There aren't many of us, but we have spread out across the globe. For the most part, we appear to originate from the L'Aquila Province in the Abruzzo Region of Italy. In particular, the surname remains most concentrated in the town of Fontecchio. A medieval walled city featuring a 13th century fountain and whose tower houses one of Italy's oldest clocks, Fontechhio today gains its reknown primarily for its annual summer arts festival.

Located in an isolated section of a desolate region the Romans cared little for (once they had overrun and subdued the native population of course), Fontecchio rests imbedded on the west side of a precipice, facing a horizon obscuring larger mountain representing the eastern foothills of the Apennine Range. Yes, this castle-town with its ever dwindling population of a mere 400 may no longer house the largest local contingent of those bearing the name "Carosa," but it is most likely from within and around these stone walls our ancestors emigrated.

So, whether you're an artist or an artisan, a butcher or a bricklayer, if you've ever had the desire to discover the horizon that lies on the other side of the mountain, you are no doubt a Carosa...

- Christopher Carosa (created 7/15/2007)