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.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

This collection of Waldensian Church records covers the years 1632-1969.

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 the collection by name fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about those in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection by image. ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the appropriate "Province" category ⇒ Select the appropriate "Comune or Frazione" category ⇒ Select the appropriate "Church" category ⇒ Select the appropriate "Record Type" category which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by 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.

Be aware that with either search you may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination. 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.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at 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

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

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

Related Wiki Articles

 * Italy
 * Italy Church Records

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.