French DNA in Italy

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goriogal
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French DNA in Italy

Post by goriogal »

I received my DNA results and am very surprised to see that I have a substantial amount of French DNA. I have taken my family tree back over 100 years on both sides and there are no French relatives. My mother's side is from Salerno and Abruzzi and my father is from the Fruili-Venezia Giulia region. Can anyone make sense of this?
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PippoM
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Re: French DNA in Italy

Post by PippoM »

I wouldn't be surprised of that!
I'm from Salerno area, and we've had several occupations by the French along the centuries.
So, during one of these, some French might have been an ancestor of you.
I have blue eyes, and my temperament is more "northern" then "southern".
My wife always says "You are French. There must be a little bit of on old ancestor inside of you, that is always showing". Despite this, I've not found a French ancestor of mine yet, though I've arrived at the middle of 18th century along several lines. Now, I have found a Dupaquier from Naples, who is my 5GM, and that's where I'll look to see if her ancestors were from France or Swiss.
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MaddalenaNYC
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Re: French DNA in Italy

Post by MaddalenaNYC »

I was always told of the French in my family. Borders were fluid back when. It is no surprise to me that an Italian would have French or Austrian ancestry.
goriogal
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Re: French DNA in Italy

Post by goriogal »

I didn't realize that the French occupied as far south as Salerno throughout history. I guess I'll have to keep digging for those French roots!
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BrownEyedGirl
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Re: French DNA in Italy

Post by BrownEyedGirl »

It could also be from a Northern Italian line. Some Northern Italian DNA "manifests" as French or German. Fruili-Venezia Giulia does border Austria, but I think it would be a stretch to say your Fruili-Venezia Giulia line is showing as French. It would be more likely to show as German. The French is probably from somewhere else. Salerno (as mentioned) or maybe somewhere else in the North that you're unaware of. It's very interesting though. :)
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BrownEyedGirl
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Re: French DNA in Italy

Post by BrownEyedGirl »

PippoM wrote: 10 Nov 2020, 09:52 I wouldn't be surprised of that!
I'm from Salerno area, and we've had several occupations by the French along the centuries.
So, during one of these, some French might have been an ancestor of you.
I have blue eyes, and my temperament is more "northern" then "southern".
My wife always says "You are French. There must be a little bit of on old ancestor inside of you, that is always showing". Despite this, I've not found a French ancestor of mine yet, though I've arrived at the middle of 18th century along several lines. Now, I have found a Dupaquier from Naples, who is my 5GM, and that's where I'll look to see if her ancestors were from France or Swiss.
My beloved great grandfather was from Salerno. He looked Nordic. He was 6'2", blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and fine features. People thought he was Norwegian. Lol. My grandfather (his son) and his siblings were all tall blonds, too. I heard that's quite common in Salerno. Is that right?
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Re: French DNA in Italy

Post by MarcuccioV »

My DNA came in at 2% French (I'm 1/2 Italian). There is a surname of "Marsili" in my tree which I believe translates to "from Marseilles". My Italian side comes from SE Lazio, SE of Rome...
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Surnames: Attiani Belli Bucci Calvano Cerci DelBrusco Falera Latini Marsili Mattia Mezzo Nardecchia Pellegrini Piacentini Pizzuti Pontecorvo Recchia Topani Ziantona & Zorli
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PippoM
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Re: French DNA in Italy

Post by PippoM »

MarcuccioV wrote: 26 Feb 2021, 02:26 My DNA came in at 2% French (I'm 1/2 Italian). There is a surname of "Marsili" in my tree which I believe translates to "from Marseilles". My Italian side comes from SE Lazio, SE of Rome...
I think it is more likely that one of you ancestors had "Marsilio" as his first name.
It is less used today, but I remember one "Marsilia" when I was young, in a village near Roma.
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Re: French DNA in Italy

Post by MarcuccioV »

PippoM,

No, the Ancestor is Chiara Eleonora MARSILI (spelled as "Marsilj" in some Velletri notary docs). She was my 3rd great grandmother. I have a paper trail, & she is on the Familiae.it tree also (in the correct location). I found a large concentration of Marsili's in Labico (neighboring village to my Grandparent's town of Valmontone). I also had a DNA match to someone (4-6th cousin) with a Marsili in their tree...
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If you ignore your foundation, your house will eventually collapse...

Surnames: Attiani Belli Bucci Calvano Cerci DelBrusco Falera Latini Marsili Mattia Mezzo Nardecchia Pellegrini Piacentini Pizzuti Pontecorvo Recchia Topani Ziantona & Zorli
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Re: French DNA in Italy

Post by PippoM »

Yes, of course in the 1800's surnames had already become "stable".
I mean that an ancestor of Chiara (in past centuries) must have been "Marsilio".
Giuseppe "Pippo" Moccaldi

Certificate requests and genealogical researches in Italy.
Translation of your (old) documents and letters.
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MarcuccioV
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Re: French DNA in Italy

Post by MarcuccioV »

PippoM wrote: 27 Feb 2021, 09:53 Yes, of course in the 1800's surnames had already become "stable".
I mean that an ancestor of Chiara (in past centuries) must have been "Marsilio".
Oddly enough, however, my maternal grandmother (with the "Marsili" in her tree as GGM) had a very light complexion & soft, almost Swisslike features (unlike my grandfather who looked far more "Mediterranean"). It leads me to believe my 2% French (there IS French on my father's side, but it's minute and far too deep in his tree to matter) and some of my 11% Germanic (most from my father) can be attributed to her. Despite all family on her side that I've found being from Valmontone (except Marsili from Labico), If you were to see a pic of her with no explanation you'd be inclined to think she was French or German and not Italian...
Mark

If you ignore your foundation, your house will eventually collapse...

Surnames: Attiani Belli Bucci Calvano Cerci DelBrusco Falera Latini Marsili Mattia Mezzo Nardecchia Pellegrini Piacentini Pizzuti Pontecorvo Recchia Topani Ziantona & Zorli
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