Italian Research (mission impossible)

Simon7

I have started learning how to research Italian records to find answers and fill in blanks on family tree. It seems older records are available in hand written Italian by area which is challenging and data seems limited (or not available). There seems to be a lack of Italian records information within past 100 years plus due to privacy laws…unless person is dead. It seems like a monumental task to ever create a family tree with all the hurdles.

Any advice on finding missing records or records within past 100 years.

DangKwei

Start with what you know and work backwards. I had the names of both sets of Italian 2GGP and my tree goes back another four generations in some places now. It will get easier once these sets are indexed.

Another piece of advice is to know the area and take into consideration the events unfolding at the time. For example, where my GGP were born, there was a salt mine in a neighbouring town. A military output was in another nearby town as well. Due to these factors, internal migration was common and you might find their death records elsewhere.

Lastly, combine your efforts with other users. If you see someone working on part of your tree, contact them and confirm their sources if they're not listed. The conversation could lead to a multiyear collaboration that will facilitate your research.

Simon7

Thank You DangKwei. That was helpful information. I forget to think about conditions back then and what they were living through at the time. I have tried to combine efforts but maybe I am not doing it right. I have tried to chat and now posting on board. Is there a better way to communicate that I am unaware of….? A lot of contributors seem to be from years ago and maybe not around anymore.

Simon7

Is there a way to see who has worked on common ancestor and reach out to them (and others) to see if they can help with history? I can see last person who updated record and try chat with them. But maybe there is a better and more comprehensive way to contact those interested in ancestor.

Áine Ní Donnghaile

@Simon7 Check the changelog on any profile, down the right side of the page. Under Latest Changes, click Show All. Then you'll be able to see the username of every person who has contributed to that profile. You can contact anyone by clicking on the username to send a private message.

Simon7

Thank you Aine. I guess I never paid attention to that button. Duh. Some work was done years ago, so not sure the people are even around anymore. Is there a resource to get more current information (less than 100 years)?

Cousin Vinny

To get records that fall under the Italian privacy restrictions (100 years for births, 75 years for marriages or deaths), you must work directly with the comune that holds the records, and generally you must be a direct descendant to request the records.

Simon7

Thanks Vinny. I was afraid it was going to be something like that… I hope I can find someone on FamilySearch that can fill in information. Going to the specific comune seems very time consuming and a hit or miss proposition.

Áine Ní Donnghaile

@Simon7 Without details, it's difficult for us to advise. If you want to share information on your deceased ancestors, there's a chance we can do more. Much depends on where in Italy they originated and where they settled.

Simon7

I see a lot of translation requests on this site which I understand. FYI, the Deepl.com/translator can be very helpful in many cases. I struggle with many of the old records scanned (they are very dark and hard read). And of course the limited records available.

I have a few chat request out for help. I will be back to post for help soon if no results.

Paul M Claeyssen

Good day, all. I am reaching out to ask for help. I have a GGF "Michel Borla", Italian, but it seems that I can't find information about where he was born. I have tried all kinds of sources, but they are always dead-end roads.

Is there a page where I can find passports issued to Italians who left for Argentina or other places? He was born in 1867 and had a brother, Enrique, born in 1869. All the documents I found mention "Italian," but that is about it.

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could guide me in the right direction.

Simon7

I found a few Michele Borla's from Piemonte, Italy but not the exact year (1866 and 1869). One was in a family tree on Ancestry "Martucci family tree". You might look to see if family or location can help you in your search. May not be your line but may be related down the line somehow. I noticed that in most all searches the name seem to come back spelled "Michele".

I did find an Enrique Borla b1869 in France. The record is from Argentina 1895 census. Residence was Cañada de Gómez (Población urbana), Iriondo, Santa Fe, Argentina. You might look closer at the details to see if this helps.

Good luck.

Simon7

I am curious from the group if they find dna Italian regional reporting accurate. Have you found in your research that dna reported you from a region and you have confirmed it in research? Or have you found that the reporting is not accurate as you trace your family ancestry?

If this has been answered somewhere before now, please provide a link.

Thanks