If you search your ancestors in Sciara, in the province of Palermo, 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 Sciara
In towns and villages of Sicilia and in Palermo province registry offices were established in 1809: it means that you could find your ancestors records in Sciara town hall archives as of that date.
(If your goal is to get your Italian Citizenship and you need official certificates from Sciara, please follow this link)
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So, if your ancestors lived in Sciara during the past centuries, then you should start your family research from the City Office of Sciara 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 Sciara too!
Next picture shows the demographic trends in Sciara 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 Sciara. As more your surname is common, as more it could be difficult to find the right branch of your ancestors family in Sciara archives, expecially if you have not exact dates.
It could be useful for you to know that some of the most common surnames in Palermo province are:
Aiello, Amato, Barone, Battaglia, Bruno, Caruso, Catalano, Costa, Cusimano, D’Amico, D’Angelo, Di Maggio, Di Salvo, Ferrante, Ferrara, Gambino, Geraci, Giordano, Greco, La Barbera, La Rosa, Lo Cascio, Lombardo, Macaluso, Mancuso, Maniscalco, Mannino, Marchese, Marino, Martorana, Mazzola, Messina, Mineo, Orlando, Palazzolo, Parisi, Pecoraro, Piazza, Randazzo, Rizzo, Romano, Russo, Sciortino, Siragusa, Taormina, Tarantino, Vassallo, Vitale.
Church Records in Sciara
Church archives in Palermo 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 Sciara on your behalf.
In case you want to visit churches, these are the addresses of parishes active today in Sciara:
S. ANNA – 90020 SCIARA PA
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 Palermo
Address: Via Vittorio Emanuele, 31 – Palermo
Phone: +39 0912704001 .002 .003
Days and opening hours: monday – friday 08:00 – 18:00 saturday 08:00 – 13:30 weekly closing: Sunday and holidays; no reservation
If you need a professional help from our local genealogist in Sciara area , write to sciara@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 Sciara forum:
if you only want to discuss with other people interested in genealogy in Sciara feel free to leave a message below.
I am looking for family members in Sciara. My grandmother’s last name was Pesco and she had a brother named Marlano Pesco who stayed behind in Sciara when my grandmother, Fannie and her brother Samuel and sister Josephine came to the US in 1903. I will be in Palmero in November and hope to connect with and do some family research.
Both my grandparents were both in Scaira and came through Ellis island in the early 1900’s. I am trying to get info on Carmela Muscarella and Antonio Giacchetta. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Those names are also in my tree….Truland Family tree. Giacchetta was originally Iacchetta.
Hello Diane! My grandmother was Caterina Muscarella, born in Sciara Sicily in 1878. I’m pretty certain she had a sister Carmela, who later, married a Bono, and had two children, Jack and Joe and lived in upstate NY My grandmother Caterina married Amodeo Selvaggio he was also from Sciara Both of my Great Grandparents were also born there. My father Filippo was born there in 1922, they later moved to New York.
I actually just came from a visit to Sciara. Such a beautiful village!!
Please contact me, I would love to hear from you!
Patricia
Hi Patricia,
My husband’s parents are Filippo Salvaggio and Susanna Lentini. They were from Sciara and settled in Harlem, NY in 1898/1899 or there abouts. Amodeo Salvaggio (Filippo’s brother) who married Caterina Muscarella tried to rescue one of Filippo’s daughters named Josephine as her dress caught on fire when the children were burning an effigy of the Kaiser of Germany. Not sure but I think she died. She would have been born about 1913 and the fire was in 1918. Amodeo sustained burns to his hand and face. Have you ever heard this story? Of all places it was in a South Dakota newspaper. My father-in-law, also named Filippo, also told us this story many years ago.
Hi Diane. My name is Vincent. My great grandfather’s on both sides of the family came from Sciara at the turn of the century. My great grandfather Stefano Giacchetta is buried at St. Mary’s cemetery in Rome, NY. He had a daughter name Guiseppina Giacchetta. My great grandmother’s maiden name was Caccamise. There were several families in Rome, NY by the name of Muscarella. My father has a wealth more information but hope this helps.
My grandmother is from Sciara and when we traveled there we could not find any trace of her surname “CIafaglione”at the local city office there. Her fathers name was Pietro Ciaaglione. Any help would be appreciated.
We were able to trace my grandfather name, he was from Lipari with the surname of Maiura /Maiuri.
We have visited our cousins that are still there and have seen the home my grandfather was raised in.
Thanks
Tony
I am told that my grandfather – Joe “guisseppi” Sciara was born in Palermo. He left Italy at the age of 3 – I’m guessing around 1903 – and came to America through Ellis Island New York with his mother. I am most interested to see if he was born in Sciara as that is our surname. My wife will be visiting Italy in October. Very interested in knowing more of our Italian heritage. Thank you. David Sciara
Hi Peter, Were you ever able to track down the connection with the Sciara surname and the town of Sciara? I believe your grandfather and mine “Frank” were brothers…