Find Your Family History in Italy: Genealogy 101
By: Michael Cestaro *
For most Americans of Italian origin, obtaining information about their ancestors, can seem daunting or even impossible to achieve when they are past Ellis Island and start poking around in Italy. But in reality, in many situations, a researcher armed with the correct data and a bit of “patience, you can access a wealth of information that can provide great insight into their family history.
Whenever a researcher has the correct spelling of your ancestor’s name and date and place of the event (eg birth, marriage or death) has occurred, you may obtain copies of documents over 100 years. In a rather ironic is the story of the bureaucracy in Italy and the Italian Government’s obsession with shapes and details that may be beneficial for the individual who is seeking his Italian roots by ten.
In general, most Italian documents that records a birth, marriage and death in all and by the end of last century, this was very formal. The end result of this method was a useful data entry, such as maiden names, street addresses, witnesses of fact, the occupation of parts, and the names of the participants to record the event (including the mayor and city officials) in the document. In addition, other details such as whether the parties were able to read and write, sometimes hand-written in the documents. To search for family history of the person, access to all this information can be like winning the jackpot amount.
So exactly where are these records preserved, and you need a researcher?
Italian by birth, marriage and death certificates are kept by the Office of Vital Statistics of the municipality or city where the event occurs. When a document is required, which is usually included in a summary statement of each module, which is an excerpt from the most relevant information recorded in the Town Hall. For those interested only obtain dual citizenship, this is the way that most of the consulates are required as part of your application process.
For somebody doing genealogical research, however, the better form is the copia integrale. Unlike the estratto, the copia integrale includes the many invaluable details in which the genealogical researcher would most probably be interested. It is important to note that under Italian law, a copia integrale is only available if the event occurred more than 75 years ago.
Beyond birth, marriage and death certificates, military records can be a breeding ground for genealogical exploration. Italian military record for the most part, remain in provincial, unlike birth, marriage and death certificates that are stored locally. If a single ancestor of military service, conscription and service records may include information such as physical description, city of residence, parents’ names, occupation and education as well as a chronological history of compulsory military service to fulfill.
Once an individual has achieved the task of obtaining the document from your ancestor, the next hurdle can decipher the writing on the document. Since these documents can be before the invention of the typewriter or were prepared in a city that had a typewriter at the time (yes, there was a time when a manual typewriter is considered an advanced technology) reading the letter in the document may present its own challenge. However, with a little effort and using a computer zoom function, this obstacle can be overcome.
For those seriously thinking of looking into their family history or who are at the point of research in which research in Italy now have a basic understanding of the types of documents that are available and where they are stored is essential. genealogical research on family history can be an enjoyable hobby that can be a problem, but it certainly is rewarding on many levels and for different reasons.
* Michael Cestaro is President and CEO of its Italian heritage, LLC. You can learn more about the company and its services at www. youritalianheritage. com.
Robert