Genealogy in Novara di Sicilia
Tracing your Italian roots back to Novara di Sicilia (in Messina 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 Novara di Sicilia.
Novara di Sicilia family history at a glance
- Region: Sicilia
- Province: Messina
- 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 Novara di Sicilia
Thanks to its network of local experts, Italianside has developed significant experience in genealogical research in the province of Messina. 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 Novara di Sicilia, involving many surnames traditionally found in the town, including branches of the following families: Bartolotta, Bertolami, Buemi, Calabrese, Ferrara, Galofaro, Lombardo, Milici, Orlando, Puglisi, Rao, Scuderi, Sofia, Trifiletti, Truscello 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 Novara 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 Novara 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 Novara 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 Novara di Sicilia and in the Province of Messina 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 Novara di Sicilia community.
Civil Records (Stato Civile) in Novara di Sicilia
In towns and villages of Sicilia and in Messina province, civil registration offices were established in 1809. This means you can often find your ancestors’ civil records in the Town Hall archives of Novara di Sicilia from that year onwards.
(If your goal is to obtain Italian citizenship and you need official certificates from Novara di Sicilia, please follow this link.)
If you know that your ancestors lived in Novara di Sicilia during the past centuries, the City Office of Novara 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 Novara 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 Novara di Sicilia.
Population trends in Novara di Sicilia
The chart below shows the demographic trends in Novara 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 Novara di Sicilia
Church archives in Messina 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 Novara 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 Novara di Sicilia:
SANTI BASILIO E MARCO – 98058 S BASILIO NOVARA SICILIA ME
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 Messina
Address: Via Giuseppe la Farina, 293, 98124 Messina
Phone: +39090 670089
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 Novara 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 Novara 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 Novara 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 Novara di Sicilia
From our experience, if you plan to visit Novara 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 Novara di Sicilia
If you need professional support from our local genealogist in the Novara di Sicilia area, write to novaradisicilia@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 Novara di Sicilia
Here below you can read messages from other visitors in the Novara di Sicilia forum. If you simply want to discuss genealogy in Novara di Sicilia with other people, feel free to leave a message.
I just found out that my grandfather was born in Novara, Messina on January 2, 1896. His name was FILIPPO FERRARA. He got married and had children has worked as a shoemaker. I think he had his own business. He then immigrated to Canada around 1942. Any information you can send me would be greatly appreciated.
Hello, My grandfather, Salvatore Lombardo, born 1885, came to the US at age 19 in 1903. He listed his home town as Novara di Sicilia. He had told stories of being placed in an orphanage at a young age during the 1880s to early 1890s. His mother had passed away, he may have been placed in the orphanage by his father who remarried. Was there more than one orphanage during that time, in that area? Any suggestions on how I can locate any information on him or the orphanage would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Bonjour , je recherche mes ancêtres Giambattista Chillemi,né vers 1870 Novara di Sicilia marié à Giuseppa Ardizzone née vers 1874 .. ils ont eu 5 enfants, Salvatore ,Vincenzo , Maria, Domenica, Adelina .. certains enfants sont partis vers les USA dont Salvatore qui y est resté et devenu citoyen américain.. toutes informations sont les bienvenues..merci d’avance
Hello, I am focusing on my great-grandmother, Concetta Bertolami and her family from Novara di Sicilia. She, and her siblings, Maria, Giuseppa, Rosina and Antonino Bertolami were orphaned in the mid-late 1880’s. My grandfather said their parents were killed from a volcano (most likely Mt. Etna). No one else in my family knows the story, but paperwork from a distant relative did say the children were orphaned and sent to Offontroffio de St. Antonino de Pau Dua, Der Feminelli in Messina. I would like to find information out on their parents, Antonino Bertolami and Carmela Ippoliti. Did they die from a volcano? Any other info on the family lineage? I know the brother, Antonino Bertolami died in in earthquake after the sisters came to New York. Perhaps the big earthquake that hit Messina in 1908. Thank you for your assistance.
I think we could be related. My late Grandmother was from Novara and her name was Maria Bertolami. She was born in Switzerland but she and her father moved back to Sicily after her Mother and baby brother died in a house fire. She was born in 1910 and passed recently at the age of 102. Her father remarried and had 5 more children.
Jennifer,
I think you are correct. I do know that there is a relative born in Switzerland. I have documentation that shows Maria married Antonino and he was a chef in Switzerland for a while and one or two children were born there. I would love to connect with you. I am sorry that I didn’t reply sooner, but I never received a notification that you replied to my message.
I am wondering if we may be related as well, my great-grandmother was Giuseppa Bertolami, As far as we know, she had siblings, Antonino, Carmela, Carmelo, Salvatore, and Giuseppe, she was born in 1888. I’m hoping this may be the case as we could swap info. We do not know much about her because she moved to the USA with my Great-Grandfather Salvatore Milici but she got sick, returned to Sicilia and died there. He returned to the USA so we have more info on him. I am actually traveling to Novara Next month, hoping to find info and would love help with research.
Antonino was my great Grandfather. My Nonna, was hiw daughter Maria.