Inheritance traditions

[millybobs]

In Trafford R Cole's excellent book “Italian Genealogical Records" he says that the traditional independence of Italian towns in the Middle Ages "created a strong sense of property; to retain sufficient land for the sustenance of the family, the property was not divided but was passed on to the first-born son. Other male children either had to work for the first-born or find a vocation in the church or military service. Only exceptionally wealthy families could afford to purchase new land for other sons.

"Houses, too, were passed from father to first-born son. Because they were built to last for centuries, many ancestral homes accommodated the same families for centuries."

In Paolo Tullio's “North of Naples, South of Romeâ€

[Italysearcher]

I have seen this kind of division in several towns in the Province of Frosinone and I believe it is the law when there is no will. One of our relatives (the oldest of the family and responsible for deciding who got what) gave his sister a piece of land that was in the middle of several others and with no right of access. Essentially she could only sell to one of her brothers (read-the oldest). She refused, on principle, and did not speak to her brother again. This caused discention among the rest of the family also by causing them to take sides.
You can request a document from the town office that will tell you the 'particelli' (who owns what percentage). When one of the inheritors emigrated the 'particello' is worded as 'the heirs of ????'.

[PeterTimber]

Under Italian law property is divided when there is no will in ac cordanc e with the diagram from this site at www.italianlaw.net/download/inheritancechart.pdf

If there is a will Italian Law applies if the deceased is married at time of death. The deceased may leave 25% freely to whoever is chosen. 50% to children and 25% to spouse.

Person seking advice may go to www.italianlaw.net. =Peter=

[PeterTimber]

The website apparently must be written out in its entirety...www,italianlaw.net/download/inheritance_chart.pdf =Peter=