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Last name origins & meanings: Italian: habitational name from a place in Macerata province called Camerino (Latin Camerinum). Spanish: unexplained, but possibly from a derivative of cámara ‘chamber’, ‘room’.
'camerino' also found in translations in English-Spanish dictionary dressing room n. 1) el vestidor, 2) el camerino
DOMINADOR M. CAMERINO (1946 - 1954)
The life of Dominador M. Camerino, the first governor of Cavite during the Third Republic, was story of success through persistence. His meager formal education notwithstanding (he didn't go beyond fourth grade), he climbed up the political ladder steadily, starting from barrio lieutenant to provincial governor.
Camerino was born on November 1, 1899, in barrio Kaytobong, then a part of Imus but now of Dasmariñas, to a poor couple, Ciriaco Camerino and Agripina Monzon. He studied in the Medicion Elementary School in 1907 but dropped out four years later. He was barely 16 when he was married to a barrio lass, Tomasa Cuello, by whom he begot three children; namely, Leonida, Lourdes, who died in infancy, and Rosa. Supporting his family by farming and gathering zacate, Camerino got so embroiled in local politics that he was away from home most of the time. His wife, a woman of faith and patience, tried to make do with the little they had, acting as mother and father to their brood. The task was so taxing and debilitating that Tomasa died in 1965, 14 years ahead of Camerino's demise in 1979.
He went through the whole gamut of Cavite politics: barrio lieutenant of Medicion, Imus, starting in 1928;municipal president of Imus for three terms, 1932 to 1940; member of the provincial board from 1940 until the outbreak of the Pacific War in December 1941. During the early part of the Japanese occupation Camerino was arrested by the Kempeitai (Japanese secret police), and for three months he languished in prison. Then came his break in the form of an appointment as governor of Cavite by President Laurel of the Second Republic. When Manuel A. Roxas became president of the Commonwealth in May 1946, Camerino was extended an ad interim appointment as governor until 1947. By that time Camerino had learned the ropes of provincial politics, and in the gubernatorial election of that year he ran for the same position and won handily over his rivals. He was reelected governor in 1951.
But politics is like a fickle maiden. In the presidential election of 1949 Camerino supported Elpidio Quirino against his former idol, Jose P. Laurel, who was defeated in what is believed to be the “Dirtiest election in the Philippine history.” Two years later Laurel ran for senator and came out topnotcher, thus marking a turning point in Philippine politics. Although Camerino was reelected governor in 1951, he already saw the handwriting on the resoundingly defeated by Ramon Magsaysay of the Nacionalista Party in the Presidential election of 1953.
Camerino's political enemies then went after him hammer and tongs. They raked up a case of arbitrary detention against him, and presto he was convicted and sent to the national penitentiary at Muntinglupa for a term of five years. But luck intervened, because after Magsaysay died in a plane crash on March 17, 1957, his successor, Carlos P. Garcia, more compassionate and understanding, pardoned Camerino, and for the next six years the Imus idol was to spend his life in political limbo.
Staging a political comeback, Camerino ran for mayor of Imus in 1963 and won. Fortune smiled again on him. In the election of 1971 he teamed up with Lino D. Bocalan, and both of them won, Bocalan as governor and Camerino as vice-governor. That proved to be the second turning point in his life. Bocalan, after a few months in office, was arrested and detained at Camp Crame shortly after the proclamation of martial law on September 21, 1972. Camerino was appointed acting governor of Cavite, a position which he held continuously until his death on July 25, 1979.
The seven years that Camerino served as acting governor proved to be the most productive years in his public career. The tax collection of the province rose steadily from P3,000,000 to P7, 000,000 – an increase of more than 130 percent. Camerino provided electric power to upland towns through the CEDA (Cavite Electric Development Authority); encouraged animal, crop and fish production; prepared the Cavite Integrated Area Development Plan; pushed through the construction of the municipal buildings of Tanza, General Aguinaldo, Mendez, Alfonso, and Amadeo; and supported and promoted the Barangay Development Program.
[Sources: (1) Biodata furnished by Governor Remulla's office; and (2) Eufronio M. Alip, Political and Cultural History of the Philippines . 2 vols. Manila, Alip & Sons, Inc., 1964.]
HISTORY OF CAMERINO We observe immediately that about the origins of Camerino arose, especially among historians of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, various interpretations which involved a lot of confusion. Today, studies have shown that the etymology of "Camerino" comes from the population of “Camertes”, widely scattered over a territory which belonged in Roman times to Umbria and now it is in the Marche; but some historian confused Camerino with “Cluvius” (Chiusi), which was located in Etruscan territory, and which was once called "Camars" ("Ad Clusium, quod 'Camars' Olim appellabant”, Livy (59 BC-17 AD), X, 25 [" At Chiusi, which was once called 'Camars' ]). The confusion arose from fact that "Camars" has the same basic of “Camerinum”. GB Pellegrini writes :"[...] Chiusi was an old name of 'Camar(s)' ['Kamar(s )']... Giacomo Devoto stresses the affinity of 'Camars'-'Chiusi' with Umbrian 'Camertes' (Livy, IX, 36), who lived on the Adriatic side of Apennines (Camerinum) [...]" (See GB Pellegrini,“Toponomastica Italiana”, ["Italian toponymy"] Hoepli, 1990, p. 24).
About this substantial linguistic identity "Camars" - "Chiusi" - "Camerinum", arose among scholars lively discussions with some solution very extravagant. Today, however, studies have shown that, even before the Etruscans, "Clusium" was inhabited by “Camertes” (Umbrians), and that in those times the city was called "Camars" for this reason. The issue was well explained by G. Buti and G. Devoto, who wrote that the Umbrian-Indo-European “Camertes” “ [%E2%80%A6] left a track immediately east of the existing borders, 'Camer(ino)', and immediately to the West in 'Camars', the ancient name of Chiusi [...]" (See G. Buti-G. Devoto, “Preistoria e Storia delle Regioni d'Italia” [%E2%80%9CPrehistory and history of the Italy regions”], Florence, Sansoni, 1974, pp. 93-94).
On the other hand, we must also consider that the Etruscans had a specific name to denote "Clusium", i.e. “Clevsin.” "Camars" should mean "closed" and "curved" (some thought to a "closed place, surrounded by marsh") and, in fact, the Romans translated name "Clusium" to indicate a place just "closed" and curvilinear. In the eighteenth century, Stanislao Bardetti observed: "[...] Livy shows that the city in his time called 'Clusium', was once called 'Camars'. It was close to a lagoon, or marsh, which so it was called 'Palus Clusina' ("Marsh of Chiusi"). With the name 'Clusium' one expresses itself perfectly the other name, 'Camars', which is composed of 'ca' and 'mars', namely it means 'closed into the swamp' [...]" (See S. Bardetti, “Della Lingua dei Primi Abitatori dell'Italia” ["The Language of the First Inhabitants of Italy], Modena, 1772, p. 899).
That remains about the origin of Camerino, imagination played a significant role, as we can deduce from this passage of G. Colucci: "[...] Camerino is a very ancient city, once belonging to Umbria, and today the Piceno. This city, situated in the Apennines, was founded by Camese, who called it, from his name, 'Camesena'. Then posterity, changing the alphabet, called it 'Camerena', then 'Camerino'. Others think Camerino derives its name from its curvilinear site, because 'camurum' in Latin meaning “curved”. Others claim that Camerino derives from 'Sea-Dog' [%E2%80%9CCane Marino”], which is the emblem of Dukes Varano [...]". Soon after, about the latter etymology, Colucci adds: "[...] The emblem of Varani [sic], once lords of Camerino, has just a 'sea dog', but that has nothing to do with the etymology of city name, because Camerino was so named many centuries before Dukes Varani became lords of it [...]" (See Giuseppe Colucci, “Delle Antichità Picene”, [%E2%80%9CAbout the Antiquities of Piceno”], Fermo, 1795, Vol. X, pp. 96 - 97, note 352).
But the fact that many could believe to be true that the name of Camerino could derive from arms of Lords Da Varano, suggests how important this ancient family was for Camerino, who ruled the city for several centuries. Before Dukes of Varano, Camerino was subjected to Roman rule. Camerino came into contact with Rome as early as 310 BC, and it was a city of ancient settlement, dating back the sixth century BC (See L. Braccesi “I Greci in adriatico”, [%E2%80%9CThe Greeks in the Adriatic Sea”] , 2004, p. 24). The Romans maintained excellent relations with the "Camertes" of Camerino, because the city was built on a hill easily defensible, and so it was very important from a strategic military point of view.
To this we must add that the "Camertes" of Camerino were always faithful allies of the Romans, fighting bravely alongside them against the Cimbres, so they deserve Roman citizenship on the battlefield. The "Camertes" were Roman citizens in all respects. There has been a short fragment in Latin, which is "the ‘motto’ of Camerino, and are the words of Gaius Marius (157-86 BC) in 1000 ‘Camertes’ who fought like lions in the war against the Cimbres": ‘Estote Cives and Pugnate, Camertes" , that is: "Be [Roman] Citizens and fight, Camertes!" (See G. Fumagalli, “The ‘Ape Latina’”, Hoepli, 1987, p. 78, n. 666). For these reasons, Camerino enjoyed great respect and always had, by the Romans, very favourable treaties and administrative autonomy. After the fall of Roman Empire, the city came under rule of the Lombard Duchy of Spoleto, and, later, it was a city of considerable power, surrounding areas very distant from the city and its suburbs. For Camerino a tragic event was the looting that it underwent by Manfredi (1232-1266), son of Frederick II of Swabia (1194-1250) in 1259.
Certainly, the most illustrious period for Camerino began with the government of Da Varano. The Lordship of Da Varano was made famous by Julius Caesar, who ruled the city from 1444 to 1502, promoting an intense artistic activity, which made the Court of Camerino one of the most exciting and important centers of Italian Renaissance. His splendid work of Maecenas, however, was interrupted in 1502, when, Cesare Borgia (1475-1507), son of Pope Alexander VI (1431-1503), began his political and military expansionism in the Marche, even with the help of his father. In this sense, Julius Caesar was in fact deprived of his city, because Alexander VI excommunicated him. Later, the city was occupied by Oliverotto da Fermo (1473-1503) and Francesco Orsini (died in 1503), Cesare Borgia's lieutenants. With the conquest of Camerino, all family of the Da Varano was exterminated, except for a young member of it, Giovanni Maria (1481-1527), who found refuge in Venice.
Then, when things changed radically with the death of Alexander VI and Cesare Borgia, Pope Julius II (1443-1513) restored the “Signoria” to Giovanni Maria, who won, with Pope Leo X (1475-1521), the title of Duke. However, despite initial success, things turned, for the Da Varano, on the wane; Leo X and his successor , Pope Farnese (Paul III, 1468-1549) meant, in fact, to undermine the authority of Da Varano, to entrust the government of duchy to his relatives; and, in every way, Camerino in 1545 was subject to the dominion of Church State, who ruled city until unification of Italy (1861) (For these events see F. Pirani, "Camerino between the Da Varano and Occupation of Borgia" in "Alexander VI and the Church State" in Atti del convegno (Perugia, 13-15 marzo 2000), a cura di Carla Frova e Maria Grazia Nico Ottaviani, Roma, 2003). Under the rule of Church State, the city was governed by Papal Legate, and it recorded a time of substantial political and economic decline, but, fortunately, not cultural; in fact, in 1727-1728 the University of Camerino was born, who will rise to a long tradition of higher education, which made the city famous and active, even during periods of political decline, as the Napoleonic era and the nineteenth century, in which, despite the stagnation, Camerino recorded some increase in construction , and the preservation of its architectural and artistic heritage.
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