A historic marker has been placed in Colchester to make sure its four Italian farming families aren’t forgotten. At 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 13, the Colchester Historical Society, in partnership with the Vermont Italian Cultural Association, put up a historic marker on Malletts Bay Avenue to commemorate the legacy and contributions of four Italian immigrant families — Brigante, Mazza, Lomartire and Leo — who arrived in the region in the early 20th century.
The marker is located directly across from the former Brigante fruit and vegetable stand at 682 Malletts Bay Avenue. The ceremony and marker were first conceived by passionate Colchester resident John Devino who said he heard concerns from family member Cosimo Brigante a few years ago that with all the housing being built in Colchester, it might be possible for the town’s farmland to eventually disappear.
