How do I obtain birth records in Gizzeria, Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy. My Grandfather Francesco Provenzano and Grandmother Maddalena Colella, emigrated from that area to the United States in the early 1900s, but did have one child, a daughter named Mariantonia, born Sept 4th, 1899 in Gizzeria. Believed they had a child born a year or two before her, a son who died at birth. Appreciate your guidance on how or where to obtain records.

Thank you!

Hello,
You can write to the comune and ask for the birth act,
Ufficio dello Stato Civile
Comune di Gizzeria
88040 Gizzeria (CZ)
ITALY
using this site to generate a letter,
www.circolocalabrese.o.../index.asp
Send no money, just an addressed return envelope. Three postage stamps should get it there and make sure to write ITALY on the address.

Hope this helps,
Paul

Thank you so much Paolo! Appreciate your input!

Forgot to ask if you know what the fee or cost is for copies of these records?
I would like to ask of all records pertaining to this family.

Thank you!

Birth, death and marriage records are free of charge

Thank you much!

Tena I received your emails but would appreciate if you post your questions here. I am limited with time and since researching is a hobby for me I don't normally research off board - I just don't have the time or resources with work, family obligations and work. I'm sorry.

Oh so sorry Nuccia! Do I post it here in this section and do I need to attach my documents too?

Thank you!

No problem. You can do either/or/both. Should you have trouble attaching the documents let me know and I'll be happy to post them for you.

Nucci I would appreciate if you would attach the records since not sure how to do it. Thank you! I did tried one and not sure if it attached.

Okay here are my issues…For the last 7 months I have been doing my father's Provenzano ancestry research. His father Francesco Saverio Provenzano came over from Gizzeria, Italy to the United States in 1900. My father's mother Maddalena? Colella came over in 1902 from Gizzeria with a daughter Mariantonia who at the time was age 3 years old.

My question and confusion is Great Grandpa James Provenzano, who either came over after or before they did. All I know is that he came over from the Catanzaro province and lived near city Catanzaro or Cosenza which is another province. I would think that he would had lived nearby, but don't know how much they traveled or moved around in Italy back in the late 1800s.

Apparently he was married twice and fathered children from both marriages, first wife died. A daughter Mariantonia born in 1875 and son Francesco Saverio born 1877 from first marriage and second marriage Giovanni Provenzano and two daughters I believe. It was said that all the daughters remained in Italy.

On the ship record for Francesco he stated his reason for coming to the United States was to join father Giovan Battista in Pittsburgh, PA. It is confusing, because his half-brother Giovanni came over prior in 1899 from Gizzeria at age 15 to Pittsburgh and his reason was to see Nobody. This makes me wonder if Great Grandpa came sometime between Sept. 1899 and Oct. 1900. I tried these dates and could not come up with anyone named Giovan Battista or Giovanni from Gizzeria. So I wonder now if he did not come before both sons did. Confusing!

Great Grandpa changed his name to James Ernest and his son Giovanni changed his name to John White. So I am not sure if Great Grandpa James changed his last name to White too. I have tried to trace him in Ancestry.com and Ellis Island and also in Castle Garden website, but it is hard when I don't know for sure his age or his given first name. Any suggestions? It was said that he settled in Illinois, city of Decatur, but can't find any record there with either name.

I was wondering about birth records for Francesco Saverio since I do have his birth date, but not sure where he would have been born since I don't believe they originated from Gizzeria. It has been said that his 1/2 brother Giovanni (age 15) was mixed up in some wrong doings in Italy and his father (Great Grandpa James) paid for his passage to United States for his protection. Also Great Grandpa James had several brothers who also came to the United States, some settled in New York doing construction work. It was also said that Great Grandpa was a bricklayer. Our family came to the states to work in the Coal Mines in Pittsburgh and traveled on to Ohio and then settled in Iowa.

Sorry for such a lengthy message…but any help or suggestions or help would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. Thank you Much!

Tena,

I'm going to start posting records for reference so others might be able to help. Let me know if anything I post is not your family.

1902 ship manifest for Maria Angela Colella and daughter Mariantonia joining husband/father Francesco Provenzano in Pittsburgh. Traveling with Raffaele Arcangelo, a cousin of Francesco's.

www.ellisisland.org/EI...;line=0026

Biff

Francesco Provenzano's 1900 manifest, joining father Giovanni Battista in Pittsburgh.

www.ellisisland.org/EI...&line=0019

Biff

Since no birth place is listed on Francesco's WWI Draft card from Iowa, the key Italian document to obtain would be Francesco and Maria Angela's marriage act since that will include parents' names and places of birth. My best guess is that Gizzeria was the birthplace of Maria Angela and that they were married there. If I'm correct, the marriage act record number will be noted on her birth record.

Francesco's place of birth should also be on his naturalization documents.

Two possibilities I can think of for James's first name--Vincenzo or Giacomo

Biff

Possible 1900 census for James Ernest working on a railroad section gang. Birth is shown as 1863 which makes the record suspect unless he lied about his birthyear. Immigrated 1899.

img192.imageshack.us/i...st1900.jpg

Biff

Wow..thank you Biff...yes you have the right records for Francesco and my Grandmother Colella. I was think her name may have been Maddalena instead of Maria as I though it looked Hyphen "M Le Angela" on the ship record and she went by Maggie in Iowa. Italian Maddalena translate Magdalene in English. But in any case I am impressed how fast you located these records. I am wondering too if the census you found is not my Great Grandfather. I found one in Ohio a James White who was Italian and was a boarder 1900, the age made more since, born in 1852. My mystery of a Great Grandfather...lol. I do know that my Uncle John White (Giovanni Provenzano) traveled with his brother Francesco to Iowa and lived there until he died.

I am going to be sending a request to Gizzeria and will ask for marriage and birth records. Not sure if I can write it in English or do I have to write in Italian?

Thanks so much for your help and please let me know if you discover anymore records.