| Palermo |
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| It took a much longer time to find this house than to paint the watercolor of it. In the year 2000, I went to the Palermo municipal office on Piazza Giulio Cesare and asked for the birth records of my grandfather, Vito Citrolo, and great grandfather, Giovanni Citrolo, whom I had been led to believe, were born in Palermo. I had not found any records in the nearby town of Belmonte Mezzagno where I located my grandmother's records. Instead of being shown the original record books, as I was in the smaller towns, I was given a new certificate with their birth dates and the names of their parents, but no other information, all under a shiny new seal. |
| Next:Cucina Siciliano |
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| My biography |
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| "Archivo di Stati" Palermo |
| In April, 2002 I discovered there was another place in Palermo where records are kept. It was the "Archivo di Stati", and was located in old monastery library attached to the church called "La Gancia" in the Kalsa district. At the "Archivo" the officials, and people we met doing research were extremely friendly. My husband and I were able to look through the old record books that were kept in cabinets constructed in the eighteeth century. These cabinets were the width of the room, about twenty feet, and were painted with antique "fleur de lis" patterns. |
| I explained I was looking for the addresses of my ancestors so I could make paintings of their houses. I was delighted to find my great grandfather's original birth record. I was informed the records of my grandfather, being newer would be found at the office on Piazza Giulio Cesare. It was late Friday afternoon, and the state offices were closed Saturday and Sunday. We were to pick up our rented car on Monday morning and leave Palermo. I wanted so much to find my grandfather's address, so at 9:00 am I was at the door of the municpal office waiting for it to open. The employee would not let me see the record book, but when I told him how I wanted to find my grandfather's house and gave him the birth date, he agreed to look in the original documents and copied down the address for me. As we drove out of Palermo we stopped to photograph the house where Vito was born! |
| Birthplace of my grandfather, Vito Citrolo via Oreto 27 |
| 11x15 inches |
| via Orieto |
| Entrance to the "Archivo di Stati" |
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