Sicilian Proverbs, Sayings, and Expressions - ThoughtCo I am trying to trace my fathers family back as far as possible, but I get different ancestors names on different genealogical websites. The territory known as the "Mezzogiorno", to the south of Naples plus the island of Sicily, formed The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which was subject to Spain. I am desperately seeking information on my ancestors from Sicily. girl. If a dear friend or relative other The other day, she told my oldest brother that she would blow off his big toe if he didnt pay her the money he owed her. But Villalba church records for the years 1845 1913 are available on microfilms made by the Mormon church and can be rented for viewing at a Mormon Family History Center or FamilySearch Center. In defense of the record-keepers, it does take resources to answer our questions. Then Antonina died. I replied and it has enriched my life and many other members of our extended Sicilian family. Knowing the surnames of the spouses of female relatives is important. I dont mind it, though some Sicilians do. 50 Grandma Names Memaw. The birth records for the early 1900s are not on the Antenati site, but are on Ancestry.com through 1909. I am just me & my little boy now & would really like to finish my trail to my sicilian & Neapolitan roots. How to stuff an artichoke the easy way an ode to Grandmother and her Their names are Gervasi and Di Raimondo (Raymond). I would appreciate any information I want to find out more about my family history. The reason for In Blond hair, blue eyes. Great Grandma's Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe - Delicious! For years earlier than 1866, the microfilms must be ordered as previously noted. - (if applicable) your Italian great-grandparent's naturalization . by most Sicilian and Southern Italian families up until the early Angelo F. Coniglio The civil records are referred to as the Registri Stato Civile (Records of Civil Status). children, duly named in the Sicilian naming convention. Italian Word of the Day: Nonna - ThoughtCo Bedda Sicilia ~ She is a virtuoso in the kitchen. Ciminna is less than 20 miles from Caccamo, but even today, its a 40 minute drive. My father is Salvatory Previti His Mother was Angelina Previti. my own family, my father's brother Antonio Coniglio, my uncle, So he could have five grandsons, all his namesakes. It is possible that the spellings I have are slightly incorrect (ex: Ferrante or Ferranti ?). We have been looking for his records but have had no luck. If you cant find passenger manifests, but one or both were naturalized, go to the County Clerk in the place where they settled, and search for their naturalization papers: the Petition for Naturalization and Declaration of Intent. My paternal grandparents are from Villalba. I am an American with Sicilian grandparents. We have immigration docs from the ship grandfather arrived in. My grandma Mary was born in Louisiana and grew up in an almost exclusively Sicilian farming community called Highbank, Texas. In fact I had been living in Umbria for many years when I found my birth family. Rosarios birth record shows he was born on 23 January 1904 at Via Orologio. Laura: There are a number of difficulties here. The ending esi, isi, or ese generally implies from or pertaining to, as in from Calabria => Calabrese, so in this instance it could mean from a place called Barre or something similar to Barre. The 15 Best Things to Do in Sicily - Wandering Wheatleys I will be in Sicily the first time for business meetings in Catania in a couple of weeks and I plan to drive to Riesi to see the town and wanted to stop by the local cemetery to see if there are any Zuffanti (and DiTavi and Butera) family individuals buried there and put a photo of their tombstone in our listing, but I can find no listing of cemeteries in Riesi and there is no information on the Riesi municipal site and I see no cemeteries on Google Earth. It did not include Florence or Rome, nor any part of the southern Italian peninsula. Angelo, to my knowledge the Their destination was Russelville, Alabama. My father was in the 318 Italian Quarter master Battalian in ww2 he was a POW in camp Ono in san bernardino ca United States when he met my mother after he was sent back to Italy He wrote my mother several letters that her mother kept without telling her she never knew he wrote her until my grandmother passed and my aunt gave her the letters my Mother Hope passed away in April but I would love to know my Previti Family only know address is Messina Sicily anyone with any information please contact me Linda 1909-883-9348 or 19094986021 Thank You LINDA PREVITI, Write me a mail..,this is my address acocivera@hotmail.com or look for on Facebook like Annalisa Cocivera from messinasalvatore was my grandfather, My grandfather was Damiano Ferrara. A Sicilian meal is served in family majolica . I am familiar with the site http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/ and have found the birth civil record, listed with the husbands name. Five of them married and had sons. My family are Ciranna s from Biancavilla Sicily. Herself and my Papa practically raised me. Though, like any other people, there are times when family members have their differences with one another, they will always be there for each other. . least as far as the 1700's, six or seven generations back. Get the film for the years your great-grandparents were born and find their records of birth. He had a wife there Michela Ferrara(1882-1945). Thanks for reading! (see for a list). It shows in the records on familysearch.org website that they had 3 children who all died within a year. When he left Sicily is not known or where he went when he left Sicily. The territory known as the Mezzogiorno, to the south of Naples plus the island of Sicily, formed The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which was subject to Spain. But did not know where he came from. And that woman is my grandmother my Nana. I have been focusing my research (without success) on finding records in Ciminna . Since were discussing Sicily and there is a city and province of Bari that until 1860 was part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, it may be Bari that is reflected in this surname. I, for example was named Angelo My uncle soon re-married, a woman named I believe her father (my great great grandfathers name was POSSIBLY Carmelo Ferrante) and her mother (my great great grandmothers name was POSSIBLY Grazia Sambucaro??? What is the main church in Collasano and would the graves still exist? Its almost like they went to some other town in Sicily where they did not keep records. I have found records that confirm that Jan. 1, 1876) and his family are from Geraci, Siculo. is right and what is wrong. Any information or advice would be much appreciated. Now I make it whenever I'm feeling nostalgic. Once you find the age of the fathers and mothers of your great-grandparents, you can estimate their marriage year and try to find their marriage records, which will also give their ages and their parents names. His mother was still living in Agrigento at that time, so we believe that is the area he returned to. Dec. 1, 1888) and her family are from Bivona, Agrigento. Where to go and what to ask. I am so very proud of my hometown. Great Grandmother in Sicilian - English-Sicilian Dictionary | Glosbe Sicilian descent you may have wondered why you have several cousins Can you tell my where I could get a copy of the article/articles. One thing that I will always remember my mother saying as I was growing up is, If you lose everything else; youll still have your family., By Daria Radler After months of impatient waiting it finally happened. My father is stumped. My great grandfather was born in Messina, Sicily I estimate birth date in early 1860s. Civil records of birth, marriage and death were kept for everyone, even poor people. posterity. Leni, on the Aeolian isalnd of Salina, Province of Messina. 'She fell in love with an intellectual called Algarotti, who was writing a book about Isaac Newton and his alchemical search for the philosopher's stone,' she says. I have been on Ancestry.com with no success finding anything on him. But although Napoleon controlled Spain, British influence and military power kept him out of Sicily. Were there obituaries in 1892? She was born in Foggia, Italy. I rarely, if ever, see any traces of Northern European ancestry in Sicilians on 23&me. The Joanne and Angelo Details on the book and information on ordering can be found at, Digital nomads? Finding Your Sicilian Ancestors - Times of Sicily If the children had her surname, it could mean that they were born out of wedlock, and had their mothers surname. Ive been thinking ~ maybe I should do some searching in Caccamo. how do I find out about my Grandparents if I dont know the town or village from were they came? I have attached a little of what I know about my family. The word for grandmother in Italian is nonna whereas the plural is nonne. The surname for the child was listed as the husbands even though he was not the father. Do you have a copy of her 1897 manifest? and now CRISCI and BALISTRERI confirmed DNA family as well! This classic local breakfast is made up of a bowl of icy-cool granita and fresh-from-the-oven warm brioche. I plan a visit there. My experience shows that this exercise of looking for relatives can have very positive results. Are you sure they were married? What's The Difference Between Sicilian and Grandma-Style Pizza? They named her. Translation of "grandmother" into Sicilian ava, matri granni, nanna are the top translations of "grandmother" into Sicilian. Even though Villalbas historical civil registers of records still exist, and the town Anagrafe (Registry Office) has all their historical records digitized and in a computerized data base, they are delinquent in responding to mail or e-mail. My cousin told me, with tears in her eyes, that people had come to her office for years looking for relatives. My great grandfather Michele Grifasi(1873-1951) came from Sicily about 1906. That experience is another story. In addition to microfilm, some the Foggia records are viewable on line. They got married about 1899. My great grandmother (Anna Maria) was born in Ciminna in 1865. Here's how you say it. It was not a legally binding custom, but was so strong that it was thought to be so by many. When you go to Sicily, if youre serious about the search, you should plan on spending more than just a few hours in each ancestral town. I am in search of my grandmothers birth records so I can locate the family burial area. In some cases, the names of the paternal and maternal grandfathers of the newborn are given. In Marlin, they continued to farm, as well as operate the local liquor store named after my grandfather, Tony's Liquor. But, because neither style was originally forged in Italy, there is no one way to layer a Sicilian or Grandma pizza. girl. My question is, how can I find where he came from? My knowledge of Caccamo is vicarious, Ive never been there. This is picture of my great grandmother in Sicily, Italy. My great-great grandfathers name was Giuseppe Leone. My family is my life, which makes this an easy article to write. We have expanded to DNA for him as well, and he has some matches on the Sanfillipo side via autosomal testing. Catholic church records (Registri Ecclesiastici) may exist at the parish church where they were recorded, or in the main church (Chiesa Matrice) of the town, or at diocesan offices. My great grandmother was Carmella Landolina and she married Filippo Piazza. So my question to you is if you would have any suggestion on how I can find cemetery(s) in Rieis short of driving around in circles looking for one? subsequent child was not "named after the dead child", but it was She soon learned how that was our way of speaking with each other. Go to the town hall early on, and ask about the cemeterys hours of operation. Im trying to find info about his parents and Brothers and Sisters I want to know who my correct ancestors were, but I cant afford to hire a genealogist. My fathers cousin Charles Zuffante developed an excellent geological listing for the Zuffate/Zuffanti family back to the 1770s in Riesi Sicily, and periodically issued this with updates in book format to many Zuffante families in USA. I dont know of any, but a death record would give the decedents occupation. My grandmother makes these tender biscuits to go with her seafood chowder. Minchia (mink-key-ah) is one expression that you'll hear all around Sicily from Catania to Siracusa. Add the garlic, fresh chili, and dried Calabrian chili; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. A list of the microfilms is at http://bit.ly/RacalmutoCivilRecordsMicrofilms To find a FamilySearch Center near you, go to http://bit.ly/LocateFSCs Records for 1867 through 1902 are available free on line on familysearch.org at http://bit.ly/RacalmutoCivilRecordsOnline. It's also one of the most frequently used Sicilian words and phrases. I used several site to search my family on both sides & I got some leads but it was based on my childhood memories. Please dont assume that you can simply go to the cemetery at any time. and whether any offspring of his siblings or cousins remained in Villalba. The lack of response, unfortunately, is typical. Just found this web site These are your relatives who may have remained in Sicily. There was one instance that I spent all day in over a hundred degree weather, stripping the paint off of her garage and then repainting it with two coats; just so that shed cook for me. It is possible that he went to the UK. My email did not go thru I believe. No need to drive around as long as youre going to the town, go first to the municipio (town hall), and ask them Dove si trova il cimitero? You may have to hire a translator. Other situations could allow the 1. If you're of Im afraid I couldnt possibly know every town whose church records are on line. My grandparents were Michelangelo and Giuseppina Infurnari but the surname on my grandmothers tomb reads Giuseppa Falletta-Caravasso; we dont know where the name Falletta came from (it was not hers or her mothers maiden nor married name to our knowledge.) If you can, would you email me @ carrara at email dot com I would greatly appreciate any advice you could give me. His mothers name was Concetta Sciabica(spelling may be incorrect). Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, served as a crossroads for ancient civilizations. 100 of Grandma's All-Time Best Recipes - Taste Of Home Thank you. The surname they were born with was their name for life. His Children, my great grandfather Giovanni DiStefano and Great Grandmother Rosa S. Urso came in in 1907 and my uncle Melchiorre DiStefano came in 1905. Thank you in advance for your help! children after a strict code, is it any wonder that our Sicilian Sheet Pan Sicilian Pizza Recipe - Chef Billy Parisi Alfonso came to the US in October 1923 and returned to Sicily in 1932, dying shortly after his return(probably Aug-Sept of 1932). One thing that sets the Sicilians/Italians apart from other nationalities is the pride we take in our history and the traditions that we live by every day. We used to be known as the "Valley of Heart's Delight" (because the Valley was covered with orchards and there were many canneries to process the food grown here, which shipped all over the US) - now we have adopted the nickname "Capital of Silicon Valley" and Apple, Ebay, Adobe, Netflix, Facebook, and many more tech companies are within a few miles of my current home in San Jose (including AncientFaces). I shared this with my Uncle Anthony he told me that his father(Rosario), the one that came from Sicily when he was about 6, that his dad told him that he was dropped off from a ship on to Sicily when he was about 12. Most of all, I would love some help finding some information on my family and perhaps meeting some of my family members that still live in the area! There is very little information that I can find here in the United States and I am unsure as to where to begin or who I should speak to in Sicily, regarding this. Tony Scott - "True Romance" Sicilian Scene | Genius They named her Antonina. So I hope we get the chance to travel again and I am determined to learn proper Italian before we go; I will write to the Diocese, although I may have to invest in a local genealogist to assist. Ciao! Select the one you want and click the blue Search button, and a list of available records will appear. Civil records are kept in the Anagrafe (Registry Office) of each comune. In addition to being Emporer of France, he took the title King of Italy. who eventually would have his or her own grandchildren, who would in custom was so ingrained that if a man did, This repetition can cause problems