Puglia Differences: an occasional series on things that strike this Brit as so very Italian.
In the UK, the average time between death and a funeral is typically one to two weeks. In Italy, the average is typically three to seven days.
In the UK, this will usually mean an announcement in the local weekly paper. In Italy time is of the essence and so notices are quickly printed and posted on noticeboards around the town. If the person lives out of town, the notices will also appear on temporary boards on the wall at their house and surrounding country lanes
In Cisternino the same family names keep cropping up, the local equivalent of Smith and Jones: Semeraro, Zizzi, D’Amico, Loparco.
As well as announcing the death and date of funeral, these notices will also announce memorial services to be held on the anniversaries of the deceased’s passing.
Sadly, one of these notices is commemorating the third anniversary of the untimely death of our wonderful builder who did the restoration work on our current and previous apartments. He was a true gentleman, a craftsman and charming in every way. A prime example of “only the good die young”.
The notices will often specify “Non fiori ma opere di bene” which translates as “no flowers but good works” by which they mean donate to charity.
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