Italy, Waldensian Evangelical Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Italy

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
This collection has the Waldensian Evangelical Church records for the provinces of Genova and Torino.

What is in This Collection?
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.

Reading These Records
For help reading the French record (most of these are in French) see: For help reading Italian records see the following guides:
 * French Genealogical Word List
 * France Languages
 * Italy Language and Languages
 * Italian Genealogical Word List
 * Script Tutorial for Italian
 * Italy Handwriting

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

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

Marriage 
 * Place of marriage
 * Groom and bride’s names
 * Ages
 * Statuses
 * Parents’ names on both sides
 * Witnesses’ names

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

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

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

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

 * 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

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

Itália, Registros da Igreja Evangélica Valdense (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch) Italia, La Iglesia Evangélica Valdense, registros eclesiásticos (Registros históricos de FamilySearch)