Italian Genealogy Blog

Hot Tip Tuesday: Italian Females Retain Their Surname after Marriage in Italy

2009-07-14T14:28:00.011-04:00

I've decided to reserve Tuesday of each week for a tip specific to Italian Genealogy. Recognizing that the general theme of the Italian Genealogy Blog is to provide assistance for the focused Italian researcher, these blog entries will be brief and stick to a single topic.

My initial tip in the new series "Hot Tip Tuesday's" is that Italian females retain their birth surname after marriage in Italy.

This tip comes in handy when researching passenger ship manifests for the women in your ancestry who emigrated through Ellis Island or other ports of entry around the world. Often you will find on passenger manifests children with their fathers surname and the mother listed with her birth surname.

Below is an example from 1910 of the manifest for the SS Oceania to Ellis Island. As stated above in my passenger manifest scenario, this example shows a mother, Rosaria Cirrito traveling with her four Corsello children. They are eventually going to their father Giuliano Corsello who is living in Geneva, NY.

This little tidbit of knowledge will benefit you in your research as you pursue the maternal lines in your family's history.

Ciao... Michael

Italian Genealogy Spotlight: Our Celenza Heritage

2009-07-08T21:04:00.003-04:00

The second entry of the new Italian Genealogy Spotlight Series is "Our Celenza Heritage".

"A site dedicated to our brave immigrant ancestors and their descendants from the small hilltop village of Celenza Valfortore, Province of Foggia, Region of Puglia, and most especially to our Nonnie."

I came across this wonderful website while doing research for a client who hails from Waterbury, Connecticut. Waterbury is one of the American cities that was a landing point for many immigrants from Celenza Valfortore. The creator of this online tribute is unknown to me but it is a great example of the type of website I am featuring through this spotlight series.

Celenza Valfortore is located in the province of Foggia, and region of Puglia (Apulia), Italy. The above photo is courtesy of "Our Celenza Heritage". Their site has a tremendous amount of information and I am sure you will be impressed when you visit it online.

Ciao... Michael

Italian Genealogy Spotlight: Benvenuto a Lettomanoppello e Roccamorice

2009-06-30T13:08:00.004-04:00

Years of browsing the internet for Italian genealogy focused content, has made me aware of many great websites. Today I am starting a new weekly series, "Italian Genealogy Spotlight", which will share these websites with Italian Genealogy Blog readers. Moving forward, each Wednesday will now spotlight an Italian genealogy themed website created by others who share my passion for Italian heritage.

The initial entry of the new "Italian Genealogy Spotlight" series is focused on the Comune's of Lettomanoppello and Roccamorice in the Province of Pescara, Abruzzo. This wonderful site called "Benvenuto a Lettomanoppello e Roccamorice" was created by Bonnie Rulli and the late Sara Addario. The content is a great example of a focused online legacy pertaining to a specific Comune (Village).

Roccamorice is the home of my maternal great grandmother, it's a natural place to start this new spotlight series. Bonnie Rulli continues to update and maintain this slice of Italian heaven on a regular basis. It has become a hub for natives of these respective villages and an online presence to keep them connected. I couldn't think of a better website to start this new series and I'm sure you will enjoy exploring it, even if your family hails from another village.

Ciao, Michael

Italian Surnames and Villages

2009-06-26T21:25:00.004-04:00

The Italian Genealogy Blog will often focus on the research I have conducted concerning my ancestor's particular surnames and villages. Future tutorials will examine the Italian documents I've discovered in detail. I wanted to kick things off by sharing a list of my ancestral surnames and villages, so readers can become more familiar with me, and the areas of Italy I focus my research on.

Below are my ancestral surnames and the villages where they originate from in Italy. My immigrant ancestors who came to America primarily settled in New York and Pennsylvania. Specific areas were; “Little Italy” and the “Lower East Side” of New York City, the “Gravesend” neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York’s “Finger Lakes Region” mainly around Geneva and Rochester and NY’s southwest communities of Falconer and Jamestown. In Pennsylvania, the coal mining towns of Sykesville, Big Soldier and Lucerne Mines were an early destination.

Maybe I'll get lucky and make a few connections with distant family. While you're at it; sign up for FREE updates through your RSS reader, perhaps you’d like to receive my posts as FREE Email updates, or join the community at the Italian Genealogy Group and post your family information following my template below. You may also get lucky and discover your family connections.

ABRUZZO:

Ortucchio, L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy:

Bertone, Ciampella, Chiarelli, Chiarilli, Ciocci, Ciofani, Constable (USA), Contestabile, D’Alonzo, Di Ciocci, Di Cristofaro, Di Muzio, Di Pasquale, Di Pietro, Faina, Foglietta, Galassi, Gentile, Gianfelice, Gizzi, Grassi, Iacovetta, Irti, Luciani, Panecascio, Petrucci, Roncone, Sinibaldi, Ventura.

Roccamorice, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy:

Caffarelli, D’Amario, D’Angelo, DeJohn (USA), Del Ponte, Demillo,
Di Berardinis, Di Beradino, Di Giovanni, Di Lullo, Di Millo, Di Nunzio, Di Rocco, Galli, Liberi, Nicolini, Novelli, Parete, Ventura.

CALABRIA:

Cannitello, Reggio Calabria, Calabria, Italy:

Faro, Lo Faro, LoFaro (LaFaro), Sottilaro.

Falerna & Castiglione Marittimo, Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy:

Bartolotta, Belsito, Cacozza, Campisano, Ceraso, Caterina, Chieffa, Cimino, Di Bartolo, DiBartolo, Floro, Floro Vito, Florovito, Gallo, Gambaro, Giudice, Lo Monaco, Maruca, Mastroianni, Mendicino, Pagliaro, Perri, Pesce, Pizzino, Rocca, Stella, Trunzo, Vescio, Villella.

LAZIO/LATIUM:

Fondi, Latina, Lazio, Italy:

Carnevale, Di Nola, Nola, Rotunno, Valente, Valenti.

Terracina, Latina, Lazio, Italy:

Curto, Lo Curto, Rosati.

SICILY:

Castelbuono, Palermo, Sicily, Italy:

Cannizzaro, Cardella, Citta, Culotta, Di Gaudio, Gugliuzza, La Grua, Lupo, Macaluso, Matassa, Mercanti, Pace, Palmeri, Prestianni, Pucci, Puccia, Raimondo.

Catania, Catania, Sicily, Italy:

Carnazza, Carnazzo, D’Amico, Vaccaro.

Collesano, Palermo, Sicily, Italy:

Argento, Artale, Canalicchio, Cannata, Catalano, Cellino, Cirincione, Coppa, Cottone, Di Bernardo, Di Marco, Di Marco Giglio, Dolce, Donato, Duca, Ficcaglia, Giglio, Impellitteri, La Russa, Leone, Lucca, Magliolo, Marchione, Messina, Noce, Palmeri, Palmieri, Pizzillo, Pucci, Puccia, Raimondo, Scacciaferro, Scelsi, Termotto, Tortoreti, Valenti.

Grammichele, Catania, Sicily, Italy:

Angelico, Arra, Articolo, Barbera, Bruno, Callari, Coppoletta, Crimi, Fragapane, Gambino, Garra, Giardinelli, Giorlando, Grosso, Gulino, Leone, Manteo, Marchese, Margarone, Montes, Murgana, Orlando, Pinnisi, Russo, Spataro, Tornello, Valerio, Virga.

Gangi, Palermo, Sicily, Italy:

Canalicchio Duca, La Duca, Lo Duca.

Gratteri, Palermo, Sicily, Italy:

Agostaro, Artale, Augustine (USA), Biondo, Brocato, Brucato, Campagna, Cascio, Chiaramonte, Cirincione, Coniglio, D’Agostaro, D’Angelo, D’Antoni, Di Cesare, Di Maria, Galbo, Giallombardo, Grasso, Guzzio, Ilardo, Lazzara, Lo Cascio, Lombardo, Manzella, Santino, Tedesco.

Mineo, Catania, Sicily, Italy:

Angelico, Giacchi, Manteo, Salemi.

Vizzini, Catania, Sicily, Italy:

Arra, Bruno, Garra, Mazzone, Orlando.

New Free Italian Genealogy Group and Forum

2009-06-25T13:31:00.017-04:00

Today, I proudly announce the formation of the Italian Genealogy Group, an Italian genealogy forum hosted at Google Groups that's a spinoff of my Italian Genealogy Blog. This is the newest addition to my portfolio of online products focusing on Italian genealogy.

I continue to participate on many Italian specific mail lists, message boards and forums. Many of these online forums are wonderful places for the researcher of Italian roots. My goal for the Italian Genealogy Group is to provide an interactive and enriching experience for those in the pursuit of their Italian heritage.

The main focus of the forum will be Italian genealogy, culture and history. I desire for it to become the hub for Italian researchers and their exchanging of knowledge, tips and history. How it develops over time will be dictated by participation of those who share my passion for our Italian heritage.

I'd like to kick things off with a roll call of your specific comune (village) and the cognome (surname) you are researching in Italy, feel free to list them all. Come join the fun and help with your contribution to its initial content. Your additions will help future members become more aware of the developing community at the Italian Genealogy Group and just may help you match shared Italian roots.

You can participate by receiving individual emails, a daily digest email or just visit the interactive group archives when you have some free time. I'm not a big stickler for rules and only ask that posts are trimmed and personal conversations not of general interest to the group are taken off the forum.

I look forward to you joining the community and your exchanging of information with the Italian Genealogy Group.

Ciao... Michael

Here is a Tool That is Helping Researchers Discover Their Original Surname and Where it Derives from in Italy

2009-06-24T15:40:00.000-04:00

I am continuing the theme of assisting researchers in discovering their correct surname spelling and where it possibly derives from in Italy.

Developers of another fantastic website at gens.labo.net offer a tool that graphically, on a map of Italy, details where a specific surname is concentrated. In addition, an asset of this tool is that you dictate the surname spelling and the website outputs if the surname even exists. As you try different surname variations you begin to zero in on perhaps the original spelling and where it's concentrated in Italy.

I have found this tool to be a great help when trying to determine the area that a particular surname originated from. During earlier research points I have found this tool to be a variation of a surname spellchecker also.

Click on over to gens.labo.net and give the website a whirl. I'll bet you find the results rather impressive.

Ciao... Michael

Solve Your Correct Surname Mystery and Where it Derives From in Italy

2009-06-23T18:24:00.000-04:00

Perhaps your Italian cognome (surname) remains intact after your ancestor settled in another country. Consider yourself fortunate if this is so, however many Italian surnames have been altered in foreign lands. Another mystery is where the surname derived from, or even more so what Comune (municipality) did their ancestor hail from before emigrating.

Two very resourceful websites exist to help you solve such roadblocks. With Italia.indettaglio.it and Sicilia.indttaglio.it you will begin to unravel the mystery of your correct surname spelling, where that surname most likely derived from and possibly what Comune your ancestor emigrated from.

More specifically, these two links for Italy and Sicily within each of those main websites will provide you with tailored tools to experiment. By playing with these surname and Comune tools you will begin to answer many questions you've possessed for a long time.

Experiment with these tools, trying different spellings and clicking through to specific Comunes for clues to your mystery. I am sure each website will prove to be valuable additions to your research toolkit.

Ciao... Michael

Free Italian Records Transcription Handbook from BYU's Immigrant Ancestors Project

2009-06-22T19:00:00.000-04:00

BYU's Center for Family History and Genealogy has an interesting project for many ethnic backgrounds. The "Immigrant Ancestors Project" includes a wonderful online tool for Italian researchers that also are PDF documents that can be downloaded for personal use.

There are wonderful guides for Italian genealogy in book form by Trafford R. Cole, Lynn Nelson, John Philip Colletta and Sharon DeBartolo Carmack all of which I will write about in the future.

When you are on the road or away from your library the following guide will prove to be a valuable addition to your research toolkit.

Be sure to download a copy or bookmark the link to your favorites for your personal use.

"Italian Records Extraction - An Instructional Guide"

Ciao... Michael

Great Tool to Help You Find Your Ancestral Village in Italy... Comuni-Italiani.it

2009-06-19T10:33:00.000-04:00

Knowing the comune (village) in Italy that your ancestor hails from is the single most important factor in discovering your family history in the old country. You may know the correct spelling of your cognome (surname) but if you do not know the comune you will certainly stall in researching your ancestors.

A wonderful online resource available from the developers of the website at Comuni-Italiani.it enables the researcher to drill down from Italy, the country to a specific region, province and finally the comune. Much like in the US, Italy too is broken down by these four factors when identifying a specific city, town or village. The following example may be easier to understand.

In the US - City, County, State, Country (e.g., Brooklyn, Kings, New York, USA).

In Italy - Comune, Province, Region, Country (e.g., Castelbuono, Palermo, Sicily, Italy).

There can at times be a fifth element when identifying areas in larger cities. An example in the US is Brooklyn being broken down by many neighborhoods (e.g., Gravesend, Park Slope, Bushwick and Bensonhurst). In Italy these neighborhoods are called frazioni and in the larger comune of Palermo we have (e.g., Aquino, Partanna, Resuttana and Sferracavallo).

Utilizing this valuable resource can be of great assistance to the researcher in discovering their ancestral comune in Italy. Once you have found a particular municipality further links are provided specific to that comune.

Familiarize yourself with this tool and you will certainly increase your knowledge of Italy.

Ciao... Michael

It's Legacy Family Tree for Me and You Can Have it Free

2009-06-18T12:56:00.000-04:00

Having a place to store all the information you gather while pursuing your family history research is vital to staying organized. There are many paper methods for researching, filing and organization which I will cover in the future.

Having family history software is an essential tool for staying organized in the digital era. Legacy Family Tree from Millennia Software provides genealogy researchers using Microsoft Windows with an excellent software program. Legacy Family Tree now in version 7.0 makes available to researchers both a Deluxe edition that is just US $29.95 for the download only version or a US $39.95 version which includes the 336 page printed user's guide, installation CD, and beginner's training video. A Standard edition is also provided as a free download.

The Standard edition will prove to be a valuable addition to your genealogy toolkit and may be all you need. The Standard edition can also avail the user to try out the software prior to purchasing the Deluxe edition.

Legacy Family Tree provides the end-user the ability to import data from similar products or provide the vehicle to start your organization in the digital era.

Beginners using family history software for the first time should make certain they start with themselves as the first entry followed by your parents.

I have had much success in my own organization using Legacy Family Tree and I am certain it will be an asset to you staying organized also. Future posts will detail my use of this product and hopefully lend my experience to you making your experience thus easier.

Ciao... Michael

Free Italian Genealogical Word List for Your Italian Records Transcription and Translation

2009-06-17T20:18:00.000-04:00

Genealogy pioneer FamilySearch provides many tools for Italian researchers. "The Italian Genealogical Word List" is one you should bookmark and they also permit you to download a copy for your personal use.

This addition to your toolkit will be of value when transcribing words specific to civil records and documents in the Italian language that pertain to your ancestors. As you move forward in your research FamilySearch will be your partner in achieving your goals.

My copy has become tattered and used to no end, which yours will prove to be also.

You will need the Adobe or Foxit reader to view and print your PDF copy. It will be a lightweight solution when you are researching.

Ciao... Michael

Your Free Italian - English Dictionary Copy from 1771

2009-06-16T18:11:00.000-04:00

The John Adams Library at the Boston Public Library has in its collection an Italian/English dictionary from 1771. It will prove to be a viable tool for those who explore older documents from before the formation of Italy as a unified country.

A scanned PDF copy can be downloaded at the "The Internet Archive" by clicking the following book title.

A dictionary of the English and Italian languages ... : improved and augmented with above ten thousand words omitted in the last edition of Altieri. To which is added an Italian and English grammar (MDCCLXXI [1771]).

Ciao... Michael

Filling the Void for the Forgotten Italian Genealogist

2009-06-15T17:07:00.000-04:00

About a year ago I set out to start a blog specific to Italian genealogy. There was truly a void on the web for this specific topic, and my start was slow. I always felt there was more to learn, much like any avid genealogist or family historian. Like many who desire to record their family history, I would stall because there is so much more to gather... today I am moving full bore ahead. I hope to make a difference in helping others along the way.

I welcome all feedback through the comment section following each blog post, or via my email address at:

Email Me

My goal, or rather dream is that Italian genealogy becomes more recognized and discussed by the mainstream research universe. One thing I am most aware of, there are numerous researchers of their Italian roots, and a serious lack of recognizing our numbers.

Enjoy the journey!!!

Ciao... Michael

About "Zio's" Italian Genealogy Blog

2009-06-14T13:16:00.005-04:00

The Italian Genealogy Blog is a niche genealogy website designed and published by Michael A. “Zio” Palmieri. The main focus of the blog is Italian genealogy, culture and history.

I started this website in 2009 because I felt there was a serious lack of this sort of Italian genealogy product on the web. Genealogy and the web have proved to be a perfect match and a boon to the hobby in general. The Italian Genealogy Blog is a vehicle to publish my thoughts and share my experiences on this often slighted and focused Italian genealogy topic.

Why You Should Read This Blog

My talent lies in Italian research and analysis, I have experienced much success in researching my family’s history; however, there were many barriers for this researcher of a solely Italian ancestry.

Examples were a lack of specific information, tips, tools and general pointers for the focused Italian researcher. The primary goal of this blog is to share my experiences and solutions to those barriers, while enlightening the reader interested in Italian genealogy, history and culture.

Future information will hopefully ease the efforts of focused Italian genealogy and family history researchers as they pursue their own ancestral roots and family history.

More About Zio

I’m an avid genealogist and family history researcher who descends from eight great grandparents who settled in America from Italy around the turn of the 20th century. Since my childhood I possessed a passion to discover and know my ancestors, while becoming more aware of our shared ancestral, historical and cultural roots

Outside of my genealogy research, I’m an avid baseball fan, I enjoy a round of golf with the guys and always enjoy a great read at the beach. I often can be caught enjoying great Italian food and music with family and friends.

I was born in Upstate New York, but now can be found in the warmth of Southeast Florida. My desire is to leave a well researched history of my ancestors for future generations as my legacy to my famiglia.

I hope you visit often and happy hunting.

Ciao… Zio

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