What generation for Italian Citizenship is allowed

[Crissco]

My great great Grandfather was born in Italy, from both sides of my family. I know my father can get citizenship. Am I able too, and are my kids able too?(Nooo I dont have kids yet, only 23) haha

[ForzaItaliaPgh]

There is no "legal" generational limit on citizenship. Although, as Italy was only founded in the 1860's, there is a "de facto" generational limit.

By that I simply mean to say that your ancestor who was born in Italy and immigrated to the USA had to be born AFTER the unification of Italy in 1861. If he moved to the States BEFORE 1861, he was never an "Italian Citizen" as there was no "Italian State" to be a citizen of. For example, my Great Grandfather was born in Lucca, Tuscany in 1897 and was thus born an Italian citizen, but his father was born in Tuscany BEFORE 1861 and was born as a citizen of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. If he had moved BEFORE 1861, he never would have become an "Italian Citizen" and thus could not pass on citizenship to his son.

I know that is a bit of a convoluted answer to a simple question. The short answer is that if your Great great grandfather was born in Italy AFTER 1861 there is no generational limit.

Of course, you'll have to make sure that your Great Grandfather was born BEFORE your Great great grandfather became a US Citizen, or else you are disqualified for an entirely different reason.

Hope that helps

[Crissco]

My grandfather was born in thw 1930s so im guessing my great grandfather was born after 1861.. I know for a fact my father can get Italian Citizianship. So if ur saying theres no limit, I guess i can get it too

[ForzaItaliaPgh]

If your father can, you can. Sounds like you'll be fine. Good luck in gathering your documents.

[Crissco]

Thanks bro, I appreciate it

[ForzaItaliaPgh]

Anytime. I think you'll find these forums useful as you continue along the way. I know people here have helped me a lot.

[sceaminmonkey]

I know ForzaItaliaPgh answered it correctly but I want to be clear because that was alot to take in. even if an ancestor was born before 1861 , once the state was unified the ancestor automatically became a citizen of the kingdom of italy if the ancestor was living within the kingdom more or less.

[ForzaItaliaPgh]

Good point, sceaminmonkey. Everyone became a citizen in '61. Your ancestor would have to have been born and emmigrated before 1861 to disqualify you.

Of course, if you are claiming through a female, then she needed to be born after 1946 - before then citizenship could only pass through a male.

[johnnyonthespot]

Good point, sceaminmonkey. Everyone became a citizen in '61. Your ancestor would have to have been born and emmigrated before 1861 to disqualify you.

It is a little more complex than that.

If the ancestor was born in one of the pre-unification city-states of the Italian penisula and left the area prior to unification, two rules apply:

a) the ancestor did not take on another citizenship (US, for example) prior to unification and the formation of the modern Italian state and

b) that the ancestor was still living at the time of said unification.

If either of these tests fails, then the ancestor was never an Italian citizen and thus could not pass such to his children.

[DeFilippis78]

Please clarify this for me for my situation as i never heard of this law:

Ancestor born 1860, left Italy 1892

[ForzaItaliaPgh]

Ciao DeFilippis,

You're fine. Your ancestor would have gained Italian citizenship in 1861 with the unification of Italy, then moved to America and passed on citizenship.

The problem would be if your ancestor left Italy before 1861.

[DeFilippis78]

Oh good! That was a close one. I got nervous for a minute there!

[johnnyonthespot]

The problem would be if your ancestor left Italy before 1861.

Left and died or became a citizen of another country prior to the unification of Italy.

If he was still alive at the time of unification, and had not already taken on another citizenship, then he became a citizen of the new Italy regardless of where he was residing at the time.

[h2omom]

Is Lucca a large town? I saw that you had family from there also.

I just found some information that leads me to think my husband's great grandfather might have come from there. His name was Michele LoMonaco. I believe that he was born around 1857.
He was married to Luciana Marsala of Corleone in New Orleans around 1887, then moved to Chicago by 1889/1890.

There is no "legal" generational limit on citizenship. Although, as Italy was only founded in the 1860's, there is a "de facto" generational limit.

By that I simply mean to say that your ancestor who was born in Italy and immigrated to the USA had to be born AFTER the unification of Italy in 1861. If he moved to the States BEFORE 1861, he was never an "Italian Citizen" as there was no "Italian State" to be a citizen of. For example, my Great Grandfather was born in Lucca, Tuscany in 1897 and was thus born an Italian citizen, but his father was born in Tuscany BEFORE 1861 and was born as a citizen of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. If he had moved BEFORE 1861, he never would have become an "Italian Citizen" and thus could not pass on citizenship to his son.

I know that is a bit of a convoluted answer to a simple question. The short answer is that if your Great great grandfather was born in Italy AFTER 1861 there is no generational limit.

Of course, you'll have to make sure that your Great Grandfather was born BEFORE your Great great grandfather became a US Citizen, or else you are disqualified for an entirely different reason.

Hope that helps

[ForzaItaliaPgh]

Lucca is a fair sized town, and very beautiful. It has over 84,000 people today, but was smaller when your husband and my GGF's were there.

My great grandfather was born there in 1897, but his father was probably born in nearby Pistoia (I haven't had time to follow any leads b/c all my time and money has been spent on citizenship stuff). I had the pleasure of visiting Lucca back in 2006 and it is a stunning experience to visit the places where your family lived worked and died.

Probably the most interesting thing about Lucca is that it retained its independence from Florence (and everybody else) until Napoleon conquered it (and most the rest of Italy) in the early 19th c.

Who knows, maybe your husband's GGF and mine knew each other