Piccola Grande Albina Ricordi di una nonna di quasi 90 anni or Albine Petite Paysanne

 I have just known that Albina Gasparri, an ex citizens of our countryside, called Morena is peacefully dead in Saint Maximin, France. 

Several years ago she published a book called Piccola Grande Albina

Ricordi di una nonna di quasi 90 anni or if you prefer in french Albine Petite Paysanne. She told in this book of just 80 pages, or 97 if you read it in french the story of her existence, focusing in particular the attention on her early existence.

Traditions, customs of our countryside were pretty different from the ones experienced by the newest generations. People were very poor, although the family of Albina had everything for a living, shoes included!

There wasn't electricity, there wasn't water at home, there weren't bathrooms; winters were very cold and people could enjoy some warm also by the presence on the first floor of the house by cows and sheep. 

All the evening the ladies of the house spent their time preparing always new clothes, or sheet, or socks, everything that was necessary in a family. Albina was a girl pretty intelligent and in love for clothes, for elegance. She wasn't tall but she loved to wearing always beauty dresses. When she started to earn some money she bought the piece of fabric she loved the most.

Work in the fields was heavy, but she did it with love. Then, it was necessary to go to work to Gubbio as housemaid but she stayed with a family, the one of the mayor of that times that was pretty snob and absolutely not adapted for her; she was treated with great humiliation and when, one day, sat close to her owners, for eating, the old lady said her that being a servant she couldn't eat with them. Treated like a beast, she thought that was arrived the moment of leaving. She did the long walk from Gubbio to Morena with the sensation of setting herself free, and once arrived she hugged her father.

"Oh, please, forgive me, forgive me" he told her.

Albina has always thought that miracles happen. She had a granny she loved a lot and she thinks that she continued to assist her also when pretty adult. 

I know that she is  right. 

The idea of leaving Italy when she was married, arrived several times and France had to be the destination. Pity that the first time there was misunderstanding about the train for Franceand they returned to Morena. 

Years after that first failure, the idea of reaching again Anchise close to Saint Maximin was great and they left. In France they found a best world. The simple fact that Albina could find warm and fresh water at home was priceless, like a miracle. Life bettered much much more when they decided to leaving for the town. Life was going on well. She started to work as tailor, being appreciated. She was doing what she loved in her existence!

Pity that her husband died too soon at just 67, leaving her alone and desperate at first. After some time, she re-started her work as tailor and substantially she has done dresses for weddings till at the age of 80 years and more!

In recent time I met Gioia, one of her relative in a super-market and I asked of Albina. She said me: "Can you believe it? They have a new wedding and she wants to attend it, although there is a pandemic influenza in the world." Albina, Albina I am sure she didn't lose it. 

The last pandemic flu, the Spanish one, touched heavily the existence of Albina's closest relatives.

His grand-dad and the brother died because of Spanish flu like also her father's first wife. 

Albina is the fruit of the second wife of Giuseppe, called Giulia. 

Albina tells a touching anedoct: the first wife, when she understood that the spanish flu would have killed her, asked him of marrying someone else. "Don't stay alone! Remember that we have some children and you must have some company. You must choose someone. Can you think at someone else, apart me?" And Giuseppe mentioned Giulia.

"Go for her. It's the right choice. Let's hope she will tell you that she accepts to marry you."

The family of Albina has always been a functional one. No dramas, just big love between the various members; she was proud of it, admitting that she went proud of the result of her work and the one of her husband and a big and joyous family. 

Albina was also a person extremely secure of herself. She tells everything with great, great sincerity. 

This book is completed with many pictures of her relatives and Morena.

To the entire family our condolences. 

Anna Maria Polidori