A new law enacted in March 2025 may render some of the information below inaccurate. Do you think you might be able to apply for Italian dual citizenship, but aren't sure where to start? We'll guide you through some different avenues to help you on your way! About 16 million Americans can trace their ancestry to Italy. They may celebrate their Italian heritage in different ways: enjoying Italian food and wine, Italian American festivals, art, music, and travel to Italy. Today, many … [Read more...]
Italy Genealogy Research: records, passports, and the circus
Do you need help with Italy genealogy research? Or, even more intriguing, did you ever daydream about running away to join the circus? It’s the greatest show on Earth, right?! Eight-year-old me was sure circus life had to be exciting, daring, adventurous, and non-stop fun. Even now, the circus has a mystique that captures my imagination. When we discovered one of my client’s family lines had ties to the circus, I was thrilled to be a part of the discoveries. Birth, marriage, death records, and … [Read more...]
Struggling to Find Your Italian Ancestors? How to Navigate Italian Archives.
From Jersey Shore to Postiglione: Finding Italian Ancestors You never know when and where your Italian ancestors will show up. How one genealogist found her Italian ancestors on a most unusual family vacation. It was the summer of 2016. As was my extended family's tradition, we rented a house at the Jersey Shore for a week in the summer. As is the goal of all family vacations, the hope is to create new memories and forge stronger connections between members. That is why my family … [Read more...]
Tracing Ancestry Through Medieval Italian Records
Family History: How Far Back Can You Go? As professional genealogists one question we are often asked is, “How far back can you take my pedigree?” While we’d all love to have a pedigree documented back to the beginnings of mankind, this just isn’t possible. And creating an accurate, documented and sourced family tree cannot be completed in the span of an afternoon--answering one of our other most frequently received questions--How Long Does It Take to Build a Family Tree? Genealogical … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: the Diocesan Archives of Teggiano, Italy
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers all over the world to access records for our clients. We asked Michele from the province of Salerno in southern Italy to give us insight into what it’s like to research at the Diocesan Archives of Teggiano. Check it out! Perched on a green hill in the extreme south of the Campania region, the picturesque village of Teggiano bloomed into a medieval stronghold, keeping within its walls secrets of an ancient past symbolized by the glorious … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: A Look at the Archive of Potenza, Italy
Legacy Tree works with researchers all over the world to access records. We asked Valerie, of Italy's Basilicata region, to talk about her experience at the Province of Potenza Archives. Hidden in a nondescript building on a steep side street in Potenza, you could walk past the archives building without even realizing it was there. In fact, on the first visit I had to look hard and ask three people on the street where it was! Each Italian region is broken into provinces, and each … [Read more...]