Genealogy in Mazara del Vallo
Tracing your Italian roots back to Mazara del Vallo (in Trapani 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 Mazara del Vallo.
Mazara del Vallo family history at a glance
- Region: Sicilia
- Province: Trapani
- 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 Mazara del Vallo
Thanks to its network of local experts, Italianside has developed significant experience in genealogical research in the province of Trapani. 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 Mazara del Vallo, involving many surnames traditionally found in the town, including branches of the following families: Adamo, Asaro, Bianco, Bono, Ferro, Giacalone, Ingargiola, Marino, Marrone, Mauro, Messina, Perrone, Russo, Titone, Tumbiolo 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 Mazara del Vallo 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 Mazara del Vallo 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 Mazara del Vallo — 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 Mazara del Vallo and in the Province of Trapani 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 Mazara del Vallo community.
Civil Records (Stato Civile) in Mazara del Vallo
In towns and villages of Sicilia and in Trapani province, civil registration offices were established in 1809. This means you can often find your ancestors’ civil records in the Town Hall archives of Mazara del Vallo from that year onwards.
(If your goal is to obtain Italian citizenship and you need official certificates from Mazara del Vallo, please follow this link.)
If you know that your ancestors lived in Mazara del Vallo during the past centuries, the City Office of Mazara del Vallo 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 Mazara del Vallo.
- 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 Mazara del Vallo.
Population trends in Mazara del Vallo
The chart below shows the demographic trends in Mazara del Vallo 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 Mazara del Vallo
Church archives in Trapani 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 Mazara del Vallo 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 Mazara del Vallo:
CRISTO RE – P.zza Cappuccini
MARIA SS. DEL PARADISO – P.zza Madonna del Paradiso
MARIA SS. DELLE GRAZIE – Corso Vittorio Veneto
S. ANTONIO DI PADOVA – Zona Mazara, 2
S. CHIARA – C.da Tonnarella
S. GEMMA GALGANI – Via Castelvetrano
S. GIUSEPPE – 91026 BORGATA COSTIERA TP
S. LORENZO – C.da Miragliano
S. PIETRO – Via S. Pietro, 1
S. ROSALIA VERGINE – P.zza A. Godino
SACRO CUORE IN S. MARIA DI GESU’ – P.zza S. Maria di Gesu’
SS. SALVATORE – P.zza della Repubblica
MARIA SS. DELLE GRAZIE – Corso Vittorio Veneto
S. GIUSEPPE – 91026 BORGATA COSTIERA TP
S. GIUSEPPE – 91026 BORGATA COSTIERA TP
S. LORENZO – C.da Miragliano
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 Trapani
Address: S. Anna, 22 – Trapani
Phone: +390923 546355 552706
Days and opening hours: from mon. to fri. :from 08,00 to 18,00 sat. :from 08,00 to 13,30 weekly closing: 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 Mazara del Vallo
Historical cadastral and land records used to identify property ownership, track real estate transfers over time, and confirm the historical presence of families within Mazara del Vallo. 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 Mazara del Vallo 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 Mazara del Vallo
From our experience, if you plan to visit Mazara del Vallo 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 Mazara del Vallo
If you need professional support from our local genealogist in the Mazara del Vallo area, write to mazaradelvallo@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 Mazara del Vallo
Here below you can read messages from other visitors in the Mazara del Vallo forum. If you simply want to discuss genealogy in Mazara del Vallo with other people, feel free to leave a message.
I recently was in Mazara del Vallo to possibly obtain info on my fathers family background etc I was refused help at the supposedly city office in this town. Giuseppe Asaro birth name, son of Nicola Asaro andSusanna Ponzo. any info you can provide would be most helpful. Susanna
does anyone have information on the Rallo family from Mazzara Del Varro, emigrated to the US in 1901 on the ship the USS Sophia?
Who are you looking for? I too am looking for Rallo family that imigrated to the US in 1907 From Mazzara Del Varro. My relitive was on the Sicillan Prince.
I would like to get copies of the birth certificates of my grandparents. Santo Dei Santi was born October 27, 1894 in Mazara Del Vallo. He was the son of Batista De Santi died 1898 and Elizabetta Malone 1870-1937. Girolama Giacalone was born September 8, 1897 in Mazara Del Vallo. She was the daughter of Francisco Giacalone and Agatina. I don’t know her last name or the birth and dates for them. She could also be a Giacalone. My grandparents came over alone. Their siblings stayed in Mazara. I have their siblings names.
I would also like to get a copy of my grandparent’s marriage certificate, which was January 10, 1920. I believe it was St. Nicholas Catholic Church. They immigrated to St. Louis, Missouri in 1920.
Lastly, I would like to get the names of their parent’s siblings. I have some cousins of grandma Girolama living here in the U.S., but we don’t know where the connection is.
Thank you for any help that you may provide.
Geri did you get the info?
My parents were born in Mazara Del Vallo. My father was Sylvestre Bonanno born November 7, 1919. His parents name were Simone Bonanno and Evanglista Guiana. My mom’s name was Marianna Buscemi born March 21, 1923. Her parents name were Benedetto Buscemi and Giovanna Finocchio. My grandfather, Benedetto Buscemi, traveled to America, several times, to Detroit, Michigan. In one of his trips to America, he brought his young cousin to Detroit, Michigan and stayed untilhis cousin had settled. I do know his last name was also Buscemi and that they worked for Ford. I do have more details, if you’re interested. I am born in New York and currently reside in South Florida. I do go by the name of Joanne but my birth name is Giovanna. I am interested in tracing my geneoalogy and any family members. I wish all of you much luck.
Ciao. I am from America. My grandfather , Salvador, Sam, left for America in 1900’s, went back to Mazara 10 years later, and married Angelina Curtola I believe. They then went back to America. I know there are so many Asaro’s in Mazara, but just don’t know where to turn. I know my grandmother had a sister named Lena, and another sister also. I am not sure if they ever went back to Mazara or not. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you
I am the grand-daughter of Diego Scimemi born in Marzora del Vallo on March 15, 1896, I don’t know much more than that. He moved to Boston, Massachusette, in 1912 where he lived and died on June 26, 1988. He was married to Nancy Misciascia born March 26, 1908 in Corato, Italy prov. of Bari.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Im grandson of BENEDETTO BUCARIA, DOB ??/??/1879 who married a teenager named Agata.
Benedetto was already a licensed barber before moving to New York City with Agata in 1902.
And I’m the great grandson of Vito Bucaria DOB circa 1843 who married a widow named Diane Randazzo
I am looking for the house or street these relatives lived on before moving to New York City.
I am the granddaughter of Antonia Quinici and Francesco De Maria (Di Maria)
She was born March 19, 1884. He was born Feb. 6, 1876 I would like to know when they were married and in what church, and their parents names. I think my grandfathers mother maiden name was Asaro, but I’m not sure. I know they came from Mazzara Del Vallo.
I believe they emigrated to America around 1914-1915
Did they go to San Diego?
I am the grandson of Nicolo Pugliese and Maria Bianco Pugliese. I am trying to do some research into their births and deaths. They were married and lived in Mazara del Vallo, Siciliy. Any information you can provide is appreciated.
I am the great, great grandson of Domenico Giacalone. I believe he was born in Mazara del Vallo in 1855. He married Maria Graffagnino on November 29, 1879 in Salaparuta, Sicily. I am trying to gain information on him, such as birth date, siblings and parents. Any information you can provide wound be greatly appreciated.
I wish to find street address where my grandparents lived before emigrating to US. If there are living relatives of either grandmother (Mazara del Vallo) or grandfather (Salemmi) I would like to know that as well. Perhaps how I might contact them. I will be in Sicily and plan to visit the area Oct 20-28. I have dual citizenship (Italy and US) and have much information on my Sicilian relatives already. Grandmother name: Calogera Fodera born March 25, 1895 Mazara del Vallo (I have her birth certificate). Her father was Vincenzo Fodera and mother Giuseppa Licata.
Grandfather name: Giuseppe Tibaudo born January 12, 1879 in Salemmi. (birthdate taken from grandmother’s naturalization (US) documents). His father was Alberto Tibaudo and mother Maria Genco. Calogera Fodera and Giuseppe Tibaudo were married in Mazara del Vallo on June 8, 1913. They had one female child Maria Tibaudo born after they married (birthdate unknown). That child died in Italy before 1920 but date of death is unknown. Giuseppe emigrated to US (date unknown from Palermo) I’m thinking sometime in the years 1914-1917. Calogera tried to join him in US but was repeatedly refused passage due to eye condition. She did emigrate from Palermo to NY on the SS Madonna. The ship’s manifest is dated Oct. 20, 1920. Can you help me find any relatives still there and the street addresses that my grandparents lived at when they were there. I know nothing of my grandfather’s family other than town and his parent’s names. I do know that my grandmother left at least two sisters and maybe a brother in Italy. She was the only member of her family to emigrate. Thank you
Any advice you could give as to finding this information before I arrive would be helpful. I will not have much time there. I speak no Italian. My husband speaks some.