L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano stic silver art pieces, ranging f r o m l a r g e - s c a l e s a c r e d sculptures to small ones. On November 14, 1984, the parish priest reported the overnight theft of the entire collection. The 1984 theft of the sub- stantial collection of pre- cious silvers at The Museo d e g l i A r g e n t i a t G u a r d i a S a n f r a m o n d i r e m a i n s unsolved. However, the vil- lage's commitment to resol- v i n g t h e c r i m e h a s n e v e r diminished since its occur- rence 37 years ago. Criminals had managed t o t u r n o f f t h e a l a r m systems before taking action in the night. Recently a famous Italian m y s t e r y s h o w c a l l e d C h i l'ha Visto? reported that the community of Guardia Sandramondi is still seeking v i a b l e l e a d s t h a t c o u l d r e s u l t i n a s a f e r e t u r n o f their artworks. T h e m o s t v a l u a b l e a r t p i e c e s l o o t e d f r o m t h e museum were three silver r e l i q u a r y b u s t s f r o m t h e 1700s. The first is a master- piece of Neapolitan silver s c u l p t u r e , d e p i c t i n g S t . Sebastian in embossed sil- v e r a n d g i l d e d c o p p e r - - About 130 cm high, it is the work of Paolo De Matteis a n d G a e t a n o S t a r a c e . I t belongs to the history of the church of San Sebastiano Martire located in Rione Croce. "In the early 1500s, it was a rural chapel where a diaspora Jewish community found protection. The sove- reign allowed them to stay, later to settle outside the town walls, in the Portella district, in the proximity of the Carbonaro stream where t h e y s t a r t e d w o r k i n g a s l e a t h e r t a n n e r s , " s a y s Falato. For centuries, the local l e a t h e r p r o d u c t i o n w a s highly appreciated in the E a s t . " I t w a s o u r m o s t valuable asset," Falato says. In the 1600s, the owners of the tanneries converted to catholicism, formed an association of tanners, ope- ned a bank, and established a Mount of Piety, an institu- tional pawnbroker run as a charity, widespread in Italy s i n c e R e n a i s s a n c e t i m e s . The Monte di Pietà gave poor people access to loans w i t h r e a s o n a b l e i n t e r e s t rates to avoid exploitative lenders. The other two extremely valuable busts looted from the Silver Museum in 1984 portray a St. Domenico and a S t . R o c c o ( 1 7 5 1 ) , b o t h made by the artist Nicola De Biasio. "Spes Ultima Dea," says Falato in Latin - Hope is the last goddess, meaning hope is the latest to die. P r o f e s s o r F a l a t o i s a n expert on ancient languages. The local dialect, he stres- ses, does reflect the Samnite origins of Guardia. "It is evi- dent in the phonetics of our d i a l e c t t h a t u s e s t h e t w o vowels U," says Falato. "It resembles Oscan, the native i d i o m o f t h e Samnites." Those ancient I t a l i c p e o p l e l i v e d i n t h e central mountainous region o f s o u t h e r n I t a l y , i n S a m n i u m . T h e y b e c a m e i n v o l v e d i n s e v e r a l w a r s with the Roman Republic until the 1st century BC. "In Guardia, the Samnites took s t r a t e g i c d e c i s i o n s . T h e y would spy the Roman troo- ps' movements in the plains below," says Falato. The Samnites were even- t u a l l y a s s i m i l a t e d b y t h e Romans and ceased to exist a s d i s t i n c t p e o p l e a s t h e Romans began to fully con- trol the territory. After the fall of Rome, the Lombards r u l e d i n G u a r d i a Sanframondi. Later, it was the turn of the Normans, then the Angevins and the Aragonese. Art looting smugglers tar- geted the beautiful baroque churches of Guardia in the 1980s and 1990s. They took advantage of closures fol- l o w i n g t h e d e v a s t a t i n g Irpinia earthquakes in 1980 and 1981. G u a r d i a S a n f r a m o n d i w e n t t h r o u g h e v e n w o r s t t i m e s i n 1 6 8 8 w h e n t h e S a n n i o e a r t h q u a k e destroyed the entire village killing 1,200 inhabitants. B u t n o w s o m e g o o d n e w s : L a s t J u l y , t h e C a r a b i n i e r i f o r t h e Protection of Cultural H e r i t a g e r e c o v e r e d t w o a l t a r p i e c e s o f t h e Neapolitan Baroque School- - two beautiful white marble a n g e l h e a d s r i p p e d a w a y f r o m t h e c h u r c h o f S t . Sebastian, rich in frescoes and canvases by the great Neapolitan painter Paolo De Matteis. They were stolen on December 13, 1989. The Carabinieri Art Squad found them in France. An English expatriate and collector had p u r c h a s e d t h e m f r o m a Neapolitan antique dealer twenty years ago during his stay in Italy. T h e C a r a b i n i e r i A r t Squad also recently recove- red two other sculptures, cherubs of the 17th century N e a p o l i t a n S c h o o l . T h e splendid putti were found in Milan. In 1999, they were looted from their original s i t e : t h e C h u r c h o f t h e Convent of Saint Francis. So a few weeks ago, the Guardia community felt the joy of receiving four of its many still missing art pieces d u r i n g a h e a r t f e l t ceremony. The residents are proud o f G u a r d i a S a n f r a m o n d i that today produces stun- ning white wines and excel- lent extra-virgin olive oil. A local saying goes: "God created the world, and the Guardiesi chose where to live." "Guardia is the best place in the world," says Falato, ending his love letter to his hometown. "It is l'America p i c c i r e l l a , l i t t l e A m e r i c a because it has been giving w o r k t o t h e o l i v e p i c k e r s coming from all the region since the 1800s." Charming and colorful Via Pietralata, in Guardia Sanframondi (Photo: Pasquale Di Cosmo) Guardia Sanframondi is Campania's hidden gem in the Benevento province. It offers magnificent views of the entire Telesina Valley, its soft emerald hills undulat- ing with vineyards, olive groves, and orchards Continued from page 16 ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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