Cloz, Trento, Italy, June 1999

Cloz, Italy - June 1999

In June of 1999, Collene Jackson and her parents, Bill and Pat Moore, visited Cloz as a part of their tour of northern Italy to visit the home villages of two of their immigrant ancestors, Cloz in the Val di Non, and Cinte Tesino in the Valsugana. Here she shares some of her impressions.

Francesco Franch - 1922
Superior, Wyoming
Photo Courtesy Aldina Floretta

"The second day we were in Cloz, Dad and Mom went to the Municipal Building and were asking about the Franchs in general and especially Grandpa Franch's family. The man there was very helpful and told them he know someone who probably had known Floriano (Frank) Franch. He called Aldina Franch Floretta and made arrangements for Mom and Dad to meet her. She was born in Cloz. Her family moved to Superior, Wyoming, when she was about four or five. They were there for about seven years before returning to Cloz. She had a picture of her father, Francesco Franch, taken with other men who were from Cloz who were living in Superior at the time.She showed us the picture and there on the back row was Grandpa Franch. Aldina said that while they lived in Superior, they lived next to Grandpa. She attended school and learned to speak English.

"Aldina was the perfect link for us."
Collene Jackson and Aldina Floretta -
Cloz, Italy 1999
All Photos and Photo Captions on this page ourtesy
Collene Jackson unless otherwise noted.

When Frank came to visit his sister, Agnese Floretta in the late sixties, he visited Aldina and told her of his grandson, Bill, who had just remodeled his bathroom. And now here was the grandson right in her living room."

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"House #22. The home of the Franchs in days gone by."
(Floriano's family home at the time of his birth) "From the upper deck of house #22 looking across the Val di Non. This is probably much the same view as Floriano had . . . almost one hundred years ago. The closer village is Vasio and the further village is Fondo." "These are the oldest tombstones we found in Europe. The church was built over the old cemetary and the stones were taken and mortared into the stone wall." "The Cloz Cemetary. Every name is familiar." "The cemetaries are reused generation after generation. The old stones are gone but the burial places remain."

Another view of the Cloz Cemetary. More Ancient Tombstones mortarted into the wall. A beautiful example of local architecture. A well tended backyard garden. Brasssmith shop in the same family 3 generations.

Picture Perfect Post Card
Monuments like this are to remember those lost in the World Wars
Another Postcard of Cloz


"House #22. The home of the Franchs in days gone by." (Floriano's family home at the time of his birth)	"From the upper deck of house #22 looking across the Val di Non. This is probably much the same view as Floriano had . . . almost one hundred years ago. The closer village is Vasio and the further village is Fondo."	"These are the oldest tombstones we found in Europe. The church was built over the old cemetary and the stones were taken and mortared into the stone wall."	"The Cloz Cemetary. Every name is familiar."	"The cemetaries are reused generation after generation. The old stones are gone but the burial places remain."

Another view of the Cloz Cemetary.	More Ancient Tombstones mortarted into the wall.	A beautiful example of local architecture.	A well tended backyard garden.	Brasssmith shop in the same family 3 generations.
	Picture Perfect Post Card	Monuments like this are to remember those lost in the World Wars	Another Postcard of Cloz