My last on-site research trip was in March 2003 and included these adventures:
This trip I changed my usual mode and rented a car at the airport in Rome. I took off down A3 and stopped for the night in Lagonegro. It is a small town on a hillside, but the autostrada runs past it and the Hotel Midi was an outstanding experience for very little money. The next day I continued down south. Sicily seemed to call me and I drove faster the closer I got.
Taking the ferry through the Strait of Messina is always a thrill as I take the opportunity to greet or depart my beloved Sicily. It runs between Villa San Giovanni and Messina, takes about 20 minutes, and is great fun! There are private ferries that carry just cars and trucks. But there are also ferries run by the state train company (Ferrovie Stato) that carry the trains in the hold and cars on the deck! I've taken both and enjoyed both!
That afternoon, I visited the priest in Carlentini to discover if his records had been returned to him. About two years ago, they'd been sent to the Diocese for microfilming as a conservation measure since they are in poor condition. While he reported that he has regained possession of those records, he requested that I view the microfilm at the Diocese Curia, in Siracusa, to save the books from further damage.
After checking my email at an Internet point in Catania, I spent my first night back on the island at the Hotel Biancaneve in Nicolosi, just outside the Etna park. The hotel is on the edge of the forest and has (weather permitting) a view of the volcano! She (Etna) was hiding beneath her cloud cloak, as she frequently does during my visits (October/November and March/April). Id just learned of the death of an old friend and drove up the mountain the next morning for my own private memorial service for him. As one who loved wild places, Im sure Bill appreciated it, even with the snow falling!
The next morning, Saturday, I drove over to Agrigento and found a room in the beach suburb of San Leone (Hotel Costazzurra). It is walking distance to the beach and has Internet access in the lobby. Wonderful!! It was good meeting with my colleague, Emilio, and his family (even if we did discuss Bush's intentions only days before the first attack on Iraq). I left early the next morning for Sciacca.
The town I planned to work in on Monday, Sambuca di Sicilia, is back in the hills and has no hotel nearby, so Sciacca is a good base for that. I was fortunate to get a room with a view of the coast (Grand Hotel Delle Terme). Just a little better vision and I could imagine seeing Malta, or the African coast!
On Monday morning I arrived in Sambuca di Sicilia before the sun and waited for the church to open. I then discovered that the priest had to go to meetings in another town and I needed to return to Sambuca later that week. So, I hopped in the car and took off for Marsala.
I got there relatively quickly on the autostrada and headed for the old center of town. Sure enough, the Municipio was there, including the Stato Civile. However, they sent me down the hall to the Stato Civile archives for the records I was seeking (around 1900). They were most helpful and we found lots of good information. However, records prior to 1880 were stored in the historic archive a few blocks away. They called ahead for me and I arrived a few minutes later. They were also of great assistance and assisted in procuring many documents. Both archives allowed me to not only photograph the documents, but made extracts of them for me. They even told me where the streets mentioned in the documents were located. Wonderful!
Later, I was able to photograph the neighborhood where the ancestors of my client lived, including the church they probably attended and few landmarks. I then headed down the coast to a suburb, Petrosino, where those ancestors later lived. Along the way, I stopped at an attractive hotel to gather a brochure for my client, knowing he was planning a trip there in the near future. I found the suburb with no difficulty and took some photos of the area and the only church there. So much fun to make these connections!
I made my way down the coast to a beachfront hotel outside Licata (Hotel Stella del Mediterraneo). More wonderful views, including a castle! The next day I arrived shortly after the sun rose in Militello in Val di Catania. It is in the mountains outside of Catania and a delightful town! The policeman who directed me to the Stato Civile also stayed to discuss the research for a little while. The two clerks were most helpful and we answered lots of questions while raising even more questions about this confusing family. Fortunately, the Anagrafe office is attached, so I was able to view those records as well, providing lots of helpful information. While the clerks were most friendly about making extracts, photographs were not allowed.
I spent that night just off the highway near Augusta (Hotel Sicilfuel). From a beach in Brucoli, I watched the sunset bring out the lights of Catania under the shadow of Mt. Etna across the water. That is a charming little town with very little going on when the tourists are absent (winter). There is an old Norman castle at the entrance to the bay, along with old World War II German bunkers on either side of the entrance to the bay. Lots of history here!
The next day I went into Siracusa early, but not early enough to beat the traffic. Horrendous! I was headed out to Ortygia (the old town center) to the old Duomo. I was following a lead that would hopefully yield microfilm copies of the parish registers of Carlentini. Although I spoke to the head of the Diocese Archives, and a representative of the Diocese, and the priest responsible for the records of the Diocese, none of them know about any records on microfilm. Very frustrating! Im hoping that those records were filmed by the LDS church and are in process to be available to all of us.
One of the great highlights of touring Ortygia after such an unsuccessful search was viewing the inside of the Duomo. It is housed in an ancient Greek temple. The columns are in excellent condition, having had an outer wall and new roof added long ago. What a thrill! I also found a black Madonna inside and photographed her for a friend who'd requested such a photo.
I returned to Sciacca that night, to a dismal hotel I wont even name (my earlier choice was full with a tour group), and set off for Sambuca again in the morning. The priest interviewed me briefly and then allowed me to work in his study while he conducted Mass and met with people afterwards. Those records are wonderful, although it was a disappointment not to be able to take photos.
I returned the following day to receive a message that the priest had been called out of town and wouldnt return until Saturday night. I spent the day touring Sciacca, taking lots of photos, and checking out the Municipio and Stato Civile for future research trips. I also moved back into the hotel Id enjoyed earlier in the week and found another (quieter, more expensive) hotel (Villa Palocla Hotel) on the other side of town. I'm recommending it to my Sambuca di Sicilia client since I suspect his wife will love it! The next morning I took the chance that the priest would again allow me to work in his study while he performed his duties and thats exactly what happened! I was able to find more documents regarding the family I was researching and judged it a very successful research trip!
I spent that evening and all of Sunday driving back up to Rome to fly out on Monday morning. I broke up the drive by staying in the Hotel Domus Residence in Rende (outside of Cosenza). I spent my last night at the Golden Hotel in Pomezia (just outside of Rome), so that I would need to drive less than 30 minutes to the airport (FCO). Short trip, but very productive! However, I did decide that the 10 hour drive between Rome and Sicily should be avoided on future trips when I have no research elsewhere. The scenery is magnificent, but it is better appreciated as a passenger than as a driver. Also, it is less expensive to rent a car outside the airport, and gas costs a lot over there! I'm tentatively planning to take the bus down to Catania, renting a car there, and driving my way back to Rome on my next trip since I have research planned for Potenza and Napoli areas.
Back in the States, I met my husband at in College Park, MD to work for a couple of days in the National Archives there locating materials on World War II Prisoners of War held in the US. I spent lots of time getting answers to my questions from the WW II military experts on staff and only got a portion of my goal in copies. I plan to achieve that goal on my way home from Italy in November.
For more about my adventures on this trip and other topics, please see my newsletter.
My latest book on CD is titled Agrigento, Palermo and Catania Provinces (Italy) - A Reference for Researchers and is now available. With a file for each town (plus many other files), it relates the history of Italy as reflected in the photos, records and festivals of its towns. It contains over 600 text and photo files and can be ordered at CD order.
Later this month, I'll be publishing the Rosters of Italian Prisoners of War held in the Continental US on 31 March 1945 (A-B). It will be available on CD and can be ordered at www.gentracer.com/powcd.html.
My next trip is scheduled for November 2003.
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