Tyrolean Wisdom Stories #3

Damiano Genetti

Cosma Damiano Genetti in doorway of Genetti home in Castelfondo.

Proverbs from Trentino:

Dialect: Mort, fech e amor, l’é trei robes che no se sarà mai bogn de scone.

Translation: Death, fire and love can not be hidden.

 

Dialect: Ò prèst ὀ tardi sé paga tut.

Translation: One does not know if the remedy is worse than the cure.

 

Proverbs courtesy of Filo Magazine: A Journal for Tyrolean Americans.

Visit Filo for a fascinating glimpse into our ancestral arts, culture, cuisine, history and much, much more!

Tyrolean Wisdom Stories #2

CastelfondoWell

Central piazza fountain – Castelfondo

Proverbs from Trentino:

Dialect: Se t eves ben, te perdones dut, se to odies no te perdones nia.

Translation: If you love, you forgive; if you hate, you forgive nothing.

 

Dialect: Vardavene da n om che fila, da na femena che scigola e da la bocia de n cian.

Translation: Beware of a man who spins, a woman who whistles and the mouth of a dog.

 

Proverbs courtesy of Filo Magazine: A Journal for Tyrolean Americans.

Visit Filo for a fascinating glimpse into our ancestral arts, culture, cuisine, history and much, much more!

Tyrolean Wisdom Stories

CastelfondoVideo

Village of Castelfondo, Val di Non, Trentino

Proverbs from Trentino:

Dialect: A pagàr e a morìr se fa simper en temp.

Translation: To pay and to die, one does in time.

 

Dialect: Colazion bonora, disnàr a la so ora, a zena ‘n pochetòt, se te vòi viver tantòt.

Translation: Early breakfast, a punctual lunch, and light supper for a long life.

 

Proverbs courtesy of Filo Magazine: A Journal for Tyrolean Americans.

Visit Filo for a fascinating glimpse into our ancestral arts, culture, cuisine, history and much, much more!

Sale on Family Tree Prints!

Genetti Family Tree

Family Tree

Our printing company (Redbubble) that provides the Genetti family tree prints found in our online shop, will be holding a sale on Sunday, January 17 through Monday, January 18.

Want to hang a beautiful ancestral family tree on your wall? Or give it as a gift to your own descendants? Now’s the time to take advantage of this great sale!

Redbubble is offering 15% off of all products, Jan. 17th and 18th. Just use the checkout code GEEKOUT when you place your order to receive this super 15% discount! Don’t miss out!

The discount applies to all family tree prints, fine art prints of our family coat-of-arms and even beautiful scarves printed with the Genetti crest.

Genetti Coat-of-Arms

Antique Genetti Coat-of-Arms

Here are a few of our Redbubble products:

Original Genetti Family Tree Poster

Antique Coat-of-Arms Framed Print

Coat-of-Arms Antique Scarf

Original Genetti Coat-of-Arms Framed Print

Have questions! Feel free to email me at: info.genett.family@gmail.com

The Long and Winding Road of Genealogy, Part 4

NuremburgGroup1

Date: October 1906. Place: In front of the boarding house and saloon owned by Raffaele Genetti in Weston, PA. The photograph commemorates a double wedding: (5 + 6, 8 + 9). 1. Silvio Genetti, 2. Peter Zambotti, 3. St. Clair, 4. Dora Genetti Bott, 5. Richard Fedrizzi, 6. Angeline Cologna Fedrizzi, 7. Tillie Genetti Zambotti, 8. Peter Dallachiesa, 9. Virginia Fedrizzi Dallachiesa, 10. William Dona, 11. Max Martini, 12. Joseph Fedrizzi, 13. John Springhetti, 14. Josephine Dona, 15. Florence Yannes,
16. Nela Recla, 17. Angeline Marchetti Genetti

It’s time to wrap-up the series I began a month ago. In the process of researching connections between the Genetti, Zambotti, Dallachiesa and Marchetti families, the photograph that began the entire inquiry now comes into focus as a wonderful snapshot of sibling/cousin relationships. Let’s take a closer look at our ancestors and how their lives are intertwined.

First – the boarding house/saloon where the photograph was taken, is owned by Raffaele Genetti and his wife, Lucia Zambotti. The group photo commemorates a double wedding that took place in 1906.

#1 – Silvio Genetti is the oldest son of Raffaele and Lucia (owners of the establishment). He is the 1st cousin of #2 – Peter Zambotti, #4 – Dora Genetti Bott, #7 – Tillie Genetti Zambotti and #8 – Peter Dallachiesa.

#2 – Peter Zambotti is holding Silvio’s hand. Peter and Silvio are 1st cousins because Peter’s father is Lucia Zambotti Genetti’s brother. Therefore Peter is the nephew of Raffaele and Lucia Genetti. He is also the cousin of #2 – Dora Genetti Bott, #7 – Tillie Genetti Zambotti and #8 – Peter Dallachiesa.

#4 – Dora Genetti Bott is the niece of Raffaele and Lucia because her father is the brother of Raffaele and her mother is the sister of Lucia. She is the sister of #7 – Tillie Genetti Zambotti and the 1st cousin to #1 – Silvio Genetti, #2 – Peter Zambotti and #8 – Peter Dallachiesa.

#5 – Richard Fedrizzi is one of the grooms in this wedding photo. He is the sibling of # 9 – Virginia Fedrizzi Dallachiesa and #12 – Joseph Fedrizzi. His wife is #6 – Angeline Cologna. The Fedrizzi family is from San Biago, Trento – not Castelfondo.

#6 – Angeline Cologna Fedrizzi is the bride of Richard Fedrizzi. Her mother was Rachele Yannes. She most likely is the cousin of #14 – Florence Yannes.

#7 – Tillie Genetti Zambotti is the sister of #4 – Dora Genetti Bott, the niece of Raffaele and Lucia Genetti, and cousin to #1 – Silvio Genetti, #2 – Peter Zambotti and #8 – Peter Dallachiesa. In 1911, Tillie and Peter Zambotti are married.

#8 – Peter Dallachiesa is the second groom. His mother, Maria Zambotti, and Lucia Zambotti Genetti are sisters. He marries #9 – Virginia Fedrizzi. Peter is the nephew of Raffaele and Lucia Genetti, and the 1st cousin of #1 – Silvio Genetti, #2 – Peter Zambotti, #4 Dora Genetti Bott and #7 – Tillie Genetti Zambotti.

#9 – Virginia Fedrizzi Dallachiesa marries #8 – Peter Dallachiesa. She is the sister of #5 – Richard Fedrizzi and #12 – Joseph Fedrizzi.

#10 – William Dona is most likely related in some way to #15 – Josephine Dona.

#12 – Joseph Fedrizzi is the sibling of #5 – Richard Ferdrizzi and #9 – Virginia Fedrizzi.

#14 – Josephine Dona is most likely related in some way to #10 – William Dona.

#15 – Florence Yannes is probably the cousin of #6 – Angeline Cologna Fedrizzi (Angeline’s mother was Rachele Yannes). She is also the 1st cousin of #17 – Angeline Marchetti Genetti because her mother, Philomena Marchetti, and Angeline’s father, John Marchetti, are siblings.

#16 – Nela Recla (Leonela Erminia Recla) is the niece of Raffaele and Lucia Genetti because her mother, Angela Maddalena Genetti, is Raffaele Genetti’s sister. She is the 1st cousin of #1 – Silvio Genetti, #4 – Dora Genetti Bott and #7 – Tillie Genetti Zambotti. She is also cousins through marriage to #2 – Peter Zambotti and #8 – Peter Dallachiesa.

#17 – Angeline Marchetti Genetti marries the nephew of Raffaele and Lucia Genetti, Leon Genetti, in 1914. She is the 1st cousin of #15 – Florence Yannes. Through marriage she becomes the sister-in-law of #2 – Peter Zambotti, #4 – Dora Genetti Bott and #7 – Tillie Genetti Zambotti.

There are a few people in this photograph that I am unable to verify their relationship to the bridal couples: #3 – St. Clair, #10 – William Dona, #11 – Max Martini, #13 – John Springhetti, and #14 – Josephine Dona. Considering the connections stated above, I’m sure a cousin relationship will eventually be found for these as well.

This series began with the inquiries of three cousins: Arleen Dallachiesa, Melissa Stidom and Erin Johnston, who did not know each other when they wrote me. Their ancestors came together over a hundred years ago to celebrate two weddings. I know many of you reading this post can also claim ancestral connections to those portrayed in the photograph, as can I.

At times, the research for this series gave me a headache! I created many diagrams to keep the relationships straight. Around each turn there was a new discovery. Often I wandered if our ancestors were aware of their extensive interconnections. Were they as boggled by their cousin bonds as I was? And to think, this is only a tiny part of our family’s long and winding road of genealogy.

Many thanks to Arleen Dallachiesa, Melissa Stidom, Erin Johnston and Don Lingousky. Your contributions of information helped piece this complicated ancestral puzzle together.

Read the entire series:

The Long and Winding Road of Genealogy, Part 1

The Long and Winding Road of Genealogy, Part 2

The Long and Winding Road of Genealogy, Part 3

 

The American Immigrant Wall of Honor

William Genetti, Morgan MacDonaldThank you to William Genetti and Morgan MacDonald for sharing photos of their recent visit to The American Immigrant Wall of Honor located on Ellis Island in New York City. The Wall of Honor is a permanent monument depicting the names of our ancestors who came to America as immigrants, traveling through Ellis Island.

Listed on the wall are William’s grandfather, Gus Genetti, and his great-grandparent’s, Damiano Genetti and Oliva Zambotti Genetti, along with great-aunts and uncles. I have to admit, this gave me a little shiver of pride to see the names of my ancestors memorialized on this wall, (Damiano and Oliva were also my great-grandparents).

 

 

Immigrant Wall of Honor

 

I’ve added one of William’s pics to our Photography Page – take a hop over there to browse our extensive family archive!

Interested in learning more about The American Immigrant Wall of Honor? Click here to visit the Ellis Island Foundation.

Thanks again William and Morgan. What a perfect contribution to our family archive!

 

Felice Anno Nuovo

New Year's Eve Celebration 1955

New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Genetti Ballroom located in the Genetti Food Center, N. Laurel St. in Hazleton. Year: 1955. The gentleman wearing a bow tie is Stanley Genetti, one of the four Genetti brothers of Hazleton, PA.

Looking back on 2015, it has been an amazing year of exploration into our shared genealogy! So many new discoveries, so many new cousins! I feel truly grateful to everyone who has supported our family website/blog. Thank you for your contributions in the form of research, photographs, emails and encouragement (and yes – sometimes even monetarily). Your support has helped grow our website into an amazing resource for Tyrolean families throughout the world. Mille grazie!

At the end of each year, WordPress (the hosting company for our website/blog) compiles an Annual Report with stats on how we did during the past twelve months. Here are a few details from 2015:

  • Our blog was viewed about 9,400 times in 2015.
  • 89 new photographs were uploaded in 2015 (about 2 photos per week).
  • On our busiest day, August 27th, we had 140 views of the website.
  • We’ve had visitors from 86 countries!
  • Most visitors came from: The United States, Italy and Brazil.

As we bid farewell to 2015, here are a few words from our ancestors in the form of Tyrolean proverbs (courtesy of Filo Magazine: A Journal for Tyrolean Americans):

Dialect: Chi che vol ben viver, l’toghe i mondo come l’ven.
English: He who wishes to live well, should take life day-by-day.

Dialect: Chi è stret di man, l’è stret di cor.
English: He who is tight with his hand is tight with his heart.

Dialect (Val di Non): Col tem e la paia s’è Madura achja I nespoli.
English: With the passage of time and with patience, all things mature.

Buon anno a tutti!

 

 

Buon Natale!

San Nicolo

Altar piece of the San Nicolo Catholic church in Castelfondo

Did you know that the patron saint of Castelfondo is San Nicolò? That’s right, the church of our ancestral village is named after San Nicolò in recognition of an early christian saint who is the inspiration for Father Christmas, aka: Santa Claus. In English he is known as Saint Nicholas.

San Nicolò di Bari lived during the 3rd to 4th centuries AD in a Roman colony that is now modern day Turkey. He died on December 6, 343 AD of old age.

There are several legends and miracles attributed to San Nicolò. One in particular may be the beginning of the gift-giving tradition associated with Father Christmas. Upon hearing of a poor man who could not afford dowries for his three daughters, Nicolò (then the Bishop of Myra) gifted part of his wealth to the daughters in the form of three bags of gold, saving them from a life with no husbands and most likely, forced prostitution. To read the entire story, (which includes one sack of gold being thrown down a chimney!) I recommend visiting the site: Life in Italy. This informative page includes the historical details of San Nicolò’s life and the explanation of how his legend morphed into today’s Santa Claus.

The photograph above pictures a prominent painting gracing the baroque altar of Castelfondo’s beautiful church. During my 2011 visit to the village, I was given a tour of San Nicolò by a lovely little woman who is the caretaker. She took me by the arm and escorted me around the altar, all the while describing paintings, frescoes and statues that adorn the church. Of course her explanation was in Italian! I nodded dutifully as I caught a word here and there. I was so appreciative that she had turned on the lights for us. Her obvious devotion to the church and the history it represented touched my heart. While she spoke, I could feel the spirit of my ancestors fill the pews. Generations of Genetti, Marchetti and Zambotti had worshiped in this church for hundreds of years! They had walked this very isle where I now stood. I’m sure they had a family pew where they knelt to pray, just as I had as a child in Hazleton, PA attending church at St. Gabriel’s with my father. I was awed and overwhelmed by that moment … reaching through time to share a moment with the ancestors who had shaped my life.

As we gather with our families this Christmas, remember to thank your ancestors. Without their bravery, determination and Tyrolean values, our lives would be so different. How wonderful it is to know our roots and inherit a rich culture that we share with many cousins around the world.

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo a tutti i miei cugini!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my cousins!

 

New Video!

CastelfondoVideo

Photo of Castelfondo by Cristina Paternoster

I just added a new video to our Gallery Video Page. Created by Cristina Paternoster (from Castelfondo), this is a wonderful representation of modern day Commune di Castelfondo. The video clip offers beautiful views of the village, upper pastures, mountains that border the town and mountain huts known as Malgas. Cristina posted the video yesterday on the group Facebook page of: Chei da Chastelfon. I knew it would be the perfect addition to our Video page, offering a glimpse of Castelfondo to those who have never visited our ancestral home.

Thank you Cristina for sharing this video with your American cousins. Grazie mille!

If you are on Facebook, I recommend visiting the public group Chei da Chastelfon (this title is in the Nones dialect – not Italian! It translates as “People from Castelfondo.”). All photographs posted to this group page are little pieces of history and shared by Castelfondo natives. Just click the “Join Group” button and you’ll receive updates in your newsfeed when new photographs and videos are posted. Who knows, you may even spot an ancestor or two among the photos uploaded by your Italian cousins!

 

The Long and Winding Road of Genealogy, Part 3

Continued from Part 2 …

Wedding Photograph in Weston, PA

Date: October 1906. Place: In front of the boarding house and saloon owned by Raffaele Genetti in Weston, PA. The photograph commemorates a double wedding: (5 + 6, 8 + 9).  1. Silvio Genetti, 2. Peter Zambotti, 3. St. Clair, 4. Dora Genetti Bott, 5. Richard Fedrizzi, 6. Angeline Cologna Fedrizzi, 7. Tillie Genetti Zambotti, 8. Peter Dallachiesa, 9. Virginia Fedrizzi Dallachiesa, 10. William Dona, 11. Max Martini, 12. Joseph Fedrizzi, 13. John Springhetti, 14. Josephine Dona, 15. Florence Yannes, 16. Nela Recla, 17. Angeline Marchetti Genetti

During my research of the Dallachiesa family for cousins Arleen and Melissa, I was contacted by Erin Johnston, a descendant of Giulia Anna Marchetti Ossana from Castelfondo. Erin happened upon our website while researching her own Tyrolean family line. She sent me an inquiry wondering if her great-grandmother, Giulia Anna, was related to the Marchetti family that settled in Hazleton/Black Creek, Pennsylvania.

Her email explained further: while searching through our photos, she had made an interesting discovery. Erin noticed that several people noted in the wedding photograph at the top of our Photograph Page were also listed in the 1900 Federal Census, along with her great-grandmother. According to the census, “Anna” lived at the same boarding house in Black Creek, PA with Peter Zambotti (#2 in photo), his brother Alessandro Zambotti, Peter Dallachiesa (#8 – one of the grooms in photo) and his brother Joseph Dallachiesa. Since I had spent three weeks researching all of these ancestors, Erin’s email could not have been more timely. I was sure she had stumbled upon a missing clue – but neither she nor I had any idea what that was!

To rule out the obvious, first I searched my own Marchetti tree (my grandmother was a Marchetti) and found no obvious connection between Erin’s family and mine. Next I went back to the genealogy I was working on for Arleen and Melissa – something immediately caught my eye! The parents of Clemente Dallachiesa, Arleen’s great-grandfather and Melissa’s 2nd great-grandfather, were Pietro Dallachiesa and Barbara Marchetti. (Keep in mind that Clemente’s two sons are Peter and Joseph. Both are listed in the census as living at the same address as Erin’s great-grandmother, Anna, along with Peter and Alessandro Zambotti. Plus the census states they are all close in age.). Perhaps Clemente’s mother, Barbara Marchetti, was related to Erin’s Marchetti line!

I returned to my church records to search for the family of Barbara Marchetti (1818-1895). After some digging, I found what I was looking for! Barbara had a younger brother named Giovanni Marchetti (B: 1823) who was the father of Giulia Anna. Therefore, Erin’s great-grandmother was the 1st cousin of Clemente, and the 1st cousin, once removed of his sons, Peter and Joseph Dallachiesa. And Clemente’s sister, Catterina Dallachiesa (also Anna’s 1st cousin), married Simone Zambotti. Therefore, their sons, Peter and Alessandro Zambotti, were Anna’s 1st cousins, once removed too. So it appears that a group of cousins (Dallachiesa, Zambotti and Marchetti) all came to America at about the same time, were all about the same age, and lived at the same boarding house!

To go a little further into our analysis, here is the cousin relationship between Arleen, Melissa, Erin and me:

  • Arleen and Melissa are 2nd cousins, once removed through the Dallachiesa family.
  • Arleen and Erin are 4th cousins through the Marchetti family.
  • Melissa and Erin are 4th cousins, once removed through the Marchetti family.
  • Arleen and I are 3rd cousins through the Zambotti family.
  • Melissa and I are 3rd cousins, once removed through the Zamobtti family.
  • Arleen and I are 4th cousins, through the Genetti family.
  • Melissa and I are 4th cousins, once removed through the Genetti family.
  • Erin and I are not related – at the time of this writing I have not found a connecting ancestor, but there may still be one.

Yes, I’m just as confused as you are by the over-lapping cousin relationships!

However, Erin’s insights have shed an entirely new light on the wedding photograph (see above) of 1906! I’ll explain more in my next blog post.

To be continued …

 

Read this entire blog series:

The Long and Winding Road of Genealogy, Part 1

The Long and Winding Road of Genealogy, Part 2