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Long live the strong: a history of rural society in the Apennine Mountains PDF

590 Pages·1985·2.57 MB·English
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Long Live the Strong : A History of Rural title: Society in the Apennine Mountains author: Sarti, Roland. publisher: University of Massachusetts Press isbn10 | asin: 0870234668 print isbn13: 9780870234668 ebook isbn13: 9780585084138 language: English Apennines (Italy)--Rural conditions--Case subject studies, Villages--Italy--Apennines--Case studies. publication date: 1985 lcc: HN488.A64S27 1985eb ddc: 307.7/2/0945 Apennines (Italy)--Rural conditions--Case subject: studies, Villages--Italy--Apennines--Case studies. Page iii Long Live the Strong A History of Rural Society in the Apennine Mountains Roland Sarti THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS PRESS AMHERST, 1985 Page iv Copyright © 1985 by The University of Massachusetts Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America LC 84-16347 ISBN 0-87023-466-8 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Sarti, Roland, 1937- Long live the strong. Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Apennines (Italy)Rural conditionsCase studies. 2. VillagesItalyApenninesCase studies. 1. Title. HN488.A64S27 1985 307.7'2'0945 84-16347 ISBN 0-87023-466-8 This publication has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency which supports the study of such fields as history, philosophy, literature, and languages. Page v To my wife, Rose Alia Sarti Page vii Contents Acknowledgments ix Abbreviations xiii Introduction 1 Why Study Peaceful Populations? Chapter 1. Montefegatesi, February 13, 1898 27 Chapter 2. Potentates, Priests, and Peasants in the Old 48 Rural Order Chapter 3. In Search of a New Order 71 Chapter 4. Roads Lost and Found 99 Chapter 5. Cosmopolitan Villagers 115 Chapter 6. The Serious Celebrations of Village Liberals 137 Chapter 7. Holy Water Politics: Catholicism and the 170 Peasants Chapter 8. Fascism Strives for the Summit 193 Conclusion 229 Of Vipers and VIPs Notes 245 Bibliographical Note 271 Index 277 Page ix Acknowledgments Acknowledging my many debts of gratitude is not an act of mere courtesy. A study like this one that deals with the experiences of people must rely heavily on the perceptions and memories of individuals. The nature of the documentation was also such as to require the trust and cooperation of many who shared with me family papers and memorabilia. Information, clues, and insights have come from many sources, sometimes entirely by accident in the course of casual conversations with people who had no idea that I was taking mental notes. For the slight degree of deception that goes along with being an undercover scholar I apologize. For the openness and candor of my interlocutors I am truly grateful. Among the people who have helped me in more systematic ways, there are several whom I must name. To begin with those who live or have lived in Montefegatesi, I must mention first of all my parents, Fulvio and Pia Sarti, who resettled there after a stay of some twenty years in the United States. They have provided hospitality for their son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren on many occasions, as well as valuable introductions and information about people, places, and events. Still in Montefegatesi, among the many relatives, friends, and paesani who have welcomed me into their homes and answered my questions, the following deserve special mention: Anchise Bartoli, Anita Bartoli, the late Guelfo Bonifazi and his daughter Iona, Fidelia Carli, the late Dino Chiappelli, Fiora Fiori, Candido Landi, Mariano Martinelli, Serafina Martinelli, Giuseppe Petrini, and Umberto Sarti. One person above all has provided valuable assistance, including an unpublished manuscript containing much information not available elsewhere. Egeo Bartoli's "Montefegatesi: ricerca storico-economica" is a fine example of what dedicated local historians can do to help preserve information that is otherwise bound to be forgotten. Page x Following the rotabile (motor road) that connects Montefegatesi with neighboring communities, the next stop on this voyage of gratitude is Pieve di Controni, another frazione where in 1974 I was welcomed by the parish priest, the late Elio Carlotti, who was also a dedicated local historian. Another drive of fifteen minutes down the winding road that hugs the mountainside, and we reach the capoluogo of Bagni di Lucca. The first person whom I met there was the retired high school teacher and historian Bruno Cherubini. Although he was already seriously ill when we met in 1975, and would die a year later, he was still irrepressibly enthusiastic and learned about all things local. He shared with me his time, notes, and impressive library, eager as always that his town be brought to the attention of a large public. There were other people in Bagni di Lucca who were eager to help. The municipal administrators provided me with figures and documents whenever they could. Unfortunately, the historical archives of the comune were in an advanced state of neglect and disorder when I was there, a situation that has been partly corrected since then. When I needed information on local agriculture, I could turn to another precious source, the local retired agronomist and history buff Arnaldo Micheli, whose love for the land is matched by his love for the people who work it. Finally, the Reverend Francesco Nicoli, prior of the vicinanza of Ponte a Serraglio in Bagni di Lucca, gave me unlimited access to his archive of local documents and helped me in every other way possible. On my most recent visit of August 1984, Maurizio Burlamacchi kindly allowed me to consult some hard-to-find publications. In Lucca, the staffs of the Archivio di Stato and Biblioteca Governativa were courteous and efficient. Most helpful and encouraging toward my research was Carlo Gabrielli Rosi of the Archivio who has since retired from that post. A prolific scholar, Gabrielli Rosi is an authority on the history of the region and on the

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