News and Events ~ November 2009

News from the Society:

An Exciting Time for Craco

October was an amazing month for Craco and the Society. It all began with  the October 6th announcement by the World Monuments Fund that Craco was selected as one of 93 locations to be included on their 2010 Watch List. This recognition will allow the town to have global visibility and begin the process of planning and preserving the town’s rich history. Society members can take pride in our contribution to the successful proposal, and anticipate future efforts to support Craco as they seek support to underwrite their plans.
On October 16th the Society released a new video "Craco: Visits Through Time", showing amazing scenes of the town spanning over seven decades. This work preserves images of the town before the Frana that would have lost if they had not been compiled from home movies that were dispersed among several families who visited Craco on trips to their ancestral town. The footage was overlaid with historic Italian music, providing unparalleled images of Craco as seen by visitors. Due to its unique nature, this video was entered into the Potenza International Film Festival 2009 under the “Home Sweet Home” category. Hopefully, this entry into the event, running from December 1-5, will bring additional visibility to Craco.
The following week saw a huge gathering of in New York for the 3rd Annual Crachesi del Nord America Reunion, which coincided with the feast of San Vincenzo Martire, the patron saint of Craco. In conjunction with the event, the Society released two new projects: Virtual Craco (see story below) and another publication, "San Vincenzo, Martire: And the Crachesi in Two Worlds". This two part book preserves the original Italian publications that provide the history of San Vincenzo and also airs the almost forgotten history of the Società San Vincenzo Martire di Craco, an organization formed by the earliest arrivals from Craco in America in 1899.
Rounding out the month was the announcement on October 27th that two Society members, Stephen LaRocca and Robert Rubertone were recognized by the Italian American Museum for their contributions to the Italian American Community. Stephen LaRocca and the San Rocco Society of Potenza, that he is President of, were cited because of their success in saving and expanding the historic traditions of the San Rocco celebration in Lower Manhattan. Bob Rubertone and The Craco Society were recognized for the use of technology to make the story of the Crachesi available to a worldwide audience.
The fact that all of these wonderful occurrences happened in October, the month of the feast of San Vincenzo, suggests this may be more than coincidence.

Reunion Recap

The 3rd Annual Crachesi del Nord America Reunion, held in Brooklyn and Manhattan over the weekend of Oct. 23, once again allowed us to gather and share warm memories.  Even though the weather was less than cooperative, we were also able to revisit former homes, schools, churches, and local landmarks. Intentionally held to coincide with the feast of San Vincenzo Martire, this Reunion provided an opportunity to hold a celebration akin to what was done by the early Crachesi immigrants and is still done in Craco.
Opening with a reception that allowed everyone to meet again and enjoy a wonderful meal, we were treated to a serenade by several members including; Pat Colabella, Leonardo Modena, and Michael Salomone. Impressed by our display of genuine enthusiasm and warmth, the facility owners graciously allowed us to run an hour over our allotted time !
Saturday found us meeting early to a warm greeting from the Mayor of Craco, before our program where we learned of the Crachesi connection to Brooklyn. After that, a new Society publication: San Vincenzo, Martire: And the Crachesi in Two Worlds was introduced. Following was the introduction of a 3D virtual tour of Craco, created by Bob Rubertone, in a software package that allows anyone to experience a visit to the town before the Frana.  After  lunch, a review of the Society activities and plans was shared. Next, we heard from Joe Muzio and Tom Rinaldi, two members who authored books. Joe shared his experiences and reflections his family and of growing up in the area. Tom Rinaldi followed with information about his book on historic Hudson Valley ruins, and also explained the importance of the WMF recognition of Craco, and how it can serve as an opportunity to preserve the historic value of the town. After the session ended, a group traveled the environs of Crachesi Brooklyn, visiting old homesteads, churches, schools and other landmarks that brought back fond memories.
After a night of heavy rains, Sunday morning dawned bright and clear as the attendees met at the century old Ferrara’s Café for breakfast, before attending the special Mass for San Vincenzo at St. Joseph’s Church. Afterwards, the group enjoyed a leisurely lunch and conversation before attending a private tour of the Italian American Museum.
During the course of the event there were several recommendations from members about plans for the Society for future events. These included a 2010 trip to Craco and a Reunion next year in the Catskill region of upstate New York, which was a popular getaway from the city bound Crachesi in the mid-20th century.
 

The Craco 3D Project

Those who attended our Third Annual Reunion witnessed the premiere of The Craco Society’s 3D rendering of Craco Vecchio. With over 400 hours of labor invested, this work represents another Society project to help preserve the images of our ancestral hometown. It has been seen in Craco, and the reaction was an emotional trip for its former residents back to their village. The importance of this project can’t be over stated. Although we have films and photographs of Craco, this experience is best explained by the comments of a former resident of the town who, after seeing this said, “Thank you, this is my Craco.”

It is available in two separate formats; one is a video that can be accessed by clicking here, or on the image above. This format allows simple access, but the quality is somewhat diminished.        

The other option, which offers a much clearer and larger view, requires the installation of Google’s free Sketchup 7 program on your computer’s hard drive.  Complete installation instructions and the file containing the complete project are available by sending us a request at memberservices@thecracosociety.org.