The civil registration system of Italy (Stato Civile) began under Napoleonic rule in the early 1800s, but widespread, consistent registration began post-unification in 1866. Maintained at the municipal level (comune), these records include births (nati), marriages (matrimoni), and deaths (morti) with detailed annotations on family relationships, occupations, and residence.
Older records—especially from southern Italy and former Papal States—may begin earlier under Napoleonic or local civil systems. Many are stored in municipal archives or available via the State Archives (Archivio di Stato). Civil registration, together with parish records, is a cornerstone of Italian genealogical research, particularly for identifying family origins and lineage continuity across generations.
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