8 Tips to Help You Research Family Ancestry & Create a Family Tree

Researching your Italian genealogy can be a fun project for the entire family, but it’s also more than that. Going through genealogy websites and sifting through vital records might even lead to the discovery that you and your family are entitled to Italian citizenship, due to Italy’s generous citizenship laws.

Whether it’s for a family bonding project or you want to figure out where you might belong in life, here’s how to research Italian familial records to piece together your Italian family history.

1. Try a Family Tree Building App

There are several apps that allow you to trace the Italian genealogy of your Italian family tree. A lot of these sites are free, but to go in depth and track down ancestors you may have to pay.

2. Start with Naturalization Records

Naturalization papers are a great way to find out where your ancestors immigrated from. These vital records have a lot of useful information and, if they were issued after 1906, naturalization records could provide the country of origin for Italian immigrants.

3. Use a Tablet with External/Cloud-Based Storage

Tablets can be ideal for gathering your Italian genealogy records due to their portability. Most also have built-in cameras which can be useful when you find relevant paper records related to your Italian family history.

4. Interview Family Members of Italian Origin

Your relatives are some of the best Italian genealogy resources available to you. Create a list of interview questions to ask family members. Although some members of your family may not know much, they can help supplement information and fill gaps.

5. Visit Public Libraries and Contact Records Centers

Expand your search to libraries and public record repositories. The Catholic church might also be able to provide church records that could come in handy.

Your Italian genealogy research project should also bring you to public libraries. Officials there should be happy to help you.

6. Find a Service to Translate Italian

If you do come across online records or other vital records, you should find an expert service to help. Obtaining records from Italy usually means that they won’t be in English, and you’ll need a trusted company to translate.

7. Research Church Directories and Italian Government Records

If you haven’t already in your journey, you can look at church records to fill some gaps. Most Italian churches have vital records that can date back to the 15th century.

8. Work with Experts in Italian Genealogy Resources

There are professional services that will help you with Italian genealogy research, but many of them charge a high fee and some don’t offer the care and professionalism you need in such an important journey. The Italian American Citizenship Assistance Program (ITAMCAP) will provide you with a family research report created by a board-certified genealogist free of charge to see if you do qualify for citizenship, as well as advise you on next steps.

We’ll ensure we don’t steer you wrong, keeping you educated on the process and your history as you go.

Trace Your Italian Ancestry Today with ITAMCAP

Searching for Italian records can be the most challenging part of researching your Italian genealogy, especially if you aren’t sure where to start. That’s why ITAMCAP makes it easy, providing a full family report even if you don’t qualify for Italian citizenship.

If you do qualify for Italian citizenship and would like to pursue things further, however, we can help even more. ITAMCAP can help with every step of the process, from gathering together all of your vital records to apostilling your documents so they’re valid in Italy. There are a million Italians who may not even know they’re Italian yet, unaware of how we can help.

Unlock your family’s heritage and opportunities by taking advantage of ITAMCAP services to obtain dual citizenship today!