Italian: Language and Location

NOTE: This course requires compulsory materials to be ordered.

The Book, “Finding Your Italian Ancestors – A Beginner’s Guide”by Suzanne Russo Adams, AG is available at GenealogyStore.com

Optional Print Course Material: Italian: Language and Location

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Understanding, or being able to decipher, the languages found with Italian genealogical documents is an essential skill needed to effectively research your Italian ancestors. While most records are in Italian, you will find other languages within the records depending on the history of the town or region you are researching. Emphasis is placed on reading the handwriting and how to translate and understand basic Italian records.

While topics discussed in this course will give you a solid understanding of the basics needed to understand Italian genealogical records, we cannot cover everything in the space allotted for this course. After the course ends, you will need to take time to study the language, the handwriting, as well as the cultural context of the records, in order to fully understand what the records your ancestors left behind truly reveal.

Locating places within Italy can be confusing until you understand the political and ecclesiastical jurisdictions. We will review these jurisdictions and look at a variety of ways that will help you narrow your search for your ancestor’s town of origin. If you already know the town of origin, this section may help as your research expands as the research often leads into nearby towns, due to the practice of marrying outside a town’s populace. 

Course Length: 7 weeks