To get started exploring your Italian roots, you can begin as you would with all family history research: Start with what you know, find out what your family knows, and use genealogical records to work your way backwards and uncover the unknown.

Both United States records and family knowledge are essential in revealing what is arguably the most important piece in progressing with your Italian genealogy quest: your ancestors’ town of birth. Italian records are kept at the local level, so this elusive detail is necessary for locating ancestors prior to their immigration to the United States.