Italian Genealogical Research: How to Find Records from Italy
This is a very good article on how FamilySearch and Italy have come together for genealogical purposes. Although written in Italian, it can be easily translated using the built-in Translate in Chrome or other web browsers. If not available, use any of the A.I. products out there.
The Italian government and FamilySearch have a long‑standing, formal partnership focused on preserving and digitizing civil records. Italy provides the archival material; FamilySearch provides the digitization infrastructure. The result is millions of images now accessible through Antenati and, in more limited form, FamilySearch.
1. A preservation-first mission
Italy frames the partnership as a cultural‑heritage preservation effort.
FamilySearch’s equipment and technicians digitize fragile volumes that many state archives could not otherwise process.
2. Antenati as the official access portal
The Ministry emphasizes that Antenati is the authoritative public platform for viewing State Archive civil records.
FamilySearch may index the records, but image access belongs to Italy.
3. FamilySearch’s role as a technical partner
FamilySearch is described as:
- providing scanners
- training archive staff
- processing images
- hosting temporary copies for indexing
This is why FamilySearch often has indexed data even when images are restricted.
4. Legal and privacy compliance
Italian articles often stress:
- GDPR compliance
- protection of minors’ records
- the 70–100 year privacy windows
- The State’s ownership of all images
This is the basis for the 2024–2025 restrictions that removed many images from FamilySearch.
5. A shared goal: global access to Italian heritage
Italy acknowledges that millions of descendants abroad rely on these records.
The partnership is framed as a way to connect the diaspora with their roots.
Antenati is now the primary image source for State Archive civil records.
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News
$175 million in savings and millions of documents online: Archives and FamilySearch strengthen digital partnership
April 17, 2026
English version below
The digitization of the national archive heritage continues and strengthens: an agreement was signed in the Molajoli Hall of the San Michele Monumental Complex between the Directorate General of Archives of the Ministry of Culture and FamilySearch International, a non-profit organization active globally in the digitization and indexing of genealogical sources.
Antonio Tarasco, General Manager Archives, and Elder Mark A. Bragg, FamilySearch President of the North America West Area
The agreement consolidates a collaboration established in 2011 and intensifies digital acquisition of documents held in the Italian State Archives, with the goal of expanding public access and enhancing one of the main documentary resources for historical and genealogical research. The agreement calls for the production of at least 5 million digital images per year, accompanied by name indexes that make research faster and more effective.
The collaboration with FamilySearch represents a valuable opportunity for the mass digitization of vital records held by the 102 Italian State Archives, at no cost to the State. To date, the Antenati. Gli archivi per la ricerca vitalistica (Ancestors Portal. The Archives for Vital Records Research) provides access to over 154 million digital images and nearly 2 million records from 98 State Archives, a result made possible by FamilySearch's work. In 2025 alone, 577,912 new records and over 53.6 million images were uploaded.
Since 2011, the value of the State's savings from the FamilySearch agreement has exceeded €150 million, in addition to the savings from the digitization expected over the next five years (approximately €25 million). This total (€175 million) nearly equals the €200 million PNRR funding allocated to the Ministry of Culture for digitization.
The Ancestor Portal 's international reach is enormous: 1,801,868 users in 2025, with access from 219 countries. This figure confirms the ministerial portal's role as a reference point for genealogical research and for promoting Italian heritage internationally.
"The collaboration with FamilySearch," states Antonio Tarasco , Director General of Archives, "represents a concrete example of a fruitful public-private partnership that enables activities that would otherwise be impossible with public funds. Anyone wishing to research their genealogical origins will benefit. The enhancement of the 'Ancestors' portal and the expansion of the documentary database accessible online will strengthen the relationship between archives and citizens, fostering new forms of research and knowledge."
Press review:
€175 million saved and millions of documents online: Archives and FamilySearch strengthen their digital partnership
The digitization of the national archival heritage continues and is gaining momentum: an agreement was signed in the Molajoli Hall of the San Michele Monumental Complex between the General Directorate of Archives of the Ministry of Culture and FamilySearch International, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to the digitization and indexing of genealogical sources.
The agreement consolidates a partnership that began back in 2011 and steps up the digitalisation of documents held in the Italian State Archives, with the aim of broadening public access and enhancing one of the main documentary resources for historical and genealogical research. The agreement provides for the production of at least 5 million digital images per year, accompanied by name indexes that make searches quicker and more effective.
The collaboration with FamilySearch represents a valuable opportunity for the large-scale digitisation of civil registry records held by the 102 Italian State Archives, at no cost to the State. To date, the Antenati. The Archives for Civil Registry Research portal makes available over 154 million digital images and almost 2 million registers, sourced from 98 State Archives, a result made possible by the work carried out by FamilySearch. In 2025 alone, 577,912 new registers and over 53.6 million images were uploaded.
Since 2011, the savings for the State resulting from the agreement with FamilySearch have exceeded €150 million, to which must be added the savings expected from digitisation over the next five years (approximately €25 million). A total figure (€175 million) that almost matches the €200 million PNRR funding allocated to the Ministry of Culture for digitisation.
The international reach of the Antenati Portal is vast: 1,801,868 users in 2025, with visitors from 219 countries. This figure confirms the role of the Ministry’s portal as a key resource for genealogical research and for promoting Italian heritage on an international level.
“The partnership with FamilySearch,” says the Director-General of Archives, Antonio Tarasco, “is a concrete example of fruitful public-private collaboration that enables activities to be carried out which would otherwise be unfeasible with public funds. This will benefit all those wishing to trace their genealogical origins. The enhancement of the ‘Antenati’ Portal and the expansion of the documentary collection accessible online will strengthen the relationship between archives and citizens, fostering new forms of research and knowledge.”
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