L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE D ear Readers, July jottings with an Italian connec- t i o n : G i u s e p p e Garibaldi was born on July 4th, 1807. Many people know that California's State flower is the golden poppy and the State bird is the quail. But few know that the State fish is the "Garibaldi." Garibaldi was a famous Italian general of the 1800s, h e i s c a l l e d t h e H e r o o f Humanity because he fought for liberty all over the world. Among his many accomplish- ments: he reunified Italy, helped to create the Republic o f B r a z i l , s a v e d U r u g u a y from Argentina, and aided Poland. A battalion of the Garibaldinis also fought for the North in the American Civil War. They wore red shirts and were proud to be called the " A r m y o f R e d S h i r t s . " The "Garibaldi" State fish is also a beautiful red color. That's probably why it is so named. *** C a r a b i n i e r i , I t a l y ' s national military police, was created on July 13th, 1814 in T u r i n b y K i n g V i t t o r i o Emanuele di Savoia (Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy) with t h e a i m o f p r o v i d i n g t h e Kingdom of Sardinia with a p o l i c e c o r p s . W h e n t h e Carabinieri force was first born, it counted 800 men who distinguished them - selves for good behavior, dis- tributed across 113 stations. N o w , 2 0 7 y e a r s a f t e r i t s foundation, the Carabinieri force is celebrated through- out Italy's 8,093 municipali- ties thankful for their service. *** July was named to honor R o m a n d i c t a t o r J u l i u s Caesar (100 BC- 44BC). In 46 BC, Julius Caesar made one of his greatest contribu- tions to history; as he devel- oped the Julian calendar, the precursor to the Gregorian calendar that we use today. *** I t a l i a n A u t o m o b i l e Works was founded July 1, 1899 by former cavalry offi- cer Giovanni Agnelli under t h e a c r o n y m F . I . A . T ( F a b b r i c a I t a l i a n a Automobili di Torino). *** Italo Balbo was given a hero's welcome by more than 50,000 Chicagoans atten- d e e s a t t h e C e n t u r y o f Progress World's Fair on July 15, 1933 as the Royal Italian Air Force General led two dozen aircraft in a spec- tacular formation over the Atlantic. Reader Vic Befera's dad was there, too. *** Benito Mussolini was born July 29, 1883 in a tiny h a m l e t i n t h e c o m u n e d i Predappio, situated in the Apennines of Romagna, an area famous for its republi- can revolutionary politics. Centuries of subjugation to the popes, who had misruled R o m a g n a , h a d t u r n e d i t s people into enemies of the Church and of all forms of authority. After the province w a s a n n e x e d b y t h e n e w Kingdom of Italy in 1860, Romagna remained a strong- hold of radicalism and rebel- lion. *** Grandparents Day has b e e n d e s i g n a t e d b y P o p e Francis as the fourth Sunday of July. This year the celebra- tion will be Sunday, July 25, 2 0 2 1 . T h e W o r l d D a y o f G r a n d p a r e n t s a n d t h e Elderly was chosen because of the proximity to the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. *** American Revolution Volunteers included many m e n f r o m F r a n c e w i t h Italian surnames. Some of them were probably the off- spring of Italians who settled in France, or Italian citizens who assumed or were given French surnames. British records also provide addi- tional evidence of Italian p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n t h e American Revolution. W h e n e v e r t h e E n g l i s h imprisoned an enemy soldier, t h e y k e p t a r e c o r d o f h i s name and rank in a ledger. Among the Italian-born vol- unteers to bear arms against t h e B r i t i s h w e r e F i l i p p o Mazzei, Carlo Bellini and Vincenzo Rossi, who joined Patrick Henry's forces. N e w s p a p e r a r t i c l e s b y Mazzei and his close friend Thomas Jefferson inspired the formation of independent military companies of volun- t e e r s i n e v e r y c o u n t y o f Virginia. When British troops l a n d e d a t H a m p t o n i n 1 7 7 5 , M a z z e i , B e l l i n i , Advancing our Legacy: Italian Community Services CASA FUGAZI If you know of any senior of Italian descent in San Francisco needing assistance, please contact: ItalianCS.org | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com Italian Community Services continues to assist Bay Area Italian-American seniors and their families navigate and manage the resources needed to live healthy, independent and productive lives. Since Shelter-in-Place began in San Francisco, Italian Community Services has delivered over 240 meals, over 900 care packages and made over 2000 phone wellness checks for our seniors. J a m e s M a d i s o n a n d Vincenzo Rossi joined the c o m p a n y o f Albemarle County as pro- bates. In 1778, Bellini became a clerk of foreign correspon- dence for Virginia and the first professor of modern lan- g u a g e s a t t h e C o l l e g e o f William and Mary. In 1779, Mazzei received a letter from Governor Patrick Henry asking him to go to Europe to seek foreign aid for Virginia. Mazzei a c c e p t e d . O n J u n e 2 0 , Mazzei, his wife and daugh- ter set sail for Europe. When their ship, the Johnston, was 30 miles from the Virginia coast, an English privateer o v e r t o o k t h e v e s s e l . T h e B r i t i s h i m p r i s o n e d Mazzei for three months on L o n g I s l a n d . A f t e r t h e y r e l e a s e d h i m i n m i d September, he and his family sailed for France. Mazzei vis- ited high officials in Genoa a n d F l o r e n c e , a n d w r o t e many articles in favor of the American cause. He busied h i m s e l f g a t h e r i n g u s e f u l political and military data, which he sent to his friend Jefferson, the new governor of Virginia. Mazzei advo- cated a military plan that called for coordinated a c t i o n b y t h e F r e n c h n a v y a n d American army as the best way to defeat the British. He told his plan to Jefferson in a letter dated May 20, 1780. Mazzei stressed that "nothing could be done without supe- riority on water..." Mazzei also gave a sketch of his plans to the French general Compte de Rochambeau. American and French forces applied this strategy successfully at the Battle of Yorktown (a small town in Virginia, on the York River) which was the last land engagement of the American Revolution. Selling Homes Throughout The Bay Area Adele Della Santina "The Right Realtor makes all the di昀erence." 650.400.4747 Adele.DellaSantina@compass.com www.AdeleDS.com DRE# 00911740 Expert in preparation, promotion, and negotiation!

• Cover