ITALIAN CROATIAN
CONNECTION
Croatians
from the Dalmatian coast and islands and Istria were free Venetian citizens
from 1400-1800 while Dalmatia and Istria was part of the Republic of Venice.
They attended Italian universities, spoke Italian and considered themselves as
part of the Italian states for four hundered years. They preferred Venetian
rule over Austrian, Turkish, Hungarian or Serbian domination if it had to exist
at all. In San Francisco they participated in Italian societies, newspapers,
fishermens associations, bocci ball games as their culture was quite similiar
to the Italian and were buried in Italian cemeteries.
Italian Mutual Benevolent Society of
1858
Augustus
D. Splivalo as attorney born in Viganj, Dalmatia was an officer and president
of the Italian Mutual Benevolent Society of San Francisco. He served as
president from 1871 to 1875. Enrico Chevesich was a director in 1864 and Caesar
Splivalo was a director in 1874. Velimiro Chielovich was a charter member of
1858.
L’eco Della Patria Italian newspaper of
1859
In
1859 Velimiro Chielovich came to San Francisco and established the Italian paper, still popular amongst
his countrymen, L’eco Della Patria, and was a constant and favorite contributor
to its columns as long as he lived. He
was no ordinary man. Born in Dalmatia about the year 1838, he was of course of
Slavonic origin, but at an early age his parents moved to the city of
Trieste.
La Parola Italian Newspaper of 1863
Augustus
D. Splivalo was editor of the La Parola Italian newspaper in San Francisco from
1863-1865. His people were from Viganj, Dalmatia.
Italian Fishing Society of 1878
The
newspaper La Scintilla Italiana reported on December 24, 1878: At the meeting
that was held on Sunday the 22nd this month, the Italian Fishing Society has
appointed its Administrative Counsel for the coming 1879 year. The following
members have been elected: President, D. Mengola;
Vice President, Frau, Tomasso; Secretary, Sturlese, Nicola; Treasury, Maggio
Fortunato; Collector, Maricich,
Prospero. Advisors: Ponelli, Salvatore, Sbissa,
Giacomo, Pisani Giovanni, Vodanovich
Matteo, Pisani, Camillo, Bosiscovich,
Andrea, Caccacia, Francesco, Mondaini, Eugenio, Zaro, Ernesto, Cardillo Giuseppe. Of fourteen officers, six were
Croatians.
Bocci Ball Champion of 1975
Jerry
Cepernich was proclaimed Bocci Ball Champion of San Francisco.