Hello!
I am new here, and so glad to have found this forum!
I use Ancestry.com for a lot of things, and have been so used to using their US census records. They can be very helpful in placing family members in certain areas, finding lost family members, etc.
I have just started to actively search the Italian part of my family, and am trying to find out if Italy has available census records as well.
Does anyone know?
Brenda
Researching: Martino, Zona, Pitocchi, Palmieri in the Calvi Risorta area
Italian Census records....
Italian Census records....
Researching: Martino, Zona, Pitocchi, Pamieri in the Calvi Risorta area
Re: Italian Census records....
Hello and welcome to the forum 
Italy doesn't have census records like those of the US.
They have extensive Civil Registrations (births, marriages, deaths) that can be researched online using a subscription service such as Ancestry, but not all towns/villages are available to view. The records are in Italian and not indexed the way other records are searchable on Ancestry, so you will need to search through the records page by page, or by using the annual "indice" (index) for each "book" of records. The indexes can usually be found at the end of the year of records, but sometimes at the beginning.
You can also search these vital records at your nearest LDS (Mormon) Family History Center for a small rental fee. Many records are available on microfilm through these centers.
A third option is to write directly to the town where your ancestors were born. You must know the EXACT town because that is where records are kept.
If you need help in finding some records, let us know the names and dates you are searching...
For instance, a quick check of the index at the end of the 1873 Atti di Nascita (births) shows several listings for the surnames you list. I'll post one for you to see:
Pitocchi Giuseppe #97
He was born to Camillo Pitocchi, age 40, landowner who was the son of deceased Tito Pitocchi and of Apollonia Izzo; and to Camillo's wife Maddalena Stavolone, age 25, daughter of Vincenzo Stavolone and his wife Maria Zona.
The male child was born on the 19th of December 1873, and presented by his father to the official at the town hall on the 20th of December. He was given the name Giuseppe.
Click on the image to enlarge, and again to magnify
Bottom right of this page
http://s7.postimage.org/4ftjjbdqj/Pitoc ... 3_Nati.jpg
Top Left of this page
http://s9.postimage.org/5mc6wkknz/Pitoc ... _Nati2.jpg
T.
Italy doesn't have census records like those of the US.
They have extensive Civil Registrations (births, marriages, deaths) that can be researched online using a subscription service such as Ancestry, but not all towns/villages are available to view. The records are in Italian and not indexed the way other records are searchable on Ancestry, so you will need to search through the records page by page, or by using the annual "indice" (index) for each "book" of records. The indexes can usually be found at the end of the year of records, but sometimes at the beginning.
You can also search these vital records at your nearest LDS (Mormon) Family History Center for a small rental fee. Many records are available on microfilm through these centers.
A third option is to write directly to the town where your ancestors were born. You must know the EXACT town because that is where records are kept.
Birth, marriage and death records are viewable at Ancestry (with a World/Deluxe Membership) for Calvi Risorta from 1866-1910.Researching: Martino, Zona, Pitocchi, Palmieri in the Calvi Risorta area
If you need help in finding some records, let us know the names and dates you are searching...
For instance, a quick check of the index at the end of the 1873 Atti di Nascita (births) shows several listings for the surnames you list. I'll post one for you to see:
Pitocchi Giuseppe #97
He was born to Camillo Pitocchi, age 40, landowner who was the son of deceased Tito Pitocchi and of Apollonia Izzo; and to Camillo's wife Maddalena Stavolone, age 25, daughter of Vincenzo Stavolone and his wife Maria Zona.
The male child was born on the 19th of December 1873, and presented by his father to the official at the town hall on the 20th of December. He was given the name Giuseppe.
Click on the image to enlarge, and again to magnify
Bottom right of this page
http://s7.postimage.org/4ftjjbdqj/Pitoc ... 3_Nati.jpg
Top Left of this page
http://s9.postimage.org/5mc6wkknz/Pitoc ... _Nati2.jpg
T.
Re: Italian Census records....
Thank you for the information!
This is all so fascinating to me, but confusing too!
I do have a world membership to Ancestry.com but have so far stayed pretty much in the states. Very early this morning after I read this, I tried using the Italian civil records search and could only come up with people living in the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, provinces, and Como and Lecco, Lombardy area.
How did you find listings in Calvi Risorta?
I'm looking for Carlo Zona, born 10 April 1876 in Calvi Risorta, Italy. He came over here to the US in 1893, becoming a citizen in 1903.
I'm hoping someday to be experienced at all this, and able to read and write Italian fluently.... but for now, I appreciate any help!
This is all so fascinating to me, but confusing too!
I do have a world membership to Ancestry.com but have so far stayed pretty much in the states. Very early this morning after I read this, I tried using the Italian civil records search and could only come up with people living in the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, provinces, and Como and Lecco, Lombardy area.
How did you find listings in Calvi Risorta?
I'm looking for Carlo Zona, born 10 April 1876 in Calvi Risorta, Italy. He came over here to the US in 1893, becoming a citizen in 1903.
I'm hoping someday to be experienced at all this, and able to read and write Italian fluently.... but for now, I appreciate any help!
Researching: Martino, Zona, Pitocchi, Pamieri in the Calvi Risorta area
Re: Italian Census records....
To get to the Italy records you will need to follow these directions:
Under "Search" click on the "Card Catalog"
On the left - for Title - type the Region; for Keyword - type Italy (in this case: Campania and Italy)
You will see a link come up at the right... click on it
You will be prompted to choose the Province (Caserta), then the town (from a list)
You will then get a list of records (in Italian) - Nati(births), Matrimoni(marriages) and Morti(deaths), as well as Publicazione and Allegati. Sometimes you will also see Indice(indexes)
When you choose the record you will get a list of years - choose the one you want to search.
Here is the record for Carlo Zona, born 10 April 1876 at 7 PM
Father is Giovangiuseppe Zona, age 36, clerk, residing in Petrulo (a hamlet of Calvi Risorta);
Mother is Carmela Zona, his wife, landowner, living with him
Child was born in the house at Via Masseria Zona and was given the name Carlo.
The notation to the left, under the name, refers to his marriage on 21 June 1906 to (not sure of this name) Tessina Pitocchi. (I searched for this marriage record on this date and didn't find it. I will check the indexes for the marriage to verify the bride's name)
See if you can locate it yourself...
Click on this image once to enlarge and again to magnify
Carlo is on the bottom left and top right.
T.
Under "Search" click on the "Card Catalog"
On the left - for Title - type the Region; for Keyword - type Italy (in this case: Campania and Italy)
You will see a link come up at the right... click on it
You will be prompted to choose the Province (Caserta), then the town (from a list)
You will then get a list of records (in Italian) - Nati(births), Matrimoni(marriages) and Morti(deaths), as well as Publicazione and Allegati. Sometimes you will also see Indice(indexes)
When you choose the record you will get a list of years - choose the one you want to search.
Here is the record for Carlo Zona, born 10 April 1876 at 7 PM
Father is Giovangiuseppe Zona, age 36, clerk, residing in Petrulo (a hamlet of Calvi Risorta);
Mother is Carmela Zona, his wife, landowner, living with him
Child was born in the house at Via Masseria Zona and was given the name Carlo.
The notation to the left, under the name, refers to his marriage on 21 June 1906 to (not sure of this name) Tessina Pitocchi. (I searched for this marriage record on this date and didn't find it. I will check the indexes for the marriage to verify the bride's name)
See if you can locate it yourself...
Click on this image once to enlarge and again to magnify
Carlo is on the bottom left and top right.
T.
Re: Italian Census records....
Found the marriage record - Bride's name is ROSINA PITOCCHI
And the date is actually 1904, not 1906 (my mistake)
It was recorded in Parte II of the register (at the end, after the records in Parte I) This happened sometimes when the marriage was recorded much later than the actual date of the act. For example, in this case the date of the marriage was actually the 31st of January 1904. If the record wasn't recorded right away - for whatever reason, the records for February would have started and this record would need to be put in Part II so things wouldn't be "out of sync"
Here's an interesting note:
Carlo is 27. His father Giovangiuseppe is alive, but his mother Carmela Zona is deceased;
Rosina is 26. Her father is the living Camillo Pitocchi, and her mother is the deceased Maddalena Stavolone. These are the parents listed in the birth record sample I posted for you above... so Rosina is sister to Giuseppe Pitocchi in the birth record above.
Here is the record
Left side of image
T.
And the date is actually 1904, not 1906 (my mistake)
It was recorded in Parte II of the register (at the end, after the records in Parte I) This happened sometimes when the marriage was recorded much later than the actual date of the act. For example, in this case the date of the marriage was actually the 31st of January 1904. If the record wasn't recorded right away - for whatever reason, the records for February would have started and this record would need to be put in Part II so things wouldn't be "out of sync"
Here's an interesting note:
Carlo is 27. His father Giovangiuseppe is alive, but his mother Carmela Zona is deceased;
Rosina is 26. Her father is the living Camillo Pitocchi, and her mother is the deceased Maddalena Stavolone. These are the parents listed in the birth record sample I posted for you above... so Rosina is sister to Giuseppe Pitocchi in the birth record above.
Here is the record
Left side of image
T.
Re: Italian Census records....
Oh my, Tessa, you have no idea what you have done for me!!!
Thank you, thank you soo much!!!
My dad and his siblings never knew any of this information, I can't wait to give it to them!
I did what you instructed and have been able to find at least Carlo's birth record for now, I will look for the marriage record in a bit, but you have no idea how excited I am about this! I want to know how you could possibly translate it so quick?!!! I tried, but between just learning Italian and having a hard time reading the writing, it would have taken me a very long time!
I think the reason why the marriage was recorded later was because Carlo had emigrated here in 1993, went back to Italy to find a bride in 1903, and at the same time applied for his passport/naturalization papers. He was in Italy from 18 Dec. 1903, to right around Feb. 1, 1904. I am not sure why he and Rose(Rosina) married and left so quickly, but according to his paperwork, he was supposed to have left Italy 2 weeks before then.
I just found- using your method- my grandfathers birth record. His name was Casto Martino, and he married Avelina Zona, one of the above named Carlo and Rose's daughters. He was also born in Petrulo, Calvi Risort in the year 1897, and I can see his name, his father's, and part of his mother's, but can't decipher the rest. Can you tell me how you did it?!!!!
This is why I absolutely love family history!
Thanks again,
Brenda
Thank you, thank you soo much!!!
My dad and his siblings never knew any of this information, I can't wait to give it to them!
I did what you instructed and have been able to find at least Carlo's birth record for now, I will look for the marriage record in a bit, but you have no idea how excited I am about this! I want to know how you could possibly translate it so quick?!!! I tried, but between just learning Italian and having a hard time reading the writing, it would have taken me a very long time!
I think the reason why the marriage was recorded later was because Carlo had emigrated here in 1993, went back to Italy to find a bride in 1903, and at the same time applied for his passport/naturalization papers. He was in Italy from 18 Dec. 1903, to right around Feb. 1, 1904. I am not sure why he and Rose(Rosina) married and left so quickly, but according to his paperwork, he was supposed to have left Italy 2 weeks before then.
I just found- using your method- my grandfathers birth record. His name was Casto Martino, and he married Avelina Zona, one of the above named Carlo and Rose's daughters. He was also born in Petrulo, Calvi Risort in the year 1897, and I can see his name, his father's, and part of his mother's, but can't decipher the rest. Can you tell me how you did it?!!!!
This is why I absolutely love family history!
Thanks again,
Brenda
Researching: Martino, Zona, Pitocchi, Pamieri in the Calvi Risorta area
Re: Italian Census records....
Hi Brenda
Don't despair. It will take you a while to get familiar with these records.
In the meantime, you can post your records to the "Translation" forum here and someone will translate them for you. We have some great volunteers here who enjoy doing these translations (and are VERY good at it).
You can post an image using an image-sharing site like http://www.postimage.org
No registration and no fee.
You upload your image and using the "thumbnail for forums 1" copy and paste the link into the forum here.
To help you get familiar with the format and the handwriting you might want to look over this site "Italian Record Extraction - An Instructional Guide"
http://familyhistory.byu.edu/Downloads/ ... efault.htm
BTW - in the marriage record above it begins with a statement that the official had a certificate from Dr. Pasquale Izzo stating that signorina Rosina Pitocchi's illness absolutely prevented her from traveling to the town hall (where the marriages took place) for the celebration of her marriage. That may have caused the delay which put the record in Parte II.
T.
Don't despair. It will take you a while to get familiar with these records.
In the meantime, you can post your records to the "Translation" forum here and someone will translate them for you. We have some great volunteers here who enjoy doing these translations (and are VERY good at it).
You can post an image using an image-sharing site like http://www.postimage.org
No registration and no fee.
You upload your image and using the "thumbnail for forums 1" copy and paste the link into the forum here.
To help you get familiar with the format and the handwriting you might want to look over this site "Italian Record Extraction - An Instructional Guide"
http://familyhistory.byu.edu/Downloads/ ... efault.htm
BTW - in the marriage record above it begins with a statement that the official had a certificate from Dr. Pasquale Izzo stating that signorina Rosina Pitocchi's illness absolutely prevented her from traveling to the town hall (where the marriages took place) for the celebration of her marriage. That may have caused the delay which put the record in Parte II.
T.
Re: Italian Census records....
Thank you so much for all your help! I am getting pretty good at reading the newer records that are on a pre-printed form, but do have a few of the older ones that I am going to post for translation help.
That note about the certificate from Dr. Pasquale Izzo? I am wondering if it has anything to do with the following story!
Carlo went back to Calvi in late 1903 presumably to find a wife. He went to the house of the Pitocchi's, and asked Camillo Pitocchi to marry his daughter. Camillo replied that no he could not, because there was an older daughter still unmarried(Rose). So Carlo and Rose were married, and the younger sister married an Italian who also moved to America, and they bought a house on the same street as Rose and Carl. I wonder if maybe Rose did not want to marry Carl at the time either, and was so distraught that she could not attend the celebrations. Or, maybe Carl made her feel unwanted. They went on to have a good marriage though, and had 8 daughters and 1 son!
That note about the certificate from Dr. Pasquale Izzo? I am wondering if it has anything to do with the following story!
Carlo went back to Calvi in late 1903 presumably to find a wife. He went to the house of the Pitocchi's, and asked Camillo Pitocchi to marry his daughter. Camillo replied that no he could not, because there was an older daughter still unmarried(Rose). So Carlo and Rose were married, and the younger sister married an Italian who also moved to America, and they bought a house on the same street as Rose and Carl. I wonder if maybe Rose did not want to marry Carl at the time either, and was so distraught that she could not attend the celebrations. Or, maybe Carl made her feel unwanted. They went on to have a good marriage though, and had 8 daughters and 1 son!
Researching: Martino, Zona, Pitocchi, Pamieri in the Calvi Risorta area
Re: Italian Census records....
Hi Brenda
Don't you just love family stories!
I've found the Pubblicazioni di Matrimonio for Carlo and Rosina...
They were required to file this and to have the announcement (banns) of their marriage posted on the door of the town hall for two consecutive Sundays, plus the Thursday before the actual marriage celebration. This was to allow for anyone who might have had an objection to the marriage to come forward.
Banns for Carlo and Rosina were recorded on the 16th and then posted on the 17th, 24th and 28th of January 1904, with their marriage taking place on the 31th.
Right side of this image...
T.
Don't you just love family stories!
I've found the Pubblicazioni di Matrimonio for Carlo and Rosina...
They were required to file this and to have the announcement (banns) of their marriage posted on the door of the town hall for two consecutive Sundays, plus the Thursday before the actual marriage celebration. This was to allow for anyone who might have had an objection to the marriage to come forward.
Banns for Carlo and Rosina were recorded on the 16th and then posted on the 17th, 24th and 28th of January 1904, with their marriage taking place on the 31th.
Right side of this image...
T.
Re: Italian Census records....
Hello!!!
I am desperately trying to get a hold of my family in Calvi Risorta Italy. My great grandfather was Luigi Melone, he passed away many years ago; he was born and lived the majority of his life in Calvi Risorta, moved to the states for several years and then returned to Italy after the death of his wife Eva Zona, he then remarried after Eva's passing and moved back to Calvi Risorta. My mother and I are traveling to Italy next month and are very eager to meet family from both sides. Is anyone able to help me find any information on my family???
Thanks so much
Tiffany!!
I am desperately trying to get a hold of my family in Calvi Risorta Italy. My great grandfather was Luigi Melone, he passed away many years ago; he was born and lived the majority of his life in Calvi Risorta, moved to the states for several years and then returned to Italy after the death of his wife Eva Zona, he then remarried after Eva's passing and moved back to Calvi Risorta. My mother and I are traveling to Italy next month and are very eager to meet family from both sides. Is anyone able to help me find any information on my family???
Thanks so much
Tiffany!!
Re: Italian Census records....
teteslp24 wrote:Hello!!!
I am desperately trying to get a hold of my family in Calvi Risorta Italy. My great grandfather was Luigi Melone, he passed away many years ago; he was born and lived the majority of his life in Calvi Risorta, moved to the states for several years and then returned to Italy after the death of his wife Eva Zona, he then remarried after Eva's passing and moved back to Calvi Risorta. My mother and I are traveling to Italy next month and are very eager to meet family from both sides. Is anyone able to help me find any information on my family???
Thanks so much
Tiffany!!
Hello Tiffany...
Do you have an approximate year of birth or death?
T.
