How we found italian documents for citizenship by descent - a real story!

Ciao a tutti!

Not long ago, I published an article here on the blog with tips on how to start gathering information about your Italian ancestor. But, as you might think, it’s totally normal to run into challenges along the way — and that’s when many people turn to a professional researcher for help.

That’s why today I want to share the real story of Lorenzo and the Visotto Family — one of the very first document searches I completed here in Italy. And there’s a special reason why it’s one of the first I’m telling here on the blog...

---

A REAL STORY OF ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT - THE ORIGINS OF THE VISOTTO FAMILY

Lorenzo came to me through a referral from a friend (thanks, Raffa!). When he reached out, he told me that the family was thinking about acquiring Italian citizenship through the maternal line...

In other words, there was a woman in the family tree whose birth dates meant the process would necessarily have to go through the courts (I’ll explain more about this topic in a future post). Lorenzo knew this would mean the family would have to spend a lot of money on attorneys here in Italy — not to mention the long wait times for judicial processes nowadays!

After carefully reviewing the documents he shared and thoroughly analyzing the family tree, I suggested we try to find the ancestor on the paternal line instead.

Lorenzo agreed, since this could avoid years of waiting and be much more affordable. There was just one small problem: the family had no information whatsoever about where that Italian ancestor — Marco Visotto — was born!!

That’s when I stepped in as a researcher specialized in Italian ancestry documents — and started digging through records across northern Italy.... until, after exactly 28 days of searching, Eureka!

---

ITALIAN DOCUMENT FOUND AND MEMORIES REDISCOVERED

I was able to find not only the birth record in Italy but also the family’s arrival record in Brazil, bringing a bit of their history back to life. The family arrived in Rio de Janeiro on November 12, 1891, aboard the ship Città di Genova. Marco was traveling with his mother, Catterina, and his brother, Giacomo.

Mission given, mission accomplished here with Buonvento!

These are the records of the Visotto family,

immigrants from a small comune in northern Italy!!

After locating the Italian birth record, I requested the official document directly from the comune — a crucial step for anyone applying for citizenship by descent. I sent them an email and made some calls, and just a few days later, it arrived at my home!

Then, I sent it to the family in Brazil, who can now apply for the citizenship — without having to wait years or spend a fortune.

This is why this story is one of the first I’ve chosen to share here, because it reminds me how rewarding this work is… how it can positively impact people’s lives while doing something I truly enjoy!

---

THE ANCESTOR'S "SECOND JOURNEY"

Lorenzo later wrote to me saying that the whole research took much less time than he expected, and that the way he received the Italian document at his home made all the difference...

And that’s exactly how I want it to be: I take great care and put a lot of love into sending each Italian document abroad because it’s not just a “piece of paper” — it’s a record that tells a story of courage and revives the memory of someone who faced the unknown to pursue a better life... a dream! And now, this document is like the ancestor’s “second journey”.

Thank you for the trust and for choosing me, Lorenzo and family. I hope you all soon succeed in obtaining your Italian citizenship by descent...

And what about you? Are you chasing the same dream but still need to find out where your Italian ancestor was born or married? Then get in touch with me! contato@buonvento.com.br.