Italian Historical Genealogical Archive: 12 Million Records for Your Story
The largest private archive in Italy. An invaluable heritage of data, documents, and stories waiting to be rediscovered. Each record is a fundamental piece to reconstruct your family tree.
What the Archive Contains
The archive stems from years of field research and systematic digitization of Italian civil and religious sources: birth, marriage, and death certificates from the Civil Registry, parish records of baptism and marriage, census registers (stati delle anime), and, for some municipalities, draft lists and notarial acts. Each file contains essential personal data of the ancestor — first name, surname, municipality, and when available the date of the event — and serves as the first clue from which to start a comprehensive documentary search.
Who Can Benefit From This Archive
The database is designed especially for those who have an ancestor who emigrated from Italy — to the United States, Argentina, Brazil, or other destinations of Italian emigration — and want an initial confirmation before starting a full genealogical research project. It is equally useful for those evaluating an application for Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) and needing to identify the Italian municipality of origin of their ancestor, an indispensable step for subsequently requesting official records.
How Searching the Database Works
Searching is simple: just enter the ancestor's first and last name (or, if known, those of the parents) into the genealogy database to obtain initial results. Finding a name in the archive does not mean having the complete research, but rather having a concrete starting point — a municipality, a year, a family branch — upon which to build subsequent inquiries at the relevant State, Diocesan, and Municipal Archives.
What If Your Ancestor Is Not Yet in the Database?
The database is updated regularly, but it cannot yet cover every Italian municipality and archive. If an initial search returns no results, it does not mean your family history is out of reach: it is a sign to move on to a customized feasibility study, free and non-binding, where available sources and the real chances of success for the investigation are evaluated together.