Searching for family history from Turin

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shayne_felice
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Searching for family history from Turin

Post by shayne_felice »

Hi all,

I am new to the group and am trying to trace some of my family
history.

My grandmother (now sadly dead some years)was from Turin but had not
been back to Italy since early in WWII. She had been interned in
France after that and then when the camps were liberated she was
brought to the UK because my grandfather was English. She said that
she was from a wealthy family who owned a (I think sweet making)
factory but that when she had last visited Italy her family home was
boarded up and her family gone. She said that her maiden name was
Cogliati Perfumo di Romano Faa' di Bruno and that she had two sisters
Ermenegilda and Candida Carmela. Her mother's name was Maddalena Faa' di Bruno and her Father's name Giovanni.

I have been unable so far to find out anything about her family and I am at a bit of a loss as to how to find a family that just disappeared nearly 60 years ago. Any ideas anyone? I am in the process of trying to get her birth certificate from the state registry but after that I have no idea what to do next. I would welcome any advice.

Shayne
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ptimber
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by ptimber »

There are 78 just FAA surbnames in Itakly with the majority in Sardinia (80%) but there is no record other than a street named FAA'Di Bruno in Rome, Italy which is an indication that the name has connections. This may require some detailed research. I will get back to you with what I find. In the interim when you obtain her documents that should give you some additonal data to begin your research.

The Mormon familysearch website www.familysearch.org reflects Giovanni Matteo Faa' di Bruno born in 1540 in casale Monferrato (Postale 15033, provincia Alessandria, Piemonte region). This is the best I can do for the moment. Peter
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shayne_felice
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by shayne_felice »

Thank you for your reply and for your research - I am however pretty certain that the family hails from Turin and Milan. Do you happen to know if there were many people who 'disappeared' at this time of political upheaval in Italy? Or is it more likely that the family would have emigrated would you suppose? Are there any online archives in Italy that might relate to this that you know of?

Anyway, thanks again for your help.
Shayne
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by suanj »

shayne_felice wrote:Hi all,

I am new to the group and am trying to trace some of my family
history.

My grandmother (now sadly dead some years)was from Turin but had not
been back to Italy since early in WWII. She had been interned in
France after that and then when the camps were liberated she was
brought to the UK because my grandfather was English. She said that
she was from a wealthy family who owned a (I think sweet making)
factory but that when she had last visited Italy her family home was
boarded up and her family gone. She said that her maiden name was
Cogliati Perfumo di Romano Faa' di Bruno and that she had two sisters
Ermenegilda and Candida Carmela. Her mother's name was Maddalena Faa' di Bruno and her Father's name Giovanni.

I have been unable so far to find out anything about her family and I am at a bit of a loss as to how to find a family that just disappeared nearly 60 years ago. Any ideas anyone? I am in the process of trying to get her birth certificate from the state registry but after that I have no idea what to do next. I would welcome any advice.

Shayne
Hi explane me better please, why:
-Cogliati is an surname
-Perfumo ditto
-Faa' di Bruno ditto
about Cogliati Perfumo di(of) Romano(first name?) Faa' di Bruno... meaning...?
and your grandmother first name? all this surname are present in Alessandria province, near Turin....
regards, suanj
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by shayne_felice »

Hi Suanj

That is just the maiden name she said that she went by, all one name apparently: Cogliati perfumo di romano faa' di bruno. She said that Faa' di bruno was her mother's maiden name which was then added to her father's surname to give the family name. I don't understand it either, but that is what she said. Her given names were Giorgetta Charlotta Giuseppina Domenica Marisa Renata and her sisters were called Ermenegilda and Candida Carmela although they also had lots of given names which I don't know. The family lived in Turin although it is possible that they may have partly originated in Milan. Her family disappeared sometime during the reign of Mussolini or early in WWII.

I hope this clarifies it a little but I know it isn't much to go on really.

regards
shayne
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by suanj »

Hi: you remember if this your ancestors was of noble origin? is possible?
suanj
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by shayne_felice »

Well according to my grandmother they were certainly wealth - I believe that they also had a summer residence in the alps somewhere and owned a factory in Torino but she never mentioned anything about being noble. Is it likely that an Italian noble family would own a factory or would that make them more likely to be middle class or equivalent?

shayne
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by suanj »

shayne_felice wrote:Well according to my grandmother they were certainly wealth - I believe that they also had a summer residence in the alps somewhere and owned a factory in Torino but she never mentioned anything about being noble. Is it likely that an Italian noble family would own a factory or would that make them more likely to be middle class or equivalent?

shayne
Hi shayne: the Faa' di Bruno sure was noble family, sure! noble title "Marchese" and an Alessandro Faa' di Bruno,"marchese" title, emigrated also in USA, coming from Bruno (same name) town in ex Alessandria province, currently in Asti province, all in Piemonte region..more in Faa' di Bruno family are also 1 Saint, bishop, and some hero...
also perfumo surname same area, Cogliati ditto, but especially in Turin area... this factory, is interesting, why is possible an search, was an factory of .... the products..?for other details: many people in discord Mussolini government , being anti-fascist they went away...
about summer residence in Alpes, also this is an common data for many rich people of Piemonte( Piedmont)....


to soon, suanj
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by shayne_felice »

Wow! Thanks Suanj - interesting stuff you've found out for me. I didn't expect saints or heroes! :D

What the factory made is an interesting question - I always thought that my grandmother had said that the family owned a tannery but my mother is certain that it was a sweet factory so I guess as I was very young when my grandmother spoke about it I would believe my mother and say that it was a sweet factory of some kind.

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me with this.

shayne
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by suanj »

shayne_felice wrote:Wow! Thanks Suanj - interesting stuff you've found out for me. I didn't expect saints or heroes! :D

What the factory made is an interesting question - I always thought that my grandmother had said that the family owned a tannery but my mother is certain that it was a sweet factory so I guess as I was very young when my grandmother spoke about it I would believe my mother and say that it was a sweet factory of some kind.

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me with this.

shayne
Hi shayne,
for sweet factory you say cakies factory
http://www.mines.edu/students/a/aborsa/ ... /dolci.jpg
so?
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by shayne_felice »

I think more sweets as in confetto or bonbon rather than dolci

hope that's right :)

shayne
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by suanj »

shayne_felice wrote:I think more sweets as in confetto or bonbon rather than dolci

hope that's right :)

shayne
Hi shayne, around Mussolini age, was in Turin this swet factories:
-Caffarel
-Michele Talmone(ex Moriando & Gariglio)
-UNICA by Riccardo Gualino
-Bonetti
-Fabbriche Riunite Gallettini
-Dora Bisquits
-IDEA
-Silvano Venchi( after Silvano Venchi is in union with UNICA, and become Venchi UNICA)
-Wamar
some of this factory was company, an I know not other details.. but you can ask some info to info@compagnia.torino.it ;
txt letter:
----------------------------------
Spett.le Compagnia di San Paolo
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 75
10128 Torino

Oggetto: Richiesta ricerca in "archivi aggregati: Federazione Nazionale Fascista degli industriali dello zucchero, dei dolci e affini (1927-1961)" relativamente ai seguenti nomi di imprenditori in area torinese: Giovanni Cogliati Perfumo e Faa' di Bruno.

Spett.le Compagnia di San Paolo,
mi chiamo ....(your name) e sono cittadina inglese (you are english citizen?) di origini italiane discendente di una figlia, Giorgetta, di Giovanni Cogliati Perfumo.

Può sembrare strano che mi rivolgo a voi, ma delle mie origini italiane conosco solo che:
-Giovanni Cogliati Perfumo era un imprenditore dolciario dell'area torinese fino alla seconda guerra mondiale e che successivamente emigrò nel Regno Unito insieme alla moglie Maddalena Faa' di Bruno, la figlia Giorgetta, mia nonna, e alle altre due figlie: Ermenegilda e Candida Carmela.
Le figlie assunsero in UK oltre al cognome Cogliati Perfumo anche il cognome della madre Maddalena, ossia Faa' di Bruno, probabilmente figlia di Romano Faa' di Bruno.

Non conosco con precisione il comune di nascita ma so che erano dell'area torinese.

Con la presente la sottoscritta cortesemente chiede se possiate ricercare nel fondo indicato o altri a vs conoscenza, se tutti o uno dei nominativi indicati risultino tra gli imprenditori dolciari torinesi, al fine di trovare ogni riferimento utile a rintracciare le mie origini.

La distanza non mi permette di recarmi personalmente presso il vs Centro.

Sarei veramente grata di una risposta,
distintamente,

..............(your name)
...............(your complete and exact address)
................(your mailto)



----------
Shayne, this is only an step, an trace, good luck.
Otherwise, if you know birthyear of Giorgetta, are possible to send an search's request to probable birthcommon about Giorgetta....

Many regards, suanj
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shayne_felice
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by shayne_felice »

Suanj! You are a star! :D

I will send that immediately and tell you if I get a reply and if so, what they say.

thank you so much for all the help you're giving me with this - I really do appreciate it.

Shayne
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by suanj »

:wink:
suanj
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Re: Searching for family history from Turin

Post by shayne_felice »

I got an answer this morning but (I think) they don't have any records regarding this matter, the reply said:

Gentile Signora, siamo spiacenti, ma tale archivio non fa parte delle nostre
competenze e non ci è pertanto possibile effettuare la ricerca che Lei ci
richiede.
Grazie comunque e cordiali saluti.

so I guess it's a case of waiting now for the birth certificate to come back and see what other information might be on it. I did a search and found the saint that you mentioned, I think I need to try and find a site with his family tree on it now as that might help a bit. It's all very interesting anyway. :)

shayne
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