Genealogy in Rocca d’Arazzo
Tracing your Italian roots back to Rocca d’Arazzo (in Asti province, Piemonte 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 Rocca d’Arazzo.
Rocca d’Arazzo family history at a glance
- Region: Piemonte
- Province: Asti
- Type of records: civil and parish records
- Civil registration: in the town hall from 1866 onwards
- Parish records: often older than civil records (in some cases from the late 1500s)
Research experience on families in Rocca d’Arazzo
Over the years, ItalianSide has conducted genealogy research on historical families from Rocca d’Arazzo, involving many surnames traditionally found in the town, including branches of the following families: Barbero, Bologna, Palladino, Manetta, Avidano, Piano, Canobbio, Bosia, Fassio, Campini, Bella, Ottaviano, Boido, Borello and many 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 Rocca d’Arazzo 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 Rocca d’Arazzo and Piemonte 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 available in private archives
Direct access to local archives and a deep understanding of the local context allow for more complete and accurate results. Research may be carried out using all available sources in both public and private archives.
Genealogy in Rocca d’Arazzo
If your ancestors came from Rocca d’Arazzo, in Asti province (Piemonte 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 Rocca d’Arazzo
Vital records for people born, married or deceased in Rocca d’Arazzo are usually preserved in:
- Rocca d’Arazzo City Hall archives: civil records (births, marriages, deaths) from 1860 onwards.
- Rocca d’Arazzo parish churches: in Piemonte religious registers, which can often take your research back to the 1600s and sometimes as far as the 1500s.
Civil Records (Stato Civile) in Rocca d’Arazzo
In towns and villages of Piemonte and in Asti province, as Rocca d’Arazzo, civil registry officially began on january 1 1866.
A first civil registry system had already been introduced during the Napoleonic period (1806–1814). This means you can often find your ancestors’ civil records in the Town Hall archives of Rocca d’Arazzo from that year onwards.
(If your goal is to obtain Italian citizenship and you need official certificates from Rocca d’Arazzo, please follow this link.)
If your ancestors lived in Rocca d’Arazzo during the past centuries, the City Office of Rocca d’Arazzo 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 Rocca d’Arazzo.
- 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 Piemonte and specifically in Rocca d’Arazzo.
Street names in Rocca d’Arazzo
The names of the street in Rocca d’Arazzo, can help identify ancestral addresses found in civil records, parish documents, and old family papers.
At today, some of the main streets in Rocca d’Arazzo are: VIA SAN CARLO, VIA GARIBALDI, VIA OLLINO, VIA SANT` ANNA, VIA SANTA CATERINA, VIA CORTE, VIA VALMONACA, VIA VALROMALDO, VIA XX SETTEMBRE, VIA CAMMAROTA, VIA VALGELATA, VIA ROMA, VIA CAVOUR, VIA MANZONI, VIA C. COLOMBO, VIA MONTEMARZO, VIA RIO, VIA VALSTEFANO, VIA M. D` AZEGLIO, VIA AL MONTE and others.
If you want help to identify street names connected with your ancestors in Rocca d’Arazzo just follow the link below.
Population trends in Rocca d’Arazzo
The chart below shows the demographic trends in Rocca d’Arazzo 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 Rocca d’Arazzo
Church archives in Asti 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 Piemonte, 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 Rocca d’Arazzo 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 Rocca d’Arazzo:
S. CATERINA – Via Dottor Ollino, 85 Santa Caterina
SANTI GENESIO E STEFANO – Via Garibaldi, 96
Our experts could search registers and historical religious documents collected and kept at the diocesan archive:
Archivio Diocesano di Asti – Via Carducci, 48 – 14100 Asti
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.
The provincial archive is:
Archivio di Stato di Asti – Via Generale Giuseppe Govone, 9 14100 Asti AT
Historical and photographic sources available in private archives
Historical photographs, prints, and documents from private collections—including ItalianSide’s archive of vintage images from Rocca d’Arazzo and Piemonte region are available. Old pictures add significant value to your family history research and offer a real sense of the places where your ancestors once lived.

Military records
Conscription lists and service records documenting physical descriptions, dates and places of enlistment, units and ranks held, periods of service, military postings, transfers, and movements, often providing detailed insight into an individual’s life beyond civil registration.
Cadastral and property records in Rocca d’Arazzo
Historical cadastral and land records used to identify property ownership, track real estate transfers over time, and confirm the historical presence of families within Rocca d’Arazzo. ItalianSide provides professional assistance in accessing and interpreting these records, where available.
Planning a visit to Rocca d’Arazzo
From our experience, if you plan to visit Rocca d’Arazzo 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 Rocca d’Arazzo
If you need professional support from our local genealogist in the Rocca d’Arazzo area, write to roccadarazzo@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 Rocca d’Arazzo
Here below you can read messages from other visitors in the Rocca d’Arazzo forum. If you simply want to discuss genealogy in Rocca d’Arazzo with other people, feel free to leave a message.







Hi all,
Interesting conversation, my father Sergio Bruno Penna was born in Rocca on 25/6/1923 and emigrated to Helen’s Hill , 8 miles south of Ingham with his family. I went back to Rocca D’Arazzo in October 2019 and found 3 Penna crypts and some Dolgioni ( my Nonna’s maiden name) and Quasso ( my cousins) maybe there are some Penna’s out there who we are all related to. 2 of my Nonno brothers went to the US and settled in Bloomington Indiana . regards, Karl
Hi there
I would appreciate any info on my ancestors Luigi Torchio, Maria Torchio and any other relatives who lived in Piedmonte during 1800’s and 1900’s. I believe they lived on a large grape growing property close to the border of Italy and France. Several children in the family include Massimo, Clement, Vince and Serafino. Thanks in advance xx
I am looking for more history on my Great,Great,Great grandfather Michele Doglione born in Italy died December 15, 1866. He was married to Maria Delaude. Looking for their parents and grandparents, how far back can we go?
My husband’s ancestors came from Rocca d’Arazzo, Italy.
The last names Penna, Avidamo and Morellin.
We will be coming to Italy in 2016.
Are there any church records available, etc.
Mille Grazie
Katherine
Hi Katherine. My father, Secondo Avidano was botn amd raised in Rocca. I would love to talk to you!!!
Hi Katherine. My father, Secondo Avidano was born and raised in Rocca. I would love to talk to you!!!
I will visit rocca d razzo in june 2014 and am interested in contacting any relatives of my grandmother maddalena dominica ottovianno born feb 2 1886 married pietro luigi bosso in 1905? her father was Francesco ottoviano and mother anna ottovianno bosso. her mother anna died in 1908? and her father remarried. my grand mother had 2 children guiseppe and maddalena and left for america in 1911. her father Francisco had a vineyard in santa catarina and they lived in santa catarina. thank you for any help