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What to Know About Italian Parish Records
If you have hit a brick wall in your Italian genealogy research, searching Italian parish records might be your answer.
This is because Italian parish records contain a wealth of information and go back centuries without interruptions.
In this article, I will tell you what you need to know about Italian Parish Records so that you can locate more records to help you complete your family history.
Civil records are more accessible than church records, but they did not start until 1866 or 1867 in most parts of Italy.
This can be a problem if your great-grandfather was born in 1864 like mine was. That is why I turned to Italian parish records.
I’m going to share where to find Italian Parish records online, how to read church records, how to write a letter to the church asking for records, and what to do if they don’t reply.
What Are Italian Parish Records?
Italian parish records are church records. They are an important part of beginning your Italian genealogical research.
The terms parish and church can be used interchangeably, but while there might be many churches in a small town, only one of them will be the parish church. The parish church holds the records for all the churchgoers in the area.
Each parish was required to keep records of these life events of their parishioners:
- Baptism
- Marriage
- Death
The baptism took place as close to the baby’s birth as possible. The baptism record, Atti di Baptesimo, contained the baby’s name, the parent’s name, the baptism date, and maybe the date of birth.
The marriage records, Atti di Matrimonio, usually contained the names of the bride and groom, the names of their parents, the names of previous spouses, their professions, and sometimes their addresses.
The marriage records might also include the marriage banns which were announcements of the upcoming marriage that had to be posted or announced for three consecutive Sundays before the ceremony in case of any objections.
Death records, or Atti di Morte, are the least reliable for someone’s age since the people announcing the death might not know, but they will still contain other useful information.
You might also find confirmation records and a State of the Souls, or Stato delle Anime, which is like a census record.
Why Are Italian Parish Records So Important?
Italian parish records are important because they contain so much information. Church recordkeeping goes back in time to 1595 with no interruptions. If records were destroyed in war, floods, or earthquakes, people lined up later to reconstruct them orally.
The big historical event that affected recordkeeping was the Council of Trent which lasted from 1545-1563. During these twenty years, the church consolidated and unified its basic doctrines.
One of the changes was that they divided the population into parishes. You could no longer go to any church you wanted to but rather you had to go to a local church in your parish.
Another important thing that happened was that every parish was required to create registers where they recorded the important life events of their parishioners like baptism, marriage, and death.
Where Can You Find Italian Parish Records Online?
Some Italian church records have been digitized and you can search for them on FamilySearch or Portale Antenati (best for finding Italian civil records).
However, most have not been digitized and can’t be found online.
See if they are online by searching the town of your ancestor in the place search field in the Family History library catalog: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog
If there are any online parish records for your town, they will show up in a list of record types. If there are none for your town, try searching under the province or region.
Another website to try is ItalianParishRecords.org.
Again, most of these records are not online, so you will have to write to the parish to ask for the records.
How Do You Write To The Parish To Ask For Records?
If you can’t find the parish records online (which is very likely), your next step is to write an email or letter to the church to ask for them.
To write to the parish to ask for records, look up the email or address of the church on these websites: www.chiesacattolica.it and www.parrocchie.it
Address your email or letter to the priest and write it in Italian. Use Google Translate to translate your letter into Italian. Or use the letter writing guide on FamilySearch to compose your letter.
Use a formal tone. Address the priest properly with Rev.mo Parroco (Most Reverend Parish priest) or Egregio Padre (Dear Father).
Introduce yourself and explain where you are from, how you are related, and why you want the full copy of the birth certificate.
Provide your ancestor’s name, date of birth, and place of birth (parish or town). Provide your ancestor’s parent’s names if known.
Ask for an estratto (summary) and the certificate. Attach a copy of your photo ID. Provide your postal address so they can send you the stamped certificate and ask for an email copy as well.
Expect to pay or donate about €10–€30. But before sending money, wait for a reply and then figure out how to handle the payment.
What If You Don’t Get A Reply?
Don’t get discouraged and don’t take it personally if you don’t get a reply. It’s not uncommon to not get a response or for the reply to take several months.
Churches are understaffed and the priest has many other obligations. They are also under no obligation to reply. However, many will respond and will be very helpful.
If you don’t receive a reply after several months, you could hire a genealogist to make the request and go there in person. That way they can also handle the payment or donation.
If you don’t want to hire a genealogist, then start planning a trip to Italy to visit the church and the cemeteries. Write another letter or email before you arrive letting them know you are coming in person.
How Do You Ask For Records In Person?
To ask to see the records in person, write to the priest and tell them when you will be visiting the area. Ask him for a day and time to come explore the records.
Tell him the name of your ancestor you are looking for and the year of birth so they can quickly steer you in the right direction when you get there.
If you don’t hear back from them, then just go to the church, introduce yourself, and explain what you are looking for. Don’t forget to explore the cemeteries which are usually next to the church.
Explore the Cemeteries
Once, I was looking around in a cemetery in Italy when the priest came out and asked what I was doing. I explained that several gravestones had my last name on them and I wondered if they were my ancestors. My last name is not common so this was a possibility.
He took all my information and a few months later he sent me an airmail letter (this was back in the late 80’s) tracing “my family” back to the 1500s. A few months later, he sent another letter with more information.
I was ecstatic to receive these letters and overjoyed to think I had finally found my ancestors. But unfortunately, the dates did not add up so my search continued. But this story shows you that some priests are very willing to help.
How Do You Read Church Records?
Reading church records can seem overwhelming at first since they are written in cursive and usually in Latin.
First, figure out what your ancestor’s name would be in Latin. For example, Giuseppe is Josephus in Latin. Luigi is Aloysius. Once I realized this, I was able to unlock my family history.
Next, get the Latin word list and handwriting guide from the FamilySearch Wiki.
Finally, look for these key phrases:
- Baptizatus/a est – “Was baptized.”
- Natus/a est die – “Was born on [date].”
- Ex legitimo matrimonio – “From lawful marriage,” referring to legitimate parentage.
- Patrini – Godparents.
- Filius/filia – “Son/daughter” of [names of parents].
- Viduus/vidua – “Widower/widow,” indicating marital status.
- Testes – Witnesses.
You can find more phrases like these on the Italian Genealogical Word List Family Search Wiki.
FAQs
Do Italian Parish Records Include Non-Catholics?
Italian parish records do not include non-Catholics. The dominant religion in Italy is the Catholic religion. If your ancestors were Jewish or Presbyterian, you will not find their records in the Italian Parish Records.
Can You Take Photos Of Your Records At The Church?
You might be able to take photos of your ancestor’s records at the church. This will depend on the policies of the particular church. Make sure to ask first. If photos are not allowed ask if you can transcribe them or pay for an official copy.
Are You Expected To You Give A Donation?
Yes, you should expect to donate €10–€30 when you ask for Italian parish records.
Use Italian Parish Records To Find Your Ancestors
As a descendant of Italians, you know your ancestors left their traces in the church records.
Don’t be discouraged if you can’t find them in the online records or if the priest doesn’t answer your email. Start thinking about creating a memorable trip to Italy to find your ancestors.
Read More Of My Best Genealogy Tips and Stories:
- How To Start Finding Your Italian Roots From Home
- How To Use Portale Antenati To Find Your Missing Family Member
- Search For Giuseppe – My Lifelong Quest To Find The Italian Birthplace of My Great-Grandfather
- Finding Angela – My Italian Genealogy Research Reveals An Amazing Discovery
- Is Hiring A Genealogist Worth It In Italy?
