Province of Campobasso, Region of Molise

The town of Sepino. located 20 kilometers south of Campobasso, is home to some important Roman ruins and considered one of the most extraordinary archeological sites of central Italy where excavations began in the early 1950s. It has approximately 1,915 inhabitants, known as Sepinesi. The town was rated among the “borghi piu belli d’Italia“(most beautiful towns in Italy).

Sepino rises at the foot of the Matese Massif, on the Molise Appennine.  The Matese is one of the most ancient European mountains.  There is a mountain spring of water which is collected nowadays and sold as “Sepinia” in the area now called Tre Fontane. The prehistoric site called Terravecchia was the refuge of the first shepherds, who during the Bronze Age climbed up to drink from the springs in the Matese. The town developed when rich Roman imperial families came to enjoy the healthy water.  Not very far from the spring, the most intact dinosaur in Italy was found.

The current town of Sepino was founded when the inhabitants of Saepinum decided that their town on the plain was too vulnerable and moved up the mountain in the 8^th century to build a new town, which became Sepino. The remains of the Roman town of Saepinum and also of the older Samnite town of Saepins attract many visitors.

After the decline of the Roman town of Saepinum following an earthquake, general economic problems and then the Greek-Gothic wars, the town passed to control of the Lombard dukes and then to a Bulgarian colony. The Bulgars were for many generations a distinctive part of the population, until finally assimilating into their Italian environment.

The town of Sepino has at its heart the Church of Santa Cristina with a beautiful belltower topped by an intricate metal spire in the shape of an onion. The church dominates views of the village from the plains below. Inside the church, the chapels contain treasures including reliquaries, a walnut door carved in the early 17th century, a carved choir loft and 12th century scrolls.

By the 15th century Sepino was a flourishing center, among the 10 most important in Molise. But by the beginning in the late 19th century, many residents of Sepino had begun immigrating to other countries. The earliest waves immigrated to the United States, particularly Hartford, Conn., and to Argentina.  After World War II, the immigration to other countries accelerated.

What to See

• Archeological site of the Roman town Saepinum, inhabited up to the 4th century AD 
• Archeological site of the Samnite town Saepins in Torrevecchia, of the 4th century BC, including a fortress with 3 entrance doors and an acropolis inside which was possibly the seat of the Samnite ruler 
• Tre Fontane springs, whose water is used for kidney problems. 
• Church of Santa Cristina 

       

Italiano

   

Tradotto da Ennio Di Tullio

Provincia di Campobasso, Regione Molise

Il comune di Sepino. situato a 20 chilometri a sud di Campobasso, ospita importanti resti romani ed è considerato uno dei più straordinari siti archeologici dell’Italia centrale dove gli scavi iniziarono nei primi anni ’50. Conta circa 1.915 abitanti, conosciuti come Sepinesi. Il paese fu annoverato tra i “borghi piu belli d’Italia”.

Sepino sorge ai piedi del Massiccio del Matese, sull’Appennino molisano. Il Matese è una delle montagne più antiche d’Europa. C’è una sorgente d’acqua di montagna che oggi viene raccolta e venduta come “Sepinia” nella zona oggi denominata Tre Fontane. Il sito preistorico denominato Terravecchia fu rifugio dei primi pastori, che nell’età del Bronzo salirono ad abbeverarsi alle sorgenti del Matese. La città si sviluppò quando le ricche famiglie imperiali romane vennero a godersi l’acqua sana. Non molto lontano dalla sorgente è stato ritrovato il dinosauro più intatto d’Italia.

L’attuale comune di Sepino nasce quando gli abitanti di Saepinum decisero che il loro paese di pianura era troppo vulnerabile e si spostarono sulla montagna nell’VIII secolo per costruire un nuovo centro, che divenne Sepino. I resti della città romana di Saepinum e anche della più antica città sannita di Saepins attirano molti visitatori.

Dopo la decadenza della città romana di Saepinum a seguito di un terremoto, di problemi economici generali e poi delle guerre greco-gotiche, la città passò al controllo dei duchi longobardi e poi a una colonia bulgara. I Bulgari furono per molte generazioni una parte distintiva della popolazione, fino ad assimilare definitivamente all’ambiente italiano.

Il paese di Sepino ha al centro la Chiesa di Santa Cristina con un bel campanile sormontato da un’intricata guglia metallica a forma di cipolla. La chiesa domina le vedute del paese dalla pianura sottostante. All’interno della chiesa, le cappelle custodiscono tesori tra cui reliquiari, una porta in noce scolpita all’inizio del XVII secolo, un coro scolpito e pergamene del XII secolo.

Nel XV secolo Sepino era un fiorente centro, tra i 10 più importanti del Molise. Ma all’inizio, alla fine del XIX secolo, molti residenti di Sepino avevano iniziato a immigrare in altri paesi. Le prime ondate migrarono negli Stati Uniti, in particolare Hartford, Conn., e in Argentina. Dopo la seconda guerra mondiale, l’immigrazione verso altri paesi accelerò.

Le attrazioni del luogo:

• Sito archeologico della città romana Saepinum, abitata fino al IV secolo dC
• Sito archeologico della città sannita Saepins a Torrevecchia, del IV secolo aC, comprendente una fortezza con 3 porte d’ingresso e un’acropoli all’interno della quale forse fu sede del sovrano sannita
• Le sorgenti delle Tre Fontane, le cui acque vengono utilizzate per problemi ai reni.
• Chiesa di Santa Cristina

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepino https://www.italyheritage.com/regions/molise/province-campobasso/sepino.htm https://www.italythisway.com/places/sepino.php https://www.italyheritage.com/magazine/2003_12/a.htm

November/December 2022

The small town of Acciano is located in the province of L’Aquila in the Subequana valley and is a part of the Sirentina Mountain community. It is well known in Italy for its quality production of Montepulciano red wines at reasonable prices. This small medieval town has approximately 337 inhabitants, known as Accianesi.

Situated on a high mountain crest along the Aterno valley, in the beautiful Valle Subequana, the municipality includes also the frazioni Beffi, Succiano and Roccapreturo.

Surrounded by green woods of oak trees, Acciano is perched on a spur of rock between the mountains, offering a beautiful view of the rocky ridges of Sirente.

As a reminder of its Lombard origin, Acciano still maintains the layout of a fortified borough with three doors — Porta Torrone, Porta Martino and Porta   of Aia. In the 14th century, it was ruled by Matteo Gentile, then until the late 18th century it belonged to the Piccolominis. It seems the name may derive from a Roman landowner named Accius.

What to See

• Church of St. Petronilla
• Church of Sts. Pietro and Lorenzo from the 16^th century 
• 15^th century Fountain 
• Roccapreturo tower and medieval fortified remains 
• Beffi sighting towers and the medieval village

Important Dates

• Pentecost Monday-Tuesday – Festivity of the Madonna della Valle 
• May 30-31 – Feast of St. Petronilla, the patron saint 
• 1st Sunday in June – Feast of St. Erasmo, with a procession on Monte Offermo 
• July 29-31 – Sagra of arrosticini, truffle and wine 
• 1st Sunday in November – Fair at Beffi

       

Italiano

   

Tradotto da Ennio Di Tullio

Provincia di L’Aquila, Regione Abruzzo

Il piccolo comune di Acciano si trova in provincia dell’Aquila nella valle Subequana e fa parte della Comunità Montana Sirentina. È ben noto in Italia per la sua produzione di qualità di vini rossi Montepulciano a prezzi ragionevoli. Questo piccolo paese medioevale conta circa 337 abitanti, conosciuti come Accianesi.

Situato su un’alta cresta montuosa lungo la valle dell’Aterno, nella bellissima Valle Subequana, il comune comprende anche le frazioni Beffi, Succiano e Roccapreturo.

Circondato dal verde dei boschi di querce, Acciano è arroccato su uno sperone di roccia tra le montagne, offrendo una bellissima vista sui costoni rocciosi del Sirente.

A ricordo della sua origine longobarda, Acciano conserva ancora l’impianto di borgo fortificato a tre porte — Porta Torrone, Porta Martino e Porta dell’Aia. Nel 1300 fu governata da Matteo Gentile, poi fino alla fine del 1700 appartenne ai Piccolomini. Sembra che il nome derivi da un proprietario terriero romano di nome Accius.

Le attrazioni del luogo:

• Chiesa di S. Petronilla
• Chiesa dei SS. Pietro e Lorenzo del XVI sec
• Fontana del XV secolo
• Torre Roccapreturo e resti fortificati medievali
• Torri di avvistamento Beffi e il borgo medievale

Date da ricordare:

• Lunedì-Martedì di Pentecoste – Festa della Madonna della Valle
• 30-31 maggio – Festa di S. Petronilla, patrona
• 1° domenica di giugno – Festa di S. Erasmo, con processione sul Monte Offermo
• 29-31 luglio – Sagra di arrosticini, tartufo e vino
• 1° domenica di novembre – Fiera a Beffi

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acciano https://www.italyheritage.com/regions/abruzzo/laquila/acciano.htm https://www.southernitalytravel.com/genealogy-ancestry-abruzzo/laquila-family-history/acciano/

November/December 2022

Passing of AMHS Member Betsy Ruzzi

We regret to inform you that one of our long-time members, Betsy Sara Brown Ruzzi, of Arnold, Md., passed away on October 12, 2022, after a long bout with cancer.  She is survived by her beloved husband, Joseph Ruzzi, Jr., and children Michael Jacob Ruzzi and Sara Joyce Ruzzi.  AMHS members will recall that Betsy’s husband Joe has been a frequent participant at our annual wine-tasting events.   The Ruzzi family, including AMHS members Joe Sr. and his wife Rose, have been longtime parishioners of Holy Rosary Church and members of the Casa Italiana community.  Our sincerest condolences to the family.

AMHS Membership

A warm welcome is extended to: Judy Damiani and Stephanie Salvagno Frye.

Birthdays
Compleanni a Novembre Eileen Verna and Naomi Leiobold, November 1; Rev. John V. DiBacco, Jr., November 2; Richard Durkin, November 3; Rita Carrier and Michael DeBonis, November 4; Elena Biondi and Christopher Anthony DiPaolo, November 5; Luciana Caleb and Sergio Fresco, November 8; Rocco Caniglia and Joe Ruzzi, Jr., November 9; Michael McDonald, November 10; Emilia DeMeo, November 12; Cara Cavicchia Walker, November 15; Edvige D’Andrea, Joseph D’Andrea, Dena DeBonis and Sabrina de Sousa, November 19; William DiGiovanni, November 21; Gerard Di Flavis, November 24; Christina Iovino, November 25; Norma Phillips, November 29; and Amelia DiFiore, November 30.
Compleanni a Dicembre Rosalie Ciccotelli, December 2; Domenica Marchetti, December 3; Alfred DelGrosso, December 4; Marlene Lucian and Louie Anne D’Ottavio, December 6; Yoni Kay Caniglia, December 7; Frank Bonsiero, December 8; Stephen di Girolamo, December 9; Stephanie Salvagno Frye, December 10; Donna DeBlasio, December 11; William Lepore and Barbara Gentile, December 12; Maria D’Andrea-Yothers, December 13; Cathy Branciaroli, December 16; Domenico Conti, December 18; Elodia D’Onofrio and Carmine James Spellane, December 20; Anna Isgro, December 21; Claire DeMarco, December 22; Brian Pasquino, December 25; Michael Savino, December 26; and Margot DeRuvo Gilberg, December 29.

Anniversaries
Anniversari a Novembre Harry & Joan Piccariello, November 9; Joseph & Rose Ruzzi, November 19.
Anniversari a Dicembre Ray & Michele LaVerghetta, December 11; and David & Cristina Scalzitti, December 27.

Membership Information
Category                          # of Persons Associate (Couple):         3 x 2 = 6 Associate (Individual):    40 General (Couple):           50 x 2 = 100 General (Individual):       91 Honorary:                         10 Scholarship:                     2 Student:                             7 Total Membership:         256

November/December 2022

Beginning with the January/February 2023 issue, the Notiziario will be published and distributed online only.  As is currently the case, the newsletter will reside on the AMHS website.  Notification of new issues and links to the online version will continue to be disseminated by email to members of the Society.

Readers may recall that the AMHS ceased publishing a print version of the Notiziario for nearly a year during the early stages of the pandemic.  We returned to a print version in 2021.  However, the lingering effects of new variants of the Covid-19 virus made the process of producing and mailing a print version more labor intensive.  Coupled with the recent rising costs of postage and materials, the Executive Committee of the AMHS voted unanimously to publish the Notiziario exclusively online.  

This is the latest step in the modernization of the Society’s online operations.  In recent times, members became able to renew their membership, register for events, purchase merchandise, and contribute to our scholarship program online.  This continues the process of making the AMHS a future-facing organization that uses technology to serve its members.

There will be no change in the quality and variety of the newsletter.  Our readers will still enjoy the same excellent articles by the same writers (and, hopefully, more in the future).  Focusing on our web-based publication will enable us to provide more interactive content and, if anything, increase the amount of information we share with our members and friends. We are constantly seeking ways to improve our communications program, and this change will enable our volunteer writers and editors to devote more time and energy to the creative use of our communication tools.

As always, readers are encouraged to contribute articles to the Notiziario.  All of us have stories to tell, experiences to share and knowledge to impart to our fellow members.  Whether it be recounting a trip to Italy, marking personal milestones or discussing cultural topics, we want to hear from you.  Together, we will continue to learn about and love “all things Italian.”

November/December 2022

AMHS members were treated to a fascinating lecture by one of America’s leading experts on Italian art, Dr. Eric Denker, who spoke to an appreciative audience at Casa Italiana on September 18, 2022.

The luncheon program was co-sponsored by the Casa Italiana Sociocultural Center and the Casa Italiana Language School.  

Dr. Denker was the long-serving Senior Lecturer of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the author of seven books and catalogues.  His deep knowledge of Italian art and culture has made him a popular lecturer in Europe, for the Smithsonian Institution and for the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice. 

Dr. Denker studied in Bologna in the 1970s and is currently the only American honorary member of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice.  One of his grandparents came from a town in Lazio, so that may help explain his love of Italian art and culture.

His topic was undoubtedly of interest to all art lovers—the “Four Titans of the Venetian Renaissance: Bellini, Giorgione, Titian and Tintoretto.” Their paintings in the 15th and 16th centuries were characterized by the use of color and mood.

Bellini’s famous paintings include St. Francis in the Desert, which is in the Frick Gallery in New York City.    One of his masterpieces, the massive San Zaccaria Altarpiece, is 16 feet tall and 8 feet wide.

Giorgione, as Dr. Denker noted, painted “in a truthful way,” as real people looked. His famous painting of the Nativity, the Adoration of the Shepherds, is in the National Gallery of Art. Unfortunately, Giorgione died of the plague when he was only in his 30s.

Titian defined the Venetian style for the better part of the era. He painted some of the finest portraits and nudes of his time, including the Venus of Urbino.  Dr. Denker said that the subject of the painting was actually a bride who married into the family of the famous Duke of Montefeltro in Urbino, which at that time was one of the most refined and elegant cities in Italy.  The Dresden Venus is traditionally attributed to Giorgione but Titian completed at least the landscape.    

Tintoretto was a renowned and prolific artist who created spectacular altarpieces as well as religious narrative scenes, portraits, and mythological subjects.  One of his best-known paintings is the Miracle of St. Mark (also known as the Miracle of the Slave). His enormous Crucifixion has been called one of the most dramatic versions of the Crucifixion in the history of Christian religious art. He also painted a huge Last Supper which measures 12 feet by 18 feet.   

The years 1475-1575 may have marked Venice’s political decline but the arts thrived during this period.  With the passing of Titian and Tintoretto, the Venetian Renaissance’s artistic prominence came to an end, but as Dr. Denker showed the audience, it was a glorious period. So glorious in fact that unfortunately Napoleon Bonaparte stole works of art by Titian, Tintoretto and Giorgione and took them to France as the “spoils of war.” Apparently, he was trying to fill up the new Louvre museum in Paris.

Dr. Denker dedicated his lecture to the memory of his long-time friend and our Holy Rosary parishioner Diego D’Ambrosio, who was represented at the event by his sons Marco and Fabrizio and his nephew Giovanni. Diego was known to the world as the “celebrity barber” of Washington, D.C., whose clients included three American presidents, foreign leaders, ambassadors and Supreme Court Justices.  But to members of our community, he was a humble, kind-hearted gentleman, always elegantly dressed, and a friend to many who miss him dearly.

A delicious lunch was catered by Osteria da Nino. Afterwards, a raffle drawing was held which raised $125 for the Society. Thanks to all those who donated raffle prizes and who bought tickets.

At the end of the program, AMHS Immediate Past President Maria D’Andrea-Yothers gave a special thank you on behalf of AMHS to Lynn Sorbara, Joann and Joe Novello and Elisa DiClemente, the members of the Hospitality Committee who have worked so hard over the years to make our programs successful.  The Society also extends a big thank you to Lourdes Tinajero for helping to coordinate the program with Dr. Denker and the D’Ambrosio family.

November/December 2022