When your genealogy research takes you to Italy, these are the records you'll look for.
Civil registers of birth, marriage and death
• begin in 1809 for most of Italy
• begin about 1820 for Sicily
• begin in 1866 for other areas
The
Family History Library (FHL) has microfilmed civil registers up to 1866 for much of central and southern Italy and some of northern Italy. In some cases, FHL film goes up to 1910. The original records are kept at local registrars’ offices in each town or city.
Church records
• baptism records begin about 1500
• marriage and death records begin about 1520
The FHL has records from some parishes up to 1900 and some up to 1925. Surviving records are kept at the local parish church.
Military records
• begin in 1792 for enlisted men
• conscription of all males began in 1865
The FHL has microfilmed records from the 1800s through the early 1900s for the provinces of Parma, Cosenza, Catania and Torino. Copies of original records are kept in local military archives and, after 75 years, transferred to the provincial archives and made public