Divided into several states (Savoy, Piedmont-Sardinia, etc.), Italy was largely annexed by Napoleon.

1815 : The old monarchies are re-established.

From 1815 , onwards, following the Congress of Vienna, Italy fell under the control of Austria. The idea of Italian unity begins to gain ground: this is the beginning of the Risorgimento.

1859 : Victor-Emmanuel II, King of Piedmont-Sardinia, liberates Austrian-occupied Lombardy.

1860 : The people of central Italy, who had been rebelling since 1859, vote to reunite with Piedmont.

1861 : The Kingdom of Italy is proclaimed with Turin, then Florence (in 1865) as its capital.

1870 : Italian unity is achieved.

1871 : Rome becomes the capital.

In return for its support, France receives Nice and Savoy in 1860 1860 .

Italian emigration

Emigration began on a massive scale in the mid-19th century, and since then 30 million people have left Italy. The descendants of Italian immigrants are as numerous as the people living in Italy: almost 59 million.

To this day, Italian immigration remains the highest in France's history :

1851 : 63,000 people in France

1881 : 230,000 people in France

1901 : almost 400,000 people in France

1931 : over 800,000 people (the largest foreign population in France) in France

1946 : 450,000 people in France

1981 : 330,000 people in France

Between 3 and 4 million French people have at least one parent of Italian origin.

After 1866

Civil status

Civil status has existed in Italy since 1866. It was introduced gradually. One copy is kept at the town hall, the other at the court.

Although the public consultation period is 60 years, you must always apply to the Town Hall secretary, who may or may not carry out the search. He will issue a certificate. No copies can be made.

To consult the copy kept at the Tribunal, a request must be made to the Procureur de la République (public prosecutor).

Population register

Kept by the town halls (from 1866 to around 1940), this census by house lists the head of the family and all the people with their dates of birth, marriage and death, as well as observations.

It is also kept by the town halls, and these registers record people leaving the commune with their first and last names, parentage and place of destination.

The State Archives (archivi di Stato) (archivi di Stato)

These are located in every province and are the equivalent of the departmental archives in France.

Address of the archives

Before 1866

The registers (birth, marriage, death) were kept in the parishes. A duplicate set of registers, dating back to 1820, was kept in the diocesan archives, but the director of the diocesan archives had to be consulted before these registers could be consulted. As in France, all the information recorded in the registers is important !

State Of Souls (State Delle Anime)

Census of parishioners by household: a rich and useful document, particularly for keeping track of family life (deaths, migration, etc.). Registers of consanguinity dispensations are kept at the bishop's palace.

Napoleonic civil status

From 1805 to 1815, a civil registry was organised under Napoleon's administration (northern Italy): microfilmed, it can be accessed by Mormons. The registers are kept in the State Archives.

Notarial archives

As in France, Italians often call on the services of notaries (purchases and sales, wills, etc.). These very rich documents will give you valuable information about the family. As in France, the registers of insinuation (registri d'insinuazione) or deed control registers list all deeds passed before a notary. Notarial archives over 100 years old are kept in the State Archives. They are classified by notary and then by name, by town, by hamlet "fragionne.

Archives in France

Naturalisation files can contain interesting information.

Naturalisation

La naturalisation accorde à un étranger la nationalité française. Elle ne concerne pas seulement la période contemporaine mais aussi l'Ancien Régime. La naturalisation comme la nationalité a évolué au cours des siècles. Jusqu'au 16e, on utilise le terme de lettre de bourgeoisie, puis du 16e au 19e siècle, c'est la lettre de naturalité. Enfin , le terme de naturalisation désigne l'obtention de la nationalité française. Sous l'Ancien Régime, le roi accorde des lettres de naturalité. Toute personne, même de parents français, née en dehors du royaume est étrangère. Par contre, toute personne née en france, même de parents étrangers, est française. Après la Révolution, la notion de citoyen apparaît et évolue au cours du temps. Les conditions pour être naturalisé évolue donc aussi.

The sources

Ancien Regime : letters of naturalness can be found in the departmental archives (series B, notably the funds of the courts of accounts and parliaments) and in the national archives (CARAN) - Website.

From 1789, applications for naturalizations (successful or unsuccessful) concerning all of France were kept in the judicial series :

Period	Archives	Cote
1789-1811	National Archives	BB11 2 to 4
1814-1930		BB11 97 to 13391
1927-1962	Contemporary Archives Center in Fontainebleau	BB11 13392 à 19063

Le délai de communication des naturalisations est de 60 ans. Il est possible cependant d'obtenir une dérogation spéciale. Aux archives départementales, les demandes faites à partir d'un département sont conservées dans la série M. Les naturalisations sont publiées dans le Bulletin des lois de 1814 à 1933 puis dans le Journal Officiel.

Other sources

Naturalizations from 1900 to 1950 (CD-Rom), SWIC editions. This CD-ROM contains naturalizations, reinstatements and admissions. It also contains the list of minor children mentioned in the acts from which their parents benefited.

Database

National Archives Database - naturalizations (1814-1853) Website