New Building for the Provincial Archives of L'Aquila

As many of you know, a 2009 earthquake devastated the provincial archives in L'Aquila.  See this link for a look at their new facility!

Archivio di Stato dell'Aquila a Bazzano

Stato di Famiglia Storico - Historical State of the Family Certificate

Don't overlook this valuable resource as you research your Italian ancestors. The State of the Family Certificate shows a whole family unit with much of their vital information included. Such vital information often includes the father's given name, birth date and place, death date and place, where they immigrated to, notations regarding citizenship, and sometimes when, where, and whom they married.

You can write to a town's civil record's office for these certificates. There is usually a fee of 2 1/2 - 5 Euro per individual on the certificate. Don't forget to send a self-addressed envelope for their convenience.

Also, if you're lucky, the town may send photocopies of a few of the vital events noted in the certificate! I have had this happen a few times.

Indice Annuale - Annual Indexes

Anyone familiar with Italian microfilmed civil records will have used these indexes. These are most often found annually at the beginning or end of a register. However, there were also 10-year indexes created which are particularly helpful when searching for multiple offspring of an ancestral couple.

Do you check these indexes when pulling the records of your ancestors? I've used the indexes to clarify a name abbreviated in the text of a document, to verify titles given to family members, and to verify the spelling of surnames. I have even seen children designated as "d'ignoti" or "of unknown parents" in the actual record yet the index gives the name of the child's mother or father.

So, don't overlook this resource. They could be helpful!

My Ancestor's Surname was Changed at Ellis Island

This is a common misconception. With Italians who were immigrating, as well as a multitude of other nationalities, the manifests you will see were created in the port of origin or on the voyage over. The creators understood the language so there were no language difficulties.

Research and Analysis of Italian Document

The link below shows you an 18th-Century Italian document on which I performed an analysis and prepared a research plan. I hope it helps you grow your research skills!

Analysis of 18th-Century Document and Research Plan

Melanie D. Holtz earns Certified Genealogist credential!

As of 7 January 2010, I am a Certified Genealogist. :) CG and Certified Genealogist are Service Marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certificants after periodic competency evaluations by the Board.

It was a long and difficult process but well worth the effort!

Want to know more about Italian wines?

If so, there's a great book by Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch titled Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy. The book is 33% off on Amazon right now and would make a great Christmas gift!

Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy