Roots in la Ciociaria

Nestled in a valley in the Lazio region of Italy is a small city built on the banks of the Liri River. Over the centuries, Sora and the surrounding area produced some of the most celebrated Italians ranging from the Roman philosopher, Cicero, to Italy’s latest popular music sensation, Anna Tatangelo. Yet, among the most notable is Sora’s own neorealist filmmaker and actor, Vittorio de Sica. Although Alberto Rossellini is often attributed with having begun the neorealist movement, it is undeniable that it was Vittorio de Sica who brought neorealism to the forefront and established it as hallmark of Italian filmmaking. Italian neorealist film is characterized by the tragic stories of working class families and the economic, cultural, and moral problems they encountered during and after World War II. Among de Sica’s best-known neorealist works are “Sciuscià”, a name that comes from the English word shoeshine (1946), “Ladri di biciclette” (1948), and “Umberto D. “(1952).

One of de Sica’s most emblematic films is “La Ciociara” (1960), adapted from a book by Alberto Moravia. The film proved to be a favorite among both fans and critics. Through it, Vittorio de Sica even had the honor of producing the first acting Oscar awarded for a non-English-speaking part: The Academy Award for Best Actress given to Sophia Loren. The film is set during World War II in a mountainous area of Lazio called la Ciociaria – a region named after the upward-pointed shoes worn for decades by local shepherds and farmers. Vittorio de Sica’s hometown of Sora still identifies itself as a member of la Ciociaria. In Sora, the cultural attachment to la Ciociaria is palpable in everything from the style of cooking to the traditional stories of the briganti, or bandits, who used to roam the hills surrounding the city. It is therefore probable that Vittorio de Sica’s memories of his childhood in Canceglie (Sora’s historic center) provided inspiration for “La Ciociara”, as well as his other works.

Please see the links below for more information on Sora, la Ciociaria, and Alberto Moravia’s book:

http://www.laciociaria.it/monti_valli_fiumi.htm

http://www.italialibri.net/opere/ciociara.html

http://www.comune.sora.fr.it/urp/pagina.asp?key=3

http://www.tuttosora.com/index.htm