Sora, Villavallelonga and Pescosolido
To remember those who came before and a guide for those who follow.
May 14, 2025
Pasquale and Angelina Crescenza DiSarra Tomasso
The DiSarra family was originally from Pescosolido, a town in the region of Frosinone of about 1500 people. The town is about 7 miles from Sora but about 42 miles from VVL since you have to drive around the Apennies mountain range.
Villavallelonga
Also known as LaVilla the town lies within the boundaries of the National Park of Abruzzo, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The historic center was known as Vallelonga or “Trans Aquas” Valley. Some Ellis Island ship manifests list the village as Villasathlongo, Villeverielonga, Villaballelonga, Villovalle etc. making research difficult.
In 1901 the population was 2,480. By 1911 it dropped to 1,953 due to emigration. Currently it has dropped even further to about 836.
Sora
Sora is a town in Lazio in the province of Frosinone. The population today is about 25,000. It is built on the banks of the Liri river and is known for manufacturing furniture and paper mills.
In 1881 the population of Sora was about 13,000. Unlike many small Italian towns that are losing residents it now numbers about 25,000.
Pescosolido
In the Middle Ages Pescosolido was a fortified medieval town and the residence of the Boncompagni Dukes. The earthquakes of 1653 and 1915 brought so much destruction that the ancient medieval area was almost wiped away.
The word Pescosolido means “solid rock” and derives from the ancient Italic word “pesclum” (rock) due to the high, steep mountains in the territory.
