Articles with Genealogy

Diocese and Archdiocese in Italian Records

Diocese and Archdiocese in Italian Records

Every country-specific certificate program at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies includes courses for Religious Records. As we research our ancestors and their family members, we will undoubtedly be faced with the challenge of locating their religious records within the communities where they spent their lives. In small rural areas, it may be easy as we locate the only village parish. However, it is not always as simple as we may think. As we continue in the course Italian: Catholic Church Records-Part 1, our next task will be to Understand Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions & Archives and how to access the Parish records in local archives. Let’s dig a little deeper. Diocese & Archdiocese Diocese, spelled the same in Italian and English, is a group of parishes within a particular ecclesiastical district. Each diocese has a diocesan archive, usually named Archivio Diocesano or Archivio Storico Diocesano. An archdiocese is a group of dioceses within a particular region (regione ecclesiastica). Some larger cities may contain the seat of the archdiocese as well as one of the dioceses within their jurisdiction. In these cases, the main offices are usually combined and the Archivio Diocesano located in the same building. These archives are usually quite organized, but their hours of operation are few. Often there is only one archivist who is also a priest with all the duties that come with that position. Many diocesan archives will have their own websites containing contact information, hours, and descriptions about their collection. Research in the diocese archive is…

Continue reading

Understanding Latin in Italian Records

Every country-specific certificate program at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies includes courses for Religious Records. In many cases, the religious beliefs of our ancestors became a vital part of their family story. We explore the records of baptisms, marriages and burials, along with other religious ceremonies relating to their beliefs and customs, to discover information not found in the civil records. In the course Italian: Catholic Church Records-Part 1, we will examine these records, but one of the first challenges may be language. A useful resource is the Italian Genealogical Word List for translating Italian to English. However, Latin may be a bigger challenge. Here are some tips. A Lesson in Latin: Understanding the Italian Records Latin is an inflected language in which all verbs are conjugated, and all the nouns and adjectives use different cases. This means that words have different endings according to the function they play in a sentence, so it really does not matter in what order the words in a sentence are presented. This is different than the English language. Names and words can be seen in the normative, genitive, ablative, and accusative forms. These are defined as: “Nominative (nominativus): Subject of the sentence. Genitive (genitivus): Generally translated by the English possessive, or by the objective with the preposition of. Accusative (accusativus): Direct object of the verb and object with many prepositions. Ablative (ablativus): Used to show means, manner, place, and other circumstances. Usually translated by the objective with the prepositions “from, by, with, in, at.””[1] Some examples include: Nominative Genitive…

Continue reading

New Year ~ New Goals

Happy New Year 2021! The holiday celebrations are coming to a close and most schedules are returning to a more regular routine. Hopefully, you were able to complete your 2020 projects. Perhaps you were fortunate enough to have opportunity to interview family members, or break through one of your break walls in 2020. Don’t forget to record any family stories you were able to discover over this holiday season, as well as recording your own 2020 memories. It certainly was a year to remember! Now it is time to get ready for new genealogical opportunities for 2021! What will you discover? Instead of making “New Year’s Resolutions” that may or may not be attainable, make Realistic Genealogical Goals that will benefit your research, both in the short term, and with long lasting rewards. To begin, what do you want to accomplish? Make a plan! Do you need to get your files and documents organized? Implement a system that works for you. Have you lost where you left off in your research? Review the notes for your findings and make a proper research plan. Forgot where you found that information? Be sure to cite your sources! Review your work and make sure you will be able to find that source again. At a time when many repositories are closed to in-person visits, work on what you can achieve at home. Make a list of what has been left undone and needs follow-up. Then set your goals for how you will complete…

Continue reading

Grandmothers, Mothers, and Daughters

Our female ancestors played significant roles in history. Yet, researching and writing about the women in our families can be a daunting task. If you have hit a brick wall in the quest to find information about your female ancestors, consider registering for our Research: Grandmothers, Mothers & Daughters – Tracing Women course, which is just one of the online genealogy courses from International Institute of Genealogical Studies. This course is designed to guide you through the process of researching your family’s history by covering strategies and key sources you will need to access in order to overcome common challenges when tracing female ancestors. It will show you how to document “her” story and reveal the often-hidden aspects of their lives. The untold journey of our Grandmothers, Mothers & Daughters needs to be told and should not remain silenced any longer. Check out course highlights in the following blog posts: Part 1: Researching HER Story Part 2: What’s in a Name? Part 3: Digging Deeper into HER Story Part 4: Timelines for the Ladies in our Tree The Research: Grandmothers, Mothers & Daughters – Tracing Women course description can be found here. Check the Course Calendar schedule below to find the next start date for this course and register today! —————————————————- Visit our website for a complete list of online courses offered by International Institute of Genealogical Studies. Check our Course Calendar here. Follow us on Social Media: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. *Note: Please be aware our social media accounts are monitored regularly, but NOT 24/7. If you have any questions,…

Continue reading

Genealogy in a Package

What’s on Your 2021 Wish List? Tis the season for packages! We all love to receive them and to open them. However, some package contents are better than others. We have made our genealogy wish lists and dropped several hints, but what will we receive? Slippers and socks are fun (usually), but how much better if your package was genealogy-related? The National Institute for Genealogical Studies can make sure your package has just the right courses for your 2021 genealogy education plan. You can choose any of our 230+ courses individually, or one of our specific Course Packages listed below, but did you know that you can also create your own unique package? Choose 4, 7, 8, 10 or 13 courses and make your package with the exact courses needed for your own distinctive research project. See details for all Course Packages here. Special Genealogy Course Packages DNA Packages These packages include courses relevant to your understanding of DNA and how it can be used in your genealogical research. DNA and Relevant Topics: 8 Courses DNA – Understanding Testing and Research Strategies: 4 Courses Skill-Building Package The four courses included in this package will help you expand your research skills. Genealogy Ethical Guidelines & Standards Skill-Building: Breaking Down Brick Walls Skill-Building: Evidence Analysis and Evaluation Using Case Studies Skill-Building: Nuts & Bolts of Reporting Research Business Skills Package This package includes all the courses needed to give students a good understanding of how to start and manage a genealogical business, and…

Continue reading