If you search your ancestors in Fanano, in the province of Modena, Emilia Romagna region, the documents about your Italian family are stored in the City Office archives and in the parishes in the town.This is where to start your family history research.

Civil Records in Fanano

In towns and villages of Emilia Romagna and in Modena province registry offices were established in 1809: it means that you could find your ancestors records in Fanano town hall archives as of that date.

(If your goal is to get your Italian Citizenship and you need official certificates from Fanano, please follow this link)

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So, if your ancestors lived in Fanano during the past centuries, then you should start your family research from the City Office of Fanano to know more: our local expert is ready to help you in your research!

Otherwise, 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 Emilia Romagna and of course in Fanano too!

Next picture shows the demographic trends in Fanano 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 Fanano. As more your surname is common, as more it could be difficult to find the right branch of your ancestors family in Fanano archives, expecially if you have not exact dates.
It could be useful for you to know that

Church Records in Fanano

Church archives in Modena 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 Emilia Romagna started during 1500!

They 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 Fanano on your behalf.

In case you want to visit churches, these are the addresses of parishes active today in Fanano:

NATIVITA’ DI MARIA SS. – Via Serrazzone

S. GIACOMO MAGGIORE – P.zza della Vittoria

S. LORENZO MARTIRE – Via Trentino – Trentino

S. MARGHERITA D’ANTIOCHIA VERGINE E MARTIRE – Via Lotta

S. MICHELE ARCANGELO – P.zza dei Falchi

S. SILVESTRO PAPA – Via Aba’

Anyway for our experience, if you plan to come here, we always suggest to start the research months before the arrival.
In this way you will avoid 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 before your arrival, you will have more free time to visit the town and surroundings on your ancestors footsteps.

Another important source of information are the notary documents available to expert researchers in the State Archives.

If you need a professional help from our local genealogist in Fanano area , write to fanano@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 want to read this page in other languages:
– Italiano

– Espanol

– Portuguese

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