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It's only two months until I return to Italy!! I had a wonderful trip in March (see www.gentracer.com/lastrip.html) in Sicily and Southern Italy. I'm looking forward to returning on 28 October 2004 (see www.gentracer.com/nextrip.html).

 

Previous Adventures (March 2004) !!


I flew into Milano and down to Catania where I picked up the rental car. I drove up to Randazzo shortly after dark and spent the night. In the morning, it was raining there and snowing on Mt. Etna rising above it. I turned north into the Nebrodi Mountains and the rain turned to snow. There was sparse traffic from the other direction, but none of them wore chains so I moved forward cautiously. About an hour later, I emerged from the snow into cloudy skies and stormy seas on the northern shore. I drove up to Piraino (475 meters) and had a spectacular view of the coast. The Stato Civile office is in the Municipio on the edge of town.
After spending the night on the coast in Brolo, I again climbed the mountain in search of the priest. I got there in time to see him start his car, but he had no time to talk. I have since written to him requesting that birth record around 1879. It is possible that, especially if the child was born in Gliaca, the birth was not civilly registered (which required a trip to the top of that mountain). I then toured Brolo and took lots of photos around the town and collected brochures from the tourist office and met the ladies mentioned above. I then drove across the island to Menfi in search of a place to stay while working in Sambuca. Despite the information on the internet, there was not a hotel open this time of year, at least not that I could locate, so I headed back to a place in Sciacca that I knew and enjoyed on my last trip. The next morning, I arrived early in Sambuca di Sicilia and visited Mariella at the tourist office.

After spending the day around Sambuca, exchanging information between my American client and his cousins and doing some research in the Municipio, I headed back to Sciacca for a dinner date with more cousins. The next day included research in Aragona and a meeting with my colleague, Emilio, in Argigento. I arrived outside one of the new American housing areas for Sigonella to meet my clients. It’s always fun to meet someone you’ve been corresponding with (sight unseen), but this was amazing! These folks were my clients six years ago and surprised me with their youth! Good to be reminded that this family history stuff isn’t just for folks over 40. We spent a delightful day together visiting his ancestral town of Mascalucia and making the discovery of previously unknown folks with the same surname in the cemetery, being tended by a living relative! For years, everyone around town had been telling us that the family in question moved to other locations a long time ago. Wrong! We topped off the day with an evening in Motta Sant’Anastasia, watching the sun set on Etna and enjoying a wonderful dinner. I didn’t’ get far that night, just Gelso Bianco outside of Catania. Up early the next morning and up the coast to Messina to catch the ferry to the mainland. I drove all day and finally stopped for the night at a rest stop near Mirabella. It was just an hour’s drive from there to Melfi. I arrived at the record office 5 minutes after opening and was recognized when I came in the door. The clerk recognized me and led me to his desk. He pulled out the file with our correspondence and explained that he had three of the four documents requested, but the last was still with the researcher. He asked if I wanted to take the three that had been prepared and then he signed and stamp them when I agreed. Since this all proceeded so quickly, I did additional research in the microfilm upon my return. I drove into Isernia in the afternoon and located at hotel. After checking in, I drove out to Forli del Sannio in hopes that the record office opened in the afternoon, as they do occasionally. It wasn’t open, but the sign on the door told me that it would be open from 8:30-12:30 the next day, so I was optimistic about getting lots of work done. I then toured the town and took lots of photos of the major buildings and monuments so you could gain an understanding of the town. The next morning, I arrived shortly before the offices opened. When they opened, I learned why several had been grouped together on the schedule, they were handled by one person.


I'm offering professional research services in Southern Italy and Sicily on my next trip this November. The completed report includes a log of locations and records searched, an analysis of the information found, and copies or extracts of the documents located. On-site research can also include extracts from local phone books, and/or photos of the area. In some cases, I can accompany a client to view their ancestral town and meet (and translate) with Italian cousins. Please reserve your time soon, since it fills quickly. Future trips are planned for each spring and fall. More details are available at my on-site research page at www.gentracer.com/onsite.html.

So far...I'm planning to research in Messina, Catania, Serradifalco, Marianopoli, Agrigento, Palermo, and Termini Imerese in Sicily. On the mainland I expect to work in Avigliano. I'm looking forward to meeting with both American and Italian friends (old and new), as well as returning to favorite places and visiting towns I haven't seen before!

IMO

I've published two volumes: (A-B) and (E-I), of the Italian POW lists (in the Continental US on 31 March 1945). These rosters include name, rank, POW number, and more, including their location on that date. The remaining four volumes of the series will be completed this summer. You can learn more about them at www.gentracer.com/powcd.html or order the page containing one specific name using this email link: gentrace@gentracer.com. The talk I've given a few times at TRACES conferences (www.traces.org) and locally is now available on CD as well. This is about Italian POWs held in Utah. The CD also includes photos from Camp Atterbury in Indiana. More details about this project can be found at www.gentracer.com/utpowcd.html.

 

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© Kathy Kirkpatrick 1997-2004