Rosario vs. Rosato

[vineviz]

I am hoping that folks with a good knowledge of Italian can help me out by providing their opinion on two questions about the parents of my great-grandfather Loreto Vizzaccaro. It's a little complicated and a bit long, and I realize that I am asking for speculation, but here it is anyway.

Loreto Vizzaccaro was born on 31 October 1861 in the small village of Caira (population approx. 900 at that time), a frazione of Cassino. I have his birth record and his parents are listed: father Rosato (age 36) fu Bernardo and mother Antonia Nardone (age 35).

There are very few Vizzaccaro families in Caira or Cassino at this time, though many Nardone families (there are one or more births of an Antonia Nardone almost every year even in this small village). There are many Vizzaccaro families in the nearby town of Villa S. Lucia. I have searched the microfilms for almost the entire exant period for Caira, Cassino, and Villa S. Lucia and have found absolutely no other record of a Rosato Vizzaccaro at all or of Bernardo Vizzaccaro of anywhere near the right age (the only one I found was born after Rosato was supposedly born).

However, in this same village (Caira) on 29 December 1860 Rosario Vizzaccaro (age 35) fu Leonardo married Angela Antonia Nardone (age 30). Subsequent research found that this Rosario Vizzaccaro was born in Villa S. Lucia in 1825 (I have his birth record) and Angela Antonia Nardone was born in Caira in 1830.

I am tempted to conclude that these two pair of people are the same, but the discrepancies are a little unnerving. Loreto's marriage records (bann or processetti) would settle the question definitively but they are destroyed, as are the parish records for Caira. Also Loreto appears to be the only child of this couple.

So, here are my questions:

1) How likely is it that someone born as Rosario would be recored as Rosato in the birth act of his son? Are these given names at all interchangeable in common conversation? Rosario/Rosato was the dichiarante for the birth record.

2) How likely is that someone named Leonardo would be recorded as Bernardo? Could his son have called him by a nickname (e.g. "Nardo") and was misinterpreted?

I have no reason to believe that anyone involved (other than the recording officials) was literate: these were all contadini in a very rural village.

I hate to rely on speculation, but I have exhausted every other avenue I can think of. Thanks for anyone's insights.


-- Vince


BTW, here is a link to a copy of Loreto's atto di nascita:
http://www.vizachero.com/Genealogy/imag ... ascita.pdf

[ptimber]

There are times,even in genealogy, whent he mists of time contain the answers....and only the shadows know!!! I would put a questionmark after their names and perhaps you oir some future geneartion can resolve the mystery. Peter

[mfjp]

I guess you compared the parents names on the annual birth index too?... I've seen all kinds of mismatched names... in some cases, the names on the index were correct (cuz they were done in January of the following year)... and where the names on the actual document were not correct... vice-versa.... it is sad to hear about destroyed parish records... did Loreto name any of his children after his father?

[BethW]

Hi,

I checked out your blog and saw that Loreto came over here also. If he died over here, you should be able to get his death certificate, which may help. Also, if he applied for citizenship his application for naturalization would have the names of his parents. Good luck.

[suanj]

Hi: from reading birth certificate, your ancestor born in house's relatives in Caira village, but declaration of birth are in San Germano city hall; in fact birth act was wrote from Major of San Germano Common. Near this village was other village also Piedimonte ; currently San Germano village are united with Piedimonte and the Common's name is: Piedimonte San Germano.All names, data, infos in http://www.vizachero.com/Genealogy/imag ... ascita.pdf are correct.
Some info about history of San Germano common in the past(in italian) are wrote that, for law, from 1807 Caira(and other villages) pertaining in San Germano Common :
con la legge n. 14 del 19 gennaio 1807, i Circondari giurisdizionali furono ripartiti in Università; quelle ricadenti nel Circondario di S. Germano furono: S. Elia, Caira, S. Ambrogio, S. Andrea, S. Angelo, S. Apollinare, Pignataro e Vallefredda. Tale ripartizione perdurò fino al 1811, quando il nuovo re di Napoli, Gioacchino Murat, con nuovo decreto (n. 922 del 4 maggio) assegnò a S. Germano ("e Casali") le università di S. Elia, S. Angelo, Terelle, Palazzolo, Aquino, Piedimonte e Villa (S. Lucia).
Regards, suanj

[vineviz]

Thanks to all who responded.

The tip on the index is a good one, mfjp. In another case the index provided help on spelling for a name that was not spelled consistently within a single document. It is often much more legible than the original document. In this case, however, the document and the index matched perfectly.

BethW, Loreto did indeed die in the U.S. but I don't know when. I think I know the cemetery where he was buried but the grave is unmarked and the cemetery officials have not been helpful in providing assistance. In this case, the death certificate would have been filed by my grandfather who was illiterate. Plus he emigrated from Italy at a young age and may not have ever met his grandfather (I never met mine). Still, this tip may prove helpful (a clue is a clue) and I'll redouble my efforts to find the death certificate.

SuanJ, I appreciate the information you supplied about Caira, San Germano, etc. Caira was indeed a casale di San Germano and all of the civil acts were filed in San Germano, and changes int he circondario di S. Germano are very interesting.

In 1863 the town of San Germano was renamed Cassino (as it is still called) and Caira is currently a frazione of Cassino.

VITTORIO EMANUELE II.
PER LA GRAZIA DI DIO E PER VOLONTA' DELLA NAZIONE
RE D'ITALIA

Sulla proposizione del nostro Ministro dell'Interno;
Visto la deliberazione del Comune di S. Germano in Provincia di Terra di Lavoro;

Abbiamo decretato e decretiamo

E' autorizzato il Comune di S. Germano ad assumere la denominazione di Cassino giusta la deliberazione di quel Consiglio Comunale in data 23 maggio 1863.
Ordiniamo che il presente decreto munito di suggello dello Stato sia inserito nella raccolta ufficiale delle Leggi e Decreti del Regno d'Italia, mandando a chiunque spetti di osservarlo e farlo osservare.

Data di Torino 26 luglio 1863

VITTORIO EMANUELE
U. Peruzzi

from http://www.cassino2000.com/cassino/ieri/cassino/

After this, the nearby town of Piedimonte added "San Germano" to its name. So, the old towns of Piedimonte and S. Germano never actually merged: they are physically and jurisdictionally distinct. The names are just different than they were 150 years ago. This caused me much confusion when I was beginning my research.

Thanks again to everyone. I hope that if I think about this enough I'll think of a solution. On my next trip to Italy I will try to get access to a census . . . .

[suanj]

Hi: probable that my info not correct.
regards, suanj