Research has been conducted on the surname Foresta. I have identified the birth place of Grandfather Enrico Francesco Foresta in Messina, Sicila, in
06-31-1875.

Foresta Migration

Preface
Some things we know and some things are obvious. We’re here, that is obvious. We came from Sicilian / Italian immigrants, that we all know. But, where, exactly did our ancestors come from? And where did the ones before them come from? Well, we may not find out everything, but maybe we can shed some new light on our ancestors, who they were, where they came from and what we can learn about them along the way.

I started this project about three years ago. I spoke to Uncle Vic several times and he gave me very good information. I wanted to feel what they felt, how they lived and some of the stories that were handed down. It is too bad that this project was not started long ago. Because, realize, that after us, the first generation, no one else will know who and what we are or where we came from. Papanonnie came from Sicilia and Grandma came from the Provence of Paduga. That’s it, that’s pretty much all we really know. What city? What was the city like? Why did they leave? What conditions existed at that time that convinced them to travel across the ocean to a place where, they didn’t know and were not known.

Were living conditions that bad in Sicilia / Italia, that millions of people displaced themselves and their families? When they arrived here, they faced depression, few jobs and eventually war. What did they gain? Was it worth it?

I will present a brief history of Sicilia and Italia so that one can appreciate what our ancestors lived through, their living condition and family life. I will identify them, where they came from and what their situation was like.

Approximately 650,000 individuals of all nationalities arrived in America before 1820. Most were English and Welsh. Smaller numbers of German, Irish, Scotch-Irish, Dutch, French, Spanish, African, and other nationalities also arrived. These immigrants tended to settle in the eastern, middle-Atlantic, and southern states. Before January 1, 1820, the U.S. Federal Government did not require captains or masters of vessels to present a passenger list to U.S. officials. The lists that remain for the period before 1820 are varied in content. They range from name only lists to giving the person's full name, age, and country of origin.
Over 10 million immigrants came from northern Europe, the British Isles, and Scandinavia between 1820 and 1880. There was a large increase in the number of immigrants from Germany and Ireland beginning in the 1840s and 1850s. Some settled in large eastern and mid-western cities, but most migrated to the mid-west and west.

More than 25 million immigrants, mainly from southern and eastern Europe came to USA. Many came from Germany, Italy, Ireland, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and England. Many settled in the larger cities, including New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia. In 1883 the Immigration and Naturalization Service started keeping the records.

Between 1880 and 1920, more than 4 million Italians immigrated to America, the largest wave of immigrants from any particular country during a forty-year period. Interestingly, however, an estimated 30 to 50 percent of these immigrants eventually returned to their homeland. Nevertheless, Italians constitute the second largest immigrant group during the period since 1820. Although the first wave of Italian immigrants in the early nineteenth century settled primarily in Louisiana, subsequent generations of immigrants settled in New York and other large northern cities.

The history of Southern Italia and Sicilia was one of constant turmoil. The area is often referred to as the Two Sicilias. Naples and Palermo the two most important cities and ports represent the largest and most important cities in Southern Italy. The island and Southern Italy was always under constant attack. There was no central government and therefore, no police or military presence. Thus a special force to combat these enemies, the hoodlums and keep the peace was needed. The Carabinieri was established. They kept the peace and at the same time fought off the invaders. They still are an enforcement presence today. The Carabinieri embodied all able bodied men in the community. They worked, providing revenue for their families. But, when danger became apparent, they came together to protect their home land. They even went to war on foreign soil, thus becoming, amongst other things, soldiers.
*The emblem of Sicilia is pictured above. The three legged woman represent the three regions of the Island separated by the mountains.
Early History of SICILIA

Early Settlement of Sicily
Widespread settlement of Sicily began after about 1500 BC with immigration of Sicani from North Africa. Their first settlements were in the southeast part of the island, east of the Gela River. The Sicani were soon followed by Siculi, who came across the Strait of Messina from the Italian mainland. Despite the difference in the immediate geographical origins of the two tribal groups, both are deemed to fall within the broad Libyco-Iberian category. From them the modern name of Sicily is derived.
The arrival of the Siculis, and their settlement along the island's eastern and southeastern coast, pushed the Sicani settlements further inland and toward the north and northwest of the island In the same general period a third tribal group, the Elymni, began settlement at the western end of Sicily, with towns at Erice and Segesta.

Sicily, the largest and most populous island in the Mediterranean, has been settled and ruled by many peoples. Its earliest-known inhabitants were the Elymi, Sicani, and Siculi. From the 8th century BC Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Greeks established settlements on the island. In the 5th century BC the leading Greek city, Siracusa, established hegemony over the other Greek colonies. It faced a vigorous challenge from the Carthaginians, however, who by the end of that century controlled half the island. In the mid-3d century the Romans intervened against the Carthaginians on Sicilia, precipitating the First Punic War (264-241 BC). After the Roman victory and the death of Hiero II of Siracusa, Rome gained control of most of the island, and Sicilia became known as the Breadbasket of Rome.

Sicily was taken by the Vandals and then the Goths in the 5th century AD. In 532 it came under Byzantine rule, and in the 9th century it fell to the Muslim Arabs. The Arabs, who promoted both economic and cultural development, were driven out by the Normans in the late 11th century. The Norman Roger II was recognized (1139) by Pope Innocent II as king of Sicily and of the Norman{French} territories in southern Italy. Through the marriage of Constance, heiress of the last Norman king, to Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI, Sicily passed in 1194 to the Hohenstaufen dynasty. Their son, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick
II, spent much of his time in Sicily, where, like Roger II, he effected important administrative reforms. After his death (1250), however, his weak successors were outmaneuvered by the papacy, which placed (1266) the Angevin Charles I on the throne as a papal vassal. Charles's oppressive rule provoked the Sicilian Vespers (1282), a revolt in which the Sicilians chose Peter III of Aragon {Spain} as their king. Although the Aragonese secured control of Sicily, the Angevins retained Naples, and wars between the two continued until 1373.
The Aragonese allowed Sicily considerable local autonomy, but this policy was reversed after the unification of Spain and the accession to the Spanish throne of the Habsburg dynasty (early 16th century). Sicily passed briefly to the house of Savoy (1713) and then to the Austrian Habsburgs (1720), but in 1734, during the War of the Polish Succession, both Sicily and Naples were conquered by the Spanish Bourbon prince Charles. When Charles succeeded (1759) to the Spanish throne (as Charles III), Sicily and Naples passed to his son Ferdinand. The Bourbons ruled from Naples until the French forced Ferdinand to flee to Sicily in 1806. After the Napoleonic Wars, Ferdinand formally combined (1816) his realms as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi took Sicily, which then joined the kingdom of Sardinia and ultimately became part of united Italy.
During World War II, Sicily was the scene of heavy fighting when the Allies launched an invasion from North African bases on July 9-10, 1943. Sicily was the birthplace of the Mafia, organizations of brigands that developed in the lawless conditions fostered by centuries of unpopular foreign rule.

An English Lion in Sicily
by Carlo Trabia
The Englishman arrives in Palermo on a direct flight from London. If he's read a little about medieval Sicily, he already knows that the Normans landed at Messina just a few years before their conquest at Hastings, and that a few knights actually fought at both battles. He may know that Joan, daughter of King Henry II of England, married King William II of Sicily in 1177, bringing with her a large suite of Anglo-Normans, and that the earliest known image of Saint Thomas Becket, the bishop Joan's father came to detest, appears not in England but in Sicily, as a mosaic in Monreale Abbey. In fact, Becket's family found refuge in Palermo as guests of the King of Sicily while Becket was in exile in France. But as he begins his discovery of Sicily, our Briton finds little that overtly evokes the Norman heritage he knows. The cathedrals at Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù have recognizable Norman elements, of course, but except for their cloisters they exist in a Romanesque style altogether simpler than the ornate Gothic cathedrals of Canterbury and York. With their battlements and dense towers, they resemble fortresses as much as churches. And Palermo's Royal Palace, with its opulent Palatine Chapel, bears little resemblance to the austere Tower of London, with its simple chapel, or the Round Tower of Windsor Castle.
Robert "Guiscard" de Hauteville and his knights may have come from humbler stock than William "the Conqueror" and his companions, but the sunny Mediterranean emirate it took them a decade to conquer was far wealthier than the cloudier Kingdom of England William seized from the Saxons. It also had the advantage of being closer, geographically and socially, to what was then a more important region --the Mediterranean World that encompassed parts of Europe, Africa and Asia. But the Kingdom of Sicily may have given the Kingdom of England something far more enduring than a few feudal memories. It is possible that a symbol in the English coat of arms, so frequently visible in the United Kingdom, was introduced at the English court by a Norman from Sicily.
We are referring to the prancing golden lions on a deep red field. The pose of the lions is described, more precisely, in the Norman French language of English heraldry as "passant guardant," and three of them still appear in the English section of the coat of arms used by the Queen of England. Heraldry, the systematic and hereditary use of symbols on knights' shields, originated in the middle of the twelfth century. We have no definite knowledge of the earliest Norman kings of England or Sicily using a symbol such as the lion on a shield or other personal device. (A coat of arms bearing two of these lions is attributed to Henry II, but appears on none of his seals.) The earliest surviving images of this symbol, and its close identification with one of these royal families, will be found in Sicily. The oldest ones, in the Norman Palace in Palermo, date from around 1143. The mosaic shown here is in the Throne Room (Sala di Ruggero), but others are visible over the throne in the nearby Palatine Chapel.
The lion passant guardant also appears on a capital in the cloister court of Monreale, on the shields of Saracen soldiers in the service of the King of Italy, and as a repeating motif on the exterior of the apse of Palermo Cathedral. Lions were commonplace in eleventh century art and sculpture. Yet the regal beast's depiction, in precisely the same pose as that of the lion of England (its face toward the viewer, its right paw raised) cannot be a mere coincidence. But was the lion passant guardant a purely Sicilian symbol?
The contemporary use of similar symbols in the Arab and Byzantine worlds, and the fact that Saracen architects designed the Sicilian cathedrals, whose mosaics reflect Greek influences, suggests that the lion was anything but native Sicilian. It also suggests that the medieval world was smaller than many of us imagined.




Footnote:
It is not so surprising that the English and Italy/Sicily were knowledgeable about each other. The Romans had conquered the British Isles many centuries before. It was Romans that began to build the city of London which became the central place of commerce for the Isles. The most significant event was building bridges across the rivers and water ways. This enabled farmers and others to carry their goods to a market place. After the Romans authority left the British Isles, many Romans stayed behind. One Roman family produced a very famous person, Saint Patrick. On St.Patty’s day most Irish men don’t want to hear this. But Irish ladies like it.

Messina
The city of Messina is a lovely town located, with the best harbor, on the Strait of Messina between the Tyrrhenian and Ionia Seas, in northeast Sicily. It’s importance in ancient history is two-fold; it controlled the strait relative to marine traffic, and it controlled the passage between mainland Italy and the island of Sicily. Through Messina must pass all invaders, at least until later times when armies traveled in ships. Messina, therefore, was always on the leading edge of change, and always more cosmopolitan, relative to the rest of Sicily. Messina was a way station on the route to somewhere else.
The City of Messina, built on site of ancient Zancle. Across the strait lies the city of Rhegium, founded at about the same time, with help from the group of people which settled Messina. The city has always been mostly strategic, and control of Messina was required for control of Sicily. The site, however, has always been tied to the sea, and subsistence required farm-lands farther north to support the population. The people of Messina also established the cities of Mylae and Himera. A little forestry, and a little mining in the nearby mountains, were the only other resources available to Messina.
The town proper is situated on the slopes of Mount Peloritani, which forms an amphitheater reaching the sea. In ancient times this was the Hill of Neptune, and the ridge to the north descended to a cape, where a temple to Poseidon was situated to protect the mariner. The harbor, on an inlet off the Strait of Messina, is shaped like a sickle, hence the ancient name ‘Zancle’, or ‘sickle city’. The excellent harbor, in size and utility, was one of the most important, ranking with that of Genoa or Naples.
A curious phenomenon at the south end of the Messina Strait are the little whirlpools, formed by the swift current flowing south into the Ionian Sea. There are several at a time, coming and going as the irregular currents move around. With today's motorized craft, they are a curiosity, but in ancient times they could capture a small boat for a time and literally scare the occupants to death. The myth of Scylla and Carybdis was born to explain the mystery. The circular shaped white-water resembles a carnation, giving rise to the Sicilian name garafano, or carnation.
But Messina has a dark side. It is located on an earthquake-prone belt stretching from Vesuvius, through Stomboli, then through Mount Etna. This arc of volcanoes has been continuously active from ancient times down through the present. Consequently, the pressures from below are always causing earthquakes and tremors. The city of Messina has several times been struck by major earthquakes, the ones of 1783 and1908 being the most documented. In 1908 the city of Messina was destroyed. Not just damaged, destroyed.

The earthquake of December 28, 1908 began with a 35-second major shock wave, followed by a month of after-shocks. The affected area was an arc 18 miles long, 12 miles wide, with Messina in the center, and causing 60,000 fatalities. After the major shock, the tidal wave which followed soon after destroyed both coasts along the Strait of Messina. Over 90 percent of Messina was obliterated. And not only the buildings were destroyed, but the very streets themselves disappeared in the rubble as the mountainside slipped down in places. The major city streets went around the circumference of the amphitheater; four of them. Running straight down to the harbor quay were very steep streets which must have seen some incredible accidents. If the cart ever got away from its handler, nothing would have impeded its rush to the sea but the sea itself. Along the four major streets were built the villas and palaces of ancient times. In their day, Messina was one of the most beautiful cities in the world as seen from ship-side.
What one sees now is the modern town of Messina, built on top of the ancient site. The only ruins which represent ancient times is the Duomo, or basilica, built in the 2nd century. Built as a pagan temple, converted to a Christian church, and restored in modern times, it still has some of the original mosaics and door moldings. Otherwise, occasional columns and statuary without attachment to a known building. Messina was always a strategic city, not an industrial city. A lay-over during the early shipping days when the small boats ‘coasted’ along shore, stopping each night, it exacted a toll on use of the Strait of Messina. There was a warehouse section for goods in transit, but goods did not move inland into Sicily from Messina. The terrain was much to rough. This all changed under the Romans, as they began building the Via Valeria, the road which encircles the island of Sicily. Soon the produce of Sicily moved through Messina, destined for Italy and Rome. Most grain, however, still moved through the port of Palermo, reaching Rome by sea.
During the early days timber was brought down from the slopes behind Messina for transport or local use in ship-building. And there were a few minerals in the mountains. But again, transport was difficult. Messina did offer transportation between Rhegium on the mainland and the island. Indeed, under the Roman occupation, a regular ferry service was begun, which transported goods, people and even wagons, to the mainland to join the Via Popilia at Rhegium. And from the waters came coral and swordfish.
Historical Ensign Etymology
Messina [me-'sé-ne]; The ancient Greek name, Zancle, translates ‘sickle’, thus it became known as sickle city to the pirates who settled there. Changed to Messana by the Messenians, and again changed to the Latin ‘Messina’ by the Romans. The approximate date of founding is based on the finding of inhumation burials in large storage jars, called pithoi.

Coat of arms Messina Historical Ensign

ANCIENT HISTORY
The city of Zancle, which was to become modern-day Messina, was founded around c.750 BCE by Greek settlers from Chalcis. Legend has it that they were pirates from Cumae, and the ‘zancle’ came from them. The city progressed little, and in 493 BCE a group of refugees from Samos were settled there. Shortly thereafter, Messenians also settled at Zancle and gave it the name Messana. Apparently the original settlers were overcome by this new influx, as the name was changed. Messina became known as a nest of pirates, who preyed on shipping passing through the strait.

The surrounding land would not support the agricultural needs of the city, so another colony was established at Himera, along the northern coast of Sicily. A colony already existed at Naxos, to the south, which prevented expansion in that direction.
After the city’s foundation in c.750 BCE, the population was regularly increased by refugees from several Greek areas who were fleeing the Persian invasion. In 735 a large group of immigrants from Messina fled from the invasion by Sparta. In the following centuries others arrived from the island of Samos, the area of Chalcis, and the Euboean peninsula. These people, all Greeks, forced the city to join the Ionian League.
In 493 BCE, Zancle was captured by Anaxilas, the tyrant of Rhegium, and renamed by him. The inhabitants, now mostly from Samos, were driven out and the city repopulated. In 426 BCE the city, now called Messana, was retaken by the Ionians under leadership of the Athenian Laches. The city was again lost in 415 and an attempt at recovery by the Athenian Nicias failed. The result of the rivalry between the Carthaginians and Athenians was the destruction of Messina. Later, Hieron married the daughter of Anaxilas in the interest of foreign policy, and we suspect, interest in his own advancement.
In 397 BCE Messina was destroyed by Carthago (Himilco), who was then forced to give up the city by the tyrant of Syracuse. A strong leader came forth in Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, who rebuilt the city around 396 BCE.
In 312 BCE the city was taken and occupied by Agathocles, with help from his allies Gela and Akragas. He used Latin mercenaries from Italy, the Oscans. These Oscans were stationed mainly in Syracuse, and became a problem after the fighting ended. On the death of Agathocles, these mercenaries took control of the city of Messana and massacred the inhabitants. They tried to expand further west but were stopped by Hiero II near Milazzo. The Oscans, called Mamertines after their principle war-god Mamerte, established a military republic, but were limited to the city of Messina.
In the give and take of territorial expansion the Mamertines were defeated in 269 BCE by Hiero II at Milazzo. Hiero II, tyrant of Syracuse, then attacked the city itself, and the Mamertines called on both the Carthaginians and their Latin kinsmen, the Romans. Both responded, but refused to work together. The Carthaginians arrived first and took control of the city of Messina. After the victory over Syracuse, the Romans turned on the Carthaginians and in 264 BCE took the city for Rome. This was the beginning of the Punic Wars. Messina remained under Roman control until the fall of the Roman Empire in Sicily.
In 133 BCE Piso won a victory over the slave revolt, and retook their strongholds in Messina and Taormina. The naval victory of Agrippa over Pompey took place north of Messina in 36 BCE. Finally, the Goths gained control of Messina for a short time and it then passed to Roman Byzantium in 553 CE. The Arabs took over rule in Messina in 843 CE.
Under the Romans Messina was a major port and communication with the Italian mainland. The natural port was the best available along the coast in either direction, and the strategic value of controlling the strait was early recognized. As shipping became more common, Catania to the south challenged Messina’s importance, eventually overtaking it in tonnage.
Christian History
According to tradition, Christianity arrived with the visit by Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Also, a letter attributed to Mary mother of Christ is preserved at Messina. She supposedly had written to congratulate the conversion of the city to Christianity. The first bishop of Messina is traditionally thought to be St. Bachiritis while the first known bishop was Eucarpus. Messina has always been under control of the Roman Church, as was most of Sicily.
Coinage
Messina and Naxos were the first to issue coinage, dating from about 485 BCE. The iconography is typically Greek, and well done. A chariot drawn by mules is typical of Sicilian coins of this era.
THE NORMANS

The Scandinavians who settled Normandy very quickly adopted the religion, customs, and language of the surrounding French populations. Rollo converted to Catholicism, but the adoption of French culture and language did not immediately alter the social structure of the Norman lords. From 911 until 980, the history of the Normans is one of constant blood-feuds and territorial battles, a history similar to that played out in early Scandinavia, the Danelaw in England, and Iceland.

Around 980, however, the Normans began to develop a unique set of institutions that would catapult them into the front-rank of European power and cultural influence. The most significant event in early Norman history was the placing of Hugh Capet on the throne of France—the Capetians only gained the throne through the help of the Normans and in gratitude, they allowed the Normans to operate independently.

Once free from monarchical intrusion, the Norman dukes began to solidify an administrative system over their territories. This system became the model for subsequent medieval government: the feudal system. The Normans faced sporadic resistance from nobility within their domains. To counter this nobility, the Norman lords made clergy, who were largely drawn from the nobility, as their vassals since the monastic and church lands were on lands owned by the duke. All the knights resident on church and monastic lands the dukes forced into military loyalty. They used this core of vassals and knights to overcome the nobility which were forced to enter into feudal obligations to the duke.

The word, "feudal," comes from the word, "feud." A feudal obligation, then, was essentially built off of clan or tribal protection. For the early tribal Scandinavians, the only way to enforce law was through clan protection and blood-feuds. Should a crime be committed against a member of the clan, it was the job of the entire clan to either seek retribution or enforce a penalty. It was on this ground that the dukes of Normandy built their feudal system. Under this system, lay nobility were allowed to control a certain amount of territory. They were required, however, to enter into oaths to the duke; these oaths required their military service should the duke require it.

The feudal system allowed the Norman dukes to control a vast amount of territory independently of the Capetian kings. It gave the dukes large military resources guaranteed through a network of loyalties. From Normandy, the feudal system spread rapidly first to Italy and then France—with Duke William II, the Bastard, this new and powerful form of government would cross the channel to England.

As with the Scandinavian settlers of Iceland, the Normans did not stay put in Normandy. With a growing scarcity of land in the eleventh century, some Norman lords migrated to Italy where they carved out their own independent Norman duchies. Italy had remained a largely non-urbanized and backward country after it had been devastated by Justinian's attempt to retake the western empire at the beginning of the sixth century. The establishment of Norman duchies and the feudal system in Italy was the primary reason for the recovery of Italy in the later middle ages. The Normans occupied most of Southern Italy and Sicilia.


Sicilian History

An Abbreviated Chronology

8000 BC Unknown
occupiers The discovery of the Grotta dell'Uzzo in north western Sicily between Capo San Vito and Scopello in 1975. It appears to be about 10,000 years old based on radiocarbon dating. Archeologists found implements similar to those found in the Cala dei Genovese grotto on the island of Lévanzo. (Spoto, Sicilia Antica)
7000 BC Unknown
occupiers Earliest traces of humans found in the Addaura Caves on Monte Pellegrino near present day Palermo and in the Grotto Cala dei Genovesi on the island of Lévanzo.
6000 BC Sicans Sicans arrive on the island. They are village-dwellers and farmers. Chief settlement was Sant' Angelo Muxaro near Agrigento.
1400 BC Sikels First known occurrence of Sikels, who probably migrated from or through Italy. They lived in fortified hill towns and left large necropolises. They are said to have co-existed peacefully with the Sicans although they appear to have displaced the Sicans in the eastern part of Sicily.
1200 BC Elymians The Elymians settled in the western Sicily, in Eryx, Segesta, and Entella. Possibly descendents of the Trojans. All traces disappear after Hellenization of the island.
1000 BC Phoenicians The Phoenicians settled along the coasts of Sicily. After the arrival of the Greeks, they withdrew to Motya, Solus, and Panormos, current day Palermo.
814 BC Carthage The Phoenicians found the city of Carthage on the coast of Tunisia.
800 BC Greeks and
Carthaginians Both established settlements on the island. The Greeks eventually go as far west as Himera on the north coast and Agrigento on the south coast.
500 BC Greeks The leading Greek city, Syracuse, established control over the other Greek colonies of Agrigento, Gela, Catania, Himera, and Messina.
480 BC Greeks Gelon, tyrant of Syracuse, defeats general Hamilcar at Himera in 480 BC, bringing Carthaginian eastward expansion in Sicily to an end.
452 BC Greeks An unsuccessful rebellion of the Sikels, led by their chief Ducetius.
400 BC Carthaginians (Carthage was settled by Phoenicians) still control the western half of the island including Palermo.
264 BC Romans The Romans intervened against the Carthaginians in Sicily, precipitating the First Punic War (264-241 BC). After the Roman victory and the death of Hiero II of Syracuse, Rome gained control of most of the island. They exploited the island economically. Sicily became known as the Breadbasket of Rome.
63 BC Romans Pompey sacks Jerusalem and brings Jews to Italy as slaves. Roman Proconsul Crassus is said to have sold thirty thousand Jewish slaves.
410 AD
Vandals
and Goths Sicily was taken by the Vandals (Germanic).
493 AD Goths Sicily under the dominion of Theodoric the Great ©.454-526) king of the Ostrogoths.
535 Greeks General Belisarius wins back Sicily from the Goths for Byzantium.
827 Arabs Sicily falls to the Muslim Arabs. (827 - 1072) The Arabs begin their thirty year battle to gain control of Sicily.
903 Arabs The Arabs gain control of all of Sicily. During their rule they promoted both economic and cultural development.
972 Arabs First documentary mention of a Jewish Quarter in Palermo.
1061 Normans May 18 the Normans land in Sicily. By 1091 with the fall of Noto, they had conquered all of Sicily from the Arabs. Norman Sicily was marked by linguistic and religious tolerance. Hebrew, Arabic, Latin, and Greek were recognized as official languages. Roger I was both the ecclesiastical and secular leader.
1066 Normans On October 14, 1066, while Roger I was conquering Sicily, his cousin William, the Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold II of England at the Battle of Hastings and assumed the English crown as William I.
1101 Normans Death of Roger I. During the minority of Roger II, his mother Adelaide was regent. Roger II reigned for 42 years starting in 1112. He is the first king of Sicily (1130-1154). He was an able successor to Roger I and brought his kingdom to the pinnacle of political, economic, and cultural achievement.
1139 Normans ROGER II was recognized (1139) by Pope Innocent II as the first king of Sicily (1130-1154) and of the Norman territories in southern Italy.
1154 Normans William (I) “the Bad” (1154-66) was a much less able ruler.
1166 Normans William (II) ‘the Good” (1166-1189) died at age 35 without heir.
1190 Normans Tancred - Sicilian barons rebel and choose Tancred, a grandson of Roger II to be king of Sicily.
1194 Swabians Frederick II - Through the marriage of Constance, heiress of the last Norman king, to Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI, Sicily passed in 1194 to the Hohenstaufen dynasty. Their son, Holy Roman Emperor FREDERICK II, spent his childhood in Sicily. He was a child of four when his mother died and Pope Innocent III governed Sicily until 1208 when Frederick II reached the age of 14. Like Roger II, Frederick held brilliant court and effected important administrative reforms. His first of three wives was Constance of Aragon. She died in 1222. He married Isabella in 1225. She brought him the crown of Jerusalem as a dowry. She died in childbirth in 1228. His third wife was Bianca Lancia of Piedmont. He knew Latin, Sicilian, Greek, Arabic, French, and of course, German. He had his own private zoo, wrote a treatise on falconry. He was even versed in philosophy and mathematics. He unified weights and measures, imposed taxes on everything, abolished gambling. He required the Jews to wear identifying clothing (a precursor to Hitler's yellow star)
1215 Swabians On June 15, 1215 while the Swabians were still ruling in Sicily, the Barons in England succeeded in wresting from the Angevin King John, 63 articles which have come to be known as the Magna Carta. They established the rights of the church, the supremacy of the rule of law, the principle of judgement by peers, etc. They also reveal the prejudices of the time as they relate to women and Jews.
1231 Swabians The Constitutions of Melfi are considered to be Frederick II's outstanding legislative accomplishment. After his death (1250), his weak successors were outmaneuvered by the papacy.
1266 Angevins The pope placed the Angevin CHARLES I on the throne of Sicily and Naples as a papal vassal.
1282 Sicily The War of the Sicilian Vespers--the revolt of the Sicilians against the rule of the ANGEVINS--began spontaneously at the time of vespers (evening worship) on Easter Monday, 3/31/1282, and over the next several months it resulted in the massacre of almost the entire French population of Sicily.
1282 Aragon Rejected by the Pope, the Sicilians turned to Peter III of Aragon for support. After a five day trip from Africa, he lands at Trapani on August 30, 1282. Although the Aragonese secured control of Sicily, the Angevins retained Naples, and wars between the two continued until 1373.
1283 Aragon The execution, by decapitation of Il Gualtiero di Caltagirone on May 22, 1283 in the piazza S. Giuliano. This act signaled the triumph of Aragon and the end of any lingering aspirations for freedom born with the Vespers.
1302 Aragon Frederick II 1272-1337 King of Sicily (1296-1337) the third son of Peter III of Aragon. In the Peace of Caltabellotta (1302)Charles and Pope Boniface VIII recognized Frederick as king of Trinacria for his lifetime.
1479 Spain Queen Isabella of Castile starts the Inquisition as a domestic policy to secure control. After her husband Ferdinand becomes king of Aragon, he exports the inquisition to the entire kingdom.
1492 Spain Decrees the expulsion of Jews. Sicilian notables write a petition to the Spanish King Ferdinand, only succeeding in delaying the expulsion. Expulsion is carried out the next year and Jews, after a presence of 1500 years, officially disappear from Sicily.
1542 Spain Short but serious earthquake in eastern Sicily and Caltagirone.
1545 Spain The beginning of the Council of Trent. Sessions 1-10 were held from 1545-47. Sessions 11-16 from 1551-52, and Sessions 17-25 were held from 1562-3. Record keeping started at San Giorgio on January 1, 1566. Interestingly enough, some of the early records in the Cathedral in Caltegirone were indexed by the first name rather than the last name.
1566 Spain The earliest book in the archives of the church of San Giorgio in Caltagirone begins with January 1, 1566. According to tradition, the church of San Giorgio was first constructed in the 1100's by the Genovese who had helped the Normans defeat the Arabs (1061-1091). A listing of the pastors of San Giorgio extends from 1517 to 1968, when the present pastor was appointed.
1575 Spain Veneziano, a contemporary of Cervantes (1547 - 1616) with whom he shared a cell after being captured by Barbary pirates and held for ransom. We don't know when Veneziano was captured but do know that Cervantes and his brother had been captured in 1575. Cervantes reportedly said that Veneziano had earned the keys to Paradise with his poetry collection entitled Celia. In both Italian and Sicilian "Celia" means banter, jest or joke.
1631 Spain Giacomo Paolo Dieli is born on February 4 in Caltagirone to Vincenzo & Angelina Dieli. This is the earliest Dieli baptismal certificate in the existing archives in the church of San Giorgio in the old part of Caltagirone.
1693 Spain Caltagirone and most of eastern Sicily destroyed by earthquake on Jan 11.
1713 Savoy Sicily passed briefly to the house of Savoy. The Peace of Utrecht (1713-14) made Victor Amadeus II king of Sicily.
1720 Austria Sicily traded to the Austrian Habsburgs for Sardinia. (Just like that.)
1734 Spain During the War of the Polish Succession, both Sicily and Naples were conquered by the Spanish Bourbon Prince Charles.
1758 Spain Ignazio Giuseppe Dieli is born on April 6 in Caltagirone to Antonino and Felicia Strazzo Dieli. No other siblings could be found in the archives. It may be that Antonino married more than once. Antonino's year of birth is estimated to have been around 1730, but a baptismal certificate could not be found in the archives of San Giorgio in Caltagirone.
1759 Spain Charles succeeded to the Spanish throne, Sicily and Naples passed to his son Ferdinand I. The Spanish Bourbons ruled from Naples until the French forced Ferdinand to flee to Sicily in 1806.
1767 Spain Jesuits expelled from Sicily, their university in Caltagirone was closed.
1776 Spain In the New World, the American Colonies declare their independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain on July 4, 1776.
1787 Spain Mario Annunziato Dieli is born on July 20 in the town of Caltagirone to Ignazio & Maria Rosa Dieli. He is their fourth child and their second male.
1799 Spain Revolts in Caltagirone.
1812 Spain Adoption of a constitution, approved by the Sicilian parliament on July 19 and sanctioned by the king on August 10. It reiterated the independence of Sicily from Naples.
1814 Spain Salvatore Giacomo Dieli is born on June 9 in the town of Caltagirone to Mario & Gesuelda Micicheri Dieli. He is their second child.
1816 Spain After the Napoleonic Wars, Ferdinand I adjourned parliament, abolished the constitution of 1812 and formally combined his realms as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
1820 Spain Riots of 1820 were put down with such force that it resulted in the spread throughout Sicily of the secret society, the Carbonari.
1837 Spain The tombs in the wall around the Church of the Holy Ghost was filled in three weeks by the dire pestilence which devastated Sicily. (Amari, v 1, 179)
1848 Spain Revolution of 1848-1849 ruthlessly put down with bombardment of Messina (1848) and Palermo (1849). Ferdinand II becomes known as King Bomba.
1860 Sicily Giuseppe Garibaldi lands at Marsala, Sicily with a 1000 man force of volunteers (Red Shirts) and routs the Spanish forces, taking Sicily and southern Italy, which then joined the kingdom of Sardinia and ultimately (1870) became part of a united Italy.
1861 Sicily Francis II formally abdicated.
1862 Sicily Francesco di Paolo is born on June 30 in the town of Caltagirone to Salvatore and Giovanna Ragusa Dieli. He is their sixth child.
1882 Italy Giuseppe Garibaldi died on June 2, 1882 at Caprera.
1886 Italy Salvatore Dieli is born on February 2 in the town of Caltagirone to Francesco di Paolo & Concetta Recca Dieli. He is the first male child.
1908 Italy DisastrousMessina - Reggio earthquake of 1908 combined with subsequent tsunamis result in the total destruction of the city of Messina and the death of as many as 100,000 people in the Reggio Calabria and Messina areas. The epicenter was in the Straits of Messina.
1922 Italy Mussolini comes to power. He eventually bans the use of all languages other than Italian. All Sicilian language publishing is forbidden. Even today (1997) there is no Sicilian language newspaper in Sicily.
1943 Italy During World War II, Sicily was the scene of heavy fighting. The Allies launched an invasion from North African bases on July 9-10, 1943. Patton landed forces at Licata and Gela and Montgomery landed at several places south of Syracuse. By the end of the year the facists were overthrown and Italy joined the Allies. The Nazi still held central and northern Italy.
1945 Italy New nation is formed. Sicily becomes one of five autonomous regions (1946). A new constitution adopted in 1947.
1949 Italy joins the NATO alliance.
1958 Italy joins the European Common Market.
1982 Italy The Mafia murders General dalla Chiesa. Magistrate Giovanni Falcone gathers information against the Mafia including detailed information from informant Tommaso Buscetta.
1986 Italy Hundreds of Mafiosi are indicted in super-trials.
1992 Italy On May 23 the Mafia assassinates Magistrate Falcone, his wife, and three guards in a massive explosion on the highway from the airport. July 19, Borsellino and five bodyguards are killed by a car bomb. There are massive anti-Mafia demonstrations in Palermo. In comemoration of the fifh Centenary of the Proclamation of the Expulsion of the Jews by King Ferdinand in 1492, a meeting of scholars and researchers into Jewish history in Sicily is held in Palermo.
1996 Italy Arthur & Alice Dieli spend five glorious months in Sicily from February to June. They share an apartment with their daughter Mary and their nephew Patrick for some of this time. During their stay they do a considerable amount of family research and find archives of Dielis dating from 1631. They were able to trace a direct line to Antonino & Felicia Strazzo Dieli by using the baptismal certificates in the San Giorgio Archives. Antonino's baptismal certificate was not found but it's estimated he was born about 1730.
1997 Italy On Friday, September 26, twenty four mob bosses were convicted of the murder of Giovanni Falcone, his wife, prosecutor Francesca Morvillo, and three bodyguards. The twenty four received life sentences. Six others were given lesser terms. The seven judge court in Caltanisetta, Sicily took 25 days to reach its verdict.
2001 Italy A Jet Propulsion Lab new release on July 25, 2001 reported on the Mount Etna Volcanic explosion. It said, in part, "...the Mount Etna volcano exploded on July 22, 2001. Etna is located near the eastern coast of Sicily, to the southwest of mainland Italy. Major eruptions have been issuing from both summit and flank vents. Fine ash falling onto the Province of Catania closed the local airport, and a state of emergency was declared for the town of Nicolosi, which was threatened by lava flows from the southern flanks of the volcano." The url is: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2001/release_2001_152.html. According to Anna Miceli Dieli, ash from Etna is falling on Caltagirone and coating everything. A picture from outer space shows the huge ash plume. another good site with pictures and diagrams and detailed text: http://www.geo.mtu.edu/~boris/ETNA_2001.html



Royal House of the Two Sicilies

The Italian Vespers, 1282, established the origin of the Two Sicilies. The Kingdom of Sicilia was all of Italia south of Rome. But it would not be until 1816 that the title was used. The Bourbon rule of the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of Sicilia were amalgamated to form the single Kingdom of Sicilia. But Carlo de Bourbon had been referred to the King of the two Sicilies in 1734-1759. The house of Aragon ruled the Kingdom until 1860. The Kingdom of Sicilia was the wealthiest and most industrialized of the other Italian states. The Two Sicilies never recognized the annexation by Italia until after WWII. The allied liberation of Sicilia was in 1943. In 1946 the Two Sicilies were legally made part of the Italian Republic.

The Foresta Name

Research of the Foresta name is predominate in Southern Italia and Sicilia. It is scattered in the rest of the Republic. Palermo has the most Foresta names, followed by Messina and Catania. The region of Calabria, across the Messina Straights also has a small number of Foresta’s. Most appear to be located in the small town of Catanzaro.

Italian surnames were derived from nick names. For example, Giovanni de Calabria. This would equal John Calabria. Where a person is from, either by city, region or locality. Some times the profession was used as the surname. Giovanni de baker is equal to John Baker.

In the early centuries only first names were used. When this system was expanded, the use of other names were used to distinguish between John of Broadway and John of Main. Therefore, John Broadway and John Main were born.

Foresta means forest. From this we could conclude that Salvatore de Foresta is equal to Salvatore Forest (a). At some point in the history of the Foresta name, we were from the forest. There is a great deal of forest in Sicilia. Mount Etna is behind Messina and the whole Island is heavily forested. As a matter of fact, I found a small town west of Messina names Floresta. It is a small town in the mountainous area west of Mount Etna.

Foresta, although not used heavily in Italian history as a surname it is one of the oldest. I found Foresta used in Sicilia as far back as 1271. Therefore, during the Vesper era, the Foresta name was used. It was not common, used only once. None the less, names from common places are usually older names. (See French Connection section for further info on the Foresta name)

Carabinieri

Since the first days of its creation, the Corps has given its best efforts in a never-ending daily, fight against crime, always personifying respect of law and social order. This activity was carried out throughout the entire country at a severe cost in terms of lives. The first Fallen was the Carabiniere Giovanni Boccaccio, killed in action against outlaws in Vernante (Cuneo) on April 23, 1815, just 9 months after the Corps creation.

In 1834, about twenty years thereafter, the Carabiniere Giovanni Battista Scapaccino paid for his loyalty to the king with his own life : surrounded by a group of rebels who had attacked the small stazione of Les Echelles, near the French border, and called on to repudiate his flag or to die, he answered "Long live the King!". He was shot to death by the rebels. For his sacrifice he was awarded the first Gold Medal for Mililitary Value of the "Sardinian Army".

During the last decades of the 1900th century, Italy was raided by criminals, against whom the Carabinieri were always on front line. Amongst the many who conducted this restless fight, Captain Chiaffredo Bergia(1840-1892) is a real human legend : for his conduct, often carried out alone and disguised on cloak and dagger missions, he was awarded Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Italy, 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze Medals for Military Valour, 15 honourable mentions and dozens of mentions.

Throughout the years the Corps has continued in its silent and tenacious service
against crime and terrorism, to guarantee people's security. Over the years the Corps has deserved commandment from the people not only for their military valor and their commitment in fighting criminals. High merits of recognition is given to the Carabinieri for their help, often at a high cost of lives, granted to the population in the event of natural catastrophes. Some examples are the earthquakes of Casamicciola (1833), Messina (1908), Marsica (1915), Vulture (1930), Belice (1968), Friuli (1976), Irpinia (1980) and the big floods in the Polesine area (1951) and in Florence (1966).

Since the middle of the nineteenth century the Carabinieri Force has acquired an international dimension. This has been achieved by its traditional professionalism and its role as a military organization with civil policing functions for immediate response in protection in states of emergency. In particular, it has been involved in overseas peacekeeping operations in contingents of Italians as well as in alliance with other nations, autonomously assisting in the reconstruction of the forces of law and order and in associated training programs. These activities began with the dispatch of 52 Carabinieri to the Crimea in 1855-1856 who carried out an exemplary task in establishing public order and aiding and assisting in the cholera epidemic. The long experience gained by the Institution has made it an organizational reference point for its structural, technical-operational and ethical-professional expertise. In 1883 four Carabinieri were sent to Assab on the Red Sea to protect Italians nationals working in bureaus in that area which was to eventually become the Eritrea Colony in 1890. Between 1897 and 1906 the Force was present on the island of Crete to maintain public order, to oversee the conflict between the Christian population against the Ottoman Empire, and to organize a local, efficient, impartial police force modeled on the Carabinieri structure. From 1900 to 1914 a contingent was sent to Peking to guarantee the security of the Italian Legation during the disorder resulting from the famous “Boxers” revolt.

Carabinieri Officers organized a police force for the Ottoman Government in Macedonia from 1904 to 1911. In 1909, the Chilean government requested instructors for the “Cuerpo de Carabineros de Chile” and Warrant Officers Torquato Cremonesi and Felice Riva served to the completion of the mission in 1911. From 1912 to 1923, after the success of the mission on the island of Crete, officers of the Force were sent to Athens to organize a Greek version of the Gendarmerie. Also in 1912, after the temporary Italian occupation of the Dodecanese Islands, Carabinieri were posted and remained until 1943. Between 1918 and 1923 the Force was involved in peacekeeping duties in Constantinople and Anatolia after the fall of the Ottoman Empire until the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey.

From 1913 to 1922 the Carabinieri were also in Albania for the reorganization of the Gendarmerie after the fall of Ottoman domination. From 1917 to 1921 a Carabinieri Department was assigned to the British Expedition serving in Palestine against the Ottomans, and was responsible for the protection of the civilian population, victims of racial discrimination, in some particularly volatile areas. In 1919 this organization assumed the name “Italian Carabinieri Attachment in Jerusalem”, and was given, amongst other duties, the charge of Guard of Honour of the Holy Sepulcher. In 1917 Major Cosma Manera masterminded a mission carried out in phases: the research, evacuation and repatriation of 10,000 Italian prisoners in Russia who had been incorporated into the Austrian-Hungarian army and who had been fighting in occupied areas. From 1921 to 1936 an attachment of 20 men were on duty in San Marino until the constitution of the local police force.

In 1935, the Carabinieri Force incorporated in the International Police Corps, was assigned control of 81 of the 320 electoral seats for the return to Germany of the Saar Region, also reclaimed by France. From 1950 to 1958 a group of Carabinieri, part of AFIS (Amministrazione Fiduciaria Italiana in Somalia) was sent by the United Nations to Somalia with the task of organizing and training the local police force as well as general peacekeeping duties. The long list of Carabinieri missions abroad does not end here because, from 1979 with the Multinational UNIFIL mission in Lebanon, Carabinieri were and are still present in those troublesome areas of the world where they are called to defuse tension and provide dignified and secure living conditions. Currently there are over 1000 Carabinieri serving in overseas missions. Since 1855, the Carabinieri Force, as previously illustrated, has had a long tradition in its participation in humanitarian and peacekeeping duties abroad, and has taken an active role in the evolution of these operations by direct intervention in the most significant missions conducted by the United Nations, NATO, OSCE and in Multinational Forces. As well as the traditional military role, human rights, assistance and consultancy in the reconstruction of policing, the implementation of law and order duties have been carried out.

Particularly significant in the sector of law and order is the role being carried out in the Balkans by MSU (Multinational Specialized Unit) a part of the NATO mission designed to bridge the security gap between the military whose troops are not equipped to deal with the problems of public order and safety, and the civilian police forces, either UN or local, untrained to intervene in public order operations. This capability of intervening in different situations, together with perfect interface with other military forces makes MSU an instrument not only useful in the NATO environment but also in any future possible European Union operation. As a result of the experience gained by the Carabinieri MSU, the European Union has approved the institution of an Integrated Police Unit, which can be immediately deployed, flexible and inter-operational with the military to be used for humanitarian aid, peacekeeping and in natural disasters as laid down in the EU directive “Petersburg” after the meeting held there in June 1992. The following are the principal missions in which the Carabinieri Force has taken part over the past ten years:


Enrico Francesco Foresta

Salvatore Foresta and Maria Mensullo (Menzullo), the father and mother of Enrico had the following children. (*see attachments.) We do not know where Salvatore and Maria came from. There is no record that they were born or died in Messina. We can conclude from this that they migrated to Messina before Enrico was born. Since they died before Enrico’s marriage, and that there is no death certificate on file, we can conclude that they moved from Messina, probably before or at about the same time that Enrico migrated to the Foggia area.

1) Enrico Francesco 06-31-1875
2) Gulia Guiseppa 09-09-1879
3) Francesco 09-26-1880
4) Concetta 04-27-1885

In 1879, at Gulia’s birth, the family lived at 18 Via San Gregorio, Messina, Sicilia.
In 1880, at Francesco’s birth, the family was living at 6 Via Quagliata, Messina, Sicilia.

Enrico was born in Messina on June 31, 1875. His parents were Salvatore Foresta and Maria Mansullo {Manzullo). Enrico means rich or wealthy. Henry VI Hohenstaufen was awarded the city of Messina in Dec. 25th, 1194, and crowned the King of Sicilia. Henry died in Messina on Dec. 26th, 1197. Thus the name also means “Lord of the Nation.” Since the name “Enrico” is not widely used, it may have been used in honor of King Henry VI. Enrico’s birth was witnessed by the following persons.

1) Gio Enrico Foresta
2) Gio Magulli Leofololo
3) Gio Purci Gelemaco
4) Giuseffa Cello Slado Curle
5) Gio C. Cucricollo

*Gio is a Sicilian slang term for Mr or similar salutation.

NOTE: Marriage of Filomena Mercurio on April 16th, 1908, in Rodi.
[notation on left side of Enrico’s birth certificate] *see attachment.

NOTE: Enrico’s passport indicates that he was born in Noto, Sicily, Italy on May 31, 1875. His USA address is noted as 34 Fairfield Street, Revere, Mass, dated Feb. 17, 1942. {The information is written in English. It would seem strange that an Italian would complete the information in English. I examined the document carefully. It appears to me that two hands wrote the information. His name at the top of the document is written, along with the other information, on the left page by one person. Enrico’s signature is clearly written by him at the bottom of the first page. Therefore, someone helped him complete this document. This may account for the information that he was born in Noto, when in fact he only lived there.}

NOTE: On March 1st, 1952 a post card from San Menaio, Gardano, Foggia, the Spiaggia Motel, was sent by aunt Emma. She signed it Gia Emma. Emma is believed to be Enrico’ sister. What was she doing there? It is very “out of the way” and off “the beaten track.” Has this something to do with Filomena and where she was from? Another unanswered question. I suspect that Emma may be Filomena’s sister.

On November 8th, 1906, Enrico arrived in New York on the ship “Sicilian Prince”* He listed his residence as Noto, Sicilia, Italia. The Port of departure was Messina, Sicilia. Enrico was 31 years old. On the same ship was Paolo Foresta. He also said he was from Noto. He was 17 years old. It is most likely that they were related. It would seem quite a coincidence that they would travel together, both say they are from Noto, and not know each other. What makes the information strange is that no one knows of Paolo nor did Enrico ever mention him.

Enrico was born in Messina and at sometime thereafter, moved to Noto. Did the entire family move there, or did he move by himself? He came to Boston to meet with Uncle Bono who owned his own business. Uncle Bono premised Enrico a job when he returned to the USA.

*Built by Scott’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Greenock, Scotland, 1889. 2,784 gross tons; 363 (bp) feet long; 42 feet wide. Steam triple expansion engine, single screw. Service speed 12 knots. 1,125 passengers (25 first class, 1,100 third class). Built for Mala Real Portugueza, Portuguese flag, in 1889 and named Mocambique. Renamed Alvarez Cabriel in 1898. Sold to Prince Line, in 1902 and renamed Sicilian Prince. Genoa-New York service. Sold to Khedivial Mail Line, British flag, in 1910 and renamed Abbassieh. Mediterranean service. Scrapped in Italy in 1930.


Enrico returned to Sicilia or maybe Italia, we just don’t know. But in March, 1908 the Rodi authorities notified the Messina authorities of the marriage. A notation was placed on his birth certificate that he was getting married in Rodi. Before Enrico traveled to the USA he was the father to Salvatore, Feb. 20, 1905. Luigi, 1907, could have been born while Enrico was in Boston. {Uncle Louie was named Antonio on the ship manifest. He was also named and referred to as Uncle Eddie. I learned that there was a dispute between Enrico and Filomena as to the child’s name. The result was that Luigi was given two names, one on his church records and one at baptism.

On April 16th, 1908 Enrico and Filomena Mercurio was married in Rodi. {Salvatore and Maria are listed as deceased.} Rodi Garganico is a small town east of Foggia and on the coast. This beautiful garden area or place is covered with floral varieties and green pine trees. At some places the trees grow into the sea. The region is noted for citrus farmers, fishing and tourism. It is interesting to note that Foggia was the main airport from which American air strikes battled the Germans in Italy during WWII.

The family lived in Rodi or close by. It is possible that they lived in Foggia where most of the jobs could be found. In 1910 Aunt Lena {her name according to the ship manifest was Aruelia} was born. Uncle Sam was born in 1911 {his name was listed as Anselmo}.

On March 18th, 1913 the Foresta family boarded the vessel CRETIC in Naples, Italia. On April 1st, 1913 the vessel arrived in Boston Harbor. The Foresta’s’ had landed in the New World to start a new life. Twelve days on the high seas took its wear and tear, but they all were in good shape upon their arrival. Enrico did get the work he was promised, and began working for Uncle Bono.

Enrico and Filomena’s family Meaning of Name

1) Salvatore (Uncle Salvy) 02-20-1905 Him who s safe or good
2) Lugi (Uncle Louie and Uncle Eddie) 00-00-1906 Glorious Fighter
3) Aurelia (Aunt Lina) 04-20-1909
3) Anselmo (Uncle Sam) 03-01-1911
5) Mario (Uncle Mike) 02-05-1914 Masculine for Maria
6) Micolina (Margalena) (Aunt Margaret) 06-07-1916
7) Victor (Uncle Vic) 11-18-1918
8) Viola (Aunt Vi) 07-29-1921

The family settled on Thorndike Street and later moved to 34 Fairfield Street, Revere. Mario was the next child born and the first American born. He was born on February 5th, 1914. Aunt Margarete was born next on June 7th, 1916. Uncle Victor was born on November 18th, 1918. Finally, on July 29th, 1921, Aunt Viola was born. She was the last of the Foresta children, eight in all. In 1919, the Family moved to Fairfield Street. They would live there until the children grew up and went on their own. Mario later purchased the home from Papanonnie and raised his family. The house was worked over and improved. It remains a sample of Foresta hard work, determination and dedication.

Noto

In 1906 Enrico came to Boston seeking work. He said he was from Noto. By 1908 his parents were deceased. Also, the earthquake had destroyed the city of Messina. He couldn’t return to Messina, even if he wanted to. Keep in mind that Uncle Salvy was born in 1905 in Foggia and Uncle Louie the following year. One could then conclude that Enrico left Messina before 1904. He traveled around the island and onto the mainland. He is said to have been a “scribe” or a person who recorded records. He had perfect penmanship, was educated and willing to travel. It is difficult to determine why he left Messina. Maybe it was fate, maybe it was for work. It could also be, that his parents were gone and the other family members had moved on, so, he moved on as well.

There must be some significance in the fact that on two occasions Enrico said, Noto, when asked from where he was born or where he was from. I can only conclude that he did live there for a short time. It should be pointed out that a search of any Foresta name in Noto was negative.

Noto is south of Siracusa and on the coast. The ancient city was abandoned many years prior to 1900. The new city was built a short distance. Once a thriving Greek city, it is now a Baroque tourist attraction. The harbor is situated near the city central. The ancient road built by the Romans around the island is still the main roadway in and out of Noto. Inland from the city is the famous valley which is called, “the Valley of the Unknown.” The ground rises upward to the Iblei Mountain range. Two rivers, the Asinaro and the Tellaro flow from the mountains to the sea. Before it does, the valley dips deep into the earth creating the “Valley of the Unknown.” {Val le di Noto)

Filomena Mercurio

1) Donato Mercurio and Maria Michela Pilsindaso (spelling?): The parents of Luigi Maria.
2) Carmine Colajanni and Maria Marletta: The parents of Anna Maria.

3) Luigi Mercurio and Anna Maria Colojanni: The parents of Filomena.

They were married in Rodi in 1876. Luigi was a Proprietor and Anna Maria was a Filatrice (silk spinner). They lived in a very rural town or village named San Menaio. Rodi is further north and closer to Foggia.

Carmine Colajanni was born in the Puglia Region. This region is located at the south east area above the boot. The peninsula protrudes into the Eonian Sea. This area is called the “Apulia” or the upper part of the region. Foggia is the central city situated in the central valley. Rodi Garganico is east of Foggia on the peninsula mouth. It is not only one of the most beautiful areas of Italia, but of the world. It is referred to as the “garden” area and frequented by Italians and other Europeans.

Enrico traveled to Foggia and some how met Filomena. San Maneo is situated on the coast and very isolated. Mostly comprised of small citrus farms, the area has a small fishing community. It would seem unreasonable to believe that Enrico traveled there and let alone met Filomena there. It is most likely that Enrico went to Foggia and met Filomena. Like everywhere else, people from the farming communities matriculated to the big cities where the jobs were located.

Enrico and Filomena, in love and young, began their relationship. Work was not easy to get and I’m sure that is what motivated Enrico to travel. Eventually, he would have to come to America if he was to take care of his family. The political climate was not favorable either. Italia and Sicilia were still in the process of unification. This painful process divided the people. There were still those that wanted to hang on to City States. But the young and most wanted unification. The march of Garibaldi, the Pediemountese, through Italia and into Sicilia was still fresh on every ones mind. Who else would invade the south and claim it as their own? The fear of this, the turmoil of unification and the poor economy led may Italians and Sicilians to migrate to the new world. Enrico and Filomena would come to that conclusion.



THE FORESTA NAME IN HISTORY

1) Antonio Barone Altrese della Foresta of Messina {1488)

2) Francesco, Barone della Foresta of Messina {he wrote the biography of his uncle Francesco Maurolico, a scholar and noted citizen {1605–the work was not published until 1613, after his death.}free, with the jurisdiction on Militello, Palagonia, Francofonte and Sortino.A to resist the life of the Common one comes elect captain of the people

3) Giovanni Foresta.
The war of the Vespers had not been a republican movement. It was more for communal autonomy. Sicilian politics come to the forefront with the participation of the Aragoneses. They governed exactly as they did in Angioini. Many were disappointed, especially those that were loyal to the French. But most felt that abandoned Manfredi of France, for Peter of Aragon, {1280} they would get more from their new rulers than the French gave them.

4) Enoch Cobb Wine.
Enoch Cobb, philanthropist, born in Hartover, New Jersey, 17 February, 1806; died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 10 December, 1879. He was graduated at Middlebury in 1827, and in 1829 was commissioned teacher of midshipmen in the United States navy. In 1832 he purchased Edgehill school, at Princeton, New Jersey Afterward he removed to Philadelphia, where he was a professor in the City high-school, and subsequently he purchased a classical school at Burlington, New Jersey He then studied theology, and was pastor of Congregational churches in Cornwall, Vermont, and East Hampton, Long Island, New York In 1853 he was chosen to the chair of ancient languages in Washington college, Pennsylvania, and in 1859 to the presidency of the City university of St. Louis, Missouri He accepted, in 1862, the secretaryship of the New York prison association, and from that date until his death his talents and energy were devoted to the study of penology, and to the promotion of reform in the administration of criminal law, and in the conduct of penal institutions throughout the world. In 1866, in conjunction with Dr. Theodore W. Dwight, of Columbia law-school, he made a tour of inspection of the prisons and reformatories of the United States, of which they submitted a report, in 1867, to the legislature of New York. In 1870, through his personal efforts, the first National prison congress assembled at Cincinnati, at which was formed the National prison association, of which Dr. Wines was unanimously chosen secretary, which post he filled until the close of his life. Similar National congresses were organized by him at Baltimore in 1872, at St. Louis in 1874, and in New York in 1876. In 1871 the New York legislature authorized the appointment of three commissioners, to investigate the question of the relations between prison and free labor. Dr. Wines was appointed a member of this commission, and wrote its report, which was pronounced in its opposition to maintaining convicts in idleness. In this same year Dr. Wines was appointed by President Grant, under authority of a joint resolution of congress, United States commissioner to organize an International penitentiary congress at London, and he was sent abroad for the purpose of making the necessary diplomatic representations to foreign governments. When the congress assembled, 4 July, 1872, delegates were present from twenty-six nations, Dr. Wines representing both the United States and Mexico. At the second congress, at Stockholm, in 1878, he was chosen honorary president. At the International penitentiary congress which assembled in Rome in November, 1885, Count di Foresta, an Italian senator, said of him: "It is to him more than to any other individual that we owe the initiation of the movement for the reformation of prisoners, which is the glory of the latter half of the 19th century." Middlebury gave him the degree of D. D. in 1853 and Washington that of LL. D. in 1857. His works include "Two Years and a Half in the Navy" (2 vols., Philadelphia, 1832) ; "A Trip to China" (Boston, 1832);

5) Louis Prince Napoleon. Born 23 January 1914 Bruxelles Died 4 May 1997 Married 16 August, 1949, Linieres-Bouton Alix de Foresta, daughter of Alberic de Foresta and Genevieve Fredet Born 4 April 1926 Marseille.
6) Prince Jean Christopher Napoleon
Since this branch, with the exception of the de Foresta marriage, have made
alliances with the established Royal Families of Europe. Bonaparte

Prince Charles Napoleon 10-19-1950
Boulogne-Billancourt 12-19-1978, of Paris div: 5-2-1989, Nanterre, Hauts-des-Seine.
Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Sicily. 6-16-1950 of St. Raphael.

Prince Louis Napoleon.
1-23-1914 of Brussels - 5-3-1996.
Lignieres-Bouton, Maine-et-Loire

Alix de Foresta.
4-4-1926, of Marseille.

Prince Ferdinand of Bourbon-Sicily.
5-28-1926, Schloss Podzamcze 7.23.1949, Giez

Chantal de Chevron-Villette. 1-10-1925, of Le Cannet des Maures -

Prince Victor Napoleon 7-18-1862, of Paris - 5-3-1926, Brussels
m: 11.14.1910, Chateau de Moncalieri

Princess Clementine of Belgium 7-30-1872, Laeken - 3-8-1955, of Nice-Cimiez

Alberic de Foresta 5-11-1895, Avignon -
married 4-17-1925, of Froges Genevieve Fredet.



7) Louis Jerome Victor Emmanuel Léopold Marie Prince Napoleon
* Brussels, January 23rd, 1914
† Geneva, May 3rd, 1997
Head of the Imperial Family of France, May 3rd, 1926
Captain of the Infantry of France
To order of the Order of the Legion of Honor of France, Bearer of the War Cross-country race (1939-1945) of France, Large Officer of the Order of the Crown of Belgium, Bearer of the War Cross-country race of Belgium
Married:
Castle of Flax field-Button, the Maine-and-Loire, August 16th, 1949:
Alix Marie Josephe Thérèse Henriette de Foresta

8) Milan Papers related to England 1475
...this news and among others the Governor of Nice who said ... lord of Bourbon, the Archbishop of Lyons, Count Duporno, Connt ... ANTONIO DELLA FORESTA to MADAME OF Savoy ...

9) Marquis of Foresta, Bishop of Loiret, d’Orleans, France, April 17, 1830.


THE FRENCH CONNECTION

In previous pages you have read references to France and the Foresta name associated with French noblemen. When I first started this project I read a Sicilian historian bluntly state, “if your eyes are blue, you are descended from the Norman.” I read this and kept on going. Was it true? I would have to wait and see.

Sicilia has been invaded by many peoples, the French were among them. But one must understand the situation during these times, centuries of occupation, and more occupation. Sicilia and Southern Italia was isolated from the rest of Italia and therefore, a target for anyone to conquer. And they did! From Africa, Europe, Arabia, England and from Italia. I’ll try to sum up the history of Sicilia in a short summary.

Before the Romans all of southern Italia and Sicilia was open territory. No one made claim to the area. Therefore, anyone who wanted the land could simply take it by force. Now you know the meaning of government. No government, no country and no protection. The evaders came at will, conquering, pillaging, plundering and leaving. Some stayed and made this their home.

The Romans changed all that when they invaded and kept Sicilia under Roman rule for several hundred years. But when the empire began to fold, so did the hold on the prize jewel, Sicilia. The years that followed saw other invaders come to Sicilia and take what they wanted. Some times the land was given to others, and sometimes they just laid claim to it.

Sicilia emerged as a multi cultural land, mixed with Arabs, Spanish, French, Italians and other immigrants. The migration is really the history of the world. It has been going on since the beginning of time, and is still happening now. The argument continues, as it did long ago, about immigrant migration. They couldn’t stop it then, and they won’t stop it now.

We can conclude from this history that we, whose ancestors migrated, are a combination of several nationalities. Our inquiry or investigation is tasked with the search to find out as much as possible, so that we can make an educated guess as to who our ancestors were and where they came from. The process should get us closer to the answers we seek. So far we have learned a lot.

1) Enrico was born in Messina, Sicilia.
2) Filomena was born in Southern Italia.

So, we are at least half Southern Italian and half Sicilian. Actually, there is no difference between the two. The kingdom of the “two Sicilies” is Southern Italia and the island of Sicilia. But Enrico spoke Italian, and he claimed he was Italian. We can also trace the name Foresta back at least to the twelfth century. So, what ever we have in us, it has been there a long time. Inter marriage continually between Sicilian with Southern Italian immigrants has resulted in a predominance of Italian blood in our history. Well, we all knew this before we started, well almost. But now we have learned that the Foresta trunk line was descended from France. Our eyes are blue, just as we were told early on. But, we still don’t know if the Normans were the responsible link or was the link from Nice. But again, we are just guessing. Because there maybe some British Isle blood in us, accounting for the blue eyes. Never the less, I think it is safe to say that we are a mixture of at least two nationalities, maybe three.

The Italian blood dominates. After centuries of marriage with mainland and island Italian decedents, we emerge as Italian/Sicilian. From Rome north, was considered Italian. South of Rome was considered rural and Southern Italia. This included the island of Sicilia. Thus the phrase, the “two Sicilias.” Naples and Palermo, the two central City States of Southern Italy. The main ports and the two cultural centers. How went one, went the other. Either by invasion or by economic plight. Therefore, it was not by consonance that nearly all migration to the United States came from Southern Italia, the poorest region of the republic. It should also be noted that Italia was not really a republic until after WWII. During the allied invasion of Sicilia, the island was occupied by the German Army. The allied forces invaded at the point of least resistance, just as Garibaldi did many year before.

Lucky for us that it all turned out the way it did. And thanks to our ancestors who choose the roads that brought us here. The axiom, “the roads we build to day will be traveled by those that come after us” holds true.




Footnotes and Credits

Thanks to the internet, that wonderful plethora of knowledge. The endless resource of time and space captured for all to investigate. It is the greatest wonder of this earth, thus far.

Many of the historical articles were taken directly from internet writings. Therefore, you will see repeat information. Each had something to add to the story, I just couldn’t resist including them.

I added what I thought was interesting articles about Italian/Sicilian culture. Food, wine and all those wonderful dishes. My fond memories of my Uncles, Aunts and Parents added to my quest to find out more. My father, Uncle Mike to some, always kept the Italian/Sicilian traditions. A simple man, of simple pleasures and of simple life; but complex in his thoughts and deeds. He kindled in me the desire to learn more. But maybe it was Papanonnie, the traveler, after all, it is his blood that runs through our veins. Uncle Vic always talked about the “old country” even though he was the furthest removed. But it was all done “lovely.” All of this, together made one.

Books

1) The Prince and other writings Niccolo Machiavelli
2) The Leopard* Giuseppe di Lampedusa
3) Sicilian Vespers: A History of the
Mediterranean World in the Later
Thirteenth Century Steven Runciman
4) Mythology Edith Hamilton


*The Leopard is one of the greatest literary books of Sicilian life, history and culture. A must read for all of our heritage. The words are as music, the scenes of great movies and the style of pure Sicilian. The Prince resisted unification, but gave in to it, because Spanish rule had been long, fair and respected. My only regret is that the book was too short. But it certainly gives one an eyeglass view of life in Sicilia in 1860's, just before the great migration.

A few quotes from the book

Tortured by anxious hope of salvation (a caged cat), imagining it could still escape when it was already caught, just like so many human beings

In Sicily it doesn’t matter whether things are done well or done badly; the sin which we Sicilians never forgive is simply that of ‘doing’ at all. ...

All Sicilian expression, even the most violent, is really wish-fulfillment: our sensually is a hankering for oblivion, our shooting and knifing a hankering for death; our laziness, our spiced and drugged sherbets, a hankering for voluptuous immobility, that is, for death again; our meditative air is that of a void wanting to scrutinize the enigmas of nirvana. That is what gives power to certain people among us, to those who are half awake: that is the cause of the well-known time lag of a century in our intellectual life; novelties attract us only when they are dead, incapable of arousing vital currents; that is what gives rise to the extraordinary phenomenon of the constant formation of myths which would be venerable if they were really ancient, but which are really nothing but sinister attempts to plunge us back into a past that attacks us only because it is dead.

...I said Sicilians, I should have added Sicily, the atmosphere, the climate, the landscape of Sicily. Those are the forces which have formed our minds together with and perhaps more than foreign domination and all-assorted rapes; this landscape which knows no mean between sensuous slackness and hellish drought; which is never petty, never ordinary, never relaxed, as a country made for rational beings to live in should be; this country of ours in which the inferno around Randazzo is a few miles from the loveliness of Taormina Bay; this climate which inflicts us with six feverish months at a temperature of a hundred and four; count them, ... May, June, July August, September, October; six times thirty days of sun sheer down on our heads; this summer of ours which is as long and glum as a Russian winter and against which we struggle with less success; you don’t know it yet, but fire could be said, snow down on us on accrued cities of the bible; if a Sicilian worked hard in any of those months he would expend energy enough for three;

...they will remain convinced that their country is basely calumniated, like all other countries, that the civilized norm is here, the oddities are elsewhere.

Quick wits which in Sicily usurp the name of intelligence.

The Prince’s remark about the coming of Garibaldi (Garibaldini). They came to teach us good manners. But they won’t succeed, because we think we are gods.

Sicilians never want to improve, for the simple reason that they think themselves perfect; their vanity is stronger than misery; every evasion by outsiders, wether so by origin or, if Sicilian, by independence of spirit, upsets their illusion of achieved perfection, risks, disrupting their satisfied waiting for nothing; having been trampled on by a dozen different peoples, they consider they have an imperial past which gives them the right to grand funeral. Do you think you are the first to civilize Sicily into the flow of universal history? ...

Sicily wanted to sleep in spite of their invocation; for why should she listen to them if she herself is rich, if she’s wise, if she’s civilized, if she’s honest, if she’s admired and envied by all, if, in a word, she is perfect?

...the bad state of things, here and elsewhere, is all due to feudalism; that is, my fault, as it were. Maybe. But there’s been feudalism everywhere, and foreign invasions too. ... the reason for the difference must lie in this sense of superiority that dazzles every Sicilian eye, and which we ourselves call pride while in reality it is blindness.

I feel that at this decisive moment for future of the Italian State it is the duty of all to support it, and to avoid any impression of disunity in the eyes of those foreign States which are watching us with alarm or with hope, both of which will be shown unjustified but which do at the moment exist.... Now the bent is endemic, we’re made like that, I said ‘support,’ I did not say ‘participate.’* In these last six months, since your Garibaldi set foot at Marsala, too many things have been done without our being consulted for you to be able now to ask a member of the old governing class to help develop things and carry them through. ...

... of the new order, for my part I see instead a centenarian being dragged in a Bath chair around the Great Exhibition in London, understanding nothing and caring about nothing, whether it’s the steel factories of Sheffield or the cotton spinners of Manchester, and thinking of nothing but drowsing off again amid be slobbered pillows and with a pot under the bed.

We were the Leopards, the lions; those who’ll take our place will be little jackals, hyenas; and the whole lot of us, Leopard, jackals, and sheep, we’ll all go on thinking ourselves the salt of the earth.

Rage is gentlemanly, complaints are not.

On unification: Never have we been so disunited as since we’ve been reunited.

*This applies today, yesterday and forever. United we stand, divided we fall.

I have submitted my DNA for examination. The results have been delivered. They can be observed.