Stef Simioni and Rick Simioni meet! Finalmente!

Stef & Rick Simioni
in "St Mark's Square" at the Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas

It's been 5 years since Stef Simioni of Montreal Canada was playing around with the then-new Facebook and he decided to see if there were other Simionis to show his sons.
The result was our Facebook group
"Simionis of the World...and descendants".


Stef and I have stayed in regular contact and have become close in spite of never actually meeting. Together we have expanded "Simionis of the World" to, well, the world!

It's truly been a life changing experience for Rick Simioni and I.
What adventures we have since shared!
Oh the Simionis we have met!
The travels we have taken!

We have since been to Italy several times on "Giro dei Simioni" trips and developed many close friendships. We've found proof of just a couple of Simioni relatives, but everyone treats us like family and we feel we are.

Stef and I have chatted through the years about trying to meet somewhere.
Well, when he texted me last month to say he and his wife were going to fly to Las Vegas to celebrate her birthday and would we want to go and meet, we did not hesitate! Rick and I had our hotel reservations made within a couple of hours!

So now, finally this weekend we met Stef and his wonderful wife Cynthia. It's always been fun meeting Simionis from around the world and once again we were not disappointed! The four of us had a very fun weekend!

Stef had this put on t-shirts for us!

We shared many laughs, glasses of wine, and meals, and  spoke a lot about how much "Simionis of the World" has meant to us all.
Rick and Stef chatted about how neither of them ever knew other Simioni families before Facebook.
Both of their fathers were born in Italy and immigrated to Canada.
They both have extended the Simioni line with sons.
All of us enjoy meeting Simionis.

We are already exploring ways to get together again. Maybe California, maybe Montreal, maybe Italy...
Festa dei Simioni in Cittadella Italia in June 2014 anyone?


(Here's my other blog where I shared how all the Simioni adventures started for Rick & I: How "Finding Desiderio" Began.)

~Nancy Simioni


PS: meanwhile, this weekend one of our Italian Simioni families enjoyed special moments of their own: Congrats to Linda Simioni (Varese, Italy) and Alessio Iorillo on their wedding day!

Simionis of Thiene and Sarcedo

Thiene & Sarcedo Simioni families!

We were thrilled when Francesco Simioni organized a Sunday lunch with his family and his brother Roberto's and asked us to join them all. We finally got to meet Giulia, who was/is working in New York. She was our original Facebook connection to this family but she was out of the country last year when we visited. She and I have been "Friends" for a few years now.

Alessandro, Diego, Gloria, Yasmine. Ugo, Vitti. Simionis all. Plus spouses and significant others. And 8 little ones! We feasted on a long, delicious lunch at Agriturismo da Marinela. Elisa and Diego were more available to chat this time (they were the bride & groom last year) but, none of us spoke enough of each others' language to carry on a conversation! Elisa and I chat online often, using translators, and we had to laugh that we could not chat in person! We did share hugs and I was able to meet their baby girl, our newest Simioni!

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We have not found a bloodline connection to these families either, but again, our hearts have been joined! There are two new babies since last year as the Simioni tree grows new branches.  We discussed the "need" to organize a Simioni del Mondo worldwide festa some day in northern Italy.

Brothers Francesco and Roberto Simioni and their families.

Our newest "Simioni del Mondo"!

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All of these families have taken time to show us around their cities and lives. What a treat for Rick and I to experience Italy this way. The REAL Italy -- the many "real" Italies.  We enjoy the people and their hospitality. The Italians are friendly people to begin with...then when they find you have Italian heritage you become almost family! And when you have the same last name, well, you ARE family!




We were unable to connect with any Simionis in Cittadella this trip. Even with almost 3 weeks in Veneto.  I guess we need to stay longer!  :)

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Simionis in Veneto!

We have such a nice time with our Veneto Simioni families!

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Rick and I visited Castelfranco Veneto Comune offices again, and did get more information on his grandparents (birthdates) which will take us another branch up the Simioni family tree. I sure would like to find we are related to these wonderful Simionis!  

We DID find information on Rick's two aunts who remained in Italy and did not move to the USA when all the other brothers and sisters did. They both married men named Fior.  Maria named two of her son's Desiderio and Fortunato! (after Rick's father and uncle; her brothers) One son is still alive and living in Salvatronda, near where Rick's father lived. Had we located them last year we could have met another uncle who passed away in 2010.

With the help of Alice and her father Emanuele Simioni, we made a visit to Alfredo Fior, 87 years old. Without their assistance this would have been difficult, if not impossible, as Alfredo was hard of hearing and spoke dialetto! 


Meeting him was emotional for us. After years of searching, he is our first relative. He has sons and grandsons, and since we did not have any family history with us at that time, we are going to follow-up with a letter and photos when we return to the USA.

Rick meets his cousin Alfredo Fior

City records show Rick's other aunt apparently moved to Como, and we plan to contact that Comune office in the future to see whom we can find. This is all quite like a giant puzzle, with many missing pieces!

 Having fun with Veneto Simionis:

 Alice, Emanuele, Gianluca, Rick, Renata

at the Festa dea Poenta

A wedding we spotted in Castelfranco Veneto

Meeting Mattia Simioni, who was our first Castelfranco Veneto connection on Facebook over 2 years ago. Last year he was working in Greece when we visited.
He is Alice's cousin, and the son of  Germano.
The 3rd Simioni brother/family is Gabriele.

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We also had an afternoon to enjoy with the family of Oscar Simioni from Cartigliano. This time our English/Italian translator, his daughter Silvia, was not available as she is studying in Finland at this time. We managed with the help of her sister Federica, and Rick's improved Italian language skills! (His one year of university studies this past winter and spring did pay off!)

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CIAO! to Simionis of the World - from "Italy" - Disney style

Just thought I'd send these pictures of Rick & I on vacation:

We are at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, USA, as one stop on our trip. We are on a month-long "Sea to Shining Sea" trip across America. Leaving from the Pacific Ocean and California, by the Saguaro cacti of Arizona, through the deserts of New Mexico, 3 days to drive through the long flat lands of oil wells and longhorns in Texas, followed by water-logged bayous in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Then finally to beach cities, alligators, and swamps in Florida and the Atlantic Ocean.... all the way down to Key West.

Then, back again. 6,400 miles/10,300K. Here's a link of the route: MAP

Anyway, thought of all of you especially while dining at "Tutto Italia" restaurant. All of the staff throughout "Italy" are from Italy (same with the other "countries".) One of the girls in the gift shop is from Padova!!!! How about that!?!?!?

We are really looking forward to returning to the REAL Italy in 2010!

Nancy (& Rick) Simioni
California, USA

California to Castlefranco to California! #2, #12

Our personal family heritage search took two giant steps today!

I found out at dinner that one of our cousins, Frank DiMercurio, (from Michigan, but also now here in California) has visited Castlefranco and met Simioni relatives there! His nonna/grandmother was a Simioni sister of my father-in-law, Desiderio.  ...update Feb 14: Frank lost touch with the Castlefranco relatives. Maybe someone looking at the Blog will help us find "our" Simioni relatives???

At the same time, I've "met" Mattia Simioni on Facebook! He is from Castlefranco, Veneto, Italy: the town my husband's father was born in! (or possibly Salvatronda). He says he knows he has some relatives in California!! Update  ...March 2, 2010: Alice Simioni, Mattia's cousin in Italy, showed me photos (on Facebook) of their relatives in Thousand Oaks, California USA.  And her grandfather was born in Salvatronda, same as Rick's may have been. 

We would be so happy to find relatives of Anna (or possibly Angela) and Giovanni Simioni born 1800's (and their children, Desiderio, Gemma, Adele.... see my posting down below.) Grazie!!!

We are getting very close....... the world is feeling smaller every day!

Update 02June2009:
Here is what we found out in the letter dated 1963:

Rick's father, Desiderio, born 1895*, received this letter from his sister Amabile Simioni. She was probably born close to 1900. She writes she is sad to not meet Rick as he is the only male Simioni from their family in the next generation. She mentions Onofrio is the only other male but that it does not look promising for him to have children. We don't know who Onofrio is, nor Angela Simioni, who is also mentioned.

Nancy
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