Photo from Castelfondo

We just added a fantastic photo to our Photograph Page. Gemma Genetti, one of our Italian cousins from Trentino, posted it on my Facebook page and I just had to share it on our website.

Here is the church choir of Castelfondo! There is no date on the image, but I would guess it was taken in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. Amongst the names you’ll see many familiar surnames: Genetti, Marchetti, Cologna, Corazza, Segna and Ianes (Yanes). We have descendants from all of these families in the United States. Heck – three of these names can be found on my own immediate family tree!

Gemma also sent me a link to a wonderful Facebook group called “Chei da Chastelfon”. The name is in the regional dialect of Nones. It translates to: “People from Castelfondo”. The group posts old photos of the villagers taken throughout the years. The pics are labeled in Italian, but are easy to translate using the translator function in Facebook (look for the link under descriptions and comments that says: See Translation). I spent an hour scrolling through the many photos of families, homes and festivities posted on this page. What a treat since I recognized many of the sites from my previous visits to Castelfondo. If you are a member of Facebook and would like to join “Chei da Chastelfon” – click here to access their page. Then just click on the “Join Now” button located on the right side of the banner photo. After you’ve joined, you’ll receive posts made by members of the group in your personal newsfeed.

What a unique and beautiful way to understand our ancestry through the vehicle of photos. This simple Facebook page transcends the barriers of language and the generations that separate us as cousins.

Mille grazie to Gemma Genetti, Gianpaolo Pedrazza and Giovanni Marchetti!