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

590 Pages·1985·2.57 MB·English

by  Roland Sarti

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