Location: Calabria, Italy
Date: Wednesday, 4 February 1891
In regard to the marriage of Angela Galea and Peppe Trimboli, there is a new twist that has resulted in a slight change to their story as originally written in Entry 4. This has led to the unexpected and exciting discovery of historical information dating further back in time by one more generation.
As revealed by the marriage certificate:
Angela was the daughter of Rosaria Galluzzo and Antonio Galea.
Peppe's mother was Anna Rosa Ceravolo. And, confirming what was previously disclosed in Entry 4, his father was Vincenzo Trimboli.
These four individuals, together with the parish priest, Father Giuseppe Romeo, all played a role that would lead Angela to eventually marrying Peppe. Unfortunately, not all the parents were able to attend the wedding day.
So what happened?
Peppe’s initial marriage proposal had been rejected by Antonio, but unforeseen events later disrupted the stability of the Galea family. Rural Siderno, during this era, was very much a male dominated society where women were often powerless, succumbing to decisions made on their behalf by men. Without the protection of a husband or father, women were vulnerable and at risk of being mistreated, which is sadly what Rosaria and Angela experienced after the untimely death of Antonio.
Left defenceless, without support, mother and daughter were in danger of being evicted from their home. The person responsible for this threat was the landlord. Showing no empathy or kindness towards his tenant's desperate situation, he felt justified in doing this, as he believed two females were incapable of maintaining his property. He considered the farmland too large for them to handle on their own. However, he wasn’t entirely heartless, suggesting that their problems would be solved if either Rosaria or Angela chose to marry; after all, a husband would be quite helpful in managing all the chores.
To solve this dilemma, a decision was made to reconsider Peppe’s proposal, leading to an agreement to marry him. Angela's engagement eased the landlord's concerns, and at the same time, Rosaria's fear of becoming homeless faded from her mind.
When Angela was a little older, Father Romeo agreed to start the marriage preparations. First, he posted a notice on the bulletin board (attached to the church door) informing the community of the upcoming marriage between Peppe and Angela. This gave anyone with a valid reason as to why the marriage should not take place, to come forward with their objection. Then, Father Romeo interviewed Peppe and Angela to confirm their mutual consent to marry, and finally, since Angela was underage, he also needed consent from Rosaria. With all conditions fulfilled, Father Romeo married the couple on Wednesday, 4 February 1891 at the Parish of Saint Catherine.
In terms of age, does one year more and one year less make much of a difference? Perhaps for Angela and Peppe it did. On the day they were married, Angela was actually 16 years old and Peppe was 30. However, in the church document above, Angela's age was written as 17 and Peppe's age as 29.
They remained married for 65 years until Peppe passed away in 1956.
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