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Santa Trofimena, New Haven, Connecticut
Photos by New York Scugnizzo
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By Giovanni di Napoli
During my travels in Campania I was fortunate enough to visit Minori, a beautiful little seaside town nestled among the crags of the Amalfi Coast. Formerly an arsenal for the Amalfi Maritime Republic, Minori's history harks back to Roman times. In fact, one of the town's main attractions is the Villa Romana archeological site, dating from the 1st century AD. My stay was brief (just a short pit stop between Positano and Vietri sul Mare), but the excursion aroused my curiosity and left me wanting more.
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Minori's beautiful Basilica Santa Trofimena
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Upon my return to the States, I researched many of the marvelous things I discovered on my trip and, of course, Minori's beautiful Basilica was one of them. Originally a pagan temple it was consecrated and used as a burial chapel for Santa Trofimena's relics. By the end of the 18th century the church and its adjacent bell tower were completely remodeled in the neoclassical style.
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Minori's neoclassical bell tower
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Interestingly, while digging for information, I kept finding references to a statue of the Saint in New York City. While no locations were mentioned, I'm sure they meant the one housed in The Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. However, I think some people will be surprised to learn that there is another statue of Santa Trofimena [photo top] at historic Saint Michael's Church (29 Wooster Place) in New Haven, Connecticut.
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Santa Trofimena monument, Minori
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Long overdue for a trip to New Haven, my friends and I finally made a pilgrimage to see the beautiful statue last Sunday. What was supposed to be a simple act of devotion in her honor turned into a spiritually edifying and culturally rewarding day.
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Santa Trofimena, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
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Before Mass we were fortunate enough to meet some members of the Saint Andrew Apostle Society who were attending the memorial service for their deceased members. A local confraternity founded in 1900 by immigrants from Amalfi, the Society does a wonderful job keeping our traditions and folkways alive. Each year, they organize several cultural events, including the annual blessing of the boats and the Procession and Feast of Saint Andrew. They deserve our support and praise.
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Saint Michael's Church, New Haven, Connecticut
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Warmly welcomed, they generously answered all our questions and showed us around the beautiful church. In addition to Santa Trofimena, Saint Michael's is home to several other magnificent works of sacred art, including statues of Saint Andrew and San Liberato, protector of Calvisi.
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Saint Andrew, Patron of Amalfi, Saint Michael's Church
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After Mass they gave us some excellent tips on what to see and do in Wooster Square, the predominantly Southern Italian neighborhood named after Revolutionary War Hero David Wooster. We strolled through serene Wooster Square Park, contemplating the monuments dedicated to the men of the 11th Ward who lost their lives during WWII. From the park we made our way through the neighborhood and beyond, admiring the charming local architecture, historical landmarks and New Haven Green. We even passed by Yale University.
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San Liberato, Saint Michael's Church
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Still a little too early for lunch, we decided to visit the very impressive Knights of Columbus Museum at 1 State Street. The museum's long-term and permanent collections include comprehensive galleries highlighting the exploits of Cristoforo Colombo, the Vatican, the Knights and its founder Michael J. McGivney.
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Wooster Square Park WWII Monuments
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The Museum is currently hosting its eighth annual Christmas crèche exhibition, "Joyeux Noël: Christmas in Canada." Among the many wonderful nativity scenes on display are several exquisite pieces by Calabrian born sculptor Antonio Caruso. Looking at the highly expressive and delicate carvings it’s not difficult to see why Caruso is considered one of Canada's finest living artists. His Madonna with Child carved from cirmolo pine and Holy Family fashioned from tiglio pine are superb.
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(L-R) Holy Family and Madonna with Child by Antonio Caruso
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Equally impressive was Angela Tripi's 12-peace presepio. Ornate and finely detailed, her beautiful statuettes blend reality with idealism. Born in Sicily, Ms. Tripi's polychrome terra cotta figures are accentuated with fabric and accessories, evoking the old techniques of the Sicilian baroque master Giovanni Antonio Matera.
"Joyeux Noël: Christmas in Canada" will run through February 3, 2013.
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Crèche by Angela Tripi
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Thoroughly famished, we made our way to Frank Peppe's famous Pizzeria Napoletana. My friends and I knew we were in the right spot when we saw the long line of people waiting to get in. Since we had not eaten at Peppe's before, we resisted the temptation to skip the queue. The anticipation of a great meal and sharing pizza anecdotes with fellow aficionados became part of the dining experience.
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Frank Peppe Pizzeria Napoletana
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Specializing in the white clam pie—a medley of grated cheese, garlic and fresh littleneck clams—Peppe's signature dish was totally worth the wait. In my opinion, New Haven style brick-oven pizza, with its thin crust and fresh ingredients, stayed true to it's roots and is much closer to authentic Neapolitan pizza than the traditional New York style [not to be confused with all the great new Neapolitan pizzerias opening up around the Big Apple]. Originating from Maiori, its not surprising Peppe's brought back so many wonderful memories of the pizza I enjoyed up and down the Amalfi Coast.
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Frank Peppe's famous white clam apizza
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Afterward, we took a relaxing stroll and further explored this wonderful enclave. We came across the Saint Andrew Society and Santa Maria Maddalena Society buildings, fantastic historical markers and memorials commemorating the Southern Italian contributions to Wooster Square, and, most importantly, we met some very friendly and helpful people who made our visit a memorable one.
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(L-R) Statue of Saint Mary Magdalene on Wooster Street
and monument dedicated to the deceased members
of Saint Andrew Society on Chapel Street.
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Before our departure, we indulged our sweet tooth a little at Libby's Pastries, a New Haven institution since 1922. The scalding hot caffe and delicious Anginette cookies—a lemon glazed masterpiece reminiscent of the sugary biscuits I had in Minori—was the grand finale to our jam-packed day. We weren't even finished with our dessert and we were already planning our return.
Santa Trofimena surely was smiling down on us.
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Historic markers at Chapel and Chestnut Streets |
