Visiting in Italy

[RJFLET]

Hello:
I am new to the board, So please forgive me if i make mistakes!!
My husband and i along with my sister and friend will be visiting in Italy this summer.
I already have the birth location of my grandfather in Italy in Lecce, Italy.
I know he came to the USA in 1913 and left a family behind in Italy.
I have his parents names and marriage record.
Is it possible to get a Family certificate on the Parents while i am in Italy?? Or do i need to write for this??
I have been emailing a possible family member back in Italy for about 2 years now and plan to meet with him and his family. They all speak Italian. A friend of his has been translating my email messages for him.
I am excited about our trip to Italy and would like to come back with a lot of information on the family of my grandfather.
Any suggestions whould be welcome.
Thanks Rita

[nuccia]

Hi Rita!

I think you will be able to visit the comune and ask for what you need. I would visit early in your trip to give them some time to locate the request or have your family member perhaps ask for you.

You will find usually people very receptive when you go in person. But again, this is only from what I have heard. I have not done it persoanlly. Hopefully others will be able to share their experiences with you.

[Italysearcher]

I suggest your write to both the local priest and the town, telling them what you are looking for and giving the dates you will be in town. Take a copy of the letter with you when you go. Thy may not have done anything with it but they will be more likely to help you with a copy in your hand. Write in Italian about one month before you go. Have a great trip. Take the potential relative with you if possible.

[PeterTimber]

Go to http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/pearlsofwi ... tters.html for form letters in Italian language whichyou can prepare and send forward adivising them you willpick up the documents you wish in person. Since the service is free perhaps a tip in euros is in order when you get there.

Go to www.nonsolocap.it and put int he name of the comune and thern click on the comune name when it comes up for the web page with names and addresses there.

The biggest problem maybe the priest ( but why would you need church records??) since they canbe obstinate, not interested etc etc. Be prepared to offer to hire a researcher of his choosing to go thru the records and be generous. =Peter=

[RJFLET]

Thanks to Nuccia, Italysearcher and Peter for you suggestions. I will go ahead and write to Italy in advance and have my letter with me when i arrive.
Thank You very Much!!
Rita

[nazca]

Hi Rita,
wellcome to the forum,
this is the e-mail address "certificati.anagrafe@comune.lecce.it" to request informations about certificate and civil records. Try to send a mail to obtain information before your trip in Italy. I think there is no problem to obtain a "stato di famiglia" certificate : it is not too old...
i don't know how long is your vacancy but,Maybe, the better way to obtain a certificate is to ask at your connection in Lecce how to do it.

Have a nice trip in Italy...

Best regards

[RJFLET]

Nazca:
Thank You for the email address!!
And Good luck in your search for your lost family.
I do hope to find my grandfather's family he left behind in Italy. He left a wife and two small children when he came to America in 1913. I know they are deceased by now, But hoping they left behind decendents.
I was only 9 years old when my grandfather passed and have but few memories but he did often speak of his family he left behind.
I am researching the surnames back in Italy. My grandfather was Domenico Brodi the son of Vitus Brodi and Maria Sardi, Maria was the daughter of Antoni Sardi...
The other family surnames are Petrini,Carrisi,Torrisi,Rosi,Baroni
From what i can make out they were all from the Lecce area for many years prior to my grandfather's birth.
Thanks again
Rita

[nazca]

Hi Rita,
you have another way to get informations :write a letter (better in italian) to:
Comune di Lecce
SETTORE SERVIZI DEMOGRAFICI - Archivio Storico
Via Lombardia,7
73100 - LECCE
This is the historical civil records office: i think is better try this other way to obtain informations. You write all name surname and date you know and what you are searching for, for example, if your grandfather children was married or not . The date of wedding is often write into the register side by side with date of birth...
Good luck in your search ...

best regards