For the last two days of our vacation, we stayed in Gaeta, a seaside town south of Rome, for its proximity to Itri, which is where Jim’s maternal grandparents were born. Itri is much larger than Troia, where his paternal grandparents came from.
When we were in Itri, we enjoyed the pool at our hotel, Villa Irlanda.
We also explored the Castello Medieval medieval that sits high on a hill in Itri. No entry fee. Just a fun exploration and a lot of climbing!
Jim tried to find some relatives there, but no one that we encountered in Itri could speak English. They did recognize the family surnames, Picano and Arzano though, and one woman seemed to have a connection to the Arzano name. At the church, Chiasa di Santa Maria Maggiore, Jim saw several Arzano and Picano mentions there. We tried to locate the home of a cousin who still lives in the area, but we were not successful.
We also saw signs for a sanctuary for Madonna della Civita, but had difficulty finding it. We followed some signs that took us up a steep road, and as we got higher and higher, we became more nervous, not knowing how the road would be as we went further and worried that we might not be able to turn around.
One reason this type of situation makes me nervous is a memory from my early childhood in California. My parents, two brothers, grandmother, and I were out for a pleasant Sunday drive, and our meandering took us up a mountain road. As we got higher and higher, the road became more rugged, and then suddenly, it ended. Imagine this. On the driver’s side of the station wagon a wall of rock. In front of the car, a wall of rock. On the passenger side of the car, a sheer drop. In the rear of the car, a rugged road. I have to hand it to my dad for keeping his cool and performing a many-point turn to get us out of there. I suppose having a screaming three-year-old in his ear didn’t help. Several years ago, I asked my dad if it really did happen, and he verified that it did. This is why I don’t relish mountain roads!
After that short diversion, back to Itri. It was really great that we were able to visit Italy when the two towns, Troia and Itri, were having their major festivals. If you’ll recall, Troia, celebrates six patron saints. Itri celebrates a miracle with the Madonna. It has something to do with a painting of the Madonna appearing in a tree in the mountains above the town. The Madonna della Civita has been dear to Jim’s family because Jim’s grandfather and some friends commissioned a statue of this version of the Madonna and donated it to St. Paul’s church in Erie’s Little Italy, where they lived. It is still displayed at the church today, and a similar procession with that statue and others happens each summer.
Since we walked in the procession in Troia, Jim wanted to do the same in Itri, and we did that this morning. it was nice winding around the streets of the town, because it gave us a chance to observe the homes more closely than if we had driven or quickly walked through. We noticed that from the balconies hung the prettiest tablecloths, many lace or embroidered and handmade.
Things you wouldn’t see in America, a balloon on a stick and a toy handgun without the orange tip on the barrel.
After the festivities, we were to drive to our hotel near the Rome airport. We set the GPS, and to our surprise, the route was to take us up the mountain road from the day before when we were looking for the sanctuary. I was pretty nervous, but realized that we were seeing cars coming down from the mountain, so it was probably passable. As we got higher and higher, amazingly, we saw another sign for the shrine, and we were able to take a short diversion to visit the sanctuary and take some pictures. It was meant to be for us to visit the Madonna della Cvita sanctuary, I guess.
(Jan. 24, 2026 update on on the photo above. From Google image search, which we didn’t have in 2011! “This image shows the Vela (“Sail”) structure, part of the Città dello Sport (City of Sport) complex in the Tor Vergata district of Rome, Italy. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the project was left unfinished for many years, becoming a symbol of abandoned public works. The design is known for its soaring, white silhouette, inspired by wings or movement. The project was originally intended to host the 2009 World Swimming Championships. After two decades of abandonment, the structure was finally completed in 2025 to host the Jubilee of Youth events. The completed arena has 8,000 seats and 15,000 standing places.” WOW!)
So, our vacation its at an end. We had a fantastic time and made memories that will last forever. Tomorrow, we will head back to America. We’re excited to be reunited with the people and places that make our home sweet home.
Comments on “Another Festival Wraps Up Our Journey (16-of-17)”
- Roz Safe travels. What an amazing trip! Your blog really gave us a thorough picture of the every day life of the people representing the varied areas of Italy. I was in awe and filled with unexpected emotions on several occasions. Thanks for taking us along!
- Jim Ann hasn’t seen your comment yet because she is wiped out from our trip home. She is taking a nap next to me in the Philly airport. We flew Rome to Munich to Philly and then we will be off to Erie at 8:30 pm. I’ve lost track of how many security checks we have gone through. I bet that will be one of her future posts! It was a great trip but we will be happy to be home. Talk to you soon.