Sersale

The history of Sersale originates with a baron named Francesco Sersale di Calabria who owned the land in 1620 where Sersale and its surrounds are present day. The story is such that Baron Franceso Sersale was a just owner and tried to be good to his workers. This fine reputation was well known which drew workers with whom he developed a form of co-op system where people could work plots of his land paying the baron so much at the end of the year. He encouraged them to plant ress and gardens for subsistence for their families. There were twelve main families originally of which two were Torchia families.

As the years passed, and his great, great, great grandchildren inherited the property the manner of the regime changed. The relationship between owners and the tenant farmers was not as pleasant. These heirs also lost pieces of the land due to poor investments which was how the land changed into other's hands. It is in this period the development of the village of Sersale began.

                By 1686 Pietro Torchia is mentioned in Sersale history and Giuseppe Pietro Torchia is living in the palace of the Baron in 1783. By 1801 Tommaso Torchia is mayor of Sersale. The people living in Sersale learned to be very friendly 0 strangers which is what seemed to draw people from naples as permanent residents. The custom was such that if a stranger came to someone's house, they were invited in for a meal and a party developed for the day as they drank wine and talked. The people of Sersale are known for their hospitality; a trait recognized from surrounding towns.

Legend states that in 1857 Michele Torchia, 40, and his son Antonio, 17, took part in a famous group of "Briganti" that forced the French out of Sersale. They accomplished this by cutting some of the soldier's throats and letting their dogs drink the blood and eat the flesh of the soldiers so the dogs would always be aware of French soldiers and chase after them.

It seems the "Briganti" killed a whole troupe of French soldiers and one happened to be a nephew of a famous French general. When he heard of this he decided to take a whole platoon of French soldiers and destroy Sersale. When the people of Sersale heard this they all left the village, leaving just the priests and a church.

The priest tried to think of what to do. He removed all the French soldier's bodies before the French general arrived and buried them right in the church as if they were very important including the Fench general's nephew. When he heard the General coming, he and his companions dressed up in their finest and proceeded to meet the General and his soldiers escorting them to the church to show them what they had done. The priest proceeded with a funeral as though for the finest of citizens of Sersale. The general was appeased after he sawall that was done for his nephew and soldiers and decided not to destroy the town and its people. The general returned to France and the people returned to their home in Sersale. Legend ends that the people of Sersale never thanked the priest for what he had done!

Source:  Taken from a translation from Sersale - Storia di una comunita' presilana by Michele Scarpino, translated by Antonio Torchia; shared by Mimi Torchia Boothby