Exploring Italian Lineages: Tracing Ancestral Connections of Adoptees and Individuals Born Outside Marriage

Investigative and genealogical research of adopted or those born out-of-wedlock ancestors presents unique challenges. While each case can vary widely depending on social conditions and records available; we will focus on generalities relating to civil (vital statistics) records rather than church ones (parochial acts such as baptism and marriage records). Historical topics relate to births between 1810-1860 while later ones will be classified as contemporary research cases rather than genealogical ones per se.

Before initiating any research project on adoptive or out-of-wedlock ancestors, it is imperative that researchers recognize and comprehend several factors. From 1860 until 1929, Italy did not recognize Catholic marriages in state courts (i.e. the Kingdom of Italy). Marriage was typically conducted both ecclesiastically and civilly for most unions in certain parts of Italy (such as the Kingdom of Two Sicilies) before 1860; however, the Kingdom of Italy refused to recognize ecclesiastical unions altogether. Therefore, an act of birth from 1875 might mistakenly identify a child as being from “an unwed mother”, when in fact she was married at church instead of at town hall; but one of the Lateran Treaties granted retroactive state recognition of these ecclesiastical marriages in 1929; therefore such acts must be confirmed through parochial records.

Hearsay may provide some general information, but its legitimate research value often inversely correlated to its social value. For instance, an unmarried mother might claim years later and far away from where her child was conceived that their natural father was an aristocrat in an attempt to salvage both mother and child dignity; families frequently perpetuated such stories to protect the dignity of both mothers and babies alike. Genealogists would require more than mere circumstantial proof–for instance a formal act of recognition by the natural father before their vital statistics registrar–than simply alleging paternity on hearsay alone.

While you wait, here is something to occupy you: an incredible game: Starcraft II An act of recognition would not “legitimize” such a child for purposes such as inheriting titles of nobility; though under certain conditions it might have allowed for inheritance of certain other paternal property; regardless, no married man would likely consent to publicly acknowledge having committed adultery or fornication. Legitimacy refers to both Crown (statutory) and Church (canon) laws which are too complex for this article to fully explain. Illegitimacy has never been clearly defined like it is in English law which recognizes two categories of illegitimates actors: bastards and adulterine bastards. Canon Law previously stipulated that only legitimately-born men could be ordained priests; however, this no longer constitutes a prerequisite. Due to strict privacy laws preventing direct consultation of contemporary (post-1910) vital statistics records or any such records not deposited with provincial state archives for direct consultation purposes.

Historical Cases
In the 19th century, foundlings often received surnames which indicated their illegitimacy: Proietti meant “cast out”, Trovato meant “foundling” and D’Ignoti “of unknown” parents. Esposito derives its name directly from Latin ex positum (literally meaning, “of this place”) which appeared in various baptismal acts performed upon foundlings. Legislation passed in 1928 banned assigning such children surnames that suggested their illegitimacy or abandonment; however, some sort of surname still needed to be given; these might include those from royal and noble families; however more often than not they were toponymic (geographical), alluded to day or month or season of their birth (i.e. Sabato Maggio Primavera etc).

An act of birth declaring an infant as being of unknown paternity was often necessary when its natural father (biological father) did not come forward to claim him/her as father of their offspring. Such declarations became more frequent when infants were abandoned for some reason; though this doesn’t necessarily imply they all came from unwed parents; midwives usually knew who their clients were when making such declarations; similarly mothers declaring illegitimate offspring often knew who fathered the offspring they declared at birth or knowing who would fathered their offspring already knew who fathered the offspring if making similar declarations themselves.

Acts of baptism typically identified children born to both parents, as “legitimate and natural”, while also including any with a single parent (usually the mother) or unknown parents who might not have been listed in any parental list.

Acts of recognition may be recorded in separate registers covering an extended time span or they can be filed into general vital statistics databases that include adoptions and various legal acts that relate directly to vital statistics. It should be noted that not all atti diversi registers are specifically dedicated to unwed births or adoptions – in some localities there may even be registers dedicated exclusively to foundlings; most often though acts relating to foundlings or those born to unmarried mothers were filed within general birth registers as other births were filed among other births filed into general registers.

Contemporary Cases After 1860, civil acts of birth became standard across Italy whereas previously they had only been available in certain regions or attached to baptism acts. Acts issued post-1800 provide much less genealogically useful data than their pre-1800 counterparts.

At this period in Italian orphanage history, religious orders typically sponsored orphanages and thus answered to them before answering to the state. Unfortunately, very few archives were preserved for research; even those that have have often not provided sufficient details (such as parentage information). Furthermore, many children were placed into orphanages despite not technically being orphans (for instance when their mother passed away a man may place his children into an orphanage even though they no longer qualified as infants – such as when an elderly spouse died and left their mother behind with no immediate family connection – even though technically they no longer qualify as infants (eg when his wife died before placing his children there).

In the event that an infant were to be placed for adoption (for instance by an unwed mother) after his/her birth had been registered, their birth record may provide some details as to his/her parentage or at least show maternity. Unfortunately, direct access to such acts may be prohibited even to most vital statistics personnel; consequently a “simple” birth certificate without indications of parentage is usually issued instead; moreover most birth certificates issued today in Italy as well as any needed for official use such as school registration are issued on forms without spaces designated for parents’ names; similarly for baptismal certificates today as well.

In some instances, an infant was placed for adoption immediately following its birth and prior to registration of its birth records; these would contain less information.

Twentieth-century adoptions, particularly those conducted after 1946, have typically been conducted through Catholic agencies; these adoptions included both newborns and orphanage residents – until the 1970s some “international” (i.e. Italian-born children placed with couples from other countries). Agencies (now defunct) would often retain key information regarding such adoptions while most courts responsible for registration of adoptions would also keep records, though unfortunately such records are usually not made accessible to adoptees looking for their biological parents.

Circumstantial Evidence and Investigations
Circumstantial factors must be evaluated objectively in cases involving foundlings, adoptees and children born outside marriage. When conclusions are reached based on circumstantial evidence alone, conclusions must be supported by preponderance of evidence and all sources must have been carefully considered before reaching a decision. This may require reviewing both parochial records as well as civil ones – which typically means requesting direct access to them in Italy rather than superficial examination of microfilmed records.

Sociological aspects and practices play an essential role in this branch of genealogical research, while bureaucratic procedures (regarding access to records etc) play an equally vital part. When conducting such a project in Italy, research should typically be entrusted to an experienced genealogist familiar with investigations of this sort – especially contemporary cases involving living persons who may require special strategies and tactics not covered herein.