The John Tancredi Historical Fund

Giovanni Tancredi was a central figure in the panorama of Italian folkloric studies: his work of collecting and systematizing Gargano folk traditions is part of the broader context of the ethnographic and folkloric revival that, following the positivist and Romantic example, characterized the South between the 19th and 20th centuries. The Museum of Folk Arts and Traditions of the Gargano he founded in 1925 and the publication of “Folklore garganico” (1938) represent the most mature expressions of this commitment.

The Tancredi Historical Fund, kept at the Monte Sant’Angelo Municipal Library, constitutes a documentary corpus of primary importance for the study of historical and demo-ethno-anthropological culture in southern Italy between the 19th and 20th centuries. Named after the local demologist and scholar Giovanni Tancredi (1872-1948), the collection represents an extraordinary testimony to the intellectual and scientific activity that developed in the Gargano at a time of profound social and cultural transformations.

The fund is characterized by a multidisciplinary thematic structure, reflecting the broad interests of Tancredi and the southern cultural milieu of the time. Alongside historical documentation related to the Swabian and Bourbon dynasties-such as the “Quaternus Federici Secundi” and the “History of the Bourbons of Naples”-the fund includes a significant corpus of religious texts on the micaelic cult, among which “Apollo and the Archangel St. Michael” stands out, as well as valuable local monographs, archaeological studies on Magna Graecia and Apulian dolmens. The linguistic and anthropological section includes fundamental works such as Caselse’s “Toponomastica Pugliese” and the proceedings of national congresses on folk traditions.

Conservatively, the collection shows a variety of conditions, from deteriorated bindings and yellowed papers to well-restored volumes.

For scholars of Frederician history, southern microhistory and Apulian popular culture, the Tancredi Fund represents an irreplaceable primary source, capable of nurturing interdisciplinary approaches between history, anthropology, linguistics and archaeology.

Essential bibliography:

• Tancredi, G. (1901). On the Garganic crags. Ascoli Piceno: Tipografia Fiori.
• Tancredi G., Gargano folklore, Bari, 1938.
• Carabellese F., Castelli pugliesi, Bari, 1922.
• Corcia S., History of the Two Sicilies, Naples, 1844-45.
• Caselse G., Toponomastica pugliese, Bari, 1910.
• AA.VV., Proceedings of the Fourth National Congress of Popular Traditions, Rome, 1930.

The Francesco Paolo Fischetti Historical Fund

The Francesco Paolo Fischetti Fund represents a book corpus of considerable academic and cultural significance, characterized by a marked interdisciplinarity and a focus on the history of religions, archaeology and the history of ancient and medieval art. The composition of the collection testifies to an encyclopedic approach to historical and cultural knowledge, in which classical, Christian, oriental and esoteric studies are interwoven. Prominent among the main volumes are texts fundamental to the study of ancient civilizations and mystery religions, such as S. Ricci’s Epigrafia Latina, Saggi Patristici, I riti dei misteri nel mondo antico by Nicola Furdi and works relating to Magna Grecia, which reflect the collector’s interest in the cultural and religious history of the Italian South. The collection also includes reference works on the history of ancient and medieval Christianity, such as The Spread of Christianity in the World and the Proceedings of the Conference of Studies in Magna Graecia, as well as specialized contributions on early Christian and Byzantine art, such as volumes by André Grabar and S. Perrot. Of particular note is the presence of texts related to comparative religious history, ranging from the Latin West to the Asian East, bearing witness to a cultural dialogue that includes works on Chinese and Indian philosophical traditions (Lin Yutang), as well as on Sufi Islam and the Dervishes. The collection is also enriched with anthropological and mythological studies, such as theEncyclopedia of Myths, and local and linguistic works, including the Gargano Dialect Vocabulary, which highlight an interest in the micro-regional cultures of Southern Italy. The structure of the collection, with the presence of texts in Hoepli, Rusconi and Rizzoli editions, and international conference proceedings, attests to a desire to maintain constant dialogue with national and international scholarly debate. The multiplicity of topics covered, from art to philology, from archaeology to the history of religions, gives the fund a significant value not only as a bibliographic collection, but also as a testimony to Francesco Paolo Fischetti’s intellectual journey, which appears oriented toward reconstructing the complexity of the sacred through different eras and cultures. Therefore, this library collection constitutes a valuable resource for scholars interested in a comparative and interdisciplinary reading of historical and religious phenomena, especially for those dealing with the relations between the ancient Mediterranean and early Christianity.

The Raffaele Perna Historical Fund

Raffaele Perna (Monte Sant’Angelo – Bari, 1983) represents a prominent figure in the Gargano cultural and educational scene of the 20th century. A native of Monte Sant’Angelo, a town he always kept at the center of his intellectual and human interests, Perna distinguished himself as a Latin and Greek teacher of exceptional preparation and deep pedagogical dedication.

His academic career was characterized by a conception of teaching as a formative mission, consciously refusing prestigious managerial positions-including appointments as principal and provost-in order to remain faithful to his teaching vocation. This choice, emblematic of his modesty and commitment to the younger generation, made him a figure of reference in the Apulian school world.

During the Fascist period, Perna maintained a position of consistent opposition to the regime, suffering persecution and harassment for it that forced him, during the last World War, to take refuge in his hometown. It was in Monte Sant’Angelo that he demonstrated his spirit of service by obtaining the opening of schools for displaced families who had sought refuge in the city to escape the bombings.

His civic and cultural commitment was not limited to the educational sphere, but extended to the preservation and transmission of classical cultural heritage, as evidenced by his rich personal library, which today constitutes a valuable book collection.

The Raffaele Perna Fund represents a significant record of 20th-century humanistic culture, reflecting the interests and training of a professor of classical studies deeply rooted in the Italian and ancient literary tradition. The collection, characterized by a careful and representative selection, embraces different areas of humanistic literature and culture.

The main core of the collection consists of critical and annotated editions of Greek and Latin classics, with key works by Thucydides, Herodotus, Plato, Horace, Virgil and Sallust, testifying to the owner’s solid philological background. Of particular importance is the presence of philosophical texts, including Platonic works and a significant section devoted to the “Classics of Philosophy.”

Italian literature occupies a considerable space, with representation of the main figures in the national canon: from Dante to Alfieri, Leopardi to Carducci, and contemporaries such as Pirandello, Deledda and Verga. Significant is the presence of works by Riccardo Bacchelli, evidence of attention to twentieth-century literature.

The collection also includes specialized working tools such as dictionaries of Latin abbreviations, manuals of philology and linguistics, and scholarly journals such as “Journal of Classical Philology,” items that document the scientific and methodological approach of the teacher-scholar.

The collection is characterized by a balance between academic rigor and didactic accessibility, reflecting Perna’s dual dimension as scholar and educator, constituting today a valuable resource for understanding Italian humanistic culture of the last century.