Della-Piana Garden Party

My great grandparents Leandro Della-Piana and Elisa Savini immigrated to Boston as teenagers in 1905-1907 from Nocciano, Italy. Their children (and my grandpa) still hold a yearly garden party up in Wenham, Mass which I attended for the first time this year! Elissa's backyard was beautiful and the food and company were well worth the trip from Baltimore.

Italians know how to eat!

My great grandfather Leandro was a craftsman by trade.
Elissa still has this chair he carved.

My great grandparents with two of their grandchildren (the one on the right is Elissa)

Elissa is an art professor at Montserrat School of Art.
She is also a wonderful gardener and has flowers throughout her home.

From the dessert table....


This is Sammy, my cousin from Maine.

My great uncle Larry. Married to the late Rose Della-Piana (my grandpa's older sister).

Larry's granddaughter (and my second cousin) Mindy and her fiancé Drew.

My uncle Ben and his son Adam from Maine.

Harper, daughter of Elissa and my second cousin.
She is a clothing designer and couturier!

A few photos from Elissa's backyard. There were walking paths through the
artistically cultivated gardens -- what a celebration of spring!

Ben and his two sons Mason and Adam.

This whole archway is held up by woven sticks. No twine or anything.

Played some Bocce ball. Ben was wayyyy too good for us.

Ben, Kristie, Adam, Mason, Sarah, and Sammy.
I love these guys! Ben is my mom's little brother.

My great uncle Larry and his daughter Linda.

My mom's cousin Mike (son of Larry) and his wife Ann, up from Revere.

Aunt Kristie with great uncle Larry.

My grandpa's youngest brother Lee (Leandro Jr.) who used to
work as a cartoonist for the newspaper.

My mom's cousin Elissa, daughter of the oldest son Fred (Ferdinando).
She is the artist and gardener and art professor.

My great uncle Frank (Franco Mario) who loves to tell stories.
He is just older than my grandpa.

I decided to go see where my great grandparents and their children are buried.
Pat (Pasquale), Zoof (Ralph), Connie (Concetta) and are also here.
I think Fred and Rose are somewhere else.

The stonework was done by my grandpa Gabriel's godfather, Arcangelo Casceri.
I was named after both of them: Gabriel Arcangelo.

What an awesome weekend! I love my family!