If you search your ancestors in Aragona, in the province of Agrigento, Sicilia 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 Aragona
In towns and villages of Sicilia and in Agrigento province registry offices were established in 1809: it means that you could find your ancestors records in Aragona town hall archives as of that date.
(If your goal is to get your Italian Citizenship and you need official certificates from Aragona, please follow this link)
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So, if your ancestors lived in Aragona during the past centuries, then you should start your family research from the City Office of Aragona 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 Sicilia and of course in Aragona too!
Next picture shows the demographic trends in Aragona 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 Aragona. As more your surname is common, as more it could be difficult to find the right branch of your ancestors family in Aragona archives, expecially if you have not exact dates.
It could be useful for you to know that some of the most common surnames in Agrigento province are:
Alaimo, Amato, Argento, Arnone, Bellavia, Bono, Burgio, Butera, Cacciatore, Carlino, Castronovo, Ciaccio, Cipolla, Colletti, Costanza, Cuffaro, Cusumano, Di Caro, Ferraro, Gallo, Gambino, Giardina, Greco, Iacono, Indelicato, La Porta, La Rocca, Lauricella, Licata, Lombardo, Mangione, Maniscalco, Marino, Messina, Miceli, Montalbano, Morreale, Mule’, Palumbo, Patti, Piazza, Rizzo, Russo, Sanfilippo, Tuttolomondo, Vaccaro, Vella, Volpe.
Church Records in Aragona
Church archives in Agrigento 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 Sicilia 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 Aragona on your behalf.
In case you want to visit churches, these are the addresses of parishes active today in Aragona:
MADONNA DEL ROSARIO – P.zza Umberto
B.M.V. DEL SS. ROSARIO DI POMPEI – Via Salvatore la Rosa
B.M.V. DELLA MERCEDE – P.zza Dante
S. FRANCESCO D’ASSISI – P.zza Cairoli, 1
S. GIUSEPPE ARTIGIANO – Via Roma
SS. CROCIFISSO – P.zza Matrice
SS. CUORE DI GESU’ – Via Provinciale
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 are in Sicilia and you are able to decipher old italian handwritten documents you can reach the archive here:
Archivio di Stato di Agrigento
Address: via Mazzini, 185 – Agrigento
Phone: +390922602400
Days and opening hours: from monday to friday 8.00 – 18.00; saturday 8.30 – 13.30. weekly closing: Sunday; no reservation
or
Archivio di Stato di Agrigento. Deposito sussidiario
Address: via Piersanti Mattarella, 237 – Agrigento
Phone: +39 0922602400
Days and opening hours: 9:00 – 13:00; no reservation
or
Archivio di Stato di Agrigento. Sezione di Sciacca
Address: via Figuli, 28/30 – Sciacca
Phone: 092524896
Days and opening hours: monday: 08,30-13,45 tuesday: 08,30-13,45;14,30-17,15 wednesday: 08,30-13,45 thursday: 08,30-13,45;14,3-17,15 friday: 08,30-13,45 saturday: 08,30-13,45 weekly closing: Sunday; no reservation
If you need a professional help from our local genealogist in Aragona area , write to aragona@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 Aragona forum:
if you only want to discuss with other people interested in genealogy in Aragona feel free to leave a message below.
My grandfather was Joseph Cacciatore from
Aragona. I would love to find any relatives. He was the youngest of 9 I believe.
I am interested in locating my family. my great grand mother was Maria Ferrara daughter of Alfonso and Antionette (Valla)
I believe she was born in 1880s and left Sicily for the USA in 1919 with her 2 children. She was married to Luigi Milinazzo
Hello everyone, I’m a 60 year old male originally from West Virginia where my grandmothers family settled to work in the mines. My grandmother’s name was Giovanna ( Giovannina) Cacciatore. She was born in Aragona in 1905 and her parents were Salvatore and Guiseppina Cacciatore. My grandfather was from Caulonia Italy.
Many relatives in Carksburg West Virginia and some from Ellis Island settled in Utica New York my mother tells me
My father’s name was Joseph Aragona (my mother’s was Maria Dioguardi).
My question .. is it possible the name “Aragona” was given/changed, when he immigrated to America? We would love to know what the original surname in the family, might be. He had two siblings named Rosalie & Vincent.
I am looking for my family in Aragona,Sicily. My Great Grandfather and Great Grandmothers Family. Vincenzo Russo and Josephine Spoto-Russo. Both from Aragona and than came to America in the early 1900s. My name is Alaysha Russo-Tedora.
I am looking for my grandfather Giacomo Milioto’s parents; Carmello and Rosa (mula)
My Grandfather was born in Aragona. His name is Carmelo Ferrera. I don’t know if the spelling has been changed when he came to the U.S. it can happen easily. I am thinking of taking a trip to Sicily soon. I live in NH. I grew up in the Boston area….(Maynard). I had relatives in Waltham, MA & my grandfather was a member of the Aragona Society. Just wondering if anyone had info on the old Society.
Hi John,
I am reading your inquiry from a website called “Italian Side”.
I too was born and raised in Waltham, Ma.
My father was born in Aragona and was a member of the Aragona Society.
I have his suite pin banner that people wore to meetings. One side was for meetings and parades, the other side was black and white printing and worn for funerals.
Here is an interesting note on our local Aragona connection…
A rather large group of citizens from Aragona left for America in the 1920’s. They were neighbors in Aragona…In America, they became neighbors again settling in Waltham, Ma in the same large Italian section of Waltham. In the 1940’s, a large section of the local cemetery was opened and many of the locals purchased plots for the future. Here lie the same neighbors! All their lives together…in life and in death together! Some from Birth to Death together. WOW!
Im sure our families know ine another as my family was from Aragina and arrived in Waltman around that time..Some lived in Maynard, some lived in both, some from Brooklyn to Maynard, like apparently your family did. We are obviously compari.
hello! the last name Milioto is in my family, and my Milioto side of the family is very prominent through Waltham and Boston, but also Maynard as well, which is interesting because Maynard is a very small town. and I know that my Milioto part of my family is descended directly from Sicily.
Erin,
We must be related , cousins , I gew up in waltham / Hudson ma ..
Good afternoon. I am doing some research on my family history. I was adopted so its been a challenge. Turns out my family name is Graceffa. A bunch of people have popped up in your area of MA. Any chance you have any knowledge of the Graceffa’s in the area?
Hi I’ve been trying to dig into our family history as well. Great grand daughter of rosario mula. Resided in waltham Mass as well.
I am looking for information regarding my grandfather, Libertino Rotolo, his father and mother, Alphonse Rotolo and Mariastella ?. My great grandfather was murdered some time between 1915 and 1920 and my Great Grandmother came to the US with her children including my grandfather, his brothers Alphonse and Raymond, his sisters Angelita and Stella. I know they came from Aragona because my grandfather and some of his friends created a club in Chicago called the Aragona Club which was active until at least the early 1960’s. Any other information about this family would be wonderful! Thank you.
I aee all our compari from Aragona to Walthan, Brooklyn, and Maynard are seeking info. I think my fathers father was one of the Aragona Society in Brooklyn. He also lived, in Waltham, and I think Maynard, because I know he was there for at least some events.
I am trying to find birth records for my grandfather, his siblings and his parents. I’ve searched some Italian databases (on Family Search), but have not been able to find any birth records. My grandfather, Calogero Cipolla, was born in 1903 and immigrated to the U.S. in 1920. He had the following siblings: Gaspare, Rosario, Assunta, Tanida, and possibly Pietro and Salvatore. His parents were Baggio Cipolla born in 1853 and Antonina LaRosa born in 1856. I was under the impression that all of them were born in Aragona, but I haven’t found any records. I have done a little research on the LaRosa side, but if you have any information on her family, that would also be great.
I would appreciation any help you can provide.
thank you,
Deena
Hi my grandfather is Rosario Mula from Aragona Sicily he settled in Waltham in the 1920’s many of the listed possible family members had the same first names you have listed as possibilities
yes! We are cousins! Your grandfather was Uncle Zado..My mothers father was his older brother Luigi. Uncle Zado and Aunt Virginia lived on Harvard Street..
He was caregiver at the synagogue next door..I know all your family from my earliest days! If my memory serves me right, there was Charlie, the dapper dude. Louie, easy going, Peter, I think may have been the oldest or thers an older brother.There was a younger sister..Yes, my brother would live to concerse with Uncle Zado and lived to hesr a lot of the old stories of when my grandfather and your grandfather ran around Waltham…Oh, I’m sure I have many stories fir you! Find me because I have stories tgat will amaze you!
We are definitely cousins and my great grandfather did work in that synagogue!!
Hello,
I am looking for information on my great-great-grandmother, Maria Conti, and family. I believe she was born in 1893 in Aragona. She left to the US in 1910. I believe she was married before she left to Carmelo Morreale. Can you help me find information?
Anything is appreciated,
Jennifer Martignetti
This is a bit of a long shot. My mother’s maiden name is Tarara which is very rare (less than 100 families in the world). Her family came from Poland but clearly did not originate there. The story was always that they had come from Sicily in the distant past- but no names/dates/specific regions. Research shows more Tararas in Aragona than anywhere else in the world other than our family in Minnesota, USA. I am looking for any early information (names, dates, etc.) to see if perhaps they did originate in Aragona (records prior to 1700) or if the families currently living in Aragona had come from somewhere else. I am looking simply for any historical references to the Tarara family – as a place to start looking for our origins.
Anything is helpful- this is the first lead we’ve ever had – or any ideas on how to trace such a small family. The story we were told was that the Tarara who left Sicily did so either as a solider or a servant for a Sicilian lady who married a Polish noble.
Hi Allison my 2nd Great Grandmother was Vincenza Tarara born 06 JUN 1841 • Aragona, Agrigento, Italy To Nicolo Tarara and Maria Alfeo, She Married Leonadro Picone. Would these Be relatives of yours? Regards, Patti
Hi Alison
My husbands great grandmothet was Carmela Tarara and married to Giuseppe Caramazza and they lived in Aragona
Many people left Aragona and Agrigento and moved to Northern Illinois. From early 1900’s up until 1960’s many families came to Rockford, Illinois.
There is also an Aragona club here in Rockford that was started early 1900’s Several families of Tarara’s here along with LaRosa’s, Salamone’s, I could go on with the many that came here and why. Most are my wife’s family.
I have visited relatives in Rockford and have Salamone couple generations back from my grandfathers mother or something…I never knew much about Salamuni, but I heard my family mentioning Salamoni-muni quite a lot, that why I remeber. Many Raunisi lived in Waltham, Maynard and Brooklyn, but many fathers cousins are there. I remenber visiting many of them. Aragona Club members, sure! Lots of tile!
I will be in Sicily March 20-27. My grandparents emigrated from Aragona, and my grandmother’s parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in Aragona at the church. My mother’s paternal grandparents were Gaetano Scifo and Margherita La Rosa in Scifo, who emigrated to the US around 1906. My mother’s maternal grandparents were Luigi Caruana and Giusepa Salamone in Caruana, who lived in both Aragona and Palermo, and possibly Comitini. I have both birth and death dates.
Is it possible to have your help in researching their antecedents when I come to Aragona? ì
looking for information on my familytree from Patti Sicily. Great Grandfather Carmelo Aragona & wife Petrina Bonfillio DOB ~ 1889 came to America ~ 1905-1914
I just found your site and am struggling to find a marriage certificate for my fiance’s grandparents. he is pursuing his Italian citizenship and the vital record for their marriage cannot be found. I do not have a marriage date which is required. I have their birth certificates as well as each of their parents’ names.
Can you assist me in how to proceed?
Thank you kindly,
Monica