Padule di Fuchecchio photos and music presentation a treat for the eyes

I first visited the Padule di Fuchecchio two years ago when I was doing a story on a horrific slaughter of civilians that took place there during World War 2. This little-visited nature preserve, the largest marsh in Italy, is located in the Valdinievole, where my Italian ancestors lived from at least the 1400s onward.

This lucky group of journalists and photographers received
a guided tour of the Padule. Someday I may be so fortunate.

You can read about my visit in this blog: Our first excursion to the Padule di Fucecchio begs a return visit. The swamp is teeming with wildlife, though it is often hard to spot. Having a little boat and knowing where and when to venture out are important factors to get the best views and photos. Those of us who don’t have these advantages can experience a glimpse of the Padule’s beauty by viewing photographs taken by Padule enthusiasts who live nearby.

I recently came across a pleasant photo montage on Facebook. It is the combined work of more than a dozen amateur and professional photographers who are members of the group “You love the Padule di Fucecchio if . . .” The photos and soothing music make for a worthwhile three-minute pause. Click here: The Padule di Fucecchio video.

Spadoni, Seghieri family trees in brief

Having a family reunion this month has prompted me to make some charts to show how various branches of the Spadoni and Seghieri families are connected. While I’ve shared this with individuals before, it occurred to me that now might be a good time to post this information online to make it available to a broader audience.

The charts don’t include all contemporary families, for the simple reason that I would have run out of space, but it shouldn’t be hard for most people to figure out how they fit in from what I’ve provided. For example, for the Seghieri family that settled in California, under Egidio Seghieri, who moved to the United States in 1905, I didn’t have room to include all of his children, so I followed the line of Tristano and then chose to include Donald, knowing that his brothers and cousins could easily figure out where they fit in. For my own line, I include my dad and myself, knowing that all my Gig Harbor Spadoni and Seghieri cousins understand how their families fit under our shared grandparents or great grandparents.

I had to make similar decisions for other lines as well to save space, and I hope this doesn’t cause anyone to feel slighted. Also, there are many other lines in both families that I didn’t include in the charts because the connections are considerably more distant. The complete family tree is included on my sister-in-law Rosemary’s Ancestry.com website. If you are related and politely request permission to view this extensive database, I’m sure she will be happy to grant viewing access. She has delegated the Italian branches of the family to my care, and I hope to add much more information and photos in the weeks to come from information gained at the reunion. Please take a look at these charts, and then feel free to email me with questions or additions or send me a Facebook friend request.

I made the chart below for Sauro Spadoni and Leonello Spadoni, who both work in Chiesina Uzzanese in Italy, when I discovered how we are related.