Genealogy in Capestrano
Tracing your Italian roots back to Capestrano (in L’Aquila 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 Capestrano.
How to research your ancestry in Capestrano
Through its network of local experts, ItalianSide has extensive experience in genealogical research in the province of L’Aquila. 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 Capestrano, involving many surnames traditionally found in the town, including branches of the following families: Stella, Ciccone, Falone, Ottaviani, Gentile, Colantonio, Cerasoli, Corsi, Spera, Federico, Caruso, Tagliente, Lerza, Santini 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 Capestrano!), 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 Capestrano 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cross-referenced family relationships, traced occupational and residential histories, and deciphered or translated historical documents useful to add information now forgotten to the history of your family.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 Capestrano — 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 Capestrano and in the Province of L’Aquila 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 Capestrano community.
Civil Records (Stato Civile) in Capestrano
In towns and villages of Abruzzo and in L’Aquila province, civil registration offices were established in 1809. This means you can often find your ancestors’ civil records in the Town Hall archives of Capestrano from that year onwards.
(If your goal is to obtain Italian citizenship and you need official certificates from Capestrano, please follow this link.)
If you know that your ancestors lived in Capestrano during the past centuries, the City Office of Capestrano 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 Capestrano.
- 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 Capestrano.
Capestrano Emigrants Database
Looking for ancestors who left Capestrano? Explore our Capestrano 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 Capestrano
Street names in Capestrano
The names of the street in Capestrano, can help identify ancestral addresses found in civil records, parish documents, and old family papers.
At today, some of the main streets in Capestrano are: VIA ROMA, VIA UBALDO MIGLIORATI, NUCLEO CAPODACQUA, VIA DEL LAGO, VIA SAN GIOVANNI, VIA AQUILA, VIA CAPO D’ACQUA, PIAZZA DEL MERCATO, VIA GUGLIELMO OBERDAN, VIA COSTE DI TORO, VIA PRESCIANO, VIA TORO, NUCLEO SANTA PELAGIA, VIA DANTE ALIGHIERI, VIA DELLE AIE, VIA VIGNE, VIA FERRERI, VIA VALLONE, NUCLEO SCARAFANO, VIA COLLE SAN GIULIANO and others.
If you want help to identify street names connected with your ancestors in Capestrano just follow the link below.
Population trends in Capestrano
The chart below shows the demographic trends in Capestrano 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 Capestrano
Church archives in L’Aquila 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 Capestrano 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 Capestrano:
S. MARIA DELLA PACE – 67022 CAPESTRANO AQ
Planning a visit to Capestrano
From our experience, if you plan to visit Capestrano 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 Capestrano
Historical cadastral and land records used to identify property ownership, track real estate transfers over time, and confirm the historical presence of families within Capestrano. 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 Capestrano 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 Capestrano?
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 Capestrano. 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 Capestrano may not monitor this page regularly.
I’m looking for information on my great-great grandparents Vincenzo Di Iulio married Antonia Visioni from the Capistrano area. Birthdates (maybe around 1840’s), dates of deaths.. anything would be appreciated.
I know they had 3 children Luigi, Filomena and Alessandro. I have their death records.
Thanks so much, Ann
Interesting, My name is Anthony Waite and my grandfather (Verdoni) immigrated to the us from Capestrano in about 1910 at age 15. He also ended up in Hurley/Iron Mountain. Met my Grandmother and then mover to Tosa. I have visited Capestrano several times and connected with our family, it great. Hope you had a great trip!
Hello. I’m trying to research Stefano D’Agostino of Capestrano. Born abt. 2 FEB 1890
I know that the D’Agostino name is not as common in Capestrano, but am still having a hard time. My italian is not very good and so reading websites in Italian is very difficult. If anyone maybe has a link or some type of local knowledge, I would much appreciate the help.
-Susanna
My name is Debbie Smith and my grandparents both immigrated from there. My Grandpa Luigi Colasacciarrivex in the US in 1896…he was born there in Mabt 1878z. My Grandma was a Domenica Verdone from Capestrano and immigrated in 1993. I am trying to find out who there parents and grandparents are?? Am so hoping you will be able to help me!! Thank you Debbie Smith
Seaching for the D’Erocle family line. Graci
Looking for information on Romualdo Rutulante b.1883 and his wife Guiseppa Cerasoli and their ancestors.
Nikki, my grandparents were josephine and romauldo rutulante. Their children were Louise, Dominic and Viola( my mom).I think I answered you on another site but moved soon after and changed my email. If you would like to get in touch my name is cindy.
Looking for records for my paternal 4th great grandparents, Pietro Alessandroni, birth ca 1725 and death 20 Mar 1805, in Capestrano. He married a woman named Teresa ? Is there any way I can get stato famiglia or any birth death or marriage records from this time period from the Church archives?
My maternal grandfather was born in Capistrano in the 1880s. His name was Benedetto Nevica. He and his wife immigrated from LaCavare in 1907. He was an orphan and listed Capistrano as his home on his marriage certificate found in Pescara. Please advise on how I might research his name in Capistrano or L’Aquila.
Grazie’ mille, Mark
Mark,
I have family from Capestrano and do research there. The Benedetto Nevica / Nevico you speak of does not have parents listed on his birth record from Capestrano, only ‘a woman who does not wish to be named’. This is also the case for an Andrea Nevica born there the year prior. My family and one (or both!) of Benedetto’s parents have some nearish relation, as Benedetto’s descendants are starting to DNA test more and are turning up as matches to my family. Please feel free to reach me if you are interested in learning more.
Hi, my name is Mike. My great grandfather was born in Capestrono, Italy on Aprl 5, 1885. I was wondering if you can help with obtaining his birth certificate, or how to even see if it’s available. What church? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am in the states and very hard to get any information from there. Thanks, Mike
My great grandfathers name was Pasquale DelCotto,sorry forgot to write that in. Thanks
Hello,
My cousins and I are visiting Capestrano in September. Both of our grandparents were born there. Our grandparents’ names are:
Domenico (Dominic) Paolini/Paolino and Paulina Gargano. We know when they were born, when they arrived in the U.S., on what ship, etc. due to research for a family reunion in 2013. Is there a way to find out what streets they lived on (the houses are probably long gone)? We’d love to walk the same street(s) and come full-circle.
Thank you,
Judy
Sam Senatori and Maria Corsi immigrated from Capestrano to Evelyn, Minnesota in 1921, then moved to Iron Mountain, Michigan. Sam had one sister who remained in Capestrano. Sam and Maria’s family would like any additional information.
Just to let anyone who is on here, do research for birth certificates,death,marriages, children, naturalization in the US if they came here, where they came in at, and make real sure you check all the censuses where they lived here in the states. I found out I am a Italian citizen but not recognized yet going through these procedures. My great grandfather came to the states from Capestrano and tried to become a citizen but was turned down.waited ten more years again to try and succeeded . He got married and had all of his kids prior to being naturalized here in the states. If it wasn’t for looking up the 20’s censuses, never would have known the children were born before he was naturalized. Going to Detroit in May to the Italian consulate to have it recognized for duel citizenship. Hope it helps. Good luck!
Hi,
I live in Iron Mountain, Michigan. Many original inhabitants of our city came from Capestrano to work in the iron mines. Among them was my great grandfather, Domenico Fontana. He later sent for my great grandmother Rosalia Amicangelo or Amicangioli. They married in Iron Mountain. Rosalia’s sister Lucia also came and married Giovanni Rainaldi also of Capestrano. If you can offer any information, I would be greatly appreciative.
Domenico Fontana b. 19 Dec 1873 (Broncossi Fontana & A. Santaciassi)
Rosalia Amicangelo b. 6 Jun 1879 (Carmine Amicangelo & Linjensa Senatori)
Lucia Amicangelo b. 1871
Giovanni Rainaldi b. 1865
I am hoping to find if they had other siblings or anything else that would be available.
Thank you,
Nicole
Hi, Nicole,
My in-laws, The Senatori’s, lived in Iron Mountain and also immigrated from Capestrano. Their names were Sam and Maria(Corsi)Senatori. Sam came to work in Eveyln, Minnestoa,then return to Capestrano to bring back his wife. Eventually they made their way to Iron Mountain.
I have tried to find a connection but have been unable to find it. If only I spoke Italian…
Nicole
My maternal grandfather’s last name was Amicangioli. First name Domenico. He was born about 1880 and lived in Michigan for several years working in mines there before returning to Capestrano just after WWI. Unless there was more than one family with that name they must have been related.
I am named after him.
Domenic
I would be very interested to learn more about your family. I am at a roadblock.
Thanks
hello-
My husband’s grandfather, Alberto Di Iulio immigrated to Hurley, WI in 1924 to work in the Iron Ore mines. He listed Capestrano as his hometown on the immigration papers. We are hoping to visit Capestrano this summer and would love to have any information there might be about him or any other Di Iulio family members. We do not know anything else about his life in Italy.
Thank you-
Ann
Hi I am also planning on going to Capistrano this year my family name is DiUlio it is interesting how you spell your name with 2 I’s but I have heard that the spelling can change when they come to the US. My family lived in Hartford Connecticut