History
La Societa’ Indipendente Paduli Benevento
Alexander DeAngelis and Joseph Avella, March 16, 2021
The purpose of this posting is to gather together what is known about the Società Indipendente Paduli Benevento and make it available to all.
The Società Indipendente Paduli Benevento is one of three organizations listed on the Bronze Plaque hanging on the wall in the Church of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle in Paduli. The Plaque commemorates the Padulesi in America who donated a Grand Hammond Organ to the Church in 1949. The other two organizations were the Società di M.S. Paduli (M.S. likely stands for Mutuo Soccorso – that is, Mutual Aid), and the Paduli Civic Club. Although we know relatively little about these three organizations, we do know a bit more about the Società Indipendente Paduli Benevento than we do about the other two. What we know in large part is due to Joseph Avella who saved written materials and images treasured by his mother, Katherine Mainella. Joseph’s father was Sam Avella whose name appears on the Bronze Plaque mentioned above.
Before proceeding further, it will be helpful to our understanding of these documents and images to know something about how Joseph Avella came into possession of them. Joseph’s mother, Katherine Mainella, was the daughter of Clementina Massimiano of Paduli. Clementina and her sister, Orsola, emigrated to the United States. Clementina met and married Giuseppe Mainella in East New York, Brooklyn, which had a large number of Padulese immigrants. They had five children, among whom were Katherine and her brother Frank S. Mainella, in whose honor one of the Dinner-Dances mentioned below was given. Michele Barone, who also was honored by a Dinner-Dance, as will be seen below, was Orsola Massimiano’s son.
The materials that we have in hand about the Società Indipendente Paduli Benevento include the following:
1) a large format photograph of attendees at a dinner-dance hosted by the Società,
2) two printed Testimonial-Dinner-and-Dance-Programs held in honor of Dr. Frank S. Mainella and Dr. Michael C. Barone in 1939 and 1941 respectively,
3) a Seating List for the Testimonial Dinner-Dance in honor of Michele Barone,
4) a group photograph, that appeared in Il Progresso, the Italian language newspaper of New York published by Generoso Pope, of attendees at the Testimonial in honor of Frank S. Mainella,
5) a newspaper article in the Vita Sociale section of Il Progresso, describing a Testimonial Dinner-Dance held in honor of Rev. Enrico De Vivo,
6) a three-page pamphlet dated July 27, 1949 bearing an encomium and decree from the Archbishop of Benevento investing Rev. De Vivo with the title Abbot of the Monastery Santa Maria Faifolis,
7) and a separate newspaper photo and text about Prof. Albert P. D’Andrea who attended many of the Dinner-Dances.
Images of all these items, except the large format photograph, are reproduced herein. The large format photograph will be added later.
Lacking any founding documents of the Società, we are left to surmise its purpose and the nature of its activities from what we have. It seems that the Società functioned both as a social organization that provided a means for its members to enjoy each other’s company and also as a vehicle for honoring selected people from the Padulese community in the United States. The Seating List for the Dinner-Dance in honor of Michael C. Barone contains over 350 names. If other such occasions were similarly well-attended, then we can say that the gala activities of the Società were fairly grand affairs including rosters of notables, clergy, and many guests as well as live music and performances by leading opera stars. We can also surmise that many of the people on that list were members of the Società and also that many of them were residents of East New York. We hope that other documents will come to light that will help us better understand the overall functions and history of the Società.
Testimonial Dinner and Dance Tendered to Dr. Frank S. Mainella
The Testimonial Dinner and Dance in honor of Dr. Frank S. (Saverio) Mainella was held at the Hotel Diplomat at 108 West 43rd Street, New York City on November 12th, 1939. (The hotel was demolished in the 1994.) Frank Mainella was a decorated Army surgeon in the China-Burma Theater in World War II with the 45th Surgical Unit. (Pictures of Frank and of his unit have been posted on the internet by his niece Elise Feiner, Joseph Avella’s sister. ) In the picture that appeared in the newspaper (see below), Dr. Frank S. Mainella is seated at the table with his mother, Clementina Massimiano Mainella, and his wife immediately to his right. Standing just above Dr. Mainella is Father Enrico De Vivo of Paduli who was the Pastor of St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. (One can find out more about Rev. De Vivo in a separate post in PaduliinAmerica.com) The caption below the picture, besides identifying Dr. Mainella and his wife and mother, identifies only one other person by name, “il giudice D’Andrea”, Judge D.(Dilette) Joseph D’Andrea who acted as Toastmaster for the event.
Testimonial Dinner and Dance Tendered To Dr. Michael C. Barone – November 16, 1941
The Testimonial Dinner and Dance Tendered to Dr. Michael C. Barone, Under the Auspices of the Società Indipendente Paduli Benevento, was held at the Hotel Pennsylvania at 401 Seventh Avenue (33rd Street and 7th Avenue), New York City, on Sunday, November 16th, 1941.
Testimonial Dinner and Dance Tendered to Cav. Rev. Enrico De Vivo
Although we do not have a printed program for this event, we do have a newspaper article about it from “Il Progresso,” that contains much of the same kinds of information that was included in the printed programs. The Dinner-Dance occurred one week after the celebration of Rev. De Vivo’s Golden Jubilee (fifty years as a priest). As he was ordained on August 6, 1899, the Golden Jubilee occurred sometime in or after August 1949.
English Translation of Il Progresso Article In the Social Life Section
“A Grand Banquet in Honor of Mons. Abbot Don Enrico De Vivo at the Biltmore Hotel”
Sunday night, after nearly a week of grand festivities in tribute to Monsignor Abbot Don Enrico De Vivo in Connellsville, Pa. on the occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of his ordination as a priest, immigrants from Paduli held a sumptuous banquet and ball in his honor.
The main salon of the Biltmore Hotel in New York was transformed into a veritable greenhouse of flowers with an especially eye-capturing cascade of water that flowed over a parapet.
After a sumptuous lunch, during which dancing took place to lively and carefree rhythms, a number of speeches were given.
Mr. Luigi De Vivo, brother of [Rev.] Don Enrico and Chairman of the evening, in the name of the banquet committee and of the family welcomed the numerous diners and introduced the Toastmaster for the evening, Mr. Frank Massimiano who, in a few brief words, explained the great significance of the gathering and called upon the Very Rev. Nicola Fusco, a noted writer and journalist of New Kensington, Pa.
Rev. Fusco, to the ovation of the audience, spoke of Mons. De Vivo’s great achievements defining him as a New Apostle of Christianity.
Afterwards, Mrs. Annita Ragusa, a prima soprano, who is gifted with a truly superior voice and incomparable artistry, sang selections from classical opera that electrified her numerous listeners especially the impassioned romance “Un bel di vedremo” (one beautiful day we shall see)
The Very Reverend Vincenzo Galliano, Pastor of the Church of the Purification in Elwood City, Pa., and companion of the Honoree in seminary, after a brief preamble on the religious life of Mons. A. De Vivo, read the decree of his investiture as Abbot of the Church of Santa Maria di Faifolis [a monastery in the Province of Benevento] signed by Archbishop Agostino Mancinelli of Benevento.
Following this, Rev. Pasquale Mele and Rev. Giuseppe De Vivo, a nephew of the honoree just recently arrived in America with 19 other young priests on special missions, spoke briefly.
The young Reverends, visibly moved, after a lively discussion, presented Mons. A. De Vivo with the chalice of gold that he used when he said his first Mass.
This act underscored both the philosophical and sentimental significance of the gift . It was warmly applauded by the attendees. Dr. Michele Barone, in the name of the banquet committee presented to the honoree a magnificent altar cloth of inestimable value richly embroidered in Italy.
Biographical Highlights of Mons. De Vivo
Born 25 February 1876 in the little town of Paduli in Benevento Province.
At the age of 12 he entered the Seminary of Benevento where he was ordained a priest.
He celebrated his first Mass on 15 August, 1899, in the historical Church of Saint Bartholomew.
Subsequently, for three years he studied at the College of the Nobility in Naples and in the Institute of the Barnabitan Fathers. At the age of 26 he emigrated to the United States and was assigned to be an assistant in the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in New York. A missionary by both instinct and conviction, he accepted the suggestion that he go to Connellsville, Pa., where nine of his predecessors had tried to construct a grand Catholic center ending only in destruction and disillusionment. From such a disastrous beginning, Father De Vivo succeeded in founding a grand religious institution constituting a milestone of the Catholic Religion in the State of Pennsylvania.
In fact, in his impassioned and eloquent expression of gratitude at last Sunday’s banquet, Father De Vivo noted the great difficulties and truly exceptional sacrifices made in order to complete his noble work of civilization and patriotism.
This magnificent gathering closed with a benediction by Rev. Giuseppe Di Lanna.
Before commencing with the dancing, which possiblly would proceed until quite late, Maestro Giuseppe Gioe’ played the song “I’ me ricordo e Napule” on the piano which he composed and which later became immortalized by the great Enrico Caruso.
Newspaper Announcement of the election of the only American to the British Art Society
NOTE TO READERS: If anyone reading this has information about the Società Indipendente Paduli Benevento, please feel free to contact Alex DeAngelis, 571 442-1801, alexander.deangelis@gmail.com.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Alexander DeAngelis and Joseph Avella – March 16, 2021
THE END
People: Grandpa and Teddy Roosevelt
A Brief Note about My Grandfather, Rocco D’Angelis, and Teddy Roosevelt
When, at the age of nineteen, my grandfather arrived in the United States for the first time, he immediately went to work as a gardener at Sagamore Hill, the estate of President Theodore Roosevelt. How he landed this job is a matter of conjecture. However, it is more likely than not that someone else who also hailed from Paduli di Benevento and who already worked at Sagamore Hill, like his uncle Giovanni DeAngelis, known within the family as Zi’ Giuan’, Uncle John, in the dialect of Paduli, got the job for him. Uncle John was also known as Giuanni Martel, John the Hammer, because previously he had worked in Boston as a carpenter.
Rocco D’Angelis arrived at the Port of New York on the S.S. Barbarossa of the North German – Lloyd line on April 4, 1910. On the ship manifest it says that his destination in fact was to join his Uncle John who could be contacted at Box 49 in the Oyster Bay Post Office. Back then immigrants quite often would list their destination as a Post Office Box number.
When Rocco and his Uncle John, who I assume met him at the dock, arrived at Sagamore Hill, he was housed in a barn with other Italian immigrants who all slept on straw. Some may regard this fact as evidence of discriminatory treatment in that the immigrants were housed in the same manner as the animals who belonged to the Roosevelt family. But one has to understand that in those days there were no safeguards for workers, nor was there an expectation that the workers would receive any consideration whatsoever. (See a poem that I wrote on this subject attached at the end of this note.)
In any event, Rocco worked on the estate until sometime in 1915 when he returned to Italy, was drafted and was sent to the front to fight the Austrians and Germans.
One day during his first time in America, Rocco happened to be in downtown Oyster Bay when President Roosevelt rode into town on his horse. The President stopped and tied his horse up, and when he saw my grandfather he asked him to watch over his horse while he went about his business. Of course, Grandpa was happy to oblige.
When the President returned to get his horse for the short ride back to Sagamore Hill, he thanked my Grandpa and gave him 50 cents! That was a very generous tip in those days. That’s the story.
My grandfather returned from Italy to Oyster Bay in 1923 and he also returned to Sagamore Hill where he worked for many years to come. A reminder of this fact is that my father’s dog tags from WWII indicate that my father’s remains should he have been killed, should be sent back to “Rocco De Angelis c/o Roosevelt, Cove Neck, New York.”
A BARN AND STRAW TO SLEEP ON
A group of Italian immigrants, including my grandfather Rocco D’Angelis,
Worked as gardeners and grounds-keepers at Sagamore Hill,
The home of Theodore Roosevelt.
They stayed in a barn with straw to sleep on.
What should we think of this?
My father called it discrimination
By the rich against the poor,
The Northern Europeans against the Southern,
By those who came before against those just newly arrived.
I reflect on this now and again,
And wonder what the truth is.
The facts are clear, but the truth is another thing.
Back then in Teddy’s time,
Giving them a barn and straw was an accommodation to basic human needs,
At a time when many workers received no accommodation.
So, is it something we should praise?
Or was it unfair exploitation of the poor by the rich?
Could it be both? Both accommodation and discrimination?
And what we really seek is not truth but justice?
–Alexander P. DeAngelis, June 2020–
In the picture below of five men on the Roosevelt estate, my grandfather is second from the left. On the right side, second from the right, is Nicola D’Angelis of Paduli, perhaps distantly related to our branch of the family. 
List of Padulesi who came to America from the 1880s through the 1920s
This website, PaduliinAmerica.com, serves both to honor the first generation of Padulesi (people from Paduli) who immigrated to America between 1880 and 1930 as well as to educate the descendants of Paduli in America today about their beautiful heritage. It has also served to create new ties between the people of Paduli today and the descendants of Paduli around the world, particularly in the United States and Australia.
The first generation of Padulesi who came to America were strong people who worked hard and saved their money to support their families back in Paduli as well as the new families they created as immigrants. The great majority of them went abroad to earn enough money so that one day they could return to Paduli and live out their lives with their families. But historical events, including the Great War, the Great Depression and the Second World War, intervened to make it difficult for them to return. Also, the longer they stayed the more they grew accustomed to the opportunities available to them in America.
My grandparents, Rocco D’Angelis (our family name later morphed into “DeAngelis”) and Maria Teresa Mainiero, and their infant son, my father Alessandro, were among those who came and stayed. They were part of one of the largest migrations in human history, the movement of people from Eastern and Southern Europe to America. I have been able to gather over 1400 ships’ passenger manifest records of Padulesi who came to America from the 1880s through the 1920s. This revision of the list includes first-time entries for the Mella family. These records are incorporated in the clickable, downloadable Excel file available below:
PADULESI PASSENGER LIST Feb11-2021
Alexander DeAngelis, February 11, 2021
History: Padulesi in World War I, Samuel Limongelli and Giovanni Rosato
Authors Samuel Limongelli and Giovanni Rosato have written a book about young men from Paduli who were killed during the First World War. The title of the book is I Ragazzi Padulesi nella Grande Guerra.(Young Men from Paduli in the Great War) The cover contains a drawing by Mimmo Paladino, Paduli’s resident sculptor of worldwide fame. The book, written in Italian, is 133 pages long. It contains sections devoted to each of the young men who died as well as images of each of them and of their service documents that include where and when they were inducted, the units to which they were assigned, and where and when they died. The book also contains a list of Padulesi in America who joined the U.S. Armed Forces.
Paduli sent more than 160 young men to the front. Fifty-seven of them were killed! Four brothers from the Lombardi family, Nicola, Francesco, Antonio, and Rocco went to the front. Only Rocco survived!
An interesting aspect of the book is that the first twenty pages are devoted to the severe punishments meted out to Italian soldiers who disobeyed rules and orders, including executions by firing squads, summary executions in the field, and even the practice of decimation – that is, selecting every tenth man for execution regardless of whether they personally were disobedient or not. These punishments were encouraged by General Luigi Cadorna who regarded them as good for instilling obedience. More than 4,000 soldiers were condemned to death, of which over 1,100 were executed. The Italian government in the past few years has taken steps to repeal the sentences of 750 soldiers who were unjustly executed for minor acts of disobedience and to restore their honor.
Alexander DeAngelis
April 18, 2018
History: The First Official Visitors from Paduli (July 26, 2007)
Preface
The purpose of this post, and of several to follow, is to create a record of the major steps taken in recent times to rekindle relationships and ties with Paduli and between the immigrant Padulese communities in the United States and Australia. The main immigration of Padulesi to the United States occurred from the 1880s through the 1920s with a much diminished flow thereafter. (The immgration to Australia began several generations later.) During this era, which I call the Great Immigration, and through the 50s and 60s, ties between Paduli and the Padulesi in the United States were active. Letters were written back and forth between families; the Mayor of Paduli appealed for support from the Padulese community in the United States; Padulesi in America organized to provide the church in Paduli with an organ, a bronze plaque commemorating the donation of the organ, and a bell for the church belfry; Abate G. B. Follo exchanged at least ten letters with Michele Zullo of Jamaica, Queens regarding the donations to the church; several Padulesi in America attended the consecration of the Bell in Paduli in 1950 including Minicozzi Felice di Rocco and his wife Belinda,and Giovanni Grimaldi. Padulese groups in the United States also organized various societies to carry on Padulese ties and traditions including Societa’ di M.S. Paduli and Societa’ Ind. di Paduli. We know nothing about these societies other than that they donated to the Hammond Organ fund. Then, as inevitably happens, ties dwindled as the first generation passed on.
Interest in rekindling ties began in the middle of the first decade of the 21st century with the formation of the Associazione Padulesi nel Mondo in Paduli and of renewed interest in America by descendants of Paduli. Major events in the recent past include:
Research by Alexander DeAngelis into the passenger lists of ships that brought Padulesi immigrants to the United States and that resulted in the publication of over 1400 records of individuals from Paduli in the website http://www.Paduli-in-America.net
The Establishment of the Associazione Padulesi nel Mondo in 2005;
Representation of Padulesi in America and of the Associazione Padulesi nel Mondo in the Columbus Day Parade in New York in 2007;
The First Group Visit from Paduli in 2007 (covered in this post)
The Second Group Visit in 2008 to sign Sister City and Friendship City Agreements respectively between Oyster Bay and Paduli and Oyster Bay and Campbelltown.
The Dedication of Padulesi Park in Campbelltown, South Australia in 2010.
In addition to the event covered in this post, all other events listed above will be documented in subsequent posts.
INTRODUCTION
On July 26, 2007, the first group of Padulesi to visit the United States since the era of the Great Immigration from Paduli (ca. 1880-1925) arrived at JFK International Airport. The group was greeted at the airport by Alex DeAngelis who escorted them to the Italian American Citizens Club of Oyster Bay where each member of the group was introduced to a host family. Many of the host families were related to the group members. From July 26 to August 1 the group engaged in activities in Oyster Bay, Glen Cove, Locust Valley and Bayville, where concentrations of Padulesi immigrants had settled.
The group came to the United States under the auspices of the Associazione Padulesi nel Mondo/World Padulesi Association lead by Dr. Danilo Calderazzo, President of the Association. On the American side their visit was arranged in large part by Alexander DeAngelis, Peter Scaramuzzo, then president of the Italian American Citizens Club of Oyster Bay, and Gail Couseneau Scaramuzzo, Peter’s wife. Ed Minicozzi, a prominent businessman in Oyster Bay, also played a significant role in making the group feel welcomed. (Unfortunately Ed passed away suddenly several years later but not before he saw the establishment of the Sister City Agreement between Paduli and Oyster Bay and Friendship City Agreement between Oyster Bay and Campbelltown, South Australia.)
The group departed Oyster Bay on August 1 and traveled by bus to Niagara Falls. It also visited Washington, D.C. before returning to Italy.
PADULESI GROUP MEMBERS AND THEIR HOSTS/I MEMBRI DEL GRUPPO DI PADULESI E I SUOI OSPITANTI
Under the Auspices of the Associazione Padulesi nel Mondo (World Padulesi Association WPA)
JULY 26-July 31, 2007
Danilo Calderazzo and Irene Tartaro Calderazzo (husband and wife, early 30s) and sons Luca and Gabriele (ages 2 and 5); guests of Peter and Gail Scaramuzzo
Maria and Silvia Ranaldo(sisters ages 20s-30s); guests of Peter and Irene Rocco
- Maria and Silvia are the granddaughters of Domenico Ranaldo, a brother of both Bartolomeo and Pellegrino Ranaldo of Oyster Bay. Peter Rocco is the grandson of Pellegrino Ranaldo.
Caterinna Scaramuzzo (20s) and Antonia Marmorale (50s); guests of Ron and Elaine Ranaldo
- Margherita is the daughter of Domenico Ranaldo in Paduli whose grandfather, also named Domenico, was the brother of Bartolomeo and Pellegrino Ranaldo of Oyster Bay.
- Caterina’s grandfather was Salvatore Scaramuzzo. Salvatore’s brother immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s. .
Silvio Ranaldo and Rosa Messere (husband and wife – Over 60); guests of Ed and Myrtle Minicozzi
- Silvio is the son of Domenico Ranaldo (Paduli) who was a brother of Bartolomeo and Pellegrino Ranaldo of Oyster Bay. He is first cousin to Dominic Ranaldo and Angelina Ranaldo Scaramuzzo (brother and sister), both of Oyster Bay
Antonietta Luongo (30s) and Antonia Marmorale (50s); guests of Catherine (Kitty) Staab (Minicozzi) and her son Al Staab.
- Kitty was Ed Minicozzi’s sister. Al is Ed’s nephew.
- Antonietta Luongo is a teacher of English. She translated for the group.
Claudio Mainiero and Daniele Fusco (second cousins – 30s); guests of Mary “Bette” DeAngelis Murphy and Jim Murphy
- Claudio Mainiero was the Secretary of the World Padulesi Association. Claudio’s grandfather, Domenico, was the brother of Maria Mainiero DeAngelis of Oyster Bay, grandmother of Bette DeAngelis Murphy and Alex DeAngelis.
- Daniele Fusco was Vice President of the WPA. Daniele’s grandmother, Teresa, was sister to Maria Mainiero DeAngelis of Oyster Bay, grandmother of Alex DeAngelis and Bette DeAngelis Murphy.
Pompeo Truglia and Concetta Iacicco (husband and wife, over 50); guests of Ed and Myrtle Minicozzi
- Pompeo Truglia was a Member of the Executive Committee of the World Padulesi Association and also a Member of the Town Council of Paduli. Concetta works in the offices of the City of Benevento.
Errico Sassano and Angela Ranaldo (husband and wife – 50s); guests of Maria Bohn McCumiskey and William McCumiskey. Maria’s mother was a Ranaldo)
- Angela Ranaldo is the sister of Silvio Ranaldo (see above). Her father, Domenico, was brother to Bartolomeo and Pellegrino Ranaldo of Oyster Bay. She is first cousin to Dominic Ranaldo and Angelina Ranaldo Scaramuzzo, both of Oyster Bay.
Maurizio Luongo (30s), Carmine Ranaldo (teen) and Simone Ranaldo (teen); guests of Maurizio’s uncle, Mario Frumiento, of Locust Valley.
- Maurizio Luongo is a member of the Board of the World Padulesi Association and also a member of the Town Council of Paduli. Maurizio speaks English.
- Carmine Ranaldo is Margherita Ranaldo’s brother (see above). His great grandfather, Domenico, was brother to Bartolomeo and Pellegrino Ranaldo of Oyster Bay.
- Simone Ranaldo, nephew of Danilo Calderazzo’s sister, Sofia.
Ernesto Salzano and Carolina Palotta (husband and wife): representatives of the Campania Region (lodged at at the East Norwich Inn)
Additional Padulesi Visitors
In addition to the group members three young relatives of Alex DeAngelis were visiting and took part in all the group’s activities. There names are Giusseppe Maldifassi, Verena Calderazzo, and Barbara Calderazzo, two sisters and a first cousin.
World Padulesi Association Visit to Long Island: Itinerary July 26-August 1, 2007
Thursday, July 26th:
6:30 a.m. (Italy) GROUP departed from Paduli to fly to New York via Paris
8:55 p.m. GROUP arrived at JFK on Air France 008 from Paris.
Alex DeAngelis was there to greet them and to bring them to the Italian-American Citizens Club of Oyster Bay.
11:30 p.m. GROUP met with hosts at the Italian American Citizens Club, Oyster Bay, 48 Summit Street and then departed for hosts’ homes.
Ernesto Salzano and Carolina Palotta (see Note below) were escorted to the East Norwich Inn.
East Norwich Inn, 6321 Northern Boulevard
East Norwich, NY 11732
(516) 922-1500
Friday, July 27th:
9 a.m. HOSTS dropped off their guests at the Italian-American Club
9 a.m. GROUP departed by 12-passenger rental van and several private cars for Glen Cove
10 a.m. MEETING WITH GLEN COVE MAYOR RALPH SUOZZI City Hall, 9 Glen Street, Glen Cove.
Mayor Suozzi’s grandfather, Michele, immigrated to the United States from Ruvo del Monte, Basilicata, in 1925. Mayor Suozzi’s father, Vincent Suozzi, his uncle Joseph A. Suozzi., and his cousin Thomas Suozzi all served as Mayor of Glen Cove. His cousin Thomas Suozzi was the Chief Executive of Nassau County. The Mayor welcomed them to Glen Cove and took them on a short walking tour of the area near the town hall where the flags of the United States and Italy were flying.
11:00 Drive past the Church of Saint Rocco
LUNCH Hosted by Father Aaron Vellaramparampil, Pastor of the Church of Saint Rocco in Glen Cove who spoke Italian fluently. Lunch was held in a big hall near the church. Typical Italian dishes were cooked by local parish ladies.
3:00 p.m. Meeting in Bayville with Mayor Victoria Siegel. (Mayor Siegel grew up in Italy. She spoke to them in Italian.) Meeting in Oyster Bay with Town Clerk Steven Labriola and Council-Woman Beth Faughen and
5:00 p.m. BARBECUE PARTY at home of Ed and Myrtle Minicozzi, Locust Valley, New York, for the members of the GROUP and their HOSTS and special guests including the Mayor of Bayville.
8:00 p.m. Returned to homes of HOSTS for.
Saturday, July 28th:
Tour of Oyster Bay and visit to the home of President Roosevelt (see above). At the Roosevelt home Alex DeAngelis explained that a number of Padulesi immigrants, including his grandfather Rocco, worked on the Roosevelt estate.
LUNCH
4:00 p.m. Departed for the St. Rocco Feast in Glen Cove
SUPPER at Feast
10 p.m. Departed from the Feast to take guests back to their HOST FAMILIES.
Sunday, July 29th.
8:00 a.m. HOSTS drop off guests at the Italian-American Club
8:00 a.m. GROUP boards van and cars to go to Saint Rocco’s Church, 18 Third Street, Glen Cove, New York 11542, Parish Office – 516-676 2482
8:45 a.m. ITALIAN MASS at Saint Rocco’s Church
Pastor Aaron Vellaramparampil offered the GROUP an opportunity to say a few words [5 minutes] at end of Mass about the mission both of GROUP and of the WORLD PADULESI ASSOCIATION.
11:15 PROCESSION OF STATUE OF ST. ROCCO from the Church of Saint Rocco around the neighborhood and back to the Feast.
LUNCH On own
Vincent Marmorale has offered to give a presentation with photographs concerning his work on the Holocaust. Arrangements to be made.
3:00 p.m. FEAST
SUPPER On own at Feast
10 p.m. Van and private cars departed from the Feast to take guests back to their HOST FAMILIES.
Monday, July 30th.
a.m. HOSTS delivered guests to Oyster Bay Train Station for VISIT TO NEW YORK CITY (see below).
Multi-Lingual bus tour
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tours.
Return to Oyster Bay Return t to homes of HOST FAMILIES
Tuesday, July 31st.
VISIT TO NEW YORK CITY INCLUDING A
10:00 VISIT TO CAMPANIA REGIONAL OFFICE
Campania Regional Office 4 E 54th St
New York, NY 10022
(212) 486-8227
Return by Train to Oyster Bay in time for Dinner at 7:00 p.m. with HOSTS and other persons
7:00 p.m. PASTA DINNER at the Italian American Club in honor of GROUP with HOSTS and other guests. Prior to dinner, Padulese descendant Vicent Marmorale gave a presentation on his work on the Holocaust and the role played by many Italians to save the Jews.
10 p.m. Return to homes of HOSTS
Wednesday, Aug. 1
a.m. GROUP TAKES LEAVE OF HOSTS AND DEPARTS FROM OYSTER BAY Subsequent visits included Niagara Falls, Toronto, Philadelphia and Washington,DC before returning to New York for their flight back to Italy.
Article from Oyster Bay Enterprise-Pilot, October 25, 2007
History: Podesta'(mayor) Nicola Marcarelli – An Appeal (to Padulesi abroad) 15 October 1926
Paduli
INTRODUCTION
On October 15, 1926, the Podesta’ [Mayor] of Paduli, Dr. Nicola Marcarelli, issued an appeal to the Padulesi Citizens abroad to contribute to build a memorial Park of Remembrance to those citizens f Paduli who died in World War I. Below is a jpeg image of the text in the original Italian. Because the original text is difficult to read, I have provided a newly typed version as well. These are followed by a translation in English and some comments.
ORIGINAL TEXT/TESTO ORIGINALE IN ITALIANO
15 ottobre, 1926
Ai Cittadini di Paduli: Emigrati
Padulesi!
Una prova del vostro amor Patrio già è stata data merçè l’opera attiva di un Comitato sorto tra Voi e di cui è Presidente il Sig. AURELIO IMBELLI.
Quanto entusiasmo e quanta ammirazione abbia destato in tutta la Cittadinanza la Vostra nobile iniziativa lo avrate già appreso dal sullodato Presidente alcui, per lettera, ho già comunicato brevemente i principali problemi di pubblica utilità.
Prima però di dare inizio alle soluzione di detti problemi, è nostro dovere ricordare i nostri fratelli morti in guerra.
Il sacrificio per la Patria è nobile, ed è più nobile ricordarsi di Coloro che offrirono il petto, con sereno spirito di patriottismo, sui Campi di battaglia. Il ricordo sarà imperituro; la pietra e la pianta esprimeranno un simbolo indelebile che sarà di monito e di orgoglio per i posteri, i quali vedranno in quel simbolo la Grandezza de loro padri e l’amore che essi sentirono per la Patria.
Sorgerà perciò a PADULI il; Parco della Rimembranza; ogni pianta dirà un nome; Un Eroe che offrì tutto se stesso alla Madre du tutti gli Italiani. Faccio pertanto appello al Vostro amor Patrio, alla vostra grande generosità, affinchè, prima di ogni altra cosa, concorriate alla spesa per la costruzione del Parco, che costituisce per noi tutti un obbligo morale verso gli Eroici Fratelli caduti per la maggior grandezza della Patria.
Sicuro che risponderete con il vostro abituale entusiasmo al mio appello, stringo a tutti cordialmente la mano,
Paduli, li 15 Ottobre 1926.
IL PODESTÀ
Dottor NICOLA MARCARELLI
Comune di Paduli Benevento
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
To The Immigrant Citizens of Paduli
Padulesi!
Proof of your Patriotism has already been given thanks to the active effort of a Committee selected from among you presided over by Signor AURELIO IMBELLI. See note below under Comments.)
You have already learned from your President about the enthusiasm and admiration that your noble initiative has aroused in all the Citizenry, and I have already briefly communicated to him the principal problems of public need.
Yet before commencing on the solution of these problems, it is our duty to recall our brothers who have died in war.
Sacrifice for country is noble, and it is even nobler to remember those who offered their breasts on the Fields of Battle with a clear spirit of patriotism. Their memory will be everlasting; the stones and the plants express an indelible symbol that will be a lesson and a source of pride for later generations who will see in that symbol the Greatness of their fathers and the love that they felt for their Country.
There will arise in PADULI a Remembrance Park; every plaque will contain a name: A Hero that offered all of his being to the Mother of all Italians. Therefore, I make appeal to Your love of Country, to you great generosity, so that, above all else, you will contribute to the expenses for the construction of the Park that constitutes a moral obligation for us all, to our Heroic Brothers who have fallen for the Greater Glory of their Country.
Certain that you will respond with your usual enthusiasm to my appeal, I stretch out my hand cordially to all.
Paduli, 15 October 1926
(SEAL) Podesta’ (Mayor)
Doctor NICOLA MARCARELLI
COMMENTS
The term podesta’, rather than sindaco, was used in reference to the Mayor for several stays in office. I do not know why podesta’ instead of sindaco was used at this time but I will try to find out.
As far as I know, the intended park of remembrance and the individual plaques for each soldier who died in World War I were never realized. Instead, there is a Memorial to the Fallen (Monumento ai Caduti) in both World Wars located at the end of Viale Liberta’ opposite from the Communal Palace.
Aurelio Imbelli is listed on the Bronze Plaque. We don not have much information about him except that he was already living in New York in 1903 when his brother, Pietro Antonio, arrived. From the document above we also know that he was President of a Committee that was somehow involved in providing assistance to Paduli.
Nicola Marcarelli was referred to in the first letter from Abbot Follo as head of a faction that was opposed to the Christian conservatives.
Finally, to state the obvious, the administration in Paduli was relying on the immigrants to provide support.
History: History of Paduli di Benevento from Ancient Times to 1900, Alfonso Meomartini
Preface
Paduli has a long, rich history dating at least as far back as the twelfth century and perhaps even earlier. In modern times, many citizens of Paduli (Padulesi) immigrated to the United States primarily between 1880 and the late 1920s. Another wave of Padulesi emigrated to Australia primarily in the 1950s and 60s. Lastly, in the latter part of the 20th century, many Padulesi worked in Switzerland accounting for the fact that a number of Padulesi in their 30s and 40s were born in Switzerland. Their main reason for immigrating was to earn a living, which was difficult if not impossible in Paduli. Currently, the most substantial settlements of people of Padulese ancestry outside of Paduli exist in Oyster Bay and adjoining towns in Long Island, New York, and in Campbelltown, South Australia, near Adelaide. In October 2008, representatives from Paduli and descendants of Paduli from Australia and the United States gathered in Oyster Bay to celebrate their common ancestry and to sign Sister City and Friendship City Agreements. In January 2010, representatives from Paduli and descendants of Paduli from Oyster Bay and Campbelltown met in Campbelltown, to celebrate the opening of Padulesi Park in recognition of the large role played by descendants of Paduli in Campbelltown. Following is a brief account of the history of Paduli based on ancient and modern sources.
Most of the information presented below comes directly from Alfonso Meomartini’s history of Paduli in his compendium of histories of the communities of the Province of Benevento.[1] It dwells heavily on the lives of the nobility and their incessant fighting for control. It can be very confusing to anyone, including me, who is not a specialist in medieval history. I have tried to explain who is who in the footnotes, but I am afraid that I may just have further complicated the issue. Because it contains so little about the lives of the people, I have highlighted passages that relate to the people such as deaths in earthquakes and plagues, tax records and census data.
HISTORY
The town of Paduli (population 4,085 according to the census of October 2011) is located approximately 12 kilometers east of the city of Benevento, Provincial Capital of the Province of Benevento. It is situated on the slopes and summits of a series of hills that point toward the City of Benevento. Three rivers feed into it: the Calore, Tammaro and the Miscano that joins the Calore east of Benevento. In ancient times, Paduli occupied a fairly strategic position along the shortest route between Benevento and Puglia. Due to its strategic location, it was often caught between rival forces in the struggles for control of Southern Italy by various dynastic rivals and the Papacy, struggles that frequently brought devastation and ruin upon it.
Paduli’s Origins
There are two theories as to the origins of Paduli, one advanced by Meomartini that it started as far back as in Roman times, and the other that it originated much later in medieval times. The first is conjecture based on a phrase that appears in the poem De Bello Punico (the Punic Wars 264-146 B.C.) written by Silvio Italico (25-101 A.D). In Part VIII of his poem, Italico remarks that the Samnite people (the tribe living around the Sannita Mountains) cultivated the territories of Batulo and Mucre. Journalist and historian Alfonso Meomartini (November 11, 1841 – January 22, 1918) in his history of the communities of Benevento (see footnote 1) conjectured that Batulo referred to the series of hills that begin at Paduli and that the name Paduli may have derived from the word Batulo.
While this theory is appealing because it ascribes a pre-Roman pedigree to the town, there is little evidence that Paduli proper goes back that far.[2] Rather, historians, including Meomartini, have pointed out that there was a small Roman settlement called Foro Nuovo that was built along the Roman road Via Egnatia (now called Ignazio) that passed by Paduli. This Foro Nuovo (currently called Forno Nuovo) was a changing station for conveyances on the road from Benevento to Puglia. Many stone columns and other ancient artifacts bearing Roman inscriptions have been found there, but none bearing the name Paduli.
Under the Normans and Swabians
The theory that Paduli began in medieval times is supported by references in historical documents. The very first reference to Paduli is found in the “Diploma” confirming Conrad II of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor (reigned from 1027-1039). The “Diploma” refers to Conrad as having dominion over many areas, including “possessions in Mussano (Mosciano, in the territory of S. Marco) and in Padule, etc.” Conrad also served as King of Germany from 1024, King of Italy from 1026, and King of Burgundy from 1033.
In 1113, Falcone di Benevento,[3] chronicler of the history of Benevento, refered to a “fortified castle” at Paduli built by the Norman, Robert Schiavo, to act as a point for launching continuing incursions against Benevento. It was located on Mount Saglieto within the territory of Paduli. Later, Landolfo della Greca,[4] Constable of Benevento, completely destroyed the so-called “fortified castle.” In order to make sense of the many back-and-forth struggles in which Paduli was involved during medieval times, it is important to know it was a time when members of the nobility (the Monarchy), including first the Normans and then the Germans of the Hohenstaufen family of Swabia, constantly struggled with the Papacy for supremacy throughout Southern Italy including everything from south of Rome through Sicily. Benevento always was a seat of power of the Popes, while Paduli always sided with the Monarchy.
Paduli’s allegiance to the Monarchy is reflected even today in the Coat of Arms (Lo Stemma) of Paduli that features the crown of the Monarchy over the three hills on which Paduli stands: Monte Coppolo, Monte Santo and Monte Oro. Today this Coat of Arms can be seen in the pavement of the ramp leading up to the Ducal Palace and on the Porto Columbro, the only remaining gateway of three that used to exist in the walls surrounding the ancient town of Paduli.
In the year 1122, Paduli was referred to in historical records as a part of the territory ruled the Norman, Count Jordan (Giordano) of Ariano.[5] (Ariano is a community located in the Province of Avellino.) Jordan revolted against other Norman princes, including Duke William the Norman, son of Duke Roger, and Count Roger, son of Roger of Sicily. His revolt brought much devastation and ruin upon the area. Jordan’s enemies occupied Paduli, but Jordan gained control of it once more. Duke William laid siege to the castle[6] of Paduli for three months yet was unable to take it. However, Jordan, realizing that he was also being hemmed in by William’s ally, the Prince of Capua, gave way and handed Paduli back to William.[7]
Duke William died In July 1127. Once again, Count Jordan took up arms and recovered all that was his including Paduli. However, not long after, Jordan died in the Siege of Florence. Count Roger of Sicily sailed from Sicily, disembarked at Salerno, subjected all those who had rebelled, reoccupied the cities and the country and took back the title of Duke that had been taken from him by Pope Honorius III (r. 1216-1227). This resulted in more incursions throughout the Beneventan valley. Pope Honorius, in Capua, formed an alliance with Prince Robert and Rainulf II, Count of Alife (d. April 1139)[8], against Count Roger of Sicily and battled against him. However, sensing the coolness of the Duke of Capua and of the other barons, the Pope unexpectedly made a treaty with Count Roger of Sicily and consecrated him as Duke of Puglia in the presence of twenty thousand people near the Ponte Maggiore in Benevento on the August 22, 1128.
Pope Innocent succeeded Honorius III as Pope. At the same time, Anacletus, the Antipope, was also elected. Anacletus crowned Roger as King Roger II of Sicily on Christmas Day 1130. This was followed by the invasion of Lothar[9] and the war between the same and the Normans, which ended with strengthening the power of King Roger II and with the founding of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, also called the Kingdom of Puglia and Sicily.
King Roger came from Sicily and passed through the Beneventan valley. He made Paduli his base of military operations against Benevento as well as against all places in the valley of the Tammaro River. In 1137, his brother-in-law, Duke Rainulf, routed his, King Roger’s, forces. King Roger and his forces fled by night and sought refuge in Paduli for several days. Duke Rainulf then occupied all the towns of the County of Ariano and brought Count Roger of Ariano and his barons under his control. On December 1, 1137, Rainulf stationed his forces near Paduli, but the town was so well defended and fortified that Count Rainulf was obliged to abandon the siege.
In 1138, King Roger II returned with a strong army. After engaging in various military actions and destroying many towns, he encamped outside Paduli on September 12 making it his base of operations to threaten the town of Apice, adjacent to Paduli, which was being held by Count Rainulf on behalf of Count Roger of Ariano. King Roger Became gravely concerned when he heard that Rainulf was approaching. He set his headquarters in the castle on the slope of the mountain. He fortified Paduli and Montefusco with strong garrisons. Not only did this impede communications with Puglia, but also harassed those citizens of Benevento who adhered to Count Rainulf and to his ally the Prince of Capua.
Even though King Roger was defeated at the hands of Rainulf and the Prince of Capua at the Battle of Nocera on July 25, 1132, he desired to strike a decisive blow to the forces of his brother-in-law Count Rainulf. He regathered his whole army and proceeded to Paduli where he established what today would be termed general quarters. From there he began to deal with the Beneventans who were opposed to him. Paduli, for its valor in remaining faithful to King Roger, the founder of the Kingdom of Naples (1139), was granted the extraordinary status of remaining directly under the control of the King rather than being parceled out in feudal style to local nobility. This concession included the surrounding inhabited areas and not just the main town.
The histories are silent about Paduli from the time that King Roger defeated his enemies and established the Monarchy to the time when his grandson, Tancred the Norman, contended for supremacy with the Swabians[10] at the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th centuries. Nevertheless, if the Swabian armies were to travel easily from Terra di Lavoro in Puglia, one can easily suppose that they had occupied and defended Paduli, as a strategic location. Frederick II of Sicily (of the Swabian, Hohenstaufen family) and the Papacy engaged in successive struggles to determine who would control Sothern Italy. A Papal army invaded the Kingdom of Naples, profiting from the absence of Frederick II who was on Crusade in Syria. The Papal army, together the Beneventans, attacked and captured Paduli in the year 1229.[11]
The Anjevin Dynasty 1266-1438
In 1262, Charles of Anjou, son of Louis VIII of France, conquered the Kingdom of Naples and assumed the title Charles I, King of Naples. Paduli was brought into the County of Ariano and was valued at 40 ounces (gold?) in annual taxes. Paduli was given to Count Errico of Vaudemont of the House of Lorraine. Subsequently, however, it returned to the Crown. In 1269, it was referred to in the ordinances of Charles I for the requisition of soldiers and workers: 6 soldiers and 50 men with hoes, to be exact.
Based on tax records, in 1320, Paduli was a large town in the jurisdiction of the Outer Principality (Principato Ultra). In the feudal tax registry of October 9, 1320, it was taxed at 30 ounces, 22 tarì (a unit of measure) and 3 of grain. The only towns to exceed it at that time were Bisaccia, Gesualdo, Trevico, Aquaputrida, Apice, S. Agata dei Goti, and Mercogliano.
Paduli suffered during the invasion of the Durazzo royal family, a Hungarian branch of the French Anjous, which occupied and sacked it in revenge for its resistance to their arms.
In 1350, Paduli was intended to become part of the territory of Benevento belonging to the Papacy. However, the Pope never took possession, neither under the Anjou’s of France nor under their Hungarian cousins, the Durazzos. Paduli was under the dominion of the House of Shabran, Counts of Ariano, but by the time of Charles III Durazzo (Charles the Short, 1345 – 1386) it had been given to one Giacomo Carbone. Later, under Ladislas of Anjou, it was given to one Gentile di Montecalvo. Ladislas then gave it to a Masone Carbone in 1411 for 7,300 ducats of gold. The transfer of title from King Ladislas to Masone Carbone references several “castles” in Paduli, with the instructions that they were to be held by William of Shabran.
On 20 February 1419, Giovanna II[12], Queen of Naples, gave the rights to Paduli to a Domizio Carbone, nephew of the aforementioned Masone Carbone, and afterwards on 18 September, 1422, Paduli was given to a Giacomo Carbone Jr.
Under the Control of Aragon 1443-1485
We find ourselves now in the midst of the period of wars for control of the Kingdom of Naples between the Anjous of France and the Aragonese of Spain. Paduli played a role in the confrontation between Francesco Sforza[13] (1401-1466) and Giacomo della Marca[14] (1370-1438), who became the husband of Giovanna II. The historian Paolo Giovio, in his Life of the Sforzas (Vita Sfortiae, page 22 in the edition of 1539), writes that the conspirators had decided to kill Francesco Sforza in the valley of the Calore River below Paduli, but that Sforza, mounted on his horse of battle called Sperandio, waded across the river successfully surrounded by his own men of battle in the middle of a squad of cavalry.
In 1437, Giacomo Caldora (1369-1439), camped in Paduli when he was allied with Giovanni Vitelleschi (d. 1440), Patriarch of Aquileia and Archbishop-then-Cardinal of Florence, against Alfonso of Aragon. Also, on February 1, 1440, Rene of Anjou[15], King of Naples, overnighted in Paduli on his way from Benevento to Puglia. It is reported that, as he entered the town, the citizens of Paduli ran from the nearby castle praising him and praying that God would keep him safe.
The following year, 1441, Alfonso I of Aragon approached Paduli: “thus he was moved to go to Puglia by virtue of the fact that Gracia Cavagnilia held Benevento with its fortress, and thus he passed through Paduli, and Giacomo Carbone who was lord there [Paduli] took note, etc.” (Costanzo, book XVIII).
On December 5, 1456, a terrible earthquake struck Paduli causing immense damage. According to the chronicles, Paduli, with its castle, was completely destroyed. One-thousand-three-hundred of its inhabitants were crushed under the ruins. Indeed, Paduli lies in an active seismic zone and has suffered through many violent earthquakes, including the devastating quakes in the 1960s and 1980s that caused most of the inhabitants of the old town (Paduli Vecchio) to abandon their homes for good and to take up residence in new structures on the flatland above the old town.
Giacomo Carbone and his two sons, Francesco and Alessandro, who were dwelling in their fortress, were among the numbers of the dead. One Errico Carbone inherited the feuds of his ancestors. His uncle, Domizio, succeeded him. However, the Carbones were among the barons who rebelled against Ferdinando of Aragon. They were declared felons and were despoiled of their feudal holdings. Paduli was sold to a Sancio Samudio, captain of galleys, for 7 thousand ducats. When Charles VII came on the scene, there was recourse to litigation and the decision went in favor of another Giacomo Carbone, descendant of Domizio. But he held Paduli only until Frederick III of Aragon gave it again to Samudio in exchange for Mottola.
At the beginning of the 16th century, Paduli was visited by the Dominican Father, Leandro Alberti, who left only one written reference. At the point at which the Tammaro flows into the Calore, he noted that the waters were abundant. He was then equally distant between the two rivers, the Tammaro and the Calore, at the Castle of Paduli.
The French Marshal, Lautrech, occupied Paduli when he moved from Puglia toward Naples. He died of the plague in 1528 at the siege of Naples and was buried in S. Maria la Nova where to this day one can admire the monument erected for him.
Later, the town came under the general attention of the government of the Viceroy, and in the first census done under Carlo V in 1532, Paduli was inhabited by 352 families. The number increased to 427 families in 1545 and to 433 families in 1561.
On October 1, 1560, Giovan Berardino Carbone was named Marquis of Paduli. The diploma granting his title states that Paduli was given to him because he was one of the most valiant defenders of Naples under the siege of Lautrech. In 1588, Giovannantonio (aforenamed “Giovan”) Carbone, Marquis of Paduli, sold Paduli to Cornelia Pignatelli, wife of the Duke of S. Agata dei Goti (a town in the Province of Benevento), Giov. Paolo Cosso. In the next census, the contract was declared null and the same Carbone sold it to Costanza Caracciolo, Marchesa of Casalbore, on October 4, 1592. In the next census of 1595, the population had increased to 521 families.
Giovanvincenzo Caracciolo sold it for 37,000 ducats to Fabrizio dei Lagni on February 18, 1600, with an agreement of repurchase, ceding it then to Marcello Barone for 52,000 ducats on 4 August 4, 1606 and then to Alberico Cybo, prince of Massa, on 27 May 1609.
It was under feudal obligation to the historically famous Cibo family when the revolution of Masaniello[16] occurred in 1647 that was ardently followed by Paduli.
We cannot recount the events better than Capecelatro, a soldier and eyewitness to what happened:
He [Marquis di San Marco] wanted to take Paduli by surprise, a place situated in an important position near Benevento with a strong castle, and which, because it was dissatisfied with the Prince of Massa of the Cibo [family] of Genoa, who was its lord, was one of the first [towns]to rebel. In large part, the Mayor [of Paduli] instigated the revolt with the support of 200 armed peasants. He disobeyed the orders of the Viceroy of the Province to muster the battalion to his [the Viceroy’s] call. Furthermore he launched a salvo of archibuses against Giuseppe Grillo, who was in charge of the detachment and who had already tried to muster them. They [the Marquis and his allies] decided and attempted to take his [the Mayor’s] life. Consequently, when some [soldiers] of [the Duke of] Guisa’s[17][1] army, from Solofra [a town in the Province of Avellino], were passing by with passports allowing them to return home, he [Marquis of S. Marco] imprisoned them and took away their arms. The Duke of Salsa concurred in this action, and the Marquis of S. Marco proceeded in the following manner. Making known his intentions only to his brother, D. Luigi [Cavaniglia], and to his son, D. Carlo, they all mounted their horses on Saturday December 7 saying that they intended to proceed to Aversa where they would join with the other Barons, and because they had in mind to depart again in such a way as to arrive at their destination at night in order to proceed with the assault with greater ease. Under various pretexts they took to the roads aided by a rainstorm that gave them cover. They stopped in certain hostelries to dry themselves. They departed from there and arrived at Tavernole near Buonalbergo quite late, one hour after sunset, where they believed they would be able to restore themselves and lodge overnight, which is how the Marquis announced his intentions.
He appointed three captains of his squad and showed them how easy the tasks were they were about to undertake, especially when guided by someone who was familiar with the countryside. They would reunite at an hour at which they would find their enemies totally unaware of their assault. They left their baggage and took their most prized horses which they led by hand, and took off quickly toward Paduli. When they were near Paduli, a little more than a mile away, the Marquis and his soldiers dismounted their horses, and as it already was the fifth hour of the night, he sent soldiers armed with archibuses forward with Francesco de Capua in order to reconnoiter the walls for a place where they could place the scaling ladders that they had brought along in secret. From afar, D. Luigi and D. Carlo Cavaniglia, with seventy soldiers, followed with two big blasts, and all of the remaining came after with the Marquis.
The air was covered in mist and raining lightly thereby rendering the terrain slippery and retarding the march, but the slowness actually aided the undertaking finding the Padulesi wrapped in sleep. Joining together near the walls, seeing that a certain number of them probably would succeed in the confrontation, the Marquis stopped his march. They found themselves amidst olive groves that gave them cover from which they witnessed a number of peasants who were openly stealing grain from certain caches totally unaware of the enemy approaching. Then, reaching the wall, they placed the ladders up and, even though they had some difficulty because they discovered that it was higher than they had thought, all succeeded in scaling the walls. Upon entering the area, they set themselves up in a location from which they could defend themselves without the citizens being aware of anything. While they were proceeding to occupy the road that led to the Castle, a sentinel finally heard their clamor. Upon seeing who they were, he raised the alarm that the enemy was within. For this reason, the Marquis, in order to strike terror in them, had his men cry out. He left some soldiers in the piazza of the Castle while he passed onward with D. Carlo toward the main church. They blocked the entrance so that no one would be able to enter. D. Luigi went to the house of the Mayor, who was among the first combatants, and near the house of the lieutenant of the town, he announced that all would be assured of keeping their lives but only if they would surrender their arms to him, which they gave up completely. No one died except the Mayor, although four others were wounded. Not one of the Marquis’ men was harmed. They sacked the house of the Mayor but did not molest anyone else. The Marquis billeted at his expense the person who accompanied him. He had seized the town quicker than he had thought, causing noticeable fear in the nearby localities because of Paduli’s reputation as a secure stronghold, capable of being defended for a long time.
In 1648, the census counted 453 families, a significant reduction from the preceding census. Then in 1656, a ferocious Plague struck Paduli, which was reduced to only 159 families – that is, 400 families disappeared from among the living.
An earthquake in 1688 also caused grave damage. Most of the houses were ruined and 135 citizens were killed, according to Sarnelli.
On October 12, 1726, Aderano and Camillo Cibi Malaspina sold Paduli to Baldassare Coscia for 52,000 ducats. They were the nephews of the famous Cardinal Coscia, native of Pietradefusi and confidant of Pope Benedict XIII. He controlled access to the Pope. A famous saying that survives from that time puns off the dual meaning of “coscia” both as the family name of the famous Cardinal and as the Italian word for thigh.
He who wishes graces from the Holy See
Must first kiss the foot and then the Knee.
Chi vuole grazie dalla Santa Sede
Baci prima la Coscia e poi il piede.
(Note: In translating “coscia,” I substituted the word “knee” for “thigh” in order to maintain the rime.)
Baldassare Coscia, with a document of title from Carlo VI dated October 18, 1727, became the Duke of Paduli, which remained in the possession of the same family, some of whom actually lived in Paduli.
There are no outstanding buildings in the community, but the habitations are optimum for their owners and maintained with much care. On the ruins of the old castle of Paduli, in which stayed the Counts of Ariano of old, Duke Rainulf, King Roger, Tancred, Frederick II, Manfred, Ladislas, Renato of Anjou, Sforza, and Alfonso of Aragon, the first Duke of the House of Coscia erected a palace of beautiful appearance that today (referring to the early 1900s when Meomartini composed his chapter on Paduli) belongs to the de Vivo[18] family of Naples. To the side of this edifice is the palace of the actual Dukes of Paduli.
Churches are abundant in Paduli as there are five of them. The foremost is dedicated to S. Bartholomew the Apostle and is presided over by a curate with the title of Abbot. (Today there is one main church, St. Bartholomews, one smaller, older church to The Virgin and to St. Rocco, and the Franciscan Convent Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Ruins of St. Nicola’s church still may be seen in the largely abandoned Paese Vecchio, Old Town. This is interesting because the Patron Saint of Paduli is St. Nicola, and therefore one would think that he would have top billing. However, St. Rocco is far more present in the lives of the people.
On the summit of the hill is a large edifice that previously was a monastery of the Antonian Brothers and then of the Reformed Franciscans. It is dedicated to S. Maria. One reaches it by a pleasant walk overlooking Paduli where the view extends over the whole valley of Benevento and on the other side to the Tammaro and to the surrounding olive groves that cover this pleasant hill with their green leaves. The Convent (monastery) serves as lodging for the seminarians from Benevento. (Today the Convent, which houses 365 rooms, is mostly abandoned except for areas used for events, plays and meetings).
The territory of the community extends over 13,000 tomoli,[19] nearly all of which is mountainous, and is well adapted to olives, grapes, and cultivation for the most part. Its produce is excellent.
The principal families who live there are the previous feudal lord, the Duke of Coscia, the Caccese family, the Mazzei, Marcarelli, Perret, Lombardi, Trombetta, Abate, Falbo, and others. The Marquis Vasaturo, the de Vivos and others of Naples, including the Panari, Angelini, de Juliis and Scrocco of Buonalbergo, and some modern wealthy families of Benevento own property. (Meomartini doesn’t mention the largest families in Paduli such as the Ranaldos, Marmorales, Minicozzis, Limongellis, et.c)
In the ancient administrative ordinances of Naples, which are housed in the Autonomous University of the Province of Benevento, Paduli always belonged to the Principato Ultra with its capital in Montefusco. Following the law of 1809 that created the districts and the circuits, in 1811 Paduli was named the capital of a vast circuit in the district of Ariano, encompassing Apice, Buonalbergo, Casalbore and Montemalo. On March 1, 1816, the last two named communities ceased to exist as they were aggregated into Montecalvo.
Paduli was always a part of the Archdiocese of Benevento together with Benevento, Pietrelcina, S. Giorgio la Molara, Montemale or S. Arcangelo Trimonti, Buonalbergo, and Apice. At the end of the 18th century, Paduli included 2468 inhabitants, 3574 in 1852, and 4017 in the census of 1901.
[1] At this time, the Duke of Guisa was in support of Masaniello’s rebellion and therefore opposed to the Marquis of S. Marco.
[1] This account of history, spanning the period from ancient times through the latter half of the 19th century, is almost entirely an abridged translation of Alfonso Meomartini’s chapter on Paduli in his compendium of histories of the communities of Benevento published in 1907 under the title I Comuni della Provincia di Benevento, ed. Giuseppe De Martini. In order to make the text more understandable to the general reader, I have omitted most of the Roman inscriptions found around Paduli and have somewhat simplified the ups and downs of various nobles who contended for control over Paduli throughout its history. Even so, the story is complicated.
[2] Fusco, Daniele, Il Centro Storico Di Paduli (Bn): Analisi tipologico-costruttiva per la conoscenza delle tecniche tradizionali, Tesi di Laurea In Architettura Tecnica, Universita’ Degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”, Facolta’ Ingegneria, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Edile, Anno Accademico 2001-2002.
[3] Falcone di Benevento (end of 11th century – 1144 ca.) was the author of Chronicum Beneventanum, an account of the history of Benevento from 110the -1144 and the rise to power Roger II of Sicily and of the Normans in Southern Italy
[4] The Pope appointed Landolfo della Greca Constable of Benevento in 1113. This position gave him control of the militia.
[5] Jordan (died 12 August 1127), Count of Ariano (from 1102), was a baron in Apulia during the reign of the Duke William II. Jordan was the son and successor of Count Eribert and Altrude of Buonalbergo (a town nearby Paduli). In 1114, he and Robert I of Capua assaulted Benevento, but Archbishop Landulf II, who controlled Benevento, made peace with them. Jordan rebelled against the duke and, at Nusco in 1121, he took a troop of knights to threaten and insult the duke, saying, according to Falcone of Benevento, “I will cut your coat short for you.” He then plundered the entire district. William begged assistance from the more powerful Roger II of Sicily, who, in exchange for all of Calabria and the duke’s halves of Palermo and Messina, crossed the Straits of Messina and subjugated the Count of Ariano. When Jordan died, his young son was put under the suzerainty of his neighbor, Count Ranulf of Alife.
[6] There are many references to “castles” in the histories that refer to Paduli. Some historians conjecture that the word “castle” (castellan in Latin) should in reality be thought of more as a fortified area manned by soldiers than a traditional castle structure. (See Fusco.)
[7] The words of Falcone are as follows:
“Audiens autem Dux praenominatus Castellum illud captum fuisse, exercit aggregato, Castrum illud obsedit mensibus tribus. Dux ille videns quia sic cito capi non poterat” (Hearing that the aforementioned Castle could be captured, the Duke gathered his army and laid siege to it for three months. But, the Duke saw that it could not be captured.) He called for help from the Prince of Capua offering him Apice and Acerno. He also made peace with the Beneventans. Then, surrounded on every side, Count Jordan, who was holed up in Paduli, surrendered to the Duke of Capua: Cumque Comes ille Iordanus taliter se coactum aspiciens, in manus praedicti Principis se et Castellum Padulis summisit. (Jordan seeing himself thus forced, submitted the Castle into the hands of the aforementioned Prince.)
[8]Rainulf II (or Ranulf) (died 30 April 1139) was the Count of Alife and Caiazzo, and for a contested period, Duke of Apulia. He was a member of the Norman Drengot clan, which ruled Aversa and Capua for most of the century between 1050 and 1150. He was brother-in-law to King Roger of Sicily against whom he fought.
[9] Lothair III of Supplinburg (9 June, 1075, Unterlüss – 4 December 1137), was Duke of Saxony (1106), King of Germany (1125), and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. The son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, his reign was troubled by the constant intriguing of Frederick II, Duke of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Franconia. He died whilst returning from a successful campaign against the Normans in southern Italy.
[10] The Swabians (Svevi in Italian) refers to the House of Hohenstaufen in Germany that was to take over the rule of Southern Italy from the Normans. The most famous of them was Frederick II who became Holy Roman Emperor but who also had many struggles with the Papacy.
[11] In Meomartini this date is mistakenly given as 1129. Frederick II of the Hohenstaufen family and Holy Roman Emperor lived from 1194-1250 and in fact was in Syria at the time referred to in the chronicle.
[12] Giovanna II (25 June 1373 – 2 February 1435) was Queen of Naples from 1414 to her death, upon which the senior Angevin line of Naples became extinct. As a mere formality, she used the title of Queen of Jerusalem, Sicily, and Hungary.
[13] Francesco Sforza (1401-1466), was the first Duke of Milan and the founder of the Sforza Dynasty that ruled Milan. He was a close friend to Cosimo d’Medici. He was the father of Lodovico Sforza who commissioned Leonardo DaVinci to paint the Mona Lisa.
[14] Giacomo della Marca (1370-1438), also known as Giacomo II di Borbone, was the third Count of the Marches, married Giovanna II of Naples, in 1415 but had to return to France in 1418 due to conflicts with the nobility of Naples.
[15] René of Anjou (16 January 1409 – 10 July 1480), also known as René I of Naples and Good King René (French Le bon roi René), was Duke of Anjou, Count of Provence (1434–1480), Count of Piedmont, Duke of Bar (1430–1480), Duke of Lorraine (1431–1453), King of Naples (1438–1442; titular 1442–1480), titular King of Jerusalem (1438–1480) and Aragon (1466–1480) (including Sicily, Majorca, Corsica). He was the father of the English queen Margaret of Anjou, wife of King Henry VI of England and a key figure in the Wars of the Roses.
[16] Masaniello (Tommaso Aniello, b. 1620 in Naples, d. 1647) was a young fisherman in 1647 when he was chosen to lead a protest against a new tax on fruit, levied by the nobility to raise money to pay the tribute demanded by Spain. The insurrection against the nobles was successful, but Masaniello became intoxicated and urged the people to slaughter the nobles. Shortly thereafter, he was murdered by assassins hired by the nobles.
[17] In 1647, the Duke of Guisa, Henri II (Enrico II) of Lorraine, was nominated by the rebellious Neapolitans, who had followed the rebel leader Masaniello in his revolt against the Spanish, as Generalissimo of the Army of the Republic of Naples. (Biografia Universale, Antica e Moderna, Vol XXVII, Venezia, presso Giovan Battista Missaglia, MDCCCXVI, p. 160.) Therefore he was an enemy of the Marquis of S. Marco whose allegiance was to the Spanish.
[18] Interestingly, while no members of the de Vivo family currently live in Paduli, one of its descendants, Enrico De Vivo, became a priest, and in 1915 he founded St. Rita’s Parish in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. Father De Vivo was born in Paduli on February 25, 1876, the third son in a family of four boys and four girls. His father, a textile manufacturer, was Luigi De Vivo, and his mother, Emiddia Massimiano.
[19] A tomolo is a unit of land measurement that varies widely depending on place and time. If the total area of Paduli then (13,000 tomoli, ca. 1900) was the same as it is now (17.27 mi2 or 44.73 km²), then 1 tomolo equals 37,035 ft2 (0.85 acres) or 3,441 m2 (3.44 hectares).
Paduli in America 