Genealogy in Petina
Tracing your Italian roots back to Petina (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 Petina.
Petina 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 Petina
Over the years, ItalianSide has conducted genealogy research on historical families from Petina, involving many surnames traditionally found in the town, including branches of the following families: Carleo, D’Amato, Damato, Luisi, Maltempo, Marino, Mastrangelo, Monaco, Quaranta, Rossi, Russo, Santoro, Saporito, Villani, Zito 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 Petina 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 Petina 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 Petina
If your ancestors came from Petina, 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 Petina
Vital records for people born, married or deceased in Petina are usually preserved in:
- Petina City Hall archives: civil records (births, marriages and deaths) available from 1809 onwards.
- Petina 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 Petina
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 Petina from that year onwards.
(If your goal is to obtain Italian citizenship and you need official certificates from Petina, please follow this link.)
If your ancestors lived in Petina during the past centuries, the City Office of Petina 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 Petina.
- 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 Petina.
Population trends in Petina
The chart below shows the demographic trends in Petina 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 Petina
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 Petina 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 Petina:
S. NICOLA DI BARI – P.zza Umbertoi
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 Petina
From our experience, if you plan to visit Petina 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 Petina
If you need professional support from our local genealogist in the Petina area, write to petina@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 Petina
Here below you can read messages from other visitors in the Petina forum. If you simply want to discuss genealogy in Petina with other people, feel free to leave a message.
I would like to have help because I think there is a mistake in the name of my great-great grandmother. I wonder about the cost and would appreciate a quote. My grandfather was Francesco Solimeno and his wife was Maria Russo. Francesco left Petina in approximately 1895. My grandmother gave birth to my oldest uncle, Nicolo (sp) in February of 1896 in Petina. When grandpa had saved enough money, he went back to Petina, (I think) and brought his little family to the United States of America. My grandmother’s mother (Angelina Rufrano Russo) also came but I don’t know exactly when. She lived with her son, Rafael Russo in Ogden, Utah, Weber, Utah. My grandpa worked in the steel mills in Pueblo, Pueblo, Colorado, USA. My Uncle Nic moved to Ogden, Utah to work for the Union Pacific Railway in about 1920. My Dad, Guiseppe (Joseph) Salimeno, (the spelling of the surname had been changed) came to visit his oldest brother in the mid-1920s and met my mother. They fell in love and married in 1928. I think I am related to the Russo’s, the Rufrano’s, the Zito’s, and many more. There are wonderful resources in my city through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but they are hesitant to look at Italian. I hope you can help me.
Hello- about 10 years ago I had a genealogist (from Ogden, Utah) get me a binder of all my family connections to Petina, For my family research it was a gold mine. I will look through the book and see if any of the names have a connection. The key names in my family are Carleo, Laurino, Zito- but there were definitely some Russo’s in the tree. Much of the Carleo family moved from Petina to Pueblo and my lineage came to NYC. The name D’Amato was also in that Pueblo/ Petina connection.
regards- tom.
Just starting my research but from an obituary I found my great grandfather was Carmen Carlo who was born in Petina. It says he moved to the us at 15 yrs old. I was told my Carlo family originally went by Carleo. He had 3 brothers John and Frank in Niagara Falls, NY and Onofrio in Colorado. He also had 2 sisters Mrs Mary Sarlo in Colorado and Mrs. Lucy Zito in Utah. He lived in Niagara Falls, Ontario when he passed and was married to Teresa Picone Carlo.
My great-grandfather was Nicola Carleo, born in Petina in 1883, immigrated to NYC in 1901 . He married Giusspeppina Laurino (also from Petina) in 1905 and sadly was killed on a ferry boat shortly after conceiving my grandfather. His dad was Carmineantonio Carleo and his mom was Caterina Ferrante. Giusspinna’s dad was Pasquale Laurino and her mom was Porzia Carleo (popular name, small town). I am pretty sure that Nicola had two sisters, Marianne and Anna. Marianna married a Petina man, Giuseppe Zito and they settled in Bayonne NJ. Seems like most of the town ( and lots of other Carleo’s settled in the Pueblo CO area. I do not know much about the Zito family- but would be interested in any clues.
greetings. Clearly I have not looked at this board in quite a long time.
I have a bunch of stuff on the Carleo’s of Petina on my tree, as well as more that was sent to me by a researcher. thanks and
best regards.
Hi Tom,
I would be interested in seeing any research you have on the Petina Carleos. Petina is at the top of my list if I ever do travel to Italy, and it would be great to know as much as possible about my ancestors who lived there before I go.
Thanks!
Mike
I’m getting older but I have been wanting to go to Petina for such a long time. I went on a long trip to Great Britain in 2012, but my husband was a bear. I can’t go through anything like that again. He doesn’t like change and he wanted to read every word while we were at the Tower of London, but worst of all was that we were with 20 other people. He would not try to return to the bus timely with the group so that we could return to our cruise ship on time. It was truly a crazy trip that could have been so much fun. I enjoyed it, but I felt a great deal of stress. If you haven’t gone to Italy yet, could you let me know. I have brochures from Perillo’s tours. Have you heard of them?
I’m familiar with the Zito family here in Ogden, Utah. They used to have a restaurant in Riverdale. My Dad always said they were cousins. I have received information from Family Search that stated there was a Zito back East that was a relative. My grandparents moved to Pueblo, Colorado when they left Italy.
Hello Tom. I was born and raised in NYC. My grandmother was a Zito and her mother’s maiden name was D’Amato. I would be happy to provide you with information about the family in NY. Also, I am planning on visiting Petina in October. It will be my first visit
Hi…My grandmother, Anna Marchese, was born in Petina. I am interested in your trip to Petina in October since I may be going tomItaly round that time, too. I believe we have some relatives in common because Ive come across Zitos in my research. Also I have a Zito match. Would you mind speaking to me by phone? Im on Long Island. Thank you! Linda p.s. I am pursuing italian citizenship
I have some information from Family Search Library on this family if you would like to contact me.
I also have Carleos from Petina in my family.
Did you know that there was a steel mill in Pueblo, Colorado? The “jobbers” encouraged the Italian men to make the trip to the US so they could work in the steel mill. (That way the steel mill could pay the new workers less money 💰 because the new workers didn’t know that they were replacing a different ethnic group.”
My grandfather was born on April 22, 1895. Petina, Italy. He went by the name of James Joseph Rufrano in the US. However in searches we found that his name could have actually been Rufrano Vincenzo Di Lorio. Parents names – Raffaele and Anna Di Lorio. Have no idea why he would have changed his name.
Your grandfather lived in Buffalo NY and was in the Navy in World War I at Great Lakes Michigan. Discharged 1921. Married in Chicago. 1920 your grandmother.
Your great grandfather received his citizenship in Niagara Falls 1920. All of his papers except his birth certificate do not have the o on the last name. Rufran.
Irene
My grandfather was also born in Petina about 1885 . his name was Luigi Rufrano. He emigrated to the US in 1905 and settled in Brooklyn NY
I have an unusual tree I am trying to find . The Lepere’s or Lepre’s adopted my great grandfather (Louis Lepere) either in 1899 or 1900 and brought him to America in 1901 .
He was placed in the Church orphanage I believe in Petina in the province of Salerno . The nuns gave him the name of Anttillio Amberzetti .
The story goes The Mascoto’s or something similar to that name placed him at the church ? My great great grandmother , Lepere , nursed him at the orphanage due to her child died during or right after birth . I guess that is why she adopted my grandfather since they would have been the same age
Anything on the either the Lepere’s or a record on mt great
grandfather would be so helpful in finding my roots .
This is quite old, and possibly not terribly important now, but we do have a Lepre in our tree. Joseph Jacob D’Amato (born in 1882 Petina) arrived in the states 3/11/1884. Married Rosaria Lepre in Brooklyn 1907. Her parents were Rosa Reina and Biagio Lepre. That said, they were listed being from San Angelo a Fassanella, though only 10 miles away. The D’Amato line runs strong from Petina; Grasso, Scala, and a couple others a bit less.
My father Francesco was born in 1940 in Petina and lives in NJ. We came to the USA in 1970 when I was young. I will ask him about the names on these messages. I do visit Petina every 2 years during the summer festival. My fathers family is still there. His grandfathers name was Carmen Ricciardi, who spent some time in the USA. My mother Anna was also born in Petina in 1945 and most of her family (Marino’s) are in the US.
I’d like to know when the summer festival is. Could you send that to me? Do any of the residents speak English?
Thank you in advance.
My grandparents where born in Petina Italy. Ralph and Josephine Sarlo both born there. Grandfather came to the USA around 1902. Saved money and then my wonderful grandmother. Im coming to Petina this year to find out about them and if there are Sarlos related to me. Im looking to do a complete history on the Sarlo from Pentina.
My grandparents sisters did like America and went back to Italy.
Im from Ogden Utah.. Looking froward to hearing from you.
growing up my grandparents had a Italian grocery store and help lots of people.
I miss them
My grandfather & grandmother came to America but not together is the story I’ve been told. They were married in Italy & my oldest Uncle Nick was born in Petina in February of 1896. I think my Grandfather, Francesco Solimeno, (Salimeno later in the US) came to America from Naples about 1896 or earlier. He was hired by “jobbers” who employed him in the steel mills in Pueblo, Pueblo, Colorado. His wife, Mary Russo Solimeno, came later & also settled in Pueblo. They had 14 children which included one set of twins. When Uncle Nick was grown & married with one son, he moved to Ogden, Utah & went to work for the Union Pacific Railroad. The Russo Family were already in Ogden farming & my dad’s grandmother Russo (maiden name Mancuso) lived with them. Uncle Nick began a successful grocery store business. My dad came to visit his brother & later met & married my Mother in 1928. Later their younger sister, Rose, moved to Ogden & married John (Jack) Fowler.
Ralph,
My grandma, Anna Rossi Toscan, was also from Petina and lived in Ogden, UT. She still has a niece that lives in Petina as well as some of her nephews and their families. I have visited Petina about 5 times. I love it there
This was quite an old message but who knows?? I live in Ogden, Utah. My dad was a barber and he spoke of the Sarlos often. My Uncle Nick and Aunt Teresa Salimeno had a grocery store in Ogden on 29th Street and Jackson Avenue. I’d love to know what you have discovered.
Hello! My grandmother, Rosa Cilibert (or Ciliberti) was born in Petina, around 1896. I do know her father and mother’s names, Antonio Cilibert, and Marghuerite Scala. I am wonderfing if anyone knows more..abdout the ancestry further back? Wondering if there are any Cilibert’s or Scala’s in Petina> THANKYOU
I have info on your line from the Petina Files.
Someone else did some genealogy for my grandparents & I recognize the name, Scala as an ancestor. Much that was completed for the Russo’s & Solimeno’s is incorrect because I know they died in the U.S. not Petina. Dad’s grandmother died in Los Angeles, California, US at the age of 103 & was buried in Ogden, Weber, Utah.
How do we contact you? Is it through italianside.com??
My wife is the grand daughter of francesco salimeno who died in pueblo colorado. We are looking for more information
about other of her ancestors . We believe francescos father was nicolo and that frank had a sister rosa and a brother antonio.
we would greatly apprecate any other information you could share with us.
I’m so sorry that I have gone so long without looking at this site. My grandfather, Francesco (Frank) Salimeno died in Pueblo, Colorado. I have a lot of information. Where do you live now? I live in Ogden, Utah. My Dad was born in Pueblo, Colorado in 1906. I worked with my cousin’s wife in about 2013 because she wanted the genealogy of the descendants of the Salimenos who had moved to Utah. My cousin is Gary Salimeno.
Diana Lee English Patterson is the grand daughter of Francesco Salimeno who lived in Pueblo Colorado.I would appreciate any further information on his ancestors that you would be willing to share.
I
Diana, are you the daughter of Alex and Melda Salimeno English? If you are, then we are cousins. My Dad was Giuseppe (Joseph) Salimeno and was born in Pueblo in 1906. The twins, Johnny and Melda, were born about one to two years after my Dad,? I think. There is a lot of information on our genealogy on Family Search Wii’s supported by the LDS church. They have so very much information on it. Love, your cousin, Nancy ❤️
Cilberti’s are still in Petina
REF: Raffaele Ricciardi (or Riccardi), born about 1850, Petina
Raffaele Riccardi is my great grandfather. He traveled back and forth to America prior to 1900, to work in the coal mines in the state of Pennsylvania. He had at least 3 children: Giovanni (my grandfather), Raffaele and Lina. These children immigrated to New York between 1896 & 1910. There may have been other children that we don’t know of; we only knew our uncle Raffaele and aunt Lina.
I would like to know as much as possible about my great grandfather Raffaele, as his birth & death dates (I think he died around 1925), and his wife’s name, this would be my great grandmother.
We’re very proud of our Petina heritage, and want to leave this information for our children and grandchildren, that they don’t forget these indomitable people, and their homeland.
Thank you most sincerely.
Linda Martini
Looking for more information about John Sarlo and Mary Manziana Sarlo both born in Petina. Wondering if John was potentially born with a different first name. Hey came over to Pueblo, Colorado, USA in 1907.
natalie, GIOVANNI JOHN SARLO & ERMANERNZIANA carleo salo was my grandparents they where both borne in petina italy in 1879. Are you related?
I am looking for information on Necola Russo, left Petina, Italy in late 1899 or early 1900 he would have been 18 or 19 years of age. Had a brother all ready in America by the name of Joe or Joey Russo in Pueblo, CO. Necola married Concetta Sarlo in 1910
My grandparents are from Petina also and I have information on your line because I have access to the Petina Files and have Nicola Russo’s family and his father and mother’s name. I have Concetta Sarlo’s also. Because you had birth and marriage dates I know this is the same family. I have that Nicola’s death date as 6 June 1973 in T, Goshen, WY (age 94). He lived in Sunrise, WY. Contact me.
Researching my grandfathers family. They are: Mancuso my great grandmother was a Santoro their origin is Petina. Immigrated in early 1900-1905 to Pueblo Colorado. Any help would be amazing and I am forever grateful.
There are a lot of Mancuso and Santoro names. Do you have first names? I might be able to help you.
I have a Vincente Grosso, born 1859. Father Giuseppe, Mother Rose, brothers Generosso 2859/1864 and Pas quale 1861. Is this who you are looking for ?? If you want to talk, call me at 385-231-0494 or text meditor at that number. WILLARD
In order to do some research about Italian citizenship possibilities, I would appreciate any info on my grandfather Vincenzo Grosso who was born in Petina. He immigrated to the US in 1903. Last place of residence was Rometta. My grandmother Emelia Ferraro(Ferrara) was also from Petina with her last place of residency being Campagna. She arrived in the US in 1903.
Reply
Hello Diane,
I recently started research on my husbands Ferrara family and his grandfather was Angelo Maria Cesare Ferrara a brother of Emilia Ferrara who married Vincenzo Grosso. I see you posted this in 2016 so hopefully you found out what you were looking for by now. I found a ton of family my husband never knew he had. The Grosso’s lived in Mount Vernon, NY. They had a lot of children, let me know more of your connection.
In order to do some research about Italian citizenship possibilities, I would appreciate any info on my grandfather Vincenzo Grosso who was born in Petina. He immigrated to the US in 1903. Last place of residence was Rometta. My grandmother Emelia Ferraro(Ferrara) was also from Petina with her last place of residency being Campagna. She arrived in the US in 1903.