Exploring and finding our Italian family history helps us not only to understand our ancestors, but also to understand and appreciate ourselves. It is an incredible journey. Some will strive to trace their tree back to the Roman Emperor Constantine while others simply want to discover the names of their great grandparents. Whatever your motivations and goals, your journey will be paved with many rewards and probably a few surprises and challenges along the way. Genealogy is not always easy…
Believe it or not, you can learn a lot about Italian genealogy by attending Irish family history lectures. The beauty of the genealogy skill set is that it can be applied to nearly any nationality or ethnicity. When researching our immigrant ancestors in the United States, research methodology tends to be consistent across the board whether your family is Irish, Russian, Croatian or Chinese. Certainly, there are unique aspects of research (like language, record sets, repositories or collections) that may…
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A visit to your ancestral town in Italy will change your life. Nowhere else will you feel a more familiar sense of deep connection than at the epicenter of your Italian roots—your ancestral town. Here are five reasons you should get on the next plane to visit you ancestral town in Italy: THE GENEALOGY. (Of course!!!) In Italy, every town has its unique grouping of surnames that make it like nowhere else. When you return to your ancestral town, your…
“The Italian Americans” aired nationally on PBS on Tuesday, February 17, 2015, from 9-11 PM ET and Tuesday, February 24, 2015, from 9-11 PM ET. Since nearly 16 million Americans can trace their roots back to Italy, there is a natural curiosity among many about the “old country” and about the struggles our ancestors endured to make a better life for us in the USA. The series triggered emotions including a combination of nostalgia, pride and desire to learn more about…
The Season 2 finale of PBS’s “Genealogy Roadshow” is now available online! “The Best of Genealogy Roadshow” features some of our favorite stories and memorable moments from Season 1 and Season 2 featuring Hosts Mary Tedesco, Kenyatta D. Berry, and D. Joshua Taylor. Thank you for watching season 2 of “Genealogy Roadshow.” Please like the official “Genealogy Roadshow” Facebook page for updates about future cities and seasons. Click here to watch @ PBS.org! Photo credit: Pat Garin.