requesting family records

[KrazyZia]

Hello all:

This is a draft of a letter to Commune di Casalvecchio di Puglia requesting family information.

Would someone who reads/writes Italian please let me know if the letter is respectful and makes sense?

Grazie,

Joanna

Commune di Casalvecchio di Puglia
Provincia di Foggia
71030, CASALVECCHIO DI PUGLIA FG
ITALIA

Egregi Signori,

Mi chiamo Joanna Brunetti - Belanger, ed abitare negli Stati Uniti all'indirizzo sopradetto. Cerco informazioni sul mio nonno, Peppino Raffaele Brunetti. Nato nel comune di Casalvecchio di Pugla. Cerco questi dati per ottenere la cittadinanza Italiana. Vi sarei molto grato se poteste spedirmi l'estratto completo dell'atto di nascita di Peppino Raffaele Brunetti, in Carta Legale (estratto integrale). Nato nel 3 ottobre 1911.
Nome e cognome del padre: Donato Antonio Brunetti
Nome e cognome della madre: Domenica Maria D’Aloia
Includa prego i suoi nomi dei genitori sul certificato.

Vorrei sapere di più della famiglia di questa persona. Sarei grato se posteste fornire i nomi e le date di nascita dei suoi fratelli e sorelle, e anche l’estratto dell’atto di matrimonio dei genitori.

Vi ringrazio in anticipo per il vostro gentilezza e premura. Sto includendo il pagamento per l'affrancatura di ritorno e del certificato.


Distinti saluti,

[Essgee]

If you decide to do it yourself, you can order in the records for Casalvecchio di Puglia at the Family History Library. They are the civil records that cover from 1809 to 1929....you should be able to find the records above that you seek, as well as the other generations of your lineage.

Go to www.familysearch.org and do a place search for Casalvecchio di Puglia.

[KrazyZia]

Yes I got those today. I'm having trouble reading the Italian records. I've ordered a couple of recomended books to help me too.

I really just wanted to know if this letter makes sense.

Grazie,

Joanna

[peggymckee]

I'm just a beginner in Italian-but here are some small corrections. Peg

ed abitare --> ed abito
sul mio nonno --> su mio nonno
in Carta Legale --> in carta libera
Sto includendo il pagamento per l'affrancatura di ritorno e del certificato. --> including payment is not necessary--by law the certificate "in carta libera" is free! Personally, I would take that sentence out.

[Essgee]

Joanna..........

I got the records and didn't read Italian at all. I suggest it because with practice and a translation dictionary it can be done. I will not tell you not to write to Italy...because so many people have been so successful doing just that. I just can't help you with the letter because I don't speak Italian.

After a difficult few times, I finally got a grasp of the records. And then I got them all...everyone in town with the same surname. It was eye-opening to associate all the names from a town with each other. It allows me to recognize those in Massachusetts and Rhode Island that came from the same town. It enabled me to learn so much more about life in Italy, why they left, what they faced home and abroad.

Each of us has a personal perspective on what we want to know. The facts are the easiest part...the details are hard. Often, it has been others, unrelated, whose ancestors came from the same place that have provided the "meat" on the bones of their lives. So I highly recommend doing the research yourself if you have the desire and the opportunity. This isn't an attempt to stop you from doing it by mail...only to point out the advantages of taking it on yourself.

I hope you find much success in whatever method you try. I did it once and gave up for almost a year before I tackled it again on my own. I am certainly glad I did.

Good Luck!

[nuccia]

essgee is right..

Ordering microfilms is quite an experience. I too am really glad after deliberating for a year myself that I finally decided to try. Once you know the basics, the rest isn't that hard, although the older the records are, the more difficult to read.

Some online sites that might help...

http://www.regalis.com/reg/genres.htm

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/ ... cestor.asp

(I love that quide..I printed it out)

http://www.roangelo.net/vocabula.html

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/ ... Italia.ASP

Comunnes in Italy had some great translation of the act guides but it seems to be offline this morning. She may be updating them.

As for writing to Italy...I love this method too. I had had a lot of success with it, although you really need to be careful what you request or you will get the wrong act (at first, I asked for a birth certificate instead of an actual birth act which provided me with more info) and that was quite disappointing.

[pink67]

Comune di Casalvecchio di Puglia
Provincia di Foggia
71030, CASALVECCHIO DI PUGLIA FG
ITALIA

Egregi Signori,

Mi chiamo Joanna Brunetti - Belanger, ed abito negli Stati Uniti all'indirizzo sopradetto. Cerco informazioni su mio nonno, Peppino Raffaele Brunetti. Nato nel comune di Casalvecchio di Puglia. Cerco questi dati per ottenere la cittadinanza Italiana. Vi sarei molto grato se poteste spedirmi l'estratto completo dell'atto di nascita di Peppino Raffaele Brunetti, in Carta Legale (estratto integrale). E' nato il 3 ottobre 1911.
Nome e cognome del padre: Donato Antonio Brunetti
Nome e cognome della madre: Domenica Maria D’Aloia
Vi prego di includere i nomi dei suoi genitori sul certificato.

Vorrei sapere di più della famiglia di questa persona. Sarei grato se poteste fornire i nomi e le date di nascita dei suoi fratelli e sorelle, e anche l’estratto dell’atto di matrimonio dei genitori.

Vi ringrazio in anticipo per la vostra gentilezza e premura. Sto includendo il pagamento per l'affrancatura di ritorno e del certificato.


Distinti saluti,


Hi Joanna,
I did only a few corrections....
Laura

[KrazyZia]

Thanks everyone!

Since I need certain documents for my dual citizenship I feel I should get the "real thing" from the commune my nonno was from. I do plan to spend a good portion of time at the Family History Center to get the rest of the story as well.

I feel very blessed that my nonno took the time to write much of the story down the year I was born. Some of the stories include discriptions of daily life in Southern Italy in the early 1900's. It does help me to understand why they left. I also have copies of my family's will that explained alot about family dynamics. In addition my nonno's older brother who is 105 years old this year has been filling in alot of blanks for me! I'm going to visit with him in the spring. He's hoping to start the 2008 home opener for the Red Sox with the first pitch of the season!!

I love this forum you're all very helpful.

Grazie,

Joanna

[Essgee]

AN OLDER BROTHER to your grandmother STILL ALIVE---------your are blessed....he is blessed! And a RED SOX fan throwing the first pitch........it doesn't get any better then this!

Good luck getting your dual citizenship!

And give your Uncle our best.

[ChrisMosca]

hi i was reading this thread and couldn't help to notice the talk about an actual birth act and a birth certificate? what are the differences between them and which one do you need for the dual citizenship.
thanks

[KrazyZia]

Hello,

The birth act is a very detailed record of what happened at birth. For instance the birth act records the time of day, day of the week, address at the time of birth, witnesses of the birth, name of parents, etc. A certificate is just a paper stating the name of the person, town, and date of birth with the seal of the commune on it.

I happen to be working with the Boston consulate and they seemed to be fine with just the certificate, but I want the other information just for me.

Hope this helps.

- Joanna

[ChrisMosca]

yes it helps, thank you very much. it makes sence now, because when i received my certificates I was a little dissapointed also because like you said i was excpecting more details.

[nickintexas]

Sorry to dig out such an old thread.

Joanna, are you still around? Did you have success & if so, can I steal the bulk of your text for my request?

[DiDes10]

Joanna,

May I ask a question about applying for dual citizenship? I am very interested in that as well, but thanks to the fine folks on this message board, I've discovered that my paternal grandfather became a US citizen. Do you know if that hampers getting dual citizenship? From the VERY little that I've read, it seems like it does.

I'm only at the very beginning of my research/quest, so any help is much appreciated.

Thanks,
Diana

[KrazyZia]

Hi Diana,

Welcome to the forum.

It depends. When did he become a US Citizen? Before or after your father was born?

About the letter... That's not the one I ended up using. I simplified it and finally got a response! Try this:

Egregi Signori,
Mi chiamo (your name here), ed abito negli Stati Uniti all'indirizzo sopradetto. Cerco informazioni sul mio nonno, (your paternal grandfather's name here). Nato nel comune di (your paternal grandfather's birth town here). Cerco questi dati per conoscere meglio la mia famiglia, e per trovare i miei parenti rimasti in Italia.
Vi sarei molto grato se poteste spedirmi l'estratto dell'atto di nascita di (your paternal grandfather's name here), in carta libera. Nato nel (his birth date here in euro format).
Vi ringrazio in anticipo per la vostra gentilezza e premura, e vi prego di addebitarmi tutte le spese postali e dei certificati.
Distinti saluti,

(Your name here)

Let me know if you still qualify! Hope the letter helps.

Joanna