SPORTELLO LINGUISTICO DI SPEZZAN

PAPAS (POPE) MARTINO BARBATO (1598-1619)

Chaplain and vicar of Spezzano, according to some documents filed in the church of St Peter he was the first priest in the town. Father Martino married donna Viena Lanza from whom he had many sons: Dianora (1598), Costantino (1601), Giorgio (1604), Demetrio (1605 who died on 1^st September 1606), Basilio (1608 who died when he was only 45 years old), Isabella (1609), Lucrezia (1612), Teodoro and Sofia both born before 1598.

PAPAS (POPE) PIETRO ANTONIO LANZA (1620-1624)

We have little news about this pope because his mission lasted 5 years only. He married Vittoria Ribecco but it is not sure that he had sons.

PAPAS (POPE) CARLO BASTA 1625-1647)

Information concerning his life is quite confused; it seems that he was son of a very important person whose name was Giorgio Basta (General Commissioner and Cont of the Sacred Roman Empire). Pope Carlo was born in Spezzano about 1586 and began his career as a normal priest in 1614. Right after he married donna Martina Manese of Lungro from whom he had three sons: Giorgio, Nicolò and Cosma. There is no sure news about Giorgio, while Nicolò was the last Bizantine priest of Spezzano and Cosma became a doctor.

PAPAS (POPE) MARTIO REBECCO (1647-1662)

He was born in 1592 from father Geronimo and Granata Seracco. The "Liber Defunctorum" started with father Martio, which concerns the news of our town, such as news about the churches of Costantinopoli (Costantinople) and of San Giovanni (St. John). After his wife's death, on 28th April 1661, his son Diego died too, the pain and the sorrow were so intense that killed him.

PAPAS (POPE) NICOLA BASTA (1662-1666)

His family story starts with a big question mark; in fact we do not know who really his wife was: in 1639 he seems to be married to Domenica Burnetta, while in 1643 to Giovanna Lanza. In 1645 he became a priest and had several sons: Carlo who died at the age of 6 on 21st March 1649, Giulia died in 1650, another daughter with the same name died at the age of 2 on 4th September 1656. After pope Nicola's death the list of the Greek priests of Spezzano ends.

LATIN ARCHPRIESTS (1668 - 1952)

FATHER VINCENZO MAGNOCAVALLO (1668 - 1675)

Father Vincenzo was born on 14th April 1635 and died on 14th June 1688 when he was 53 years old. In 1668 he became priest but quite soon his name disappeared in a mysterious way from the archives of the church.

FATHER MARCO ANTONIO BRUNETTO (1677 - 1680)

Giuseppangelo Nociti said that father Marco Antonio was"... son of Francesco Brunetto and of Francesca Belluscio.

FATHER MARTINO LUCI (1681 - 1688)

He was appointed priest in 1681 by the Ordinary of Rossano and served the town until 1688.

FATHER CARLO RAGONA (1709 - 1727)

He lived during a period of deep changes, when priests were requested to be pure and absolutely faithful to the church orders. In this period the church of St Peter was renewed and also it was celebrated St Francesco Saverio. In 1727, in the same date of Immaculate Conception celebration (8th Dicember 1727), father Carlo Ragona died.

FATHER PARISIO REBECCO (1728 - 1756)

He was nominated archpriest in 1728 when he was only 35. Father Parisio was a very erudite man and very much beloved by all the people and by the clergy who backed him up during the most difficult days of his life, such as those of the plague in 1744 that hit Spezzano.

FATHER FRANCESCO MARIA DORSA (1760 - 1763)

He was born on 27th May 1718 from Marcello Dorsa and Domenica Magnocavallo and he was baptized by father Carlo Dorsa. His deanship lasted only three years in fact on 25th July 1763 he died.

FATHER ANTONIO FRONZINO (1763 - 1803)

He was born on 24th December 1723; during his mandate the "Madonna di Spetiano" took the name of "S. Maria delle Grazie". He was very clever and he was used to note every single birth.

FATHER VINCENZO MARIA CUCCI (1805 - 1842)

He was born on 17th September 1778 from don Gaetano (a doctor) e donna Rosa Putari. He was a very intelligent man; he studied the ancient literature and could even write in Greek. On 31st August 1805 he became archpriest and in September became priest of St. Peter and St. Paul's Church. In 1842 he died and was buried inside the church of St. Peter and St. Paul.

FATHER FERDINANDO GUAGLIANONE "SENIOR" (1845 - 1852)

He did not took part in his town social life, even if there were many occasions to do it, such as the Revolution in 1848 etc... He was a very apathetic person; in fact he expressed no opinion when people rose in order to bury their dead in the cemetery. His relation with population was very formal, in fact the day of his death people did not show any sorrow.

FATHER PAOLO NOCITI (1852 - 1871)

He was born in 1799 from Antonio e Giulia Staffa. He was very beloved by his believers, because he helped them during the difficulties occurred when Spezzano had to pass from the Bourbon’s period to that of the Unity of Italy. He was very altruist; in fact it is said that one day he returned home without his shoes which were given to a beggar. Father Paolo died in 1871.

FATHER GIUSEPPE ANDREA GUAGLIANONE (1874 - 1901)

He was born in 1839 from Salvatore and Mariangela Tarsia. In 1863 he became priest and when father Nociti died, Mons. Pietro Cilento appointed him as a priest of St Peter's Church.

FATHER FERDINANDO GUAGLIANONE (1901 - 1927)

He was born in 1843 and received his first education by his uncle Don Agostino. In 1866 he was appointed as a priest and two years later he went to Naples. In this city he continued his studies and wrote on behalf of several newspapers.

FATHER FRANCESCO GULLO (1928 - 1952)

He was born in Spezzano in 1886. In 1911 celebrated his first mass in Spezzano soon after he studied to become a teacher (1912). After the outbreak of the war, father Francesco took part as sanitary sergeant. When the war finished he returned home and went to live in Terranova. During this period of social recovery he founded a bank called Cassa Rurale di Spezzano Albanese (1919) (that still exists) and some cultural clubs. In 1951 he had the merit to have recognized, as Sanctuary, the church of "Madonna delle Grazie". In 1983 father Francesco died and was buried in the town cemetery.