Records Destroyed

Over 25 million Italians have emigrated between 1861 and 1960 with a migration boom between 1871 and 1915 when over 13,5 million emigrants left the country for European and overseas destinations.
Post Reply
User avatar
jessicarucco
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 34
Joined: 05 Nov 2009, 15:49

Records Destroyed

Post by jessicarucco »

A couple of days ago a member here went above and beyond (thanks Erudita!!) and helped me locate my GGM's birth certificate in the LDS records/microfilm on familysearch.

I emailed the comune to inquire about obtaining the record and they said all records prior to 1900 were destroyed in an earthquake in 1980.

Will Italian judges accept a copy of the digitized record from the LDS records? Am I out of luck as far as proving she was born there?

Thanks in advance.
User avatar
Italysearcher
Master
Master
Posts: 3410
Joined: 06 Jan 2008, 19:58
Location: Sora, Italy
Contact:

Re: Records Destroyed

Post by Italysearcher »

Can you get a copy of the baptism record as a confirmation? Then maybe the Comune via the Tribunale will recreate the record.
Ann Tatangelo
http://angelresearch.net
Dual citizenship assistance, and document acquisition, on-site genealogical research in Lazio, Molise, Latina and Cosenza. Land record searches and succession.
User avatar
jessicarucco
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 34
Joined: 05 Nov 2009, 15:49

Re: Records Destroyed

Post by jessicarucco »

Would the baptism record be at the same location and also be destroyed? She was born in 1885.
User avatar
Italysearcher
Master
Master
Posts: 3410
Joined: 06 Jan 2008, 19:58
Location: Sora, Italy
Contact:

Re: Records Destroyed

Post by Italysearcher »

Baptism records are kept at the church, civil records at the town hall. Depends on what destroyed them. Earthquakes can affect one building but not the next. Fires are usually just in one place. War often only affected the civil records. You might get lucky.
Ann Tatangelo
http://angelresearch.net
Dual citizenship assistance, and document acquisition, on-site genealogical research in Lazio, Molise, Latina and Cosenza. Land record searches and succession.
User avatar
jessicarucco
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 34
Joined: 05 Nov 2009, 15:49

Re: Records Destroyed

Post by jessicarucco »

Any tips on how to find out which churches were around in Torella dei Lombardi in 1885 and how to contact them for a Baptism record? Any other Italian documents that could substitute if the Baptism record was destroyed too?

The birth certificate that was destroyed at the comune is on LDS microfilm - would the comune re-create a birth certificate based on that?

Thanks so much for your input!
User avatar
Italysearcher
Master
Master
Posts: 3410
Joined: 06 Jan 2008, 19:58
Location: Sora, Italy
Contact:

Re: Records Destroyed

Post by Italysearcher »

If the originals still exist the Comune MIGHT reconstruct the record. However, in that area, I believe an earthquake destroyed the originals that the Mormons filmed and last time I asked they said they coud not reconstruct without the original.
You can find the parish churches at www.chiesacattolica.it
Ann Tatangelo
http://angelresearch.net
Dual citizenship assistance, and document acquisition, on-site genealogical research in Lazio, Molise, Latina and Cosenza. Land record searches and succession.
erudita74
Master
Master
Posts: 8443
Joined: 27 Aug 2012, 20:26

Re: Records Destroyed

Post by erudita74 »

The church of Santa Maria del Popolo in the town of Toricella dei Lombardi was destroyed in the 1980 quake but supposedly rebuilt in a different location.

Here is info from the archdiocese website-

Parrocchia Torella dei Lombardi - Santa Maria del Popolo
Indirizzo: Piazza Santa Maria del Popolo - 83057 Torella dei Lombardi (AV)
Zona pastorale : di Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi
Tel: 082744244
Note:
Parroco. Don Vito Lotrecchiano

Here is an email address for the diocese of Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi to which this parish belongs-

e-mail: curia@diocesisantangelo.it

As far as I know, it was only as of 1917 that individual parishes sent copies of their records to their dioceses (not sure if this was mandated or voluntary), so I doubt you will have luck at the diocese level securing a record copy from 1885, even if the records there were not destroyed by that earthquake.

Erudita
User avatar
jessicarucco
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 34
Joined: 05 Nov 2009, 15:49

Re: Records Destroyed

Post by jessicarucco »

Thank you so much for the tips ItalySearcher and Erudita! Unfortunately the e-mail address for diocesisantangelo.it is kicking back my messages, but at least it gives me a place to start and I will most likely send them a regular letter through the mail to see if I can have any luck. Thanks again for the input!
erudita74
Master
Master
Posts: 8443
Joined: 27 Aug 2012, 20:26

Re: Records Destroyed

Post by erudita74 »

Here's the website for the diocese where I found that email address which you said doesn't work.

http://www.diocesisantangelo.it/
User avatar
jessicarucco
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 34
Joined: 05 Nov 2009, 15:49

Re: Records Destroyed

Post by jessicarucco »

Thanks, I will check it out. Yeah, it keeps kicking it back because the mail box is "full" but if any part of their site is under construction or something that could explain it too.
User avatar
jessicarucco
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 34
Joined: 05 Nov 2009, 15:49

Re: Records Destroyed

Post by jessicarucco »

Just replying to say that I tried the e-mail address (curia) every day and finally today it worked, so we will see where that leads. Someone on a different site told me that a copy of her birth certificate may also be in the Avellino state archives in addition to the one that was lost at the comune - does this sound accurate?
User avatar
KarenChristino
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 202
Joined: 19 Jul 2010, 14:26
Location: Brooklyn, NY

Re: Records Destroyed

Post by KarenChristino »

Jessica,

I was able to get my GGF's records from Avellino (though born in a different comune), so you should try there as well. I believe that the LDS records were actually filmed at the state level, so my guess is that they will have it. Good luck.

Karen
User avatar
jessicarucco
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 34
Joined: 05 Nov 2009, 15:49

Re: Records Destroyed

Post by jessicarucco »

Karen - thank yo so much for posting! That is really encouraging to hear, hopefully I will have a similar outcome! :)
Post Reply