Handwritten 3-page personal letter

[robgazy]

Please translate this personal letter from my great grandfather Domenico Montanari. Thank you!

[erudita74]

This letter appears to be a historical description of the development of the city of Troia. I don't see any personal info in it which would be of genealogical value. Some other volunteer would have to help you with the specifics of the letter.

Erudita

[robgazy]

Strange....I wonder why my great grandfather would be telling stories about Troia. He was from there but as a coal miner in Pennsylvania I don't think he was a particularly educated man. And I wonder why he would have bothered to spend the money (they were quite poor) on a letter back to Italy telling someone there about the city's history.

None of this makes sense to me. I would love to know what the letter says so I could show it to my 85-yr old mother and see what she had to say. Thanks to anyone who can help. Help?

[erudita74]

Okay, I've been re-reading the three pages over and over and this is what I understand. One of the native Italian volunteers on the forum can correct me, if I'm mistaken.

I don't believe this was a letter mailed to Italy. It appears to be a letter that he wrote, and that was published, in the NYC Italo-American newspaper called "Il Progresso." That newspaper existed from 1880 until 1988. I believe this information appears in the last lines below his signature.

Basically page 1 is talking about his memories of his native town. He is talking about the city of Troia rising up from the hills, mountains, etc, and that it was founded in 1019. Prior to that, and the Troaini, there was a group called Ecanesi. Troia's existence was from its mother city which was Ecana.

Then he talks about the destruction of that city in 651 by the (Byzantine) Emperor who was Costans the second. He mentions that he was of Germany, but I believe he was Greek. He was emperor of the eastern Roman Empire. He also alludes to the fact that the city was governed by the Holy See from 1022. It was the seat of bishops. He mentions another German Emperor, who was Enrico the Second, and also Pope Benedict VIII. Then he mentions the names of five saints whose busts/or whatever are preserved in silver in the Cathedral of Ecana. Among these saints were two Popes. There is the bust of the Holy Saint Pope Urbano and a bust or other religious artifact of another Pope, Saint Punziano.

He states that he immigrated to America in 1905 and that, now he's age 65, he desires to see again his old city of Troia in Foggia; that on July 19th, the city has a great feast for the five saints whose names he listed earlier, and that it has a population of about 8 thousand inhabitants.

He also makes reference to President Franklin D Roosevelt, but I'm not sure about his comments about him. I believe he says something about wanting to see the flag with the stars with the autograph of our President F.D.R.

*Anyway, this is what I understand from the letter. But, as I understand it, it was not mailed to Italy, but rather was sent to the Italian-American newspaper and published there.

[erudita74]

in reference to the flag-I believe he is saying that he wants to see the American flag (he says flag with stars) waved all over the world.

Erudita

[PippoM]

I can confirm what Erudita says. He wrote to "Il Progresso" asking them to publish his letter. The first part was probably copied or written by someone else, as it is a quite correct Italian (I add that that he says the Ecanesi had origin from the people who left the city of Troia (the one of the "Iliade") after its destruction by the Greek.
The second part is more confused, with many errors, and substanstially he expresses his enthusiasm for America and President Roosvelt "who is working night and day for mankind" and his wish to see the USA flag waved all over the world, though he'd like to see again his town of origin.
He ends about the evil nazis, whom he "would like to destroy".

[erudita74]

Thanks so much for your help, Pippo.

Erudita