Heritage: Veneto (from Gene Ambroso)

VENETO

Geography/Demographics: The Veneto region encompasses approximately 10,000 square miles in Northeastern Italy.  It borders Austria in the North, the Adriatic in the East, the Po estuary in the South and Lake Garda in the West. Three major rivers (the Brenta, Adige and Piave) flow through the region. The region has over 4,000,000 residents--over half of whom reside in cities and towns of less than 10, 000 population.  The best known city in the region is Venice. Once the biggest seaport in Europe, it's economy is now fueled by tourism. In addition to the Basilica of St. Marks, canals and gondolas, Venice (Venezia) offers world renowned artistic attractions, including the Venice Film Festival, the Biennale Art Show, and the Carnivale.  Padua (Padova), home of one of the oldest universities in Europe, and Verona, site of Romeo and Juliet, are both more populated than Venice. The also hold their own culturally--Padua with its seven domed Basilica of Sant'Antonio, and Verona with its famous ancient amphitheatre which hosts opera in season.  Vicenza, a city of 110,000, is noted for; 1) Palladio architecture and 2) it's world famous gold industry. Treviso (a smaller Venice), Rovigo (a farming center) Chioggia (a seaport) follow with populations in the 40-50, 000 range. Several smaller towns are of note. Belluno and Cortina D 'Ampezzo are vacation havens in the Dolomities. Asiago is famous for its cheeses and Bassano Del Grappa is famous for its covered bridge which was the centerpiece of the Rock Hudson movie, " A Farewell to Arms ".

Ambroso (nee Testolin) Heritage: Both of my parents came from the small town of Calvene in the Dolomities foothills. It is approximately 20 miles north of Vicenza, 10 miles west of Bassano, and 10 miles south of Asiago.  My father emigrated to the US in 1906 at the age of 19. He settled in Chicago and worked for a time at the Pullman shops in that city. He returned to Calvene in 1927, met and married my mother there. (My mother's family operated the bakery in the town--a business that is still in the family ). Several months after their marriage my father brought his new bride to the US, where they settled in southern Wisconsin near the city of Fond du Lac.

History/People: Because of it 's location on the peninsula and its window to the sea (Venice), Veneto emerged less provincial than most of the other regions. The "path to Rome " is directly through the middle of the region and was taken by many of the medieval armies including; the Goths, the Huns, and the Franks. Later the area became a major battle ground for armies from; France, Germany, Spain, Turkey, the Papacy, and the Austrian Empire. Later, armies from Austria, Germany (twice), and England occupied the area.  While the region strongly supported Mussolini prior to WW 11, it removed its support when Italy joined the axis in 1940. Later, the region was a hotbed of partisan uprisings against the continued German occupation. With this background; it is not surprising that the people here are somewhat cosmopolitan, very nationalistic, stoic, and tenacious. Culturally, the region is a mix, with obvious influences from Rome, Austria and Slovenia. (It should be noted that the northern areas of the region were held by Austria until the end of WW1 ).

Foods/Drink: Tomato and oregano are used more sparingly in Veneto than in the southern regions. For example, Lasagna when served in a Veneto home will probably have a cream sauce rather than tomato base. Spaghetti with meat sauce is a staple here albeit the noodles are often made from lasagna dough that when cut in strips are rectangular rather than tubular. Risotto (rice), well buttered; and served with small pieces of meat and/or funghi (mushrooms) a Sunday staple. My favorite Sunday meal, however, was polenta (cornmeal) served with veal stew on top. If I wanted Gnocchi (potato dumplings), I had to go to my Great Aunts home, as my mother never made
them. Vegetable soup loaded with shredded parmesan cheese is served with most meals in Veneto.  Desserts are served sparingly in Veneto. Most meals are followed by a dish of fruit which must be peeled by the eater with a small paring knife. We had a special dessert sweet at Easter called crostoli which is known by other names in other regions (For example, the sweets are called cenci in Tuscany and frappe in Emilia-Romagna). Red wine is still served often with meals in Veneto. However, the bitter "Dago Red" from my youth has been replaced by Valpolicella , a sweeter red wine from Lake Garda.

Famous Veneto artists: three of Italy's top renaissance painters (Veronese, Tintoretto, and Titian) were from the region. Antonio Vivaldi, noted for the classic "Four Seasons " music, was from Venice. In architecture, the name of Palladio, a Vicenza product, is famous worldwide. In the field of literature the works of Casanova, a romantic from Venice, have been read by millions world wide.

Famous Veneto explorers: Few are more famous that Marco Polo from Venice. While lesser know, the adventures of Antonio Pigafetta are probably as important. He was one of the few survivors of the Magellan expedition and the only one to publish a journal of that historic trip.

Note: No attempt has been made here to identify famous Italian-Americans from the region. However, Lino Savio advises that Antonio Pasin an émigré from Bassano was the founder of the " Radio Flyer " little red wagon production company. 

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