Capretz Capers

Perhaps my favourite photo is the one below that now hangs enlarged in the Seaview Cafe. It features my grandfather in it, Sandrino Nardini (back row, white shirt, bald head). We believe it was taken in the 1930's in the Bar Capretz in Barga, Italy. 

However we are unsure as to who some of the people in the picture are. As such we have put an appeal on the excellent www.barganews.com website to see if any readers can identify those we can't put a name to.

Click to enlarge

Here's our list so far.

Back row:  Dino Ghiloni, Aldo Piacentini (Banker), Corrado Corradini (Teacher), No name, Elio Orsi, Primo Rinaldi, Enrico Nardini (Distiller), Sandrino Nardini (Caterer), Augusto Biagi (il rossino), Ferruccio Salvi, No name, No name.

Middle row: Lucia Rocchicioli (del Capretz, owner of the pictured Cafe), Piero Stefani, Orlando Rinaldi (Builder), Dott. Cesare Lucigniani (local GP), Leonetto Dianda, No name, Bruno Sereni, No name, Umberto (Gino ?) Nardini.

Third row seated: No name, Gainni Ghiloni

The Caprtez is famously located within the old city walls and was frequented by composer Giacomo Puccini, poet Giovanni Pascoli (who wrote many of his poems on the Bar's balcony) and their artistic friends.

Thanks to Keane at Barganews, Aristodemo Casciani and Michele Biagi for all their help in putting names to these faces.

This photo has now appeared in Joe Pieri's new book, The Scots-Italians, available from Mercat Press.

*An email has reached me from the ever enigmatic Mayor of Barga, Umberto Sereni who believes that the photo's year is nearer 1946-1949. With his help we have managed to unravel a further two revellers, his own father Bruno Sereni (who served his time in Scotland) and Gino Nardini, the owner of the Nardini Bus company.