I'm planning a 30 day trip to Italy March 12-April 14, 2003. After 7 days in Rome, 7 days in Florence, 5 days around Tuscany and the Italian riviera, I plan to spend the last 10 days in Turin. My ancesters are located in a village just NE of Turin, Ciconio. Any suggestions about how to go about finding them, gifts to take,how to approach them if I find them, what organiztions in the town can help? The town has a LOT of people in it with my maiden surname.

I'm planning a trip this spring to visit my ancestors' villages in Southern Italy. Try this website: http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/pearlsofwisdom/

<BR>Try to find the following book:<BR>"Dances with Luigi" by Paul Paolicelli (2000, paperback by St. Martin's Griffin ... www.stmartins.com)<BR><BR>Paolicelli is a journalist who moved to Italy in an attempt to trace his family roots. It's a memoir of his Italian experience in toto, but the actual stories of finding long-lost cousins might give you an idea of what to expect.<BR><BR>I'm a genealogist and would make the following suggestions (some of which are in Paolicelli's book):<BR><BR>Prepare a detailed family tree of everything you know (birthdates and places, death dates and places, marriage dates and places) as far back as you can go. Note other things you might know about anyone (i.e., served in the Army, was a doctor, moved to California, etc.). Make several copies in case you want to leave them with any distant relatives you may find.<BR><BR>Take photos (or even good B&W and/or color copies) of as many relatives<BR>as you can who appear on the family tree.<BR><BR>Accumulate as many stories from older relatives as you can: Who was the first family member to go to America? Why did he/she leave Italy? Where did he/she go first? What skills did the person have? Did other family members or others from the same town follow?<BR><BR>Try to learn a little Italian, especially things like: "This is my family. I am looking for my ancestors. My grandfather (or whoever) was a farmer (or whatever). Can you help me? Thank you very much." Take a good Italian-English dictionary and a phrase book.<BR><BR>When you arrive in the town, inquire at the town hall and the church. Good luck.

Use the anagraphic services. If you hyave any document stating your ancestors exact names (be careful with spelling), go to the local comune (city hall) and have the "stato di famiglia originario" (a document stating the original composition of your ancestors' families) of the relatives you are interested in. Also, check with the parishes: they must have been baptized and registered at some parish.

Anita, I have read the Paolicelli book. I fear I may have a similar problem in that in Ciconio there are/were MANY Delaurentis and from the little research I've been able to do there are various variations of the name though I think most of those happened after moving to the U.S. I have just a little information. I do know my grandparents' names (I think). Thanks for your response. Oh, I did enjoy the book.