A Look at the Fifteenth Annual Battle of Bitonto Commemoration in New York City

Portrait of King Carlo di Borbone (c.1761) by Anton Raphael Mengs
and The Battle of Bitonto (c.1750) by Giovanni Luigi Rocco

"Go forth and win: the most beautiful crown in Italy awaits you." – Elizabeth Farnese to her son Charles of Bourbon*

Thursday evening, members and friends of the Fratelli della Santa Fede, or Sanfedisti for short, gathered at Amunì Ristorante (7217 3rd Avenue) in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn for our Fifteenth Annual Battle of Bitonto convivium in memory of Carlo di Borbone’s decisive victory over the Austrians in Apulia on 25 May 1734 and the subsequent founding of the Bourbon Dynasty of Naples and Sicily (later the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies). As always, Chef Vincent Dardanello went above and beyond and treated our characteristically peckish party to another spectacular celebratory meal. His warmth and hospitality are second to none.

Before dinner, members of our small philatelist and numismatist club met up and exhibited a few new and old stamps, coins and medals from our respective collections.

Special thanks to our dear friend Vittorio, who regaled us between courses with a few classic Neapolitan songs and arias. Viva 'o Rre!

* Quoted from The Bourbons of Naples by Harold Acton, Methuen and Co. Ltd., 1957, pg. 17

Stamps with selvage commemorating the 100th
Anniversary of the death of Pope Pius IX, 1978, Vatican

Since it was his feast day, I brought my stamps commemorating the
1100th Anniversary of the death of San Gregorio VII, 1985, Vatican

A handful of coins and medals were on display, including this
1995 commemorative 500 Lire from San Marino and
Daughters of the American Revolution good citizen medal

Medal awarded to the soldiers who fought in the 1849 Campaign
in Sicily by HM King Ferdinando I of the Two Sicilies

Caponata

Carciofi fritti

Arancini

Pasta alla Norma

Braciole stuffed with hard boiled eggs

Cavatelli

Patate e peperoni al forno and braciole di maiale alla brace

Chevalatta over rapini

Gamberi Oreganati

Partygoers were well sated

(Above & below) Vittorio regaled us with a few classic Neapolitan ditties

David and John

Mike and Alexis

Cindy and Isak

John, Maria and Maria

Mike, Vinny and Andrew