Finding an Italian Certificate for Citizenship by Descent: a real story!

Ciao a tutti,

Today, I’d love to share a real story that highlights the beauty (and the challenge!) of searching for Italian ancestry documents — in this case, a successful hunt for a birth record from the Di Cresce family.

Johnny Decreci - a descendant of Italian immigrants with a beautifully “mutated” surname (as often happens!) contacted me through the Scuola di Cittadinanza Italiana founded by Fabio Barbiero — my mentor and the person who’s been by my side since the very beginning of my work here in Italy as a consultant.

Johnny was looking for something very specific: the Italian birth certificate of his great-grandfather, Crescenzo - the key document for his citizenship by descent application. His family had very little (almost no) information about when or where he was born in Italy. All they had was an estimated birth year based on the age listed on his death certificate. Interestingly, they had already hired other researchers in the past, but no one had been able to find the document. Several researchers had already tried and failed. It was starting to feel like a lost cause. At that point, they were probably even considering giving up.

After just over two months dedicated to the research, I finally found the long-awaited document! It turns out the birth year wasn’t what the family originally thought— there was actually a ten-year difference from what was written on the death certificate! (Not unusual—these things happen!).

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ISSUING THE ITALIAN CERTIFICATE AND SENDING IT TO THE FAMILY

With the correct information in hand, I submitted a request to the Comune where Crescenzo was born. Once the certificate was issued, I also took care of legalizing it for international use.

Why is that important? Because if the family ever needs to correct U.S. or other foreign records — or move forward with Italian citizenship application— a properly apostilled document will be required.

Once everything was in order, I sent the italian certificate for citizenship directly to Johnny’s home.

When Johnny received the document, he was kind enough to share some very generous feedback about my work. And honestly, it meant a lot.. Take a look:

Hearing feedback like Johnny’s is what makes this journey so rewarding!

Anyone who thinks working as a consultant here in Italy is easy is seriously mistaken. Whether it’s locating century-old documents or navigating Italian bureaucracy, it’s a daily battle. We work with public offices, outdated archives, and legal processes that many don’t even know exist. And sadly, we often have to explain to officials that what we do is 100% legal — rooted in laws that protect the rights of Italian descendants.

But when I receive messages like these, I’m reminded of my purpose with this work, and everything makes sense! It’s truly rewarding to have been part of the Di Cresce family’s story and to have helped bring Johnny and his family one step closer to their Italian citizenship.

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Need Help Finding Your Italian Ancestry Documents?

Have you been trying to locate a birth, marriage, or death certificate from Italy — and feel stuck or lost in the process? If so, let’s talk.

I help families around the world recover their Italian ancestry documents and get one step closer to reconnecting with their roots — and possibly applying for Italian citizenship by Descent.

📧 Reach out at: contato@buonvento.com.br

💬 Tell me a little about your ancestor, and I’ll let you know how I can help.