L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano W h e n e v e r d i s a s t e r strikes at home or a b r o a d , the Red Cross springs into action. It's a story many of us learn as school children: Clara Barton, nick- named the Angel of the Bat- tlefield because of her selfless medical service to Civil War soldiers, established the American Red Cross in 1881 after learning about a similar European movement. What began as neutral care and aid to those injured in combat is today a vast organi- zation that brings hope and help to those suffering loss. It's a wonderful legacy of Ameri- can history…with no hint of Italian roots. What many of us might not know, however, is that the idea of organized caring for the wounded, sick and d y i n g i s a c o n c e p t m u c h older than Clara's imagin- i n g s , a n d e v e n t h o s e o f t h e E u r o p e a n R e d Cross founder who inspired her vision, Swiss humanitari- an Henry Dunant. A b i t o f s l e u t h i n g i s required to discover the rest of the story, and it begins with Henry Dunant. What we might consider Exhibit One leads to the endeavors of Mr. Dunant and the first discov- eries of an Italian connection to the Red Cross movement. H e n r y , o n a m i s s i o n t o o b t a i n a n a u d i e n c e w i t h Emperor Napoleon, found himself a first-hand witness to the horrors of battle while i n S o l f e r i n o , I t a l y . T h i s northern Italian town played host to a formidable struggle (The Battle of Solferino, June 24, 1859) between French, Piedmontese-Sardinian, and Austrian troops which result- ed in massive casualties and injuries. As Dunant surveyed the post-combat battlefield and carnage, he was horrified b y t h e s u f f e r i n g o f t h e wounded and dying. His feel- ings of desperation led to a s e l f - g u i d e d m i s s i o n t h a t resulted in the formation of t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l R e d Cross. The small role Italy played in this juncture is m o r e c o i n c i d e n t a l t h a n causal, but the Italian con- nection goes much deeper than Dunant's humanitarian conceptualizations that arose in Solferino. It was a little over 300 years before Henry Dunant a c t i n g o n h i s b e n e v o l e n t inspiration that a baby boy entered the world in Buc- chianico, Italy - a village l o c a t e d a b o u t 2 0 m i l e s inland from Pescara. The i n f a n t w a s c h r i s t e n e d C a m i l l u s d e Lellis. In his early teens, de Lellis launched into a tumul- tuous life of rebellion, sol- diering, and incessant gam- bling. While fighting as a mercenary, Camillus suffered a leg wound in battle that would come to define his life. C h r o n i c a l l y i n f e c t e d a n d debilitating, his injury even- t u a l l y m a d e s o l d i e r i n g impossible. Camillus first tried his hand working at a hospital in Rome where he'd received treatment, but his violent temper and reckless nature resulted in a rather short-lived tenure before he was shown the door. Savvy and convincing, gambling became a means of making a living, but his luck, along with any worldly goods to bet with, ran out. Like many a great plot twist, it was Camillus' woes that paved the path to his ultimate destiny. Reduced to a homeless, crippled wander- er, Camillus sought work at a C a p u c h i n f r i a r y i n t h e Puglian town of Manfredo- nia. A friar within took pity on the young man. Some- h o w , h e w a s a b l e t o s e e through the hardened exteri- or of the wounded and defen- sive ex-soldier; he sensed an empathetic spirit beneath Camillus' difficult nature. True to script, redemption unfolded: Camillus softened to the friar's kindness and experienced a life-changing religious conversion. His d e s i r e w a s t o j o i n t h e Capuchins and serve with the friars, but the young man's lingering leg wound resulted in the ultimate rejection of his application. Ever resilient, the 25-year- old Camillus made his way back to Rome and sought work once again in the hospi- tal where he'd first found employment…and had also burned a few bridges. Grace- fully offered a second chance, it was soon apparent this was a new and improved version of the once-cantankerous youth. The rocky years of Camil- lus's life had finally given way to his calling of serving the infirmed. Compassionate and energized by his desire to help others, Camillus began a quest to reform hospital care from merely tending to the d y i n g i n o f t e n l e s s - t h a n h u m a n e w a y s t o h o l i s t i c treatment towards recovery offered with dignity. Revolu- t i o n a r y i d e a s s u c h a s improved nutrition, cleanli- ness, isolating contagion, and spiritual counseling were put into place. The results were remarkable, and Camillus was soon promoted to super- intendent of the facility. Camillus' greater calling took shape in 1584 with his founding of an order known a s M i n i s t e r s o f t h e Infirm, more readily known as the Camillians. Now a priest, Father Camillus orga- nized men trained to give medical care, including to soldiers on the battlefield. To flag his men as neutral care providers - please don't harm t h e m ! – h e o r d e r e d r e d crosses to be stitched to the front of the men's vestments. T h e M i n i s t e r s o f t h e Infirm were soon serving as outreach to those suffering in t h e s t r e e t s , i n a s y l u m s , onboard galleys, at home, and in hospitals. The emblem of the red cross, still worn by the order and its branches t o d a y , w a s o n i t s w a y t o becoming the established symbol of charity now recog- nized around the world. A n o n l i n e s e a r c h w i l l reveal the newer version of the origin of the red cross (with no mention of its Ital- ian roots), with credit going to Mr. Dunant. The story goes that he chose the red- on-white insignia as a color reversal of the Swiss flag's white-on-red cross to repre- sent his newly formed chari- table organization. While not wanting to take away from Dunant's altruistic legacy, what's lost in translation is that this emblem of hope predates Dunant's by over 400 years with its humble and humanitarian Italian ori- gin. St. Camillus' feast day is celebrated by Catholics each year on the anniversary of his death, July 14th (July 18th in the USA), and in an especial- ly big way in Bucchianico, the Abruzzian hilltop town of Camillus' birth. As soon as July appears on the calendar, banners featuring the Camil- lian red cross begin appear- ing on walls, flying from win- dows, and adorning the small town in honor and remem- brance of their hometown hero. Despite the overlooked beginnings of this renowned insignia, Camillus de Lellis would be deeply gratified to know the philosophy of his m i s s i o n c o n t i n u e s t o d a y through Red Cross organiza- tions across the globe. For those who love Italy, know- ing the rest of the story is gratifying, as well. PAULA REYNOLDS A painting of Camillo de Lellis, the mind and heart behind the very first Red Cross (Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons agreement. Wikicommons/Public Domain) The Red Cross and its Italian connection: there's more to the story than you might know HERITAGE HISTORY IDENTITY TRADITIONS

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