If you search your ancestors in Bitetto, in the province of Bari, Puglia 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 Bitetto
In towns and villages of Puglia and in Bari province registry offices were established in 1809: it means that you could find your ancestors records in Bitetto town hall archives as of that date.
(If your goal is to get your Italian Citizenship and you need official certificates from Bitetto, please follow this link)
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So, if your ancestors lived in Bitetto during the past centuries, then you should start your family research from the City Office of Bitetto 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 Puglia and of course in Bitetto too!
Next picture shows the demographic trends in Bitetto 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 Bitetto. As more your surname is common, as more it could be difficult to find the right branch of your ancestors family in Bitetto archives, expecially if you have not exact dates.
It could be useful for you to know that some of the most common surnames in Bari province are:
Altamura, Basile, Bellomo, Bianco, Bruno, Campanella, Caputo, Carbonara, Carella, Cassano, Catalano, Clemente, Colella, Colonna, Colucci, De Gennaro, De Palma, De Santis, Fanelli, Fiore, Gadaleta, Gentile, Giordano, Laera, Laterza, Leone, Lippolis, Longo, Lorusso, Losito, Mancini, Marinelli, Minervini, Nitti, Palmisano, Paparella, Pepe, Pinto, Pugliese, Ranieri, Rizzi, Ruggiero, Rutigliano, Santoro, Savino, Signorile, Simone, Spinelli.
Church Records in Bitetto
Church archives in Bari 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 Puglia 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 Bitetto on your behalf.
In case you want to visit churches, these are the addresses of parishes active today in Bitetto:
S. MICHELE ARCANGELO – P.zza del Popolo
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 Bitetto area , write to bitetto@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
Here below you can read the messages received from other visitors in Bitetto forum:
if you only want to discuss with other people interested in genealogy in Bitetto feel free to leave a message below.
Trying to trace my fathers ancestors in Bitetto Italy. Michele (Michael) Intranuovo
I am searching for a Francesco (Frank) Petrone. His birthdate is 11/18/1890, and he was born in Bitetto, Bari Italy. Looking for birth records, address of his birth, parent’s names etc. What is cost of your services?
I am a relative of General Michele Palmiotti. Trying to locate relatives.
my father Giuseppe Soranno was born 12/11/1891 in Bitetto he departed Bari by ship named Varona from Naples. His fathers named Giacomo I’m interested in finding if there were other membersin their family. Thank You ,Joseph
Hi Joseph,
I have their family in my tree. Giacomo’s parents were Giuseppe Soranno and Anna Cianciotta. He was born abt 1861. I traced the Cianciotta line back to abt 1730. Giacomo was a 4 cousin 4x removed.
Great gm Paola Cianciotta. Her father Giacomo Cianciotta. His father Giuseppe Cianciotta. Giacomo’s mother Grazia Rutigliano.
My Grandparents came to America from Bitetto, Bari in the 1920s and their last names were Occhiogrosso and Turchiano. Any information is appreciated.
Thank you.
Nicholas, my grandfather Michael(angelo) Occhiogrosso came to the US (NY) via ship from Bitetto, as well! Also some time around 1920. He had four sisters, one of whom also migrated to NY around the same time. He settled in Brooklyn, NY and then moved out to Long Island (West Islip) after marrying my grandmother (Rocca) and raised a family in that town. I was also raised in West Islip, NY.
I will be traveling to Bari (and Bitetto) in September to find family records, both to inform my family genealogy-wise, but also towards my dual passport. I know a few family relatives visited Bitetto in the 1960s, including my father (son of Michaelangelo) and visited with some family members. Only info I have thus far is that the “patriarch” back then went by the name Monguche (I have no idea how that’s spelled – it’s a phonetic spelling : ).
What was your grandparents’ first name, the one with the surname Occhiogrosso? And, has your family been based in NY by any chance since your grandparent migrated to the US?
Wait … going through some old notes and papers now. Patriarch name spelling seems to be **Minguchio,** not Monguche. : ) I think he was my grandfather’s nephew, and the sheriff of Bitetto when my father visited in 1960 or 1961. Not sure if this is helpful, but maybe someone else on this site will recognize that name!
My mothers side of the family has the surname Turchiano. I have trouble finding out anything before about 1900. I know most of them are from Brooklyn but cannot trace it back to Italy. I only know of the regions from 23 and Me.
My Great Grandmother on my father’s side was Angelina Carbonara born in Bitetto Bari Italy. Her Father was Francesco Carbonara and her Mother was Giordana (Bologna) Carbonara. I believe Angelina also had a brother names Francesco. She was born around 1899 and migrated to New York prior to 1915 (around 1907/08)when she married my great grandfather Vito D’Elia. I was wondering if anyone had information about Angelina Carbonara, her parents or siblings. Thank you so much!
PS: I am also trying to obtain a certified copy of her birth certificate via mail. Can anyone help me with that?
I would like to update that I have been able to find out that Angelina’s real name is Angela Irene Carbonara, and her mother was Apollonia Giordano (I was able to locate a photo copy of Angela’s birth certificate). In addition to her brother Francesco she also has a sister Anna Rosa Carbonara.
Please let me know if anyone has ties to information to my family from Bitetto.
Thank you.
I believe my grandparents are from Bitetto. Michele Silecchia (original spelling was Selecca) born in last 1800’s and Annina Rutigliano born in early 1900’s. May be an easy search since they were first cousins. My Grandfather came to America through Boston in the early 1900s went back a few years later for my grandmother. I remember hearing they owned an olive farm. Their mother’s were sisters. Hope this is enough.
My family was acquainted with a Donato and Maria Silecchia, in Brooklyn, NY, in the mid-20th century.
Hi Nicholas, Just came across your reply. I don’t even remember commenting on this blog. lol. I am not familiar with Donator and Maria. I’ve met Silecchia’s in Brooklyn but never quite figured out how we are related. But I am sure we are paisonos
I believe Donato was my grandfathers brother and they lived a few doors down from my grandfather.
MY PATERNAL GRANDFATHER WAS BORN IN BIDETTO ITALY. I DONT KNOW HIS BIRTHDAY OR YEAR. HE LEFT ITALY AND ARRIVED VIA SHIP IN BOSTON HE WAS 16 OR 17 YRS OLD AT THAT TIME. HE WAS THE ONLY ONE IF HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO COME HERE TO AMERICA TO MY KNOWLEDGE
I KNOW THAT HE HAD SIBLINGS AND I BELIEVE THAT I KNOW THE NAMES TWO OF THEM FRANK AND MARIA. I KNOW HE HAD MORE SIBLINGS BUT I DONT KNOW THEIR NAMES.
IM SURE THAT I HAVE VERY CLOSE BLOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALOT OF FAMILY THAT LIVE THERE TO THIS DAY AND I AM INTERESTED IN MEETING LEARNING MORE ABOUT THEM.
I would also like to trace back my family further
Thank you…
I am trying to locate my family members in Italy. My grandparents, Michele and Luisa (née Demattia) came to Ellis Island in 1923 (they were married in 1900 in Bitetto). I was also told that one of my grandparents had family in Bari.
Can you help locate any of my family?
Grazie