11 May 2011

Siamo Gatti


There is a small street near our house that always has several gatti; I’ve counted as many as twelve. These cats are usually sunning themselves or out looking for their next meal, any tipolini in our part of town don’t have a breath of a chance. I have seldom seen or heard this pack fighting amongst themselves and there always seems to be a few kittens prancing around the group.

When we first started learning who everyone in our village was and to whom they were related we frequently heard the term “Siamo gatti”. My first thought is they were talking about a cat fight - usually you put a bunch of cats together and there is bound to be some quarreling. The more people we met the more we learned that everyone is related to everyone else in one way or another.

“I would like you to meet Antonio, he’s my cousin”

“But if course he is”


They may be cousins, second cousins, or related by marriage. They are like a bunch of town cats, they are all related.

Valerie’s great-grandparents are from nearby Anzi and one of the older ladies in town has claimed her as "mia cugina", they both have the name Cutro in their family trees. It appears anyone from Anzi with this name must be related. Anche noi… Siamo gatti!

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