Little Italy

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Entry posted by MariusMR · June 28, 2014

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Roselle, affectionately known as "Little Italy", is a taste of foreign in the heart of the breadbasket of the North Coast District Municipality, located on the southern outskirts of Tamworth and west of Melrose.

The North Coast District Municipality is truly a breadbasket of the region, as the table below shows.

A significant 155.9ha is under cultivation, of which most is dedicated to vegetables, grains and fruit - no small part due to the heavy taxation on non-food produce.

The very little viticulture and alcohol production that does take place is located, mainly, in Little Italy.

In a bid to encourage tourism in the area, the hamlet of Roselle and surrounds has escaped the heavy tax burden.

Little Italy is an experimental venture by distant immigrant relatives of the Frescobaldi family, notable Tuscan winemakers.

The end result is Roselle, a (faux) Tuscan tourist trap known for its local wines, a fresh produce market, and a favourite wedding destination.

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Viticulture is aided by both the cool coastal air from the east and the proximity to the river in the south.

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The Roselle Market, next to the Chapel of Roselle, is frequented by locals from Tamworth and tourists alike, showcasing and selling the best fresh produce from the area.

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Even at night the market attracts, albeit much younger, crowds sampling the local wine and rum (more about that later)...

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The above-mentioned relatives of the Frescobaldi family reside in Villa Ottavia, an unmistakable landmark in an otherwise rural setting... an even more recent intrusion makes the home hard to miss...

Not one to miss out on a business opportunity, Wayne Ross Industries struck a deal with the Frescobaldis and bought a sizeable stretch of land within the boundaries of Roselle.

Milking the area's attractiveness to tourists - and handsome tax breaks - Congressman Ross funded a permanent fair ground for the farmers in the North Coast District Municipality.

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Wayne Ross Industries also set up a sugar mill and rum distillery - under the guise of a type of theme park development, known as Blackbeard's Den.

This unsavoury pocket of Little Italy has earned it the nickname Covo di Peccatori, which we non-Italian speakers assume means "Den of Sinners".

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Beyond Roselle, farming continues much like it does in most parts of the world.

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And to the east of the town, a commercial area has developed where farmers in the region can purchase all sorts of agricultural equipment, products, vehicles and machinery. A vet has also set up shop for the growing livestock industry.