Pacella - Muro Lucano, Potenza; Basilicata

[Angelovittorio]

Hello

I am Angelo.

I was born in NYC to Angelo Alfredo Pacella (American born) and Maria Rosa Mondello (b. San Fratello, Sicily)

My paternal grandfather, Vito, and his siblings were born in Muro Lucano http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muro_Lucano

My great-grandfather was Michael

I would love to learn more of my family history earlier than Michael and Muro Lucano. Thank you.

[wldspirit]

You would need to send for birth, death and marrige acts to the town of origin. The Lds has microfilmed records, however, they only cover up to 1865.

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library ... ato+civile++

To find the address of the Ufficio di Stato Civile:

http://www.servizidemografici.interno.i ... ascript=si

To obtain a simple form letter:

http://circolocalabrese.org/resources/letters/index.asp

wldspirit

[GFare]

There is a Muro Lucano Genealogy website that has much information about Muro Lucano, many genealogy links, and you can search a database for surnames of Muro Lucano from 1810 to 1860.

http://murolucano.webs.com/

JFarenga

[PeterTimber]

If you take the earliest parents in the 1810 period you can then trace that back to about 1790 or earlier. There are about6 churches in Muro Lucano but none have telephone numbers indicating there is no resident priest so perhaps somewhere in the Diocese of Muro Lucano you can find out where the records are kept. =Peter=

[PeterTimber]

Got it! www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dpmlm.html =Peter=

[Angelovittorio]

You would need to send for birth, death and marrige acts to the town of origin. The Lds has microfilmed records, however, they only cover up to 1865.

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library ... ato+civile++

To find the address of the Ufficio di Stato Civile:

http://www.servizidemografici.interno.i ... ascript=si

To obtain a simple form letter:

http://circolocalabrese.org/resources/letters/index.asp

wldspirit

Thanks for your input. I visited Muro Lucano and spent a day at the Officio but could not narrow down the documents to my family.

The name Pacella, in Muro Lucano, is as common as Smith or Jones here. Add to that the commonality of the names Vito and Michael and it was truly like searching for a needle in a haystack.

[Angelovittorio]

There is a Muro Lucano Genealogy website that has much information about Muro Lucano, many genealogy links, and you can search a database for surnames of Muro Lucano from 1810 to 1860.

http://murolucano.webs.com/

JFarenga

Yeah, tried that. I never get any hits for my various searches. Everything comes up blank, which is very odd unless the site simply doesn't work.

[PeterTimber]

You make no mention of church records???=Peter=

[GFare]

Do you know the approximate years of birth for your grandfather Vito Pacella and your great grandfather Michele Pacella.? The web site murolucano.webs.com/ only has Muro Lucano civil records from 1810 to 1860. I maintain the database for this site. If you can be more specific as to dates or possibly sibling names, I will be glad to help in your search. However, if the birth dates are after 1860, then your only recourse is to look for help from the Civil records office in Muro Lucano or the Church of San Andrea for church records. As you have already learned, you need specific dates if you expect them to provide information.

JFarenga

[Angelovittorio]

Do you know the approximate years of birth for your grandfather Vito Pacella and your great grandfather Michele Pacella.? The web site murolucano.webs.com/ only has Muro Lucano civil records from 1810 to 1860. I maintain the database for this site. If you can be more specific as to dates or possibly sibling names, I will be glad to help in your search. However, if the birth dates are after 1860, then your only recourse is to look for help from the Civil records office in Muro Lucano or the Church of San Andrea for church records. As you have already learned, you need specific dates if you expect them to provide information.

JFarenga

ah, well unfortunately both are post 1860

I visited the Civil Records office in Muro Lucano, about 10 years ago, spent a day unsuccessfully trying to narrow down the records to pin-point my grandfather.

Ironically, the Director of the office was also a Pacella... EVERYONE in that city seemed to be a Pacella

My limited command of Italian didn't help my cause much.

I'll pull out my files containing dates and sibling's names and see if I can find anything through the church

thanks so much for the assist.

edit: ultimately I want to trace back as far as possible, beyond my great-grandfather. I'm aware of the possibility, yet unsubstantiated, that my tree can be traced to German immigrants to Italy in the 1600s

[Angelovittorio]

Got it! www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dpmlm.html =Peter=

Sorry, I don't quite understand this. The link only takes me to a page of church history

[PeterTimber]

so that you can more easily search for the church records by having the information contained in the website I provided. =Peter=

[Angelovittorio]

that website only contains the history of the church, its bishops and ordinaries. I see no where to search church records. Am I missing something?

[PeterTimber]

It is the referral to these church people who are in a position to know where the church records are archived and be the people to inquire about the church records. =Peter=

[wldspirit]

The archdiocese covers 59 parishes, the following link will provide you with the names, addresses of all:

Potenza

There are exactly 6 parishes in the town of Muro Lucano.

wldspirit