L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano T he medieval town of Coreglia Antelminel- li has a glorious set- ting: surrounded by chestnut woods and olive groves high in the mid Ser- chio Valley, it sits on a hill with stunning views over the Tuscan undulating countryside. A t 6 0 0 m e t e r s a b o v e s e a l e v e l , t h e v i l l a g e i s a h e a r t - shaped corner of Tuscany in the north eastern part of the Lucca district, squeezed between the Apuan Alps and the Tuscan- Emilian Apennines. A destination rich in nature and culture, it was named one of the most beautiful villages in I t a l y ( I B o r g h i p i ù B e l l i d'Italia). Poet Giuseppe Ungaretti was i n l o v e w i t h t h i s p l a c e . M e t a p h y s i c a l p a i n t e r C a r l o Carrà felt the same way: He lived and traveled extensively throughout the valley in search of subjects for his crazed brush strokes.  T h e s m a l l c o m m u n i t y o f 1000 souls is welcoming and warm. Lorena Rigali would love to w e l c o m e t o h e r h o m e h e r famous third cousin, American actress Susan Sarandon, who is of Italian descent on her moth- er's side with ancestors from Coreglia, Tuscany and Ragusa, Sicily.   L o r e n a a n d S u s a n m e t o n November 15, 2008 when the Oscar-winning actress, who took top honors for her role as a nun in 1995's Dead Man Walking, visited the Tuscan village to find her Italian relatives. Sarandon's great-grandfather M i c h e l e R i g a l i w a s b o r n i n Coreglia on May 25, 1841 and migrated to the US as a young brilliant figurinaio. "The Coreglia figurinai, or image makers--producers and sellers of plaster of Paris stat- uettes-- travelled all over," says Sabrina Santi, city councilor for culture. "By the 1850s, our fig- urinai could be found in most European countries as well as North America where they had established flourishing commu- nities especially in New Jersey," she explains. Lorena's great-grandfather G i l b e r t o R i g a l i a n d S u s a n Sarandon's great-grandfather were brothers. "Sarandon wanted to find out more about her Italian ancestry. That is the reason why she visit- ed the Serchio Valley and the Garfagnana in 2008 following a crew from the BBC to create a special TV show called Coming Home," explains Lorena. The Fondazione Paolo Cresci f o r t h e H i s t o r y o f I t a l i a n Migration, located in Lucca, helped the American actress to trace her family tree. "Susan came to meet with us. She wanted to know the last descendant of the Rigali family, my nephew Gilberto Rigali, who is my brother Mariano's son," Lorena says. "We greeted each other. She really seemed like a nice lady," she says. "She is simple and I liked her long before I knew she was my cousin. She is an actress of such depth, tenacity and pas- sion." But Sarandon never called a g a i n . " W e d o n ' t k n o w h e r address. However, it was great to meet her. Everybody here finds I have a strong resem- blance to her." L o r e n a w o u l d l o v e t o s e e Sarandon again. "I would host a large family party, together with my sister, my brother, a cousin from Coreglia, our cousin from Argentina and my six nephews. It would be wonderful to be all around a big table. We are so h o n o r e d t o b e r e l a t e d t o a celebrity! We hope to see her again." W h e n S a r a n d o n w a s i n Coreglia, the family took her to visit the Museo della Figurina di Gesso e dell'Emigrazione. You can get a feel for the complete history and culture of Coreglia Antelminelli at this museum. " I n t h e X V I I c e n t u r y , t h e Coreglini were so poor that they put all their energies and talent t o i n v e n t t h e a r t o f m i x i n g together easily available water and plaster," explains Santi. " T h e y o p e n e d w o r k s h o p s i n their basements. This is how the longtime tradition got started." Corneglia still counts masters in the art of plaster who are available for international col- laborations. They are great at producing plaster of Paris nativi- ty scenes, bright-colored saints a n d  t h e  b u s t s o f f a m o u s m e n such as Napoleon. Another special figurinaio from Coreglia named Sylvester Zefferino Poli (1858-1937) did extremely well in the United States. Starting in New Haven, Connecticut, with a career in plaster and wax sculpting, he quickly moved on to variety shows, and ultimately vaudeville theatres and movie palaces. By 1916 he controlled 30 the- aters. At that time, he was her- alded as the largest individual theatre owner in the world.  Professor Luca Peretti from Yale University made a biopic that dramatized Poli's life. "Sylvester Zeffirino Poli not only was a fundamental figure in the world of craftmanship but also a great impresario and suc- cessful migrant. As well, he was a cinema pioneer and an extraor- dinary Italian-American, " writes Peretti. P o l i a l w a y s m a i n t a i n e d a close connection with this well- p r e s e r v e d m e d i e v a l v i l l a g e whose first historical documents date to the 10th century. Coreglia's history is closely l i n k e d t o i t s 1 5 t h c e n t u r y Palazzo del Forte and the Pieve d i S a n M i c h e l e A r c a n g e l o , founded in the 12th century, as well as the Romanesque Church of St. Martin. In the summer there are arts and music festivals. On August 3, the Coreglini celebrate the Notte Medievale, a historical reenactment that transforms any resident into a man or a woman of the Middle Ages for a night. Today this lovely hill town has few tourists, but plenty of trattorias to sample delicious regional fare. "We are truly hospitable, so we invite you to visit us. You will leave your heart here," says Santi. MARIELLA RADAELLI Coreglia Antelminelli is a small medieval town in the Serchio Valley, Tuscany @Comune di Coreglia Antelminelli Coreglia is known for its production of plaster of Paris's figurines, which are famous all over the world @Comune di Coreglia Antelminelli ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES Coreglia Antelminelli: charming borgo of statuettes and famed American movie figures

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