How to find Church Records
I am doing research in the village of Faenza in the Province of Ravenna, Italy and all of the records online seem to be Civil Records from 1866 and forward. Where do I find the records prior to 1866? Did the Civil registration of vital records begin, across Italy, in 1866? How do I access church records prior to 1866.
I hve tried searching through Research Wiki for church records in Faenza but was unsuccessful.
Thank You, in advance, for your help.
Lewis Klapka
Answers
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Ravenna was part of the Papal States, although it came under French rule between 1796 and 1814. It became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. As to church records, I'll quote @Cousin Vinny:
In that post you can find a link that ultimately would lead you to this page:
I have looked and I do not see any records for the two prominent parishes of Faenza online.
The history of Italy is complicated, especially northern Italy, much of which was under Austrian rule after the fall of Napoleon. That is why for many northern provinces there is a black hole for records from 1815 through 1866. Areas south of Rome are different.
To help others that may read this thread, another helpful resource for church records is this site: https://www.italianparishrecords.org/
Hope this helps.
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