Category Archives: Italy

Fiorenza’s story

On 29 October 1912, my great-grandmother Giovanna Amerio sailed from the Italian port city of Genoa on the SS Duca di Genova, bound for New York. Crossing the chilly North Atlantic in late autumn would take a full two weeks, … Continue reading

Posted in Archives, Italy, San Marzano Oliveto, Ships, United States, World War II | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

My Italian family tree keeps on growing… in unexpected ways!

Nota bene: There is a simplified family tree at the end of this article, which some of you may find helpful to navigate the numerous Pietros, Marias and Giovannas mentioned in the text. I think one of the main reasons … Continue reading

Posted in Genealogy, Italy, San Marzano Oliveto | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A flurry of potentially new cousins

These last two months I have been kept very busy by delving deeper and deeper into my Italian ancestry. Ever since I discovered that at least two of my great-great-great-grandparents shared the same surname (Terzano), I wondered whether these two … Continue reading

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My mysterious Terzano cousins

Today’s blog post is about resourcefulness and, above all, perseverance. For years, I have been obsessed with a particular line of my family tree (I know none of you has ever experienced this!). It all started a couple of years … Continue reading

Posted in Antenati, Archives, Emigration, Family Search, Genealogy, Italy, San Marzano Oliveto | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

New relatives, new mysteries

Back in the day when I first researched my Italian-American grandfather’s life and origins, I remember partially uncovering the personal story of his paternal grandfather, my Italian great-great-grandfather Vincenzo Ameglio. Vincenzo – as far as the family knew – was … Continue reading

Posted in Death, Divorce, Genealogy, Italy, Nizza Monferrato, World War I, World War II | Leave a comment

A fatherless line of Italian ancestors

When my 24 year-old Italian great-grandfather Giacomo boarded a ship and emigrated to the United States in 1910, he left behind a tiny family unit composed of solely by his mother, Margherita. She was listed on the passenger list as … Continue reading

Posted in Birth, Civil Registration, Death, Genealogy, Illegitimacy, Italy, Marriage, Nizza Monferrato, War, World War II | 1 Comment

The mystery of Anna Amerio

One of the most intriguing genealogical mysteries I have encountered lately is the private life of my (probably very distant) relative Anna Amerio, and her very peculiar family arrangement – for you see, for a number of years she lived … Continue reading

Posted in Genealogy, Italy, Marriage, San Marzano Oliveto, Women | Leave a comment

The Italian connection

Because yesterday was, genealogically speaking, a good day – I managed to add a new line of relatives to the Italian side of my family tree thanks to the combined help of AncestryDNA and available records online – I’ve decided … Continue reading

Posted in Antenati, Civil Registration, Emigration, Family Search, Genealogy, Italy, New York City, San Marzano Oliveto, United States | Leave a comment

The San Marzano Oliveto war memorial

When my 17 year-old great-grandmother emigrated from Italy to America in late 1912, she could hardly have imagined that in less than three years her homeland would take part in the First World War – a conflict which was to … Continue reading

Posted in Death, Genealogy, Italy, Killed In Action, War, World War I | 1 Comment

My Living DNA experience

Those of you who followed my blog in April will remember how I was singled out at Who Do You Think You Are? Live by Living DNA’s Marketing Director Hannah Morden– I suppose constant tweeting, not to mention purchasing 12 … Continue reading

Posted in DNA, England, Galicia, Genealogy, Genetic Genealogy, Italy, LivingDNA, Who Do You Think You Are? | 2 Comments