Excuse me before all if I write rather bad English; let me introduce myself: I'm the Mayor of Vallelunga Pratameno and my name is Antonino Patti.
We had your address from Mr. John Vallelunga's website and so we know that in U.S.A. there are many vallelunghesi communities who maintain alive the traditions of their origin earth and we would like to contact them and to consolidate the bonds among our country and them. As Mr. G.Picogna wrote, I'm very interested in creating a website and Vallelunga Pratameno will have soon a website and there we will give you the address immediately as you know what happens in our country; you can ask for informations or for any matter.
Vallelunga Pratameno is beautiful and his environs too. I hope that many Vallelunghesi, who are living in America, will come to visit them and to know their place of origin.
In Vallelunga there are many places where to sleep comfortably and several restaurants where to eat very well; additionally here is the best wine of Sicilia, the famous Regaleali wine, excellent olive-oil, wonderful handmade works like laces, embroideries and terracottas.
You can contact us through the Town Hall: (see above letter for addresses) and we will be happy to help you, to furnish informations and to change news and photos with you.
If you know some other Vallelunghesi's E-mails, please, give them to me for contacting them and sending photos of Vallelunga Pratameno.
Expecting your reply, in Italian if it's possible, I wish you a Happy New Year.
Sincerely, Antonino PattiThis is Greg Picogna from Cullman, Alabama who wrote to you back in February of this year about an upcoming visit to Vallelunga during April. Well, this note is just a follow up on some of the events and information from that visit until now.
You may remember from the entry in your guestbook that My Grandparents are from Vallelunga. My Father was very young when his Father died and did not have a lot of information on our family history besides the town names of Vallelunga & Valledolmo.
An opportunity to visit Sicily became available and that motivated me to begin researching my family background in advance of the trip with hopes of locating additional family records & information upon arrival at Vallelunga. The preliminary searching led me to your web page with a wealth of history, maps and pictures that saved much time and effort in the planning and execution of my trip. I was able to really enjoy the journey through the beautiful mountains and valleys of central Sicily without much fear of getting lost because your website information was so detailed. "Mille Grazie" to all the contributors!
Upon arrival at Vallelunga we (myself and 2 friends -- one from Rome and the other from Alabama) went to the Catholic church building and met the priest, Giuseppe Zuzze. He was very attentive and through some brief discussions we estimated that my Grandfather was born somewhere around 1880. He then produced records from the church's baptism records that identified my Grandfather, Calogero Picogna was born on April 5, 1874. He then offered to mail me additional information after he did some further research. We thanked him and left after determining there were no more Picogna's living in Vallelunga (He brought a copy of "Le Famiglia Di Vallelunga", which Larry LaRussa had told me about, and it did not list any Picognas. Neither did the phone book). He made good on his offer by later mailing me information on the Picogna family line that went back to my Great-Great Grandparents! My Father was speechless when I gave him a copy of the information along with pictures of our ancestral home town. He and I hope to go there together soon if possible.
Just last week I received another letter from the Catholic Priest, Giuseppe Zuzze. He was responding to a letter I had sent him requesting additional information about immigration from Vallelunga around the turn of the century. My friend from Rome has just returned the translation to me (with explanatory notes that are marked with his initials "RT")so now an excerpt can be passed on to you. It contains information, I believe, that will be of interest to all the "Vallelunghesi" in this county. Here is the excerpt:
Very illustrious (a typical way of addressing in the South. RT note) Mr. Picogna,
First of all I am sorry for answering your letter so late -- in this parish I am alone. I Thank you for sending the pictures of Vallelunga. I got the Mayor here interested in creating a web site in order to communicate with all those who will ask for news about their origins in Vallelunga.
The cause of such a massive emigration from Vallelunga and Sicily was the unsuccessful land reform (or, as we put it, "agrarian pact reform". RT note). "The economical crisis, began in the (18)80's, reached its climax at the beginning of the last decade of the XIX century. While in most areas belonging to the province of Caltanissetta strikes of the sulfur workers took place, in those years the heavier weight of the big land crisis fell on (the shoulders of) peasants and sharemen. The crisis was such that it gave impulse to the movement of the "Fasces of Workers" ("Fasces" is a word connected with Roman History, literally meaning "bundles, bunches". The word is obviously connected with "Fascism". RT note).
The peasant claims -- aiming to the change of the land reform -- were more alive and topical than ever. Among resistances and contradictions the Catholic Movement came into action, too. In Vallelunga the Movement tried to brake the rush of those agitations and to bring them within welfare (or assistentialism, charities, welfare state. RT note). Vallelunga had its rural fund (promoted) by the future bishop mons. Nicolo Audino who created the "Lauretana rural fund for putting a ready and effective stop against usury, and -- through the economic regeneration of the proletary masses -- for promoting in the midst of the masses the moral and Christian elevation of the individual and society." (Greg, I see here that Mr. Zuzze seems to be quoting this part of his letter, but I read no note regarding his source. RT).
The Vallelunga number of inhabitants went from 6,107 in 1881 to 5,494 in 1901. From 1889 up to 1912 the emigrates were 3,831 on a total population of 5,494 (taken from the 1901 census). On an average every year 60 people left, but about ten came back. Usually one half of them reached the Americas (meaning either North or South America, RT.).
Cordial greetings,Yes, we did go to Vallelunga and it was a wonderful experience; one we will never forget.
Vallelunga is about one hour southeast of Palermo. We rented a car in
Palermo and drove there. The road was a good two lane road about half the
way and a narrow, windy but paved road the rest of the way. We had been
leery about driving in Italy because people had told us the traffic was
horrendous and the drivers wild, but we didn't find this to be true. The
traffic is 
horrendous in the cities but as a consequence speeds are very low (often
15-20 mph) so there aren't a lot of accidents and the drivers are so used
to it that they just take their time and are not at all wild.
Out in the country the traffic on the way to Vallelunga was very light and mostly quite slow. The directions were quite easy to follow. We rented a car at Palermo airport with no problem; Hertz, Avis, Budget, Thrifty are all there plus Eurocar, etc. I would recommend making a reservation in the US because you can probably get a better deal but we paid only about $400 for five days for a five passenger Alfa Romeo just walking in off the street. I believe there are buses and trains available to Vallelunga but it is certainly more convenient to rent a car.
We did not find any place to stay overnight in Vallelunga. I did see one "apartment" which I believe is a room for rent but I wouldn't really advise it. Palermo isn't really that far away and we stayed there and drove back a second day. The natives think it is on the other side of the world and is totally crime ridden but we didn't think so at all. We stayed in the Politeamo in Palermo, quite expensive, but not any more so than other good hotels in Italy (about $120/night I think) and it was a fine hotel and no problem with any crime. In fact we never saw any evidence of crime in two weeks in Italy even though many people warned us about pickpockets, etc. Perhaps its because people don't carry much money anymore. We used ATM machines which are located everywhere and cost only $1 a time, or charged to credit cards both of which give the best exchange rates. We had traveler's checks as a back up in case our cards got lost or eaten by the machines but never did use them. The only place we heard about any crime was from people sleeping on trains when someone would open or take a bag and that was heard from our daughter who spent a whole semester traveling around Europe by train and never lost anything herself.
(Click on photos for a larger image)
More specifically about Vallelunga: The ride there was beautiful; the hillsides were all covered with bright green crops with snow covered mountains in the background and this was at Easter time. The narrow road mostly winds through the valley with rather steep hills on each side. My wife thought it was more beautiful than the Grand Canyon, but I claim that it is in her genes. Vallelunga (which means long valley) is down in the valley unlike just about every other small village in Italy. Most are right on the top of the hill, probably for defense many centuries ago, and also to leave the better land for growing crops. Otherwise Vallelunga seems just about the same as every village in Italy although a little bigger than most. The houses are all concrete row houses of three or four stories. The streets are all very narrow and steep.
The only information we had about my wife's ancestors was from her aunt who had left Vallelunga in 1920 at the age of 8 and had not corresponded in at least 25 years. Her mother had told her that she used to live to the right of a piazza across a bridge. That's all we knew. (The Italian embassy in the US had answered an item I had put on the Internet saying they had information on Vallelunga including names and addresses of relatives if I would send them my address. I did , but they never did!)
Soon after arriving in Vallelunga, we found a piazza that looked liked it could be the right one. Then within a couple of blocks we happened to see a sign that we later learned was a jewelry store with the family name on it. We knocked on a door but no one was home. Someone else noticed us and offered to help and even though they didn't speak any English and we could only say my mother-in-law's name and America. Well after passing us around to several other people, one finally took us to a house , rang the bell, and announced us to what turned out to be my wife's mother's 85 year old first cousin and his extended family. They invited us in, offered us Easter dinner, and we spent the afternoon there. Then they invited us back the next day for dinner and to meet all the other relatives. (They actually wanted us to stay the night but we had to go back to Palermo to pick up my sister-in-law.) No one could actually speak the other's language but we had a great time trying to write the family tree and by pointing to words in our English-Italian dictionaries; we had a lot of fun. Everyone was so very friendly and so excited to see someone from America. It seemed like the biggest event of the year for them and it certainly was for us. (In the cities, we had no trouble using English in stores, restaurants, and hotels but in Vallelunga we did not find anyone that knew very much English at all.) Inside of at least this house it was beautiful, solid marble stairs, nice furniture, modern appliances, etc. These people ran a bakery in the basement of their house in which the whole family worked and they seemed very industrious and lived very well.
So it was a most memorable experience and I would recommend going to Vallelunga to anyone. You may send this to the other person that had corresponded with you and I would be happy to answer any other question they may have and get down to specific detail if they would like. We now have addresses in Vallelunga if desired. Our daughter knows some Italian now too. One of the granddaughters in Italy had evidently taken English in school and probably would be able to translate written things even though she wasn't very good at speaking.
Don Adams
Don's, e-mail address is: adams@calspan.comA letter from Johnny Cipolia dated November 20, 1952 and addressed to Philip Joseph Vallelunga, San Francisco (my since-deceased Uncle). I have made a few minor grammar and spelling corrections.
Dear Sir,
It is very flattering for me to know that beyond the ocean there is someone that takes an interest in my dear native place. I knew casually that you asked news of it to the major and, hoping to be welcomed, I hastened to send you the history of it hoping you can understand my English, poor remains of my linguistic studies I completed in Palermo in 1940.
We have news of Vallelunga, as feudal land, since the time of Frederick the second (1194-1250), emperor of Germany and the first king of Sicily. Under him, John Caltagirone had the dominion of the feud (feudal land) that later passed to his son Nick.
In 1350 the lordship passed to a Luca Giacomo from Palermo, whose wife, after his death, gave it to her nephew, Perruccio of Omodei from Palermo to whom the son Giorlando inherited it .
After Giorlando, the feud passed to his sons Antony, comander of the calvary; and to John, quaestor (assistant governor and/or treasurer) of Sicily.
On 26 September 1570 the baronial right was transferred to the Notarbartolo family and on 26 January 1631 to the Marino family.
The Notarbartolo were the real founder of Vallelunga, establishing in it progressively, a center of colonial houses and rural habitations.
But the feud began to crowd under the Peter Marino's lordship who on 22 February 1634 exposed to the bishop the opportunity a church for the care of the souls. The church was built and the new little country, that already counted about 700 inhabitants, was called Vallelunga (long valley.) The chief of the place was called "capitaneo et jurato huius terrae" and administered the justice too. Matteo Cipolla, head of my family, was the second chief of the country.
The Marino's lordship went out with the Loreto Marino death and the feud, by decree of the Great Court of Sicily dated 11 November 1684 was assigned to ChristoforoPape', duke of Pratameno.
The lordship was later inherited by Louis Pape' and later by Giacinto, his son. In 1740 the lordship passed to Thomas Pape', duke of Prameno and baron of Vallelunga. He was a notable man and a magnificent benefactor of this country; that since 26 November 1791 jealously keeps his ashes in that church that he enlarged and decorated with appreciated marble.
After Thomas Pape's death the baronal right passed to Ignazio Pape', Peter Pape', and later to Salvatore Pape'.
We are now in 1798: the inhabitants of Vallelunga are 3987 and the decurion in the administration of the country is substituted to the old capitaneo et jurato. Then the country extended itself, other churches had been built and also a cemetery, before represented by the principle church.
During the lordship of Salvatore Pape', the Bourbons that governed Sicily, encouraged the new institute of the emplyteusis and Salvatore Pape', retainer of such a large feud and conscious of the economic discomfort of his countryman, gave them his lands for a yearly perpetual rent in corn proportionately to the extension of the land conceded. So every countryman had a piece of land to cultivate.
Salvatore Pape' was succeeded by Pietro Pape e Vanni, Prince of Valdina and duke of Giampelieri who continued the institution of the fatherconceding the last land and houses. He appointed a procurator for the collection of the rent and took legal steps against those in arrears. He retired to Palermo.
I will continue in my next letter the history of Vallelunga and will begin the history of Sicily. Hoping to soon get news about the reception of this letter, I send you my best and kind regards.
Johnny Cipolia
Prof. Giovanni Cipolia Vallelunga
(Prov. Caltanisseita) Sicilia, Italia
(My uncle never received another letter from Johnny Cipolia and all communication was lost.)
A letter from Larry LaRussa dated Jan 16, 1998. Larry's family originated in the town of Vallelunga and "represents" the Batavia, NY contingent of descendents of Vallelunga. He has also provided some pictures.
John,
The "Vallelunghesi" of this Batavia, NY area have expressed great pleasure on seeing their ancestral home town on the web. I know of two groups of descendants, the local Batavia group of St. Anthony's church Batavia, NY and a Buffalo, NY group also belonging to a St. Anthony's church. The total number of the two groups would exceed three hundred.
My earliest recollections of the Batavia meetings were of the breakfast meetings following the Mass celebrating the feast day of the Lady of Loretto, the patron saint of Vallelunga. The people in attendance at these affairs were folks who had migrated from Vallelunga and their descendants. We had some great orators in the society and when they got the floor they made the most of it. This goes back sixty -five years and the organization is still going strong. I had the pleasure of serving as president for a couple of years. The current president is a cousin who is a local real estate agent. The Society donated two volumes (Genealogy) to our local library by G. Cipolla, titled "Le Famiglia Di Vallelunga". Anyone from that area who had family living there around 1990 would be written up in this book. These are family research books you would of have to cross the ocean for the same information in the past.
Glowing reports about Vallelunga from the now deceased migrants made it seem that God worked overtime making the area beautiful. Recently I received some pictures of the countryside and I realized I was seeing Vallelunga as my family did; truly a wonderful sight.
There are many stories handed down that I feel might be of interest. The reason I am a US citizen today besides the fact that I was born here is that a certain "Mule" died. Back around the turn of the century, the feudal system, though weakening still had control of the peasants who farmed their lands. The landowners made a rule that in order to work their land, you must own a mule; no mule, no land. So when the family mule died and there was no money to replace it the decision to migrate was made.
Owning a mule must of been a trying experience. At night the mule was brought into the house so it wouldn't be stolen. An aunt of mine visited Vallelunga in April of 1950 and wrote how she had to change her sleeping quarters because of the noise the mule made kicking the walls during the night. She claimed she could hear the kicking of mules through out the whole village.
The peasant life had its problems because of the lack of money. Whenever a wedding was to take place, the purchase of a wedding ring was a luxury that few couples could afford. To solve that problem the bride to be, would borrow one of the two gold bands in the village for the ceremony. When the festivities were over she would return the ring. It is believed that one of the rings came to America on the finger of its owner.
My grandmother was a child bride marrying at the age of 15. One of the stories handed down was that she and another child bride played with dolls after their husbands left for work and put them away just before they returned.
The first church in Vallelunga was formed in 1634 by Sacerdo Don Oreto Marino. The town did have two churches; the Cathedral built in 1752 and the Church of Poor Souls. My aunt was a godmother at a family baptism at the Church of Poor Souls. She writes of the church "People had to bring their own chairs as there were no pews". She asked the priest if her parents (My grandparents) were married in this church and he said they did get married there. She also writes of the relatives living quarters, "They don't have a bathroom inside and as far as I could see, I didn't see any outside. They made me use a "chamber". The chickens were all over the streets and also the "crappi" of the horses. Grazia (relative) has a horse and a pony and they were in the kitchen with us. She has two rooms but most others only had one and hardly any furniture. They seemed happy as they did not know any other way of life.
These stories I have written about go back to the early nineteen-hundred's and extend to my aunt's visit in 1950. Recent visitors to Vallelunga see a more up-to-date picture.
Larry LaRussa
Larry's e-mail address is: larussal@aol.com