By Tony Traficante, La Nostra Voce 

Anneliese Alzetta, “era una bella signorina,” was a beautiful girl. Anna was the name she preferred. She grew up in the quaint village of Grizzo, in the region of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia. It lay at the base of the majestic Dolomites, about 60 kilometers west of the once-disputed city of Trieste.

Young Anneliese, with flowing blonde hair, had a wonderful voice and was talented musically. Although she played a variety of instruments, she favored the guitar. Anna often wrote her own songs, most of which expressed her desire to discover far-away places.

Anna’s parents owned a small flour and grain mill at the corner of Via Mazzini and La Strada Umberto. If you were passing by the mill, you would often hear her singing. She had the voice of an angel and frequently performed at church services as well as at the local community bar.

This article first appeared in La Nostra Voce, ISDA’s monthly newspaper that chronicles Italian American history, culture and traditions. Subscribe today.

The bar, unlike its American counterparts, doubled as a coffee house. For many, it was the only place to watch TV. When my wife Monica and I visited her parents, we too spent many evenings at the bar. It was an enjoyable social experience. We had the opportunity to meet many of the village neighbors and some of Monica’s extended relatives. We also went hoping to hear Anna sing.

Anna was always the main attraction at the bar; she was paid a small stipend by the owner, but oftentimes earned more from the generosity of the patrons.

During one visit, Monica and I noticed that Anna wasn’t quite herself. She appeared to have lost some weight. We of course didn’t think much of it, since she was a young lady approaching 18 years of age. But Monica suggested we take her up in the mountains for a few hours of fresh Dolomite air. So, after getting permission from her parents, we drove upward to the village of Barcis and its beautiful lake.

Barcis is an extraordinary tourist village, nestled at the foothills of the Friulian Dolomites, on the shores of beautiful Lake Barcis. The lake, carved in calcareous rock, forms one of Italy’s most spectacular canyons, with cliff walls plunging into crystal clear waters.

It was evident that Anna was an impulsive, spontaneous child. After we arrived and had coffee, she walked across the road to the lakeside and began singing. And, as she sang, her voice resonated down the canyon between Barcis and Montereale. Tourists, curious and delighted, flocked to hear her voice. Soon, several patrons joined when Anna performed the famous mountain song, “Un Mazzolin d’fiori.” Anna was enjoying her public debut and the event soon turned into a song fest.

At sunset, we decided it was time to head back down the winding, narrow mountain roads. In the winter, they can be treacherous. Upon our return, we noticed that Anna looked pale and tired. But when we got to her home, she expressed her happiness to have made the trip. She thanked us profusely, and after many hugs, went inside. Anna’s mom was waiting for her on their portico and signaled for Monica to stay a minute, “Monica un attimo per favore.”     

With tears running down her cheeks and speaking Friulano, the language of Grizzo, Mrs. Alzetta said “Cara Monica, Anna è ‘na biele frute, a cjante come un usignul, ma no sta ben di salut.” Anna, a beautiful girl who sings like a nightingale, was terminally ill. Anna — a little, lovely angel — now sings down from above.