Research: Italian Ancestors

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: Research: Italian Ancestors

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

So you want to research your Italian ancestors! Welcome to a fascinating area of genealogical research. Italians have contributed to all aspects of life in the countries they immigrated to. They often came poor and destitute, seeking a better life for themselves and their families. Hard work and placing great value on family helped them to excel within their new country. Their sacrifices provided a better life for their descendants. 

Italian research can be done well by anyone, whether you know the Italian language or think you have linguistic ability. Most Italian records follow a standard format which is a great help when working in records created in a foreign language. Your language proficiency will grow with time and experience as you work with the records.

This course will provide you with a solid foundation with which to begin your research. We will discuss, amongst other things:

Historical Considerations – How did historical events affect record keeping? 

Finding Your Ancestor’s Place of Origin – Why is it important?

Political Jurisdictions – How can you find the records if you don’t know how and why they were created?

Language Resources – What languages are the records written in?  Can I research in the records without being fluent in Italian? What about the handwriting?

Available Record Types – We will discuss civil, ecclesiastical, and other records.

Accessing the Records – Where are the records and what archives are there?

Research Tips and Practical Applications – I’ll share tips gained from my experiences such as  how to accurately cite a microfilmed civil record.

History of Italian Immigration – The course contains short summaries of Italian immigration to six different countries. 

There are several more advanced resources that will be discussed briefly, but not expanded upon, because this course is meant to be a general overview of Italian genealogical research. Consider taking more advanced courses later, once you have more experience, where these records can be covered in more depth. By the end of the course, I have confidence you will be ready to start your Italian research and will say Andiamo! [Let’s go!] 

Course Length: 8 weeks