Genova-Italy around between 1680-1730

[elsaanschuetz]

I am in the quest of building my family tree. One of my ancestors named, Carlos Tapanes Caruana, was born in Genova. His parents were Juan Bautista and Catarina. He emigrated to Matanzas-Cuba where he founded the first hospital in Matanzas in 1749.

Since Italy was emerged in 1871, then how can I find out more information about them and where to go for information?

Thank you!

[adelfio]

Welcome to IG website
Do you have records of Carlos Tapanes Caruana showing he was from Genova?
The surname Caruana is found in the province of Agrigento

Marty

[PeterTimber]

The branch of the caruana family that relates to Carlos Tapanes Caruana and his establishment of a hospital in Matanzas Cuba and his family are all listed in the http://www.Ancestry.com in a message board portion and runs for 3 pages by names with no indication of any Italian connection. The Caruana surname as Marty states is listed in Sicily. There is no Italian surname dictionary listing for caruana by base surname no variations or derivations. Please advise us of the source of your information about Italy or Genova, Italy. Carlo Caruana birth place Italy is unsourced. Peter

[carubia]

The branch of the caruana family that relates to Carlos Tapanes Caruana and his establishment of a hospital in Matanzas Cuba and his family are all listed in the http://www.Ancestry.com in a message board portion and runs for 3 pages by names with no indication of any Italian connection.

I think the OP is the only one on that thread on the Ancestry message board that made the connection of the Tapanes family from Matanzas with the name Caruana. She mentions her source as being a genealogist. A different person on thread said, "I have documentation taking me back to the 1730's where the first Tapanes in my family tree was born in Cuba of a couple that was comprised of Carlos Tapanes who has emigrated from Genoa, Italy and his wife Angela Diaz who was born in Matanzas Cuba of Spanish parents." He went on to say, "With regards to the Italian connection, I am assured by the genealogist which helped me to obtain these documents that the first Tapanes to reach Cuba was Carlo Tapanes (could have been Tapani/Trapanese) from Genoa Italy." The name Trapani seems more likely to me if he were from Sicily, but if he were from Campania, Trapanese would be a strong possibility. Maybe Genova was only the port of embarkation for the ship.

There is no Italian surname dictionary listing for caruana by base surname no variations or derivations.

Peter, what do you mean by this? What dictionary are you referring to?
I note that the surname Caruana does have, or at least used to have, one variation in Sicily: Garuana (due to the fact that a hard "c" in Sicilian often sounds like a hard "g").

[elsaanschuetz]

All this is so interesting, and thank you all for responding to my message. I am so glad that I am not the only in the quest to find the roots of Carlos Tapanes Caruana.
I got my information also from a genealogist that indicated that Carlos and his parents were from Genova-Italy. But it's true, back then it could have been the port where all the cities, provenience, and even islands that made up Italy used to take off to other countries since Italy only emerged in 1871.
How can we further investigate their origin in the Italian region for those years? Is their a list of names somewhere of the people who used the port in Genova during that time period? Maybe we can find their names and where they came from.

I open to any suggestions that would help me in the search of the Tapanes-Caruana family!
Thank you!
Elsa.

[carubia]

I'm curious as to what records the genealogist used to conclude that he and his parents were from Genova and also that he had a double surname.

[suanj]

I'm curious as to what records the genealogist used to conclude that he and his parents were from Genova and also that he had a double surname.

me too.. I am curious... Caruana is a sicilian surname and Tapanes is ( most probably) the mispelled version of maiden name of Carlos mother.... I believe that Genova town and communes in the Genova province.. it is no Carlos birthplace....
Best regards,
suanj

[PeterTimber]

Elsa can you contact the genealogist and ascertain just what resource determined a Genova area birth or departure to Cuba? In 3 pages of Caruana family listing including the family related to the hospital installation in Matanzas, Cuba did not disclose anything of an Italian Connection. Please let us know how we can assist you further? Peter

[carubia]

In 3 pages of Caruana family listing including the family related to the hospital installation in Matanzas, Cuba did not disclose anything of an Italian Connection.

Don't you mean Tapanes family listing, or was there another thread that discussed Caruana?

[PeterTimber]

Since there was no connection to Italy I relied on the Italian custom of using the fathers last name as the guiding search. The use of Tapanes-Caruana is a Spanish Custom and not readily recognized in Italy. Peter

[PeterTimber]

The http://boards.ancestry.com/searchresults.aspx? has numerous references to Caruana which may prove helpful to your research objectives. You might also try Tapanes and Tapanes-Caruana Peter

[rgtapanes]

Good afternoon. I know this is an old thread, but I have some information to add which might be of help and re-vive the conversation. My name is Rolando Tapanes. My family has been in Cuba for about 6-7 generations, but through the help of a genealogist, I was able to take it back to the first ancestor which was Carlo Tapanes which was really Carlo Tappani of Genoa. While Tapanes is a derivation which was used once they established themselves in Cuba, the birth certificate for Carlo's Cuban born son Nicholas, lists his paternal grandparents as Juan Bautista Tappani (of Genoa) and Catarina Caruona ( of Genoa). The father Carlo Tappani is also listed as having been born in Genoa. I would like to add that I have been to the region of Liguria and in the town of Chiavari, there is a main thoroughfare called Viale Tappani.

Hope this helps.

Rolando Tapanes

[carubia]

The name Tappani is mainly found in Piacenza now (which is not that far from Liguria), but there are a few people with that name in Genoa. However, they may have moved there more recently, since larger cities tend to attract people.

Caruona is not found in Italy, but Caruana is not uncommon. It was originally an Agrigento name but many Sicilians migrated to northern Italy, so there are a number of people with that name now in Genoa. I can't say if that was true 7 generations ago, though.

[pink67]

The Tappani were well known ship builders in Chiavari. And a Francesco Tappani was also a Major of the city.

http://www.scmncamogli.org/oldsite/arma ... at_nar.htm

However I believe that the Tappani of Chiavari were in origin coming from the town of Recco, (found out that Matteo Tappani of Chiavari who died on 1924 at 91, was born in Recco, and was the son of Francesco who was born in Recco too) pretty near to Genoa. I found a little reference of a Joseph Tappani son of the late Michelangelo listed in the 1806 census in Recco. Here the link:

http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... ewsIndex=0

Laura

[pink67]

Found also a "Tapani" in the 1806 census of Molassana, a fraction of Genoa town... cannot recognize well the name but it looks like Tapani Augustin...

http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... ewsIndex=0