Italy, La Spezia, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of images of baptisms, marriages, and deaths from Provincia of La Spezia, Italy for the years 1838 to 1857.

Reading These Records
For help reading these Italian records, see the following guides:
 * Italy Language and Languages
 * Italian Genealogical Word List
 * Script Tutorial for Italian
 * Italy Handwriting
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Italian Handwritten Records

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Baptism Records
 * Name of the child
 * Status of legitimacy
 * Names of witnesses
 * Baptism date
 * Child’s birthdate
 * Father’s occupation
 * Family’s place of residence

Marriage Records
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of parents
 * Groom's age, occupation, birth place and residence
 * Bride's age, occupation, birth place and residence
 * Names of witnesses

Death Records
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Date and place of death or burial
 * Residence and birthplace of deceased
 * Cause of death
 * Name of spouses and if they are living or deceased

Collection Content
For details about the contents of these records, their history, and help using them see the wiki article: Italy Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year
 * Family relationships

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :


 * 1) Select Province
 * 2) Select Comune or Frazione (Municipality or Fraction)
 * 3) Select Record Type and Year to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see the section Citing This Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Consult the Italy Record Finder and Italy Research Tips and Strategies to find other records
 * Italy Civil Registration are also a good substitute when church records of births, marriages, and deaths cannot be found or are unavailable
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name
 * Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or Italy Emigration and Immigration records
 * Search the indexes and records of local genealogical societies
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names
 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back to see if your ancestor’s records have been added.  You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections.  Watch for an asterisk for recently added or updated records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Italy.
 * Italy Guided Research
 * Italy Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.