautiful frescos were scraped off the ceilings, ornate windows walled, and grand halls partitioned. The facade is still imposing and beautiful. Towering over the palace is the Church of San Giovanni and, higher still, the ruins of a once mighty castello. We are in the most ancient part of town and also the lower part of town, Bassolaterra.

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The Parish of San Leonardo in Rione Bassolaterra

with its magnificent palaces. (GAF)

Moving on, we arrive at Piazza della Vittoria, a very large area that has become the social and administrative center of town. Here is the attractive Municipio, or city hall, with the mayor’s office and council chambers and archives. Facing the Municipio is the imposing Fontana Nuova, an artistic showpiece built by talented local scalpellini (true masters of the cut stone). Built in the late nineteenth century of local granite, it served the watering needs of the population and their equines. The fountain also served as public laundry for busy mothers. Unfortunately, today it has lost its original purpose: the ladies no longer do their wash and no animals except dogs quench their thirst here. The once-abundant drinking water is no longer potable, and people drink from a tiny, slow-flowing spout instead. Nearby, the caffè-ristorante Il Patriarca with its outdoor seating has become a popular hangout. And next door is the Circolo Sibilla, the dynamic ladies’ club of the elite Pescopaganese women.

Next to the Fontana Nuova is the Villa Comunale, the town playground, enjoyed by young and old, especially in good weather and in the summer. In the front of the villa is the monument to the fallen, Monumento ai Caduti, dedicated to the heroes of the First and Second World Wars. The inspiring and touching bronze sculpture stands atop a column inscribed with the names of the fallen. Near here is another memorial, a reminder of citizens who perished in the devastating earthquake of 1980. It’s a marble sculpture of a praying Madonna.

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Largo Vittoria with city hall. On the right, the council chambers.

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The mayor and council meet a delegation from

Toronto, Canada. August 2017.

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Magnificent vista from Piazza Vittoria, always

a favorite spot for the young and old.

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The monument to the fallen in the Villa Comunale. Some of the fallen heroes.

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A monument to the victims of the 1980 earthquake.

On the right, the back of the Fontana Nuova.

On Piazza Vittoria is also a statue of the mother of Jesus atop a tall column of Carrara marble. On this piazza, the traditional Volo dell’Angelo, or Flight of the Angel, takes place on June 30, the feast day of St. Francis of Paola, protector of Pescopagano, and on July 2, the Feast of la Madonna delle Grazie. As part of an ancient ritual, a boy, eight to ten years of age, is hoisted on steel cables and suspended in front of the statues, where he recites laudatory poems to the holy images. Some years ago, church officials tried unsuccessfully to end the tradition, claiming that it was of pagan origin. The people would not condone such a move and ran the prelate out of town.

Next to the villa is Piazza dell’Emigrante, with a bronze statue dedicated to the countless men and women who migrated to all parts of the globe. Immediately west of it is the huge Ospedale San Francesco that serves the health-recovery needs of three converging provinces: Potenza, Salerno, and Avellino. It specializes in orthopedics and neurology.

Past the hospital is the Caserma dei Cararabinieri (Police Station).

West of the hospital, at Contrada Montecalvo, is the Piscina Comunale, or the town pool, with facilities to accommodate national and Olympic competitions. It is dedicated to the late Dr. Fernando Schettino, the former mayor and high government official of the Regione Basilicata. And over the peak of Montecalvo is the extensive recreational complex, with soccer field, summer camp, and nature trail. In the area is the Town Fire House and Dove Osano Le Aquile, a modern hotel-restaurant that features excellent cuisine and breathtaking vistas. Chef Tonino Tolino is its amazing owner-operator.

From La Fontana Nuova, we walk the level Corso Umberto that leads to Piazza Sibilla. One hundred paces along, we find, on the left, a green enclosure overlooking the Ofanto Valley. In the middle of this small park is the monument to benefactor Don Giovanni Pinto, royal magistrate and procurator, founder of the Opera Pia San Giuseppe of Pescopagano.

Leaving this green oasis, we walk past imposing buildings. One is the Palazzo Fondazione Orlando, established by Dott. Girolamo Orlando; it is used by the town for conferences, exhibits, and special events. Dr. Orlando, whose father was a Redshirt with Garibaldi, was a talented physician and an extraordinary entrepreneur who brought electricity to the region by creating an artificial lake that fed powerful turbines.

Next to the Fondazione Orlando is a huge and classical building that once housed the famous Banca Cooperativa di Pescopagano, a palace that once belonged to the Rubino family. The bank, which grew with savings from our many emigrati, became one of the biggest in southern Italy. Unfortunately, it was mismanaged and was swallowed by bigger banks. At one time, this building also housed the local Caserma dei Carabinieri, now located in a building by the Ospedale San Francesco.

Facing the bank is a monument to Dott. Fernando Schettino, eminent politician, high official of the regional government, mayor, and a lover of his people. The statue was installed in the fall 2018.

We are now at Piazza Sibilla, the center of town life for centuries earlier. It is not level. At the high end are Palazzo Scioscia, and on its right, the Palazzo delle Suore, which once housed the Orphanage of the Opera Pia. Restored after the 1980 earthquake, with no more orphans to care for, the Opera Pia has come to an end; so the town repossessed the palace and leased it back to church authorities. A few nuns live there now. It also has a chapel where mass is celebrated daily.

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La Torre dell’Orologio on Piazza Sibilla.

Porta Sibilla is surmounted by the impressive clock tower (La Torre dell’Orologio). The piazza and the town grew outside the walls of the ancient burg or castle. We can see the walls going up the piazza on the right, continuing down to the Guana Torrent and down on the left, where the rest of an ancient round tower is still visible. The street is named Dietro le Torri, literally behind the towers. The guarded ingress to the medieval burg is also known as l’Arco della Porta. Before the tower was built in 1570, the gate was surmounted by three ancient divinities: Janus, Zeus, and the Sibyl.

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The ancient Latin inscription under the Arco della Porta that recalls

devotion to the Sibyl of Cumae and Janus, the founder of Pescopagano.

Above the arch was a Latin inscription stating that a forward-looking people, devoted to the Sibyl of Cumae, led by Janus Bifrons, came to settle these rocky sites. For that reason, with famed name, it was called Porta Sibilla, the Lucanian beginning of Basilicata. Taken down for renovation work, the sculptures were lost and forgotten. Only the head of Janus was later found and set under the arch, together with the ancient Latin inscription. The piazza was named after the Sibyl, a revered