ROCCO VINCENZO SARLI/JOSEPH LOUIS MOTT
Decides to Leave Laurenzana for America
by Dr. Elizabeth Schellman
Laurenzana
According to Joseph Mott's son Elmer, who was almost eight years old when his father died, Joseph came to America with an uncle. A reason for leaving Italy was shared with me by Gwen Mott, second wife of Elmer, in a letter of January 1973, as related to her by Edith Hunnicutt, daughter of Leander Kelly Westbrook, the sister of Joseph Louis Mott's wife Mary Emeline Kelly.
"It was Joe's (Elmer's father) job as a boy to herd the sheep. He took his harp with him and played as the sheep fed on the hillside. One day a donkey came and bothered him as he was playing. He tried to drive it away, and finally threw rocks until it went on up the hill and exploded in a burst of flame. He was very frightened but took the incident as an omen. At the time he was trying to make up his mind whether to come to America or not. That donkey incident made him think he should."
The following was written by Marlene Taylor Mott, wife of Elmer's son Harvey Mott:
"Joseph Louis had told Elmer his family lived in northern Italy. He described rolling hills with grape vineyards. Olive trees and other orchards grew in the area. Elmer always said his father told of seeing the snow-covered Alps to the north. He also talked about the family olive trees and making olive oil. He also told of beautiful homes on the hills and the big wineries. I asked if his father had ever told him about his home or family. I wrote down that he said the house in Italy was big and white. Bigger than their cabin. He had a younger sister named Josephine and I think he had heard she had died after he left. His father had died and his mother remarried. He did not care for his stepfather. That is one reason he came to America."
Through much research and multiple DNA confirmations, we can now surmise that "north" is relative. We now know that Rocco Vincenzo Sarli was born in Laurenzana, province of Potenza, region of Basilicata, Italy. He is from what was known as Lucania, the most ancient part of Italy, still in vernacular use as being synonymous with Basilicata.
Laurenzana is one of the handful of towns, along with Viggiano, Calvello, Marsicovetere and Corleto Perticara, which exported "viggianesi," itinerant bands of musicians playing violins, harps, and pipes, to Paris, London, and American state capitals in the mid-1800's. The ruins of a 12th to 13th-century castle are found in the crag atop the village. The Madre dell'Assunta with a stone portal dating from 1780 is the main church. Near town is a trail in the Abetina. The Italian Botanical Society has considered the Abetina of extraordinary environmental interest and has designated it a natural regional reserve.
I found this information in a Nov 2014 article "Basilicata, Wild Olive of Southern Italy" by Aldo Pesce: "A land of grapes, olives and tragic beauty, Basilicata is one of the smallest regions of Italy, and its oil is not as well known as some others. In the middle of Mezzogiorno, this region has a perfect climate for olive growing."
Mezzogiorno simply means "the South of Italy."
According to Joseph Mott's son Elmer, who was almost eight years old when his father died, Joseph came to America with an uncle. A reason for leaving Italy was shared with me by Gwen Mott, second wife of Elmer, in a letter of January 1973, as related to her by Edith Hunnicutt, daughter of Leander Kelly Westbrook, the sister of Joseph Louis Mott's wife Mary Emeline Kelly.
"It was Joe's (Elmer's father) job as a boy to herd the sheep. He took his harp with him and played as the sheep fed on the hillside. One day a donkey came and bothered him as he was playing. He tried to drive it away, and finally threw rocks until it went on up the hill and exploded in a burst of flame. He was very frightened but took the incident as an omen. At the time he was trying to make up his mind whether to come to America or not. That donkey incident made him think he should."
The following was written by Marlene Taylor Mott, wife of Elmer's son Harvey Mott:
"Joseph Louis had told Elmer his family lived in northern Italy. He described rolling hills with grape vineyards. Olive trees and other orchards grew in the area. Elmer always said his father told of seeing the snow-covered Alps to the north. He also talked about the family olive trees and making olive oil. He also told of beautiful homes on the hills and the big wineries. I asked if his father had ever told him about his home or family. I wrote down that he said the house in Italy was big and white. Bigger than their cabin. He had a younger sister named Josephine and I think he had heard she had died after he left. His father had died and his mother remarried. He did not care for his stepfather. That is one reason he came to America."
Through much research and multiple DNA confirmations, we can now surmise that "north" is relative. We now know that Rocco Vincenzo Sarli was born in Laurenzana, province of Potenza, region of Basilicata, Italy. He is from what was known as Lucania, the most ancient part of Italy, still in vernacular use as being synonymous with Basilicata.
Laurenzana is one of the handful of towns, along with Viggiano, Calvello, Marsicovetere and Corleto Perticara, which exported "viggianesi," itinerant bands of musicians playing violins, harps, and pipes, to Paris, London, and American state capitals in the mid-1800's. The ruins of a 12th to 13th-century castle are found in the crag atop the village. The Madre dell'Assunta with a stone portal dating from 1780 is the main church. Near town is a trail in the Abetina. The Italian Botanical Society has considered the Abetina of extraordinary environmental interest and has designated it a natural regional reserve.
I found this information in a Nov 2014 article "Basilicata, Wild Olive of Southern Italy" by Aldo Pesce: "A land of grapes, olives and tragic beauty, Basilicata is one of the smallest regions of Italy, and its oil is not as well known as some others. In the middle of Mezzogiorno, this region has a perfect climate for olive growing."
Mezzogiorno simply means "the South of Italy."
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