We are deeply grateful to Carrie and her family for entrusting us with their journey of rediscovery. It was an honor to guide them through their ancestral homeland and witness the emotional moments that unfolded as they reconnected with their roots. This is why we do what we do—to bring families home, even if it’s for the first time.
A special thank you also goes to Carrie for meticulously writing the following account for the readers of the Vita Calabra Tours Blog and its Community. Her words beautifully capture the essence of this incredible journey, and we are honored to share her story with you.
Each family vacation included my parents, whether it was close to home in the US or aboard. I selected activities based not only the interests of each child but also on what my parents would like to do. As my parents are growing older, I have been reflecting more on my childhood, family, and history, as most of us do.
Last year, we decided to travel from Chicago to Italy. As part of that trip, I wanted to uncover our family’s roots. Where did we come from, what does it look like there, and who created the wonderful people who are now part of my intelligent, creative, loving children? I felt we should experience this together to revive and preserve our origin story.
I started researching and speaking to relatives here in the US who could help with locating the town from where my great grandfather lived as a boy. Stories were similar though the details were always a little off. I couldn’t find the cited village in my internet searches, nor could I find any records of my great grandpa’s original last name. He, as most people did in the 1800s, changed his name when arriving in America.
In fourth grade, one of my class projects was to select a country and write a report. I sent a letter to my great grandma, who we affectionately called little gramma due to her very tiny stature, and I asked her questions about my little grandpa’s upbringing in Italy. On my great grandpa’s behalf, she sent me details of his mother and sister, living on a small farm in Alessandria del Carretto, Italy. I added all this rich detail into my handwritten report. I saved this report. I didn’t save many of my old school projects, though I’ve kept this in a bin through many moves across the country and over so many years. I would like to believe that I saved the report for this reason since it was the key to finding our family.
I began to investigate where we would stay in Italy, somewhere close enough to Calabria and the village written about in my report. I landed on Tropea as our destination in southern Italy and through further research and recommendations, was directed to Vita Calabra Tours. I needed help and was hoping Vita Calabra Tours would be able to piece together what little information that I had and locate where we should go to visit “our homeland.” Danilo replied that not only would he be the genealogical researcher, but he would also be our driver and bilingual guide once he was able to locate our roots. I was thrilled at the prospect of finding our relatives across the sea and skeptical at the same time. Would he be able to locate my little grandpa’s family? Within a short period of time, Danilo responded with one of the most anticipated emails I have ever received. He found our family!
Unbelievable. The news was beyond my expectations.
Danilo traveled to the town of Alessandria del Carretto, met with the person in charge of the Anagrafe Office, the town’s mayor, and one of his councilors. He found my little grandpa’s birth certificate and his parent’s birth certificates. I was elated. His email continued with the news that my little grandpa’s sister’s daughter, Rosa, is still living in the town at over 90 years old! His email went on to say that not only will we meet Rosa, but the mayor will also open the town hall for us to see the birth certificates, a tour of the town will be provided, and a typical local lunch! Unbelievable.
After several days of traveling to Rome and Tropea, we were to meet Danilo and his mother, Enza that is as well a professional driver and guide. Since we had a group of nine people – my husband, my parents, my four sons and one of my son’s friends and myself – we needed to travel to Alessandria del Carretto in Calabria by two vehicles. I was touched to find out that Danilo’s mother would be sharing the day with us, as well as the six-hour roundtrip drive.
With a stomach full of emotions, we arrived at the village. My mother was nervous, this was her grandfather’s family we were to meet. We were all eager to see the landscape and learn more about the family living on the other side of the world.
At the arrival of the town hall, the mayor and others all greeted us with open arms and smiles. My mom cried at the viewing of my little grandpa’s birth certificate. Danilo translated between us all and made us feel like we were all part of the welcoming. It was magical to read what my little grandpa’s actual name was and to think about how he must have felt to have to change it on his arrival to America.
Carrie’s mother meets her Aunt Rosa for the first time on the doorstep of her home in Alessandria del Carretto, a heartfelt reunion years in the making.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Carrie’s mother and Aunt Rosa share a heartfelt moment as they look through old family photos in Alessandria del Carretto.
We visited Alessandria del Carretto for the remainder of the day. The entire afternoon was filled with love and warmth. We learned about a church where Chicagoans returned to paint and help restore. We learned about a pagan festival while visiting the local museum. A statue representing beauty and vitality wore a ribbon from the church where my parents were married and we read a letter from a distant relation located in a city where my mother grew up. We saw multiple murals painted on the buildings throughout the village. My little grampa’s son, my grandfather, was also an artist. He painted a painting which stood in the same church my parents were married and that is connected to Alessandria del Carretto! My mother is also an artist and paints to this day. She has painted a mural in my son’s room, telling the story of a young boy dreaming about his stuffed animals coming to life. A five-foot bear eating a plate full of chocolate chip cookies, next to an even taller laughing giraffe, a teeth baring smile on an alligator and many others carefully painted on all of the bedroom walls. What a great discovery to find that the village had members with the same talents!
As the day came to an end and we said our goodbyes to the village, we traveled back for the night, recounting all of the day’s moments. I felt thankful for being able to share such an amazing experience with those I love the most..
.One of my principles is to create lasting, memorable experiences for my children and family. This trip will always hold a special place in our hearts and remain etched in our memories.
Carrie