Reaching out to Fondi, from Millbrook, with love

MILLBROOK — Sometimes, in our darkest hour, it helps to know that we are not alone. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pain and desolation are being felt worldwide, far beyond our shores. The early news about the horrors that Italy experienced as one of the virus’ hot-spots hit close to home, as many in Millbrook have strong family ties, past and present, to Fondi, Italy.

In 2014, when resident Barbara Pierce, former Mayor Laura Hurley and Town Historian David Greenwood worked on the Museum in the Streets project, their interest in the village’s Italian origins was piqued. A 2017 film, produced in part by Pierce, highlighted that Italian heritage, which is especially evident in the Italian last names of prominent villagers and the many beautiful stone buildings still standing in the village and throughout the town of Washington. Many locals have even said they’ve visited Fondi to trace their roots. The Italian village is where many of Millbrook’s early Italian residents came from, lured here by homeowners and business owners interested in the well-known masonry skills attributed to the men of Fondi.

As dire as the news was in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the reality of Italy’s struggle was brought home to many Millbrook residents through the images shown on television. That’s why Millbrook Mayor Rodney Brown wrote a letter to Salvatore De Meo, mayor of the village of Fondi, sister city to Millbrook, on April 9.

Brown expressed the desire of the people of Millbrook to reach out to the city so many had ties to. They wanted to tell the people of Fondi that they recognized their suffering. 

“We trust that you, too, are observing every possible precaution, and we keep all of you in our thoughts and prayers,” wrote Brown. “Despite our practice of social or physical distancing, to thwart the spread of the virus, it is important to us to strengthen our emotional and psychological closeness with you, always remembering that in addition to our shared past, our diligence in the present and our hopes for the future, will always bind us together.”

Fondi, established in 312 B.C., was long used as a major roadway, laying across the Old Appian Way, but it was also sacked and conquered throughout the centuries. By 1818, it was a declining city, surrounded by malaria-infested marshes. In 1959 a road was built that bypassed Fondi. Since the start of the 2000s, however, Fondi has experienced a population boom and in 2017 its population was almost 40,000. The village’s economy is mainly agricultural due to a more than adequate supply of water and ideal growing conditions. The traditional crop is citrus, but in recent years other vegetables and fruits have been successfully farmed.

Mayor De Meo has since responded to the community of Millbrook, echoing the sentiments put forth by Mayor Brown. He said the bond between the sister cities, Fondi and Millbrook, will remain strong and it is to be hoped that at some point in time, both will be healthy and economically  vibrant once again. Maybe more Millbrook residents will even be able to return to their historical homeland in the near future, visit their Italian family and friends and embrace them without fear.