In Faded Fabric: The Preservation of Immigrant Identity The
Kingdom of Italy had secured its territorial integrity, seizing
Venice from Austria 1866 and ending Rome’s Papal autonomy by
conquering the Eternal City four years later. Nestled in the
mountains of southern Italy laid the village of Montefalcone. In
1870, the town was awash with celebration—not from its kingdom’s
recent conquests but from a single wedding. Fiorita Corso was
betrothed to Aniello Vitale, the orphaned son of a wealthy local
merchant; imported cloth and wine streamed in from across the
country, and the families busied themselves with preparations.
Aniello’s father Raffaele had owned houses and property across
the Campania region of southern Italy. He owned a prosperous
store, selling groceries, cloth, and medicine. Around 1860,
while bathing his horses, Raffaele was pulled underwater by a
horse and drowned. As his widow mourned, the business fell into
decline, servants stole from the family, and little-by-little
their wealth disappeared