Tornano le “Conversazioni di Storia Locale”

The “Local History Conversations” return, organized by the Special Collections Section of the Biblioteca la Magna Capitana in Foggia, now in their ninth edition. The format — now well established and widely appreciated — remains unchanged: eight meetings from late October to early May, where local history enthusiasts and scholars present their research to the public.

The approach is accessible and engaging, with a friendly and conversational atmosphere. Each event focuses on figures, events, and places that have shaped the identity of the local community.

The series opens on Tuesday, October 28 at 5:30 PM in the Conference Room of the Museo di Storia Naturale di Foggia with a talk entitled “Adele Anglisani, Benefactress of the People of Foggia”, presented by Nazario Martino, who taught literature for over forty years in high schools across the Capitanata area, particularly at the “Alessandro Volta” Scientific High School in Foggia.

Participants will explore the life of this noblewoman from Foggia, who in 1937 founded an educational and training institute named after her daughter, Maria De Prospero, who died at the age of 28 while giving birth to her daughter Agnese, who also passed away a few days later. Devastated by the double loss and already widowed, Adele Anglisani — an educated and refined woman who loved writing poetry, painting, embroidery, and playing the piano — found comfort in faith and devoted herself to charitable work, guided spiritually by Bishop Monsignor Fortunato Maria Farina.

The Institute, entrusted to the Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and set to celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2027, has educated generations of citizens of Foggia. Located on Via Napoli, near the street named after her daughter, the school welcomed Adele Anglisani in her final years. Her remains were later transferred to the building, where she still rests today.

The program continues with a rich and varied schedule.

On November 27, Pina Cutolo, former president of the Foggia section of Italia Nostra, will speak about the Castles of the Monti Dauni.

On December 18, historian and art scholar Luigi Battaglini will present “By Coach Along the Roads of Daunia: The Birth and Evolution of Public Transport in Capitanata.” The talk will trace the origins of public transportation in the province of Foggia, starting from Bourbon railways and stagecoaches through the early twentieth century, when motor coach services emerged. Battaglini will highlight the driving skills and mechanical expertise required at the time, as well as the role of ticket collectors, and will examine both historic and currently operating transport companies, showing how local transport history intertwines with national developments.

On January 27, 2026, on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, historian and model-maker Luigi Iacomino will present “60 PR/694: The Long Flight that Departed from Capitanata on April 4, 1944, Leading to the Discovery of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp.”

On February 27, journalist and Director of the Foggia Committee of the Institute for the History of the Italian Risorgimento, Francesco Barbaro, will deliver a talk entitled “Roberto Curato, the Engineer Who Dreamed of Transforming the Tavoliere: Stories of a Key Figure in the Reclamation of Capitanata during the Fascist Era.”

On March 26, archaeologist and cultural project designer Francesca Capacchione will focus on “New Archaeological Discoveries on Roman Wall Painting in Apulia.”

On April 28, Tommaso Palermo, a teacher and enthusiast of historical-artistic research, together with Alessandro De Troia, who specializes in historical reconstruction and experimental archaeology — particularly related to the 13th century and the Swabian period in Capitanata — will present “Scripta Capitanata: Documents, Materials and Historical Events in Medieval Capitanata.”

The grand finale will take place on May 7 with “People from Foggia at Sanremo? Many — More Than You Think!” curated by Maurizio De Tullio, director of the magazine Diomede and a passionate scholar of local microhistory.

All meetings will take place at 5:30 PM in the Conference Room of the Museo di Storia Naturale di Foggia.

More than just a lecture series, the “Local History Conversations” are an invitation to rediscover the roots of the community and to look at the past as a way of better understanding the present. Because when local history is told with passion, it stops feeling distant — and becomes something we all belong to.