Genealogy in Fanano

Tracing your Italian roots back to Fanano (in Modena province, Emilia Romagna 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 Fanano.

Research experience on families in Fanano

Over the years, ItalianSide has conducted genealogy research on historical families from Fanano, involving many surnames traditionally found in the town, including branches of the following families: Scarpellini, Lolli, Pellegrini, Turchi, Seghi, Passini, Grotti, Ferrari, Chiarotti, Monterastelli, Corsini, Muzzarelli, Ranieri, Sarti 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 Fanano 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 Fanano and Emilia Romagna 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 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.

Genealogy in Fanano

If your ancestors came from Fanano, in Modena province (Emilia Romagna 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 Fanano

Vital records for people born, married or deceased in Fanano are usually preserved in:

• Fanano City Hall archives: civil records (births, marriages, deaths) from 1866 onwards.
• Fanano parish churches: in Emilia Romagna religious registers, which can often take your research back to the 1600s and sometimes as far as the 1500s.

Civil Records (Stato Civile) in Fanano

In towns and villages of Emilia Romagna and in Modena province, as Fanano, the modern civil status was systematically introduced on January 1, 1866, after the unification of Italy. This means you can often find your ancestors’ civil records in the Town Hall archives of Fanano from that year onwards.

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

If your ancestors lived in Fanano during the past centuries, the City Office of Fanano 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 Fanano.
• 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 Emilia Romagna and specifically in Fanano.

Church Records in Fanano

Church archives in Modena 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 Emilia Romagna, 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 Fanano 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 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’

Planning a visit to Fanano

From our experience, if you plan to visit Fanano 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.

Messages from other visitors in Fanano

Here below you can read messages from other visitors in the Fanano forum. If you simply want to discuss genealogy in Fanano with other people, feel free to leave a message.