DaileyB

Although I am not 100% sure, it does appear that my grandmother was born in San Giovanni, in Galdo, Campobasso in 1891. (Part of the confusion is that no one knows the real name of her Italian husband, which was undoubtedly changed by immigration when my grandfather came to the U.S.)

I am thinking of visiting it and Campobasso. Could someone tell me what it is like. I visited Florence and Milan in 1998, but that is the only occasion that I visited Italy. (My 13-year-old son wants to visit Rome, [too big for me -- I am not real enthusiastic about Rome], so we will probably visit Rome first. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

DB

Up In The Air

Campobasso is not the most striking of Italian cities, but the center does have a certain charm – but there'll; be no need to spend more than a day there unless you meet some long lost relations in the old village.

Don't miss Rome. It's one of the world's most beautiful and vibrant cities – and what an opportunity for a 13 year old to experience it!

KLouis

Up in The Air said it all in a few words! In a slightly "abusive" form: Your 13-year-old son is 100% right, you're 90% wrong.

Perche

San Giovanni is a tiny little dot of a place in Molise. If you take your son there you will have one of the best times of your life. A father-son experience that will never be forgotten. It's more outside of Naples, the region where many Italian Americans are from, than outside of Rome.

I agree with Up In the Air. How can you not see Rome? I would add, if you have time, really show your son his near-Napolitano/southern roots by then going to Naples, then rent a car and take the two hour or so drive to San Giovanni in Galdo, in the Province of Campobasso. Your son will never forget the experience the two of you will have as long as he lives.

Also, you are probably right about having your last name mangled. Many italians who came to the USA in the migration between 1890 and the first world war were illiterate and couldn't write their names. Many surnames were mangled at immigration. It's not uncommon for people who trace their roots to find out that their last name is not what they think it is. Happened to me.

DaileyB

Will take your advice and visit Rome. [Part of the issue is that I just don't like big cities. Really enjoyed Florence.] What are the nicest places to see simply without too much hassle. Am more reluctant to visit Naples. From vague memory, there was a severe garbage problem caused by Mafia control of the waste system. Is that still a problem, and if not, what would you suggest that I visit in Naples.

I realize there is more than enough to see in Rome, Campobasso and Naples. Considering that my son is a military history buff, what would anyone suggest for a relaxed 7-10 day stay, of course, fitting Campobasso.

Perche

The first thing, don't let people start telling you about a dozen "must see" cities in Italy when you only have 7-10 days. Italy is full of must see cities. If you try to do more than 2-3 it will be a stressful vacation, not a relaxing one.

It is wonderful that your son is a military history buff, because Italy is the right place for that. Tell him to start reading now!

As Up In The Air said, there are many wonderful things to see and do in Rome. I would recommend that you try to stay as close to the Pantheon as possible. If you can't stay there, err towards getting closer to Piazza Venezia from the Pantheon. Your son will have the history of the greatest military conquests all around him.

If you do 7 days, then maybe just stay in Rome, and rent a car to go to the ancestral village. It's a longer drive than from Naples, but still easy to do. For an American nothing is really far away in Italy. All of Italy, including Sicily, has about the same square miles as Arizona. From Rome or Naples to Campobasso is a piece of cake. Around 100 miles of fun, father-son bonding.

If you are spending 10 days, don't worry about garbage and mafia in Naples, and just go! From Rome and on up is one Italy, and from Rome and down south is another Italy (people might draw the north/south line in different places). Almost everything an italian-american, which I assume you are, knows and expects about Italy is from the south, from Naples on down. The north and the south are like two different countries. If you want to connect with your heritage and see how your ancestors lived you are not going to find it in Florence or Bologna, or anywhere in the North, unless your ancestors were from the first Italian migration in the 1840-1860's, in which case you'd most likely be from Genoa, and 7-8th generation.

The garbage problem in Naples is no worse than it is in Detroit, and Naples is 1,000 times safer. And if you stay on the Lungomare, or along the Bay, where you should stay, you will see no garbage at all, and crime is almost impossible. You will just see the place that led Goethe to say, "see Naples, and die," because looking at Mount Vesuvius from the waterfront as the sun is setting is one of the greatest sights in Italy.

If you do decide to go, make sure you rent a car at least a day in advance, and that you can drive a stick-shift. Even if you do not know of any ancestors in Galdo, do not be surprised if some of the older citizens remember your ancestors. It's a small town, and ancestors probably left little by little. If you go to the bar in the center and ask, someone may very well recall the name and take you to where they once were, or still are. Really, I'm not kidding. Italians take family and their history very seriously. And in small towns, almost everyone knows one another.

rsqrott

OP, just curious as to how far you've gotten with your trip planning?

My family also comes from a tiny dot of a town in Campobasso (with a population of ~ 600) but we have no contact with the remaining family and I would dearly love to see the village where my family is from.