Research: The First Ones in Argentina
Hypotheses, documents, and the reconstruction of the arrival at the end of the 19th Century.
In an initial stage, the research focused on documenting the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. During this process, I kept in mind an oral tradition story —told by my paternal grandmother, Otilia María Pozzi— about the arrival of my great-grandfather Cesare Pozzo Ardizzi and his siblings in Argentina. Unfortunately, I lacked documentation to support this account... until now.
1. The Odyssey of the Shipwreck and Rescue
A. The Shipwreck of the "Abissinia"
According to family tradition, Cesare F. Antonio Pozzo Ardizzi emigrated from Italy with three of his sisters. The journey took a dramatic turn when their ship shipwrecked off the coast of Africa.
Historical research confirmed the fact. The Italian steamer "Abissinia", on its third voyage to South America, ran aground on December 7, 1885 on the coast of Morocco (Barbary Coast), near Casablanca. The ship was declared a total loss.
⚓ View Complete Technical Dossier (Blueprint and Data)
- Shipyard: Andrew Leslie & Co., Newcastle (England). Hebburn Shipyard, keel n° 229. Launched on 21/12/1881.
- Hull: Iron.
- Dimensions: Length 101.50 m; Width 11.05 m; Draft 8.12 m.
- Tonnage: 2,723 GRT (gross register tons), 1,852 NRT (net register tons).
- Main propulsion: 1 two-cylinder engine (84cm, 178cm x 122cm), 90 lb pressure, 300 nHP, manufactured by R. & W. Hawthorn of Newcastle. Single propeller.
- Auxiliary propulsion: Complete sailing rig of a brigantine-schooner.
- Shipowner History:
- 1881: Raffaele Rubattino & Co. (Genoa). Routes to the Far East.
- 1882: Società Riunite Florio e Rubattino. Routes to South America.
- 1882: Incorporated into Navigazione Generale Italiana (Genoa/Palermo). - The End: Departed from Genoa on December 1, 1885. After 10 days, a storm caused it to run aground in Morocco. Total loss.
B. The Rescue by the "Sirio"
The 1,100 passengers of the Abissinia experienced moments of anguish. As confirmed by the press, while some passengers were taken to Gibraltar, "the rest were picked up by the 'Sirio'", of the same company, allowing them to continue their journey to South America.
🚢 View Complete Technical Dossier (Blueprint and Records)
- Shipyard: Robert Napier & Sons, Glasgow (Scotland). Launched on 26/03/1883.
- Dimensions: Length 115.82 m; Beam 12.70 m; Depth 7.50 m.
- Tonnage: 4,141 gross register tons.
- Propulsion: Triple-expansion engine, 1 propeller. Service speed: 13 knots.
- Capacity: 1,300 passengers (80 in 1st class, 40 in 2nd class, and 1,160 in 3rd class/emigrants).
- Route: Genoa, Barcelona, Cádiz, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Rio, Santos, Montevideo, Buenos Aires.
- Final fate: Tragically shipwrecked on August 4, 1906, at the Hormigas Islands (Cabo de Palos, Spain) with great loss of life.
Newspaper Sources: "La Vanguardia" (1885)
Original clippings from the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia confirming the dates and details of the incident.
Saturday, December 12
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Sunday, December 27
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2. The Confirmation: C.E.M.L.A. Records
Thanks to the C.E.M.L.A. records, we were able to find documentary confirmation of the arrival of the "Sirio" in Buenos Aires.
A) Arrival of the Steamer "Sirio" (1886)
On 01/05/1886 it arrives at the port of Buenos Aires. Its list includes:
- Ardizzi, Cesare (18 years). Matches: 18 years and 6 months.
- Ardizzi, Rosa (23 years). Matches: 25 years.
- Ardizzi, Gio Batta (12 years). Matches: 12/13 years.
Conclusion: There is a strong similarity in the data that allows us to assert that these three people are the survivors of the "Abissinia" incident.
B) Arrival of the Steamer "La France" (1886)
On 11/18/1886 the ship "La France" arrives from Marseille. Traveling:
- Ardizzi, Pozzo (53 years).
Coincidence: Vicenzo Pozzo Ardizzi (father) was born on 04/24/1833. He would be 53 years, 6 months and 24 days old. - Ardizzi, Antonietta (21 years).
Coincidence: María Antonia was born on 05/13/1865. She would be 21 years and 6 months old. - Ardizzi, Luigi (16 years).
Coincidence: Giovanni Antonio Luigi was born on 09/19/1869. He would be 17 years (very close to the declared 16).
Cesare arrived with his siblings Rosa and Giovanni in early 1886. Then his father, Vicenzo, arrived with his daughter Antonia and his son Luigi at the end of the same year. Since there are no later records of Vicenzo and Antonia in Argentina, it is presumed that they returned to Italy, while the other four siblings remained in the country.
Local documentation was also found mentioning another sister, Catterina (Catalina, as she called herself in Argentina), for whom no official support of her arrival has yet been found.
3. Biographies in Argentina
Cesare F. Antonio Pozzo Ardizzi
Born in Vigevano on 06/20/1867. He married Serafina Capelli in 1888 in Bahía Blanca. He tragically died at age 40 on 12/17/1907, after hitting his head on the ground, following being struck by a wheel that came off a cart.
Giovanni Antonio Luigi Pozzo Ardizzi
Born in Vigevano on 09/19/1869. He married Lucía Fantino in Argentina on 05/04/1895 in Bahía Blanca.
4. The Discovery of the Link: Giovanni Battista
Around the year 2001, I sent some letters to Italy addressed to various people with the surname Pozzo Ardizzi. Pleasantly, I received a response from Elena Pozzo Ardizzi. Her great-grandfather, Giovanni Battista, had traveled to Argentina at the end of the 19th century and after his death in this country, his Italian wife, Rosa Gianella and their Argentine children, Vincenza, Angelo and Giovanni, returned to Italy in 1916.
Conclusion: after cross-referencing Elena's data with the documentary information found, I was able to verify that Giovanni Battista was the brother of Cesare and Rosa (who entered Argentina on 01/05/1886) and of Luigi, who entered on 11/18/1886.
This confirms the direct link between the Argentine and Italian branches.