ORIGINS ITALY Guest Blogger: Louise Coakley Many Italian-Americans may have relatives in Australia, some of whom may have lost touch with each other since immigrating to different countries decades ago. As family elders now reminisce and younger generations crave knowledge of their family history, the advances in technology combine to make it a perfect time to get online and rediscover long lost relatives. Although there were smaller intakes of Italian immigrants to Australia in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, by…
My paternal grandmother, Loredana Carla Pia Maria Stenech (now Tedesco), was born in the quaint northern Italian town of Rovereto, Italy. Located in the Province of Trento, Rovereto, is nestled in the Dolomites and boasts about 37,500 residents. I call my grandmother “Noni, an endearing diminutive of Nonna, the Italian word for grandmother. Telling Noni’s story is extremely important to me since she has encouraged my passion and pursuit of Italian genealogy more than anyone else. She is my heroine…
My grandfather, Edward Tedesco, was born in the small Calabrian community of San Pietro a Maida, Italy. It is an ancient town surrounded by lush green mountains covered with thousands of the most beautiful olive trees you have ever seen. So enchanting is the scenery that you can sit entranced for hours imagining how wonderful life is. But beyond this ambient serenity, few outside the region are aware that from these lovely family groves comes a rare secret olive oil…
The quest to find your Italian roots is a wonderful adventure. I receive many inquiries each day from people interested in beginning their journey with Italian genealogical research. The road to the next discovery is not always clear, but with perseverance and a desire to continue to learn, all things are possible. I was honored to recently write an guest article for Ancestry.com’s blog about “Getting Started with Italian Genealogy.” The following topics are covered in the article: Creating and storing…
Many people feel that their affection for Tuscany stems from the food, the wine and the breathtaking countryside. But my love for Tuscany starts with the accent. The Tuscan people speak Italian with an endearing twist. My favorite characteristic is that c’s turn into h’s in Tuscany. Casa is pronounced “hasa;” Coca Cola becomes “Hoha hola.” I imagine that my Tuscan ancestors sounded something like this when they talked so many years ago. My great grandmother, Tecla Pellegrini, was born…
There is no question that I love Italy. Nothing makes me happier than stepping off the plane and onto the eternal streets of Italy. The history, the culture, the language, the people and, of course, the wonderful food make my visits full of life and enchantment. I hope to share my excitement with many of you. My enthusiasm for Italian Family History research is part nostalgia, part curiosity and part insanity. I’d rather be in the arcane basement of an…