Monteleone di Puglia

Monteleone di Puglia is a hill town and comune of the province of Foggia in the Puglia region of southern Italy. History In 1942, southern Italy was on the verge of social, economic, and political collapse. Many men were sent to fight in World War II for the Italian army, and the wives of those soldiers were left behind in misery, rage, and hunger. The event that sparked the revolt of the women of Monteleone was the arrogance of a Carabinieri officer who confiscated a pot of corn flour that was being carried to a local bakery by three women. The women resisted, pleading with the officer. The women were brought by the officer to the Fascist regime-appointed mayor. The mayor sided with the officer, and the women were promptly jailed in a warehouse filled with cheese and other foods. The jailed women set the warehouse on fire and escaped. Upon hearing of the hoards of food being stored by the Carabinieri while the people were hungry an angry mob formed and the Carabinieri office was stormed. Police had trouble controlling the riot, and fired warning shots into the air. Soon after, police began firing bullets towards the crowd. Eventually, the citizens of Monteleone - armed with clubs and pitchforks - were subdued. Overall, 180 citizens were arrested and detained. Most rioters arrested had to serve a prison sentence anywhere from a few days to 15 months. This revolt was the first of its kind in Italy during the Second World War. In the years following World War II, a large number of expatriates and their descendants have established a thriving community in Toronto, Canada. There is a club for those who have roots in Monteleone in Toronto. Festivals The patron saints of Monteleone are San Rocco and San Giovanni Battista. Famous residents Monteleone is the birthplace of Canadian politician Joe Volpe. Gallery Notes and references http://www.comuni-italiani.it/071/032/ External links Monteleone Di Puglia Website Italiani.ca - Web magazine for Italian-Canadians