researching Italians in S.America

[kencwalker]

The "Ancestor went to South America" thread caught my eye . I'm starting a new topic to avoid hijacking that one.

While looking through my mother's old photos, I found one of my maternal grandfather posed with his mother in Italy. A hidden note on the back says "foto of daddy and nonna Marianna made for uncle Pilatti in South America (nonna's brother)".
I was totally unaware of any relatives in South America before I saw this. Granted my mother's great uncle is a distant relative, but still......
So, my question: knowing this, how and where would you suggest I research "Uncle Pilatti" and his migration to S.America? I have names for 3 of bisnonna's 6 siblings, and might be able to find them in the civil records. (Unfortunately, some may have been born before the LDS films start in 1866.) From there...???
Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Grazie!!
-Ken

[PippoM]

Was Pilatti your GM's maiden surname, or do you think it's her brother's first name?

[kencwalker]

Pippo,
Pilatti is her family name. Full name: Marianna Pilatti (born 1854 in Madesimo per marriage record).
Family history lists the following siblings: Battista, "Chris" (Cristoforo?), and "Lawrence" (?) Pilatti (birth dates and locations unknown). There are 3 or 4 more, names unknown.
Grazie,
-Ken

[kencwalker]

A search of Atti di Nascita in Madesimo/Isolato confirmed a Lorenzo Pilatti born in 1869 to Battista Pilatti and Maddalena Curti (same parents as Marianna Pilatti). So Lawrence is probably Lorenzo.
Birth record has a note about marriage in 1911 (in Chiavenna). Unfortunately, no other father/mother matches found in records from 1866-1868.

[mark04ox]

Hi,

Genealogical records online for South America are still a bit patchy. However, you can find a lot of Argentine records on Familysearch, and Argentina was where most Italians went (contrary to American myth, this was not an accident--they were equally happy to go to Argentina, Australia, or the US, since they were just looking for jobs, not the so-called 'American dream'). Of course, many also went to Venezuela, Brazil, and elsewhere in Latin America, but Argentina was the most popular destination.

A cursory search on Google shows that there are plenty of people in Argentina with the surname Pilatti, so you should have something to work with.

Bear in mind when searching that just as Italians in the US tended to Anglicise their names, Italians in Argentina tended to adopt Spanish versions of their names. 'Michele' became 'Miguel', but surnames were also sometimes given Spanish-sounding equivalents. For example, the surname Rubertone in my family was Anglicised in the US to Ruberton, but in Argentina, it became Robertone.

Best of luck.

[PippoM]

This record seems to be quite interesting...

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XFR6-325

[PippoM]

Here is the related image:

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1 ... cc=1972912

[PippoM]

I found this, too...

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRHS-S96

[kencwalker]

Buongiorno Pippo,
Grazie. You beat me to the search. This is interesting stuff!
A brother born in 1860 certainly fits the family timeline (Marianna born in 1854 and Lorenzo in 1868 or 69). Husband's given name and spouse's birthplace are a puzzle.
Any suggestions on an Italian equivalent to Santiago?
What comune would be "Santa Cruz"? (translates to English as "Saint Cross", San---- in Itay?)
I didn't see any obvious matches searching a list of comunes in Sondrio.

Birth record for Lorenzo Pilatti Curti is curious. I don't have a Antonio Pilatti Curti in my tree, but I think I have a Lorenzo Pilatti, and family names Pilatti and Curti. Who knows? maybe another branch?
Ancora - grazie mille!
-Ken

[mmogno]

http://italia.indettaglio.it/ita/lombar ... croce.html

[kencwalker]

mmogno,
Nice research. Thanks for the tip. Santa Croce! So obvious. LOL
We have an expression for small towns in Texas: "a wide spot in the road".
This place doesn't even have a wide spot....
Unfortunately, LDS films start in 1866...just a little too late to find spouse Ursula's birth.
Thanks,
-Ken

[James Graham]

Any suggestions on an Italian equivalent to Santiago?

Santiago is usually translated to James in English.

Maybe in Italian - Giacomo or Vincenzo

[kencwalker]

Any suggestions on an Italian equivalent to Santiago?

Santiago is usually translated to James in English.
Maybe in Italian - Giacomo or Vincenzo

Of course, James knew the answer.
I was just finishing my name entomology...fascinating stuff on BehindtheName.com
Apparently all of these names go back to Jacob in Hebrew.
http://www.behindthename.com/name/james

Thanks for sharing,
-Ken

[PippoM]

Yes, Santiago is spanish for Giacomo (Sant'Iago)
James is also used for Vincenzo, because it "sounds" like some dialectal versions of the name (Cienz')