Comune di Fraine

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Provincia di Chieti, Abruzzo, Italia

FRAINE MESSAGE BOARD

This page is dedicated to the Comune of Fraine which is located in the province of Chieti, region of Abruzzo, Italy. Fraine is situated on a hilltop overlooking the Treste river in the foothills of the Appennines in the Monti di Frentani in southeast Abruzzo at 750 meters above sea level. Its 500 year-round residents today enjoy an unencumbered life in the crisp clean air of this semi-mountainous area.

Most of the homes in this Brigadoon-like village are at least 150 years old, and, although most have no central heating (due to the delay of a natural gas pipeline into the area), most other modern conveniences are available including satellite dishes, microwave ovens, and dishwashers. During the summer months, the comune enjoys very good weather: in the morning it’s fresh, in the afternoon it’s warm, and in the evening you can sleep very soundly because of the peaceful coolness. In addition to 5 small markets, the residents have the advantages of a restaurant, 2 bakeries, a post office, 2 bars, 2 churches, and, of course, a tobacconist.

The history of Fraine dates back past the 12th century and it is known that the comune was originally located several kilometers from its present location during the Milenium.  However, a severe infestation of wood ants and repeated raids from local brigands forced the original Frainesi to abandon their homes and relocate to the present site of the comune. During that time, Fraine came under the influence of several feudal families, the most dominant of which were the Caracciolo of Santobuono who retained possession of Fraine from around the 14th century until the end of feudalism.  Here, for ages, the Frainesi cultivated the valley overlooking the fiume Treste (facing Carunchio) and the torrente Lama, which is at best semi-flat land. They also worked the opposite side of the crest of the hill overlooking Olmi and Roccaspinalveti towards the Colle Dell'Albero as far they could. The rest of the area is quite mountainous and was used to raise sheep and cows or goats. The Frainesi were able to produce wine in large quantity, as well as grain, corn, potatoes, and other vegetables. Olive oil was also produced in great quantity and at least until a few years ago the "Frantoio", a mill used to squeeze the olives and owned by Leonardo Tilli, was still in use. Lastly, flour was produced for the inhabitants who used to take the grain bushels to town and spread them on the "ara"- a circular stone altar which was the semblance of a grist mill. Bushels of grain were deposited on the periphery, while one person guided a set of two cows, or a mule in pulling a huge flat stone around the ara, until the seed would be separated from the chaff. The chaff was then removed by ventilation until the seed was free of all debris. Although this process is the same as that used in Medieval times, it was employed in Fraine until 40 - 45 years ago.

It has been said that near the original location of the village, The Madonna appeared to a young deaf girl while she was watching her sheep. At the instruction of the Madonna, the girl ran to find her parents in a nearby field where they were cultivating their land, to reveal what she had seen. To the astonishment of the parents, the young girl, deaf since birth, began to speak and told them of the Madonna appearing to her in a tree. From this event, the Frainesi have celebrated the Festa di Santa Maria Mater Domini and have commemorated this location by building a chapel which dates from the 1400s, Il Santuario, located on a peaceful plateau surrounded by trees and mountains overlooking the Treste river.

The main church (chiesa madre) of the comune is the Chiesa di San Silvestro which occupies a position of prominence at the highest point in the comune -- its majestic sand-colored campanile visible for miles around. During the feast of Mater Domini, which takes place from May 30 through June 1 of every year, the Statue of S.M. Mater Domini is carried in procession on the shoulders of the citizens from here to Il Santuario (3 Km away). Once there, on the 31st, the Frainesi display their traditional foods which are consumed during a grand picnic. The main dishes consist of recipes of meat (generally lamb, veal, or chicken) alla Frainese with piselli (peas). The feast is accompanied by a great display of fireworks. The feast holds a special significance to Frainesi all over the world who return to their ancestral comune from places as far away as the United States and Australia.

Why do so many return to this tiny remote comune? In the words of one Frainese, Nicola Stampone, now living the the Untied States: "The Frainese way of life kept our ancestors alive and made them prosper in their own way. It kept the families together, instilled that sense of pride that we still have, taught us to be honest and work hard for what we wanted. They also stood behind the saying that goes 'Forte e Gentile' - Be Strong and Kind. This is in my view why we are so proud to be Frainesi and we always want to go back. Because of those values that made our parents strong and made them always walk with the chin up. I believe that without realizing, we became the product our family environment, we acquired the same traits & values, and no matter where our destiny took or is taking us around the world, we always remember our parents for what we learned and the admiration that we had for them. And so our Parents, to an extent, implies Fraine and Fraine connects us to our Parents. Fraine, regardless of how many people live there today, it is still a Beautiful Town".

Hundreds have emmigrated from Fraine to all parts of the world since the last quarter of the 19th century.  Frainesi have always been known for their strong work ethic, and most of these Frainesi have had to look outside of the tiny Comune for work to support their families, as the small remote village is capable of providing only a limited number of jobs for its inhabitants.  The greatest period of emmigration occurred between 1880 and 1920.  Many were able to find what they were looking for in other parts of the world and have remained there, but some were not happy with the strangeness that the world had to offer and returned to Fraine.  Some were much less fortunate, such as those brave Frainesi who met their untimely deaths in one of the worst peacetime naval disasters of all time - The Disaster of the Steamship Utopia - but, fortunately these have been in the minority.  Even today, Frainesi travel the world from Switzerland, to Australia, to the United States of America in search of work.

The largest known "enclave" of Frainesi living in the world outside of Fraine, itself, is in northeastern New Jersey in the United States. This is owed to the large numbers of Frainese who settled in Paterson, NJ, just outside New York City from the late 1880s through the 1920s, to work in the silk mills and railroads. Today, there is a via Paterson in Fraine to comemorate the strong ties between the two locales. There is still a thriving Frainese Society in the Paterson, NJ area which holds a Festa Frainese annually in June at the Holy Face Monastery in Clifton, NJ. The "Festa Frainese" usually draws several thousand people. While all are not Frainese, most are either descendants or married to descendants. As one might expect, the Statue of Santa Maria Mater Domini is carried in procession during the festa in reverence to the holy event which occured in Fraine so many years ago.

Lastly, it may be of special interest to note that Frainesi have held positions of great prominence in other parts of the world. In Argentina, Juan Luis Stamboni Sr. (1925-1961) was a state senator from the 7th section in the Province of Buenos Aires Legislature between 1958 and his untimely death, in April 1961 -- this was during the first democratic period after the Perón-Evita era. In the United States Congress, Rep. William Martini represented the Eighth Congressional District from 1992-94. In addition, the New Jersey Legislature features the honorable Nicholas Felice, a State Senator from northern New Jersey. And of course, there is always my family.