Heritage & Ancestry

Your great-grandfather owned a piece of land in Calabria. He farmed it before he left Italy. He sold it or

If you have Italian ancestry, you probably know about civil records and the Antenati portal. But there is another set

You found the record. Your great-grandmother’s birth certificate. A marriage entry from 1882. A death record from a village in

Learn exactly how to contact an Italian comune to request birth, marriage, and death certificates for your Italian ancestors. Includes bilingual letter templates, tips on finding your ancestral town, and what to do when records are hard to find.

Millions of Italian-Americans carry surnames that look different from their Italian cousins. The popular story blames Ellis Island officers. But

Your great-grandparents left Italy over a century ago. They boarded a ship at Naples or Palermo, crossed the Atlantic, and

Your great-grandparents left a village in southern Italy. They crossed the Atlantic in steerage class. They arrived at Ellis Island

Somewhere in Italy, there are people who share your surname, your nose, and your grandmother’s recipe for Sunday sauce. They

Your great-grandfather boarded a ship in Naples. He carried a cardboard suitcase and a hope he could barely name. Somewhere

If your grandfather was called Antonio, there is a good chance his father was also called Antonio. And his grandfather

Most Italian-Americans can name the region their family came from. Many know the province. A few know the village. But

DNA testing has changed Italian ancestry research forever. A simple saliva sample can now tell you whether your family came

If your family came from northern Italy, there is a chance your roots lead to Valle d’Aosta. This small Alpine

If your Italian ancestors came from Trentino, you belong to one of the most distinctive diaspora communities in history. Millions

Umbria is one of Italy’s most overlooked regions for heritage travel. It sits in the heart of the country, landlocked