Between the twenties and thirties

Once upon a time, the night before Epiphany, the men and women of Carmignano gathered together in front of the hearth of a large farmhouse. They ate, drank, and then, by the light of the fire, they drew pairs of brides and bridegrooms from two big baskets. These pairs were sometimes improbable, but it was a sort of game. This story was described by Arrigo Cecchi, in his book (160 pages) “Carmignano of the Twenties and Thirties”. This book is a trip down memory lane, and a way to  rediscover (or sometimes discover for the first time) the history of Carmignano through the eyes of the people who lived there.
This story reveals a rural Carmignano, and one which is also histrionic and riotous, such as that revealed in this strange vigil. In fact, the two baskets always contained an extra girl’s name. And so, in addition to the many possible pairs of future “couples”, Fate also decided that among those girls who were destined to marry, there would be one destined to remain an old maid. Early the next morning, under the curious gazes of many, the name of this future old maid, along with those of all the other participants, was affixed to the fountain in the central Vittorio Emanuele II square.

At times Carmignano revealed its artistic talents. As always for the Epiphany, shopkeepers of the town were competing to create the most beautiful snowmen dedicated to celebrating the old hag who traditionally left gifts for this holiday. While in other parts of the town, the construction of floats and parades for the celebration of San Michele already impassioned the people of Carmignano.

In this book on Carmignano, Cecchi, who was a sports journalist and correspondent for many years before his death, reveals a world which nowadays seems far away. However, the use of first-person narrative, the frequent use of nicknames and the frequent references to characters who are in some cases still alive bring this distant version of Carmignano closer to us. Yet it is difficult to imagine how so many people could have worked in the old and long abandoned Niccolini Cellars, which produced and bottled wine which was destined to be shipped throughout the world. It is difficult to imagine the workers who plaited the straw for flasks on the first floor, while the crushers for the grape pulp stood in what is now the courtyard  and the decorated carts which left for promotional tours of the neighbouring cities three times a year.  It is even difficult to think that three cinemas and one theatre stood in the town, while today there is not even one.  Here, the celebrated playwright Augusto Novelli, walked through the village, and in talking with the women of Carmignano, drew inspiration for his theatre pieces. This is the origin of Hippolytus Niccolini, a Carmignano native who became a senator before he was a minister. Carmingnano is also the place where while there was a road for Montalbano which was not there. Meanwhile, there were also six grocery stores; each with their own oven; four butcher shops, and lots of bars and candy stores. Yet, this was how Carmignano was. We got around on horseback and more often, on foot. Gigi del Banci was the belltoller who sounded his bell at noon and 11 o’clock at Campano and Amedeo Cosci was the only municipal guard. In fact, the few employees of the Municipality building occupied only four offices. The rest of the building, in fact, the entire first floor, was occupied by  schools. (Wf)

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Between the twenties and thirties

Gigi's Banci, Amedeo Cosci and other characters