Luiz Gustavo Paris, a man from São Paulo who is curious about his origins, delved into deep research that revealed a little-explored universe. In his book “Partiremos ao Amanhecer”, the author goes beyond the common reports of Italian immigrants and reconstructs in detail everyday life both in Italy and in Brazil, from the pre-immigration period to the post-arrival of Italians in the new country.
With more than two thousand documents consulted in Italy, numerous interviews and visits to the places where her ancestors passed, Parise composed a true story in the format of a historical novel. Throughout the 400 pages, the reader is transported to remarkable scenes, such as boarding in the port of Genoa and the exciting birth of the Parise couple’s first child, in 1798, while Napoleonic troops invaded the village where they lived.
By rescuing the trajectory of his own family, the author also addresses the history of millions of Brazilians of Italian descent, forming one of the largest communities of Italian origin in the world. “Partiremos ao Amanhecer” brings not only the history of the Parise, but also mentions dozens of other surnames of Italian descent present throughout Brazil. The preface is signed by film producer Rubens Gennaro, recognized for his films that address Italian immigration.
Luiz Gustavo Parise, in addition to being an airline pilot, has a degree in Psychology and Airline Management. His passion for diverse histories and cultures dates back to childhood, and he has explored over 30 countries around the world. With “Partiremos ao Amanhecer”, Parise shares her fascinating journey of research and historical reconstruction, offering readers a work that mixes facts and emotion in an engaging narrative.
How did you get the inspiration to write the book “Partiremos ao Amanhecer” and delve into the history of your ancestors?
This book was motivated by my curiosity and the discoveries I made during extensive research about my family. Furthermore, I wanted to leave an accurate historical legacy about the origins of the Parise family, especially for the next generations.
The inspirations I found along this investigative journey pushed me to delve into the family’s roots, exploring its history and understanding the importance of preserving it for the future. In writing this book, my aim has been to record not only facts and dates, but also the rich cultural heritage, the values handed down from generation to generation, and the significant events that have shaped the trajectory of the families that emigrated from Italy over time, especially the who left the Veneto region.
I believe that by understanding where they came from, new generations will be able to connect with their roots and value the heritage of their ancestors. This book is my contribution to preserving family memory and a tribute to those who came before us.
How was the process of research and information gathering to reconstitute the daily life of the time portrayed in the book?
The research process took place as my curiosity increased to know and better understand what life was like for my ancestors in Italy. I read many books on the history of that region, which allowed me to discover details about the foundation of Adria, which is very old – there are even relics of the Etruscans (one of the ancient civilizations that inhabited the Italian Peninsula before the Romans, from the ninth century BC) at the site. There was also the time of Roman Empire domination in the region, then power struggles between Italian kingdoms (such as when the city belonged to the Republic of Venice), the invasions of Napoleon Bonaparte’s army and later, the completion of the Italian unification process, in 1871. As for traditions and customs,
I’ve always liked history and in this search path I was fascinated to realize how much my ancestors’ lives were affected by events that for us, in Brazil, are mere facts or dates written in school books.
What were the main challenges when writing a historical novel based on true events?
There are several challenges, but the main ones were: staying true to the facts as reported in historical books, faithfully using the dates of birth, baptism, marriage and death that I found in church records and notary offices about the characters (people in my family and other immigrant families), as well as imagining and portraying them as men and women of their time, telling what their lives must have been like in the form of a novel.
For example, I discovered that Pope Pius VI crossed the Po River in 1782 during a diplomatic trip to Vienna. So, if my sixth grandfather was 9 years old and lived by the river at that time and his family was fervent Catholics, why not portray how this event must have affected that small town? I did. I followed in search of everything that could be discovered by historical sources, always trying to be as believable as possible.
In addition to the Parise family history, the book mentions other surnames of Italian origin. How did you make this connection with the stories of other descendants of Italian immigrants?
When studying the great migratory flow of Italians to Brazil, which occurred mainly at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, I realized that the trajectories of the families were basically the same, from the situation of hunger they faced in their places of origin, the encouragement from the Catholic Church for the trip, the train journey to Genoa and the ship journey to Brazil.
Some went south to take possession of the colonies they won and others, as was the case with my family, went to the Hospedaria dos Imigrantes and later to the coffee farms in the interior of São Paulo.
What were the criteria used in selecting the scenes and events portrayed in the book?
I chose episodes in which well-known historical figures were involved (such as Pope Pius VI’s passage by boat on the Po River, the reign of the Dodges in the Republic of Venice, and the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte’s army). I told about bad weather, such as a mini ice age that occurred in the region at the end of the 1700s, in addition to the great flood of the Adige River in 1881 that directly affected the harvests of the following three years. I also wrote about the main political changes, for example, the end of the Republic of Venice in 1798, the annexation of the Veneto region to the Austrian Empire, emancipation and creation of the Kingdom of Italy and subsequent unification in 1871, which profoundly affected the daily lives of the inhabitants. of the region, culminating with the state of misery and hunger that compelled them to emigrate.
On a more personal level, I reported dramatic moments that the peasants of the time experienced, such as the frequent death of women in childbirth, the occurrence of diseases such as Pellagra, which was due to the lack of protein consumption and excess corn in the form of polenta, in addition to of the difficulties faced when traveling by ship with young children and the elderly. Anyway, I chose situations that all immigrant families can identify with.
How did you balance the historical and fictional aspects of the book’s narrative?
In fact, my greatest desire was to know and understand my family’s origins and, by reporting my discoveries, honor the legacy they left us. That’s why my desire was to have the greatest historical base possible, how they lived in Italy, how they ended up in Brazil and how they lived here initially.
I was always a curious child who asked a lot of questions, and these questions about our origins, no relative could answer me. As I researched, I came across events and characters that we studied in history classes as part of the daily life of my ancestors in Europe and especially in northern Italy. So came the idea of reporting these discoveries in the form of a novel.
What were the most surprising discoveries you made while researching and writing the book?
The research was very extensive, so several findings surprised me, but I can single out three of them. I was impressed to find out how they lived in Italy, in a different condition than I imagined, in a situation of much more poverty. There were generations and generations living this way.
In the same way, it impacted me to understand the political changes and the historical context of Italy from the mid-nineteenth century, in addition to the role of the bad weather, which contributed to the unsustainability of the situation of misery and hunger, which compelled them to emigrate.
Finally, it was a great surprise and I can even consider it a gift to have found the record of my ancestors’ arrival at the Hospedaria dos Imigrantes in the city of São Paulo. It was many years before I considered the hypothesis that the last name had been misspelled (a situation that I later learned is much more common than you might think), and that’s how I found the Parise family, registered as “Paris ”.
How do you believe that the work can contribute to the recovery of the history of Italian immigration in Brazil?
I tried to relate in a romanticized way, which is a way that I find pleasant to read, the story of the great migratory flow received by Brazil (which happened from the end of the 19th century) about which many people have heard about, but few know in detail. . In this way, I wanted to contribute to the dissemination of our origins, especially in the case of the 25 million descendants of Italians who live in Brazil, and also to praise the strength, determination and extremely significant contribution that immigrants made to the state of São Paulo and the south of Brazil are currently highly developed and rich regions.
What are your expectations regarding the book’s impact on readers’ understanding of Italian culture and roots?
My great expectation is to preserve this history for all descendants of immigrants and also for future generations. By reporting dates, facts, everyday life in Italy and how the Italians lived in Brazil right after they arrived, I wanted to enhance the rich cultural heritage, the transmitted values and the events that forged the determination with which many of them conquered fortunes at the expense of hard work, discipline and faith. I hope you don’t forget all the obstacles / sacrifices faced and overcome to be here today. By understanding where we come from, the new generations can connect and have their ancestors as an example and reference.
How did your experience as an airline pilot and your travels influence your approach to writing this book?
The opportunity and privilege of having come into contact with different cultures provided by my profession, as well as the ease of traveling to other countries, sharpened my natural curiosity and developed in me an investigative eye. The constant experience of coming and going and living with different languages also provided me with valuable baggage to write this story.
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