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Dario Castagno's Waldensian trunk....
How a lockdown was an impetus to discover my origins
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How a lockdown was the impetus for discovering my origins |
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During the dramatic Covid19 lockdown with no tours to conduct and my solitary days tumbling monotonously into one another, I haphazardly opened an antique trunk that had once belonged to a great aunt. It held a treasure of portraits and documents, and as I delved into the contents, it slowly revealed my Waldensian heritage. The new book is dedicated to the uncanny alpine populace's history that endured pogroms and unspeakable prejudices, the striking lineage I abruptly discovered belonging to, and the reasons why my parents had kept the origins from me. |
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No worries if you never heard about the Waldensians before. Not many people have. We are talking about a minority that, since the 1200s, endured centuries of prejudices and hardships. During the Rennaissance, the peak occurred when discriminations escalated into a bloodbath and then almost turning into a genocide. When I discovered my geneology, patiently placing together my ancestor's remarkable history, I suddenly realized what a cumbersome legacy I need to live up to! |
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You can order the Paperback edition on Amazon by clicking on the button above or the Kindle edition by clicking on the button below. |
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My great-grandfather, Pastor Giovanni, and grandfather Enrico happily pose in 1908.
They both passed away in 1958. Enrico died after the plane he was piloting crashed, Giovanni followed days later when he received the news of his son's tragic death.
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My great-great grandmother Emily Dressel fondling my great aunt Annamaria in Venice circa 1870. She was the daughter of the Prussian Ambassador in Rome and a pupil of pianist Franz Liszt.
I'm uploading hundreds of my ancestors pics on my site www.dariocastagno.com. To enter the specific page, you need to type the password "allabrua!" (all lowercase). Everyone is invited! Please feel free to contact me for any further questions. |
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Waldensian young ladies sporting the traditional costume. Believe it or not, the picture wasn't taken in Italy but in the town of Valdese in North Corolina where some ancestors emigrated and where the local community is still thriving. |
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I find it's so bizarre not having any tours to conduct in September and October, two months that usually represent my tourist season's zenith. From the average two hundred and fifty annual groups this year, I'm down to six. While I'm patiently expecting better times, I'm getting ready for the upcoming October olive harvest (I will be sending another newsletter very soon...pardon me. Writing books and pressing olives from mere hobbies have swiftly turned into my primary source of income. I'm afraid and aware it's going to be a long winter...
Thank you for supporting me! I thoroughly appreciate it, and in hard times like these, I have no clue what I would do without you!
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In case you missed my previous book Somewhere in Chianti (Published in April 2020)
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Paperback edition click above
Kindle edition click below |
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