My Italian heritage - Gioivanni Francesco Viviani

[Coralie]

Can anyone help me please - my great grandfather was Giovanni Francesco Viviani. He used the name Francesco. His death certificate shows he was born in Conca, Italy about 1839. His parents names were Joseph and Madelina Viviani. He died in Victoria, Australia, when he was working a gold mine. My grandmother was named Josephine Madeline after her grandparents. I know little of my Italian heritage. All I know is that when Giovanni died in 1880, he had been in Australia for 20 years (according to his death certificate). I do not know what port in Italy Giovanni sailed from in 1860 but I am sure he would have landed in Port Phillip, Melbourne to start his journey here. Three years ago I paid some people to find Giovanni's birth certificate but have not had a result. I would value any help to know more about "the flesh of my flesh and the bone of my bone." Many Thanks.

[Italysearcher]

If the town was Conca della Campania go to https://www.familysearch.org/search/cat ... m%2F128973
The records for that town 1809-1865 have been microfilmed and you can order the film and search yourself.

[jamiecapaldi]

I found the following, which could be your man?:


Name: Francesco Viviani
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Birth Year: 1839
Birthplace: Italy
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Marital Condition: Married
Profession/Occupation: Labourer
Address: 7 Summer St
Census Place: St Andrew Holborn Above The Bars And St George The Martyr, Middlesex, England
Disability:
Record Type: Household
Family History Library Film: 1341074
The National Archives Reference: RG11
Piece/Folio: 341 / 102
Page Number: 28

[Coralie]

Thank you Italiansearcher and Jamie for your replies. I too found the Census in England that shows Francesco Viviani aged 42. I have ruled this Francesco out because he died 1880 in Victoria, Australia. He had been in Australia since he was 21. Regarding Conca, I have now been told that there is more than one "Conca" in Italy and I honestly would have no idea which Conca Francesco was born in. I spoke to some elderly Italian men and they say that the name Viviani comes from the North and others say the same is from the south. So, any light that you can shine on these questionmarks would be appreciated. Thank you for your responses - at long last I feel I have help to find my ancestors. I will now have a "lookup" of Italiansearcher's information. Heartfelt thanks to you both.

[jamiecapaldi]

The only Conca i can find Viviani family origin, is Conca Dei Marini, Salerno (SA), Campania, 84010

[Coralie]

Thank you Jamie - this could be where it all started for our "crew" - I will now look up Conca Dei Marini, Salerno on the map to get some understanding.

[Italysearcher]

Although there are no longer any Viviani living in Conca della Campania there are several living within 50 km. More people from the south emigrated in the 1800's due to extreme poverty. Conca dei Marini is also in the South.
If They married in Australia, in the Catholic Church, a copy of their marriage record should provide details of where they were baptized.

[Coralie]

Thank you Ann that is helpful. It has been a little confusing for me with all these Conca's. I will let you know if I find anything. From what I understand the Italian men were sought after in the gold mining districts because of their expertise with wood cutting and setting up mining tunnels. Giovanni left Italy at the age of 21.

[Coralie]

In response to my Post of 23 April 2012.
I would like to commend "Pippo" of Italian Genealogy for his efforts in researching and tracing my Viviani family from Conca dei Marini, Furore and Roccapiemonte, Salerno, Italy. After my initial post on this site April 2012, Pippo came back to me very quickly with details of a Viviani family who owned a grain and paper mill in Furore. It has now been confirmed that they were my GG grandparents, Giuseppe Viviani and Maddalena Mignone (parents of my great grandfather, Giovanni Viviani). My Gran was named by her father, after her grandparents.

Pippo has located my forefathers birth acts and a marriage act which has verified the initial information. Also Pippo has taken the time to take photographs of the mill that our Italian family once owned.

My great grandfather Giovanni, at the age of 20, sailed from Italy to Melbourne, Australia, to work in the gold mines. He was killed when a gold mine shaft collapsed on him leaving the love of his life and infant daughter Josephine Madeline. We thought we would never know about our Italian family or where our people lived. Now through Pippo and this site, we can say that we know where our heritage and roots are. We can put names to our forefathers, (patriarchs and matriarchs) and say these people are indeed the flesh of our flesh and the bone of our bone.

I would like to recommend Pippo to anyone who is endeavoring to trace their Italian roots. At the same time I offer my grateful thanks for the opportunity this Italian Genealogy site gave me. I now have my Italian forefathers' history and stories that I can hold to my heart and call them my own. The closure that Pippo's information has brought myself and the family is beyond words.

Next year I will walk where they have lived, loved and walked - until then ...

Kind regards,
Coralie