Italy, Trento, Diocesi di Trento, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

This wiki article describes collections that are scheduled to be posted for free online at FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site.

Foreign Language Title
This section of the article is incomplete. You can help FamilySearch Wiki by supplying this title in Italian.

Collection Time Period
Most parish records in the Trento Province began in 1563 and they continue to the present. This collection of parish records includes the years 1523 to 1923.

Collection History
The Trento Diocese was created sometime in the Second Century and in June of 1929 was elevated to archdiocese. The history of the church registration goes back to the time after the death of Pope Clemente VII, when leaders of the Catholic Church realized there was a need to reform and standardize certain doctrines and practices. All church leaders, including bishops from all the dioceses in Europe, were called to a council in the city of Trent on December 13, 1545. After many stops and starts, protests, and suspensions, the reforms of the Council of Trent were adopted. One of the mandates was that every parish priest would keep a record of each parishioner’s baptism, marriage, and death. This mandate was passed in January 1564, but not every parish complied immediately, even though every diocese had to ratify and comply with the council’s reforms. In fact, the reforms were not universally accepted before 1595, when a papal proclamation was declared. Most Catholic parishes in Italy will have records dating from this time if the register books have survived. Copies of these records were not regularly sent to the diocese until about 1900, so most parishes will have their records stored at the parish church. Occasionally the original register was deposited in the diocesan archive.

Why This Collection Was Created
Parish registers were created to keep a record of the vital events in the lives of each parishioner and for statistical purposes.

Collection Reliability
Italian Catholic parish registers are the most reliable and accurate source for family history information until civil registration was implemented officially starting in 1860. Both parish and civil registers should be searched and verified against each other.

Collection Description
Baptisms, marriages, marriage banns, and burials were all recorded in register books in the individual parishes where the events occurred. If a bride and groom were from different parishes, the marriage banns were recorded in both parishes. The registers were usually written in Latin, but a few priests chose to write in Italian or a dialect. The records are handwritten mostly in formatted records. Many parish registers also have indexes, although older records are indexed by the Latinized version of the first name.

Collection Content
Key information found in baptism records include: • First and last names of the person who was baptized • Name of the father and first name of the mother (maiden name is listed occasionally) • Date of baptism (birth date listed occasionally) • Place of the baptism • Child legitimacy • Place of residence of all involved • Godparents’ names

Key information found in marriage records include: • First and last names of the betrothed • Betrothed’s marital status • Betrothed’s legitimacy • Parents’ names of the betrothed (the mother’s maiden name is normally given) • Date of marriage • Place of the marriage

Key information found in death records include: • First and last names of the person who died • Deceased legitimacy • Name of the father and first name of the mother (maiden name is listed occasionally) • Date of death • Name of spouse if the person was married • Place of the death • Age of the person at time of death

How to Use the Collection
Parish registers are the best source of information for ancestors who lived in Italy before civil registration began. The parish registers list the date and place of a person’s baptism, marriage, and death. You may also find that the details included on birth and marriage records about a person’s parents can help you extend your lineage. Use the place information included in all the entries to begin researching other records you may need.

Related Websites
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Bibliographic Information
Catholic Church. Archdiocese of Trento (Trento, Italy). Parish registers, 1523-1923; Digital images of originals housed in the archive of the Archdiocese of Trento in Trento, Italy.

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Italy Church Records