Presented by genealogist Lynn Serafinn, FILO’ FRIDAY is a series of weekly video podcasts on the rich history, culture and genealogy of the people of Trentino in present-day northern Italy.
‘Filo’ is a traditional practice of storytelling in rural Trentino. It was done in the evenings, between dinner and bedtime. The storytellers were often the heads of the households. Its purpose was to bring families together, preserve oral family history, share local legends and fables, and provide entertainment. The word is derived from the verb for ‘spinning’ because this was traditionally the time when women would spin various yarns for cloth. But it also has a double meaning in that the storyteller was spinning a tale.
Catch up on the latest podcasts below. To participate in the discussion during the LIVE podcasts, come join us at https://facebook.com/groups/TrentinoGenealogy .
Filo' Friday - Trentino Genealogy Podcast (15 May 2020) - Plague of 1630
RIDDLE 1: You may have heard about the Black Death in the 1300s. But what's the story of the plague that hit Trentino in 1630?
RIDDLE 2: What are some of the legends told about the plague of 1630?
Tune in to learn about the history of this devastating episode in the history of Trentino, Lombardia and Veneto, and to hear some of fascinating legends about life during the plague.
Filo' Friday - Trentino Genealogy Podcast (8 May 2020) - Miracle Cross of Santa Croce
RIDDLE: What centuries-old mystical legends are still told about the discovery of a 'miraculous cross' on top of a mountain?
Tune in to hear some fascinating, symbolic, and mysterious legends about the ‘shepherd’s cross’ from the early 1600s, which came to be known as ‘Santa Croce del Bleggio’.
Filo' Friday - Trentino Genealogy Podcast (1 May 2020) - Castel Restor
RIDDLE: What centuries-old dramatic legend is still told about the spooky medieval Castel Restor in Val Giudicarie?
Tune in to learn about the history of this ancient castle in the parish of Bleggio, and to hear the famous local legend of the 'villainous' Count D'Arco and the 'hero' named Painelli from the village of Duvredo. I'll also talk a bit about the history of the Painelli family.
Filo' Friday - Trentino Genealogy Podcast (24 April 2020) - Nobility and Noble Ancestors
RIDDLE 1: How did some people become 'nobility' in Trentino?
RIDDLE 2: What kinds of things can we discover about our noble ancestors?
Tune in to find out the answers to these riddles! In this podcast, we’ll explore the difference between 'IMPERIAL' and 'ECCLESIASTICAL' nobility, how we can tell if our ancestors were ennobled, how noble titles were passed down, how to find our ancestor's coat-of-arms, and much more.
Filo' Friday - Trentino Genealogy Podcast (17 April 2020) - Carta di Regola
RIDDLE 1: You may have heard of the 'Magna Carta' in England. But what OTHER kind of 'Carta' was crucial to Trentino life?
RIDDLE 2: What can this 'Carta' tell us about who our ancestors were and what was important to them?
Tune in to find out the answers to these riddles! In this podcast, I’ll explore the ‘Carta di Regola’ (charters of rules) of rural Trentino. What were they? What can they tell us about Trentino life over the centuries? How are they organised? How can they be of use to genealogists?
Filo' Friday - Trentino Genealogy Podcast (10 April 2020) - Feudalism and Tithing
RIDDLE 1: Aside from starting the Holy Roman Empire, what did the Emperor Charlemagne do that changed the way our Trentino ancestors lived for almost 1,000 years?
RIDDLE 2: What social custom, mentioned in a document from 1170, did our medieval Trentino ancestors adopt from the ancient Hebrews?
Tune in to learn about the foundations of feudalism in medieval Europe, and how the practice of tithing, called 'La Decima', was used in Trentino.
In the tradition of ‘Filo’, I will do my best to ‘spin’ a tale from these two riddles that will both entertain and share interesting facts about our ancestors and our ancestral homeland.
Filo' Friday - Trentino Genealogy Podcast (3 April 2020) - Emigration and Immigration
RIDDLE 1: Why did so many of our Trentino ancestors leave their beautiful ancestral homeland to other parts of the world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
RIDDLE 2: We all know that many Trentini emigrated to the Americas. But in what ways did the Americas CAUSE emigration?
Tune in to find out the answers to these riddles!
In the tradition of ‘Filo’, I will do my best to ‘spin’ a tale from these two riddles that will both entertain and share interesting facts about our ancestors and our ancestral homeland.
Filo' Friday - Trentino Genealogy Podcast (27 March 2020) - Council of Trento
RIDDLE 1: What do we Trentino genealogists owe to people like King Henry VIII of England?
RIDDLE 2: You’re in the 1500s. How do you fit many thousands of visitors from different nations (and their horses) into a small city of 10,000 residents?
Tune in to find out the answers to these riddles! In this podcast, we’ll talk about the historic Council of Trento in the 1500s. What was it? Why was it important to genealogists? How in the world did they organise it?
Lynn will also read her own translation of the beautiful poem ‘E a Sera…a Scuola’ by Mauro Neri, which sets the mood for our own ‘filo’ together.
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