Italy Civil Registration- Vital RecordsEdit This Page From
FamilySearch Wiki Civil registration records are the vital
records made by the government. Records of births, marriages,
and deaths are commonly referred to as vital records because
they refer to vital events in a person’s life. Civil
registration records [registri dello stato civile] are an
excellent source for accurate information on names as well as
dates and places of births, marriages, and deaths. In addition,
civil registration may include documents required for marriage,
miscellaneous records (such as stillbirths), deaths occurring in
other cities or countries, and legitimations or parental
acknowledgments [ricognizioni]. Civil authorities began
registering births, marriages, and deaths in 1809 in many areas
(1820 in Sicilia). By 1866 civil registration became law. After
this date, virtually all individuals who lived in Italy were
recorded. Because they cover most of the population and because
they are usually indexed and mostly accessible, civ