Italy, Waldensian Evangelical Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Italia, Valdesi Records Evangelica Della Chiesa

Record Description
This collection includes church records (such as baptisms, marriages, and burials) of the Waldensian Evangelical Church (Chiesa Evangelica Valdese). These records have been digitally captured at the Archivio Tavola Valdese in Torre Pellice, Torino, Italy. Most of the records in this collection are written in French; some are written in Italian.

The Waldensian Evangelical Church is an Italian Protestant denomination that goes back to the Middle Ages. For centuries since its creation, members of the church were harshly persecuted until about 1848, when they were granted legal freedom to worship. Since then, the church has developed and spread through Italy and other countries.

This collection of Waldensian Church records covers the years 1679-1969. Each parish kept a record of events such as baptism, marriage, and death in the life of their members. These church records are reliable and an important source for family history.

Record Content
For help reading the records see the following wiki articles:


 * Italy Language and Languages
 * Italian Genealogical Word List

The baptism records generally contain the following information:


 * Place of baptism
 * Name of the child
 * Date of birth
 * Date of baptism
 * Parents’ names
 * Godparents’ names

The marriage records generally contain the following information:


 * Place of marriage
 * Groom’s and bride’s names
 * ages
 * statuses
 * Parents’ names on both sides
 * Witnesses’ names

The burial records generally contain the following information:


 * Place of death
 * Name of the deceased
 * Age of the deceased
 * Parents’ names
 * Place of burial

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The name of your ancestor
 * Identifying information such as the event date or the names of the parents or spouse

Search the Collection
To search by index: Fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination.

To search by image: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the appropriate "Province" ⇒ Select the appropriate "Comune or Frazione" ⇒ Select the appropriate "Church" ⇒ Select the appropriate "Record Type" which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

With either search keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor in the census, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone

Related Websites

 * Chiesa Evangelica Valdese (English)
 * Waldensians
 * Finding Ancestors in the Waldensian Valleys (Roots Web)

Related Wiki Articles

 * Italy
 * Italy Church Records

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image citation: