FINDING OUR ITALIAN ROOTS

New Building for the Provincial Archives of L'Aquila

2011-12-02T08:49:00.001-08:00

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

2011-03-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-25T06:25:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-15T12:48:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-15T12:44:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-12-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

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

New Archealogical Find in Rome

2009-11-19T12:27:00.000-08:00

As is always the case in ancient cities, construction in Rome constantly uncovers archealogical gems. Recently a flight of marble steps was uncovered which led archealogists to believe they belonged to Hadrian's Academy, a building which supported Nero's rotating dining room on Palatine Hill.

All this was uncovered because an underground railroad needed to be dug to serve the needs of Roman citizens. History has much to teach us.

Tip on "Cittadinanza" or Citizenship Records

2009-11-19T12:20:00.001-08:00

Many of our Italian ancestors were not stationary. Some traveled from town to town on a daily basis plying their chosen trade. Yet others moved with the seasons, often spending summers in the countryside within the jurisdiction of another town.

When consulting the 19th century citizenship records, one must keep in mind that seasonal migrations were often not recorded in town records since they weren’t considered permanent moves. See David I. Kertzer and Dennis P. Hogan, “On the Move: Migration in an Italian Community, 1865-1921,” Social Science History, (Issue 9, 1985), pp. 5-6.

New Foundation for Italian Heritage in NJ

2009-11-18T11:27:00.000-08:00

If you live in or near southern NJ, there is a new foundation to promote Italian heritage called the Italian Cultural Foundation of South Jersey, Inc. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in Italian heritage.

Plans are to hold educational lectures, offer dance and language lessons, host musicians, and offer slideshows.

For more information email Vincent Marolda at vincentmarolda@sprynet.com.

Airport for Agrigento

2009-10-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

30 million Euros were allocated this week for a new airport in the Sicilian city of Agrigento. Read more about it here: Agrigento Airport

This is a valuable infrastructure project for Sicily.

Free Italian/History Courses Available from Yale

2009-10-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

Amongst an impressive list of available courses are several that lovers of Italy may find useful.

Italian 310: Dante in Translation, taught by Giuseppe Mazzotta, the Sterling Professor of Humanities for Italian

History of Art 252: Roman Architecture, taught by Diana E.E. Kleiner, the Dunham Professor of History of Art and Classics

History 202: European Civilization, 1648-1945, taught by John Merriman, the Charles Seymour Professor of History

See this link: Yale Courses

Italian National Anthem

2009-10-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

Watch this beautiful slideshow while listening to the Italian National Anthem.

Italian National Anthem

Enjoy!

Unknown Da Vinci Painting Found with New Technology

2009-10-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

A new technology, pioneered by Lumiere Technology in France, has the ability to scan the layers of a painting and found Leonardo da Vinci's fingerprint and partial handprint in a painting attributed to be "German, 18th century." The painting last sold for around $19,000 and is now valued at $160 million.

See the link below for more information.

Fingerprint unmasks original da Vinci painting

Researching for the Ancestors of Abandoned Children - Part VI

2009-10-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

...Although in Sicily it is more common to see a neighbor or friend reporting a person's death to the civil records office, you do occasionally see a relative serve in this capacity. In Maria Alberti's case, her civil death record showed that two woman with the occupation of housewife reported her death. However, this is logical as she died five years after Matteo immigrated to the United States. No death record has been found for Mariano "proietto" although he is listed as still living when Maria died. An additional 25-year search in both towns in both the civil and ecclesiastical records failed to find a death record. However, having seen this man's penchant for name variations it is very possible that he again changed his name making it near to impossible to trace his movements.

Matteo Catanese and Maria Di Domenico had three daughters, Maria, Carmela Giuseppa, and Giuseppa. With no male issue, there was no chance of naming a child Mariano in accordance with naming customs. Their first female child was named Maria, most likely for Matteo's mother Maria Alberti. It must be noted here that this family did not continue the naming customs past the first daughter as their second daughter was given the name Carmela Giuseppa. If naming customs had been followed, she would have been given the name Rosalia for her maternal grandmother Rosalia D'Alu.

Maria Catanese died at the age of two. Carmela and Giuseppa Catanese immigrated to the U.S. with their mother in 1898. Giuseppa married in the U.S. and never returned to Italy. Carmela married three times. Her first and third marriages were in the U.S. therefore no information on grandparents was found. However, for her second marriage, she returned to Isnello to marry the cousin of her first husband. Her marriage banns and marriage record show only the names of her parents. While the allegati or supplemental documents, may have contained death records on any deceased grandparents, the documents are missing from the microfilm.

Last, but not least, I searched for Matteo's "liste di leva" or conscription record. Conscription records contain the conscriptee's name, his parents, birthdate and town of birth. This record threw a curve ball into the research. According to Matteo's conscription record, at the time of his registration in 1874, his parents were "d'ignoti" [unknown] and Maria Pompa.

The Pompa surname appendage is not a new addition within the records of Maria Alberti’s family. In fact, when her father Antonino Alberti died in Polizzi Generosa in 1857 his surname was recorded as Alberti Pompa. Normally, when an additional surname appears it denotes a separate branch of that particular surname. This is normally seen when there are two or more totally unrelated families with the same surname residing in the same town. Therefore, Maria belonged to the Pompa branch of the Alberti family of Polizzi Generosa.

Yet why then, if Matteo had been reclaimed when Mariano “proietto” and Maria Alberti [Pompa] married, was Matteo’s father listed as unknown on his son’s military record? We already have four pieces of direct evidence, the notations found within Matteo’s and his parent’s marriage records, that provide strong evidence that he was reclaimed two years after he was abandoned. Why then sixteen years after his parent’s marriage, and his subsequent reclamation, was his father listed as unknown? The question still haunts me. I hope that I will someday find Mariano and perhaps learn the why behind his mysterious movements and name changes.

Columbus Day

2009-10-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today as we honor the famous Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, let us also remember the sacrifices our ancestors made to provide for us the life we have now. This includes Italians, but also every other ethnicity that immigrated to this country and helped make it what it is.

Grazie, antenati!!!

Searching for the Ancestors of Abandoned Children - Part V

2009-10-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Genealogical research is never simple. No single record can provide absolute proof of any genealogical conclusion. You must assemble all the evidence, evaluating each piece of evidence for strengths and weaknesses, then compile into a reasonable source-cited argument. The question of Matteo Catanese's parentage, while maybe not indicative of research on all abandoned children, does provide a look on how an exhaustive search in all available records can be conducted.

We ended the last post on the population registers that were found in Isnello, the town Matteo lived in with his family before immigrating to the U.S. Italian citizenship records or "cittadinanza" were also researched since Matteo and his parents moved to Isnello from Polizzi Generosa some time before his marriage in 1877, where they were indicated to reside when Matteo married. No record of their move was found in the citizenship records of either Polizzi Generosa or Isnello. It must be noted here that seasonal moves were often not recorded in these registers. Families who moved between a larger town and the countryside with the seasons were still considered citizens of the larger town. However, Polizzi Generosa and Isnello are both small mountain towns in the Madonie mountains of Sicily so this is likely not the reason for the lack of recordation but rather the fee that was required to record such a move.

Next we look at the marriage records, both civil and ecclesiastical, for Mariano "proietto" and Maria Alberti. No ecclesiastical marriage was found in the surviving records in Polizzi Generosa. However, the civil records did have a marriage promise, the marriage banns, and the allegati or supplemental documents. Their marriage promise and allegati documents both contain a similar notation to that found within Matteo's marriage banns. It says that when Mariano and Maria married they declared that the child named Matteo Catanese was their legitimate and natural-born child. More to follow...

Notarial Records in Milan

2009-10-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

The Archivio di Stato (State Archives) in Milan has placed their notarial records online. You can search these records at the link below.

Notarial Records in Milan

Happy researching!

Searching for the Ancestors of Abandoned Children - Part IV

2009-09-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

...One thing I forgot to mention when discussing the records created by Matteo's birth was that no baptismal record was found. However, we know that he was baptized as an abandoned child because of his Notice of Birth. The church mentioned in the Notice of Birth no longer exists in Polizzi Generosa. Perhaps the records were sent to the diocesan archives when it closed. Requests for information on the missing records have gone unanswered.

When I visited Isnello in 2008, I went to the town hall and requested the State of the Family Certificate for Matteo and his wife Angela Maria Di Domenico. What I received were copies of three population registers. The first population register shows this family with a population number of 1060. Matteo is noted to have been born on 24 February 1856 in Polizzi Generosa to unknown parents. This record provides direct evidence of his abandonment.

The second population register indicated that Matteo was born in 1857 in "Polizzi" and that his father's name was Mariano. However, this time Matteo was using the surname Librizzi, not Catanese. The family's population number was again 1060. While the surname change came as a surprise, the record does provide indirect evidence of Matteo's reclamation.

The third record showed Matteo again using the Librizzi surname. The population number is still the same and Matteo's father is listed as "Mariano". However, this time a Mariano Librizzi was also enumerated with this family although he was residing at a different address. Perhaps he was working with Matteo in the family delicatessan and therefore was enumerated. Mariano was indicated to have been born in "Polizzi" in 1820 to unknown parents. This information is close enough to his correct birth information to be plausible. Once again, this record is indirect evidence of Matteo's reclamation.

More to follow!

Bad Weather Destroys Crops in Sicily

2009-09-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

Tornadoes, hail and torrential rain has wrecked alot of damage on Sicily's crops this year. The Italian fund for natural disasters was apparently not funded this year so the farmers cannot even seek help in that direction. To read more see:

Weather, in Sicily Damages for 500 Million Euro

Italian Resources for Jewish Ancestors

2009-09-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Nardo Bonomi has an awesome website to help direct those who are researching their Jewish ancestors from Italy.

Italian Resources for Jewish Genealogy

Check it out!

Searching for the Ancestors of Abandoned Children - Part III

2009-09-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

Continuing the story....Matteo's wife Angela Maria Di Domenico was born in Isnello, Italy. Because a couple normally married in the bride's hometown the search for their birth record began there. Civil marriage records of this time period and region of Italy consist of the marriage banns, the marriage act and the supplemental documents.

No ecclesiastical marriage record was found however their marriage was recorded civilly. They were married on 2 April 1877. The marriage banns state that Matteo's parents were Mariano "proietto" and Maria Alberti who were physically present at the requesting of his banns. A key piece of evidence was found in a notation contained within the banns. The notation states that when Mariano "proietto" and Maria Alberti married on 24 June 1858 that Matteo Catanese was then declared legitimate. This is direct evidence and primary information that, while abandoned at birth, Matteo Catanese was reclaimed and legitimized when his parents married in 1858. The subsequent marriage record confirms that his parents were indeed Mariano “proietto” and Maria Alberti and that he had been born in Polizzi Generosa.

Yet amongst the marriage supplements the information appears to be conflicting. The “Certificato di Povera” [Certificate of Poverty] document states that Matteo’s father was “Mariano.” No last name was written. Additionally, it contains a handwritten page with a similar notation to that found within the marriage banns. The notation states that when Mariano “proietto” and Maria Alberti married on 24 June 1858 they declared Matteo Catanese their legitimate and natural-born child. However, to confuse matters, they also enclosed an extracted record of Matteo’s birth which states that his parents were unknown.

Knowledge of the process of collection by the civil records office helps to explain the apparent conflict. Extracts of civil records were to be exact copies of the original document to the best of the scribe’s ability. Therefore, when an extracted birth record was requested from the civil records office in Polizzi Generosa, for inclusion in Matteo’s marriage papers, the information would have been extracted exactly as it appeared with “parents unknown.“ The Isnello civil records office would then have included the extracted birth record sent from Polizzi Generosa into the marriage papers “as received.” The additional notations within the marriage documents, stating when he was legitimized, would then serve to show the change in circumstance that occurred in 1858 when his parents married. More to follow!

Searching for the Ancestors of Abandoned Children - Part II

2009-09-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

Continuing the story, I continued the research by attempting to find a birth allegati [supplement/attachment] record for Matteo Catanese. These supplemental civil records were often used to request notification of a child's baptism. One such record called a "Notamento di Nascita" or Notice of Birth was found. This record stated that he was a "bambino proietto" or a male abandoned child that had been born on 24 February 1856. The Notice was sent to the nearest church requesting notification of his baptism. Here is a second piece of evidence that Matteo was indeed an abandoned child. No reference to any foster or adoptive parents was made.

Atti Diversi or Diverse Acts registers may contain legitimization documents for those children born illegitimately and later reclaimed. In these miscellaneous registers there is usually a page in the beginning which will list the types of documents that could be recorded there according to civil law. No such legitimization document was found between 1856-1858.

Next my attention turned to his marriage documents....more to follow

Book - Italian Footprints in South Africa

2009-09-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

A South-African freelance writer and publicist has published a book titled Italian Footprints in South Africa. The book details the Italian contribution to the country in all aspects of South African life. You can read more about the book on the Jacana blog.

Searching for the Ancestors of Abandoned Children - Part 1

2009-09-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

Abandoned children can be one of those situations in Italian research where you often encounter a brick wall. But there are several sources you need to consult before deciding that an ancestor's family history is unsolvable.

Take the case of Matteo Catanese. Matteo Catanese immigrated to Pittsburgh, PA in 1893. This wife and daughters followed five years later. Research started with Matteo's U.S. death certificate which showed his parents as Mariano Catanese and Maria Alberti. His mother's name was initially written as Maria Liberto then crossed out. His date and place of birth was given as 2 February 1864 in Isnello, Italy, crossed out then 24 February 1856 in Polizzi Generosa, Italy written in it's place. What a confusing mess of information to start with!

Research began in the most logical places, the civil birth records of both Isnello and Polizzi Generosa, Italy. At this point there was no indication of Matteo's abandonment. No civil birth record was found in the birth registers five years on either side of the supposed birth dates in either town. I went back to look at other family documents to see if I was somehow mistaken on his town of origin. Family lore supported the theory that Matteo had been born in Polizzi Generosa so I decided to search Polizzi Generosa's Atti Diversi [Diverse Acts] register on the off-chance that he had been abandoned. For this particular town, the births of abandoned children were kept in a separate register until 1858. It was not the same in every town so that must be taken into consideration.

A birth record was found which detailed how Matteo Catanese was abandoned on the "ruota" [wheel] at 8:00 a.m. on 24 February 1856 in Polizzi Generosa. This was the date and location not crossed out on his U.S. death certificate. He was placed on the wheel "without any clothes and without [one illegible word] any apparent signs on the body." A chilling thought for a February morning in the Madonie Mountains of Sicily. So, if Matteo was an abandoned child then who was named on his U.S. death certificate? Where they his foster or adoptive parents? Matteo's birth record stated that the civil records official gave him his name so for a foster or adoptive parent to have the same surname didn't seem plausible.

The records led me in some interesting directions. More of the story will be coming in future posts!

The Dialects and/or Languages of Italy

2009-09-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

All those who have done enough research in Italian records will realize that while most records will be written in standard Italian, Latin or in some areas French, there are those occasional words in a document that defy any known translation. I have found they are often a dialect word of the region in which you are researching. The dictionary of dialect words at Dialettando.com has helped me several times to decipher a particular word from the dialect.

I hope this tip helps your research efforts!

Italian Military Records at the Family History Library

2009-09-04T05:16:00.000-07:00

While the availability is limited, the Family History Library does have some Italian military records available for consultation.

Documenti militari

Registri militari

Military records, in particular the liste di leva or conscription records, can also be found at provincial archives. The Cosenza provincial archives has started to digitize some of their conscription records. Here's the link to the Cosenza Archivio di Stato.

Archivio di Stato - Republic of San Marino

2009-09-02T13:46:00.001-07:00

The State Archives for the Republic of San Marino has censimenti and stati d'anime records digitized and online!

You will need to register. I have not received any spam or otherwise intrusive emails by using this resource.

Italy Travel Notes Blog

2009-09-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

I found a fantastic blog for those who love to travel in Italy, the Italy Travel Notes Blog.
Buon Viaggio!

National Museum of Pasta in Rome

2009-08-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

The Museo Nazionale delle Paste Alimentari in Rome looks to be an interesting stop on your next trip. Not far from the Trevi Fountain, at 10 Euros it is an economical and interesting way to spend a few hours in this beautiful city. Tours are available in several languages including English. See the link below for more information:

Museo Nazionale delle Paste Alimentari

Sicilian Cart for Sale

2009-08-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

..by the American Italian Renaissance Foundation in New Orleans.

If your Italian ancestors immigrated to New Orleans, the new book by Joseph Maselli and Dominic Candeloro titled Images of America: Italians in New Orleans might also be of interest!

Travel Tip - Sicily

2009-08-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Giardino Donna Lavia in Polizzi Generosa, Italy is a great place to stay if you are traveling through central Sicily.

An agriturismo and working farm, they also have a restaurant on the ground-floor which only serves products that they have grown on their own farm. The food is fantastic and well worth the reasonable 65 Euro they advertise for room and board.

I'll see you there!

Photo Preservation

2009-08-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

I'm sure we all have those photos of our Italian ancestors that are starting to show signs of age. Take the photo at the left which neatly slices Giuseppa Catanese's face in half. What I wouldn't give to erase that crack as it is the youngest known photograph of this ancestor.

Maureen Taylor has written a great book on this subject titled Preserving You Family Photographs: How to Organize, Present, and Restore Your Precious Family Images. You can also follow her blog at Photo Detective.

On-site Researcher in Sicily

2009-08-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

Emilio Terrazzino has been a god-send for on-site research in Sicily. We have worked together on multiple projects and I have been very pleased. Below is the link to his website:

Research and Escort in Sicily by Emilio

Civil Records of Selected Italian Comunes

2009-08-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

This website provides links or email addresses for transcribed or abstracted Italian civil records. Take the time to see if your comune of interest is listed.

But remember, the use of transcriptions/abstractions should never take the place of research in original records. There is usually more information in the documents than has been transcribed.

Happy hunting!

Comuni-Italiani.it

2009-08-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

This is a great place to find information on your ancestor's town of origin. You'll find links to town websites, addresses of civil record offices, street maps as well as satellite images of most towns amongst a host of other useful links.

This website is an extremely useful tool for the Italian researcher!

2500-Year Old Terra-Cotta Bowl Repatriated to Italy

2009-08-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

An ancient Etruscan bowl, previously housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has been returned to Italy. Stolen from a tomb in 1971, the bowl is one of only a few surviving works by the painter Euphronios.

A Celebrity in Low-Key Digs

Thinking Beyond the Obvious - the Death of Saverio Arturi

2009-08-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

Beginning researchers are often satisfied with the gathering of names and dates and sometimes don't take the time to look beyond the obvious in an Italian record. Yet sometimes it is those other details that really put a record into it's historical and/or social context. This practice will often result in more interesting details for that family history we all want to write someday.

Take for example the death record of Saverio Arturi.

Death Record of Saverio Arturi

Saverio was a 26-year old soldier from Pietro Guadano in the Calabria province who died in a small mountain town in Sicily in 1862. His parents are indicated to be Luiggi and Maria Cozza. Saverio died "of violent means" in a piazza in the town of Isnello.

But what was going on in Sicily during this time period? A basic knowledge of Sicilian history will reveal that there was much civil unrest due to the changes being implemented by Unification. Italian troops were sent to squelch these rebellions and to put an end to the bandits who were attempting to "redistribute the wealth" to the less fortunate. So now you have a probable reason for his presence and subsequent death in a town so far from home.

Additionally, take a look at his indicated town of birth, Pietro Guardano in the Cosenza province. If you'll do a search for this town, you won't find a town by this name in any new or old gazeteers of Italy. However, there is a San Pietro in Guarano in the Cosenza province. Logically, this would be a good starting point for continued research on this man.

So, look beyond the obvious! You'll be surprised what information you'll find.

New Location for the Archivio di Stato dell'Aquila

2009-08-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Many of us watched in horror at the pictures of what remained of the provincial archives in l'Aquila after the earthquake last April. A new location for the archives was announced on 30 July 2009. Here's the link to the press release.

Press Release

Digitization Project at the Archivio di Stato (Provincial Archives) di Cosenza

2009-08-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

Not long ago the Cosenza provincial archives began a digitization project consisting of civil vital records as well as military conscription. It is an ongoing project, so watch for more records to be added in the coming months!

Portale della Storia degli Italiani Homepage

You will need to sign in initially. I have received no spam or otherwise intrusive computer issues from using this resource.

Happy researching!

Italian Genealogy

2009-08-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

Italian-Americans have a unique and rich heritage. Now several generations past their immigrating ancestors, more and more of their history and culture is being lost. Many realize that they know little of where their ancestors came from, their hopes, their fears and the reasons for their departure.

As a researcher in Italian genealogy, I've found great satisfaction in reuniting Italian descendants with their ancestral heritage and culture. Italians and their descendants have played an integral role in all aspects of life here in the United States.

This blog will be a mix of genealogy, history and culture. But above all...it will be about all things Italian!