Wedding/marriages traditions

[didozo]

Hello
Would it have been common for the first born to have their marriage all documented at the Civil registry and (I'm hoping, when I get the films), at the church and 2nd son only have a church wedding?

Diana

[johnnyonthespot]

What time period are you working with?

I forget the exact date, but somewhere in the latter half of the 1800's, it became law that all births/marriages/deaths must be recorded by the stato civile.

Possibly the 2nd son married outside his own comune; possibly even outside the country?

[maestra36]

Around 1870 and later, with the unification of Italy, only civil marriages were recognized by the civil state. Although church marriages were still taking place, the civil state did not recognize these as legitimate marriages. Even church marriages which had taken place before the unification of Italy were not recognized as legitimate marriages by the civil state after the unification of Italy. This meant that any children born to a couple who had married in the church were considered illegitimate in the eyes of the civil state unless that couple then had a civil marriage too, which "legitimized" their children in the eyes of the civil state.

[Italysearcher]

In Italy, even today, (except for the companions of members of government) there is no such thing as common law marriage. So, if for some reason, you don't want your wife to be able to inherit your property you marry in the church (if she insists) and not civilly. This is more common for 2nd marriages I would think so the new wife doesn't take half the property which he wants to go to HIS children.

[didozo]

The 2nd son was born in 1874, a child was born in 1897 and the birth cft says ecclesiastically and it was registered in his own commune. So if I have a civil cft (from 1952) stating the mother and father - does that mean the marriage (date ??? and I can't find yet) was recognized?

And if I've read the other posts correctly - I should find something from 1894 on since he would have been 20 then and of age of consent?

Also - His ellis island records show he came over in 1893 as single, 1901 as Married and with nobody else and then again in 1905 with a new wife, from Valledolmo. (I have cft of that marriage) HIS son arrived with the new wife's family in 1907. So if you don't register the marriage civily - does one recogonize themselves as married, ie te 1901 status?

How often would someone come to USA? Wasn't it kind of pricey? I think I have found where this 2nd son came over 3 times.

How could you remarry? from death or annullment (if they had that back then)

I'm so trying to get into the mindset of this time period or is that unreasonable due to the politics at that time in Italy.