The Tuscan publisher Apice Libri recently published “ Geppino Micheletti (1905-1961). Life, works and awards of the doctor, hero of the Vergarolla massacre ” by Vanni Duccio, but its catalogue already included a title dedicated to Istria: “Istrian Legends” by Iginio Udovicich, published in 2014.

Istria is rich in fairy tales and legends lost in time. Reading them is like traveling back in time to rediscover the traditions of a land no longer Italian, and it helps us understand and love it more.

This volume collects the most significant legends of Istria , deeply rooted in the soul of its people and allowing us to reconstruct their origins, customs, events, and hardships. Through these tales, we can relive glimpses of a simple yet harsh and tiring life, shaped by a hostile nature and a rugged and inhospitable land, as recounted in the legend of the formation of the Karst : popular imagination has imagined that it was caused by a prank from the devil, which the Lord did not have time to remedy because He was busy creating Adam and Eve.

Reality and fantasy meet to give rise to a rich array of stories that reflect a part of our past , of what memory has preserved of the relationship with the land, of ancient popular beliefs, of rites linked to the passing of the seasons and the cycle of life.

Istria's past and traditions come to life in Iginio Udovicich's collection, which offers a precious testimony to a strong sense of identity and a rich cultural heritage. The preface is by Paolo Fantozzi , a teacher of English language and literature at the "A. Vallisneri" scientific high school in Lucca. He has been involved for years in English and American literature, English language teaching, folklore, local history, and watercolor painting.

Iginio Udovicich , born in Pula in 1929, studied first in his hometown and then in Gorizia. After graduating from high school, he emigrated to Canada, where he lived for fifteen years. Upon returning to Italy, he chose to live in Florence permanently. He collaborated with the National Association of Venezia Giulia and Dalmatia and with the newspaper "L'Arena di Pola." His research focuses primarily on the Julian-Dalmatian diaspora and Istrian folklore.

Iginio Udovicich, Istrian Legends , Apice, Sesto Fiorentino 2014, 220 pp.