Cases

A Needle in a Haystack: Searching for a Certificate Across 102 Municipalities

Our client knew that her mother had been born in the former province of Santander (Spain) -now the Autonomous Community of Cantabria- but did not know the exact town. She contacted us to assist her in searching for the birth certificate. Our task involved reaching out to the 102 Cantabrian municipalities that made up that territory back in 1916 to locate the documentation. Ultimately, we found it in Cillorigo de Liébana, and thanks to this discovery, our client successfully obtained her Spanish citizenship.

The Missing Piece: Discovering When and Where an Ancestor Died

We knew that our clients' ancestor had died in the province of Santa Fe (Argentina), but the exact year and precise town were missing. After researching his family network, we discovered that he passed away in the city of Rosario in 1904. With this information, we were able to obtain the death certificate necessary for our clients to apply for their great-great-grandfather’s Certificate of Non-Naturalization and process their Italian citizenship.

Local Management: Securing Birth and Marriage Certificates

Our client and her son were recognized as Italian citizens and were registered in the municipality within the province of Salerno where their ancestor had been born. Despite having traveled there specifically for this purpose, they had been unable to obtain copies of their birth and marriage certificates. Our management and coordination with the local authorities successfully unblocked the administrative process, and the documents were issued within 30 days.

From Surname to Territory: Locating an Italian Ancestor's Birthplace

The documents provided by our client placed his great-great-grandfather's birth in 1872 in Italy, but the family lacked any data regarding the region, province, or town. We began the investigation by analyzing the geographical origin of the surname, which pointed us toward the Veneto region. After cross-referencing historical archives, we located documentation that mentioned the specific hamlet (frazione) of the commune, allowing us to obtain the copy of the birth certificate necessary for our client to apply for the recognition of his Italian citizenship.

Expediting Fast It: Requesting the Birth Transcription for a Minor

As an Argentine and Italian citizen, our client had requested the birth registration of his minor son through the Fast It portal, linking it to his great-grandfather's Calabrian municipality. However, after two years of administrative silence, the family had not received any official notification regarding the status of the application. Following our intervention and the appropriate legal claim, the commune's Anagrafe transcribed the birth certificate, thereby consolidating the minor's status as an Italian citizen.

Italian Citizens Abroad: Obtaining the Certificato del Casellario Giudiziale

An Argentine and Italian citizen residing in Andorra, our client, frequently needs to submit -on a semi-annual basis for work purposes- the Certificato del Casellario Giudiziale issued and apostilled in Italy. She contacted us urgently because, if she failed to present the document within a week, she faced the risk of having to leave her country of residence. Given this extreme urgency, we activated a priority protocol and, in just 48 hours, successfully obtained the apostilled certificate and dispatched it via postal mail.

The Missing Link: Updating the Inherited Family Map

After each unsuccessful search for our client's grandfather's birth certificate, new questions arose: Was he born in Castrovillari in 1877? Was there a mistake in the surname? Were those really his parents? By turning to a broader history -that of children born to ignoti parents in 19th century Italy- we discovered that the grandfather's biological mother was the daughter of unknown parents and had died before the family emigrated. The mother listed in the Argentine documents turned out to be the father's second wife.

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A Journey Through the Archives: Searching for Parish Records On-Site

Our client knew that her ancestors had been born in the vicinity of Chiavari (Italy) at the beginning of the 19th century, but she lacked precise data. Following an analysis of the surnames' origins, we directed the search toward the Val Graveglia area; however, considering the dates, it was essential to conduct the search in person. We contacted more than 70 parishes to visit the archives with our client. Fresh off her arrival, we began our tour and, on the third day, we found her great-great-grandparents in the municipality of Ne.

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Class of 1862: records prior to the creation of Italian civil registries

Our client's great-grandfather was born four years before the creation of Italian civil registries. Our hypothesis was that he had been born in the same town as his wife (Loano, Savona, Liguria), but his birth record was not in the civil registry. We contacted the local parishes, which referred us to the Diocesan Archive of Albenga-Imperia, where we finally found his baptismal record.

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Class of 1867: records post-dating the creation of Italian civil registries

Fortunately for our client, her great-grandmother was born in 1867, one year after the creation of the Italian civil registries. This presents an advantage, as the records are kept in the municipalities, making it unnecessary to resort to parish archives. Our only challenge was finding the specific location, which we managed to pinpoint by cross-referencing all the family surnames. The record was finally found in the municipality of Loano (Savona, Liguria).