Farindola – On today’s date in 1840, my third great grandparents Massimo Nicola Marcella and Maria Carolina Colangeli were married in San Nicola di Bari, Farindola. They were the grandparents of my immigrant great grandfather Cesidio Marcella.
Maria Carolina Colangeli was born in Farindola in 1817 to Berardino Colangelo/i and Anna Giuseppa Antonacci. They were contadini. During this time period, her surname fluctuated between Colangeli and Colangelo in the Farindola records. Her mother Anna Giuseppa Antonacci was born in nearby Montebello di Bertona, Pescara in 1791.
The records of Pescara on Antenati suggest that the Colangelis were from nearby Penne, Pescara, although at the time of Maria Carolina’s birth, a branch of them were living in Farindola, for Maria Carolina’s father was born in Farindola, but his midwife mother was born in Penne. Also, the other Colangelis in my Abruzzese tree in a separate branch were from Penne and owned property there.
Maria Carolina’s tree was heavy with midwives, and though she was listed as a spinner on several civil records on Antenati, I suspect she too was a midwife. Her aunt, grandmother, great grandmother, and her own daughter Maria Giuseppa were all midwives. Maria Giuseppa was there for the delivery of Cesidio.
Massimo Nicola Marcella was born in 1814 in Farindola to Giuseppe Antonio Marcella* and Maria Domenica Sciarra. They too were contadini. Maria Domenica’s parents were born in Fara San Martino, Chieti and the occupations of her father and brothers were written as lanari (wool workers/merchants) in the civil records on Antenati.
Massimo Nicola’s paternal ancestors had been living in Farindola at least as far back as a man named Donato Marcella and a lady possibly named Domenica Cervo both alive in the early 1700s in the Farindola area. This is the farthest back I have been able to trace his surname using church death records in the marriage processetti on Antenati. Oh to have the church records in the Diocese of Penne available to research!
My third great grandparents had 10 children, 4 of which were two sets of female twins. They were:
Twins Maria Domenica and Maria Giustina (twins), born in 1841. Maria Giustina lived less than a month. Maria Domenica lived ten years. They were born 9 months after their parents married.
Maria Giustina, born in 1843 in Contrada da Valloni – died in 1912 in Contrada Casebruciate, married foundling Panfilo Zenone
Filippo, born in 1844 in Contrada Trosciano – died in 1916 at #137 in Contrada Trosciano, married Maria Antonia Lacchetta and Elisabetta Rossi (my ancestress)
Maria Giuseppa (midwife in Contrada Casebruciate), born in 1846 in Contrada Trosciano – died in 1918 in Contrada Casebruciate, married Giovanni Costantini
Antonio, born in Contrada Trosciano in 1847 and died in 1851
Domenico, born in 1849 in Contrada Trosciano – died in 1908 in Casebruciate, married Maria Carmina Basilavecchia
Nicolantonio, born in 1851 in Contrada Casebruciate, married Maria Giuseppa Della Valle. They had no children. However, a man with his name appears to have had a child in 1901 to an un-named woman who was not his wife. The child was named Vittoria Marcella.
Massimo Nicola Marcella died in 1884 in Contrada Casebruciate. His widow Maria Carolina Colangeli died a few months shy of the birth of her grandson Cesidio in October 1894, at #65 Contrada Casebruciate, Farindola.
*I do not know how or if Giuseppe Antonio was related to the briganti with the same surname that were active in the countryside near Farindola during the Napoleonic occupation of Italy. One of the main leaders was named Massimo. He was jailed before the civil records start on Antenati. (See Storia di Farindola, dalli origini ai giorni nostri by Antonio Procacci via http://www.gelsumino.it)
March is Women’s History Month, making it an excellent time to focus on the ancestresses in my genealogy. I tried a memory exercise off the top of my head going alphabetically listing names of women in my tree. I did pretty well, with the exception of Y and X.
I also listed off the top of my head where they lived. If I could find their profession, station, or husband’s station, I listed that too. All of these women were born pre-1870 and were born overseas.* Only two on my list are immigrants.
Here we go:
A is for Apolline Weyland, 9th great grandmother, Liederscheidt, Moselle, France, a laborer’s wife
B is for Anna Saveria Barbacone, 5th great grandmother, Rione di San Giovanni, Penne, Pescara, Italy, a contadina
C is for Cecilia “Cilla” Vocciero, 7th great grandmother, Talanico, Kingdom of Naples, unknown
D is for Dorotea Frattarola, 7th great grandmother, Farindola, Pescara, Italy, landowner’s mother
E is for Elisabetha Stauder, 8th great grandmother, Schweyen, Moselle, France, laborer’s wife
F is for Karolina Friederika Wilhemina Fehlig, 3rd great grandmother, Grohnde, Hameln-Pyrmont, Niedersachsen, Germany, master tailor’s wife
G is for Anna Dorothea Maria Grabe, 4th great grandmother, Grossmehlra, Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen, Thuringen, Germany, miller owner’s wife
H is for Anne Marie Aloisia Heinzen, 2nd great grandmother, Brig, Canton Valais, Switzerland, immigrant – dress-maker
I is for Ignota (Italian for unknown), mother of Panfilo Zenone, husband of Maria Giustina Marcella, Panfilo’s mother left Panfilo at the foundling wheel in Penne, Pescara, Italy
J is for Elisabetta di Julio, 6th great grandmother, Farindola, Pescara, Italy, unknown
K is for Kunigunde (No Last Name Known), 9th great grandmother, Hornbach, Sudwestpfalz, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany, unknown
L is for Laisa Girardo, 8th great grandmother, Talanico, Kingdom of Naples, unknown
M is for Marie Louise Koppel, 3rd great grandmother, Koerner, Sonderhausen, Thüringen, Germany, immigrant – miller owner’s daughter
N is for Vittoria Di Norscia, 6th great grandmother, Rione di San Giovanni, Penne, Pescara, Italy, a lacemaker
O is for Odile Kolsch, 8th great grandmother, Vinningen, Germany, wife of the Eschevin de Justice
P is for Veneranda Paolucci, 6th great grandmother, Farindola, Pescara, Italy, a contadina
Q is for Anna Elisabetha Dorre-mother of Quirinus Eckebrecht, 4th great grandmother, Grossmehlra, Sonderhausen, Thüringen, Germany, laborer’s wife
R is for Laura Rosa, 5th great grandmother, Contrada Tavo, Farindola, Pescara, Italy, a contadina
S is for Sandra Dragone, 5th great grandmother, Talanico, Kingdom of Naples, unknown
T is for Tommasina Secondina, 10th great grandmother, Kingdom of Naples, unknown
U is for Ursula Magliulo, 7th great grandmother, Talanico, Kingdom of Naples, unknown
V is for Vittoria Gambacorta, 5th great grandmother, Rione di San Giovanni, Penne, Pescara, Italy, a lacemaker
W is for Caroline Christina Wilhemina Julianne Geselle, 5th great grandmother, Sankt Andreasberg, Goslar, Niedersachsen, Germany, wife of silver mineworks supervisor
X is for all of the women in the tree with no surname. They were in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.
Y is for Magdalena SteYer, 5th great grandmother, Huberhof, Nuenschweiler, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany, a farmer
Z is for Anna Apollonia Ziehl, 7th great grandmother, Monbijou, Leichelbingen, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany, farm manager’s daughter
*I only have one female ancestor in my tree that was born pre-1870 in America – Katharina Schuttler Eckebrecht. Her parents were immigrants.
Can you find one for every letter in your tree?
For my next entry this month, I plan to focus on a female ancestor we only know by her first name.
On this day 124 years ago in Farindola, Italy, Elisabetta Rossi married Filippo Marcella. They were the parents of my great grandfather Cesidio.
Elisabetta Rossi was born in 1866 in Valleceraso, Bacucco, Teramo, a neighboring town, to Giuseppe Antonio Rossi and Anna Antonia Ricci.
The valley outside Bacucco (Arsita), Teramo
Her parents had moved to Farindola before the marriage of their oldest child, Elisabetta. Elisabetta’s father was originally from Penne, Pescara, having been born there. I was able to trace back to 6th great grandparents in the Rossi line born around 1740 in Penne. Giuseppe’s father Domenico was literate and I have a few of his signatures saved. The one below is from his son’s marriage to Elisabetta’s mother, Anna Antonia Ricci, in Bacucco in 1865.
Anna Antonia Ricci was born in Castiglione Messer Raimondo, Teramo. However her parents were also born and married in Penne, Pescara. I was able to trace the Ricci back to the mid 1700s in Penne too, to another set of 6th great grandparents. The Ricci married a member of the Delle Monache family through which I was able to trace to a set of 7th great grandparents born around 1700. They were Anastasio Delle Monache and a lady named Lorenza.
My great great grandmother Elisabetta Rossi was the oldest child and had at least 7 siblings: Antonio, Palma, Domenico, Maria Carmina, Giovanni, Anna Domenica, and Girolamo.
Elisabetta married Filippo Marcella, a man who was a widower, and also 23 years older than she was. Coincidentally, I noticed on the birth records of Filippo’s children to Elisabetta that his age somehow decrease with each record!
Filippo was born in 1844 in Trosciano, Farindola, Pescara to Massimo Nicola Marcella and Maria Carolina Colangeli. Through miracles of modern Google Earth, this is a clipped image of Contrada Trosciano in Farindola.
Filippo’s first wife was Maria Antonia Lacchetta, the daughter of Filippo Lacchetta and Maria Salzetta. Maria Antonia had passed away in April of 1893 and Filippo Marcella was left with small children to raise. We don’t know the circumstances of her death but she had given birth to at least 11 children in 20 years. Some of the children didn’t survive a few days or past infancy.
Filippo’s children with Maria Antonia were: Carmela (died in infancy), Cesidio (died in infancy), Maria Grazia, Donato (died in infancy), Bambino (stillborn), Andrea, Carmine, Raffaele, Pasqua, Filomena, Serafina.
Elisabetta’s first born was my great grandfather Cesidio. Her other children were Maria Domenica, Antonia Vincenza, and Antonio Andrea.
Filippo Marcella was the fourth of ten children. He had two sets of twin sisters. The first set passed away in their childhoods. He also had a brother that passed away in his childhood. The siblings that survived to adulthood are as follows: Maria Giustina, Maria Giuseppa (midwife)*, Domenico**, Nicola (Antonio), and the second set of twins Serafina and Maria Domenica.
Filippo’s ancestry, so far, has been traced back to the early 1700s. His father’s ancestors were born in Farindola to at least that point in history. His mother’s ancestors encompass at least three midwives, not including his sister, and a line traced to Montebello di Bertona. Filippo passed away at #137 Trosciano, Farindola in 1916.
Pecorino di Farindola
*Maria Giuseppa married Panfilo Zenone. This is one way we are related to the Zenone cousins.
**Domenico is the sibling of Filippo through which we are related to the Romagna cousins and again to the Zenone cousins.
Sources:
Antenati San Beniculturali – Archivio di Stato di Pescara (Farindola, Penne, Montebello di Bertona)
Archivio di Stato di Teramo records on Family Search (Bacucco (Arsita) and Castiglione Messer Raimondo)
Everyone that thinks they have experience doing Italian genealogy told me that I would get to a wall when I got a few generations back and discovered a foundling. Really. Going back to at least the mid 1700s in all lines in the Farindola genealogy and all our Italian genealogy on both sides of the family (and in the case of the Ferraros, to the 1600s) I can now safely say we do not descend from any foundlings. None. Zero. Nessuna. Nihil. Absolutely zero have been found going back to those centuries! I suppose it doesn’t mean I won’t find one. But, as I stated, to the mid 1700s and earlier in Abruzzo and one 8 x great grandfather named Candeloro Sacchitti, and because I recently traced to the mid 1600s on the Ferraro side to a few sets of 7 x great grandparents and one 8 x great grandfather born in the early 1600s named Matteo Gammella, there are NONE.
However, there was an interesting female in the tree that took in the newborns left at Farindola’s foundling wheel. I also discovered three foundlings that began the surnames of Zenone, Generosi, and Baccanale that married into the Farindola tree and begat our cousins.
The Three Foundlings That Became Part of Our Family Tree
All of the foundlings that married into our family tree were born outside of Farindola.
The first one I discovered was Panfilo Zenone. He was born in Penne and he married Maria Giustina Marcella, sister of great great grandfather Filippo Marcella. They had 8 children, one of which was Giuseppe. Four of their children were males and the name multiplied. It is such a prolific name in Pescara now that it has become to be cited on Cognomi Italiani and is believed to be derived from the Greek philosopher Xenon.
Birth Record of Foundling Panfilo Zenone
According to the incredibly hard to read attached birth record of Panfilo Zenone, #237 Nati Penne 1843, Panfilo was found by Antonia Nobilio, the Ricevitrice de Proietti, after he was esposito alla ruota at 6 of the previous night. He was found wrapped in swaddling clothes without marks or identifying clothing. He appeared to be newly born. The Deputato of the Casa de Proietti was Antonio Quartangeli. On September 5, 1843 the record of his birth was made and he was baptized the same day. Antonia likely found a balia or wet nurse for Panfilo. The balia she found would have received payment from the municipal office for helping Panfilo. I believe the Deputato, a well-read man, was choosing the last names in Penne. On February 4, 1869 Panfilo married Maria Giustina Marcella in Farindola and they raised their children in Case Bruciate.
The second one I found that become a part of the tree was Giuseppe Generosi, grandfather to a cousin and great grandfather to second cousins. He married Maria DiGregorio. His son was the Generosi that married the sister of nonno.
Birth Extract of Giuseppe Generosi
According to 1905 Allegati #23 above, Giuseppe Generosi was left at a civil hospital in Teramo, Teramo, Abruzzo, called Sant’ Antonio Abate, 15 Via Larga dei Melatini in 1882. He was left at a special place the foundlings were left in diapers. Sant’ Antonio Abate received over 100 foundlings in 1881. Giuseppe was given a beautiful last name. Unfortunately, the original birth allegati for 1882 in Sant’ Antonio Abate is not online. What was found was the extract attached to his marriage documents in Farindola when he married Maria Di Gregorio on September 21, 1905. She was the daughter of Nicola and Angeladea Mergiotti. Their wedding record is below. Sant’ Antonio Abate, where Giuseppe was found, is still a hospital today and is so large it has a Wikipedia entry.
Atti di Matrimonio of Generosi – DiGregorio
The last I found was Leandro Baccanale. Leandro Baccanale was born in Penne and married Rosa Merlenghi, sister of our ancestor Angelo Merlenghi, our 3 x great grandfather. Bacca means berry and baccanale was a festival held in Rome each year I am sure you have all heard about. They had male children and the name multiplied. Baccanale from Farindola have emigrated to Pennsylvania and settled in the western part of the state. Click here for his birth extract on the Italian archival site Antenati.
*Mention – Giuseppe Belgrado was placed on the foundling wheel in Penne on December 12, 1853. He is the ancestor to some of the Zenone cousins.
Ancestress Tomassina Carusi, Unwed Mother, Receiver of the Foundlings
Tomassina Carusi was the oldest daughter of the Cancelliere of Farindola and sister to our ancestor Francesca Carusi. Unlike her sisters and land owning brothers, she never married. She became a midwife and had two children to an un-named man in her late 30s. While her nephew was Deputato della Casa de Proietti (Deputy of the House of Foundlings) she was the Ricevitrice at the Casa de Proietti at the village church, San Nicola di Bari. When you picture a kind woman wishing to help abandoned babies, one may picture a pious type. Was she this type of woman do you think?
As the town’s Ricevitrice she may have lived near the church. A bell was usually rung when a baby was placed on the foundling wheel. She took in 4 foundlings in a three year period. All three were “involto con panni laceri, e senza alcun segno visibile” or “wrapped in swaddling clothes, without any visible marks.” Usually the midwife that found the baby named them. If they had a mark or were left with a specific piece of cloth or jewelry a mother could change her mind and claim her baby if she showed identifying proof left with the baby.
The first baby Tomassina found she named Vitale. She may have also given him his last name which was Longo. He was placed on the wheel at 4 in the morning on September 6, 1852. Tomassina took him to her brother’s son Nicola Carusi, the Deputato at the time, and he arranged for Vitale to be baptized the same day.
The second male baby she named Fortunato Bisanti. Either she or the Deputato named him Bisanti. He was placed on the wheel at the Casa de Proietti at 3 in the morning on September 20, 1852. She showed him to her nephew. He was baptized the same day at San Nicola di Bari.
The third baby she named was Placida Rubiconda left on the foundling wheel at 4 in the morning on October 7, 1852. Rubiconda means ruddy or reddish. It is possible that Placida had reddish hair or skin. Tomassina took him to her brother’s son again and her name was recorded. She was baptized the same day at San Nicola di Bari.
The last baby Tomassina took in she named Elena. Either Tomassina or the Deputato gave her the beautiful surname Fenice. Fenice means phoenix. She was left at the wheel at 5 in the morning on January 15, 1854. Tomassina showed him to her brother’s son and she was also baptized the same day at San Nicola di Bari.
Below is the growing list of foundlings that I have found in Farindola in my research:
Bisonti, Fortunato 19 September 1852
Rubiconda, Placida 8 Ottobre 1852
Longo, Vitale 5 Settembre 1852
Baccanale, Leandro born in Penne
Zenone, Panfilo born in Penne
Gentile, Racchele born in Penne, died at 5 months on July 4, 1854, Farindola
Fenice, Elena born January 15, 1854, Farindola
Generosi, Giuseppe born in Teramo
Frontino, Emidio born in Penne, married January 1856
Incogniti Proietti, Anna Paolo, born in Farindola, married May 1856
Bruschetto, Antonio born in Penne, died June 16, 1856
Garofalo, Filippo born in Penne, died Sept 13, 1856
Bellone, Francesco born in Penne, died Sept 24, 1856
Bellicoso, Giacinto born in Penne, died April 30, 1856
Lepore, Girolamo born in Penne, died November 26, 1856
Fiera, Maria Giovanna born in Penne, died May 18, 1856
Bologna, Silvestre born in Penne, died November 14, 1856
Aprile, Serafina born in Penne, died December 25, 1856
Fornara, Francesco born in Penne, died Jan 17, 1857
Regina, Michela born in Loreto, died Oct 2, 1857
Vulcano, Pietro born in Penne, died Jan 31, 1857
Pesce, Elia born 3:30 am May 19, 1858, ricevitrice Elisabetta Lepore
Placido, Massimo married Dec 2, 1858, born in Penne
Nobile, Sofia born April 25, 1858 in Farindola
Pesce, Elia born May 19, 1858 in Farindola, Elisabetta Lepore found
Cardinale, Santa died Jan 31, 1835 in Farindola
Novella, Colombo died Jan 17, 1858 b. Penne
Fratarolla, Carmine Antonio died Jan 28, 1858 b. Penne
Belmonte, Ciriaca died June 27, 1858 b Penne
Sciarra, Candida died Aug 19, 1858 b. Farindola
Molignani, Serafina married Giovanni Antonio Cirone March 1, 1859, born in Penne
Serena, Geltrude married Massimonicola Tauro on June 18, 1859, born in Penne
Fiorita, Celeste married Domenico Massei on November 24, 1859, born in Penne
Croce, Filippo died February 2, 1859, born in Cellino
Fallto, Massimo died Oct 24, 1859, born in Penne
Filardo, Agostino died Nov 12, 1859, born in Penne
Macchia, Filomena died Dec 22, 1859, born in Farindola
Frigida, Anatolia died August 22, 1860, born in Farindola
Moretti, Antonio died November 22, 1860, born in Loreto
Grillante, Gabriele died January 19, 1861, born in Teramo
Bavaro, Vincenzo died May 15, 1861, born in Penne
Rosaria, 10 died Sept 4, 1861, born in Penne
Serpentina, Serafina died October 4, 1863, born in Penne
Fuine, Oreste died May 21, 1864, b. Farindola
Scorpione, Fortunato died August 12, 1864, b. Farindola
Di Scotto, Maria Giovanna died August 24, 1864, b. Penne, moglie di Matteo Federico
Aquaria, Aurelia died November 20, 1865, b. Penne, balia Annantonia Dinosante
Alabianca, Teodoro died November 29, 1865, b. Castiglione Messer Raimondo, age 23, single
Projetto, Francescantonio married March 24, 1819 to Paratta Di Martino in Farindola, #29 Matrimoni 1819 – he was possibly born on March 15, 1777 in Teramo and was given to Girolamo D’Amico on September 1, 1777 and then to Pasquale Di Salvatore in Castiglione Messer Raimondo
Beltrante, Giuliana 19, born in Farindola, died January 14, 1872, filatrice, nubile, balia Annantonia Andreoli moglie di Vincenzo Nostriani
Alliana, Amalia 14 months, born in Penne, died March 30, 1872, balia Maria Domenica Ammazalorsco moglie di Teodoro Marcelli
Farnese, Felicita 2 months 11 days, died April 12, 1872, born in Teramo, balia Maria Carmina di Giaccobe moglie di Giovanni Di Massimo
Gran Sasso D’Italia, overlook near Farindola
Elisabetta Rossi was born in 1866 in Valleceraso, Bacucco, Teramo, a neighboring town, to Giuseppe Antonio Rossi and Anna Antonia Ricci.
Cinziarosa's Descendants (c) 