mail: Bill Thayer

Italiano

Help

Up

Home

Northern Lands

Those of FOSSATO DI VICO
in the northern lands of AMERICA
remembering always our great mother ITALY,
with the participation of other fellow-citizens
who applauded this noble project in our homeland,
wished to erect
this marble commemoration
of UMBERTO I the GOOD
who in his august person
harbored every Italic merit
of civil virtue
— · —
1910

Set into the medieval walls of the town near its main gate, this marble plaque with its bronze trim is a wonderful witness to the great wave of Italian immigration to the New World: but you should never believe everything you read — or you should at least read it very carefully indeed.

Fossato is at 43°17 N Latitude, thus slightly farther north than Milwaukee (43°02), Portsmouth, NH (43°03) and Casper, WY (42°51); and much farther north than Boston, New York, Detroit, Chicago, and the northernmost point of California. The northern lands are in fact this part of Umbria, which are farther north than four-fifths of the area, and almost all the population, of the continental United States. And yes, Fossato is even farther north than parts of Canada: London, Ontario is at 42°59 N. . . .

That said, I am grateful to Richard Frajola (who has helped once elsewhere on my site, in a strikingly different connection) for pointing out that many Fossatani emigrated to the iron-mining district around Gilbert, MN: which at 47°29 N is not only farther north than their home town, but, if only by less than a degree, than any place in Italy.

Images with borders lead to more information. The thicker the border, the more information. (Details here.)
UP TO:	Fossato di Vico	Umbria	Italy	Europe	Home
A page or image on this site is in the public domain ONLY if its URL has a total of one *asterisk. If the URL has two **asterisks, the item is copyright someone else, and used by permission or fair use. If the URL has none the item is © Bill Thayer. See my copyright page for details and contact information.