Ciao a tutti!
I'm working on tracing my Italian roots and have recently come across several handwritten documents from the 1800s (baptismal, marriage, and military records) written in old Italian script. I’m fluent in modern Italian, but some of these older handwriting styles—especially cursive and ecclesiastical script—are incredibly hard to read.
Some of my challenges include:
Unfamiliar abbreviations and archaic vocabulary
Difficult-to-read cursive letters, especially capital “P,” “L,” “S”
Latin mixed in with Italian in some church records
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Figuring out regional language variations (e.g., dialectal influences)
I’d love to ask:
Do you have any resources or tips for interpreting old Italian handwriting?
Are there any guides for common abbreviations or old-style script letters?
How do you handle translating difficult passages—do you transcribe first, or translate as you go?
Have you noticed big differences between northern and southern record styles?
Would appreciate any recommendations, scanned examples, or even just words of encouragement!
