Dinner at Nicola and Adele's

This is a photo my cousin Matteo from San Francisco who visited Sonnino with his wife Kai took. They were having dinner at our great-uncle/aunt Nicola and Adele's home. Anybody want to guess what was on the menu? Maybe I'll give a prize for the person who guesses correctly.

Market day in Sonnino

Every Saturday these big trucks role into Sonnino for a movable market. You can buy clothes, housewares, fruits, vegetables and pretty much anything else you can think of. It's quite a sight on the narrow main street in town.

Reggae a Sonnino

Here's a link to a video of a couple of kids playing Bob Marley on piazza in Sonnino. I found it when I was looking around Youtube. It's funny more than anything. Click on the link below to watch the video.

reggae a sonnino

Sonnino's own Robin Hood?

Sonnino’s Robin Hood

Sonnino is a small town in the province of Latina. It can be reached in different ways, from Rome or Naples: it is enough to get on the Appia or the Mediana, the SS 148. Also by means of the highway A1, exit Frosinone, direction Priverno. It is 40 km far from Latina and 25 from Terracina and Sabaudia.

Built on the peak of the St. Angelo hill, Sonnino, in Latin Sumninum, was founded probably towards the end of the IX century by the people of Priverno, who escaped from the destruction of their town.

Towards the end of the XVIII century, Sonnino had a bad reputation owing to smuggling, to brigandage and to brigands.

Among these latter, there was Antonio Gasbarrone: our Robin Hood!

Beyond its real history, the reputation of Gasbarone overcame the boundaries of Italy even before his death and a lasting myth arose his figure and made him become one of most famous bandits of history.

The ability to run away and avoid being caught and to aim the criminal action often in defence of the poorer fuelled the legend on this “gentleman bandit”, whose figure was in synchrony with the social rebel spirit of Sonnino.


*I found this on an Italian website about the Latina region

The impact of mining on Sonnino?

This is a picture I took from the back side of Sonnino. It's the area you reach if you continue up the mountain past the village. Though you can't see them, to the left if Terracina and to the right is Rocca Gorga. I'm not sure what is being mined across the valley but I have seen larger chunks of the mountain disappear each time. The tan sections are are areas being mined. Hopefully, this sort of mining won't effect Sonnino.

The D'Angelis Butchers of Sonnino!

Here is a picture of my family taken this past April. From left to right we have my great uncle Italo, my aunt Susan from California, my great uncle Nicola and my cousin Alberto. They run three butcher shops in Sonnino!

Book about Sonnino...Including dialect

This is a great book that my Uncle Nicole and Aunt Adele gave to me the last time I was in Sonnino. It has poetry written about Sonnino, and most importantly, it has a glossary in the back that has Italian/Sonnino dialect translations. It was written by a man named Gaspare Ventre. If anybody would like more information please email me at caseyc@gmail.com

Sounds of Sonnino: Jone

Here is audio of my great uncle Nicola saying "Jone". Jone is Sonninese for "Oh God" or "Oy Vey". I recorded him saying a number of Sonninese words and hopefully I'll get to posting them soon.

Double-click the play button and enjoy...it takes a few moments before the talking starts.

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Today's picture of Sonnino, Italy

Bed and Breakfast in Sonnino, Italy

I've posted before about places to stay around Sonnino (look in the old post or email me if interested, but this appears to be a relatively new Bed and Breakfast. It looks like it's even in the upper part of town. Here's the link:


Bed and Breakfast Sonnino - Inns and Guest House in Sonnino




Sonnino, Italy

Children from Sonnino folk dancing

This is a link to a website that has children from Sonnino doing traditional folk dances. You can view the video by clicking on the image on the Right side of the page.
Musiche del Lazio

Google Blog Search...find posts about Sonnino

Google blog search is a great way to find out if there are people posting information, pictures, stories, etc. about Sonnino online. I've found some great pictures and travel logs using it. I've included the link below. When you search, my Sonnino blog is the fourth entry down.

Google Blog Search

The Sonninese dialect

The last time I was in Sonnino my great uncle Nicola and cousin Luciano gave me book that has an Italian/Sonninese glossary. I plan to post the the translations on the blog...starting today with words that begin with the letter A. I've included a picture of took looking down on Sonnino scalo at dusk.





Sonnino, Italy

Sonnino has an Italian Wikipedia page

Here is the link to the Wikipedia page on Sonnino. It was in Italian so I used the automatic translator. For those that don't know about Wikipedia, it is an online encyclopedia whose content is generated by users. That means it's not always accurate.

Translated version of http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnino

An Italian website that talks about how artichokes are prepared in Sonnino

Sonnino: tra carciofini sott\'olio e fichi secchi

- Sonnino: tra carciofini sott\'olio e fichi secchi - Riviera di Circe

A unique view of Sonnino

Google Earth is a fantastic piece of software that allows you to look at satellite images of any place in the world. You can get some fantastic views of Sonnino and the surrounding towns. It takes a minute to download but is well worth. I've put the link below.

www.earth.google.com/

D'Angelis family home

This is a photo taken from the roof of the home where countless generations of D'Angelis family members lived. It is now owned by someone else, but when my family and I were in Sonnino in April, the current owners were nice enough to let us in and take a look around. We all got a little misty eyed thinking about the the history of this very old building. This is the view looking down the mountain.

My Grandfather's obituary

Bernardini, Angelo

August 29, 2007 Angelo Bernardini, 82, of East Syracuse, died peacefully Wednesday morning at home with his family. Angelo was a native of Syracuse. He worked at Estabrook Printing for 40 years, retiring in 1991. He is survived by his wife, Elsie (Chinchar) whom he married on January 31, 1948; predeceased by his sister, Jean LaRosa and survived by his brother, Nicholas Bernardini (Anne) and his sister, Lucy Potato. Angelo was the father of five children, Susan Bernardini (Howard Lamcke), Carol Bernardini (John Becker), Joseph Bernardini (Christine), Jeffrey Bernardini (Lisa DeSilva), and Angela Martino (David Simmons); also 10 grandchildren, Tracy (Dan), Matthew (Kai), Casey (Margie), Taisia (Ross), Corey, Leah, Lauren, Sarah, Jessica and Anthony; four stepgrandchildren, Craig, Chris, Nicole and Lisa; two great-grandchildren, Angelo and Declan. Funeral services will be held Saturday, 8:30 a.m. at Forani & Cline Funeral Home and 9 a.m. in St. Matthew's Church, East Syracuse, with burial in Woodlawn Cemetery. Calling hours on Friday, 4 to 8 p.m. at Forani & Cline, 206 Kinne St., East Syracuse. Contributions may be made to Hospice of Central New York.

A very sad passing

Last night my Grandfather and the patriarch of the D'Angelis/Bernardini , Angelo Marie Bernardini, passed away. He died at home and surrounded by family and loved ones. He was one month shy of his 83rd birthday. I will be posting pictures stories in the comming days and weeks that will try to do justice to greatness of this man.

Sonnino's "Festa della Madonna 2007"

Thanks to Mario for sending in a few pictures of the Festa della Madonna. I'll be posting more pictures from Mario soon.