There was a big earthquake in Avezzano in 1915 and I noticed in the 1921 census of Sora that many families from the south, especially those with trades moved to the area to help with rebuilding and stayed here.

Don't know much about what people were using in Southern Italy for transport but in Northern regions they were carrying any kind of thing just like mules: hay, stones, fruits/vegetables/goods to sell, firewood, grapes, belongings, etc. etc.

In these links you can see different kinds of those baskets that in Italian we call "gerla"

Mountain and Country Life

Gerla

Sorry but the first is in Italian and the second in Italian and Friulian, no English but the pics show well how hard was (and is) life in the mountains.

I know the movie "The tree of wooden clogs". I know that people (in the country) were using clogs but also were just barefoot. Shoes, or something similar were used to attend Mass or special occasions.
Of course in big towns life was different and surely better. Here are some pics end 1800/beginning 1900 up to the middle of 1900.

Ancestors's fashion

Ada

You are right Nuccia, it is exciting.

I have one stumbling block at this point. I have identified 6 men with the common surname. All born during the same time period of 1750-1790 as my 3x great grandfather and within the same area.

I have found some vague connections but not enough to say they are definitely family. A death record here and there would be helpful but the time period would be 1852-1865. They also have followed a similar naming tradition. I have received birth and or death records for many of their children in error. I have placed all of these in my unrelated file until I can find more.

Would love to have the indexes of the records for the time period 1805-1865 for the comune. If you know of anyone who may have photographed any or all of these please let me know. Stato Civile - ROCCAPIEMONTE, SALERNO, CAMPANIA. Birth/Marriage/Death

An alternative I thought of is a letter to the Archives in Salerno asking for copies of the indexes. Does someone have a letter making such a request in Italian? Would be greatly appreciated.

lilbees