News and Events.htm

News and Events ~ February 2010

News from the Society:

The Craco Trip: A Return to Basilicata in 2010

When one thinks of Italy the images of Rome and Tuscany usually come to mind. But far to the south the little known region of Basilicata is filled with a different culture and landscape. The 2010 trip to Craco organized by the Society is designed to help members traveling from North America understand the history and culture of this area.
The trip is based at a new hotel that has a long history. The Torre Fiore Hotel Masseria was built in the 16th century as a military outpost to guard against Turkish invasions. Located just outside of Pisticci and minutes away from the Ionian Sea, it serves as an excellent spot to savor the surrounding area and the wonderful food and wines of the area.
On Sunday June 27th we will make our initial visit to Craco. Now recognized by the WMF on their 2010 Watch List, it will serve as a way to reconnect with our roots and our first exposure to the new Information Center where we can obtain our Craco Cards, our passport to the old town.
The next day, Monday June 28th, we visit Craco’s neighboring towns of Bernalda, Ferrandina, and Pisticci. Tentative plans include a lunch at the castle being restored by Francis Ford Coppola. Then on to Ferrandina and Pisticci with a tour of the factory that makes the region liqueur, Amaro Lucano.
Tueday, June 29th finds us exploring Castelmezzano and making a return visit to Craco. After lunch at Becco della Civetta, in Castelmezzano, we head to Craco Peschiera to visit the new town and people there.
Wednesday June 30 steeps us in regional history with visits to Metaponto and Matera. At the Museum of Magna Grecia we will get to see the Greek influence on the region and see relics from Craco from the preChristian era. We depart from there for lunch in Matera and a tour of the UNESCO World heritage site.
Thursday, July 1 finds us recapturing our Craco connection with a trip to Tursi, said by many to reflect what Craco may have looked like if it was not impacted by the frana and subsequent abandonment. After lunch at Torre Fiore we head back to Craco Vecchio for further exploring.
On our last day, Friday July 2, we head back to Craco with a boxed lunch to enjoy a meal in the fields as our ancestors did. Our afternoon finds us in Aliano visiting the Carl Levi Museum to learn about the author and his work about life in Basilicata.
If you haven’t made your trip plans yet, don’t wait!

Society Products Update

Last year the Society offered several new products that are sold at our on-line store (www.cafepress.com/thecracosociety) as a way to supplement the dependence on dues income. Although this has been a source of nominal income, the greater value has turned out to be a way to produce and distribute material that supports the Society’s mission.
Many of the items showing scenes of Craco were popular, but by far the largest selling item was the English translation of the town’s history, Note Storiche sul Comune di Craco.
Recognizing this interest in the history, culture, and traditions of Craco amongst North American members, the Society will work on several projects during the upcoming months aiming at providing more of this content.
The first publication to be issued this year will be a second printing of "San Vincenzo Martire And the Crachesi in Two Worlds." This original publication produced by the Society tells both the story of San Vincenzo Martire, the patron saint of Craco and the early immigrants to New York. In the first part of this book, copies of original Italian publications are preserved and translated along with historic photos. The second part uncovers the lost story behind the Società San Vincenzo Martire di Craco (established in 1899) and the early immigrants from Craco who settled in New York City.
Later this year, a publication about the Madonna della Stella, and her unique story will be offered. Plans also call for another video with scenes from Craco in the 1960 period, just before and after the Frana.

Young Cracotans in the News

Recently, Elexa (Camperlengo) Bancroft premiered in the role of the scheming maid Despina in Mozart’s opera Cosi Fan Tutti at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore Maryland. Elexa, a first year Peabody Conservatory Masters in Voice student, is also auditioning for roles this summer in the New Hampshire based Opera North program.
Antonio Paul (Camperlengo) Overby and his band, Giant Cloud, toured the southeast United States in December with shows in Charlotte, VA, Atlanta, GA, Jackson, MS and then back home to their home base in New Orleans, LA. Giant Cloud happened to find themselves in Brooklyn, NY during our October reunion and Anton was able to join several events. The group records on the Park the Van label and you can see the band’s profile and schedule at: www.myspace.com/giantcloudmusic .
On January 16, Ean (Camperlengo) Bancroft auditioned for celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey’s new television series called Master Chef. Master Chef takes non-professional home cooks and transforms them into professionals. Best of luck Ean!
This group certainly shows the Cracotan traits of enjoying music, food, and fun—it must be genetic!
Have a young Cracotan in the news? Send your information to:
memberservices@thecracosociety.org

Our Fourth Annual Reunion Update

Although we’re months away from the 2010 Reunion, the dates are August 6, 7 & 8, 2010. We want to make sure you’re aware of the timing, so you can anticipate making plans to participate. The venue will be located in New York’s Catskill Mountains. This area was a popular summer resort site for post-WWII Crachesi seeking to get away from the heat of the City. The many Italian owned guest houses catered to families who could reach them after a short drive. Serving family style meals and offering a relaxed rural environment, many became popular sites for fall hunting trips or foraging expeditions for mushrooms. Some of these still exist and continue to be popular venues today.

February in Craco Vecchio

In the cycle of life in Craco Vecchio, that was tied to the land and church, February was a quiet month as the earth remained silent and cold. Cracotans prepared for the Lenten season and the fasting that accompanies Lent.
The Earth: In the fields, the grain and fave would be hoed with the zappa.
The Church: Carnevale continued until Mardi Gras, when all cooking utensils were washed in a pot of hot ashes to remove all traces of fat. Ash Wednesday would start the Lenten season with fasting.
The photo above, although not a February scene, serves to illustrate the topography of the area. Looking at it, the rolling countryside is clearly the main feature. A closer look reveals that the vegetation, including cactus that is typical of the semi-arid conditions around Craco. Yet the soil supports cultivated crops producing wonderful harvests of some of the finest wheat. This explains why the Craco stemma shows an arm holding stalks of wheat in front of a rolling hillside. And reportedly it is the reason Craco was originally called Montedoro (Hill of Gold), because of the abundant grain harvest even back then.
With immigration to America at the turn of the 20th Century, Crachesi found the metropolitan locations they settled impacted their annual cycle. There weren’t many fields to hoe in Lower Manhattan, and no jobs there as farm laborers. However, within a decade, as people moved to the suburbs they invariably all planted gardens of kitchen crops and fruit trees.
The church cycle was easier to keep as the events were universal. The difference may have been that rather than celebrating these events in their isolated hilltop village they were now exposed Italians from other areas with different traditions.

Click here to view A Year in Craco. Events in Craco for every month are listed. Thank you to Joe Rinaldi in Canada for his contribution to this page.

Welcome About Us News/Events History Genealogy Photo Album Media Recipes

Join Us! Exclusives Related Links Message Board Contact Us