Genealogy in Castiglione di Sicilia
Tracing your Italian roots back to Castiglione di Sicilia (in Catania province, Sicilia 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 Castiglione di Sicilia.
Castiglione di Sicilia family history at a glance
- Region: Sicilia
- Province: Catania
- Type of records: civil and parish records
- Civil registration: from 1809 onwards
- Parish records: often older than civil records (in some cases from the 1600s)
How to research your ancestry in Castiglione di Sicilia
Thanks to its network of local experts, Italianside has developed significant experience in genealogical research in the province of Catania. For this reason, over the years it has become a reliable reference for those wishing to reconnect with their Italian roots and could be a key partner in the success of your research too. You can read the feedbacks of our customers on our testimonials page
Our experts in Sicilia region, conducted genealogy research on historical families from Castiglione di Sicilia, involving many surnames traditionally found in the town, including branches of the following families: Camuglia, Damico, Giannetto, Lo Monaco, Manitta, Pagano, Papa, Ponticello, Puglisi, Raiti, Russo, Savoca, Tornatore, Vecchio, Zumbo 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 Castiglione di Sicilia 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 Castiglione di Sicilia and Sicilia 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
• cadastral and property 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.
ItalianSide research: Beyond Names and Dates
Italian genealogy is deeply local. It can’t be reduced only about collecting birth and death dates.
In Sicilia, every municipality — including Castiglione di Sicilia — has its own archival history, record‑keeping traditions, and unique documentary sources. This is why Italianside is able to help you in your Italian ancestry research, through a national network of local experts, each specialized in the archives of their specific territory.
Our researcher who works in Castiglione di Sicilia and in the Province of Catania knows how to navigate local civil, parish, military, and notarial records, uncovering details that go far beyond basic dates. By combining national coordination and methodology with deep local expertise, our researcher will bring your ancestors’ stories back to life within the history of the Castiglione di Sicilia community.
Civil Records (Stato Civile) in Castiglione di Sicilia
In towns and villages of Sicilia and in Catania province, civil registration offices were established in 1809. This means you can often find your ancestors’ civil records in the Town Hall archives of Castiglione di Sicilia from that year onwards.
(If your goal is to obtain Italian citizenship and you need official certificates from Castiglione di Sicilia, please follow this link.)
If you know that your ancestors lived in Castiglione di Sicilia during the past centuries, the City Office of Castiglione di Sicilia 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 Castiglione di Sicilia.
- 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 Sicilia and specifically in Castiglione di Sicilia.
Population trends in Castiglione di Sicilia
The chart below shows the demographic trends in Castiglione di Sicilia 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 Castiglione di Sicilia
Church archives in Catania 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 Sicilia, 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 Castiglione di Sicilia 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 Castiglione di Sicilia:
BUON PASTORE – Via Mitogio, 3
MARIA SS. DEL ROSARIO – P.zza Matrice, 3
SACRO CUORE DI GESU’ – Via Nazionale, 91
SANTI PIETRO E PAOLO – Via Quattro Novembre, 14
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.
The provincial archive is:
Archivio di Stato di Catania
Address: via Vittorio Emanuele, 156 – Catania
Phone: +390957159860
Days and opening hours: monday 08.00 – 19.00 tuesday 08.00 – 19.00 wednesday 08.00 – 19.00 thursday 08.00 – 19.00 friday 08.00 – 19.00 saturday 08.00 – 13.30 weekly closing: Sunday; no reservation
or
Archivio di Stato di Catania. Sezione di Caltagirone
Address: via S. Maria di Gesu, 90 – Caltagirone
Phone: +39093326380
Days and opening hours: monday: 8.00 -14.00 tuesday: 8.00 -14.00; 15.00 -18.00 wednesday: 8.00 -14.00 thursday: 8.00 -14.00; 15.00 -18.00 friday: 8.00 -14.00 weekly closing: saturday and Sunday; no reservation
Military records
Conscription lists and service records documenting physical descriptions, dates and places of enlistment, units and ranks held, periods of service, military postings, transfers, and movements, often providing detailed insight into an individual’s life beyond civil registration.
Cadastral and property records in Castiglione di Sicilia
Historical cadastral and land records used to identify property ownership, track real estate transfers over time, and confirm the historical presence of families within Castiglione di Sicilia. ItalianSide provides professional assistance in accessing and interpreting these records, where available.
Historical and photographic sources available in private archives
Historical photographs, prints, and documents from private collections—including ItalianSide’s archive of vintage images from Castiglione di Sicilia and Sicilia region are available. Old pictures add significant value to your family history research and offer a real sense of the places where your ancestors once lived.

Planning a visit to Castiglione di Sicilia
From our experience, if you plan to visit Castiglione di Sicilia 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 Castiglione di Sicilia
If you need professional support from our local genealogist in the Castiglione di Sicilia area, write to castiglionedisicilia@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 Castiglione di Sicilia
Here below you can read messages from other visitors in the Castiglione di Sicilia forum. If you simply want to discuss genealogy in Castiglione di Sicilia with other people, feel free to leave a message.







I want to live rest of my life in Castiglione di Sicilia, how to get the citizenship?
I am looking for some information about the following people. Any help would be great. My research has come to an impasse and I am no longer able to find any information and I am hoping someone can help me. Here is some of the information I am seeking assistance with in my search. My great great great grandfather Giuseppe Savoca is from Castiglione Di Sicilia. He married my great great great Rosaria Scavera. Most likely I would put them born around 1815 possibly 1820 later or earlier as well. I cannot find any more research on them and I was wondering if someone could help. One of their children is my two times great-grandmother Caterina Savoca. My two times great-grandmother Caterina married Salvatore Papa and they supposedly had 18 children. But I cannot find any information about them. One of those children is my great grandmother Grazia Papa, Who I know for a fact have a sister named Angela Papa and possibly a brother named Lorenzo. I have information about my great-grandmother button need information on any of the people above. If someone can help me that would be great. I wonder if they were in an orphanage because I cannot find information on them.
Thank you so much, Angela Delgado
Hello:
I am looking for birth records for Pasquale Laviano (born 1865) and his wife, Rosaria Speciale (born @ 1860) as well as their marriage record (@1890).
They had three children: Carmela, born @ 1898, Lucia, born 1891 and Benedetto, born 1899 – all in Castiglione.
The family emigrated to Albany, NY in 1911. Pasquale came before them in 1907.
Could you please advise where I should write to obtain these records?
Thank you!
Janice