Sicily Archive
Research
Focused archival investigations
Commissioned archival research to investigate a family, consult local sources or continue an existing inquiry.
Have you already traced part of your family history and need further research in Sicily? Would you like to commission a professional to investigate a particular person, family or community?
With Sicilian Ancestry, you can commission an investigation focused on your objective without necessarily requesting a complete family tree. Research draws on civil records, church registers and other local sources relevant to
the assignment.
Research focused on the work you still need
You can commission further research into a family line, the reconstruction of collateral branches or an investigation of families sharing a surname within a community. The work may also concern particular aspects of an ancestor’s life, such as military service or the places where they lived.
If you have already carried out research, the project starts with the documents collected and the sources consulted. You can specify an archive or collection to be examined,
or describe the result you are seeking and request an assessment of the research possibilities.
The assignment is then focused on the investigation needed, distinguishing new work from any useful checks on the material already available.
Consulting records and conducting on-site research
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Sicilian Ancestry’s genealogical work includes civil registration records and, where necessary and available, church registers. The latter may allow research into periods before civil registration and the reconstruction of further family relationships.
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For each assignment, I assess the relevant sources and how they can be accessed. Work may include examining digitized collections, contacting the institutions holding the records and consulting material on site.
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Visits are planned according to the project, checking record availability and access conditions beforehand. You do not need to arrange a trip to Sicily to submit a request: you can follow the research from abroad and agree on the investigations to be undertaken.
Results you can use in your own research
Before work begins, we agree on how the results will be presented: a report on the investigation, references to the sources consulted and copies of relevant documents where reproduction is permitted.
The report should make clear what information has been found and how it relates to the objective of the assignment. Where the work involves reconstructing a family, a diagram of the relationships identified may also be included.
For genealogy projects, the report covers the research undertaken, sources, findings and conclusions.
Your Genealogist in Sicily
I am Giuseppe Sorbello, founder of Sicilian Ancestry. I live and work in Sicily, where I conduct genealogical research for international clients. My work includes consulting local sources and reading handwritten documents in Italian and Latin.
Scope and cost agreed before the assignment
The project is defined according to the objective, starting information and work required. The proposed work, cost and deliverables are agreed before research begins.
The quotation distinguishes a focused consultation from an investigation involving several sources or travel. Any subsequent research is proposed separately, so you can decide whether to continue on the basis of the initial results.
Describe the research you would like to commission
Indicate the person or family concerned, the Sicilian municipality, the period to be examined and the question you would like to answer. If you already know the archive, register or document reference, include it in your request.
Attach any previous research and indicate which sources have already been consulted. You do not need to know every detail: names, approximate dates, places and family documents may be sufficient for an initial assessment.
You can use the contact form or send an email with attachments.