Ancestor Portal tools for genealogical research.

Genealogical research allows you to reconstruct your family history but also to draw a picture of Italian society through the generations.

Genealogical sources in the State Archives: the State Archives hold many sources, both public and private, that are indispensable for genealogical research and the history of individual families and persons. The main sources are:

The Glossary allows you to learn the more technical terms and general concepts of genealogical and archival research scattered throughout the different pages of the Antenati portal.

Italy achieved political and territorial unity only in 1861: for this reason, the Pre-unification historical-geographical dictionaries are of great importance, providing useful information on the organisation of the territory and the history of the Italian states before the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, sometimes indispensable for understanding the administrative division of municipalities and other entities responsible for keeping civil status records. For the post-unification period, to check the evolution of administrative districts, including municipalities, it is possible to consult the Historical Institutional Atlas of United Italy.

In the Digital Publications section you will find an annotated bibliography divided into types of sources for genealogical research (civil status, military sources, ecclesiastical sources) with articles and scientific contributions that can be downloaded in full from the site. In contrast, the Research grants section systematically collects all research aids that can be consulted online in order to provide research support.