Genealogy in Cittanova
Tracing your Italian roots back to Cittanova (in Reggio Calabria province, Calabria region) begins with understanding which records 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 Cittanova.
Cittanova family history at a glance
- Region: Calabria
- Province: Reggio Calabria
- Record types available: civil and parish registers
- Civil registration: began in 1809
- Parish records: often earlier than civil registration (sometimes as far back as the 1600s)
Research experience on families in Cittanova
Over the years, ItalianSide has conducted genealogy research on historical families from Cittanova, involving many surnames traditionally found in the town, including branches of the following families: Gerace, Galluccio, Longo, Morano, Sorrenti, D’Agostino, Furfaro, Zito, Raso, Dagostino, Albanese, Chiappalone, Avenoso, Guerrisi and others.
Many records relating to families and individuals are already stored in our databases and include, in addition to names and dates, further information such as occupations, residential addresses, and key family and social relationships within the Cittanova community in past centuries.
Part of the information used by ItalianSide in genealogy research derives from a proprietary archive of on-site research conducted over many years in Cittanova and by our experts. This archive includes studies, family trees, and data not available online, such as cross-referenced family relationships, occupational histories, deciphered or translated documents, residential patterns, and visual documentation.
Research activities may include all major sources available at municipal, provincial, and regional level:
• civil records
• parish registers
• notarial archives
• military records
• historical and photographic sources
Direct access to archives and a deep understanding of the local context allow for more complete and accurate results than research conducted remotely or based on partial sources alone. Research may be carried out using all available sources in both public and private archives.
Genealogy in Cittanova
If your ancestors came from Cittanova, in Reggio Calabria province (Calabria region), the first step is to identify the local archives where records are kept. Most family history research starts from the civil registry office at the Comune and continues in parish and notary archives.
Where to begin your ancestry journey in Cittanova
Vital records for people born, married or deceased in Cittanova are usually preserved in:
- Cittanova City Hall archives: civil records (births, marriages, deaths) available from 1809 onwards.
- Cittanova parish churches: in Calabria, religious registers that can trace family lines back to the 1600s, and in some cases even earlier.
Civil Records (Stato Civile) in Cittanova
In towns and villages of Calabria and in Reggio Calabria province, civil registration offices were established starting in 1809. This means you can often find your ancestors’ civil records in the Town Hall archives of Cittanova from that year onwards.
(If your goal is to obtain Italian citizenship and you need official certificates from Cittanova, please follow this link.)
If your ancestors lived in Cittanova during the past centuries, the City Office of Cittanova 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 Cittanova.
- 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 Calabria and specifically in Cittanova.
Population trends in Cittanova
The chart below shows the demographic trends in Cittanova 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 Cittanova
Church archives in Reggio Calabria 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 Calabria, 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, graduated in history and archival studies, can consult the parish archives of Cittanova on your behalf and reconstruct your family history through the centuries.
In case you want to visit churches, these are the addresses of parishes active today in Cittanova:
MARIA SS. DEL ROSARIO – Via Moretti, 29
S. GIROLAMO – P.zza Marvasi
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.
Historical and photographic sources available in private archives
Historical photographs, prints, and documents from private collections—including ItalianSide’s archive of vintage images from Cittanova and Calabria 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.
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 Cittanova
Historical cadastral and land records used to identify property ownership, track real estate transfers over time, and confirm the historical presence of families within Cittanova. ItalianSide provides professional assistance in accessing and interpreting these records, where available.
Planning a visit to Cittanova
From our experience, if you plan to visit Cittanova 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.
With the results collected by our genealogist before your trip, you will have more time to enjoy the town and its surroundings, walking in the footsteps of your ancestors.
Ready to explore Cittanova? Discover our travel proposals to Calabria and Cittanova — or to other destinations across Italy. Our itineraries are developed with our trusted tour operator partners and supported by the expertise of our local specialists, who design personalized heritage journeys in the footsteps of your ancestors.
Professional help for research in Cittanova
If you need professional support from our local genealogist in the Cittanova area, write to cittanova@italianside.com or fill the form here. Our expert will study your request and reply with a research plan and a quote tailored to your family history.
Messages from other visitors in Cittanova
Here below you can read messages from other visitors in the Cittanova forum. If you simply want to discuss genealogy in Cittanova with other people, feel free to leave a message.
My mother, Doris Moretti, who posted the most recent comment on this thread in 2018, passed away earlier this year in California. If anyone has any information related to her inquiry. Thank you!
In 1995, My husband, Pasquale Robert Moretti, (now deceased) and I visited Cittanova, Calabria, where his father, Gennaro Moretti was born in 1907. Gennaro and his mother, Rosina Cesare, born 1878, possibly in Cittanova, emmigrated to the USA in 1909. His father, Donato Pasquale Moretti, born 1876, presumedly in Cittanova, had emmigrated to the USA a year or two earlier. We knew that the name of one Gennaro’s ancestors was Rocco Moretti and that Rocco had some fame in Cittanova. Not knowing where to start looking, we went into a church and told his name to a priest. Immediately, another man in the church led us to the street of Rocco Moretti, and I took photos of my husband standing under the street sign with my husband in it. Is there any person who knows more about Rocco, who Gennaro said had also lived in a house on the street of Rocco Moretti.
I’m trying to find the birth record for my 3rd great grandfather, Girolamo Palaia. Girolamo was born in Cittanova about 1824. He died in Polistena in 1860 and I was able to identify his birth year from that certificate. The birth parents on the death record state “Ello stato” which I believe to mean “of the state”. Not sure what “of the state” means. And I’m at a loss for who his parents or siblings were.
I am trying to find out information on my Grandfather Domenico Zappia. He was born in Cittanova in 1895 and immigrated to the US in about 1911. I know he had two brothers Giuseppe and Serafino and a sister named Caterina. I think his fathers name was Franco or Francesco.
I am trying to find information on my great grandfather, Vincenzo Valerioti. DOB:
4/28/1870, and wondering if I have any relatives remaining in Cittanova/RC. So far I have learned that my great grandfather came to America on 11/4/1902 on the Citta diTorino departing from Naples. Thank you.
I am looking for information on any of the following family members:
Giuseppe De Pietro N:1801 M:1878 Sposa:Maria Angela Iannizzi SP:31/10/1823
Antonino De Pietro N:1760 M:1826 sposa Angela Loprete
Dominico De Pietro N: circa 1740 a Messina. Sposa Rosaria Antonucci
Luigi De Pietro N:1826 M:1900 SPosa Angela Siciliano
Giuseppe De Pietro N 18/2/1866 M:1933 Sposa Clementina Borelli
Gracie!
Tullio DePietro
I am looking on any information on my grandparents Vincenzo & Maria Rosa Iemma born in Cittanova in 1880 & 1881 They were married in 1903 & came to the US IN 1908. I know almost nothing about them before they came here. My father was the youngest of 12 so by the time I was born, there were a lot of gaps in my knowledge, like both their parents, and grandparents, brothers, sisters, brothers, or any other relatives names.
Looking for information on either Dominick Gullone, b1879 in Cittanova or his wife Antonia Minniti b1882 in Rizziconi so US family can reconnect with roots. Both immigrated about 1910 to US. Thank you for any help.
We are trying to find information about our grandfather, Anthony Camera
(DOB 7/2/1894). We know he lived in Cittanova and came to America when he was a teen. We can’t find his entry records in USA. We are wondering if American’s shortened his name??? We are looking to travel to Cittanova to see where he was born and are wondering if we have relatives still there.
thank you!!
We are trying to find information about our grandfather, Anthony Camera
(DOB 7/2/1894). We know he lived in Cittanova and came to America when he was a teen. We can’t find his entry records in USA. We are wondering if American’s shortened his name??? We are looking to travel to Cittanova to see where he was born and are wondering if we have relatives still there.
thank you!!
Sue
My paternal grandfather immigrated to Argentina. He was born in Cittanova on January 4, 1876. His name was Pascual Antico. Thank you for any information you can provide. Grazie.