Indispensable Immigrants
Book Description
In the bustling cities of medieval and early modern northern Italy, countless peasants left their rural homes to pursue backbreaking work as wine porters, carrying impossibly heavy containers through narrow streets and steep passages. Lester K. Little brings their forgotten world to vivid life in this meticulously researched exploration of immigration, labor, and spiritual devotion.
Drawing from previously unexplored archives and visual materials, Little reveals how geography shaped these workers' opportunities and challenges. The narrative follows these laborers as they navigated not only physical terrain but also social hierarchies that increasingly separated "artists" from "artisans," often attributing workers' supposed limitations to poor nutrition rather than lack of opportunity.
At the heart of this story lies a remarkable spiritual dimension. The wine porters elevated one of their own to patron saint status in thirteenth-century Cremona, and their devotion persisted for centuries as various groups worked to secure his official canonization in Rome. This patron saint became a symbol of dignity and hope for workers whose contributions were essential yet undervalued.
The book traces this community's journey through five centuries, culminating in the guild system's abolition by enlightened rulers. As these ancient trade organizations disappeared, so too did the wine porters' profession and the flickering candles on their patron saint's altars, marking the end of an era that had sustained both livelihood and spiritual identity for generations of immigrant workers.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~5 hours)
📄 Length: 176 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Biography
- ✓ Explore Christian patron saints
- ✓ Explore Immigrants, europe
- ✓ Explore Poverty
- ✓ Explore Wine and wine making, italy
- ✓ Explore Christianity
- ✓ Explore Wine and wine making
- ✓ Explore Church history
