True references on that historical moment, that involved a whole generation, we can find it in a very nice way in the book called "Bons Tempos: para os netos” (‘Good times: for grandchildren’), written by my friend Brigitte J. F. Gorini. She was born in Nova Veneza, Brazil, and is descended from Italians from Veneto and Lombardy regions. A book that brings us (and for her grandchildren) stories of her ancestors, and "writing them, she finds a Nova Veneza of the 1940s, which describes a nostalgic retrospect, which ends up being the record of the life and memory of that southern Italian community of Santa Catarina State (South of Brazil)."

     From the chapter "Siamo Partiti" (‘We departed’) about the origin of her Trento family, we can find descriptions that could be attributed to the great majority of those who emigrated to Brazil, as:
     "In the second half of the nineteenth century, when it became intense the flow of Italian immigrants, Trento family decided to join their few belongings and come to Brazil in search of a better life." ... "Trento was one of thousands of Italian families who abandoned their homes, their meager land and having as property only a glimmer of hope; they threw themselves to an uncertain future in an unfamiliar place. From the songs of those brave still echoes in our ears the questions contained in the verses "Cosa sara quest'America? (‘What thing will America be?’)" ... "Luigi Trento and his family traveled on a ship to the Rio de Janeiro. From there to Florianópolis and in a smal boat to Laguna. From there they were across Tubarão River to a place where there were a few huts and they could had some rest and food. Possibly, they entered into Santa Catarina territory by pathways in the woods that would have been opened by a machete by immigrants who preceded them, carrying their children, pregnant women, their chests, bags and bundles in a hard route. Some had the aid of packmules to carry their belongings. Trento were destined to a land in Rio Carvão, after that they clean up the small area and built their home. Before that, they put up with the reality of having "Dormito sul nudo terreno como le bestie abbiam riposá” (‘We slept on the hard ground as animals we rest’). Adds to the discomfort, anxiety facing the possibility of being attacked by Indians; since the intruders were the immigrants. They suffered under rain, cold or hot sun, under the stress of snake bites and other unknown animals. There was between them a deep sense of solidarity and mutual protection.”

     From the chapter “Costumes e outros assuntos” (‘Customs and other subjects’) we have:
     “Immigrants brought simple habits, habits of people that suffered intermittent wars. A time when the current consumption of the people was limited, since the food, the clothes, even the rudimentary farming tools. What mattered was surviving and, therefore, they were willing to use their calloused hands and sweat to extract products of the land, that would guarantee them a living. In the bag, the menswear was scratched fabric made of thick cotton. Women of the colony wore dark dresses covering them below the knees and shins. Shoes, if they existed, were crude. It was very common using home-made clogs.”

     Adversity did not take their dreams. Their honor was added to their faith, and both became in force and work. Much of what they made remains materialized in objects, utensils, tools... that reflect the hardness of each day; making us think about the difficulty of the process of their adaptation to the hostile environment. From stones and clay they built walls and buildings which still preserve traces of an architecture predominantly influenced by their origins. Immaterial became faith, religion... the patron St. Mark... It remained tradition, the habits and customs, the way of being of the people: way of living, feeling and thinking. It remained the way of having fun: dance, music, songs, voice... the culture... In the gastronomy: the rustic pasta, polenta, fortaia, colonial cheeses, salami, radicchio salad...
     One hundred and twenty-three years have passed, and today they are no longer here anymore, but the result of what they have been and done still alive, down the same streets where they were one day, by those same places of the city; and through their children, and their children's children... and their children... And down the same streets, the same places, the same square, in the heart of their people, there is a monument in which Venetians proudly eternalized their names; the name of their families: the Monument to the Immigrant. Their memory will be kept forever.
     And it was from this sense of bravery, fighting... admiration, gratitude, this photographic work was generated. It was named as "Nova Veneza: il lavoro di tanti" (‘Nova Veneza: work of so many’); an allusion to that force, to that work that was undertaken by them to build their dream: their "Nuova" (‘New’) city in America, their Nuova Venezia (‘Nova Veneza’).
     Time has passed, but it remains their example of: faith, resilience, union, resignation, self-denial, perseverance; their believe in life... Their dream is not dead, just took a little longer. Nowadays, we that have the heritage of their legacy, perhaps we may have to look back a bit, to learn more, and thus design a better future; to give a better destination for what was bequeathed to us. And like them, make a better world for our children, and our children's children ... and their children ... and those who will come.

Special thanks:
- To my friend Brigitte J. F. Gorini, which allowed me the transcription of the above texts of her literary work: “Bons Tempos: para os netos”;
- To Gabriel da Conceição by the support he gave me in the Immigrant Museum;
- To Mr. Vilmar Vitório Ferro, Guard and Eucharistic Minister at St. Mark's Parish Church;
- To Angelo Bortolotto family for allowing me access to the Stone House Luigi Nono Bratti.

Historical references:
- GORINI, Brigitte J. F. Bons Tempos: para os netos, 2nd edition, EdiUNESC, 2014, Criciúma, SC.
- BORTOLOTTO, Zulmar Hélio História de Nova Veneza, 2nd edition, Editora Insular, 2012.
- CAROLA, Carlos Renato; DASSI, Nilso Era uma vez o rio Mãe Luzia, UNESC, 2014.
www.portalveneza.com.br
www.novaveneza.sc.gov.br
http://www.feriasbr.com.br/viagem/ferias/cidade/nova-veneza-SC/4576/indexl.html