Carmen D'Alessio

Melina - Little Apple Carmen D'Alessio

This is a historical biography of an Italian family, spanning throughout four generations. The story begins in Southern Italy in 1880 (it is referred as it was told to Melina by her Grandmother) and follows the footsteps of Giovanni Antonio Lombardi who, from there, had to flee to Brazil. It continues in post-war England, later in Italy, and ends in 1996 in London with the experiences of Melina, his great-granddaughter. The book tackles a very contradicted and heartfelt problem, currently a great issue at political and social levels, particularly in Europe: immigration. In the past centuries endorsed by companies and Governments, nowadays occurring illegally. For the benefit of the millions of Italians living outside Italy, who, like the Author, have never studied there, Italy's history has been researched and outlined briefly, from the ancient Roman Empire, until the reuniting of the Italian peninsula into the "Kingdom of Italy" in 1861 and then to modern times. Information is given about the Papal States, the Vatican City and the Italian Royal Savoy Family. For all expatriates, the first pages of the ITALIAN CONSTITUTION are illustrated.