The Blunderbussier Groups

SANT’ANNA Blunderbussier Group
This Group represents the Sant’Auditore District. The Group was founded in 1975 at the wish of the late Luca Barba, with the collaboration of Luigi Vitale and Achille Ruminelli. The Sant’Auditore district is believed to be one of the oldest, in fact it was in existence before the destruction of the ancient Marcina, which took place in 465 AD. The club colours are white and blue. One peculiarity of the Group is the presence of the numerous armed women. The Group is presided by Ada Viscito and led by Franco Vitale.

SANT’ANNA ALL’OLIVETO Blunderbussier group
This Group represents the Sant’Auditore District. History and religion are intertwined into the life of this Group. The club colours, white, green and yellow, recall the colours of the cloak and dress of Our Lady of the Village of Sant’Anna. The Group was founded in 1937 on the initiative of Vincenzo Baldi and at the wish of the prior Vincenzo Senatore. The banner depicts an armed hand, coat of arms of the Baldi family. This Group also numbers many elderly women among its ranks.
President and group leader is Alessandro Bruno.

MONTE CASTELLO Blunderbussier Group
This Group represents the Metellian district and, like its brother Borgo Scacciaventi-Croce, has ancient roots. The Group takes its name from Mount Castello and was founded in 1974 by Francesco Lamberti, better known to the inhabitants of Cava as “Mastu Ciccio”, who passed away about five years ago but in whose memory the group continues. The club colours are red and black, bringing to mind the commemoration of the Battle of Sarno. The Monte Castello Blunderbussiers are presided by Andrea Fortunato and the leader is Antonio Proto.

BORGO SCACCIAVENTI – CROCE Blunderbussier Group
This Group represents the Metellian District and as its name suggests, recalls the traditional name of the valley. The group was founded in 1978 by the late Antonio Medolla and was a merging of the Croce and Borgo Scacciaventi Groups. Many maintain that the Croce Group has always existed, above all as the protagonist of the battles fought to defend the Metellian valley over the centuries. The club colours are white, red and black. The presidency passed to Luigi Medolla after the death of the founder, and the group is led by Ettore Benincasa

SS. SACRAMENTO Blunderbussier Group
This Group represents the Corpo di Cava District. The Group’s origin is linked to Cava’s most illustrious history when Peter I, Abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery, founded the village. The Group was founded in 1969 by the late dynamic Luca Barba and with the valuable collaboration of Armand Gallo. Pride, dignity and decorum are the main characteristics of the Group. The club colours are white, red and black: white for the purity of the spirit, red for the abbatial purple and black for the Benedictine habit. The banner depicts the abbatial hat and the coat of arms of Badia on a white background. The Group has had great success in national and international shows.
Its president is Guglielmo D’Alessio and the group leader is Maurizio Bottiglieri.

FILANGIERI Blunderbussier Group
This group represents the Corpo di Cava District. The Group was founded in 1978 by Franco De Rosa, Ciro and Luigi Senatore and Vincenzo Nicoli. The club colours are white, yellow and brown and the banner depicts a taloned hawk on laurel with a blunderbuss. Despite its young age, the group boasts a respectable curriculum having taken part in numerous displays in Italy and abroad.
Its president and group leader is Vincenzo Nicoli.

SENATORE Blunderbussier Group
This Group represents the Pasculano district. The Group was founded in 1947 at the wish of Francesco Senatore, father of Salvatore, designer of the costumes and captain of the society until his death. The Group has grown over the years and merits the attention of the public. Experience has brought a high level of competence and has made the Senatore Blunderbussier Group one of the best Groups in the art of shooting. The club colours are yellow and black and the banner depicts the lion rampant.
The Group led by its president and group leader Francesco Senatore.

Further information is available on the website http://www.microsys.it/senatore

SANTA MARIA DEL ROVO Blunderbussier Group
In the mild evenings of May, 1978, a group of friends dreamt of following in their fathers’ footsteps and “refounding” the blunderbussier group that had disbanded years before: the Santa Maria del Rovo Blunderbussier Group. Their childhood memories held visions of the self-confident children and adolescents who accompanied the shooting “veterans” and carried the basket (full of pastiera cake, wine, bread and spleen, and salami or full of gun powder). After the blessing of the blunderbusses in Piazza Duomo or the respective parishes, they made their way to the slopes of Monte Castello. Every so often along the way, they stopped to fire a couple of shots or to drink a sip of wine from the flask. The dream of twenty years previously came true and those young people have come a long way, even if some are no longer here. The Santa Maria del Rovo Blunderbussier Group takes its name from the Santa Maria del Rovo District. The predominant colours are white, for purity, and green, the colour of nature and the fields that once abounded in the district. The Group is composed of over one hundred components: banner bearer, flag bearers, musicians, drummers, clarions, standard-bearers, blunderbussiers and two captains. Its very lively choreographies have had great success with the public, both in Cava and at displays in Italy and abroad.
The president of the Group is Francesco Apicella and its leader is Alfonso Bisogno.