Reviews

What they say about us
Read the latest reviews and testimonials from our clients
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"Once in a lifetime experience"

I am beyond thrilled to have found Stefano and Southern Italy Travel for my 50th birthday trip to Italy to explore my ancestry. If you are lucky enough to be able to book a tour with them, you will have the experience of a lifetime! Stefano is so dedicated and professional that he only takes about two clients per month as his research is so involved and detailed. Read more

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"A 5-star review. My trip was more than I could ever imagine"

A 5-star review. My trip to Jelsi, Molise region in Italy, was more than I could ever imagine. Stefano did such a fantastic job of researching my family tree. I never knew of the things he could find. I would highly recommend Southern Italy Travel and Stefano. Read more

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"The photos and the memories I have of that day will be with me always. Without Mirella’s help I would not have discovered as much as I did"

Sitting outside the old house was the uncle who keeps a home across the street in the neighborhood. He just happened to be visiting at the right time for us to meet him. Mirella explained what was happening and we were welcomed immediately as a family. We shared stories and photos that I brought with me. It was an amazing day, filled with excitement and many surprises. Read more

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"Stefano has given me the keys to my heritage, including a meeting with four of my Italian second cousins and their families."

Stefano investigated and clarified family legends that had been passed down by word of mouth. Because of Stefano, I now feel a familial connection to Italy. He has given me the keys to my heritage, including a meeting with four of my Italian second cousins and their families. Read more

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"This was a trip I have wanted to take for many years and was not sure I would ever get to visit. I am so glad I found you and Southern Italy Travel"

I can never express how grateful I am for all the work Stefano Ammirati did for me in researching my family in and around Revo‘, in spending the day with me and showing me the villages where both my grandfather was born and also where his mother was born. Read more

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"Choosing Southern Italy Travel was one of the best decisions I ever made. Honestly."

I wanted a small family-oriented person or business in Italy–not a large impersonal American organization– to do the work that I couldn’t accomplish on my own.  Choosing Southern Italy Travel was one of the best decisions I ever made. Honestly. Read more

222

"I was very happy and most of all very satisfied to have made the decision to hire Stefano and I wholeheartedly recommend them for your family ancestry research"

The large files that Stefano compiled, showed his dedication and his research ability to document several generations back of my relatives, including meeting a distant cousin and his family that are still living in Montefalcone! Read more

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"A fabulous day of touring the region my grandparents came from"

I am so glad I found Southern Italy Travel and Stefano to help me explore my Italian ancestry! His diligent genealogical research, his easy manner, and his knowledge of the area, all contributed to a fabulous day of touring the region my grandparents came from. Read more

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"The tour of the town and birthplaces gave me goosebumps. I met cousins I didn’t know that I had. Many hugs and stories to share."

Touring the town, learning its history, and seeing the places where my grandparents and their families lived and went to church was a thrill. A visit to the cemetery gave context to the generations of my ancestry. I was in awe. You do not need to look anywhere except SOUTHERN ITALY TRAVEL if you want the BEST genealogical tour available! Read more

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"In every situation, Stefano worked with diligence, professionalism, and good humor"

My experience with Southern Italy Travel and Stefano is 100% positive. I have asked Stefano to perform research on 3 of my grandparents in Calabria, to provide research and a tour of the birthplace of my fourth grandparent and my wife’s grandparents in Abruzzo and Campania, and to provide official birth records of my paternal grandparents. Read more

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"If you are considering taking an ancestral tour with them, don’t hesitate! You won’t regret it!"

We cannot recommend Southern Italy Travel Company and Mirella enough! We reached out to her only a couple of weeks before our trip, and she still took time to go to our town ahead of time, research the ancestry documents, and make connections with not only our family members but also the mayor and a few key people in the town. Read more

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"Stefano went above and beyond our expectations, it was an experience that was well worth the effort. "

I have been doing ancestral healing for a few years and knew I had a wonderful opportunity to learn more about an ancestral line that we knew little about when my brother decided to get married in Italy. This is likely the only time my very large family will be in Italy together, and I contacted Stefano to see if he could access my great-grandfather’s birth certificate. Read more

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"This trip has been more than I could have imagined"

I contacted Southern Italy Travel in the spring of 2020, amid the pandemic. No one at the firm, nor myself living in the United States, realized the extent of the pandemic at that time. But Mirella Ammirati took on my request to round out my family tree for which I had a few names, a birthdate, and a marriage certificate. From there, she conducted research to learn more about my maternal grandparents’ Abruzzese families from Spoltore. Read more

cityhall_hug

"As we get older, moments of wonder and surprise become more rare, and you were able to give us that gift."

My mother’s greatest dream was to connect with her Italian family. Over the years, she lost contact as her siblings passed and people moved.  Stefano and Mirella not only connected my mom with her cousin but also brought together members of our extended family we never knew existed. The reunion with family and witnessing my mother make this connection to her roots will stay with me for my lifetime. Read more

berardone siblings in Castel di Sangro - 1

"Mirella and Stefano, you put your heart and soul into this. You care to make a difference – and you did"

We started with researching our ancestors in multiple branches of my family, just to build a family tree. Your work was top-notch – accurate and thorough. The best part was you visited our ancestral towns and found information and records you can’t find on-line. We also enlisted your help in finding any relatives in our ancestry village in Abruzzo. We did not expect you to find anyone, but we decided to take a chance. What a fantastic surprise you had for us when we arrived! Read more

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"For a long time, I wanted to know the city from where my great grandfather had left for his new world"

For a long time, I wanted to know the city from where my great grandfather had left for his new world. Luckily, life took me to his town. I am enormously grateful to life and to all those who collaborated to reconnect with my origins. Delighted to know its streets through Stefano, who was an excellent guide and great professional. Read more

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"My family and I had an incredible day we will always treasure"

It’s been a dream of mine to visit our ancestral hometown in Abruzzo. With the help of Mirella, from Southern Italy Travel, my family and I had an incredible day we will always treasure. From additional research to help fill in our family tree to meeting new cousins and touring the area where our ancestors had lived, Mirella made it a day to remember. Read more

Jen, Jake, & Cassie with Lettopalena in the bacckground

"We will be forever thankful to you for guiding us throughout this incredible day!"

Thank you Southern Italy Travel for the amazing day you put together for my family! The research you did to identify our ancestors and their stories combined with the historical context you provided during our tour of the beautiful town of Lettopalena was thorough and inspiring -to say the least.  Read more

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"This is something I could never have accomplished on my own"

It is impossible to overstate how grateful my husband and I are for the fantastic work done by Stefano regarding my ancestry search. The information his research revealed was incredible. The visit he arranged and led to my ancestral home of Laviano, Italy was exceptional.  Read more

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"It is so rewarding to know and understand your past"

Stefano was amazing!  I contacted Southern Italy Travel to learn more about my ancestors in Southern Italy.  Stefano connected me with help in Calabria to learn about my father – results were incredible as we learned that we have Spanish blood on my father’s side and was able to construct a tree going back 4 generations.   Read more

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"An amazing experience worth every penny and more for the lasting memories we all have"

Our trip to Italy in last summer was the trip of a lifetime.  While we spent many days in Italy seeing the sights, eating the amazing food, and relaxing and enjoying our entire family, our fondest memories are from the day that Stefano planned for our family in the town of Conflenti in Southern Italy.  Read more

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"Our family roots clearly came alive"

My brother, sister and I were astonished by the information he presented that traced our family back in this small Arbereshe town where they’ve preserved their customs and their language for hundreds of years. We even were blessed to meet a cousin! It was a wonderful day that we will never forget. Our family roots clearly came alive! Read more

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"This trip was an amazing experience far beyond my dreams"

The tours that Stefano conducted for us in Campania were an incredible experience. Stefano clearly takes pride in his work, and he truly shared in my joy at discovering more about my roots. I could not have been more pleased with the experience. Read more

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"We brought home many records and photos to share with our family, and memories to last a lifetime."

My sister and I wanted to visit the village where our grandfather was born on a recent trip to Italy, and we contacted Southern Italy Travel to assist us. I am so glad that we did! I highly recommend them, the experience was worth every penny. Thank you!  Read more

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"This was my second successful research trip with Southern Italy Travel"

This was my second successful research trip with Southern Italy Travel. My grandmother was born in Carapelle Calvisio, L’Aquila. I have been building our family tree for years and I reached farther back then the records online. I needed to visit Carapelle Calvisio to continue my research but the church where the records are kept has been condemned. Read more

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"Because of Stefano, I was able to make my dream come true"

Because of Stefano, I was able to make my dream come true to visit the town where my grandmother was born and raised. It is a small town and no one really speaks English. I do not speak Italian, but with Stefano acting as my researcher, translator and guide, it was a wonderful experience! Read more

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"From the first time I contacted Southern Italy Travel, I knew I was in good hands."

On the day of our meeting, Mirella was waiting at our bed and breakfast and was standing there with our two cousins.  It was a total surprise, one of the best of my life.  She then spent the afternoon with us along with our new family as they showed us around town, the graveyard and the town hall.  Read more
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"I do not know if any review can do justice to the actual experience and how simply amazing it was."

Mirella delivered on each and every one of her promises: helping us with genealogy research; meeting us at the site; showing us around; and giving us a wealth of background and history. She had a folder of information ready for us, which she went through and explained, and sent us information as a follow-up as well. Read more

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"We could not have imagined how the day could have been any better!"

Both days fulfilled bucket list dreams of mine – to visit my ancestral villages and to walk in the shoes of my ancestors! Stefano ensured that both visits were memorable, informative and very interesting. We would most definitely recommend his services. Our visits could not have gone any better! Read more

Italy19

"Stefano helped me from start to finish in investigating my family tree and connecting me to my family in Italy"

Stefano of Southern Italy Travel helped me from start to finish in investigating my family tree and connecting me to my family in Italy. Before our trip, he communicated with me clearly and could be relied upon to respond promptly to my inquiries.  He used information that I already had to make connections to cousins in my grandparents’ hometown in Italy. Read more

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"Mirella and Stefano gave us an experience of a lifetime. We love and appreciate both of them."

It is hard to express in words our two days with Mirella and Stefano showing us the two towns of our grandparents.We received documents, were told stories, and given pictures that we never could have found on our own. We immediately felt welcomed and that we were with family. There were so many amazing experiences packed into these two days to mention. Read more
Morcone

“Mirella and Southern Italy Travel helped turned a bucket list item into a reality.”

From the very first correspondence, I knew that I was working with a professional who knew how to bring my ancestry research to a new level. Mirella worked with me to custom tailor our day. She left no stone unturned and did a significant amount of research and on-site preparation weeks before we even arrived. Read more

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“If you hesitate at the cost, don’t. It is worth every penny, many times over. Truly a priceless experience.”

We spent fifteen days in Italy on this trip, and this one day with Mirella was the highlight of the entire trip. It was the experience of a lifetime and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.  If you hesitate at the cost, DON’T.  It is worth every penny, many times over.  Truly a priceless experience that gets better every time I think back. Read more

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"They put heart and soul into their work"

It is clear to us that Mirella puts her heart and soul into her work. Our day visiting my dad’s ancestral towns was wonderful! It even exceeded our expectations! We met relatives from both sides of the family. Mirella picked us up at our hotel and drove us to both towns. Read more

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"We spent two magical days visiting the ancestral towns with Mirella and Stefano"

We spent two magical days visiting the ancestral towns with Mirella and Stefano. They were both well-informed and professional, yet very warm and friendly, and chatting with both of them was lots of fun. We highly recommend their services for anyone who wants to look into their ancestry, or just tour areas of Italy that are off the beaten path. Read more

heath

"The experience left me feeling more complete and more connected"

For many of us, satisfying our natural curiosity about where we came from takes us to the internet where we are presented with abundant misinformation and mistaken identities. Also for many of us, the folks who could fill in the blanks are long since passed. Indeed, it is missing these relations that drives us to honor their memory by documenting their story. Read more

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"This experience opened up a new dimension of my life!"

Stefano did a thorough search of my family records in the small town in Southern Italy where my grandfather was born and where he lived until he left to come to the United States in 1906. Until then I only had stories that my grandfather told me when I was a young child and the minimal records I could find on the ancestry search I did from the U.S.. Read more

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"Our experience could not have been better. They are great!!"

After not really knowing how to find Italian records, my daughter spent some time and found Southern Italy Travel.  We knew we wanted to visit the little towns my great-grandparents came from, research records and see if any family was still there.  What a fabulous job Stefano did! He met us at the train station and drove us to both towns that they came from. (About a 30-minute drive) From there our true adventure started. Stefano is the PERFECT GUIDE!! Read more

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"We cannot thank you enough"

I still cannot believe we actually got to live our dream. And it was all because of you, Stefano and Mirella! Thank you both so much for the stellar research and the amazing tours. To have actually been where my grandparents were born, the churches they attended, where they were baptized, and also get personally guided tours by local historians of their towns was utterly amazing. Read more

our ancestors'birth records

"We highly recommend Southern Italy Travel if you are searching for your past"

Stefano was the perfect guide for our genealogy tour.  He helped us find records in the municipal buildings and took us on a very informative tour of my great-grandparents village and the surrounding Trabocchi coast.  Stefano was extremely helpful and even sent us suggestions for other places to visit while in Italy. Read more
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"Thank you so much for planning a day that we will never forget""

Mirella and Stefano were so thorough with their research and organized. The day they planned was well thought out and very rewarding to us. The lunch spot they found was so genuine and the food home cooked, delicious! The hospitality was outstanding. We were made to feel so welcome in the town and saw and learned so much. Read more

my Italian relatives

"An unforgettable experience"

Southern Italy Travel more than exceeded my expectations!  Mirella and Stefano are both extremely professional and extremely capable. My initial thought when I contacted them was to get a tour of my great grandfather’s hometown of Ortona in Abruzzo. I had no idea that I actually had any living relatives still there. Read more

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"It was a day that we will always remember!"

Mirella and Stefano were wonderful to work with.  Any questions I had, whether about the tour or general questions about travel to Italy, were always answered quickly and thoroughly. The tour with Stefano was spectacular! His intense research on the town of Panni and on our ancestors was evident. Read more

Extra - Pasquale, Courtney, and Maria

"I highly recommend Southern Italy Travel if you want a taste of the real Italy."

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…  Read more

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"An unforgettable, emotional experience."

Mirella and her brother did an amazing job. Thorough, professional, creatively dogged in their investigation of our family roots only begins to describe how they made our pilgrimage to the town of our Italian origins an unforgettable, emotional experience. Involving local residents in the day helped add a warm, personal touch we did not anticipate…  Read more

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"We laughed a lot and smiled more"

What an outstanding job Mirella and Stefano have done tracking down the Bonatucci and Fedele families! We treasured our trip to Abruzzo and it gave myself and our daughters a much deeper understanding of our ancestors as well as why certain habits are so hardwired in our family. We laughed a lot and smiled more. You and Stefano were fantastic guides. Read more

our tour

"The experience was definitely the highlight of our trip to Italy"

I want to thank Southern Italy Travel for everything they did for us in researching my family history.  The experience Mirella put together far exceeded anything that I thought was possible. I thought we would maybe find out about who my two times great grandparents were and see the church, but I was completely blown away by how she rolled out the red carpet for us in Spoltore, Abruzzo region. Read more

our ancestry tour

"They definitely exceeded my expectations"

I found Mirella on the Association of Professional Genealogists. I knew that was an organization to be trusted.  I reviewed the websites of all the Italian genealogists on the site and I really liked what her clients said about her. I was impressed with her response and I hired her to research both my great grandfather and my great grandmother’s lines and to accompany us on the first two days of our trip. Read more

sustainability

"They helped us understand our history and something of ourselves"

Mirella Ammirati’s Southern Italian Travel is an amazing resource for ancestral research and cultural heritage. .Having provided them with some family names and birth dates, they were able to construct a family tree going back five generations. But that was just the foundation of their exceptional efforts to provide me with a day I’ll never forget. Read more

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"The best experience that we could have"

I feel so fortunate that I chose Mirella Ammirati to assist me in my search into my family heritage!  She was responsive to my desire to learn about my father’s heritage in Pozzilli from the moment I found her on the internet.  Initially only stranger to me off the internet, after months of collaboration with her, she became more than a name, a service. Read more

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"What a wonderful day!"

Our remarkable experience started with a visit with the mayor of Torano Nuovo… who was expecting us!  The mayor, as well as all other town’s people we met, were so welcoming and made us feel like long lost neighbors who had returned home. Mirella’s effortless translations allowed for pleasant conversation with all. Read more

Ancestry Tour

"You gave our family a gift we will never forget"

Mirella met us in my grandfather’s village, Cercepiccola, with a lovely man who was the representative for the mayor’s office. They gave us a thorough and personalized tour of the village, showing us my grandfather’s Baptismal records, their church and the house my uncle was born in. Read more

Ancestry Tour

"An authentic cultural experience in Italy"

As a fourth-generation Italian American I’ve always dreamed of visiting Italy, dreamed of visiting cities like Rome and Naples, but also dreamed of visiting the rural mountainous towns my great-grandparents knew as home before making the arduous journey to the United States.  Read more

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"An outstanding life experience"

My hope was to see where my dad was born, walk the roads he walked, meet family members that hadn’t emigrated to Canada as my father had, and to ‘experience’ a fragment of what may have been his life. Read more

Read the latest reviews and testimonials from our clients
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"This was a trip I have wanted to take for many years and was not sure I would ever get to visit. I am so glad I found you and Southern Italy Travel"

I can never express how grateful I am for all the work Stefano Ammirati did for me in researching my family in and around Revo‘, in spending the day with me and showing me the villages where both my grandfather was born and also where his mother was born. Read more

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"Choosing Southern Italy Travel was one of the best decisions I ever made. Honestly."

I wanted a small family-oriented person or business in Italy–not a large impersonal American organization– to do the work that I couldn’t accomplish on my own.  Choosing Southern Italy Travel was one of the best decisions I ever made. Honestly. Read more

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"I was very happy and most of all very satisfied to have made the decision to hire Stefano and I wholeheartedly recommend them for your family ancestry research"

The large files that Stefano compiled, showed his dedication and his research ability to document several generations back of my relatives, including meeting a distant cousin and his family that are still living in Montefalcone! Read more

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"A fabulous day of touring the region my grandparents came from"

I am so glad I found Southern Italy Travel and Stefano to help me explore my Italian ancestry! His diligent genealogical research, his easy manner, and his knowledge of the area, all contributed to a fabulous day of touring the region my grandparents came from. Read more

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"The tour of the town and birthplaces gave me goosebumps. I met cousins I didn’t know that I had. Many hugs and stories to share."

Touring the town, learning its history, and seeing the places where my grandparents and their families lived and went to church was a thrill. A visit to the cemetery gave context to the generations of my ancestry. I was in awe. You do not need to look anywhere except SOUTHERN ITALY TRAVEL if you want the BEST genealogical tour available! Read more

group pic

"In every situation, Stefano worked with diligence, professionalism, and good humor"

My experience with Southern Italy Travel and Stefano is 100% positive. I have asked Stefano to perform research on 3 of my grandparents in Calabria, to provide research and a tour of the birthplace of my fourth grandparent and my wife’s grandparents in Abruzzo and Campania, and to provide official birth records of my paternal grandparents. Read more

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"If you are considering taking an ancestral tour with them, don’t hesitate! You won’t regret it!"

We cannot recommend Southern Italy Travel Company and Mirella enough! We reached out to her only a couple of weeks before our trip, and she still took time to go to our town ahead of time, research the ancestry documents, and make connections with not only our family members but also the mayor and a few key people in the town. Read more

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"Stefano went above and beyond our expectations, it was an experience that was well worth the effort. "

I have been doing ancestral healing for a few years and knew I had a wonderful opportunity to learn more about an ancestral line that we knew little about when my brother decided to get married in Italy. This is likely the only time my very large family will be in Italy together, and I contacted Stefano to see if he could access my great-grandfather’s birth certificate. Read more

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"This trip has been more than I could have imagined"

I contacted Southern Italy Travel in the spring of 2020, amid the pandemic. No one at the firm, nor myself living in the United States, realized the extent of the pandemic at that time. But Mirella Ammirati took on my request to round out my family tree for which I had a few names, a birthdate, and a marriage certificate. From there, she conducted research to learn more about my maternal grandparents’ Abruzzese families from Spoltore. Read more

cityhall_hug

"As we get older, moments of wonder and surprise become more rare, and you were able to give us that gift."

My mother’s greatest dream was to connect with her Italian family. Over the years, she lost contact as her siblings passed and people moved.  Stefano and Mirella not only connected my mom with her cousin but also brought together members of our extended family we never knew existed. The reunion with family and witnessing my mother make this connection to her roots will stay with me for my lifetime. Read more

berardone siblings in Castel di Sangro - 1

"Mirella and Stefano, you put your heart and soul into this. You care to make a difference – and you did"

We started with researching our ancestors in multiple branches of my family, just to build a family tree. Your work was top-notch – accurate and thorough. The best part was you visited our ancestral towns and found information and records you can’t find on-line. We also enlisted your help in finding any relatives in our ancestry village in Abruzzo. We did not expect you to find anyone, but we decided to take a chance. What a fantastic surprise you had for us when we arrived! Read more

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"For a long time, I wanted to know the city from where my great grandfather had left for his new world"

For a long time, I wanted to know the city from where my great grandfather had left for his new world. Luckily, life took me to his town. I am enormously grateful to life and to all those who collaborated to reconnect with my origins. Delighted to know its streets through Stefano, who was an excellent guide and great professional. Read more

image0 (1)

"My family and I had an incredible day we will always treasure"

It’s been a dream of mine to visit our ancestral hometown in Abruzzo. With the help of Mirella, from Southern Italy Travel, my family and I had an incredible day we will always treasure. From additional research to help fill in our family tree to meeting new cousins and touring the area where our ancestors had lived, Mirella made it a day to remember. Read more

Jen, Jake, & Cassie with Lettopalena in the bacckground

"We will be forever thankful to you for guiding us throughout this incredible day!"

Thank you Southern Italy Travel for the amazing day you put together for my family! The research you did to identify our ancestors and their stories combined with the historical context you provided during our tour of the beautiful town of Lettopalena was thorough and inspiring -to say the least.  Read more

IMG_6598

"This is something I could never have accomplished on my own"

It is impossible to overstate how grateful my husband and I are for the fantastic work done by Stefano regarding my ancestry search. The information his research revealed was incredible. The visit he arranged and led to my ancestral home of Laviano, Italy was exceptional.  Read more

IMG_0209

"It is so rewarding to know and understand your past"

Stefano was amazing!  I contacted Southern Italy Travel to learn more about my ancestors in Southern Italy.  Stefano connected me with help in Calabria to learn about my father – results were incredible as we learned that we have Spanish blood on my father’s side and was able to construct a tree going back 4 generations.   Read more

IMG_0453

"An amazing experience worth every penny and more for the lasting memories we all have"

Our trip to Italy in last summer was the trip of a lifetime.  While we spent many days in Italy seeing the sights, eating the amazing food, and relaxing and enjoying our entire family, our fondest memories are from the day that Stefano planned for our family in the town of Conflenti in Southern Italy.  Read more

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"Our family roots clearly came alive"

My brother, sister and I were astonished by the information he presented that traced our family back in this small Arbereshe town where they’ve preserved their customs and their language for hundreds of years. We even were blessed to meet a cousin! It was a wonderful day that we will never forget. Our family roots clearly came alive! Read more

83CB5DCA-F9A7-46F0-8B74-7D747A679CAF

"This trip was an amazing experience far beyond my dreams"

The tours that Stefano conducted for us in Campania were an incredible experience. Stefano clearly takes pride in his work, and he truly shared in my joy at discovering more about my roots. I could not have been more pleased with the experience. Read more

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"We brought home many records and photos to share with our family, and memories to last a lifetime."

My sister and I wanted to visit the village where our grandfather was born on a recent trip to Italy, and we contacted Southern Italy Travel to assist us. I am so glad that we did! I highly recommend them, the experience was worth every penny. Thank you!  Read more

IMG_20191005_102919

"This was my second successful research trip with Southern Italy Travel"

This was my second successful research trip with Southern Italy Travel. My grandmother was born in Carapelle Calvisio, L’Aquila. I have been building our family tree for years and I reached farther back then the records online. I needed to visit Carapelle Calvisio to continue my research but the church where the records are kept has been condemned. Read more

20190920_030456 (1)

"Because of Stefano, I was able to make my dream come true"

Because of Stefano, I was able to make my dream come true to visit the town where my grandmother was born and raised. It is a small town and no one really speaks English. I do not speak Italian, but with Stefano acting as my researcher, translator and guide, it was a wonderful experience! Read more

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"From the first time I contacted Southern Italy Travel, I knew I was in good hands."

On the day of our meeting, Mirella was waiting at our bed and breakfast and was standing there with our two cousins.  It was a total surprise, one of the best of my life.  She then spent the afternoon with us along with our new family as they showed us around town, the graveyard and the town hall.  Read more
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"I do not know if any review can do justice to the actual experience and how simply amazing it was."

Mirella delivered on each and every one of her promises: helping us with genealogy research; meeting us at the site; showing us around; and giving us a wealth of background and history. She had a folder of information ready for us, which she went through and explained, and sent us information as a follow-up as well. Read more

eRC9flSdQXmarGpE6gNu3Q

"We could not have imagined how the day could have been any better!"

Both days fulfilled bucket list dreams of mine – to visit my ancestral villages and to walk in the shoes of my ancestors! Stefano ensured that both visits were memorable, informative and very interesting. We would most definitely recommend his services. Our visits could not have gone any better! Read more

Italy19

"Stefano helped me from start to finish in investigating my family tree and connecting me to my family in Italy"

Stefano of Southern Italy Travel helped me from start to finish in investigating my family tree and connecting me to my family in Italy. Before our trip, he communicated with me clearly and could be relied upon to respond promptly to my inquiries.  He used information that I already had to make connections to cousins in my grandparents’ hometown in Italy. Read more

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"Mirella and Stefano gave us an experience of a lifetime. We love and appreciate both of them."

It is hard to express in words our two days with Mirella and Stefano showing us the two towns of our grandparents.We received documents, were told stories, and given pictures that we never could have found on our own. We immediately felt welcomed and that we were with family. There were so many amazing experiences packed into these two days to mention. Read more
Morcone

“Mirella and Southern Italy Travel helped turned a bucket list item into a reality.”

From the very first correspondence, I knew that I was working with a professional who knew how to bring my ancestry research to a new level. Mirella worked with me to custom tailor our day. She left no stone unturned and did a significant amount of research and on-site preparation weeks before we even arrived. Read more

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“If you hesitate at the cost, don’t. It is worth every penny, many times over. Truly a priceless experience.”

We spent fifteen days in Italy on this trip, and this one day with Mirella was the highlight of the entire trip. It was the experience of a lifetime and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.  If you hesitate at the cost, DON’T.  It is worth every penny, many times over.  Truly a priceless experience that gets better every time I think back. Read more

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"They put heart and soul into their work"

It is clear to us that Mirella puts her heart and soul into her work. Our day visiting my dad’s ancestral towns was wonderful! It even exceeded our expectations! We met relatives from both sides of the family. Mirella picked us up at our hotel and drove us to both towns. Read more

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"We spent two magical days visiting the ancestral towns with Mirella and Stefano"

We spent two magical days visiting the ancestral towns with Mirella and Stefano. They were both well-informed and professional, yet very warm and friendly, and chatting with both of them was lots of fun. We highly recommend their services for anyone who wants to look into their ancestry, or just tour areas of Italy that are off the beaten path. Read more

heath

"The experience left me feeling more complete and more connected"

For many of us, satisfying our natural curiosity about where we came from takes us to the internet where we are presented with abundant misinformation and mistaken identities. Also for many of us, the folks who could fill in the blanks are long since passed. Indeed, it is missing these relations that drives us to honor their memory by documenting their story. Read more

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"This experience opened up a new dimension of my life!"

Stefano did a thorough search of my family records in the small town in Southern Italy where my grandfather was born and where he lived until he left to come to the United States in 1906. Until then I only had stories that my grandfather told me when I was a young child and the minimal records I could find on the ancestry search I did from the U.S.. Read more

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"Our experience could not have been better. They are great!!"

After not really knowing how to find Italian records, my daughter spent some time and found Southern Italy Travel.  We knew we wanted to visit the little towns my great-grandparents came from, research records and see if any family was still there.  What a fabulous job Stefano did! He met us at the train station and drove us to both towns that they came from. (About a 30-minute drive) From there our true adventure started. Stefano is the PERFECT GUIDE!! Read more

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"We cannot thank you enough"

I still cannot believe we actually got to live our dream. And it was all because of you, Stefano and Mirella! Thank you both so much for the stellar research and the amazing tours. To have actually been where my grandparents were born, the churches they attended, where they were baptized, and also get personally guided tours by local historians of their towns was utterly amazing. Read more

our ancestors'birth records

"We highly recommend Southern Italy Travel if you are searching for your past"

Stefano was the perfect guide for our genealogy tour.  He helped us find records in the municipal buildings and took us on a very informative tour of my great-grandparents village and the surrounding Trabocchi coast.  Stefano was extremely helpful and even sent us suggestions for other places to visit while in Italy. Read more
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"Thank you so much for planning a day that we will never forget""

Mirella and Stefano were so thorough with their research and organized. The day they planned was well thought out and very rewarding to us. The lunch spot they found was so genuine and the food home cooked, delicious! The hospitality was outstanding. We were made to feel so welcome in the town and saw and learned so much. Read more

my Italian relatives

"An unforgettable experience"

Southern Italy Travel more than exceeded my expectations!  Mirella and Stefano are both extremely professional and extremely capable. My initial thought when I contacted them was to get a tour of my great grandfather’s hometown of Ortona in Abruzzo. I had no idea that I actually had any living relatives still there. Read more

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"It was a day that we will always remember!"

Mirella and Stefano were wonderful to work with.  Any questions I had, whether about the tour or general questions about travel to Italy, were always answered quickly and thoroughly. The tour with Stefano was spectacular! His intense research on the town of Panni and on our ancestors was evident. Read more

Extra - Pasquale, Courtney, and Maria

"I highly recommend Southern Italy Travel if you want a taste of the real Italy."

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…  Read more

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"An unforgettable, emotional experience."

Mirella and her brother did an amazing job. Thorough, professional, creatively dogged in their investigation of our family roots only begins to describe how they made our pilgrimage to the town of our Italian origins an unforgettable, emotional experience. Involving local residents in the day helped add a warm, personal touch we did not anticipate…  Read more

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"We laughed a lot and smiled more"

What an outstanding job Mirella and Stefano have done tracking down the Bonatucci and Fedele families! We treasured our trip to Abruzzo and it gave myself and our daughters a much deeper understanding of our ancestors as well as why certain habits are so hardwired in our family. We laughed a lot and smiled more. You and Stefano were fantastic guides. Read more

our tour

"The experience was definitely the highlight of our trip to Italy"

I want to thank Southern Italy Travel for everything they did for us in researching my family history.  The experience Mirella put together far exceeded anything that I thought was possible. I thought we would maybe find out about who my two times great grandparents were and see the church, but I was completely blown away by how she rolled out the red carpet for us in Spoltore, Abruzzo region. Read more

our ancestry tour

"They definitely exceeded my expectations"

I found Mirella on the Association of Professional Genealogists. I knew that was an organization to be trusted.  I reviewed the websites of all the Italian genealogists on the site and I really liked what her clients said about her. I was impressed with her response and I hired her to research both my great grandfather and my great grandmother’s lines and to accompany us on the first two days of our trip. Read more

sustainability

"They helped us understand our history and something of ourselves"

Mirella Ammirati’s Southern Italian Travel is an amazing resource for ancestral research and cultural heritage. .Having provided them with some family names and birth dates, they were able to construct a family tree going back five generations. But that was just the foundation of their exceptional efforts to provide me with a day I’ll never forget. Read more

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"The best experience that we could have"

I feel so fortunate that I chose Mirella Ammirati to assist me in my search into my family heritage!  She was responsive to my desire to learn about my father’s heritage in Pozzilli from the moment I found her on the internet.  Initially only stranger to me off the internet, after months of collaboration with her, she became more than a name, a service. Read more

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"What a wonderful day!"

Our remarkable experience started with a visit with the mayor of Torano Nuovo… who was expecting us!  The mayor, as well as all other town’s people we met, were so welcoming and made us feel like long lost neighbors who had returned home. Mirella’s effortless translations allowed for pleasant conversation with all. Read more

Ancestry Tour

"You gave our family a gift we will never forget"

Mirella met us in my grandfather’s village, Cercepiccola, with a lovely man who was the representative for the mayor’s office. They gave us a thorough and personalized tour of the village, showing us my grandfather’s Baptismal records, their church and the house my uncle was born in. Read more

Ancestry Tour

"An authentic cultural experience in Italy"

As a fourth-generation Italian American I’ve always dreamed of visiting Italy, dreamed of visiting cities like Rome and Naples, but also dreamed of visiting the rural mountainous towns my great-grandparents knew as home before making the arduous journey to the United States.  Read more

cousins-in-catignano

"An outstanding life experience"

My hope was to see where my dad was born, walk the roads he walked, meet family members that hadn’t emigrated to Canada as my father had, and to ‘experience’ a fragment of what may have been his life. Read more

Click on the photos below to read more reviews from our clients

“This trip has been more than I could have imagined”

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“As we get older, moments of wonder and surprise become more rare, and Stefano and Mirella were able to give us that gift”

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“Mirella and Stefano, you put your heart and soul into this. You care to make a difference – and you did.”

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“For a long time, I wanted to know the city from where my great grandfather had left for his new world”

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“My family and I had an incredible day we will always treasure”

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May 2022

Thank you Southern Italy Travel for the amazing day you put together for my family!
The research you did to identify our ancestors and their stories combined with the historical context you provided during our tour of the beautiful town of Lettopalena was thorough and inspiring -to say the least.
Including a delicious lunch at an authentic local restaurant along with visits with cousins with whom we had never met was truly life-changing.
We will be forever thankful to you for guiding us throughout this incredible day!
We can not recommend Mirella and Stefano more wholeheartedly for all your Italian ancestry research needs!
Jennifer Staples

“You made my dream come true”

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“A thrilling and emotional day”

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“Just one word: outstanding”

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“Magical and unforgettable experience”

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“You gave our family a gift we will never forget”

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“An authentic cultural experience in Italy”

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“What a wonderful day”

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“A truly amazing adventure”

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February 2016

We would like to join our voices to the many others singing the praise of Southern Italy Travel. Mirella was so helpful before the trip, helping us plan our visit with many tips and suggestions about the timing of our visit and logistics. She was able to arrange transportation for our family of 5, aged 12 years to 90!

Mirella’s business partner, who provided transportation, was lovely. He was punctual, a very good driver and most accommodating.

On the day we spent in the town of our ancestors, Mirella had arranged everything perfectly. She was most accommodating when my elderly parents were not up for a walk, she was flexible and kind. Mirella had arranged an expert local guide, Rosario, who knew the little town well and we even had lunch with the Mayor!

image5It was very moving to see the area in which my grandparents grew up, with my mother, age 90, on her first visit to Italy. Mirella showed us the streets, the houses,  and the church they would have attended. I am so grateful to have had her as a guide, to take us to places of interest and explain the history of the area, with which she is well versed.

Her extensive research was very informative, and she was able to show us (and provide us with copies of) important documents of our ancestors, birth certificates, marriage certificates and so forth.  She had worked out our family tree and  provided us with much information that was new to us. This, despite that fact that we had given her an incorrect name!

We would highly recommend Southern Italy Travel. Mirella was lovely and warm and felt instantly like a member of our family. Because of her efforts, our visit exceeded our expectations.

Diana Wilson, M.D. and family!

 

“An outstanding life experience”

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“Thank goodness I found Southern Italy Travel!”

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“An invaluable experience”

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“I can’t imagine making this trip without them”

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“Memories that will last a lifetime!”

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“It exceeded our expectations”

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“You made our trip to Italy “Over the Top”

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“Can’t thank you enough”

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“An experience I will remember for the rest of my life”

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“A dream come true”

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“Thank you”

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“Above and beyond what I had expected””

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“Something I’ll treasure forever”

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“Warm memories to cherish”

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November, 2013

Thank you so much Mirella for a wonderful day. What a thrill when you placed birth and marriage certificates into our hands and the family tree was also a bonus.

Thank you for all the time effort you spent locating those family history papers.

We really enjoyed spending time with you and Marco as we walked through the town and enjoyed the special lunch that you arranged.

The highlight of the day was being reconnected with our Uncle Antonio. It certainly was a very emotional but fact finding day. Even though Antonio did not speak any English, we could listened to his stories, watched him in his shop and followed him through our ancestors town for more than a day. Our thanks to you and Marco for translating and spending the day with us.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.

We would highly recommend you services and plan to use southernitalytravel when
we return to Italy to research the towns of our paternal Grandparents.

Our thanks again to Mirella and Southernitalytravel.

Dennis and Carol

U.S.A.

“My absolute highest level of recommendation”

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“I give Southern Italy Travel 5 stars”

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“A fantastic experience”

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“Retracing my roots in Molise”

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“The whole experience was a blessing”

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“One of the greatest day of my life”

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“A unique experience”

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“The highlights of our month in Italy”

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“A day I will always remember”

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