How to start, Rovigno/Rovinj family

[donnam717]

Hello all!
I am trying to dig into my father's genealogy. He was born in Rovigno in 1934, and was one of the ones who had to leave with the Yugoslavian/Italian border conflict in the 1950's. His father's side is Malusa, and his mother Quarantotto, many relocated to Trieste and Duino, my nonno, nonna, father and uncle were brought to the US on the USS Walter Greely. Where do I even begin to find information, through Croatia, through Italy? My father is still alive, but he seems to get frustrated I keep asking He says it is painful. Any help or ideas are appreciated!

Thanks,
Donna

[mmogno]

Lista dei registri parrocchiali in Istria, vedi pagine 170 – 176
http://library.foi.hr/knjige/knjiga.asp ... nica=00029

MKR – battesimi
MKV – matrimoni
MKU – decessi
MU – Ufficio anagrafe
ZU – Ufficio parrocchiale
DAPA – Archivio di Stato a Pazin (Pisino) https://www.dapa.hr/index.php/en/

[liviomoreno]

https://www.familysearch.org/search/ima ... %3D2040054

[donnam717]

Thank you for the links! For some reason I couldn't get back into the site until now. I will start searching.

[Cfarabegoli]

Hi, my husband is from the region and your family appears in tons and tons of records that I’m bumping into (I’m also doing a bit of research into his history. Easier because they didn’t emigrate. But WE emigrated together anyway, if the spelling is Malusa’ (with the accent) they were in Rovigno and a couple of them were killed during th German occupation. One actually a bit earlier, just after sept the 8th. The fastest way to find info is vi the Centro ricerche storiche in Rovigno. https://crsrv.org/biblioteca_e_archivio/ There’s almost too much information! I read the name in a book also available there in pdf by L. Giuricin, Memorie di una vita.
I also found via google a tax book from the 1924 which lists all taxpayers in the region, and Malusa’ comes up a number of times, there’s a shopkeepers, a barber, a “oste” (restorateur, but in the 1920s...)

[Cfarabegoli]

Sorry forgot to say that Quarantotto also appears on the list. One was a shop owner but did much better than the average according to the tax return!

I totally understand your dad but you should tell him that Istria is still a wonderful region. More often than not, if we go around and my husband speaks Croatian someone still looks at him as goes “picio, coss ti parli?” (Ask your dad). My father in law is from 1937 and he suffered as well, staying behind (not by choice), the trauma trickled down but...now it’s all Europe. The place is immensely beautiful. The nature glorious. The people welcoming and multicultural and...well, I can’t speak well enough of it.
You’ll find TONS of information, I’m sure. Not all will be happy stories, but it’s his story...it’s worth telling....

[Cfarabegoli]

I’ve done a quick search in one of the docs I’ve downloaded recently, and you’ll be pleased to know that both Malusa’ and Quarantotto we’re in the register of residents in Rovigno in 1595. Malusa also appears in a tax census in Orsera in 1668, clearly big families were at some point forced to spread to find land and houses...sorry I can’t sen you the entire pdf but I’m doing this via a phone and there’s just so much I can do to share files!

[Cfarabegoli]

Last one, and then I think you’ll have enough to dig for the rest of the decade: http://www.istrianet.org/istria/genealo ... /index.htm
I’m afraid it’s in Italian but basically says the family goes back to 1415, it was one the town reps (important families) and you can still find some writing on the architrave of a particular building dated 16something.

[Cfarabegoli]

Because of the pandemic I don’t think we’ll be able to go to Istria soon, but you can ask your dad if he remembers where he lived. As the first opportunity I can go and take pictures of his house, and then send them to you (then YOU judge if it’s ok to share. Some of the places have been used as tourist shops and it might break his heart to see it...but in general it’s a lovely village and the centre is quite preserved).

[donnam717]

!!!
Thank you so much! I gave it up for awhile, and didn't get any notifications of responses. I decided to look into it again and here are your replies. I am going to dig into them right now. I was speaking to a Croatian law firm and they said I need to find some proof if residency, but my father was 17 when he was relocated.

I will ask if he remembers where he lived. I remember as a kid standing by a house near the water*, and my father saying his aunt used to lower bread in a basket to them after school, telling them to be quiet and go away.

*I might be mistaking distances, I was 12.

[Cfarabegoli]

now it's me not receiving notifications....well, I've been trawling through the church records to find my huband's ancestors (who started in Rovigno then moved to Orsera and are now in Pula. Except for us who are in London and both the surnames pop up a million times. It'd be great fun I think to see how far back you can go. Does your dad speak any Italian, still? (dialect?) Because the Comunita' degli Italiani is quite helpful and active (or at least it was active when I went there the first time years ago), they have LOADS of information. See here: https://www.facebook.com/ciztrovigno
Both families were living in Rovigno and in Orsera, I have seen recently the tombstones of Quarantotto in the old cemetery in Orsera, the association of the 'esuli' also put up a stone in memory of those whom emigrated etc etc. It is quite a moving thing. I really think your dad would actually like to know that even if Italians have left, there is still a community going, the language is spoken, there are Italian schools, clubs, libraries, now that croatia is part of the EU there is also a less of a feeling of boundaries.
I've managed to find information from the 'catasto' (the town planning record) for Orsera, some families have names recorded in the maps, it might be possible to do the same for Rovigno but the easiest way is to ask the Comunita', also because there were really DOZENS of Quarantotto and Malusa'

I'm happy to help, if you need anything. We have actually gone to Istria over the summer, fingers crossed will go again in the spring...

[Cfarabegoli]

btw- the facebook page I posted also has links to the radio program that they still do in dialect in the region. Most days at 4pm local time on Radio Pula, this is the version for the radio of Rovigno. It sounds like a drunk venetian sailor with cotton wool in his mouth to the rest of the world, but maybe your dad would recognise it and like it?

[Cfarabegoli]

!!!
Thank you so much! I gave it up for awhile, and didn't get any notifications of responses. I decided to look into it again and here are your replies. I am going to dig into them right now. I was speaking to a Croatian law firm and they said I need to find some proof if residency, but my father was 17 when he was relocated.

I will ask if he remembers where he lived. I remember as a kid standing by a house near the water*, and my father saying his aunt used to lower bread in a basket to them after school, telling them to be quiet and go away.

*I might be mistaking distances, I was 12.

maybe it helps if I tag the response?

[clayton_ive]

A big thank you to everyone who gave tips in this discussion thread . For a long time, I had a vague curiosity about my family ties to Europe. Was told our family was Italian. Had heard mention of Trieste, but was confused when I saw my great grandfather's birth certificate, born in Rovinj 1901. Family tree searching felt too big and confusing, but the discussion here, and links and tips, made it easier to understand. This thread has been a big help in my research of the Ive family from Rovinj. Regards, Clayton Ive

[clayton_ive]

Hi folks,

This thread has been a big help. Used the links and suggestions here to find more material on the Ive family. Great grandfather born in Rovinj 1901.

Has anyone searched for distant family in Europe now? If yes, how did you do this?

Thanks,

Clayton Ive