How Sicilian Genealogy Research Works
A look at the research processes
Start with the essentials
A practical overview of what we need and how the research process works.
What you need to know to start
Before contacting us, define the result you want to achieve. Most requests fall into two main categories:
- Reconstructing family history
- Obtaining documents to apply for citizenship
In either case, we need three basic pieces of information:
Name
Do not worry if a first name or surname was Americanized or changed after emigration. We evaluate spelling variants and other evidence to connect the person in foreign records with the correct Sicilian identity. The place of origin is often a decisive clue.Date
Any known date—birth, marriage, or death—helps place your ancestor in time. Dates in family sources and foreign records are often approximate, so you can still contact us even if the date is uncertain.Place
Genealogical records in Italy are generally held locally, so the place is essential. If the exact municipality is uncertain but you can narrow the search to a reasonably small area, contact us and we can assess whether the research is feasible.Choose a service
If your goal is to reconstruct your family history, the standard starting point is a documented family tree. We offer fixed-price packages covering three, four, or five ancestral generations. Larger packages include more direct ancestors and extend further back in time. Research uses civil registration records and, when necessary and available, church records.
We begin with civil registration records whenever possible because they are usually detailed, written in Italian, and comparatively well preserved. These records often cover much of the three- and four-generation packages, supplemented by church records when useful. Five-generation research more often reaches periods before civil registration, where parish records—frequently written in Latin and containing less information—become essential.
Clients who want to investigate a surname more broadly can add the Surname Tree service. We collect marriage records for people bearing the surname within a community and reconstruct the relationships between those families to identify the earliest documented family groups.
The Indirect Ancestors service expands research beyond direct ancestors to siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Additional research can investigate military service, surviving ancestral homes, graves, and other aspects of an ancestor's life.
All family-tree packages include a research report, a family-tree chart summarizing the documented relationships, digital copies of the original records, and long-term support after delivery.
If your goal is to obtain documents for an Italian citizenship application, the work is primarily administrative. Processing times and procedures vary significantly between municipalities. Because we are based in Sicily, we can communicate directly with local offices, clarify requirements, and follow up on requests when delays occur.
Costs
Most of our packages have a fixed price, so the cost is defined in advance. For standard research, payment is due only when the agreed work is completed successfully. If we cannot produce the agreed result, there is no research fee.
FAQs
Need more information? Review our FAQs to see what information to send before we begin.