Trouble deciphering a location

[lsoderman]

The image below was pulled from the 1855 Argentine Census, and shows the reported birthplace of my GGGGrandfather, Bartolo Piaggio. I can read the Genova fairly easily, but the place name to the left of it is difficult as I do not know Italy very well.

Does this look familiar to anyone?

[Italysearcher]

Could be Lido di Marano, Genova.

[lsoderman]

Could be Lido di Marano, Genova.

I did a search on Google for that but came up with nothing. Is that an antiquated or out of use name?

[johnnyonthespot]

It sure looks like Mairano to me. There are four such places that I am aware of:

Comune di Mairano, Provincia di Brescia, Regione di Lombardia, Northwestern Italy

Frazione Mairano, Comune di Casaletto Lodigiano, Provincia di Lodi, Regione di Lombardia, Northwestern Italy

Frazione Mairano, Comune di Noviglio, Provincia di Milano, Regione di Lombardia, Northwestern Italy

Frazione Mairano, Comune di Casteggio, Provincia di Pavia, Regione di Lombardia, Northwestern Italy


Quite possibly one of those was once a part of Provincia di Genova. Plotting all of them on a Google map ( http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... e=UTF8&z=7 ) the one most likely to have changed from Genova to another province seems to be Frazione Mairano, Comune di Casteggio, Provincia di Pavia, Regione di Lombardia, Northwestern Italy

[johnnyonthespot]

There are 87 Piaggio's listed in the Italian white pages within the province of Genova ( http://www.paginebianche.it/execute.cgi ... btt=1&om=0 ), but none at all in the entire province of Pavia...

[johnnyonthespot]

Another possibility? Moirano?

Frazione Moirano, Comune di Acqui Terme, Provincia di Alessandria, Regione di Piemonte, Northwestern Italy

[johnnyonthespot]

Cross-posted in thread http://italiangenealogy.com/Forums/view ... 7737.html/

[lsoderman]

Another possibility? Moirano?

Frazione Moirano, Comune di Acqui Terme, Provincia di Alessandria, Regione di Piemonte, Northwestern Italy

I think this is the more likely choice, closer to Genoa. Would there normally be records in Acqui Terme? Or would those be in Genoa?

[johnnyonthespot]

I agree, this is a more likely choice.

So, if Moirano was always a small village/hamlet (a "frazione") then it would have fallen under the administrative jurisdiction of a nearby larger comune.

One possibility is that it was always under Acqui Terme. However it is also possible that it was once a frazione of a comune within the (shifting?) borders of the province of Genova.

Also, it is not out of the question that your ancestor, when asked of his birthplace, simply said "Moirano near Genova" because more people were familiar with Genova than with Alessandria.

If you think Moirano might be correct, then you need to look to Acqui Terme for civil records.

[liviomoreno]

I doubt that Moirano ever was a frazione of Genova, there are about 50 miles between the two places...

I would first try to find the Civil records in Genova.

[liviomoreno]

What about Neirone, Genova?

[johnnyonthespot]

I doubt that Moirano ever was a frazione of Genova, there are about 50 miles between the two places...

I would first try to find the Civil records in Genova.

Livio,

My interpretation of the original document is that the person reported that he was born in the "city" of Moirano (sp?), in the "country" of Genova.

So, we are looking for a place named Moirano (Mairano, etc) within the province of Genova, don't you agree?

[liviomoreno]

I doubt that Moirano ever was a frazione of Genova, there are about 50 miles between the two places...

I would first try to find the Civil records in Genova.

Livio,

My interpretation of the original document is that the person reported that he was born in the "city" of Moirano (sp?), in the "country" of Genova.

So, we are looking for a place named Moirano (Mairano, etc) within the province of Genova, don't you agree?

It makes sense.

[liviomoreno]

For what it's worth...

If we look at the census sheet: https://www.familysearch.org/search/ima ... 1779_00023
the person below Bartolo Piaggio and living with him was born in Coronata, a frazione of Genova, other persons in the same sheet are from Carasco, close to Genova

[Incipit]

Some other lines from the same document would help to decipher these one...