L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano ports of Barletta, Trani, and B r i n d i s i . " P u g l i a ' s p o r t s w e r e w e l l p l a c e d f o r t h e C r u s a d e s . O t h e r K n i g h t s Templar sites were Molfetta, M o n o p o l i , G r a v i n a , Sannicandro, Foggia Ruvo, and Minervino. Pope Clement V perpetu- ally suppressed the order of Knights Templar in 1312 and Jacques de Molay, their last Grand Master, was burned at the stake in 1314. Their assets and property, includ- ing Alberona, were given to t h e H o s p i t a l l e r s , a l s o known as the Knights of M a l t a , w h o r e m a i n e d i n Alberona until 1808. The Alberonesi adopted Saint John the Baptist as their main patron and Saint J a m e s o f C o m p o s t e l l a a s their co-patron. Both saints w e r e w o r s h i p p e d b y t h e K n i g h t s T e m p l a r . T h e p a t r o n a l f e a s t i s h e l d o n August 29-30. Today, the borgo has 996 residents — as of the last census. "It's a nice condo," jokes the mayor who is also a criminal defense lawyer in F o g g i a . " A n d i t i s a l s o a B a n d i e r a A r a n c i o n e t o w n . " T h e B a n d i e r a Arancione is a recognition of q u a l i t y a w a r d e d b y t h e T o u r i n g C l u b I t a l i a n o t o s m a l l t o w n s i n I t a l y f o r e x c e l l e n c e i n h o s p i t a l i t y , tourism, and the environ- ment. Alberona also has a rich literary tradition of local writing talent. Local poets and writers learned from their elders, debated their craft, received comments on their efforts, and took their first steps as performers of poetry. The mayor mentions dialect poet Giacomo Strizzi and literary critic Giuseppe De Matteis among others. The city hall runs an inter- national poetry competition k n o w n a s P r e m i o I n t e r n a z i o n a l e d i P o e s i a Borgo di Alberona. V i s i t o r s c a n t a s t e t h e Alberona specialties such as lamb's stew and cavatelli pasta with wild boar ragù at the village's seven restau- rants and trattorias. For a m e m o r a b l e e x p e r i e n c e , lovers of historical myste- r i e s s t a y a t t h e b o u t i q u e hotel I Templari di Alberona that has kept a lot of the ori- ginal features while turning it from a place of punish- m e n t t o o n e o f p l e a s u r e . Located in a building built by the Knights Templar in 1200s, it was used as a pri- s o n f r o m 1 8 6 0 t o 1 8 6 5 . Cells were used to confine those accused of briganda- ge, a time-honored trade in the area. When Italy was unified in 1861, Alberona was plunged into poverty. "There were only two possi- bilities: being a brigand or a n e m i g r a n t , " s a y s Filomena Arena, author of a book about the brigandage in Puglia after Italian unifi- cation. But it was especially after WWII that Alberona wit- nessed a massive migration. M a n y A l b e r o n e s i s e t t l e d permanently in New Jersey, P e n n s y l v a n i a , a n d C a l i f o r n i a . T h e t o w n o f Orange, New Jersey, counts s o m e 4 , 0 0 0 r e s i d e n t s o f Alberonese descent. "They left because Alberona held little in the way of opportu- n i t y , " s a y s M a y o r D e M a t t h a e i s . " T h o s e w e r e tough times. On the con - t r a r y , t o d a y i t f e e l s g o o d h e r e , a n d w h e n o u r American brothers visit on t h e o c c a s i o n o f t h e E m i g r a n t F e s t i v a l i n August, they see with their own eyes how this place has changed. Frequently, they tell me they would not have left if Alberona had been as it is today." The residents have built a s t r o n g b o n d w i t h t h e A l b e r o n e s i o f A m e r i c a , "especially with our friends in Orange," says the mayor. "We share the religious fes- tival of the Madonna dell' Incoronata taking place on the last Saturday in April." LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS ADVICE Continued from page 30 The Chiesa Madre (or Mother Church) in Alberona (Photo: Leonardo De Matthaeis) Symbols of the Knights Templars (Photo: Leonardo De Mattheis) San Rocco church (Photo: Leonardo De Matthaeis) Alberona scorcio 4 foto Leonardo De Matthaeis

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