Project Description
June 2017
What a wonderful tour of Colliano! I contacted Southern Italy Travel to get a tour the town where my great grandmother was from, and to help me find out where my great grandfather was from. Not only did I get a solid history of the town, it turns out my great grandfather was from Colliano as well.
My tour guide, Stefano, was able to show me the documents in the town hall so I could see for myself the birth record, and also the census records to verify his siblings. In addition, he was able to show me the former residences for both of my great grandparents and also the church where they were baptized. While the town suffered a major earthquake in 1980, the baptismal font in the church was amazingly still intact.We spent the day touring the historic landmarks of the town and speaking with locals about what life was like during the time my ancestors lived there, with Stefano translating all the while. He had an easy manner with the locals and asked each about the DiMuro family name.
We spent the day touring the historic landmarks of the town and speaking with locals about what life was like during the time my ancestors lived there, with Stefano translating all the while. He had an easy manner with the locals and asked each about the DiMuro family name.
His persistence paid off and we were able to find a living ancestor, Pasquale, the town’s centenarian and a first cousin of my grandmother. It was a real treat to be able to meet Pasquale and have him verify the family tree, and add some new information as well.
I’m glad Stefano was able to work in the spontaneous visit, and do real-time updates to my family tree during the tour. Stefano was a font of knowledge about the town of Colliano and my ancestors, and my head is still spinning with all that I’ve learned.
This was a truly unique experience and I highly recommend Southern Italy Travel if you want a taste of the real Italy.
Courtney
