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Recordiad sain / Audio recording: Adriano Candelori
Oral history recording with Adriano Candelori. Part 1 of 3 (AV 11364 - 11366). Recorded as part of the Italian Memories in Wales project (2008-10), delivered by ACLI-ENAIP and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
00.00.25 Adriano was born on the 15th July 1933 in Terni, Umbria. He only knew his paternal grandmother whom he recalls. She lived with his family when they returned from evacuation to the mountains. He describes her funeral, carried out in a traditional way with just a sheet to cover the body. The Candelori family have a tomb which his father built. Adriano’s father was one of two brothers. He was born in 1888 and Adriano’s mother in 1890. His town was bombed many times during the war, there were ammunition and steel factories. When the family returned after the war, there were only a few buildings and shops left, schools were only opened two/three years after.
00.09.04 Adriano describes Terni. The area is very well known for Saints- St. Francis of Assisi, St. Rita and St. Valentine. He describes its’ history and the traditions they carry out for St. Valentine’s Day. Adriano talks of the passegiata people carry out in the evening. Presentation was very important.
00.19.13 Dancing was another main social activity. There was a dance every week which was the only social gathering at the time. As a young boy he followed his older sisters to them a lot. He recalls games and dances they would carry out. In 1952 he came to Wales. His schooling was very basic. Everybody was evacuated to the mountains for two years during the war, when they arrived back it took a long time for the school to be reopened and he wanted to work to earn money. He didn’t find a suitable job and so came to Wales.
00.23.31 Adriano’s father was Augusto Candelori and worked in the steel works in the town. After the war he was reinstated there- people with families got priority in these jobs. He doesn’t remember his mother going out to work, but working hard to bring up the family. His family home was just outside the main town which his father built and which he goes on to describe. The house was sold his mother’s three brothers who returned from France after the war and had nowhere to live. His parents agreed that they could divide the house into three apartments. His mother had lost a son at fourteen, and they had to borrow money to pay for his medication. Her brothers said they would loan them money if they could share the house. He goes on to talk about how his mother kept the house; food wasn’t abundant but would be bought fresh.
00.34.50 He recalls the community as very friendly. He talks of his family, and how his sister got her name. As the youngest son with three older sisters he says he was a little spoilt- he had a very happy childhood.