Region: Calabria Province: Cosenza
Tracing your Italian roots back to Cosenza, in Cosenza province, Calabria region?
This comprehensive guide empowers you to understand the records available in Cosenza, unlocking your family’s rich history.
Where to Begin Your Ancestry Journey in Cosenza
If your ancestral trail leads to Cosenza, Italy, their vital records are likely housed in two key locations:
- Cosenza City Hall Archives: Established in 1809, these archives hold civil registry records like births, marriages, and deaths for Cosenza residents since then.
- Cosenza Parish Churches: For records pre-dating 1809 or for religious ceremonies, exploring Cosenza’s parish church archives might be necessary.
Civil Records in Cosenza
In towns and villages of Calabria and in Cosenza province civil registry offices were established in 1809: it means that you could find your ancestors records in Cosenza Town Hall archives as of that date.
(If your goal is to get your Italian Citizenship and you need official certificates from Cosenza Municipality, follow this link).
So, if your ancestors lived in Cosenza during the past centuries, then you should start your family research from the City Office of Cosenza to know more: our local expert is ready to help you in your research!
With his deep knowledge of people and local history he will assist you not only finding names and dates (births, marriages, deaths) but he will reveal to you many other precious information on the life of your ancestors available in the old registers.
- Professions: do you know what your ancestors did for a living? Our genealogist will be able to give you this info!
- Addresses: the house where your family lived (a great information if you intend to visit Cosenza !)
- Churches: where they were baptized or married
- Signatures: if your ancestors knew how to write, he will be able to show you their original signatures.
(If you can’t visit Cosenza, our researcher will give you the necessary info to find by yourself the relevant places on the maps available online)
Next picture shows the demographic trends in Cosenza from the Italian Unification (1861).
This is a necessary info to understand how many people lived in the town in the past.
To go on quickly in your research is important to know if the last name you are investigating is a frequent surname in Cosenza. As more your surname is common, as more it could be difficult to find the right branch of your ancestors family in Cosenza archives, expecially if you have not exact dates (there could be cases of homonymy).
It’s useful for you to know that some of the most common surnames in Cosenza province are:
Aiello, Barone, Bruno, Caputo, Caruso, Chiappetta, De Luca, De Marco, De Rose, Esposito, Falcone, Ferraro, Filice, Fusaro, Gabriele, Gagliardi, Gallo, Garofalo, Gaudio, Gencarelli, Gentile, Giordano, Greco, Guido, Leone, Longo, Madeo, Marino, Martino, Mazzei, Morrone, Nicoletti, Nigro, Palermo, Perri, Perrone, Porco, Presta, Pugliese, Rizzo, Romano, Ruffolo, Russo, Salerno, Santoro, Spadafora, Sposato, Veltri.
Church Records in Cosenza
Church archives in Cosenza province may store even older information. You will find religious records of the same events (births, marriages and deaths) but, most important, you could go further back in time!
So in case you would like to go back in centuries, it’s good for you to know that the parish registers in Calabria started during 1500!
Parish archives are far less accessible expecially from abroad and very hard to read and decipher if you are not used and skilled.
But our local genealogists, are graduated in history and archivistics so, with their expertise, they can research the church registers of Cosenza on your behalf to gather info about your family history during centuries.
In case you want to visit churches, these are the addresses of parishes active today in Cosenza:
CRISTO RE – Via Popilia Primo Lotto
S. ANIELLO – Via Panebianco
S. FRANCESCO D’ASSISI – P.zza M. Berardi
S. FRANCESCO NUOVO – Via Popilia
S. GAETANO – P.zza Tommaso Ortale, 13
S. GIOVANNI BATTISTA – Via De Rada
S. GIUSEPPE – Via Serra Spiga
S. LUCIA VERGINE E MARTIRE – Via Santa Lucia
S. MARIA DELLA SANITA’ – Via Portapiana
S. MARIA MADRE DELLA CHIESA – Viale S. Cosmai
S. MICHELE ARCANGELO – Via Ex Provinciale
S. TERESA DEL BAMBINO GESU’ – P.zza S. Teresa
S. VITO MARTIRE – C.da S. Vito
SACRO CUORE DI GESU’ – P.zza Loreto
SS. SALVATORE (GRECA) – Via Plebiscito
For our experience, if you plan to come here to visit Cosenza, we always suggest to start the research months before the arrival.
This because a comprehensive genealogy research is time consuming!
Starting from home, you will have time to get a complete research avoiding to waste your holidays in the offices or in the churches dealing with italian bureaucracy .
(Remember that archives are not open to public and officers and priests are not required by law to give you access to the local archives)
With the results gathered by our genealogist and translated in your language before your arrival, you will have the possibility to plan carefully your visit.
In this way you will have more free time to enjoy your tour to the roots on your ancestors footsteps.
Another important source of information are the notary documents available to expert researchers in the State Archives of Cosenza.
If you need a professional help from our local genealogist in Cosenza area , write to cosenza@italianside.com or fill the form here.
Our expert will study your request and will reply to you with a plan and a quote for your family research.
If you think to contact the town hall by yourself, we suggest you to read our tips for your search. They are useful advices to search in Calabria and of course in Cosenza too.
Here below you can read the messages received from other visitors in Cosenza forum:
if you only want to discuss with other people interested in genealogy in Cosenza feel free to leave a message below.
Looking to the cost to find more on my grandparents John Rizzo and Francesca Gaultierri from the Cosenza / Calabria area or region
I am preparing for a trip to Italy in September and would like to locate my family origin. For certain, Cosenza (City). The surname is PARISE; paternal side
Maternal side: various spelling: FALBO, FARVO, FARBRO translated in English TO FARBER.
My great grandfather was from Consenza……Michele Caruso was born on May 12, 1879, in Cosenza, Cosenza, Italy
my gg grandfather was michele caruso married to Giuseppina Garritano
any relation?
my grandfather was from fiumafreddo consenza reggio his name was vincenes chilelli he came to usa around 1916 I have more records at home and will send more information this week.
My paternal grandfather is known to have originated from Cosenza, Reggio Calabria Italy. Would like to hear if anyone knows more about my Paffile ancestors
My grandparents,John or Giovanni Carella, came to USA (not sure of date) with his wife Mary or Maria Gilda. I would like to find some information. I know they lived in Calabria, but not sure which province or commune. I heard the town was Cosenza. It was told that they had children in Italy but they passed away due to illness. Wondering if there is a way to fin some information. Thank you!
Researching Birth and Ship Passage Records for my Calabrese grandparents – Angelo Romano and his wife, Cristina Arcuri. They both were born in Cosenza, Angelo in Acri – not sure of commune for Cristina. Their births were in the latter 1880s. They both left Italy in early 1900s, settling in Providence, RI. Angelo died 6/6/1974, Cristina in 11/30/1941. Any information on their births, emigration, etc would be appreciated. I am trying to gather information to establish my eligibility for Dual citizenship. Thank you, Bob
Im looking for my grandfather families . He was Paolino Porco from Lago , cosenza. Thank you
My greatgrandparents are Matteo Iantria and Filomena Chiappetta-Iantria and they are from Marano Marchesato.Filomena’s mother was Angeline Varela-Chiappetta.My other greatgrandparents are Luigi Maletta and Domenica Maletta-Maletta and Domenica was from Catanzaro.The Iantria name in the U.S. was changed to Andrea and everyone settled in Kenosha,Wisconsin.Any information on them would be appreciated.Thanks
My grandfather, Raffaele de Paola (married to Elena Lanzilotta) and his father, Vincenzo de Paola (married to Caterina Cavalcante). I have no information on Elena Lanzilotta or Vincenzo de Paola and Caterina Cavalcante. They all come from Torano Castello. I have Raffaele de Paola’s birth date but that is all. I would be very grateful for any additional information on any of these ancestors.
Thank you!
Hello, my is Rhonda MacRae, I’m searching for my Great grand parents I’ve been told they were from Cosenza. My Great grand father was Guiseppi Tucci,
his wife was Antonnetta Ungaro she was born in 1885, Guiseppe was born June 2, 1859 he immigrated to the USA in 1893. I hope you are able to help with the very limited information I have, or give me some direction.
Thank you
Rhonda MacRae
My family is known to have originated from Cerisano, Cosenza, Reggio Calabria Italy. Would like to hear if anyone knows more about my Santell(I) ancestors.
Looking for last name of Mazzatto, Mazzatta, Mazato, in the Lago area of Cosenza. Anthony Mazzatto married Angelina Renda a son Phillip, was born in what was called the “Wolf” area? Any information would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Hello Lorraine, it is MAZZOTTA. Not sure you will receive this. I visited Lago and we are probably cousins. I am in touch with a grand-daughter (she is in Arizona) of Susan Mazzotta (believe mispelled “Mozzatta”) herself sister of Filippo (Phillip you are mentioning).
I am researching our Gulluscio from Longobucco, Cosenza. I would like to find out which churches to write to before visiting so I can be better prepared.
Hello! I’m researching my great-great grandparents who were born in Altomonte Cosenza and immigrated to the US in the 1890s. Their names were Vincenzo Tiesi (b. 9 Mar 1863) and Maria Vigniera (b. May 1861). They traveled with their son (my great-grandfather) Carmine (b. 5 Mar 1992) in Altomonte. Any help on their families would be appreciated. Thank you! Jenny
My grandfather, Nicola LaScala born 1891 came to USA 23Sep1916 on the San Guglielmo with wife serafina and daughter, Catherine. I would like to find their marriage certificate. I know they lived in Calabria, but not sure which province or commune. Maybe Cosenza or Catanzaro. I am planning to go to Italy in Fall, 2015. I am anxious to find the town so I can visit.
My paternal grandmother, Serafina Cosenza, emigrated to NYC in 1896 with her spouse, Francesco Licropani (name misspelled to LeCropane at Ellis Island) from Terranova da Sibari, Tarsia. I can find no ancestry for her. I am eager to trace her Cosenza line. Can you help me? I believe she was born circa 1865-1870. To my knowledge, the only other Licropani’s emigrated to Argentina and I find none in Italy. Thank you!