My roots go back to two important families in the region.  The Sforza family and the Gonzaga family. Lombardy The resort town of Bellagio on Lake Como, Lombardy, Italy.© Index Open   Lombardy, Italian Lombardia, regioneof northern Italy. It is bordered on the north by Switzerland and by the Italian regioniof Emilia-Romagna(south), Trentino–Alto Adige and Veneto (east), and Piedmont (west). Administratively, Lombardy consists of the provincieof Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantova, Milano, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio, and Varese. The capital is Milan. Lombardy is divided physically into three parts from north to south—a mountainous Alpine and pre-Alpine zone; a zone of gently undulating foothills; and a zone of alluvial plains sloping gently to the Po River in the south. The Alpine division reaches a height of 13,284 feet (4,049 metres) in the Bernina. The foothill zone is partly composed of morainic material and contains a number of scenic lakes. The regioneis drained southward by many rivers, all of them tributaries of the Po, including the Ticino, the Adda, and the Oglio, with its affluents the Mella and Chiese, and the Mincio. The regioneabounds in lakes and contains all or part of Lakes Garda (Italy’s largest lake), Maggiore, Lugano, Como, Iseo, Idro, and Varese and the lakes of the Brianza (Pusiano, Annone, Alserio, and Segrino). The climate is generally continental, with hot summers and cold winters, and rainfall varies from about 24 inches (610 mm) annually in the area near the Po River to 80 inches (2,032 mm) in the mountainous regions. Lombardy was inhabited by Celtic peoples from the 5th century bceand was conquered by Rome after the Second Punic War (218–201 bce), upon which it became part of Cisalpine Gaul. The region suffered heavily in the barbarian invasions that ended the western Roman Empire, and from 568 to 774 ceit was the centre of the kingdom of the Lombards, a Germanic people who gave their name to the region. The Lombard kingdom ended in 774, and Lombardy became part of the empire of the Frankish king Charlemagne. Frankish rule continued until 887, and after the breakup of the Carolingian empire a number of independent units, mostly towns ruled by counts or bishops, emerged in Lombardy. These towns’ growing prosperity by the 11th century was based on the role of the middle Po River valley as a transit point for trade between the Mediterranean and the trans-Alpine lands. A number of Lombard towns—Milan, Cremona, Brescia, Bergamo—were able to throw off their feudal rulers and evolve into communes (self-governing municipalities) that became the commercial leaders of Europe at the time. The Lombard communes reached the height of their power in the 12th century, when, in an effort to resist encroachments by the emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, they formed the Lombard League; the league defeated the emperor at the Battle of Legnano in 1176 and forced him to recognize its members’ autonomy in the Peace of Constance (1183). Conflicts within the Lombard communes between Guelfs and Ghibellines were only resolved in the 13th and 14th centuries by the rise of overlords or despots, some of whom, such as the Visconti and Sforza in Milan and the Bonacolsi and Gonzaga in Mantua, founded local dynasties. Milan became the strongest city in Lombardy early in the 14th century and went on to establish its rule over most of the neighbouring towns, though it had to yield Brescia and Bergamo to Venice and the city of Mantua remained independent. Lombardy lost territory to the Swiss, Venetians, and other neighbours in the early 16th century, and in the chaotic wake of the French invasions of Italy, the duchy of Milan came under Spanish Habsburg rule in 1535. Mantua managed to remain independent until 1713, at which time both it and Milan passed to the Austrian Habsburgs. Austrian rule yielded to that of France from 1796 to 1814. In 1815 Lombardy was restored to Austria as part of a newly created Lombardo-Venetian kingdom. In 1859 a Franco-Piedmontese army expelled the Austrians from Lombardy, which joined newly unified Italy. Lombardy has the largest population of any Italian region, though it covers less than one-tenth of the country’s area. The population is concentrated in the industrial cities of the upper plains and foothills, with secondary concentrations in the rich farmlands in the south. Lombardy is the leading industrial and commercial regioneof Italy. Milan, the chief city, is one of the largest industrial centres of Italy. It makes iron and steel, automobiles and trucks, and machinery and is also a centre of banking and wholesale and retail trade. Lombardy’s other major cities include Brescia, Bergamo, Cremona, Pavia, Como, Mantua, and Monza. Their varied manufactures include electrical appliances, textiles, furniture, processed foods, chemicals, and leather. Lombardy is also Italy’s leading agricultural area. The region’s highly productive agriculture is centred on the irrigated plains of the Po River valley, which produce rice, wheat, corn (maize), sugar beets, and fodder crops for beef and dairy cattle. The higher plains produce cereals, vegetables, fruit trees, and mulberries. The foothill region produces fruit, vines, and olives, and the Alps afford excellent grazing for cattle, pigs, and sheep. Milan is the hub of northern Italy’s rail network and has direct rail links with Switzerland, France, and Germany via passes and tunnels through the Alps. Lombardy is linked to other regions of Italy by an excellent system of railroads, highways, and expressways. Area 9,211 square miles (23,857 square km). Pop. (2011) 9,704,151. This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager.  Citation InformationArticle Title:LombardyWebsite Name:Encyclopaedia BritannicaPublisher:Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Date Published:03 February 2015URL:https://www.britannica.com/place/LombardyAccess Date:June 14, 2019 Click here to join our Facebook Page TheLombardplain, locatedin thecentralpartof Lombardyat theconfluenceof severalAlpinepasses,hasforcenturiesbeena muchcovetedandfrequentlyinvadedarea,andit hasbeena battlefieldin manywars.Firstinhabitedby a Gallicpeople,theregionbecame(3dcent.B.C.)partof theRomanprovinceof CisalpineGaul.It sufferedheavilyduringthebarbarianinvasionsthattookplacetowardtheendof theRomanEmpire.In A.D.569theregionwasmadethecenterof thekingdomof the Lombards , forwhomit wasnamed.Lombardywasunitedin 774withtheempireof Charlemagne . Aftera periodof confusion(10thcent.),powergraduallypassed(11thcent.)fromfeudallordsto autonomouscommunes,anda generaleconomicrevivaloccurred.TradebetweenN EuropeandtheE Mediterraneanwaslargelycarriedon viathePo valley,andLombardmerchantsandbankersdidbusinessthroughoutEurope.In the12thcent.severalcitiesunitedin the Lombard League  inorderto defyEmperorFrederickI, whowantedto asserthisauthorityoverthecommunes,anddefeatedhimat Legnano(1176).The13thcent.wasmarkedby strugglesbetweenGuelphs(pro-papal)andGhibellines(pro-imperial),whichresultedin warsamongcitiesandrivalriesbetweenfamilieswithincities.In the11th–12thcent.therewasa characteristicLombardRomanesquearchitecture,andduringtheRenaissanceLombardyhada flourishingschoolof paintingwhoseleadingfigureswereBernardinoLuiniandGaudenzioFerrari. ExceptforMantua (ruledby theGonzag family),Lombardyfell(14th–15thcent.)undertheswayof the Visconti familyandthe Sforza  dukesof Milan.However,BergamoandBrescia(1428)andCremona(1529)werelostto VeniceandtheValtellinavalleywastakenby theGrisons(1512).Aftertheend(mid-16thcent.)of the Italian Wars , therestof Lombardyfollowedthefortunesof Milan.Spanishrule(1535–1713)wasfollowedby thatof Austria(1713–96)andof France(1796–1814).TheLombardo-VenetiankingdomwasestablishedunderAustrianrulein 1815.LombardybrieflyoustedtheAustriansin 1848–49;in 1859theywerepermanentlyremovedandthekingdomwasdissolved. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia™ Copyright © 2013, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyFk-VbSgeI

Have you ever wondered if you have any Noble Italian Roots? Chances are you do, especially if your family migrated from places like Naples, Rome, Milan, Venice or Florence.  Even if they came from smaller cities or towns, it is quite possible.  Before the unification of Italy in the mid 1900’s there where a lot of “noble” families.  I’m going to provide some insight on how to find out if you are, but remember that even if you find your name, it does not mean that you are directly related.  More often than not, peasants living on the land of a Prince, Duke or Count took a form of that name.   If by chance, like I did, you have some sort of documentation from a grandmother or grandfather with a crest, that is the place to start.  Also, don’t discount a family story, my grandmother would tell my older cousins that her grandfather was a prince.  They never believed her.  It was true! My journey began with this card.  My grandmother brought a box of these from Italy when she came to the US in 1915.  This is her dad.  My dad always told us that his grandfather was a count of sorts.  Piromallo is not a very common name, so when I searched google I found this record. Line 5C shows the marriage of Emilia Caracciolo di Torchiarolo to Count Nicola Piromallo.  I was pretty sure these were my great grandparents, but I never heard the name Caracciolo.  So I asked my older cousin that lived with my grandmother and she confirmed.  Also, first names matched.  My dad, the second son, was named after his maternal grandfather, my aunt the first daughter was named after her maternal grandmother. From here it was pretty easy to trace back the Caracciolo family by using various links found on my links page.  Further confirmation was found by using the Antenati.  And other documents,  like the newspaper articles  below, Another tip off may be the style of clothing, if you have any old photos.  You can see from the photos below that my grandmother is not wearing peasant clothing.   Another sign of possible nobility is if you have ever heard of a distant ancestor being  a military officer.  For the most part only those well connected or noble were in the officer corps.  Good luck in your search. Don’t miss a post, or ask for help by joining our Facebook group.  Just click the button below. Join Italian Genealogy Facebook Group This link gives you the list of the Noble Families in Naples. This link gives you the link for the Government of Naples pre unification. This link gives you the Italian Titles of Nobility. Link to Everything you need to know about Italian Nobility The Libro d’Oro lists all the Italian Noble families.  Many of the records are up to date to the present, if the line continues. A few of the many family crests associated with my great grandparents families For more on my family research

Most of the migration from Italy to the United States, Canada, Australia and South America came from the regions in southern Italy.  Over the past couple of weeks we have been posting the history of these regions and decided to combine all the posts in case you missed any, My ancestors mainly come from Apulia and Campania, however,  I can trace back further to Molise, Sardinia and Calabria.  My father line also shows migration pattern through Sardinia.  If you like these articles please request to join our Facebook page by clicking the button below or on any of the posts. We appreciate feedback and please comment and share with your friends from southern Italy. Click here to join Italian Genealogy on Facebook

I have been fortunate enough to convince my good friend, since the first grade, Antonia, to become a guest blogger on the site.  Antonia recently, ( mid May  2019 to be exact) received her Italian Citizenship.  It’s been a long an grueling process from what she tells me.  But lucky for us she is going to give us first hand information on the process and her exploits as an American woman that moved to Italy.  See her first post on Antonia’s Big Fat Move To Italy below.   Salerno, Italy.  What are the strange noises outside my bedroom window?  I walk out on to the balcony, scan the port, noticing the unpredictable wind (vento) gently whistling but strong enough to force the boats to bobble in the water like those comical figures on a dashboard.  The Italian boat flags are making that rapping noise, and I can see the undersides of the trees below, matching the rhythm of the red, white and green patriotic fabric.  The earlier blue sky has made way for the grey and white cotton balls.  Even Ray Charles could tell that rain is on the way. Still scanning for the noise, I squinted and focused in on a huge seagull that was squawking at another seagull flying overhead.  A domestic squabble, no doubt (I got carried away with my vivid imagination) The bird sat down for a while, then got up and walked around.  My timing was perfect just as I returned from making a coffee…a baby seagull just hatched and popped its head out of the nest!  The father returned, the mother continued to nag for not helping and then she kicked him off the roof, rather she gently nudged him off with her giant beak. This scene left me with a thought, not very profound, but a thought, nonetheless:  We may have evolved and lost our wings along the way, but the family dynamic has not changed that much. I would not have been a witness to this intimate family scene had I not learned to slow down my pace in my newly adopted home in Italy.  Interestingly, the birds’ communication style was not all that different from my extended Italian family’s style of communicating in New York…yelling…and lots of it.  I have loving memories of my grandparents and mother in the kitchen arguing in Italian at a very high decibel level as to how long the tomato sauce should be cooking. And like most first- generation Italians, I could understand most of what they were saying. But because they wanted us to be Americanized, my sister and me were never taught the beautiful language of which I am now struggling to properly learn since my move to Italy in March of this year.  Ecco la mama waiting for the husband, as usual, il padre -after returning home can’t handle confrontation and flies the coop, and the fast growing baby who can’t get it together to fly off and check out the chicks at the nearest roof of a coffee bar. Kids today…managgia! What prompted my move here was the culmination of about thirty years of saying, “oh, I love Italy.  I really want to live there someday.”  And then one day I met an ex-pat living in Firenze and visiting Los Angeles.  Of course, I repeated the same thing to him.  His response was, “well what are you doing about it.”  And I was shocked.  No one had ever asked me that.  So back in the nineties, before I had access to the internet, I started the byzantine process of trying to get my paternal grandfather’s naturalization document (not an easy feat..more on that in another blog). AnConsequently, life got in the way, and I dropped the ball on my mission until about 2016 when I got serious about living in Italy. I finally arrived here in beautiful, sweet Salerno in March of this year.  My move was the result of a confluence of events just at the right time.  And I’ve never looked back.  I highly recommend following your dream, whether it’s a move to Italy or learning to ride a bike.  My life has radically changed from being stuck in a car most of the day to walking everywhere, talking in Italian with shop owners and easily forging new friendships in this small city.  Since everything in Italy seemingly revolves around food, I’ll write in the local vernacular:  the recipe ingredients for this move were timing, curiosity, willingness to change and keeping an open mind to a new culture of people and events. Buona fortuna and stay tuned for my next blog on how I prepped for Antonia’s Big Fat Move To Italy! One of Antonia’s mouth watering pastry photos

Little did I know, that when I began my family research, that I would have ancestors from Calabria.  The Piromallo family was originally from Barcelona, Spain and eventually move to Naples.  The “capostipite” or founder of the family was Count Domenico Piromallo, who died heroically, as commander of the Castle of Crotone in 1528.  There’s not too much history to be found on the family until Francesco Antonio purchased Barony of Montebello in 1755 from Paolo Barone di Reggio Calabria in 1755 for 55,000 Ducati.  In 1757, he married Flavia Lancia of the Dukes of Brolo.  His son, Count Giacomo Piromallo married Duchess Beatrice Capece Piscicelli in 1804.  She inherited the title of Duchess of Capracotta in 1839 when her brother Antonio passed away childless.  Her son Giuseppe Piromallo inherited the title from her and merged the to family names to Piromallo Capece Piscicelli.  His line continues today. Palazzo Piromallo Scilla CalabriaNicole Sorrentino Click to Join Italian Genealogy on Facebook History of Calabria Italy Calabria, regione,southern Italy, composed of the provinceof Catanzaro, Cosenza, Crotone, Reggio di Calabria, and Vibo Valentia. Sometimes referred to as the “toe” of the Italian “boot,” Calabria is a peninsula of irregular shape, jutting out in a northeast-southwest direction from the main body of Italy and separating the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas. Calabria: village in the Aspromonte Most of the region is mountainous or hilly, the only extensive lowlands being those of the lower Crati River valley near Sibari, of the Marchesato (territory) near Crotone (Crotona), of Sant’Eufemia, and of Gioia Tauro. In the north, Calabria is linked to the Appennino Lucano of the Apennine Range by the Mount Pollino massif (7,375 feet [2,248 m]), which is continued southward by the west coast range, which is in turn separated by the Crati River from the extensive La Sila massif (rising to 6,325 feet [1,928 m]). A narrow isthmus between the gulfs of Sant’Eufemia (west) and Squillace (east) separates the northern from the southern part of the region, in which the uplands continue as the Appennino Calabrese and culminate in the extreme south in the Aspromonte massif (Montalto, 6,417 feet [1,956 m]). In ancient times the region was the focus of powerful and prosperous Greek colonization, notably at Crotona, Sybaris, and Rhegium (Reggio di Calabria). After Rome subjugated the area, founding a colony at Brundisium (Brindisi) in 246 and capturing Tarentum (Taranto) in 209, the Ager Bruttius, as the region was then called, gradually declined into a remote provincial existence. Eventually it passed to the Byzantines, who called the region Calabria. From the 3rd century bcto the 7th century ad, the name Calabria had specifically referred to a district in the southeastern extremity of the Italian peninsula between the Adriatic and the Gulf of Tarentum. According to the Greek geographer Strabo (1st century bc), the region had at one time been the site of 13 prosperous cities, but by the 3rd century bconly the ports of Tarentum and Brundisium, famous for their wool trade, were still thriving. The expanded region of Calabria was later controlled by the Lombards, the Byzantines again, and the Normans. It then shared with the rest of southern Italy its Hohenstaufen, Angevin (House of Anjou), Aragonese, and Bourbon rulers. Calabria was a stronghold of Italian republicanism until the Risorgimento (movement for political unity) and became part of Italy after the 1860 expedition of the nationalist leader Giuseppe Garibaldi. The mainstay of Calabria’s economy, despite the small lowland area, is farming, which was once characterized by large landed estates (latifundia) and tiny peasant holdings. Under the Italian land reform, the majority of the former latifundia were broken up after 1951 and new, small peasant holdings created, with rural service centres, new houses, and new roads. Formerly, Calabrian agriculture concentrated almost entirely on cereals, olives, and the raising of sheep and goats, with occasional work in the forests of the Sila uplands. The region was long one of the poorest areas in Italy because of its eroded soils and scanty cultivation of them. But the land reforms of the 1950s and subsequent government investment introduced new and more profitable commercial crops, such as citrus fruits (mostly on the west coast), figs, and chestnuts. The government also promoted the development of resorts and recreational areas for tourists in suitable spots along the coasts. Despite these changes the local Calabrian Mafia, called the ’ndrangheta,persists, and its long-established practice of kidnapping was a model for similar acts by others which plagued Italy during the 1970s. The region’s economic development is still hindered by rugged terrain, frequent earthquakes, and poor communications, and there is very little industry of any importance. Hydroelectric power was developed in La Sila in the 1920s and ’30s and is now an important feature of the Calabrian economy, supplying power for electric railways and the chemical industries at Crotone. Catanzaro, the regional capital (1971), Reggio di Calabria, and Cosenza are the only cities of any size. Rail communications are still largely limited to the coasts and consist of the Rome–Naples–Reggio di Calabria line running along the west coast and the Ionian, or Taranto–Reggio di Calabria, line on the east coast. These two railroad lines are connected from Paola to Sibari and from Sant’Eufemia to Marina di Catanzaro. A railway and car ferry link the ports of Reggio di Calabria and Villa San Giovanni with Messina in Sicily. Calabria is one of the few areas of southern Italy that has a non-Italian minority: a substantial number of Albanians fled the Turkish conquest of their homeland in the 15th and 16th centuries and settled there. They have retained their use of the Albanian language, the Greek Orthodox rite in their churches, and, on occasion, their colourful national costumes. Area 5,823 square miles (15,080 square km). Pop. (2006 est.) 2,004,415. This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager. Citation InformationArticle Title:CalabriaWebsite Name:Encyclopaedia BritannicaPublisher:Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Date Published:24 September 2013URL:https://www.britannica.com/place/Calabria-region-ItalyAccess Date:May 15, 2019      Only a narrow waterway separates Calabria from Sicily, which explains why their food histories are so closely intertwined. Their landscapes and crops are similar, and everything from architecture to cooking methods have been shaped by this area’s contact with conquering cultures. Arabic, French, Spanish and Greek cultures have left an imprint on the region’s traditions.   Calabria’s landholdings stand apart from other regions in Italy, specifically because of the area’s quirky geographic characteristics. It is bordered on three sides by water: the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ionian Sea, the Gulf of Taranto and the Straits of Messina (separating Calabria from Sicily). But Calabria has much less traditional recreational coastline than one would expect, and has therefore escaped a great deal of the development and tourism seen along the rest of Italy’s extensive coastlines. Much of the coastline mimics the inland of Calabria, with rocky cliffs and mountains rising up sharply from the sea. Though there are small pockets of beaches here and there, most of the cities perch in the high ranges, away from the potential dangers and isolation of coastal living. The abundance of local food festivals sheds light on how much delight Calabrians take in enjoying the fruits of their labors. While tomatoes and eggplants hold critical spots in many Calabrian dishes, local festivals give pride of place to other seemingly humble ingredients. The town of Diamante hosts a peperoncini festival in September. Caria celebrates the simple Sajuca bean in August. In July, Tropea spotlights its coveted red onions. Also in July, Bagnara signals the downhill run towards the end of the swordfish season with a festival celebrating the region’s staple fish. With farmland sparse in Calabria, every viable plot is cultivated to its greatest advantage. Tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, artichokes, beans, onions, peppers, asparagus, melons, citrus fruits (particularly the arancia calabrese, also known as bergamot, an orange grown only in Calabria), grapes, olives, almonds, figs and mountain-loving herbs grow well in the area. Calabrians tend to focus on the high quality of their ingredients so that virtually everything picked from a garden is useable and worthy of praise. Calabrians use the mountainous area covering most of the region to raise hill-loving pigs, goats and sheep, and comb the woods for chestnuts, acorns and wild mushrooms to add rustic flavors to their cooking. Adventurous fishermen have little trouble finding rich pockets of swordfish, cod and sardines, and shellfish are common in the forms of shrimp and lobster. The inland freshwater lakes and streams offer trout in abundance. Because of Calabria’s hot and humid climate, Calabrians have made an art of food preservation. Oiling, salting, curing, curing and smoking have come to define much of Southern Italian cuisine. In particular, cured meats and sausages are a staple of Calabrian fair—in fact, they are sold right along side fresh produce.  Local pancetta and many varieties of salumi—like Capicola Calabreseand Sopressata di Calabria—are well worth sampling alongside local breads and cheeses and accompanying Calabrian wines. Breads, cheeses and pastas are all important to Calabrian cooking, though these staples of Italian cooking share their spotlights with heartier, meatier fare. Pane del pescatore(“fisherman’s bread”) is a local specialty rich with eggs and dried fruits. Focaccia and pitta breads are popular in the region, a strong tip of the hat to Greek and Arabic flatbread influences. Similarly, special pastries and dessert breads take on a Greek flavor with many being fried and dipped in honey. Cheeses lean towards the goat’s and/or sheep’s milk varieties, though cow’s milk cheeses are becoming more common. Sciungata (a sheep’s milk cheese similar to ricotta), ricotta calabrese (a ricotta with the addition of liberal milk and salt), butirro (a buttery cow’s milk cheese) and the prized caciocavallo silano (a cow’s milk cheese hung to dry, providing its signature teardrop shape) are just a few of the cheeses found on the Calabrian table. Calabrian pastas are hearty and varied, with the names of some of the more creative cuts like ricci di donna (or “curls of the lady”) and capieddi ‘e prieviti (or “hairs of the priest”) belying a whimsical spirit of the region’s people. Fusilli is a common pasta component in Calabrian dishes, as are scilateddri, lagane, cavateddri and maccheroni. Wine is not produced in huge quantities in the region, though the small batches are exceptional in flavor and, like the bulk of Calabrian culture, heavily influenced by Greek influx. Ciró wines are produced by the same ancient varieties of grapes as wines produced in antiquity for local heroes of the Olympic games. The grapes are still grown primarily in the Cosenza province of Calabria, and Ciró wines are still an exercise in patience, with several varieties taking up to four years to reach maturity. Credit to Delallo.  See their recipes. Calabria Treccani Link in Italian Calabria Life in Italy Link Calabria Exchange Great Link for all things Calabrian Calabrian Sites