Genealogy in Amalfi
Tracing your Italian roots back to Amalfi (in Salerno province, Campania region) begins with understanding which records exist and where they are preserved. On this page you’ll find a clear guide to the civil, parish and historical sources available for genealogy in Amalfi.
Amalfi family history at a glance
- Region: Campania
- Province: Salerno
- Record types available: civil and parish records
- Civil registration: began in 1809 (when this area was part of the Kingdom of Naples)
- Parish registers: usually earlier than civil registration (sometimes dating back to the 1600s)
Research experience on families in Amalfi
Over the years, ItalianSide has conducted genealogy research on historical families from Amalfi, involving many surnames traditionally found in the town, including branches of the following families: Amatruda, Amendola, Anastasio, Avitabile, Buonocore, Camera, Carrano, Cavaliere, Criscuolo, Esposito, Gambardella, Laudano, Lucibello, Proto, Torre and others.
Many records relating to families and individuals are already stored in our databases and include, in addition to names and dates, further information such as occupations, residential addresses, and key family and social relationships within the Amalfi community in past centuries.
Part of the information used by ItalianSide in genealogy research derives from a proprietary archive of on-site research conducted over many years in Amalfi and by our experts. This archive includes studies, family trees, and data not available online, such as cross-referenced family relationships, occupational histories, deciphered or translated documents, residential patterns, and visual documentation.
Research activities may include all major sources available at municipal, provincial, and regional level:
• civil records
• parish registers
• notarial archives
• military records
• historical and photographic sources
Direct access to archives and a deep understanding of the local context allow for more complete and accurate results than research conducted remotely or based on partial sources alone. Research may be carried out using all available sources in both public and private archives.
Genealogy in Amalfi
If your ancestors came from Amalfi, in Salerno province (Campania region), the first step is to identify the local archives where records are kept. Most family history research starts from the civil registry office at the Comune and continues in parish and notary archives.
Where to begin your ancestry journey in Amalfi
Vital records for people born, married or deceased in Amalfi are usually preserved in:
- Amalfi City Hall archives: civil records (births, marriages and deaths) available from 1809 onwards.
- Amalfi parish churches: in Campania, parish registers that can trace family lines back to the 1600s, and in rare cases even earlier.
Civil Records (Stato Civile) in Amalfi
In towns and villages of Campania and across Salerno province, civil registration offices were established after 1809, following Napoleonic reforms in the former Kingdom of Naples. This means you can often find your ancestors’ civil records in the Town Hall archives of Amalfi from that year onwards.
(If your goal is to obtain Italian citizenship and you need official certificates from Amalfi, please follow this link.)
If your ancestors lived in Amalfi during the past centuries, the City Office of Amalfi is usually the first place to start your family research. Our local expert can access these records on your behalf and interpret them correctly.
- Professions: discover what your ancestors did for a living.
- Addresses: find the street or house where the family lived in Amalfi.
- Family links: identify parents, witnesses and neighbours that appear in the records.
- Signatures and notes: see how your ancestors signed and read any marginal annotations.
If you prefer to contact the Town Hall by yourself, we suggest reading our genealogy tips for Italy. They include practical advice for research in Campania and specifically in Amalfi.
Population trends in Amalfi
The chart below shows the demographic trends in Amalfi from the Italian Unification (1861). Understanding how many people lived in the town over time is useful when interpreting migration and family movements.
Church Records in Amalfi
Church archives in Salerno province often preserve information that predates civil records. Parish registers include baptisms, marriages and burials and sometimes allow you to push your family tree back into the 1700s and 1600s.
In many areas of Campania, parish registers began around the 1500s. These manuscripts are not easy to access from abroad and can be hard to read without specific training.
Our local genealogists, graduated in history and archival studies, can consult the parish archives of Amalfi on your behalf and reconstruct your family history through the centuries.
In case you want to visit churches, these are the addresses of parishes active today in Amalfi:
S. MARINA VERGINE – 84011 POGEROLA SA
S. ANDREA APOSTOLO – P.zza Duomo
NATIVITA’ DI MARIA SS. – Via Maestra dei Villaggi
S. PIETRO APOSTOLO – Via Maestra dei Villaggi Loc. Tovere
S. MARIA ASSUNTA – Via Salita di Pastena, 11
Notary records and other historical sources
Another important source of information is represented by notary documents, which preserve wills, dowries, property sales and contracts. These records are usually kept in provincial and State Archives and can provide valuable details on the social and economic life of your family.
Planning a visit to Amalfi
From our experience, if you plan to visit Amalfi we always recommend starting the research months before your arrival. This way you avoid spending your holidays in offices or churches dealing with bureaucracy.
Remember that archives are not open to the general public and officers or priests are not required by law to grant direct access to the records.
With the results collected by our genealogist before your trip, you will have more time to enjoy the town and its surroundings, walking in the footsteps of your ancestors.
Professional help for research in Amalfi
If you need professional support from our local genealogist in the Amalfi area, write to amalfi@italianside.com or fill the form here. Our expert will study your request and reply with a research plan and a quote tailored to your family history.
Messages from other visitors in Amalfi
Here below you can read messages from other visitors in the Amalfi forum. If you simply want to discuss genealogy in Amalfi with other people, feel free to leave a message.
How can I go about finding a death cert for someone who died while on holiday in Amalfi in 1995. His remains were brought back to England so I presume the death must of been registered there!
Looking for my Mothers Surname of Carima,we think that it was probably Camera but as been misspelt years ago.She was born in Amalfi on 1/1/1929
Hi, I am looking for information on Nicola Covino who was from Amalfi. Nicola’s marriage certificate states that his father’s name was Antonio Covino and his mother’s name was Teresa Paolillo. Nicola was born on December 6, 1889. Nicola Covino married Antonetta Gambardella. If anyone has any information I would really appreciate it.
Hello My name is Andrea Milano (male, in Italy ).
The Milano family has many members in and around Amalfi ( the current mayor Daniele Milano is a Milano too as the Paper Making Family from Nicola Milano cartaro) .
I am looking for information on my branch of the family.
I have a few records which may help finding some common traits.
My Great-Grandfather Nicola Milano was born there in Amalfi in 1834 from Michele Milano (probably born in 1807) and Patrizia Gambardella ( born in Amalfi in 1810 from Andrea Gambardella and his wife Apollonia.)
Patrizia Gambardella was a silk spinster and died in 1867. Michele Milano and Patrizia Gambardella had two more sons aside from Nicola, Andrea ( 1837) and Luigi (1841)
Nicola, the oldest son and my Great-Grandfather, became a follower of Garibaldi and served in his army with the rank of corporal ( Brigata Fabrizi) and moved to Naples in 1851where he married Luisa Menna.
I have tested for the Y chromosome ( and the autosomal DNA) and to date I haven’t found any relative from the male line ( The Y chromosome is carried from father to son) if not extremely remote . The Y-37 test conducted with FtDNA can test people whom have a relationship with me dating thousands of years ago. I am also the initiator of a Y chromosome DNA project called: “ The Milano Family from Amalfi” .
I would be thrilled if any members of the Milano or the Gambardella family would get in touch. Hopefully they would have found some of the names that I’ve mentioned above in their family tree.
Kind Regards
Andrea Milano ( The Netherlands)
Hi Andrea, My grandmother came to America in 1900 when she was one year old from Amalfi. My grandmothers mothers made name was Milano. Nicola Milano 18 from my understanding ism my great great grandfather. My relative had two sons and one son as far as I know had the paper mill.
looking for any remaining relatives in almalfi, i will be visiting in August. My maternal great grandparents were from Amalfi. Ciriaco Derenzo, dob 3/14/1883 who married Antonella Andreanna Dilieto, dob 11/30/1880.
Andrea and Angiolina (Cristiano) DiLieto, were my great-great grandparents.
I am looking for my great grandmother’s family members. Her name was Lena Comunel (not sure if exact spelling). My grandmother was born Annetta Corragio. My grandfather was Giuseppe Corriagio. Any information you can share is very much appreciated. Gratzi.