Italian genealogy by Stefania Fangarezzi

Building a family identity

For the reconstruction of the family genealogical tree, we have to retrace, generation after generation, like Thumbelino going back in time, following all the documents found up to the last documented progenitor.

To understand what a procedure followed for the reconstruction can be, see the page on agnatizia research, it explains what it is and how do you go about collecting information on your family history.

Each family is the culmination of a long story that begins in times and places that can easily be far away, with the succession of generations that preceded us.

What interests us is to understand the path that each family group has had to take up to us; the births and deaths, the alternating fortunes, all that has brought from the origins to us.

How to reconstruct the family family tree

To reconstruct the family genealogical tree it is necessary to find the testimonies of those who preceded us, or the traces of our ancestors in the civil and ecclesiastical archives and everywhere it is possible to search, up to go back to progenitor.

This research often takes us to places that can be very far from the place where we normally live.

Wars and other calamities, or more easily marriages, make family groups move, so that often to reconstruct your history you have to move to other regions, if not even to other countries.

Finding of sources

The search, especially in the cases of ancient documents, represents difficulties because the documents unearthed are often manuscripts , perishable, most of the times not digitized and therefore of complex consultation .

Another difficulty is due to the correct interpretation of the texts found, each document is drawn up with different styles due both to the hand of those who wrote them, and to the time and place in which they were written.

Interpreting the punctuation and abbreviations used can give rise to reading errors, so you have to be very careful and read up on the writing methods used in the various acts.

Let's not forget that going back to the 19th century, we always talk about manuscripts .

The family tree

We now have all the elements to reconstruct our family tree .

Each document traced was photographed or faithfully transcribed , showing the data of where it was found.

The documentation thus found will form the family history which, among others, will also cover, when possible, the family events that have led to us, including the localities involved in the research. and the various houses owned or used , whenever possible.

All these data will form the family book , which also includes the genealogical tree, the documentation that faithfully reports all our family history demonstrating the links between us and ours. avi.