27 October – 02 November 2022
Our trip to the Veneto was short with one goal in mind—to see as many of the relatives of Robert’s mom as possible! All the Marchesin relatives and the Zanette families. We did it in four days, with super help from Miryam Marchesin who organized the Marchesin families to attend one meal together!
In our brief stay we managed to see: 11 families and 28 individuals, 20 of whom are second cousins of Robert. He first met two of them—Giuseppe and Silvana—in 1962 when he was twelve. Since then, the family has expanded. The Zanettes are nieces and nephews of Zia Angela who Robert’s Uncle Rico married in the early 1960s during a one-year trip to Italy and the rest of Europe. They moved to San Mateo close to the house where Robert grew up.
Treviso
In 2019, we visited Treviso for dinner with Michele Marchesin and his family. We saw that the town was lively both day and night and had a nice intimate sense about it. Not too rushed. Not too laid back. Beautiful but not overwhelmed with tourists. It has 80,000 inhabitants in the urban center, of which 3,000 live within the medieval walls. Water runs through the center and in a moat around it. The town is home to numerous clothing companies including Benetton. In the early 1960s, one of the cousins, Mario Marchesin, ran one the two companies in Italy with a license to import cashmere from China, which he used in his knitting machines to make sweaters. Michele, his son, now heads the company, which was hit hard by the tough Covid restrictions that prohibited Italians from leaving their homes.
Treviso dates back before the Romans took charge. The Venetians took over in the 1330s. Then Austrians, and then again the Venetians, when it was amply fortified. This did not prevent the French from taking charge, but this ended with the defeat of Napoleon. During WWI, the Battle of Vittorio Veneto nearby turned the tide of war when Italy defeated the Austrian-Hungarian troops during the Battle of the Piave River, resulting in the capture of more than 350,000 enemy troops. We cross the broad, gravelly Piave often when we are driving.
Treviso is only a thirty-minute train ride from Venice. We took advantage of this on our second day. Treviso is also a great location for day trips to see surrounding towns. Well worth a four- or five-day visit. We found that it was hard to find places to eat in Treviso because, although there are many restaurants, most were already fully booked for the evening. When we did land a seat at the table, the food was excellent. And did we mention tiramisu? It was created here in Treviso.
Apartment
Observations
The Euro and Energy
The euro is fluctuating just above and below the US dollar. Good for us. Not so much for Italians. We heard the same stories from cousins here about the high cost of energy. Electricity bills have tripled since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
New Words
Although we spent only a few hours in Oderzo with Miryam, her husband, and her two teenage boys at the kitchen table, we learned a few new words, one of which Robert used (much to the delight of Miryam and Susan) when we all met for dinner.
- Brizzolato – Describes a person’s hair that goes from black to gray to a mix of both
- Asta – An auction
- Spinosa/o – Thorny (derived from the word thorn such as found on a rose). Used when one is discussing an issue that is not easily answered. Question: Do you prefer Italy or the USA? Response: Questo e’ una domanda spinoza.
- Capello Bianco – Italians do not refer to grey hair. They say it is white. You can also refer to grey hair as canuto (greyish white), although this is a little out of date.
We look forward to more of Miryam’s lessons in the future!
Max
Max the dog is part of the Richard Loyd and Bob Colegrove family in Los Angeles. Bonnie has spotted a few of Max’s relatives in Italy. Robert believes they are (per 23andMe) perhaps 23rd cousins, eight times removed.
Cugino Michele Marchesin
Michele Marchesin, his wife Ludmila, and his daughter Eleonora and her boyfriend met us for a meat-filled dinner in Treviso where they live. Elisa, the eldest daughter is away at university in Vicenza where she is in first year of an industrial design program. Michele is the son of Mario Marchesin, a first cousin to Robert’s mom Emma. As always, we had a great conversation with them about politics and life in general. Bonnie and Ludmila talk about clothes. Ludmila is from Ukraine and has relatives in Kiev who have been impacted by the war.
I Cugini del Veneto
Where to begin? (Keep in mind that we write the blog for our family and friends, but also as a diary for ourselves and a place to sort our family history.) Mom’s father Costante (1) Marchesin immigrated to California in the early 1900s to find work, leaving his brothers behind in Pianzano, Italy, not far from Treviso. His brother, Giuseppe Marchesin, and Caterina Antoniazzi (see cemetery photo below) had four boys, Costante (2), Mario, Giuseppe (Nino), and Valerio, and three daughters, Maria, Enrica, and Severina. Mario is the father of Michele whom we met for dinner in Treviso. Costante (2) and his wife Lucia Stival had two daughters, Mirella and Silvana, and one son, Giuseppe. Mirella, always gracious and kind to us, died several years ago, leaving her two sons Fabio and Andrea and their families. Giuseppe and Angela have two daughters, Miryam and Susan, and one son, Ricardo. Each of the daughters have two children.
Miryam, at the suggestion of her sister Susan, organized a dinner of seventeen cousins plus us! It was a raucous and fun event. Leonard and Kathy—think of it as a small Berardi family gathering. All attended the dinner except Fabio’s wife Chiara and Miryam and Susan’s brother Ricardo. You can see how the cousin count has expanded since 1962!
Alessandra Zanette and Fabio Fattorel
Francesca Zanette and Romeo Daniele
We first met Alessandra and Fabio in November 2021 when they came to San Francisco for a vacation. Their father Dino was one of Zia Angela’s brothers. On this trip we met Alessandra’s sister Francesca Zanette and her husband Romeo Daniele. Alessandra and Fabio live in the countryside on hilly terrain near Vittorio Veneto. Beautiful views. Prosecco grapes, vegetables, a few cats, chickens, and a goose share their property. We met there to sample salami and prosecco and then took off to see a 17th century grain mill. Then back to the house to meet Francesca and Romeo before leaving for dinner. Alessandra’s two teenage boys and many friends were spending the evening at the house celebrating Halloween (a relatively new thing in Italy). We heard someone mention thirteen pizzas.
Mollinetto della Croda—17th Century
The mill, built to grind corn into polenta, was abandoned in 1953 and underwent restoration a few years later. It appears to be run by volunteers. The house is fully furnished. One of the best examples of a mill that we have seen on our trips.
Marisa, Francesco, Vittorio, and Daniela (Vanzella) Zanette
Marisa’s husband, Bruno, was one of Zia Angelina’s brothers. He died from Covid after a long illness. They had three children: Vittorio, Silvia, and Francesco. Silvia lives with her husband Davide in Florence. Vittorio and Daniela married in 2019. Francesco lives with his mom and recently celebrated twenty years of working in a grocery store near their home. Quite an accomplishment! We all met at an agriturismo near Vittorio Veneto for lunch. The restaurant is perched high on a hill overlooking endless rows of vines picked last month for prosecco. Like most Italian dinner conversations, this one tended toward family, the economy, and politics. The dinner started with prosecco and ended with roasted chestnuts.
Treviso Strolling
Mercato – Treviso
Cibi e Bibete – Treviso
Venezia
We took the train from Treviso to Venice for the day. Not difficult once you figure out the schedule! And very cheap. We always see many university students on the train commuting to class in Venice. We managed a quick shopping spree at two of our favorite shops (scarves and pottery), which are both tucked away in obscure streets. And we had lunch at a familiar restaurant near our 2019 apartment. Then off to meet Bonnie’s Bay Area friend Meredith who was in town for the Biennale. She brought to dinner an art history colleague from Illinois who also came to Venice for the Biennale and the additional art showings that fill the city during this event. It was fascinating to hear two art professors discuss what they had seen.
Robert first visited Venice in 1962. We will be back!
Meredith
Enroute to Orvieto
