Cultural Diffusion:
Relocation
Joe Naumann – UMSL
Geography
Relocation Diffusion
• Definition
• The actual movement of
individuals, who have already
adopted the idea or innovation,
who carry it to a new locale, where
they proceed to disseminate it.
Religion frequently spreads this
way. For example, the migration of
Christianity with European settlers
who came to America.
S. European Religious Display
• The decoration within churches,
more so in small towns, might be
described as exubrent.
• This religious exhubrence found its
way into people's homes in the form
of home altars – sometimes being
quite elaborate. These particularly
expressed the piety of the women in
the family.
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–
–
Might resemble a church altar
Display of religious statues or pictures
Lighted votive candles – often many
Vases of flowers
Home altars in the USA
• Many immigrants brought this
custom with them, establishing
home altars in their new American
homes.
• My Sicilian grandmother didn't have
one in her home, but many of her
friends did:
– I particularly remember Dona Settefina
(Mrs. Settefina) – spelled phonetically
as best I remember it 60 years later
• Hers had all the characteristics given on the
previous slide.
Italian Exuberance
• Religious procession in
Castelvetrano and Syracuse, Sicily
Sicilian Churches
• Main altar in the Duomo
(cathedral) in Syracuse, Sicily
Trecastagni, Sicily
• Main altar of
a small town
church in
Sicily.
Trecastagni, Sicily
• Elaborate,
exuberent
reliquaries
Campobello di Mazara
• Main altar and shrine in this small
Sicilian town between Castelvetrano
and Mazara del Vallo
Roman Church
• Jesuit church
of St. Ignatius
in Rome just
off the Via del
Corso.
Ethnic Churches in St. Louis, Missouri
RELOCATION DIFFUSION
THE HILL IN
ST. LOUIS
The approximate
location of Little
Italy
LOCATING
THE HILL IN
ST. LOUIS
Little Italy
• The last vestiges of Little Italy,
north of "Downtown" St. Louis
were torn down to make way for
the Americas Convention Center,
including Our Lady of Christians
Church. Our Lady of Christians
was built as a Methodist church,
then served as a Jewish
synagogue, and ended its years of
service as a Roman Catholic
church for the Sicilian community
in Little Italy.
Shrine of St. Joseph
Shrine of St. Joseph
• In a part of downtown St. Louis, Mo.
that is in a former immigrant
settlement area.
St. Ambrose Church
• Modeled after Sant Ambrogio in
Milan, Italy
St. Ambrose
• Showing the bell tower modeled
after the one in Milan, Italy
Sant Ambrogio in Milan
• Model for St. Ambrose, particularly
the bell tower.
St. Ambrose Church
• Located in the still predominately
Italian part of St. Louis, Missouri.
St. Ambrose Church
• Main altar
St. Ambrose
• Stations of the Cross
St. Ambrose Church
• Side walls lined with religious statues –
dozens of Saints are represented.
Home Altars
RELIGIOUS EXUBERANCE IN THE HOME
Rather Elaborate Altars
• Set up to resemble a church side altar.
One dedicated to St. Joseph is on the
left.
• The Sacred
Heart of Jesus
and Mary, the
Mother of
Jesus, are
frequent themes
for home altars.
• The run the gammot from formal to
informal.
Smaller and less elaborate
• Votive candles see to be very
important
• A small and simple home shrine.
• Votive candle exubrance!
SYNCRETISM – CULTURAL BLENDING
Outdoor Christmas displays on the Hill,
seem to be a blending of Italian
religious exuberance and the American
tradition of outdoor displays at
Christmas time.
Residential
• The homes tend to be small with
very small front yards – this one is
quite full.
Residential
• A message from the angel
commercial
• Religious theme in a commercial
display.
My Favorites
• This is a year-round display on
Shaw Avenue.
My Favorites
• More of the year-round dislpay on
shaw Avenue
My Favorites
• Next door to the year-round
display.
My Favorites
• More of the previous one
My Favorites
• More of the same house – the
religious side of the decorations.
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