Interesting story. I had come to Italy in search of discovering my roots and learning more about my family history. Out of the few months I was there this summer, I took a short trip to Barcelona to visit some friends. While there, I met a friend of a friend (born and raised in northern Spain) who had studied abroad in Naples. Since I speak very little Spanish, she and I communicated in Italian, my second language that I am still stuggling with learning. Anyways, as I was explaining to her why I had come abroad, I told her a bit about my family history, what the surnames were that I was looking for, where my grandparents were born, etc. As I told her my last name and where my grandfather was born, she gasped and exclaimed that her boyfriend, who is Italian and lives in Naples, has the same last name as me AND was born in a town right next to where my grandfather was born!
Needless to say, shortly after I arrived in Italy for the second time, I went to Naples, met him, other cousins, and had the time of my life. The city is so full of life and rich in culture, it’s absolutely incredible.
Sigh.