Di Piazza to Piazza

Are you looking for an Italian surname? Do you need more information about your family heritage?
This is the right place to start your genealogy search.
Post Reply
User avatar
piazza16428
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 103
Joined: 20 Oct 2010, 21:15
Location: PA
Contact:

Di Piazza to Piazza

Post by piazza16428 »

Trying to gather information regarding the changing of the surname that I am researching. I have been successful in researching my surname Piazza back to Vallelunga Pratameno, Province of Caltanisetta, Sicily, Italy. In fact I have been able to trace my ancestry back to about the year 1756. I have also found information that there were several families by the last name Piazza in this area but no common relative has been identified at this time.
My question is this, thru my research I have found that some of the documents indicate the name Di Piazza or Of Piazza which I assume is indicating the area that the families may have migrated from, (Piazza Armerina). Why is it that the Di has been dropped. I have made contact with several Di Piazza's here in the United States and in the region of Vallelunga Pratameno with the last name Di Piazza but not sure if there is a possiblility that we might be related. (Records that I have show that several Di Piazza's from the Vallelunga area immigrated to the United States and settled in the New Orleans area).

Again to summarize, does anyone have any records of the transition of the surname from Di Piazza to Piazza?

Thanks in advance and All the best
Sam
User avatar
johnnyonthespot
Master
Master
Posts: 5229
Joined: 04 Aug 2008, 15:01
Location: Connecticut, USA

Re: Di Piazza to Piazza

Post by johnnyonthespot »

Di, De, La, etc, prefixes sometimes come and go.

On my maternal grandfather's side from Cosenza province, I have birth records where the prefix is De, Di, and no prefix at all with no logical explanation.

Do keep in mind that most people - especially in southern Italy - were illiterate back then and it was the very rare person who could even spell or sign his/her own name. That is why most birth acts from this period include some version of "The present act has been read to the witnesses as well as to the parties, then it has been signed by me, since the parties and the witnesses are illiterate as they have declared."
Carmine

My hobby is finding things. Having found most of my own, I am happy to help others find theirs. PM me! :)
User avatar
piazza16428
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 103
Joined: 20 Oct 2010, 21:15
Location: PA
Contact:

Re: Di Piazza to Piazza

Post by piazza16428 »

Carmine

Thanks for the information. One other quick question, if I am trying to find out where the three branches of the Piazza Family originated from that ended up settling in Vallelunga what would you advise be my next step in my research.

I have pretty much exhusted my search in Vallelunga and have gone back as far as the records at the church will allow me. Kind of at a brick wall right now and trying to break thru to continue my research.

Thanks again Carmine.
User avatar
johnnyonthespot
Master
Master
Posts: 5229
Joined: 04 Aug 2008, 15:01
Location: Connecticut, USA

Re: Di Piazza to Piazza

Post by johnnyonthespot »

Sorry to say I don't have many answers for this one. There are two facts which should be considered however:

1) as you get into the mid-1700's and earlier, research becomes significantly more difficult with the exception being for well-documented families such as the Medici's of Florence, Borghese's of Siena and Rome, the Borgia's, and so on.

2) most people were quite poor and never traveled very far from their place of birth, especially when travel was mostly by oxcart. It is as likely as not that your ancestry in the Vallelunga area reaches back far further than you have gone thus far, even if undocumented.
Carmine

My hobby is finding things. Having found most of my own, I am happy to help others find theirs. PM me! :)
Post Reply