We have a second, older Fiamma family now to study: Francesco and Aloisia, married in 1819, whose first 3 children were born at Scoppito (Antonio's place), Antonio, the fourth, at Pile (10 km away, near the Aterno river, L'Aquila) the fifth at Sassa again (click on the map on the left).
Aloisia lived at Sassa, and it was customary for marriages to be celebrated at the bride's place, that is why the wedding takes place at Sassa, though the not-so-young newly-weds will take residence at Scoppito. A close look at the various birth acts might give a cue to the movement of this family: it was not like now, the first railway, Naples-Pompei, was still to come, and Sassa was about 10 km from Pile,
every possession was to be moved on carts, going to visit parents and relatives would become a very big journey for a family with four young children, the mother maybe nursing or pregnant again.
Now the only difference in the acts, in the information provided by Francesco, the father, is in the "job performed": in 1821, 1823, 1824 (births of Gaetano, Carolina and Agnese at Scoppito, the Fiammas' domicile) the father declares he is a "worker" (which means he worked under an employer); in 1826, when Antonio was born at Pile, L'Aquila, the father says he is a "fornaro" and his wife a "fornara" (bakers, independent workers) so it is possible they moved to work in a bakery at Pile. In 1829 they are back at Sassa, and Francesco, on the birth of daughter Elisabetta, declares (maybe proudly?) he is a
"fornaro". So at that time they had a bakery at Sassa, the birthplace of Aloisia, Francesco's wife.
Now a closer look is necessary at Aloisia's family, since bakery will later become a "family art": one hundred years later great-grandson Domenico in San Francisco was a baker! So let's examine the second jackpot, Francesco and Aloisia marriage Act, with - a real piece of history! - Francesco's and Domenico's original signatures:
"In the year 1819, on the day seventh of the month of September, at sixteen hours, in front of us Matteo Palanza, mayor and Official of Public registers of the municipality of Sassa, Province of L'Aquila, appeared Francesco Fiamma of twenty-seven years of age, farm-labourer, domiciled in the municipality of Scoppito, first-born son of Domenico Fiamma, fifty-two years old, farm-labourer, domiciled with his son, here present in person and giving his consent, and of Maria Alfonso, fifty years old, spinner, domiciled with her husband and giving her consent.
Also appeared Aloisia Tofani, of thirty-three years of
age, baker, domiciled in this municipality, Villa Pagliara, first-born child ofFilippo Tofani, deceased in the municipality of L'Aquila on the fourth October 1792, as from the Act of Death in said municipality on the same day and hereby produced, and of Saveria Bianchetti, sixty years old, spinner, here present in person and giving her consent. This Act was read to both witnesses and the parties, then signed by ourselves, by the bridegroom and the bridegroom's father, since the bride and the witnesses stated they could not write"
More information still can be found in the promise of marriage, which is given some time before the marriage and is published twice in the church and the townhall to let everybody know of the proposed marriage so that who has something against the marriage may speak.
"In the year 1819, on the day twenty-ninth of the month of August, Sunday, we, Matteo Palanza, mayor and Official of Public registers of the municipality of Sassa, Province of L'Aquila, went before the townhall door at fifteen hours and posted for the second time that there is promise of marriage between Francesco Fiamma of twenty-seven years of age, farm-labourer, domiciled in the
municipality of Scoppito, eldest son of Domenico Fiamma, fifty-two years old, farm-labourer, domiciled with his son, and of Maria Alfonso, fifty years old, spinner, domiciled with her husband, widower of deceased Filippa Del Pinto,
And Aloisia Tofani, of thirty-three years of age, baker, domiciled at Pagliara di Sassa, eldest child of deceased Filippo Tofani and of Saveria Bianchetti, sixty years old, spinner, domiciled with her daughter, widow of deceased Gaetano Barone."
This means that Aloisia, born on 12 july 1786, lost her father when she was six, at the time they were living in L'Aquila, within the parish of San Marciano (see the church and square on the left), then for some reason she moved with her mother to Pagliara di Sassa, and there she became a "fornara" and married Gaetano Barone, who died in 1818 One year later she married Francesco, who also had lost his first wife.
