Planning for Fall Trip !!
As always, my trip (see www.gentracer.com/lastrip.html) to Italy in March was wonderful! I'm looking forward to returning in October/November 2011 (see www.gentracer.com/nextrip.html).
Monday, 28 February
Fly SLC-CDG
Tuesday, 1 March
fly CDG-MXP
fly MXP-CTA
pickup car
reservation in Belpasso, B&B closed when I arrived
stayed at Hotel La Fenice in Belpasso, very fancy!
Wednesday, 2 March
met with potential heir in Linguaglossa
worked in Stato Civile in Linguaglossa, getting documents and ordering more to pick up on Friday.
met with another potential heir in Linguaglossa
stayed at Hotel Villa Soles in Santa Flavia
Thursday, 3 March
arrived in Montemaggiore Belsito at 8:45. Church open, but no one in sight. Took photos
read catasto tirreni for Altavilla Milicia in Archivio di Stato in Palermo
stayed at Hotel Gelso Bianco in Catania, more than I like to spend, but a good location at the junction of two freeways just outside Catania and near the airport and free internet.
Friday, 4 March
worked in Stato Civile in Linguaglossa, picking up documents ordered on Wednesday and ordering more for Wednesday. Took photos
stayed at Hotel Bella Vista in Castiglione
Saturday, 5 March
Woke up to a flat tire. My hostess had told me to call her if I had any problems, so I did. She not only found someone to change the tire, but took the damaged tire to the shop while I was working and had it ready for me the next morning. What service!
met with potential heirs in Linguaglossa
met with cousins of clients in Linguaglossa. It's a small world, she called a friend who is married to someone with the same family name, hoping for a connection. While we couldn't find a connection, he was one of the folks I'd met earlier working on another project in Linguaglossa.
stayed at Hotel Bella Vista in Castiglione
Sunday, 6 March
caught up on email
stayed at Hotel Camere Enny in Alcamo, good highway access, internet access, and large rooms!
Monday, 7 March
Stato Civile at Castellammare del Golfo said I could pick up documents on Thursday and didn't even want to look at the books I could see from my side of the desk, nor did they know that there were copies of their registers at the Archivio di Stato in Palermo. Took photos. Good thing we have copies of these registers for the years I need on microfilm in SLC.
Stato Civile at Calatafimi was very busy and asked me to come back on Thursday. Did meet a man with the same name as an ancestor of my client so I showed him the family chart. He didn't know his family that far back (of course). He was a young man registering the birth of his daughter. Took photos. Counting my blessings with these records for the years I need also on microfilm in SLC.
Stayed at Camere Enny in Alcamo, a new favorite place!
Tuesday, 8 March
Stato Civile at Roccapalumba said I could pick up documents next week. They also didn't want to look at the books on the shelves, nor did they know that duplicate registers were at the Archivio di Stato in Palermo. Took photos. Again, grateful for the microfilmed civil and church records for this town and the years I need in SLC.
Stopped at the church in Montemaggiore Belsito again. This time it was closed completely. Took more photos. Need to write to the church and stop here again in November. Unfortunately, these records aren't available on microfilm.
Stayed at Hotel Park Capo Mulino in Acireale, a favorite place! Good highway access and free internet.
Wednesday, 9 March
worked in Stato Civile in Linguaglossa, picking up the last of the necessary documents. These folks filled all my requests, were friendly and helpful, just great to work with!! So glad to be doing this project in Linguaglossa instead of the last three towns where I had to wait days or a week just to get one document. I walked out of Linguaglossa with two current addresses, 4 birth extracts, 2 marriage extracts, 3 family groups. It's much easier for the court approved translator to deal with these extracts than the microfilmed records I normally use where you not only deal with the archaic language, but also the handwriting.
met with potential heirs in Linguaglossa and their friend, an American teaching English in the area. What nice folks, wish I could have spent more time with them!
stayed at Hotel Vittoria in Rosarno, another favorite place with free internet and easy access to the autostrada!
Thursday, 10 March
drove through construction zones most of the day. I can see the progress from one trip to the next, but with so many tunnels under construction, it will be a while before it's all done. But there are parts of that highway that are now complete and great to drive, giving hope for the next trip.
Stayed at Hotel Sabbiadoro in Battipaglia, another favorite place. Nice and quiet until the weekends when it fills with families. Close to highway, train station, free internet in lobby. Really appreciated the quiet...
Friday, 11 March
worked in the stato civile registers for Meta at the Archivio di Stato in Napoli. My email order had gotten confused and they were kind enough to work hard to get the registers I needed that afternoon instead of next week. They'd sent me an email that morning and were feeling a little guilty for being so late in responding to my request. Worked in my favor. They store the records in another location and usually need at least a week to bring them into the reading room for use. Great to find the records for one birth and two marriages in the 10 volumes I was able to order! Generally a volume is one year's worth of births, marriages and deaths for a small town. Generally they have the records for each town for 1809-1865.
stayed at Hotel Sabbiadoro in Battipaglia
Saturday, 12 March
worked in the stato civile registers for Sala Consilina at the Archivio di Stato in Salerno. Three records per pull, 3 pulls on Saturday, fortunate to find two marriages with accompanying supplementary documents in those 9 record books. Here I was able to use my digital camera, much better to document the search than the notes I was limited to in Napoli. Generally, they have the records for each town for 1809-1865. However, the Salerno city records don't start until 1812.
stayed at Hotel Sabbiadoro in Battipaglia, walking on the beach in the evening just a few steps from the hotel, very nice with Salerno in the curve of the bay as the lights came on.
Sunday, 13 March
visited Salerno Cemetery (Commonwealth, WWII) this morning and got some nice photos. Appreciate the way the family is able to add to the tombstone, makes it more personal in such a huge cemetery where all the stones look much the same. But their regimental symbol is also on the headstone, so already more personal than the US war cemeteries where only names and dates and regiments are listed on the stones. The overcast was perfect for tombstone photos and the rain (thankfully) started an hour or so later.
Internet down most of the day, satellite access poor in this bad weather. I haven't done email since Thursday with taking the train from Battipaglia in and out of Napoli and Salerno. Still better than taking the car, but 12 hour days are very long. Couldn't see Salerno this evening with the storm clouds, but the surf was up (I grew up in California) and I enjoyed the walk next to the stormy sea.
Monday, 14 March
Stato Civile in Castelvenere, BN was most helpful and friendly. Found some wonderful information and took photos on my way out of town. We have microfilmed records for this town for 1809-1860 so can continue the search in those records, as well as in Philadelphia. The surprise was they they lived in Philadelphia from about 1889-1895 before moving there for good a few years later.
church in Castro dei Volsci walked around town most of afternoon before church opened (S. Oliva). The priest said he works the whole zone and is only in this church on Monday afternoon. I asked about research in the records and he explained his schedule to me again, implying that there just isn't time. I asked if I could write and he said he didn't know if anyone would do the research. We already know that the Diocese has no provisions for researchers and no copies of parish registers.
stayed at Hotel Tivoli outside of Roma
Tuesday, 15 March
stato civile at Collelongo, AQ said they had only records from 1900, although she pulled the 1900 book from the middle of the shelf to do one search for me before telling me that I'd need to know the exact year and she couldn't do more. Good thing we have microfilmed records for this town for these years.
Down the road at stato civile at Trasacco, AQ she said the bombing had destroyed the records before 1886. She did search two years for a marriage with negative results and one year for a birth before sending me to the anagrafe office down the hall. He searched for this family, but didn't locate them, not a surprise (but a hope) since family stories had the man born here marrying and having children in Collelongo. Again, good thing we have microfilmed records for this town so that the search can continue.
stato civile at Carsoli, AQ was closed in the afternoon, contrary to the internet listing
stayed at Filippone Hotel in Goia dei Marsi
Wednesday, 16 March
stato civile at Carsoli, AQ was busy, but after waiting for a couple of folks to finish, she let me behind the counter to read the records she found for me and get the details that aren't in the extracts she provided. Decorations going up for Italian birthday the next day in the main piazza, great fun!
Stato civile in Manoppello was friendly and helpful, but although she searched 1880-1884, she didn't locate the name we'd hoped to find, in fact no one with that name was born here in that time frame. His mother's name was common in the area, although a search for her marriage was also negative. She suggested we try nearby Lettomanoppello.
stayed at Filippone Hotel in Goia dei Marsi
Thursday, 17 March
Italian birthday, most offices closed, good day to make the long drive up to Genova area. Sunny at the start, scattered showers later, but still a lovely drive!
stayed at Al Castello in Gavi, a good location, internet, easy parking, a good pick!
Friday, 18 March
Lumarzo Stato civile remembered me. Said she's found and sent the documents I'd requested in November, but they were returned. She said she could find them again and have them for me in the morning, and would I mind meeting with the Mayor in the morning in regards to this famous family. Can't really say no...
Drove up to Olevano and placed an order in the stato civile to pick up on Monday. Then I talked to the lady living next to the church. She said it closed three months earlier and the priest was now living in nearby San Giorgio di Lomellina, holding mass at the other church in Olevano only on Sunday since he was now working in two towns.
Stopped in San Giorgio di Lomellina and found the main church closed.
stayed at Al Castello in Gavi
Saturday, 19 March
Lumarzo stato cvile had my documents ready and the mayor asked if I wanted to meet with other cousins of this family. I said no, he'd also introduced me to a man from the province who was interested in this family since they hold a celebration every year in his honor in the hometown of his mother. (he was born in America). After a while he wore me down and I met the ladies who had apparently been waiting elsewhere in the building. They were wonderful and friendly and we all had our photos taken with the Mayor and talked about the family. I told them my plans to attend Mass the next morning in their town in hopes of getting in to the church records afterwards.
stayed at Al Castello in Gavi
Sunday, 20 March
On my way into town for Mass, I stopped in the little suburb where the mother was born. As I was exploring, one of the ladies from the day before popped out of here house and invited me in for coffee. Her daughter was there and so was the third lady after a quick phone call. We enjoyed coffee together and they had the key to the little (rarely used) church in that suburb so I was able to go inside and get photos. We then went to the cemetery and looked at the burials of their family while I took notes, hoping to find the connection to the famous family. They think they know the connection, but there are three possibilities that will take further research to prove or disprove. I promised to work on it before my return in November. They were wonderfully hospitable and friendly, will enjoy returning! The priest didn't show for Mass, apparently this wasn't a surprise since everyone knows his mother is old and ill and this is normal.
stayed at Al Castello in Gavi
Monday, 21 March
Olevano stato civile
Olevano church
stayed at Airport Hotel Motel in Lonate Pozzolo, near Malpensa airport
Tuesday, 22 March
fly MXP-CDG
stayed at B&B, CDG Roissy
Wednesday, 23 March
fly CDG-SLC
I'm offering professional research services in Italy and Sicily on my next trip in March 2011. The completed report includes a log of locations and records searched, an analysis of the information found, and copies or extracts of the documents located. On-site research can also include extracts from local phone books, and/or photos of the area. In some cases, I can accompany a client to view their ancestral town and meet (and translate) with Italian cousins. Please reserve your time soon, since it fills quickly. Future trips are planned for each spring and fall. More details are available at my on-site research page at www.gentracer.com/onsite.html. To see some comments from clients, please see www.gentracer.com/references.html.
So far...I'm planning to research in Caselle Torinese, Rossi, Florence American Cemetery, Alberobello, Roma, Cassino, Salerno, and Lucca on the mainland, and Sambuca di Sicilia, Montemaggiore Belsito, Roccapalumba, and Motta Sant'Anastasia in Sicily. I'm looking forward to meeting with both American and Italian friends (old and new), as well as returning to favorite places and visiting towns I haven't seen before!
My latest book on CD is titled Sicily, Part 1 and Part 2 is now available on 2 CDs. With a file for each town (plus many other files), it relates the history of Sicily as reflected in the photos, records and festivals of its towns. It contains over 2500 text and photo files and can be ordered at CD order.
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