There were several waves of emigration that took place from Italy, meaning that there were several that took place in Palmoli as well.
During the late 50′s and 60′s, there was a particular type of emigration that took place. It wasn’t emigration per se because the people didn’t leave forever. But, many of the men left their homes and farms here in town and went to work in Germany or elsewhere in Europe. Their wives took care of the farm and the animals and all of the domestic issues and they came home a couple of times a year to visit, sometimes seeing a child for the first time after it was already several months old. It was a hard life, both for the men who were separated from their families and for the wives who were left at home to take care of the children and the land. They did this for several years until they had enough savings to come home or were able to find a job near to town. But jobs were scarce, so some were away for 10 or more years.
I can’t imagine what it must have been like for a wife who got to see her husband once or twice a year, besides taking care of the children and farm on her own.
I have several letters that we’ve gathered from that time frame. Some are from husband to wife and some from wife to husband. They give us a glimpse into what life must have been like for them. I’ll post a translation of one every so often so you can get a glimpse too.
The way they are written in Italian is special as well and I’ll try to capture that as much as I can in the translation. As you’ll see, they are full of peculiarities and errors and short on punctuation, which makes them all the more interesting.
Here’s the first one:
Dear husband, I am quickly answering your letter that I waited for and I was very happy to hear your news that you are in good health and, up to now I can assure you that even I am well.
My dear, I understood everything that you said to me in your letter but for the moment I am not doing anything because I will bring the lamb back to him the Sunday after Easter, April 5, because 2 months went by since
FebruaryMarch 18 and after two and a half months I will take it away, if not the sheep gets too thin and the other lamb I will allow to stay for another 15 days and then if your sister wants it and if not I will take it to the butcher. I will have the male lamb weighed alive and see how much it is and see how much it will be then when the other one comes I will weigh it and see how much it will be. And, in regards to the goat, I am selling it, that I took it to the market last Saturday and I got a price of 12,000 (lire) for it, now I will take it this Saturday and see.Dear husband, and regarding the money, for now it is where you put it and then I will see after selling the goat and the lambs and buying a pig and then I will see how much is left over. For now I don’t have anything to tell you.
Dear husband, you did your letter and you told me that you didn’t have anything to tell me because you didn’t tell me what you did at Verona, how your blood pressure was and all the rest, because even I have something to tell you and for now I want to know how your health is.
And now I let you know that X has returned from Germany and he came back alone, without luggage which he lost when he got out of the train to buy a ticket and the train left without him, so it is said, and that he had been carrying around 80-90 thousand lire.
Dear husband, and I let you know something else, that Y is selling all of the furniture in her house and I went and saw the armoire and a kitchen cabinet and she told me the price and I told her that I would have to let her know. The armoire is like the one your brother has and maybe it is even better that it has a much better lustre and is of wood and a better color and told me that she showed it to the carpenter who offered 19,000 for it and told me that if we want it she would give it to us for 17,000. And the bathroom cabinet was made last year and cost 16,000 and she can’t reduce it to less then 15,000 and said she prefers to sell it to us, if not Z wants it.
I don’t have anything else to tell you. I say goodbye and kiss you with great affection, your wife. Answer soon.
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Yes, it is true. My honey hardly knew his Dad when he was younger. His Dad had left his wife and children to work in Venezuela as a butcher. My honey spent most his days with his grand parents while his mother and older siblings worked their farm. In 1956 his Dad came to America with his eldest son and found a place to live and a job. The next year, in 1957, my honey came over with his mother and the 3 other siblings to join his father. He was 10 years old at the time.
When I met my honey (husband) it was fun sitting at the table of his parents and brothers and sisters and listening to the stories they told of their life in Italy.
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What great letters! P’s father went to Germany for work but after a few years (I think), the whole family ended up going together up there for a while. Such an interesting history made more interesting with personal letters like you’re sharing
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O’s dad was in Germany too for several years while the family stayed here. These letters are mixed and aren’t to and from him, but they’re typical of what happened at the time. It makes for interesting reading and gives us a little glimpse into what life must have been like.
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I’ve done a lot of genealogy regarding my ancestors from Dogliola and Tufillo. I recall my great aunt telling me how the Germans destructively over-ran the hill towns during WW II trying to take control and give it back to Mussolini. Anyway, what I find interesting is that the men then went searching for work in Germany in the 50′s. No hard feelings I guess ? Or work was work wherever it may be? BTW, in the early 1900s,
Italians as you know came to the US searching for work as well. I have documents showing husbands being away for years then as well.
I just love your blog and look forward to reading it everyday, like the daily paper. I want so much to visit there. I’ve been to Italy but didn;t have time to have someone take me to Abruzzo/Dogliola. Keep up your blog, I just know the world enjoys it so much,.
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S, Genealogy is one of my interests. In fact, that’s how I ended up here since my ancestors came from this town. But, that was in the early 1900s, not the 50s. As you probably know from your research, many of those who went to America later sent for the wives and children (as in the case of my family). Others returned to Palmoli and some went back and forth several times
As for the Germans, they occupied Palmoli during WWII and weren’t exactly looked upon well. But, the economy being what it was in the 50s and 60s, forced the men to go wherever they could to find work. I guess it was easier to take the train to Germany than a ship to America. Although there were many that went there as well.
Thanks for the nice words about my blog. If you come over and need someone to show you Dogliola and Tufillo, let me know.
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