Sicilian censuses

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timoteo
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Sicilian censuses

Post by timoteo »

Hello, cousins--

I recently saw a reference to "Censuses from 1861 to 1991 . . . in the Itailian islands). See:

http://dawinci.istat.it/daWinci/jsp/daw ... 0100522001

Can someone tell me whether censuses were indeed performed for Sicily and its provinces during that period, and whether there are searchable databases of the censuses?

Molto grazie--

Tim
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JamesBianco
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Re: Sicilian censuses

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There were census records or Riveli taken from the late 1500's to at least 1815, but I am not aware of a later census being available to the public yet. The Anagrafe could serve as a census device, and all of Italy kept them well into this past century. I am anxious to hear if anyone knows anything about this 1861 1871 or 1881 Census. The towns also kept a record called "Registri degli atti di cittadinanza" which might serve as a census.


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Jim
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timoteo
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Re: Sicilian censuses

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Hi, Jim--

Can you explain what the Anagraphe are, and what years they might span?

Thank you--

Tim
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Re: Sicilian censuses

Post by JamesBianco »

Anagrafe are basically a family "census" although much more detailed. It gives the head of household, his birthdate, parents names, death date , the same info for his wife, and a listing of all children (up to that point) with birthdates and notations of who they married and the date. Also, reference to the Anagrafe where they will be listed as a parent.
Fantastic documents for sure, stored in these HUGE books and kept from about 1865 forward.
Here is the one for my Great Great grandparents Osvaldantonio Delfavero & his wife Maria Anna Agnoli from Valle di Cadore, Provincia di Belluno It was so large I had to scan the left and right size seperately.

Part 1

Right side part 2

Jim :)
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timoteo
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Re: Sicilian censuses/anagraphe

Post by timoteo »

Hi, Jim--

Wow--that's quite a document! May I ask how you obtained it? (No great detail required--though I have a decent amount of information on my Sicilian ancestors from their immigration to the U.S. onwards, I have only started on obtaining such things as birth certificates and marriage certificates.) I just ordered a couple of films of Casteldaccia records from the Mormons that pertain to births, marriages, and deaths, but these anagraphe seem like real gold mines, and I will keep an eye out for them.

Thanks very much, cousin--

Tim
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Re: Sicilian censuses/anagraphe

Post by JamesBianco »

timoteo wrote:Hi, Jim--

Wow--that's quite a document! May I ask how you obtained it? (No great detail required--though I have a decent amount of information on my Sicilian ancestors from their immigration to the U.S. onwards, I have only started on obtaining such things as birth certificates and marriage certificates.) I just ordered a couple of films of Casteldaccia records from the Mormons that pertain to births, marriages, and deaths, but these anagraphe seem like real gold mines, and I will keep an eye out for them.

Thanks very much, cousin--

Tim
They are kept in the same room usually with the Stato Civile records, and yes they are wonderful. I have a couple others from different great grandparents. I love that it tells you who each sibling married and when.
On the one for my grandmother in Carini is written "Brooklyn" under the last column, I thought that was humerous. Brooklyn was well known enough in Sicily for them to list it without any other referance and spell it perfectly!
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Re: Sicilian censuses

Post by timoteo »

Man, it makes me want to run right over to Sicily. However, I was also provided the following source for the 1861, 1871, and 1871 censuses for ostansibly the Palermo area:

C. LEONE CARDINALE, Alia, in F. NICOTRA, Dizionario illustrato dei comuni siciliani, vol.I, Palermo, Società Editrice del Dizionario, 1907, p. 246. Cfr. anche Atti dei censimenti della popolazione del Regno negli anni 1861, 1871, 1881 e 1901, pubblicati dal Ministero di Agricoltura, Industria e Commercio, Direzione Generale della Statistica, Roma.

Now all I have to do is learn to read Italian cursive Italian, and I'll be all set.

Tim
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