Italian Genealogical Records: How to Use Italian Civil, Ecclesiastical & Other Records in Family History Research

by Trafford R. Cole

Filled with practical advice that will help anyone obtain the information they seek through Italian records, Italian Genealogical Records is a comprehensive guide to the complexities and nuances of what could otherwise be a daunting task. In this book, the author discusses the history and development of Italian record keeping, providing reproductions of typical records and a complete translation and thorough explanation of each. Among the many other topics covered in this book are the significance of Italian surnames and the relevance of Italian noble families in the search for Italian ancestors.

Genres: Italy

265 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1995

Reviews

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have if you are researching your Italian ancestry!

[Dennis Boccippio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is, well, excellent. It provides as much insight into history, culture, customs and practices as it does on record discovery interpretation, and the former is really critical in making sense of the latter. The only drawback is it is dated (1995), thus silent on use of current internet or DNA practices to conduct research, but that shouldn't stop you, it's a starting point not an ending point.

[Peter Barbella · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to study your Italian heritage, run, don't walk, to get this book.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book for anyone who is researching Italian ancestry. I learned a lot reading this book and it helped me not only to understand more the records I was reading/translating on microfilm but also the history behind what I was finding. For instance, I was baffled that so many of my family members had illegitimate children until I understood from reading the book, that they were married in the eyes of the Church but not the government. Because there was a period of time that the Pope forbade them to register the marriages civilly. This is a must have if you research Italian genealogy.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a truly outstanding work. Well-written, fcat filled, concise, orderly. Dr. Cole covers all the important topics very well. If you buy just one book on Italian genealogy, this is the one.
Using just this book, a subscription to POINT journal, an Italian dictionary, and a Latin dictionary I was able to go through the LDS films of my grandfather's ancestral town and in a few months easily trace most of his lines back to the 1500s.