A Must Read for Family Historians
Relative Strangers: Italian Protestants in the Catholic World by Chicago attorney, Frank Cicero, Jr., is a must read for anyone who is trying to trace their family history. Not unlike many third generation American descendants of Western European ancestry, Cicero, who was born in Chicago had only a basic understanding about his Italian ancestry. Through family lore he knew his maternal grandparents were from northern Italy and that his paternal grandparents were from Sicily. He was raised Presbyterian and experienced first-hand the religious differences between his father's Cicero family, who were all Roman Catholic, and his mother's Balma family who were Protestant, but he did not fully understand the origin of these differences. In this well written account Cicero explains through family history, genealogy and religion, how his parents met and what obstacles they may have overcome in order to marry in this environment.
As with most family historians the curiosity about family origins and questions about economic, socio-political, and religious differences can begin early in life, but sometimes it is not until later that the actual search begins. An old photograph, a family story, a letter, or a book can be the spark that ignites that search. For Cicero it began while he was working on a lawsuit in Paris with the discovery of a book in an obscure bookstore about the origins of the Protestant Waldensian's that took root in the predominantly Roman Catholic Piedmont region of northern Italy.
The Catholic/Protestant story of conflict is a universal one and Cicero provides the reader with an excellent overview about a little known but fascinating sect known as Waldensians, a legacy of the in Protestant Reform. With origins over 800 years ago it was able to withstand centuries of persecution by both the Roman Catholic Church and the political rulers in Europe. Though it was successfully transplanted to Italian neighborhoods in the United States, Cicero traces how the Balma's faith merged with other mainstream Protestant churches.
This study covers three generations of Cicero's paternal and maternal ancestors and details the geographical origins of the families, the likely decisions leading to emigration, the passage from Italy to the United States, and the struggles endured by the new immigrants in the cities of Buffalo and Chicago. Cicero's work in France gave him the unique opportunity to begin exploring his roots, particularly in Sicily—Montemaggiore and Valledolmo—and he gives detailed accounts of his travels. Of most interest is that he relied on primary contacts, with no referrals, in Sicily during his initial travels there over the years. Fortunately the people he met led him to the other contacts and important primary documents that he needed. Not everyone exploring his or her roots is afforded such an opportunity.
Only years of meticulous research could have produced such a well-written and detailed family history as revealed in this book. It is also a great study of religious differences and immigrant lifestyles not unlike those shared by a multitude of people who come to the United States seeking a better way of life.
Relative Strangers: Italian Protestants in the Catholic World by Chicago attorney, Frank Cicero, Jr., is a must read for anyone who is trying to trace their family history. Not unlike many third generation American descendants of Western European ancestry, Cicero, who was born in Chicago had only a basic understanding about his Italian ancestry. Through family lore he knew his maternal grandparents were from northern Italy and that his paternal grandparents were from Sicily. He was raised Presbyterian and experienced first-hand the religious differences between his father's Cicero family, who were all Roman Catholic, and his mother's Balma family who were Protestant, but he did not fully understand the origin of these differences. In this well written account Cicero explains through family history, genealogy and religion, how his parents met and what obstacles they may have overcome in order to marry in this environment.
As with most family historians the curiosity about family origins and questions about economic, socio-political, and religious differences can begin early in life, but sometimes it is not until later that the actual search begins. An old photograph, a family story, a letter, or a book can be the spark that ignites that search. For Cicero it began while he was working on a lawsuit in Paris with the discovery of a book in an obscure bookstore about the origins of the Protestant Waldensian's that took root in the predominantly Roman Catholic Piedmont region of northern Italy.
The Catholic/Protestant story of conflict is a universal one and Cicero provides the reader with an excellent overview about a little known but fascinating sect known as Waldensians, a legacy of the in Protestant Reform. With origins over 800 years ago it was able to withstand centuries of persecution by both the Roman Catholic Church and the political rulers in Europe. Though it was successfully transplanted to Italian neighborhoods in the United States, Cicero traces how the Balma's faith merged with other mainstream Protestant churches.
This study covers three generations of Cicero's paternal and maternal ancestors and details the geographical origins of the families, the likely decisions leading to emigration, the passage from Italy to the United States, and the struggles endured by the new immigrants in the cities of Buffalo and Chicago. Cicero's work in France gave him the unique opportunity to begin exploring his roots, particularly in Sicily—Montemaggiore and Valledolmo—and he gives detailed accounts of his travels. Of most interest is that he relied on primary contacts, with no referrals, in Sicily during his initial travels there over the years. Fortunately the people he met led him to the other contacts and important primary documents that he needed. Not everyone exploring his or her roots is afforded such an opportunity.
Only years of meticulous research could have produced such a well-written and detailed family history as revealed in this book. It is also a great study of religious differences and immigrant lifestyles not unlike those shared by a multitude of people who come to the United States seeking a better way of life.