User:Diego João Bertolini/Valsugana / Inglês

History
To write about the history of Valsugana, I received interesting information from the couple Simão Buttchevitz and Terezinha Kruchinski and their son Nivaldo, as well as from D. Maria Dal Prá Vanini, to whom I am very grateful.

Valsugana was once, in past years, one of the most populous communities in the parish of Nova Trento, with more than 70 families. These families were large, so the school was teeming with children, and the first communion classes were also numerous, as shown by a historic photo in the church sacristy.

Today, Valsugana has only about 20 families, and these have few children. Simão Buttchevitz, born in 1932, recounts that even his grandfather lived in Valsugana. Therefore, a community with a long history.

The first residents were of two origins: Italian and Polish. Italians included the Voltolini, Dal Prá, Orlandi, Michelli, Cadore, Tamanini, and later also the Vanini; Poles included the Buttchevitz – with various spellings – Rubleski, Wanat, Kruchinski, Krichinski, Rossinski. The 'Branga,' also old in Valsugana, seem to be of German origin, named Pranger.

The coexistence between Italians and Poles, Simão says, was always very good, without discrimination. The cultural customs of both groups mixed, so that, for example, not only Italians but also Poles ate polenta and "minestra".

In the families, Polish and Italian were spoken and prayed, respectively. At night, the rosary was prayed, kneeling, leaning against chairs. On Sundays, in the afternoon, everyone went to church for the rosary, led by someone from the board or by the teacher. Between 1941 and 1961, Religious Sisters lived in Valsugana. They ran the school, taught catechism, and assisted in pastoral work. The small house of these Sisters was behind the current community hall. There were always two or three of them. Simão and Mrs. Terezinha remember the names of the Sisters: Leonora, Alvina, and Ana. They were from the Congregation of Franciscan Catechists.

Everyone worked in agriculture. Cassava, corn, rice, beans, peanuts, and sweet potatoes were planted. The ox cart was very common. There was a custom of families helping each other in harvests, like cassava. Many families had mills for flour, sugar, and molasses. There were also two sawmills, a carpentry shop, and a trading house. Household water was drawn from the streams, still very clean. Clothes were also washed there.

The geographical extension, where the properties were distributed, was very vast. There were properties along the main road, both below and above the church, and there were the 'tifas' of Maiate, Palhedo, and Beija-Flor. In addition, some roads, branching off from the main road, led to the homes of more distant families, such as Júlio Vanini, the Kruchinski's, or the Dal Prá family. Some families were quite poor; from their weaker lands, they didn't get good harvests. The amusements were the game of bowls and cards. At Christmas, everyone enjoyed the Bernunça's antics.

Religious Life
Regarding religious life, the first highlight is the large, beautiful, and well-maintained church of Valsugana, a true temple: dignified, solid, with a spacious sacristy, a tall tower with a bell of wonderful sound; an interesting spiral staircase leads up to the choir. A beautiful altar, carved in wood, with artistic relief decorations. On this altar, high above the tabernacle, stands the statue of the patron saint, Saint Stanislaus. Another beautiful statue on the altar deserves special mention: that of Our Lady with the Infant Jesus. Mr. Simão believes that the altar was made in the carpentry workshop of Egídio Piazza in Nova Trento, or by the father of Aldemar Cipriani from Mato Queimado. Before the current church, which was inaugurated in 1947, there was a smaller wooden church in the same place, built in 1914.

In the past, there was Mass every two months. Now, for many years, there has been Mass every month, like in the other chapels of the parish. In past years, on Sunday afternoons, people came for the recitation of the rosary. Today, the ministers welcome the community for the celebration of the Word and the distribution of Holy Communion. People also used to go to neighboring communities, where Mass was known to be held: Pitanga and Lajeado.

To fulfill the 'nine first Fridays,' they would walk to Ribeirão Bonito (6 km), and even to Pinheiral (12 km of long ascent). The biggest celebration each year is Corpus Christi, which brings together many people. Many from other cities who had moved from Valsugana also come for it. In the past, the feast of the patron saint, Saint Stanislaus, was also grand, prepared with a crowded and festive novena. Nivaldo Buttchevitz says that, in the past, at the festivals, there were often discussions and fights. And that in those times, there was a lot of drinking.

In conclusion: Valsugana has a long and heroic history. Located at a high altitude, it has always been problematic to reach there because of the precariousness of the road, uphill, which certainly explains why so many residents have left to live and work in other cities like Brusque and Joinville. Electricity took a while to reach Valsugana. The name of the community certainly comes from the birthplace of the first Italian immigrants, whose homeland was "Borgo Valsugana," in the interior of the Province of Trento. And, in turn, the patron saint, Saint Stanislaus Kostka, Polish, who died in holiness in Rome at the age of 18, as a novice of the Society of Jesus, was certainly chosen in consideration of the immigrants who came from distant Poland.

Made by the portal https://otrentino.com.br/a-historia-de-valsugana-uniu-imigrantes-trentinos-e-poloneses/