Researching Your Family History in Italy: 101 Genealogy

By: Michael Cestaro *

For most Americans of Italian descent, obtaining information about their ancestors can be very daunting, even when it seems impossible to get passed to Ellis Island and start poking around in Italy. But in truth, in most cases, a researcher armed with correct and a little patience, you can access a wealth of information they can provide great insight into their family history.

Whenever an investigator has the correct spelling of the name of their ancestor, and the date and place of the event (ie birth, marriage or death) was carried out, it is possible to obtain copies of documents that are well over 100 years old. Somewhat ironically, is the story of Italian bureaucracy and the Italian government's obsession with forms and details can again benefit the person you are looking for his Italian roots by ten.

In general, most Italian documents which recorded a birth, marriage or death at all and before turn of the century, he did a very formal manner. The end result of this method was the inclusion of useful details, such as maiden names, street addresses, witnesses of fact, the occupations of the parties, and the names of those present at the recording of the event (including even the mayor and city officials) in the document. Moreover, other details such as whether the parties were able to read and write, they were sometimes handwritten documents. For the individual searching for family history, access to all This type of information can be like winning the genealogical jackpot.

So exactly where are those documents that are kept and what information researcher has a need?

Italian by birth, marriage and death certificates are kept on file in the Office of Vital Statistics of the commune or city where the event occurs. When a document is requested, normally supplied by a Riassunto estratto form, which is an extract of information more relevant registered in the commune. For those interested in merely obtaining dual citizenship, this is the way that most of the consulates are required as part of your application process.

For someone who is doing genealogy research, however, the best way is to copy Integrale. Unlike Estratto, copying includes many details integrale invaluable in which the genealogical researcher most likely interested. It is important to note that the Italian legislation, a full copy is available only if the event occurs more than 75 years.

Beyond birth, marriage and death certificates, military records may be fertile ground for genealogical exploration. Italian military records, at its most are retained in the provincial archives, unlike birth, marriage and death certificates that are stored on the local level. If the ancestor of an individual served in the conscription and service records may include information such as physical description, city of residence, parents names, occupation and level education as well as a chronological history of recruiting services for downloading.

Once an individual has conquered the task of obtaining documents of their ancestor, the next hurdle can decipher the writing on the document. Because these documents may predate the invention of the typewriter or which were prepared in a town that did not have a typewriter at the time (yes, there was a time when a typewriter was considered cutting edge technology), read the writing on the document can present its own challenge. But with a little effort and the use of a computer in the zoom function, although this obstacle can be overcome.

For those seriously considering looking into their family history or who are at the point where their research must now search in Italy a basic understanding of the types of documents that are available and where they are stored is essential. Genealogical research in the history of the family can be a fun hobby that can be difficult at times, but is certainly rewarding in many levels and for a variety of reasons.

* Michael Cestaro is president and CEO of its Italian heritage, LLC. You can learn more about the company and its services, visit www.youritalianheritage.com.

 

 

 

 

About the Author:

Michael Cestaro is the President and CEO of Your Italian Heritage, LLC. You can learn more about the company and its services by visiting www.youritalianheritage.com.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Researching Your Family History in Italy: Genealogy 101

Let’s Play Fire Emblem 4: Genealogy of the Holy War Part 65: Wrath + Tron = Fun

Comments are closed