Italian etiquette with surnames?

[DeFilippis78]

I have a question. My grandmother was married once before while in Italy and migrated here with her first husband. Something happened with the first marriage and a few years later she married my grandfather. Im trying to figure out if her first husband died, or he left her or she left or something. I ask this because her whole life she signed her name with her maiden name, then first marriage surname, then my grandfathers surname.She signs it with 3 last names! I have a paper from a month before she died and still then she used both marriage surnames. I find that odd and was wondering if that is Italian etiquette.Here ,when one marriage ends the surname is replaced with the new husbands name. Ive never seen this before. Its been suggested that maybe she never married my grandfather because she was still technically married to the first one and maybe she just took my grandfathers name. Any speculations?

Alicia

[elba]

There's no mystery Alicia, just a different way we treat our married ladies.

In the UK and North America (and other places) when a woman marries she takes her husband's family name - she is NOT obliged to - but it is custom and practice in our society.

However in Italy the woman NEVER renounces her name. All her documents reflect her 'family name' - that is her father's surname. Any children born of the marriage carry forward the family name and that is the same her. But female children in Italy will live their entire life with the name they were born with.

In 'our' society a married woman will often write her name as
Jennifer White (husband's surname) 'neè' Smith (her family name)

Whereas am Italian lady will sign everything differently - like this in fact....
Maria Rossi (her family name) 'in' Bianchi (her husband's' name).

[DeFilippis78]

Thats not what Im saying. I understand they keep their family name. What Im saying is she kept 2 husbands name at the same time along with her family name. Do Italian woman keep all the surnames of anybody they were married too...thats what I need to know.

Alicia