So, What’s in a (Last) Name? Part 1

Table of Contents

Another long one…but, I promise, there’s a pizza review too!

My last post ended at the “Uffici del Commune di Solofra” (the town offices of Solofra) in Avelino, Campania. We found the Anagrafe (Register’s Office) was unfortunately closed, and we were leaving Italy. This was all in our quest to “find” and learn more about our Bisnonno (Great Grandpa, GGP) Lucio.

In Search of Lucio: So, What’s in a (Last) Name? Part 1

In Italy, it’s “Il tuo cognome“ (pronounced Eel-Two-Oh Co-Nome-Ay). In most of the English-speaking world, it’s “surname“. Some places call it “family name”. Here in North American it’s your “last name”.

Our kids are teaching our grandson how to pronounce our last name. With a last name that’s almost one-half the length of the alphabet and with nearly every vowel, it’s a daunting mouthful for a 20-month-old.

As I watched and listened, I began to ponder the story of our last name. It’s the reason for this blog! It’s a story that my grandkids must understand. I’m just starting to understand myself! It’s a story with more twists and turns, climbs, and drops than a bike ride along the Amalfi Coast!

So, here goes!

In our quest to find Lucio, I’ve learned that:
- Our last name = VALLERIANO (two L’s)
- Great Grandpa (GGP) Lucio passed the last name of Valeriano (one L) to his son, my Grandfather Raffaele (Ralph), BUT Grandpa Ralph’s last name was NOT Valeriano (one L), it was Rocco!
- And, Grandpa Ralph’s son, my father (Grandpa Tony), was Tony Rocco AND Tony Valleriano (two L’s), but never Tony Valeriano (one L)!!!
- And looping back, here’s the kicker, GGP Lucio’s REAL last name was not Valleriano, not Valeriano, and not Rocco!

WTF!!!

Lucio’s Birth Record

My brother unearthed GGP Lucio’s birth record and had it translated:

When I first saw this about 10 years ago, I didn’t know how to interpret it. So, I’ve spent much of my retirement traveling to Southern Italy, reading extensively about Italian History from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance to today, reading about the Southern Italian Diaspora (emigration), and European infant abandonment.

Questions Have Us Going in Circles!

This document brought a slew of questions. As we attempt to answer one, more arise; it’s a circular problem. This circularity makes it difficult to list the questions in a logical order.

In this post, I’ll start by analyzing some of the above document:
- What is the Routa del Proietti?
- What and Where is the New Street Quarter?
- What’s this about infant abandonment? Why was it this way in Southern Italy? Was that that way in other places?

Further blog posts will continue to these questions:
- What does it mean that he was “given the name” and why?
- Why Valeriano?
- Why was Lucio’s Wet Nurse So Important?
- What about Rocco?
- What about Valleriano?
- What’s a foundling and domiciled?
- Are there other Valeriano?
- Who are Lucio’s parents? Mother? Father?
- What’s the REAL last name?
- Why did Lucio survive when most others didn’t? Place or people?
- Why were there several different last names?
- Were there/are there others from Lucio’s parents?

In addition to what we’ve found, some of what follows is sourced from see here and see here. Some are facts, some are speculation by others or by my brother or myself. I will try to point out each.

Andiamo!

What is a Routa dei Proietti?

Toward the bottom of the document, it says “Routa dei Proietti.” The Routa dei Proietti is a fascinating historical concept that sheds light on the lives of abandoned infants in Italy. Let’s delve into this:

The Ruota:
- Imagine a wheel, similar to a Lazy Susan, embedded in the wall of a foundling home or church.
- When an infant was abandoned (esposita), they were placed on this wheel.
- The wheel would then be spun, carrying the baby to the other side where a “receiver” awaited.
Proietti:
- The term Proietti in Italian means “cast off” or “thrown away.”
- It aptly describes the fate of these abandoned children.
Baptism and Naming:
- The receiver, often a town or church official, had a crucial responsibility.
- Their first task was to ensure the baby’s baptism, “the unbaptized” were believed to face “eternity in purgatory.”
- Baptism also resulted in the baby receiving a name.
Church and State:
- After baptism, the church washed its hands.
- The state stepped in, seeking a wet nurse to care for the child at its expense.
- In rare cases, the child remained with the wet nurse’s family beyond the duration that the government paid
- However, most often, once state payments ceased, the wet nurse would, once again, abandon the child to the streets (referred to as “scunnizzo” or street urchins) for self-survival (usually in a life of slavery or prostitution).
Lucio’s Fortunate Start:
- Despite the tragic circumstances of Lucio’s abandonment, his assigned wet nurse seems to be a stroke of luck!

For more detals, see this – Wheel of the Exposed – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Guard at the Wheel of the Foundlings by Gioacchino Toma (1846-1891)

From <https://lartediguardarelarte.altervista.org/la-ruota-degli-esposti-di-napoli/>

What and Where is the New Street Quarter in Solofra?

The document shows that the Routa was in the New Street Quarter (Via Nuovo in Italian). This is an authentic street located in Solofra. A glance through Google Maps Street View reveals that Via Nuovo is a brief stretch, home to what appears to be a solitary historical structure situated adjacent to a roundabout. It’s probable that this roundabout was a piazza at one time and turned into a roundabout with the advent of cars. Piazzas typically also housed churches.

The structure might have been a church. Churches (Chiese) are in every neighborhood (or quarter, Quartieri in Italian) in Southern Italy (hmm…no money to help people but plenty to build churches….oops, I digress). Given that, it’s highly likely that Lucio was born in the Via Nuovo Quartieri (New Street Neighborhood).

This intriguing site is on my list of places to explore during my next trip.

What’s this about Infant Abandonment?

Infant abandonment was a significant issue in all of Europe going back to BC. It was particularly high in impoverished regions like Southern Italy. Estimates suggest that between 20% (see here) to over 80% (see here) of births were abandoned. This second source, which deeply moved me, indicated that only 10% of abandoned infants survived their first year. This leads me to believe that Lucio stayed with his assigned wet nurse beyond what was normally paid by the government.

Both the church and the state implemented rules to conceal the identities of the parents. In my view, this created a cultural norm like how abortion is perceived today. There is debate over who benefited most from this secrecy—the church, the state, the father, or the mother—but it is undeniable that the child did not benefit at all.

As an indication of how prevalent and far back abandonment was “In Italy, according to tradition, Pope Innocent III, troubled by recurring dreams in which the corpses of newborn babies fished out of nets appeared to him in the Tiber, established a “wheel” in 1198 in the hospital of Santo Spirito in Sassia” (From <https://lartediguardarelarte.altervista.org/la-ruota-degli-esposti-di-napoli/) 700 years before Lucio’s birth!

That’s all, and enough sadness, for now….

Pizza Review – Rubinos, East Irondequoit, NY

It was 17 years ago today (July 1, 2007) that the building that I started my career at Kodak Park was demolished.

On my very first day of work in Building 23 back in 1982, I strolled across the street to Rubino’s for a sub—a fitting choice for my inaugural lunch as a new engineer. As someone who was ‘fresh off the boat,’ knowing no one in town, the sight of an Italian name and the familiar menu items brought me comfort. And so began my enduring love affair with Rubino’s, a place that still provides solace today! 🥪❤️

Rubino’s has a long tradition in Rochester. As you can see from the picture above, the sub shop on Ridge Road in Rochester is closed as is the original location on Norton Street, but Rubino’s traditions continue in East Irondequoit.

We often visit for real Italian sausage, cheeses, and other specialty items that the omnipresent W (Wegman’s) doesn’t carry and to support a local Italian-American small business. I often buy their pizza too.

For me, Rubino’s has surpassed Leo’s as the quintessential Italian-American specialty store on Rochester’s east side. While Rubino’s remains true to its roots, Leo’s has diversified, offering fewer Italian-American specialties and more general “Medigan” items.

Date	June 15, 2024
Pizzeria	Rubino’s Food Market
City/Neighborhood	Irondequoit, NY / East Irondequoit It’s important that I say “East Irondequoit” given that certain WASPY types (read that as my wife!) from West Irondequoit didn’t want to associate with the Italians and Jews in East Irondequoit!
Website	Front Page – Rubino’s Italian Food Market – Rochester, NY (rubinos.net)
About Us	How It All Started – Rubino’s Italian Food Market – Rochester, NY (rubinos.net) Well-developed About Us Section
Style	Sheet – Sicilian We bought 2 pre-packaged square cuts that were wrapped in cellophane plastic wrap (this turned out to be a problem…see below)
Ambiance	As usual for a Saturday, the place was packed! It was difficult to move around, even with the mini grocery carts they have.

Rating Criteria
Shape	Rectangular
Dough/Crust	Tickness- Tick Cook – Soft, Crispy bottom (likely due to the way that I warmed it in our oven), Spongy/airy but with the absence of big bubbles, just lots of tiny ones, soft chew and miniscule bubbles were reminiscent of Wonder bread (remember that? See here) Flavor – like soft white bread
Cornicione	Crispy (again, likely from my re-baking), Spongy/airy –
Toppings	Grated Cheese
Sauce	Very Tangy making it very nice, thin to medium richness The biggest issue is that most of the sauce and cheese came off with the cellophane when it was unwrapped. The wrapping was tight, although not shrink wrapped taking the sauce and cheese with it.
Cheese	Cheese Type – I’m thinking it was parmagian. It was very sharp and outstanding! They have a nice specialty cheese shop in-store, so I’m guessing is from there and is fresh. Cheese Distribution – All over, but primarily on the wrapping Sharp and Salty
Cheese to Sauce Ratio	Sauce – A little to none Cheese – A little Balance – none, like dividing by zero when much of the toppings get lost in the wrapper, there’s no balance, could use more

A part where all the cheese and sauce stayed in-tact

Value	Very good at $2.29 for a 4″ x 5″ cut which is $13 for a 12″ equivalent
Overall Rating	I’ve been having an internal debate about this. The flavors were good, and the cheese taste excellent, but if most of the toppings (and the majority of the flavor) is taken away be poor packaging…then it’s MEH
Would I Go Back?	Despite this, I’m going back! But, I’ve learned my lesson. I will ask for cuts from a pan and have them box it versus wrapping