Page 19: MEMORIES OF MY BOYHOOD
I attended elementary school to fourth grade, the highest available in town. During the winter months each pupil was assigned a day to bring his share of wood for the brazier, the school teacher. Then I attended one year elementary and three years high school in Melfi, and three years in Salerno. Altogether I spent my first 17 ½ years in Italy except for a brief period when the family visited London. Thereafter, during my seventeenth year my life complex change. It was then that I came to America.
In our town very few people had ever seen automobiles, unless a member of our American family, being affluent, visited in a chauffeur-driven car.
Toys were usually improvised, with what Mother Nature provided. Youngsters played hide and seek in the alleyways, and other games in the “Piazza,” the town square in front of the church, which was one of the few level spots in town.
We did not have modern things, but enjoyed ourselves in other ways, climbing trees and consuming loads of ripe fruits. At home we had an old horned hand-crank Gramophone, and all of the children listened to opera and the latest songs, and danced the then-popular Tarantella and Polka.
Our huge garden on the second floor level of the house had pergola walks. The center walk was used to play bocce. In one corner of this beautiful garden was an outdoor barbecue. At the opposite corner there was a large underground cistern, or root cellar, where fruits and vegetables were stored. (“Our Refrigerator.”)
We had a large fig tree and a peach tree; also a number of plots for vegetable gardens, roses and other flowers.
Dad built a garden well, hand-operated, which also supplied water for the toilets. The tub water was piped so that it was heated by a wood-burning heater.
SAINTS FEAST DAYS
I recollect the many holidays celebrating the saints’ feast days, the smaller ones in chapels located just outside the town, and some far out in the country.
Headed by the local quartet of musicians, comprised of bass drum, drum, flute and cymbals, followed by the priest, most of the populace, with their families, visited the chapels in the woods, celebrated mass and then had picnics and enjoyed themselves.
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Photo of the local quartet.
Page 20: The really big events were the feast of St. Rocco – the town’s patron saint – and the feast of St. Anthony and St. Vita.
Days before the feast the vendors and peddlers would come and set their stands, with all kinds of wares and goodies, in the piazza. On the platform in front of the church a stand was set up for the band. A band of hired musicians arrived two days prior to the feast and, assigned individually to the more prosperous residents, were given meals and lodging. The maestro always stayed in our home.
The day following the band’s arrival, with fanfare and the band playing, a stop was made at almost every house, to collect offerings and contributions for the cost of the band and the elaborate fireworks.
On the actual Saint’s day, after the mass was celebrated a big parade started. Headed by the priest who was followed by the statue of the Saint being celebrated, with the statues of the two Town Saints following – all being carried by men who were continually being replace by other townsmen – the entire population followed cheering, in a grand parade.
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Page 21: In the afternoon, the band assembled on the platform in the square and played until dark. Later everyone converged on the road just outside the town. With the band playing, a tremendous display of fireworks concluded the celebration.
Christmas in Castelmezzano was primarily a religious holiday. Mama was the first one to set up a berry-laden holly tree, with candle lights.
There were well-wrapped gifts for each of us, usually candy and fruit, and a few extras for our special friends. However, we had to wait until January 6th, Epiphany Day, to open our presents.
Easter was also a very religious holiday, and Mother usually prepared a special dinner. The second Monday after Easter was a special picnic outing in the country. Mama prepared a delicious crusted pie, made with a filling of grated cheese, eggs, and plenty of pieces of home-made sausages. Each individual pie, with our name and a handle, was made out of dough. Of course, we had plenty of other goodies.
The most fun, for us kids, was setting up a rope swing on the largest oak tree, and going and returning on a donkey.
PAISANELLO
Our town had no police. If needed they would come from the next town, Pietrapertosa.
Paisanello was the municipal guard, properly uniformed, carrying an antique rifle without ammunition. A real character who sponged from most of the vendors – he was also the official town crier, and had many other duties, none too important though he acted as if he were indispensable.
His wife was the town’s midwife, who delivered most of us.
Paisanello like me. One day on my way back from school, from his balcony he invited me into his house. He patiently started to show me how to apply the handcuffs on my wrists. It was a chain that had to be twisted a certain way around the wrists, with a padlock to secure it. After several tries he asked me to try to put them on his wrists. I did it successfully, and even snapped the padlock shut. While he was still sitting there, happy to have been such a good teacher, I snuck out, locking the house door behind me, leaving the key to the handcuffs on the threshold.
My intention was only to tease him for awhile, so I decided to meet my pals in the “piazza” nearby. We were playing and having so much fun that I forgot about him. Dad, the mayor, on his way home saw Paisanello on his balcony, in a rage and pleading for help. Dad and his indispensable walking cane – undetected – found me. I was still playing when I felt Papa’s swinging cane on. my backside. Then I remembered. Scared and crying, I ran to free my prisoner, pleading for forgiveness.
Page 22: From the town square one has a beautiful view of the dilapidated Castle and the worn-out steps leading to a rather flat area of the top. This was used as a lookout by the guards, against possible invasion by the enemy.
As a youngster I climbed many times to the top, from which point one can observe the entire valley, and by naked eye see as far as the Gulf of Taranto in the Ionian Sea.
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In 1923 Papa bout a Zenith radio, the first one in town, and that was an unforgettable event. As I grew older, during vacations from school I did a lot of hunting, which I truly enjoyed. I am definitely glad I came over to the United States, but I still hold many fond memories of my youth, and of Castelmezzano, my native town.
Next: MY MIGRATION TO AMERICA, MY EARLY YEARS IN NEW YORK & MAMA’S FIRST VISIT TO AMERICA
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