Luigi Brucciani
A famous name for everyone growing up in Twentieth Century Barrow, it lives on commercially in Morecambe, Preston and Leicester (and no doubt somewhere in Italy too).
The grave has been beautifully restored: 2012 (left); 2017 (right).
The plinth reads:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
LUIGI BRUCCIANI
WHO DIED 19TH FEB 1945
AGED 76 YEARS
SACRED HEART OF JESUS HAVE MERCY ON HIS SOUL
The original insert reads:
ALSO
UMILE BRUCCIANI
WIFE OF
LUIGI BRUCCIANI
WHO DIED 13TH MAY 1953
AGED 80 YEARS
EVILINA BRUCCIANI
DIED 6TH JULY 1973 AGED 70 YEARS
ANTHONY BRUCCIANI
....
Many memories are to be found on the internet, e.g. from the Evening Mail 23 June 2015, on the death of Lorenzo Brucciani at the age of 82:
With the family running two cafes alongside each other, both in Dalton Road, Brucciani’s was one of several successful cafe businesses operated by Italian families in Barrow and Ulverston.
The founder of Brucciani’s was Luigi, who had walked from Italy to Britain in the early 1800s (sic: this may have been late 1800s/early 1900s, or an earlier Luigi), bringing with him the art of ice-cream making.
From Italy to Barrow, Brucciani’s was born, supplying the people of Barrow their daily fix of coffee and sweet treats. Brucciani’s in Barrow may be gone but the family business is still serving coffee and ice cream to the masses in Morecambe, Preston and Leicester.
Tom Brucciani, who runs the Leicester branch of Brucciani’s, said: “He was a lovely man and will be sadly missed.” Christine Kell, who worked at both Brucciani cafes in 1963 from the age of 12, said: “I was so sad to hear of the passing of Lorenzo Brucciani or ‘Ren’ as he was known to everyone. I worked as a Saturday girl for four happy years. Only convent girls were employed as Saturday girls. Ren was a gentle giant; never can I remember him losing his temper or raising his voice. He will be missed by many people, most of all his dear family.”
Serving the last knickerbocker glory almost 30 years ago, The cafe holds vivid memories of playing the pin ball machine, sipping hot Vimto and the sound of the milk frothing machine for those who spent their afternoons in Brucciani’s.
Brucciani’s own (Leicester) website says:
Several generations ago the first members of the Brucciani family walked from Italy to Scotland, making their way down the country to the wealthy shipyards of Lancashire selling ice creams. In 1937 Luigi Brucciani came to Leicester, where the booming hosiery and shoe trades provided an excellent place to establish an Italian coffee shop. Initially, Brucciani in Horsefair Street was a friendly place to meet and enjoy fabulous coffee but over the years the business has grown to offer a whole selection of beautifully prepared drinks and foods.
