28 March 2024

As Italian citizens we are officially registered in the Sabbatini hometown of Serra Sant’Abbondio. Bonnie became a citizen a year ago, so on this trip the mayor, Ludovico Caverni, gave a small reception for the family in the council chambers at city hall.

In his official red, white, and green sash he read the multi-page document from Rome, presented Bonnie with a copy of the constitution and a flag (that makes a great scarf), and lined up with the family for photos. A ceremony short, sweet, delightfully festive.

The journalist from the regional newspaper who was scheduled to interview Bonnie at the event was sent to Rome to cover more urgent news. Bonnie had prepared for a conversation in Italian with the journalist, remembering how much she liked reading about the history of Rome in her high school Latin textbook. Oh well!

Before we left city hall, the mayor was eager for Robert to meet the two young men who are the city engineer and city architect.

The Sabbatini tribe of five adjourned to the bar to celebrate with spritzes and grappa. In the back of the bar men were playing an interesting variation of pool without pool cues but using their hands to spin the ball around tiny pins set at the center of the table. In the front of the bar a few school kids romped. We held down the center of the bar along with a couple of respectable matrons.

But after four years of pursuing Italian paperwork, Bonnie wanted one more document: a carta di identita—identity card. Her first trip to city hall was discouraging. The anagrapha, or demography clerk, could not find Bonnie’s records online. She promised to do more research but warned that even then it would take a week to produce a card—a few days after we would leave town.

The next day Bonnie went again, with Robert and cousin Luciana as backup. Ecco! Card produced! Ahhh. But not the convenient and more comprehensive plastic card with a magnetic strip—carta di identita electronica. For that Bonnie will pester the consulate when we return to San Francisco.

Next—Pasqua in Serra Santa’Abbondio