Sanzaro from Sortino

[drsuess1828]

I'm trying to get copies of my grandparents birth certificates and marriage license. I've applied with the USCIS for copies of their Naturalization records.

My grandfather, Giuseppe Ambrosia Sanzaro was born on Nov 16,1890 in Sortino. He traveled to the US several times, but his last trip was with his wife and family and arrived in NYC on April 19, 1924. He became a citizen on October 1, 1931.

My grandmother Sofia Giardino Sanzaro was born in Sortino on September 10, 1897. She married my grandfather on July 22, 1922 in Sortino. She traveled to the US arriving in NYC on April 19, 1924. She became a citizen on May 10, 1943.

My mother was born in the US in 1927. So I'm hoping that once I have copies of everything, I'll be able to apply for Italian citizenship.

What's the best way for me to get copies of my grandparents' birth certificates and marriage license from Sortino? I'm half tempted to fly to Sicily and try to track them down myself.

Thank you.
drsuess1828

[mmogno]

.... She married my grandfather on July 22, 1922 in Sortino.
....
drsuess1828

I am not able to find the marriage certificate on that date in Sortino.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cat=595332

[erudita74]

There's a church marriage record in Sortino July 22, 1922

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... at=2526107

You must sign in with a user name and password to view the record.

[drsuess1828]

Thank you so much. If I travel to Sortino, where would I be able to get a copy of that record? I'm also hoping to get copies of their birth records.

[erudita74]

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... at=2526107

Baptism of Sofia Giardino, daughter of Sebastiano (Giardino) and Cesarea Di Pietro, on Sept 14, 1896 not 1897. Born on the 10th at 10 P.M. Godmother: Lucia di Pietro, daughter of Luigi (Di Pietro).

The address for the church is:

Chiesa Madre San Giovanni Apostolo ed Evangelista
Via Principe di Piermonte, 47
96010 Sortino SR Italia

for civil records:

email: stato.civile@comunesortino.gov.it

Sorry, but I can't help you with dual citizenship requirements.

Erudita

[cedrone]

It seems that civil registers of Sortino of 1922 are not available on Antenati or Family Search.
If you shoud ask Italian citizenship, you need the certificate from the Stato Civile of the Comune, not that from the parish.
You should ask the certificate for this purpose to the Comune even by mail,
it should be sent without any tax or payment.
Some comuni ask the payment of the postage. It's better if sent by registered mail. If you should present the certificate also to the authorities of your Country, ask a multilingual certificate (Italian/English or Spanish, etc.)

[erudita74]

@cedrone

there are civil marriage records for Sortino from 1920 to 1929 available on family search but, as mmogno previously stated above, there is no record for the date given by the poster for the marriage (July 22, 1922). I myself rechecked that year, and others, and there is no civil marriage record in Sortino. I didn't find any missing records in the various years either. I realize that it's odd that a couple in Italy, at that point in history, only had a church marriage, and not a civil one, but does that mean that their descendants are not eligible to apply for dual citizenship, if a civil paper trail can't be found? I'm asking this question primarily out of my own curiosity, but also to give the poster a heads up concerning a potential problem in trying to obtain dual citizenship.

Erudita

[cedrone]

I found the registers of Sortino on Family Search, I had not looked well before.
I saw that there are also the church registers of Sortino, that should be where you found the marriage act you posted, in this case with the date indicated by the poster.
Before 1929 civil marriage and religious marriage were separated, but I still don't know how they used to do, if both in the same day, or in two following days or at a greater distance.
As you say, it should be odd only a church marriage.
Have you looked also in the years after 1922?
It would be possible they married first on church and later also with civil marriage because for some reason they couldn't do together (I found a similar case in which was missing the civil birth act, a court decision was necessary to correct the error).
This is only a suggestion, however a mistake should have been found and corrected during the life of the persons, I think.

[drsuess1828]

My cousin is headed to Sortino tomorrow (15 Oct) and would like to go to the church where his mother was baptized. Is there any way to find out which church? Her name was Sofia (Sara) Sanzaro born 26 April 1923 to Guiseppe Ambrosia Sanzaro and Sofia Giardino Sanzaro. Thank you.