Lauro
Welcome to the discovery of Lauro!
Who would have thought that the name Lauro could be so diverse and fascinating? In this tour, I will guide your curiosity to learn about all the facets of this name, from botany to music, passing through geography and folklore.
A name rooted in botany
Let's start with the premise that Lauro has botanical origins. The common name Laurus indicates the genus of an evergreen plant from the family Lauraceae, which is widely used in cooking to flavor dishes. But there is also the Prunus laurocerasus, known as the "Lauro tree," a plant with bright green leaves that grows lushly and adapts easily to the terrain. Both plants evoke beauty, strength, and longevity.
The folklore elf
From Mexico to Italy, Lauro is also associated with the world of folklore. Have you ever heard of Lauro, one of the elves of the Salento tradition? It is said that this magical being is known to act during the night by slipping under doors and infesting every environment, leaving behind a trail of chaos.
Discovering Italian geography
It's hard to make an exhaustive list of all the places in Italy that bear the name Lauro! There are the municipalities of Lauro (AV), overlooking the Sabato valley, Lauro (CE) a fraction of Sessa Aurunca, and Lauro (RC), a fraction of Platì, a metropolitan city in northern Calabria. And then there is Mount Lauro, in southeastern Sicily belonging to the Iblei Mountains, and the Lauro River in the municipality of San Nicandro Garganico in Puglia. It's no surprise that it is a name that is very popular in Italy, almost as much as the name Laura.
Achille Lauro's music
But such an important name could not inspire music. In 2021, Italian rapper Achille Lauro released an album titled Lauro, telling his vision of Italy in this project.
Onomastics: a male personal name
Lauro is a male given name that derives from the Latin laurea, meaning "laurel wreath." It is a very popular name in Italy, often associated with Catholic tradition as a variant of the name Lorenzo, the patron saint of young people and cooks. Those who bear the name Lauro are often loyal and determined individuals: people who can achieve their goals but are also extremely faithful to their values.
Bearers of the name Lauro
Thinking of figures named Lauro, many famous people come to mind, such as Italian shipowner and politician Achille Lauro, Venezuelan composer Antonio Lauro, sports journalist Franco Lauro, and radio host Giorgio Lauro. More generally, Lauro is a name that is popular among Italian shipowners and politicians, as demonstrated by the presence of Mayor Gioacchino Lauro and shipowner Salvatore Lauro.
Other references to Lauro
We cannot talk about Lauro without mentioning the tragic incident of the hijacking of the Achille Lauro, a transatlantic liner that was seized in 1985 by members of the Palestinian FPLP faction. The case had a huge international impact, only slightly mitigated by the arrest of those responsible for the incident.
In conclusion
We hope that this journey into the universe of Lauro has piqued your interest! Isn't it interesting to note how a name can have so many facets that encompass the dreamlike, nostalgic, mythological, and concrete? Whether it's a laurel forest, a Calabrian municipality, a hit song, or a political figure, the name Lauro is capable of embracing many worlds. Not bad for such a short and precious name!
