A stained glass image from a church in Serra San
Bruno
Frank from Canada writes . . . I was born in Serra San Bruno in 1951. I don't remember much as I was less tha two years old when my parents left for Canada. It is nice to see pictures of my home town. I vow someday to return if only to visit.
Vincenzo D. Bertucci from Hollywood (USA) writes . . .Serra San Bruno is the Utopia of Italy. Oh by the way I was born there...
Rena from Canada (email r.l.brant@cogeco.ca) writes (August 2006) . . . I am planning a trip to my ancestors homeland. My dad Frank Primerano was born in Serra San Bruno in 1910. I would like to find any relatives that are still living in Serra San Bruno. I really appreciate an email from a relative or someone who has knowledge of the family.Thanks!
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Serra San Bruno is high up in the mountains of Southern
Italy. You get there on a twisting road that snakes up through
the highland forests.
Trees hang over the road to create a tunnel that filters the sun
and cools the air. Snow signs warn that, in winter, this could be
a more tortuous trail.
But today the road is clear. We pass few cars. And you have
the feeling that you are experiencing something special that has
been set aside for just a few. Wild flowers grow up out the
forest litter and vines twirl their way around the tree trunks to
search out their share of the sun. The leaves are starting to
turn their autumn shades and a variety of greens speckle the
canopy overhead.
We arrive at Serra San Bruno, perched on the crest of the
heights before they fall away to the Eastern coast and the Golfo
di Squillace.
Our first stop is a Baroque church, one of the three in this
small town. All are well used, well preserved and impressive in
their architecture and presentation.
This one has some excellent wood carvings and stain glass
panels high in the walls above. The ceiling soars above to make a
grand statement.
There are some beautiful palaces to see and some fine stone
work surrounding the portals.
This is a very traditional Italian town. The old men sit as
they do each day in the town square. Today the talk is about the
coming olive harvest, but the discussion is mostly about the
past. The happenings of last year, or maybe the events of ten
years ago - to them it was only yesterday and it has been told
many times before. They enjoy a joke together and no one cares if
the story is embellished to make it a little more interesting
this time around. They look so natural against the fading paint -
it seems like they have been there forever (some of them
have!).
When you leave Serra San Bruno, the road falls away to the
coastal plain. As you descend you will find three small villages
grouped closely together - Stilo, Pazzano and Bivongi. All have a
charm and natural beauty that you will not forget.
There is a famous 7th Century Byzantine church, a small
grotto, and the 100 metre fall of the Marmarico Falls.
In these towns you will find lanes that twist and turn, steps that will lead you to the
houses that are stacked one over the other as they perch on the
hill. There will be little surprises around every corner - this is the joy of exploring these Italian hill-top towns.
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Marie from NY writes ... I enjoyed your web page on Sera St. Bruno, Italy. My parents immigrated to the U.S. from this city in the early 1920s. They never stopped talking about their homeland. Salvatore from Ok, USA writes ... My parents were born in Serra San Bruno 1887-1889
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Nearby, up a twisting track, is the monastery of S. Giovanni
Therystis, surrounded by olive groves and grape vines. We tried
the local Bivongi wine that night, a rich sweet red that matched
the taste of the bunch of grapes we had enjoyed that same
afternoon.
More photos
of Serra San Bruno
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