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My Family - then and now ...
My ancestors came from the old country - Italy. They emigrated here in the 1920's and set up the businesses and bought
land for market gardening.
Dad's family came from Pistoia in Florence. His mother, Rosalia, was a dressmaker of outstanding talent. Her sister,
Annunziata, was also a seamstress, and both were very skilled in fine Florentine embroidery. Dad's father, Celso, hailed
from San Miniato in Florence, and he was a rope maker by trade, although their NZ entry permit states that he was a fitter
and turner. He was also a major in the Italian army, and was in the Libyan campaign.
At the beginning of WWII Nonno and Zia Nunzia's husband Alberto, were interned on Somes Island, classified as enemy aliens,
something which Dad found very difficult to forgive. They had already lived and worked here for almost 20 years. However
Nonno Celso contracted Leukaemia and was sent to Wellington hospital where he later died.
Nonna and Zia Nunzia had two brothers, Alpinolo and Loris. All of them had amazing singing voices, and I often heard
at least three of them together singing opera excerpts. I learned the words of all the famous arias by listening to them!
Mum's family came from the north - Valdobbiadene, Treviso.
They were land owners too, but the outbreak of war and the German infiltration of the villages made life very difficult.
There were four siblings, Bruno, Ermelinda, Mum and Bruna, and they emigrated in the mid-1930's when Mum was 11 years old.
Their land was situated near Taita while the Barsi's land was further towards Lower Hutt. It was inevitable that Mum and
Dad should eventually meet years later and the rest is history!
Eventually when Mum and Dad married, they bought the land where I live now, and they became specialised in growing a perfectly
round table tomato - the envy of many growers around at that time. The only way they could get these tomatoes for themselves
was to buy them from Dad!
A vivid memory I have of those earlier days was when it was 'Sausage making time' ... and all the local Italian men would
come to our place where there was a special cellar for the making of these delicacies. They made Salami, sausages, Mortadella,
and Coteghino ... and you could smell the spices for miles around. The men supplied their requirements for the mixes, and
later upon maturity, the orders were given back to their owners. Needless to say that a fair amount of vino was consumed
in the process!! A lot of laughing went on too as I recall ... days never to be repeated ...
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