Looking for family info/Italian relatives...

[JBenzie]

I'm looking for any information on my great grandparents; Lui (Luizi) Benzi and Josephine (Giuseppina) Robertella. They were both from Gallicchio, Italy which is in the Potenza Region. Lui Benzi was born approximately May 1886 and Josephine Robertella in 1896. According to the birth record, Lui Benzi was found as a baby in a basket near the Gallicchio Post Office.

Any information is much appreciated!

[JBenzie]

I have recently discovered that my great grandfather's birth name was Pierreluigi Benso. He was found in a basinet in front of the Gallicchio, Italy post office. Any information would be great! Thanks!

[Tessa78]

I have recently discovered that my great grandfather's birth name was Pierreluigi Benso. He was found in a basinet in front of the Gallicchio, Italy post office. Any information would be great! Thanks!

Below I have posted the image of the birth record for PIERLUIGI BENSO...

The record is dated 2 June 1886, and the birth appeared to be on 1 June 1886.
The child was brought to the town hall in Gallicchio by Grazia Pandolfo, age 40, a peasant farmer and the daughter of deceased Giuseppe. The child appeared to be about 2 days old. Grazia indicates that on the night of 1 June at 11:10 PM at the door of the place she inhabits on Strada Piazza dello Speranza #15, she found this child. The official gave the child the name Pierluigi and the surname Benso.
It appears the child was then given to Lucia B????, age 36, the daughter of deceased Giuseppe to be raised.
Witnesses to the recording of this birth act were:
Francesco Pandolfo, 40, peasant farmer
Francesco Lauria, 50, peasant farmer.

The ink has faded in many places which makes the document difficult to read. However, I can safely say the child was NOT left at the post office.

Let's hope another volunteer here will look at the record to add/correct what is needed.

Click once to enlarge and again to magnify...
TOP LEFT


T.

[Tessa78]

I found this birth record for 1896 in Gallicchio...

#27
MARIA GIUSEPPA ROBITELLA
Dated 23 July 1896 at 9 AM at the town hall in Gallicchio
Appearing before the official is Teresa Pandolfo, age 54, midwife, to declare that at 4 PM on the 22 July at the place on Via Dora #26, to Teresa Volpe, wife of Rocco Robitella, peasant farmer, was born a female child, who she presented and to whom was given the name MARIA GIUSEPPA
Witnesses to the recording of the birth act:
Michele Pandolfo 43, and Michele Conta, 55.

RIGHT SIDE - #27


T.

[suanj]

I have recently discovered that my great grandfather's birth name was Pierreluigi Benso. He was found in a basinet in front of the Gallicchio, Italy post office. Any information would be great! Thanks!

Below I have posted the image of the birth record for PIERLUIGI BENSO...

The record is dated 2 June 1886, and the birth appeared to be on 1 June 1886.
The child was brought to the town hall in Gallicchio by Grazia Pandolfo, age 40, a peasant farmer and the daughter of deceased Giuseppe. The child appeared to be about 2 days old. Grazia indicates that on the night of 1 June at 11:10 PM at the door of the place she inhabits on Strada Piazza dello Speranza #15, she found this child. The official gave the child the name Pierluigi and the surname Benso.
It appears the child was then given to Lucia B????, age 36, the daughter of deceased Giuseppe to be raised.
Witnesses to the recording of this birth act were:
Francesco Pandolfo, 40, peasant farmer
Francesco Lauria, 50, peasant farmer.

The ink has faded in many places which makes the document difficult to read. However, I can safely say the child was NOT left at the post office.

Let's hope another volunteer here will look at the record to add/correct what is needed.

Click once to enlarge and again to magnify...
TOP LEFT


T.

Hi Tessa, great find... if I am not wrong Lucia B..( Burgo??) must be the biological mother of Pierluigi... she was unmarried, and no recognized the children but she asked of to raise the child... this procedure was usual in the area in similar cases...
suanj

[Tessa78]

Hi Tessa, great find... if I am not wrong Lucia B..( Burgo??) must be the biological mother of Pierluigi... she was unmarried, and no recognized the children but she asked of to raise the child... this procedure was usual in the area in similar cases...
suanj

Yes, I agree

T.

[JBenzie]

This is amazing. Thank you both for this information. It is really fascinating. I apologize for such a delayed response, but I really didn't expect any response to my original post. If I may ask, how did you find this information? I'm very interested in my genealogy and would love to find any relatives I may have living in Italy.

Thank you both again, your work is very much appreciated.

Regards,
Jerry

[Tessa78]

Hi Jerry!

Glad you came back to the forum.

There are images of Italian records from the Comune [town] of Gallicchio online at www.familysearch.org.
These are the original records in Italian, and though they are "sorted" into births (Nati), deaths (Morti), marriages (Matrimoni), by years or span of years... they are not searchable as you would search a database.
Sometimes you will find indexes at the beginning or end of a year.
For instance:
at this link you will find the Gallicchio records
https://familysearch.org/search/image/i ... %3D1947686

If you click on the Nati 1887-1910 (births 1887 - 1910) you will see the cover of the book that holds the birth acts for 1887.
If you go to image #147 you will find the index. Next to each name is the number of the record in that book.

Take a look - that is where the above birth act for your GGF was located.

T.

[lee1016]

Hello - This is my first time on. I am looking for any information on my grandparents, Rosaria Pandolfo and John Volpe, who emigrated to America in 1912. She was born in Gallicchio February 3, 1890, and he September 20, 1880. Any information received is greatly appreciated.

[Tessa78]

Hello - This is my first time on. I am looking for any information on my grandparents, Rosaria Pandolfo and John Volpe, who emigrated to America in 1912. She was born in Gallicchio February 3, 1890, and he September 20, 1880. Any information received is greatly appreciated.

Hello and Welcome!

Here is the birth record for your grandmother in Gallicchio in 1890
Her given name is actually Rosa Maria
Notation in the margin - On 25 March 1906 she married Giambattista Volpe in Potenza

Record #5
Dated 5 February 1890 at 9AM at the town office in Gallicchio
Before the official appeared Michele Pandolfo, 26, fieldworker residing in Gallicchio, to declare that at 9 AM on the 3rd of the current month, at the place at Strada Bertani #14, to Rosaria Lauria, his legitimate wife, housewife, residing with him, was born a female child to whom was given the name ROSA MARIA
Witnesses to the recording of the birth: Antonio Pandolfo, 39, civil servant; and Antonio Sinisgalli (sp?), 32, shoemaker, both residing in this town.
The declarant and witnesses signed the act with the official.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... ,246450301

I looked for the birth record of your GF, but the 1880 births are missing from the family search listings. OR perhaps they are out of order. I will search again

Meanwhile, you might want to start another thread of your own, and since this is an old one.

EDIT TO ADD:
Here is the marriage record of Giambattista Volpe and Rosa Maria Pandolfo on 25 March 1906
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... ,246353401

Giambattista Volpe, single, 25, landowner born in Gallicchio, residing in Gallicchio; son of Giuseppe and of deceased Maria Giuseppa Diletto, both residents of Gallicchio;
AND
Rosa Maria Pandolfo, single, 15, housewife born in Gallichio, residing Gallicchio; daughter of Michele, and of deceased Rosaria Lauria, both residents of Gallicchio.
Publication of Banns was on 28 January and 4 February.

Here is the link to the Publication of Marriage Banns Record (#2 on the right)
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... ,246381601

T.

[lee1016]

Tessa 78 - Thank you so much for this information! I feel like I just won the lottery. You are so kind to do this! My eldest granddaughter is Tessa, so I feel a special connection here. God bless you. With my deepest thanks, Elizabeth Shelley

[Tessa78]

Tessa 78 - Thank you so much for this information! I feel like I just won the lottery. You are so kind to do this! My eldest granddaughter is Tessa, so I feel a special connection here. God bless you. With my deepest thanks, Elizabeth Shelley

Happy to help!

T.

[JBenzie]

So, once again my interest in reseaching my ancestry has been sparked. I've been pouring over countless Italian death records, among other things, and have found that the mysterious Lucia B??? (see above) from my GGF birth record is Lucia Bavuso. Based on his birth record, Lucia was 36 years old in 1886 putting her birth year at approximately 1850. Unfortunately this is all the information I have on her, but would love to find more. I don't know if she was also born in Gallicchio. I have been unable to find a death record for her from Gallicchio. Any recommendations on where to look for older birth records than 1866 in Gallicchio or just any alternative resources other than Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org? I have been able to discover several generations on my GGM's side of the family, but would very much like to find more about my GGF and his parents.

Best Regards,
Jerry Benzie

[suanj]

Hi,
Lucia Bavuso was born in Gallicchio on 16 Nov. 1850 #37 daughter of Vito Antonio Bavuso 46 old, farmer, and Concetta Cassino 40 old farmer
pag 1
http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... =132562953
click to enlarge
pag 2
http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... =132562956
click to enlarge
Best regards,
suanj

[JBenzie]

Suanj,

Thanks so much for your help, time, and effort. It is very much appreciated. I'm assuming there must have been two Lucia Bavuso's in Gallicchio during that time as the birth record for Pierluigi Benso described in an above post states that Lucia was the daughter of the deceased Guiseppe and, in the record you've so graciously provided, it states that Lucia's father was Vito Antonio. If there is no record of a Lucia Bavuso, daughter of Guiseppe, as indicated in Pierluigi's birth record, would that indicate that maybe she was not from Gallicchio?

Thanks again!
Jerry