Italy, Catania, Civil Registration (State Archive) - FamilySearch Historical Record

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of civil registration (stato civile) of births, marriage and deaths within the custody of the State Archive of Catania (Archivio di Stato di Catania) for the years 1820 to 1900.

For details about the contents of these records, their history, and help using them see the wiki article: Italy, Civil Registration (FamilySearch Historical Records)

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

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images available for all users. However rights to view images on our website are granted by the record custodians. Italian Data Privacy rules prohibit making certain records publicly available for viewing. This includes birth records under 110 years old, and marriage or death records under 70 years old. The Italy, Catania, Civil Registration (State Archive), (FamilySearch Historical Records) collection is available to the Family History Library, FamilySearch Centers, and to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The images are also available to all viewers at The Portale Antenati (Ancestors Portal).

For additional information about image restrictions, please see the Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections page.

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

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 


 * 1) Select Provincia
 * 2) Select Comune o frazione
 * 3) Select Registro e L'Anno 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?

 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have moved or lived nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual. This compiled list can help you identify possible relations that can be further verified by researching vital records indexes in the country
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

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

 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and 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.
 * Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby countries or immigration/emigration records.
 * Vary the search terms.
 * 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. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations.Often Spanish and Italian name abbreviations are the same or very similar

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.