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Hello,
my name is Miriam Medina also known as Mimi,
the author of the "Mimi Speaks blog."
Welcome to the Brusciano, Italy News/Events
Information Page."
I'm sure there are those of you that are
curious as to why I have dedicated this page
to Brusciano, Italy, especially when this
section is for Italian Harlem. Please keep
in mind, that the Giglio feasts that have
been and are still being celebrated in East Harlem, has its origin in Brusciano, Italy.
Around the turn of the century, many
families from Brusciano, Italy migrated to
East Harlem , New York bringing their
beloved traditions, culture, language and
religion which included the yearly Dance of
the Giglio Festival in honor of Sant' Antonio.
This is where the history of Brusciano,
Italy and the history of Italian Harlem are
inter-twined. Many Italian Americans have
their roots in Brusciano, Italy.
When Dr. Antonio Castaldo, who is a
journalist and head of the Press office in
Brusciano, approached me for exchanging
information, with regard to the Italian
community of New York and the Italian
Community in Brusciano, I agreed and
therefore this page was created for this
purpose. Dr. Castaldo will be keeping us
updated with articles and pictures of
everything that is going on in their town.
Though the articles are
written in Italian, I am translating them
into English to the best of my knowledge, so
the English speaking Italian-Americans
may also participate in sharing the
news/events of the town of Brusciano,
Italy from whence their ancestors came.
Brusciano
remembers the innocent victims of the International
terrorist attacks of September 11 2001.
In Memory of September 11, 2001
The largest public square of
Brusciano has been dedicated to the memory of
the victims of the International Terrorism to New
York and Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001.
This site was inaugurated on July 26, 2004. A new
facelift to this public square memorial "Piazza XI
Settembre," has been in progress over the last
several months which we will see soon in its new
inauguration upon completion. From left to
right: Antonio Castaldo, Head of the Press Office in
Brusciano; Nicola Di Maio, Consigliere comunale
Delegato alle Politiche Sociali and last is
Achitetto Giuseppe Devastat, Direttore dei Lavori di
Piazza XI Settembre.
Contributor: Dr. Antonio Castaldo:
Journalist and Head of Press Office In Brusciano,
Italy.
From the grateful and voluminous feedback
that I have received, I would like to
express appreciation on behalf of the people
of Italian Harlem, New York and myself for
the steady flow of information, which you
have so kindly provided , keeping us abreast
of everything, thus preserving and
strengthening the connection between the
descendants of Brusciano and their beloved
ancestral roots.
Miriam
Medina
Dal grato e reazione voluminosa che io
ho ricevuto, gradirei esprimere
l'apprezzamento in favore delle persone
di Harlem italiana, New York e me per il
consolidi flusso di informazioni che Lei
ha così gentilmente purché, andandoci a
pari passo con tutto, preservando così e
fortificando il collegamento tra i
discendenti di Brusciano e le loro
radici ancestrali.
Miriam Medina
The origins of the Giglio Society trace
their heritage back to the town of Brusciano,
Italy approximately 20 miles outside of
Naples. Here an annual Feast called the
Dance of the Giglio takes place yearly in
honor of Sant’ Antonio. The feast originally
began back in the 1880’s when Francisco
Vivolo prayed to Sant’ Antonio to help cure
his deathly ill child. In exchange for this
cure, Francisco vowed to honor Sant’ Antonio
in the same manner the town’s people of
Nola, Italy, a nearby town honoring San
Paolino di Nola, by constructing Gigli in
honor of Sant’ Antonio and dancing them in
the streets of Brusciano. Francisco’s
prayers were answered and the dancing of the
Gigli in Brusciano was born. It continues
today where 6 Gigli are built for the Annual
Festival during the latter part of August
and danced on the shoulders of hundreds of
men..
Around the turn of 1900’s, Italian
immigrants left Italy in search of a better
life for their families. Many families from
the town of Brusciano, Italy migrated to
East Harlem, NY to start anew with other
families and friends that came before them.
Although these Immigrants brought little
with them on their 30-day long voyage across
the Atlantic Ocean in the tight confines of
the boat, what they did carry with them were
their beloved traditions. For the people of
Brusciano, this included the yearly Dance of
the Giglio Festival in honor of Sant’Antonio.
Upon their arrival, the Italian
immigrants of East 106th Street in East
Harlem decided to initiate their beloved
traditions by building a Giglio and dancing
it in the ‘New World’. The Festival on 106th
Street grew for many years becoming one of
the largest street fairs in America and
remained that way until 1955. Then in 1957,
the Festival moved a few blocks uptown to
108th Street where the Dance of the Giglio
continued until 1971 .
After a 29 year hiatus, the Dance of the
Giglio returned to East Harlem in 2000 as a
Cooperative Feast with the Shrine Church of
Our Lady of Mount Carmel that resides on
115th Street between 1st and Pleasant
Avenues. The Festival enjoyed several years
dancing the Giglio during the Annual Feast
of the Our Lady of that takes place each
year on July 16th, the Feast Date of the
Madonna..
For the 2006 Feast, it was decided to hold
the Dance of the Giglio Festival separate
from the annual Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Feast. The decision to move the Dancing of
the Giglio dates made absolute sense in
order to relieve the strain on the Giglio
community. This strain was caused by the
coinciding Giglio Feasts held in East Harlem
and Williamsburg- Brooklyn (
www.olmcfeast.com ) dancing their Giglio the
same weekend that fell around July 16th ,
the Feast date of the Madonna.
Meeting in Padova for the "Dancing of Giglio"
from Brusciano to Padua on May 31, 2009
From Left to
Right: Carmine Guarino, Assessore Bilancio e
Finanza; Consigliere Comunale Nicola Di Maio,
Delegato alle Politiche sociali; cons.
Antonio Di Palma, Presidente del Consiglio
comunale; Padre Enzo Poiana, Rettore della
Pontificia Basilica di Sant' Antonio di
Padova; Padre Domenico Carminati della
Chiesa dell Arcella a Padova ed ex Rettore;
and Dr. Antonio Castaldo.
Brusciano, Italy
News/Events No. 50: " A Brusciano
la “Giornata della Memoria 1945-2010” promossa
dall’Amministrazione Comunale con il contributo
dell’associazionismo locale." (Pending English
Translation)
Brusciano, Italy News/Events
No. 48: "La
Conferenza Stampa 21 gennaio 2010 su “Ciclo Rifiuti
e Tarsu. Tra strumentalizzazione e futuro” indetta
dagli assessori Carmine Guarinio e Vincenzo
Cerciello si è tenuta con soddisfacente confronto
coi giornalisti. (Pending English
Translation).
Press
Release 1/18/2010
6.
Brusciano, Italy
News/Events No. 47:"A Brusciano
successo della “Campagna di Prevenzione della
Malattie Cardiovascolari: Controllo dei fattori di
Rischio”. La soddisfazione dell’Assessore alla
Sanità Vincenzo Cerciello. (Pending
English Translation)
Press
Release 1/15/2010
5.
Brusciano, Italy
News/Events No. 46 "La Consigliera
comunale Maria Pia Di Monda del Partito Democratico
richiama l’attenzione dell’Amministrazione e del
Consiglio comunale sulle “Pari Opportunità”
(Pending English Translation)
Press
Release 1/15/2010
4.
Brusciano, Italy
News/Events No. 45
"A Brusciano dal 15 al 31 gennaio presso
il Comune si consegnano le istanze per partecipare
alla 135 Festa dei Gigli in onore di Sant’Antonio di
Padova.."
(Italian Only)
Press
Release 1/13/2010
3.
Brusciano, Italy News/Events
No. 44 "Con
l’anno nuovo continuano le visite specialistiche
gratuite promosse dall’Assessore all’Igiene e Sanità
Vincenzo Cerciello. Sabato 16 gennaio la “Campagna
di Prevenzione della Malattie Cardiovascolari:
Controllo dei fattori di Rischio”.
(Pending English Translation)
Press
Release 1/06/2010
2.
Brusciano, Italy
News/Events No. 43 " A
Mariglianella “Befana contro le mafie” con un
omaggio a Falcone e Borsellino ed alle vittime della
criminalità organizzata. " (Italian
and English)
Press
Release 1/04/2010
1.
Brusciano, Italy News/Events
No. 42 "Avvisi di accertamento
TARSU. Possibilità di presentare istanze di
rettifica in autotutela. Dal 4 gennaio l’Ufficio
Tributi del Comune è aperto tutti i giorni.
(Italian and English)
Ballata del
Giglio di Brusciano Maggio 31, 2009
Festa Gigli
Brusciano 2007 "La Gioventu Bruscianese"
Hello,
my name is Miriam Medina also known as Mimi,
the author of the "Mimi Speaks blog."
Welcome to the Brusciano, Italy News/Events
Information Page."
