The best part of being an Italian genealogist is traveling to Italy on behalf of clients to conduct research using Italian records that are not online, microfilmed or easily accessible from the United States. Being enchanted by the land and its people is an inherent benefit of professional Italian genealogy research. In 2013, I took two trips to Italy spending about three and a half months in beautiful Italia. The more I see of Italy, the more I love this wonderful land of my ancestors.
In 2013, I visited and/or conducted research in the following Italian locations:
- Calabria: San Pietro a Maida, Maida, Catanzaro, Lamezia Terme, Curinga.
- Lazio: Rome, Frosinone, Ceccano.
- Le Marche: Ancona, Fabriano, Sassoferrato.
- Liguria: Genova.
- Sicily: Palermo, Catania.
- Trentino-Alto Adige: Rovereto, Trento, Laghetti di Egna, Sorni di Lavis, Lavis, Brennero.
- Tuscany: Florence, Siena, Chiusi, Sarteano, Montepulciano, Piombino.
- Umbria: Perugia.
This is a total of 8 Italian Regions, 12 Provinces, and 25+ cities and towns. Onsite research locations included 8 Archivi di Stato (Italian State Archives), several Catholic Diocesan Archives, many municipal offices, and more cemeteries than I can recall at the moment.
Travel is mostly by train and occasionally by plane if the locations are a significant distance from one another – like Palermo to Rome. One of my relatives referred to me as the “Trenitalia Customer of the Year.” I’m still waiting to hear from Italian train operator, Trenitalia, about my award. Just kidding!
Besides shuttling around Italy in 2013, I also saw a bit of the USA while attending genealogy conferences and conducting research – Salt Lake City, UT (twice); Las Vegas, NV (Yes, for a conference!); Portsmouth, NH; and Fort Wayne, IN. 2013’s genealogy travel airline mileage total is over 25,000 miles. I loved it!
I’m now planning my client research trips for 2014. It’s exciting. The challenging logistics of Italian travel will be offset by the charming inevitable adventures that arise while helping to solve the riddles of Italian family histories! And in between client research projects, I make it a point to visit my cousins and my family’s ancestral towns. Through my travels, I have grown to appreciate and adore small town Italy. I hope each of you will also be able to share in the wealth of culture and beauty that are the earmarks of our beloved ancestral homeland.
Have a wonderful and prosperous New Year! Buon Anno 2014!
-Mary M. Tedesco, ORIGINS ITALY.
