Walking about and a contact breakthru

We spent 2 days in Roccabascerana and Cassano Caudino. The first was concentrated on research of records; the second on walking around the towns. We established that the Parrellas and Principes (yes, that is the correct spelling) lived in Cassano Caudino while the Cavuotos were in Roccabascerana. There are still many Parrellas and Principes in Cassano. Today, the Cavuotos are not to be found: anywhere,no people, no monuments, no names on doors, nothing to be seen of Cavuotos anywhere. Even records have very limited mention.  We learned that Maria Assunta Parrella's family were farmers who worked on large landholders olive trees. Also Assunta's family probably boardered other farm workers, especially when seasonal work demanded additional workers.

Research of any type was difficult because we found noone who could speak English. We found no Parrellas that even remotely could be related to Linda. Then on the second day as we were discussing leaving-----a big break----by shear happenstance Linda's Italian greeting to a gentlemen in his garden led to meeting his granddaughter, Filomena De Pietro, who spoke and wrote English, well. Furthermore, her grandparents are Parrellas and Principes. Filomena agreeted to give us her name, address and email. And, to exchange email letters exploring family connections. She gave us directions to the Cassano cemetery. We now have a path................!

Follow that car. The road guarded by the dog is the main road to Roccabascerana,

Linda stands by the sign marking the Roccabascerana Town Line.

Cassano Caudino. The hamlet of the Parrellas and Principes. The church steeple is Assunta's church.

The sign marking the town line of Cassano Caudino, the Parrellas and Principles hamlet.

The street is the street Assunta's family lived on. Note the plaque in the center of the picture.

Linda and Stan stand at the entrance to Assunta's church.

In the hamlet town square is this plaque honoring Cassano's WWI and WWII war dead. Under WWI are listed 3 of Assunta's brothers who died in WWI combat: Emilio, Earnesto, and Colo.

Linda walks along the street her grandmother Maria Assunta Parrella lived.

Wile walking along Assunta's street, Linda starts a conversation with a man, then his granddaughter who speaks English and who has a dauchsan dog.

A family conference more than 100 years in the making.

Their house. They grow olives and produce olive oil.

Like on a pilgrimage. Linda climbs the steps to the Cassano cemetery where the Parrellas and Principes are buried.

M(aria) Assunta Principe

Emilio Parrella, Assunta's brother who died in WWI. Flowers show he is still visited. Are they related to Linda? Most likely, yes.

The tower of the church Frederico Fedele Cavuoto. The church burned down in1929.