In the peaceful interior of the Church of the Annunziata in Cossignano, a small town in the province of Ascoli Piceno in the Marche region, illuminated by soft afternoon light and framed by the emotional expressions of those gathered, the story of Joseph Fausti came alive once more.
His journey spans two continents and traces the path of roots, war, and a homecoming that bridges America and a small Italian hillside town.
Joseph was born in New York to Pasquale Fausti and Sestilia Pellei, two young people from Cossignano who had set out in 1913 in search of a better future. Years later, as the world was engulfed in conflict, their son – a United States Army soldier – found himself stationed in Naples in 1945 near the end of the war. With a few days of leave, Joseph felt a powerful pull toward his heritage and embarked on a hitchhiking journey north. His goal was to visit the land of his parents and meet the relatives he had known only through family stories.
When he arrived in Cossignano, the town embraced him as a returning son after a long voyage. Eight decades later, that very home reopened its doors. The Fausti family, traveling from the United States, decided to make a profound gesture of gratitude: they donated Joseph’s personal relics to the municipality. These treasures included his military jacket, the medals he earned, letters he sent to his parents, and black-and-white photographs capturing his life between two worlds.
His niece, Mary Jo Marino, presented the items to the town’s mayor, Roberto Luciani. In a voice filled with emotion, she recalled that Cossignano was always in her uncle’s heart, and that for her family it is an honor to see his memories find a home here.
The town will now preserve and display these artifacts in its new civic museum dedicated to historical memory. This little collection tells more than a story of war. It speaks of identity, belonging, and a connection that traversed ocean and time. In the Fausti family’s act lies something larger: the quiet power of roots that, even when far removed, invariably find their way back home.
