Genealogy in Italy and Italian Family History: Surnames, Names, Birth, Matrimony, Death, Residency, Census: Documents on your Italian Ancestors

Italian Family History
Genealogy in Italy

Documents on your family

To search you family history you have to proceed back in time through generations.
This is a list of documents for your Italian genealogy starting from the newest. That is starting from the easiest documents to find (the documents of your grandparents or great-grandparents) back to documents on your most ancient ancestors.

Civil Registration Records (1946-present) (Anagrafe and Stato Civile)
These documents include:
- birth records (atti di nascita)
- marriage records (atti di matrimonio)
- death records (atti di morte)
- family status certificate (stato di famiglia)
These documents can be found in the local level, and the access is sometimes limited due to privacy laws.

Kingdom of Italy (1865–1946)
When Italy became unified in 1860 with the name of Regno d'Italia the Italian government instituted an uniform administrative system.
Few years latter, in 1866, begun the registration of civil vital records that extend to the present.
These documents include:
- birth records (atti di nascita)
- marriage records (atti di matrimonio)
- death records (atti di morte)
These documents can be found in the local level, in the town in which your ancestors lived.

Tuscany, Certificate of Act of Matrimony, 1866

Napoli, Act of Birth, 1898
Sicily, Act of Matrimony, 1898
Act of Birth, Ancona 1882

Central Italy, Certificate of Act of Matrimony, 1868
Sicily, Act of Birth, 1867
Tuscany, Act of Birth, 1878
Tuscany, Certificate of Family Status, 1936

Sicily, Extract of Act of Birth, 1892
Campobasso, Certificate of an Act of Birth 1849
Act of Birth, Molise, 1880
North Italy, Certificate of Act of Death, 1928

Restoration (1815–1865)
During this period there was no central government in Italy. Civil registation was kept by parish priests or other authorities in different ways from town
to town and from region to region.
Documents of this period can be found in State archives (Archivi di stato) and in Archives of the Parishes (Archivi parrocchiali).

North Italy, Acts of Matrimony, 1819
Central Italy, Act of Matrimony, 1827
South Italy, Certificate of Act of Matrimony, 1849
Pisa Acts of Death, 1858

Central Italy, Acts of Matrimony, 1846
Tuscany, Acts of Birth 1828

Central Italy, Acts of Deaths, 1829
Piedmont, Act of Birth, 1845

Tuscany, Acts of Birth, 1833
Tuscany, Acts of Matrimony, 1859
North Italy, Act of Matrimony, 1846

Civil Registration Records (1804-1815)
When Napoleon annexed large portions of Italy the French begun to keep civil records.
These early Italian records of birth, marriage and death cover the years 1804-1815 and can be found in the Italian state archives (Archivi di stato)

Church Registers (16th century . . .)
In the year 1563 during Council of Trent the Catholic Church required priests to keep records of baptisms (battesimi),
marriages (matrimoni), confirmations (cresime) and burials (sepolture).
Since then churches recorded all acts relevant for genealogy.
The parish archives store the baptisms, marriages, deaths and confirmations of the inhabitants of the parish.
In some case the Registri Parrocchiali
holds the census of the parish (status animarum) a very good resource for genalogy.



Documents on your family To search you family history you have to proceed back in time through generations. This is a list of documents for your Italian genealogy starting from the newest. That is starting from the easiest documents to find (the documents of your grandparents or great-grandparents) back to documents on your most ancient ancestors.
*Civil Registration Records (1946-present) (Anagrafe* and Stato Civile)** These documents include: - birth records (atti di nascita) - marriage records (atti di matrimonio) - death records (atti di morte) - family status certificate (stato di famiglia) These documents can be found in the local level, and the access is sometimes limited due to privacy laws.
	Kingdom of Italy (1865–1946) When Italy became unified in 1860 with the name of Regno d'Italia the Italian government instituted an uniform administrative system. Few years latter, in 1866, begun the registration of civil vital records that extend to the present. These documents include: - birth records (atti di nascita) - marriage records (atti di matrimonio) - death records (atti di morte) These documents can be found in the local level, in the town in which your ancestors lived.
Tuscany, Certificate of Act of Matrimony, 1866	Napoli, Act of Birth, 1898	Sicily, Act of Matrimony, 1898	Act of Birth, Ancona 1882
Central Italy, Certificate of Act of Matrimony, 1868	Sicily, Act of Birth, 1867	Tuscany, Act of Birth, 1878	Tuscany, Certificate of Family Status, 1936
Sicily, Extract of Act of Birth, 1892	Campobasso, Certificate of an Act of Birth 1849	Act of Birth, Molise, 1880	North Italy, Certificate of Act of Death, 1928

Restoration (1815–1865) During this period there was no central government in Italy. Civil registation was kept by parish priests or other authorities in different ways from town to town and from region to region. Documents of this period can be found in State archives (Archivi di stato) and in Archives of the Parishes (Archivi parrocchiali).

North Italy, Acts of Matrimony, 1819	Central Italy, Act of Matrimony, 1827	South Italy, Certificate of Act of Matrimony, 1849	Pisa Acts of Death, 1858
Central Italy, Acts of Matrimony, 1846	Tuscany, Acts of Birth 1828	Central Italy, Acts of Deaths, 1829	Piedmont, Act of Birth, 1845
Tuscany, Acts of Birth, 1833	Tuscany, Acts of Matrimony, 1859	North Italy, Act of Matrimony, 1846

Civil Registration Records (1804-1815) When Napoleon annexed large portions of Italy the French begun to keep civil records. These early Italian records of birth, marriage and death cover the years 1804-1815 and can be found in the Italian state archives (Archivi di stato)

Church Registers (16th century . . .) In the year 1563 during Council of Trent the Catholic Church required priests to keep records of baptisms (battesimi), marriages (matrimoni), confirmations (cresime) and burials (sepolture). Since then churches recorded all acts relevant for genealogy. The parish archives store the baptisms, marriages, deaths and confirmations of the inhabitants of the parish. In some case the Registri Parrocchiali holds the census of the parish (status animarum) a very good resource for genalogy.