Esteemed Individuals
Segretario Sabatini
Ritratto fatto da Don Roberto Porreca, farmacista dagli anni 20 agli anni 50, in cui è scritta anche una dedica ironica.
Sabatini è stato per molti anni, 1915-1930 circa, segretario comunale e si racconta fosse molto potente. Anche per merito suo fu acquistato il terreno su cui poi fu piantumata la pineta.
Portrait by Don Roberto Porreca, pharmacist from the 1920s through to the 1950s, with a sarcastic hand-written dedication. For many years (about 1915 – 1930) Sabatini was Secretary at the Town Hall and it is told that he was very powerful. Thanks to him, land was purchased which then was used to plant the Pineta, the Pinewood Park.
Album: Elena Paterra
Verse handwritten underneath the sketch of Sabatini drawn by Don Roberto Porreca.
Golden Dreams
Monument to the fallen (Cav. 1) – Soon
Monument to Bellini (Comm. 2); and to the father
Of him (Grand’ Uff .3 ), and to the father of his father
Our fellow citizen (Gran Gordone 4)!
To obscure Trevi 5, a huge fountain
All in columns, plaster and little cupids!
Equestrian statue of Victory, and – bad as it goes –
The same for Carlo Alberto 6 …. Sabatini!7
After that, if there’s any money left,
Who knows but maybe they’ll mend a few roads ….
TRANSLATOR’S NOTES: 
1 Cav. = Cavaliere = Knight
2 Comm. = Commendatore = a lower honorific title
3 Grand’ Uff. = Great Officer (I think)
4 Gran Gordone (Great Gordon) = Can’t think of a reference to a Gordon relevant to Italy – it may simply be an expletive – or else a reference to the great British Major-General Charles George Gordon (1833-1885) of Khartoum, who is probably the most famous Gordon. He became a national hero for his exploits in China and his ill-fated defence of Khartoum against Sudanese rebels. The British public reacted to his death by acclaiming ‘Gordon of Khartoum’ a martyred warrior-saint and blamed the government, particularly Gladstone, for failing to relieve the siege.
5 Trevi = The Trevi fountain in Rome, one of the world’s most famous fountains – inspiration for the “Three Coins in a Fountain” song/film – it is more or less how he describes it in the next two lines… Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
6 Carlo Alberto = Carlo Alberto = Charles Albert of Savoia, King of Sardinia, father of Vittorio Emmanuel, King of Italy; famous historically for many reasons… for further details see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Albert_of_Sardinia
7 Sabatini = Sabatini = the powerful Secretary of Torricella Town Hall – object of derision in this “dedication”!!.
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Antonio Porreca (1880-1953)
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Album: Germana Piccone ‘Ndonio (Antonio) di barile An unforgettable person. He lived from 1920s to the 1970s. He was very good at doing jobs that required physical strength. He was a good-natured man that had a little difficulty speaking. Camillo Fantini di paparabelle and he were porters, and they had memorable clashes struggling to grab the bags of passengers getting off the bus. Album: Germana Piccone ‘Ndonio (Antonio) di barilePersonaggio indimenticabile. Vissuto nel periodo anni 20-anni 70. Si adattava a fare i lavori in cui occorreva la forza fisica. Aveva un pò di difficoltà nel parlare ed era un bonaccione. Memorabili gli scontri contro Camillo Fantini di paparabelle quando facevano i facchini e lottavano per accaparrarsi le valige dei viaggiatori che scendevano dalla corriera. |
Salvatore Di Toto (Lu muparielle) Salvatore Di Toto, ‘lu muparielle’ (nato 1912) è morto nel 1974 all’ospedale di Casoli aveva 62 anni. Era sordomuto per questo lo chiamavano “Lu muparielle”. Si racconta che i genitori emigrarono negli anni 40 e quando a Napoli “passarano” la visita se erano idonei per imbarcarsi per l’America il loro figlio, siccome era sordomuto, fu scartato e non fu fatto partire. I genitori partirono e lui se ne tornò a Torricella dove visse insieme ad una coppia di vecchietti. Poi quando questi morirono, lui rimase solo e si guadagnava la vita facendo l’imbianchino, ed era anche molto stimato. Molte case sono ancora con le camere pitturate da “Lu muparielle”. Amava fare di testa sua, sia nella scelta dei colori che nella fantasia. Era specializzato nel pittare le pareti come dei marmi con le venature.Il suo amico fidato era Vincenzo Peschi, il barbiere, con cui riusciva a farsi capire e a capire lui. Nella foto è a cavallo della sua inseparabile motocicletta, alla Madonna delle Rose.Salvatore Di Toto ‘lu muparielle’ (born 1912) died at the hospital in Casoli in 1974; he was 62 years old. He was a deaf mute and that is why he was called “Lu muparielle” (dialect for “mute”; in Italian “muto”). They say that his parents emigrated in the 1940s. When they were examined in Naples to determine if they were fit to leave for America, their son was rejected and not allowed to leave because he was deaf mute. His parents departed, and he returned to Torricella where he lived together with an elderly couple. Then, when they died, he remained on his own. He made a living as a very respected house painter. Many houses still have their rooms painted by “Lu muparielle”. He had a mind of his own, both in the colors he chose and in the creative ways he used them. His specialty was painting walls to look like veined marble. His faithful friend was Vincenzo Peschi, the barber, who he managed to communicate with and who managed to communicate back. In the photo he is on his inseparable motorcycle at the Madonna delle Rose.
Album: Pietro D’Ippolito di carrare |