Notes To La Favola di Natale

Garibaldi famous Italian patriot, born in 1807, fought against Austrian rule for a unified Italy. Also famous for his action with revolutionaries in South America. Given much of the credit for putting Vittorio Emanuele on the Italian throne. He was wounded at the battle of Aspromonte, but recovered.

Befana: The traditional Italian Christmas witch. A witch who meant to accompany the three eastern mages she never quite made it and instead travels the world on her broomstick on little Christmas distributing her presents to good children. An alternate version (which I only hit researching this) holds she was a mother who's child was killed during the slaughter of the innocents and went insane. Setting off to find her child, who she believed was still alive, with all it's things in a sack she set them before the baby Jesus, who granted her the grace that for one night every year all children in the world would be hers. On that night she travels the world bringing them all gifts.

Bandiera Brothers: Attilio (1810-1844) and Emilio (1819-1844). They tried to start a rebellion in Naples against Austrian rule but were betrayed, captured and shot.

lettera: I eliminated a line here which I coundn't imagine the meaning of which seemed to say there were chicken footprints on the page.

shepards: Here I eliminated a couple lines which appear to be a play on the dual meaning of the word crema for both wool and cream.