Genealogy in Borgo Val di Taro
Tracing your Italian roots back to Borgo Val di Taro (in Parma 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 Borgo Val di Taro.
Borgo Val di Taro family history at a glance
- Region: Emilia Romagna
- Province: Parma
- Type of records: civil and parish records
- Civil registration: from 1866 onwards
- Parish records: often older than civil records (in some cases from the late 1500s)
Research experience on families in Borgo Val di Taro
Over the years, ItalianSide has conducted genealogy research on historical families from Borgo Val di Taro, involving many surnames traditionally found in the town, including branches of the following families: Gatti, Vignali, Molinari, Spagnoli, Dellapina, Ruggeri, Leonardi, Zucconi, Costa, Marchini, Brugnoli, Bardini, Mariani, Delnevo 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 Borgo Val di Taro 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 Borgo Val di Taro 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 Borgo Val di Taro
If your ancestors came from Borgo Val di Taro, in Parma 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 Borgo Val di Taro
Vital records for people born, married or deceased in Borgo Val di Taro are usually preserved in:
- Borgo Val di Taro City Hall archives: civil records (births, marriages, deaths) from 1866 onwards.
- Borgo Val di Taro 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 Borgo Val di Taro
In towns and villages of Emilia Romagna and in Parma province, as Borgo Val di Taro, 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 Borgo Val di Taro from that year onwards.
(If your goal is to obtain Italian citizenship and you need official certificates from Borgo Val di Taro, please follow this link.)
If your ancestors lived in Borgo Val di Taro during the past centuries, the City Office of Borgo Val di Taro 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 Borgo Val di Taro.
- 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 Borgo Val di Taro.
Population trends in Borgo Val di Taro
The chart below shows the demographic trends in Borgo Val di Taro 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 Borgo Val di Taro
Church archives in Parma 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 Borgo Val di Taro 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 Borgo Val di Taro:
S. ANTONINO – Battisti
S. BENEDETTO – Fr.ne Baselica – Baselica
S. DONNINO MARTIRE – Brunelli
S. MARTINO VESCOVO – Loc. San Martino Rivosecco
S. PIETRO APOSTOLO – 43043 PORCIGATONE PR
S. PIETRO APOSTOLO – Rovinaglia
S. PIETRO APOSTOLO – Loc. San Pietro Canal Vona
S. ROCCO – Via S.Rocco, 1
S. ROCCO – Loc. Caffaraccia
S. TERENZIANO – Gorro
S. VINCENZO MARTIRE – Loc. Boccolo Val d’ Ena
SANTI GIOVANNI E PAOLO MARTIRI – 43043 PONTOLO PR
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.
Planning a visit to Borgo Val di Taro
From our experience, if you plan to visit Borgo Val di Taro 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.
Professional help for research in Borgo Val di Taro
If you need professional support from our local genealogist in the Borgo Val di Taro area, write to borgovalditaro@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 Borgo Val di Taro
Here below you can read messages from other visitors in the Borgo Val di Taro forum. If you simply want to discuss genealogy in Borgo Val di Taro with other people, feel free to leave a message.
Hello! I am looking for information on my great grandmother’s family! Her name was Giulia Acerbi born around 1860 in Borgataro and she married Giovanni Oppici! Who were her parents and family? I can’t seem to find anything about her!
Hi there, I’m trying to research my Italian ancestors who came from Borgotaro. They were Maria Maddalena Beccarelli and Ottavio Sabini – any help greatly appreciated, grazie ! Diane
Hello, My Father found out recently that his Grandfather came from Boro Val Di Toro and his name was Vittorio Orsi. Have you got any information about him?
Hello I am trying to find birth certificates or any information relating to my great grandparents who were both born in Borgo Val Di Taro. My great grandfather was Luigi Molinari born 10/6/1892 and my great grandmother was Maria Bonici born 6/22/1891 can you please help me track down any information on them?
Hello.
We are descendants of Primo Capella who was born in Borgotaro and immigrated to the United States when he was 16 years old. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Our family tree is missing some information on relatives who were born in Borgotaro,
Our grandfather Giovanni Capella was born on June 29, 1892 in Borgotaro.
1. What were the names of the father and mother of Giovanni Capella born on June 29, 1892?
My father’s uncle, Giacomo Cappella (or Capella) was born in Borgotaro on July 25, 1893.
2. What was the correct spelling of Giacomo’s last name, Capella or Cappella? Giacomo spelled his name Cappella when he immigrated to the United States.
3. What were the names of the father and mother of Giacomo Cappella born on July 25, 1893?
We would appreciate any information you can give us about our family. If you have any ideas about how we can get this information we would be very grateful. Thank you.
Hello!
My name is Julianna and my mother Tanya is trying to find her great grandfathers birth certificate so she can apply for Italian citizenship. In census’s and war drafts it is states that he is from Parma, but he said he was specifically from Borgo Val DiTaro. His name is Giuseppi Terzaga. He was born on February 27th, 1882. The spelling of his last name may vary, as it was changed at Ellis Island. We would greatly appreciate any help we can get.
Hi Julianna, I actually have a digital version of your 2nd great grandfather’s baptismal certificate which is dated the 1st of March 1882. He was born in Brunelli. If this is the same person, he married Luigia Berzolla on 21 February 1906, and after she died, he married Maria Cresci.
If this document will help, you may reach me through your cousin Rob Michael. He has my contact information.
je recherche l, extrait de naissance de mon arrière grand-mère née à Borgotaro le 23/08/1857
son nom: MARTINELLI CLEMENTINA mariée avec FIORENTINO LUIGI
mon grand -père est né aussi à Borgotaro le 14/09/1889 Fiorentino Federico
merci si vous pouvez me donner des renseignements
Hello, I am desperately seeking my family roots in Borgatora. My sister and myself are visiting in August primarily to see if we find any info on our great grandparents. My grandmothers name was Flora Oliveri. Her parents were guiseppe oliveri (Father) Dominica Spagnoli (mother). Flora was born April 1 1884. She had siblings Peitro Oliveri, Amelia Oliveri, Dillicia Oliveri maybe more. I am ,hoping you can help me in anyway possible. Thank you so much Jeanne Bouchard
Hello, My father was from Parma. My parents were married in Bogotaro on Dec2nd or 19 th, 1923. I want to know if they were married in a church. Giuseppe Savi and Anna Gasparini were their names. I would like to see a marriage certificate.
Hi Anne,
My name is Paul and my family is from that town and my grandparents lived there until their passing, my grandfathers name was Guido and his father was Paulo.
Just wondering if there may be some relation. I know that is a small town and I visited there in the early 80s and unfortunately my father passed years ago and have limited information.
Hello! My father’s side of my family is all from Borgotaro, surnames PESCI, SPAGNOLI, DELCHIAPPO, TERZAGA, DELNEVO just to name a few. I am in Texas and have been reseaching my family history for probably 15 years now. I would love to be able to contact the records office in Borgotaro. Any help and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Terry, this is a shot in the dark. ?. I am looking for my grandmothers and great grandmothers family in Borgatora. My great grandmother was Dominica Spagnoli? I see that in your lists of names. Did you have any luck.? Thank you so much