Genealogy in Rocca San Giovanni
Tracing your Italian roots back to Rocca San Giovanni (in Chieti province, Abruzzo region) begins with understanding which records and documents exist and where they are preserved. On this page you’ll find a clear guide to the civil, parish and historical sources available for genealogy in Rocca San Giovanni.
How to research your ancestry in Rocca San Giovanni
Through its network of local experts, ItalianSide has extensive experience in genealogical research in the province of Chieti. For this reason, over the years it has become a reliable reference for those wishing to reconnect with their Italian roots and could be a key partner in the success of your research too. You can read feedback from our customers on our testimonials page
Our experts in Abruzzo region, conducted genealogy research on historical families from Rocca San Giovanni, involving many surnames traditionally found in the town, including branches of the following families: Di Carlo, Martelli, Caravaggio, Alfino, Ucci, De Palma, Pasquini, Veri, Moretti, Bellisario, Iezzi, Mattucci, Aimola, Di Nicola and others.
Much of the information available about families and individuals in public and private local archives include, in addition to names and dates, further information such as occupations, the address where the family lived (a valuable info if you plan to visit Rocca San Giovanni!), and key social relationships within the community in past centuries.
The information in genealogy research derives from the archives available for on-site research in Rocca San Giovanni and Abruzzo. In previous research projects, our local genealogists have reconstructed family trees, cross-referenced family relationships, traced occupational and residential histories, and deciphered or translated historical documents useful to add information now forgotten to the history of your family.
Research activities may include all major sources available at municipal, provincial, and regional level:
• civil records
• parish registers
• emigrants database
• notarial archives
• military records
• cadastral and property records
• historical and photographic sources available in private archives
Direct access to local archives and a deep understanding of the local context allow for more complete and accurate results. Research may be carried out using all available sources in both public and private archives.
ItalianSide research: Beyond Names and Dates
Italian genealogy is deeply local. It can’t be reduced to collecting birth and death dates.
In Abruzzo, every municipality — including Rocca San Giovanni — has its own archival history, record‑keeping traditions, and unique documentary sources. This is why Italianside is able to help you in your Italian ancestry research, through a national network of local experts, each specialized in the archives of their specific territory.
Our researcher who works in Rocca San Giovanni and in the Province of Chieti knows how to navigate local civil, parish, military, and notarial records, uncovering details that go far beyond basic dates. By combining national coordination and methodology with deep local expertise, our researcher will bring your ancestors’ stories back to life within the history of the Rocca San Giovanni community.
Civil Records (Stato Civile) in Rocca San Giovanni
In towns and villages of Abruzzo and in Chieti province, civil registration offices were established in 1809. This means you can often find your ancestors’ civil records in the Town Hall archives of Rocca San Giovanni from that year onwards.
(If your goal is to obtain Italian citizenship and you need official certificates from Rocca San Giovanni, please follow this link.)
If you know that your ancestors lived in Rocca San Giovanni during the past centuries, the City Office of Rocca San Giovanni is usually the first place to start your family research. Our local expert can access these records on your behalf and interpret them correctly.
- Professions: discover what your ancestors did for a living.
- Addresses: find the street or house where the family lived in Rocca San Giovanni.
- Family links: identify parents, witnesses and neighbours that appear in the records.
- Signatures and notes: see how your ancestors signed and read any marginal annotations.
If you prefer to contact the Town Hall by yourself, we suggest reading our genealogy tips for Italy. They include practical advice for research in Abruzzo and specifically in Rocca San Giovanni.
Rocca San Giovanni Emigrants Database
Looking for ancestors who left Rocca San Giovanni? Explore our Rocca San Giovanni Emigrants Database to discover people who emigrated from this municipality, their destinations, travel details, and other available records. The database is continuously growing thanks to historical sources and contributions from our visitors. Browse the emigrants database from Rocca San Giovanni
Street names in Rocca San Giovanni
The names of the street in Rocca San Giovanni, can help identify ancestral addresses found in civil records, parish documents, and old family papers.
At today, some of the main streets in Rocca San Giovanni are: CONTRADA VALLEVO’, CONTRADA PIANE FAVARO, CONTRADA PERAZZA, CONTRADA NOVELLA SECONDA, CONTRADA SANTA CALCAGNA, VIA GIUSEPPE MAZZINI, CONTRADA CODACCHIE, CONTRADA BOCACHE, VIA MORTELLETE, CONTRADA ACQUARELLI, CONTRADA SAN GIACOMO, CONTRADA SCALZINO, CONTRADA VETICHE, CORSO GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI, CONTRADA PUNCICHITTI, CONTRADA STERPARI, CONTRADA VALLE SANTA MARIA, VIA CESARE BATTISTI, CONTRADA TAGLIAFERRI, CONTRADA VIOLA and others.
If you want help to identify street names connected with your ancestors in Rocca San Giovanni just follow the link below.
Population trends in Rocca San Giovanni
The chart below shows the demographic trends in Rocca San Giovanni from the Italian Unification (1861). Understanding how many people lived in the town over time is useful when interpreting migration and family movements.
Church Records in Rocca San Giovanni
Church archives in Chieti province often preserve information that predates civil records. Parish registers include baptisms, marriages and burials and sometimes allow you to push your family tree back into the 1700s and 1600s.
In many areas of Abruzzo, parish registers began around the 1500s. These manuscripts are not easy to access from abroad and can be hard to read without specific training.
Our local genealogists, with backgrounds in history and archival studies, can consult the parish archives of Rocca San Giovanni on your behalf and reconstruct your family history through the centuries.
If you want to visit churches, these are the addresses of parishes active today in Rocca San Giovanni:
S. MATTEO APOSTOLO – Via Mazzini
Planning a visit to Rocca San Giovanni
From our experience, if you plan to visit Rocca San Giovanni we always recommend starting the research months before your arrival. This way you avoid spending your holidays in offices or churches dealing with bureaucracy.
Remember that archives are not open to the general public and officers or priests are not required by law to grant direct access to the records.
Thanks to the findings gathered by our genealogist before your trip, and the help of our local guides, you’ll have more time to plan the exact locations (family homes, churches, streets, cemeteries, etc.) you’ll visit during your stay in the city.
This way, you can enjoy the city and its surroundings, following in the footsteps of your ancestors for an unforgettable journey back to your roots.
Notary records and other historical sources
Another important source of information is represented by notary documents, which preserve wills, dowries, property sales and contracts. These records are usually kept in provincial and State Archives and can provide valuable details on the social and economic life of your family.
Military records
Conscription lists and service records documenting physical descriptions, dates and places of enlistment, units and ranks held, periods of service, military postings, transfers, and movements, often providing detailed insight into an individual’s life beyond civil registration.
Cadastral and property records in Rocca San Giovanni
Historical cadastral and land records used to identify property ownership, track real estate transfers over time, and confirm the historical presence of families within Rocca San Giovanni. ItalianSide provides professional assistance in accessing and interpreting these records, where available.
Historical and photographic sources available in private archives
Historical photographs, prints, and documents from private collections—including ItalianSide’s archive of vintage images from Rocca San Giovanni and Abruzzo region are available. Old pictures add significant value to your family history research and offer a real sense of the places where your ancestors once lived.
Need help finding information about your ancestors in Rocca San Giovanni?
Get a private reply from our local genealogist, or post a public message on this page.
Ask our local Genealogist
Send a private message to our local genealogy expert for Rocca San Giovanni. You will usually receive a personal reply by email within 24 hours.
Ask the Community
Write a public message below, other readers can view and reply. Our genealogy expert for Rocca San Giovanni may not monitor this page regularly.
I am searching for information on the Schiarrizza family who emigrated to Canada from Rocca San Giovanni, in particular, Peterborough, Ontario. The Schiarrizza family has a connection to the Caravaggio family. Any information would be appreciated.
MY MOTHER E. AIMOLA WAS BORN IN 1896 IN ROCCA SANGIOVANNI SHE MARRIED MY FATHER DOMENICO CARAVAGGIO .I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF MY MOTHER HAD A BROTHER OR SISTER AND WHAT HER FATHER AND MOTHERS FIRST NAMES WERTE.
Hi Eric it has been a long time since you made this post but if you still need this information I have some for you. Eusebia Aimola’s parents are Nunziato Aimola and Concetta Pagliarone and their children that I have found are Constantino 1891-1891 (died at 10 months old), Grazia 1894-1895 (died at 8 months old), and then Eusebia 1896-1981. I have a bit done with the Caravaggio tree.
My grandfather (Anthony D’Orazio) was born in Rocco San Giovanni in the late 1800’s. He married Francis Brisotti (from Pescara) and they immigrated to the US in early 1900’s. Would like to find out if there were any brothers or sisters that remained in Italy and, if so, how they would/could be related.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Carolyn
My Grandfather’s parents are Domenico Aimola and Maria D’Antonio. Both born and raised in Rocca San Giovanni.
Marie was born 1838 and died 1885, August 23rd.
I am looking for their marriage date and death record of Domenico Aimola. They had five children:
Mattia Aimola born 1858
Pietro Aimola born 1861
Antonio Aimola born 1864
Tommaso Aimola born 1873 who married Anna Aimoa (my grandparents on my mother’s side)
Rosina Aimola born 1881
Any more information on this family much appreciated.
Patricia
Hi,
My grandparents, Tomasso Aimola and Anna Aimola (her maiden name was the same as her married name) were born in Rocco San Giovanni in 1873 and 1878. They were married Dec 13, 1897. Two of my aunts were also born there: Uliana Aimola (1899) and Louise Aimola (1903). My grandfather came to Canada in 1902 and my grandmother and my aunts came to Canada in 1906. Any information about them would be appreciated.
Thank you, Leann
Searching for relatives of Pietro Di Carlo, married Rosa Guglielmo immigrated to USA in 1905 to Des Moines Iowa.
Any family members?
Thanks
Hello,
My grandfather, Antonio Basciano was born in Rocco San Giovanni on May 12, 1894 and he’s parents are Tommaso Basciano and Domenica Pocetti. He arrived in U.S.A 1912. I have a birth certificate from San Matteo church but I can not find anything else about his family. If I could get some information on his family that would be great.
Thank you
Larry
Hello Larry,
My paternal great grandparents were Tommaso and Domenica. Tommaso was the sone of Pietro and Carmina (D’Amario). My grandfather immigrated in 1912 with his brother Antonio. Antonio moved to Minnesota and my grandfather married Jeanette and lived in Ohio. My father (Pete) would talk of and uncle Tony and aunt Rose. Hope this helps.
My grandfather, Carmine Rotondo was born in Roco San Giovani on April 15, 1890. His parents were Dominico Rotondo and Mattea Giardino. I don’t know when or where his parents were married. We believe Dominico was from Latesa. Any information about his parents, grandparents etc. would be great. Carmine had 3 sisters, Elena, Antoinia and Concetta(she married a Carravagio)
Hi Karen,
Do you know who the first name of the Caravaggio that Concetta married?
Thanks,
Alicia.
My grandparents, Giovanni Michele Basciano and Angela Maria Marrocco, were both born in Rocca San Giovanni during the 1890s. They married there around 1920 and my father, Antonio Basciano, was born in 1921. They came to Canada in 1923. My grandfather’s parents were Antonio Basciano and Giovanna Di Rado. I am trying to find their marriage record so that I could perhaps learn the names of their parents and get back further in my tree. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gina
Hi there,
I’m in Australia. I married a Caravaggio. His father is from Rocco San Giovanni. I am after some information regarding his line. All I have is that Nonno’s name was Domenico Caravaggio (30/9/1906-27/3/1956) married 18/12/1937 Rosina Paolini (5/5/1906-27/1/1980). His father was Raimondo Caravaggio (1869??).
Any help would be great.
Thanks,
Alicia