Word: spilamberto
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...prosperous villagers of Spilamberto in North Italy raged with frustration when they looked down on the neighboring village of San Cesario. One might have thought the shoe would be on the other foot: Spilamberto's 3,500 people thrive on the yield of their vineyards, their orchards, and their explosives factory; San Cesario's 1,500 citizens live on lower ground, where the uncertain waters of the Panaro River often overflow into the vineyards and the groves of apple and cherry trees. But San Cesario has what Spilamberto wants: a small bronze cannon with a broken breech. Last...
...kept on for 64 years until there arose in San Cesario one who could take the challenge. Young Gustavo Sola, a partisan hero of World War II, was known as "Il Corsaro" (the pirate). When the war was over, the 23-year-old Corsaro went with two friends to Spilamberto's priest, who had charge of the cannon, and persuaded him to yield the trophy in exchange for a signed receipt. Detouring en route so the countryside might see, Il Corsaro trundled the cannon home in a handcart, and received a hero's welcome: a supper of lasagna...
...Spilamberto's priest, Don Romeo Spatini, went to court, asking return of the cannon plus damages for the splitting of the breech. He brandished the receipt, but Il Corsaro slyly pointed out that he had not specified when he would return the cannon. He hid the cannon at a dairy farm, and San Cesarians took turns guarding it. They organized an official Committee for the Cannon, to produce evidence for the trial. All San Cesario was together on this: the committee included the Communist Il Corsaro, the priest of the village, and the leader of San Cesario...
Cold War. As the two villages waited for the court's decision, they each poured insulting pity upon the other. "Those poor people, the Spilambertians," said Il Corsaro, "they have the goiter. It's not their fault. It is only the water." Down the road in Spilamberto, the secretary of the village's Demo-Christian Party felt equally sorry for the San Cesarians. "Good folks," he said, "only they have the goiter. Confidentially, they really have got it properly. It is the fault of the water." Said one old Cesarian: "The Spilambertians cannot keep their wives. Three...
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