History Matteo Lorenzo Arguinzonette Bianchelli (1899 – 1968)
Matteo Lorenzo Arguinzonette Bianchelli was born on September 8, 1899, in Pescopennataro, a small mountain village in the Molise region of southern Italy.
It was a quiet hamlet, surrounded by beech forests and stone houses, where life revolved around farm work and family traditions.
From a young age, he showed an interest in medicine and caring for others. He often accompanied the village doctor and learned from the nuns who tended to the sick at the parish.
When he turned twenty, he moved to Campobasso to train as a nurse at a hospital associated with the Italian Red Cross. There, he learned first aid, disinfection, and patient care techniques — valuable skills in postwar Italy.
During the 1920s, he worked in rural hospitals and took part in public health campaigns across different southern regions, helping communities with scarce medical resources. His kind nature and sense of vocation made him well-liked among both doctors and farmers.
In 1929, facing a lack of opportunities in Italy, he decided to emigrate. He had heard that Spain needed nurses in rural areas, and without much hesitation, he boarded a ship from Naples bound for Valencia.
After a brief stay in Madrid, he settled in Piedralaves, a small village in the province of Ávila, where he began working at a local dispensary.
Spain was undergoing profound changes. A few years later, war broke out, and Matteo, true to his calling, cared for the wounded and the sick on both sides — always guided by his ethics and humanity.
Locals remembered that he never asked which side a wounded person was on — only whether they needed help. That attitude earned him the respect and gratitude of the entire community.
Over time, his surname began to change, as the “-ette” ending proved confusing and difficult to pronounce in Spanish records. When filling out his residence and employment forms, a local official wrote “Arguinzone” instead of “Arguinzonette.” Matteo accepted the change without much concern, and from then on, that version of his surname remained on all his documents — and in how people in the town knew him.
After the war, he continued working as a nurse. He participated in vaccination campaigns and helped deliver many of the village’s children. He lived in a small house by the stream, where neighbors came seeking treatment or advice. He never married, but it was said he was part of every family in Piedralaves.
He died on April 21, 1968, at the age of 69, surrounded by the affection of those who considered him one of their own. Parish records list him as Matteo Lorenzo Arguinzone Bianchelli — a name still remembered by some of the town’s elders.
Matteo’s story represents that of many Italians who emigrated in search of a better life and ended up leaving a lasting mark on foreign lands. His life reflects the spirit of service and humanity of those who dedicated their existence to caring for others during difficult times.
This biography is part of the family history reconstruction project that keeps the memory of the Arguinzone alive. If you have information about this surname or about the descendants of Matteo Lorenzo Arguinzone Bianchelli, you can write to info@arguinzone.com to share it.