How learning Italian can preserve and promote our heritage

"My only regret regarding the visit to Italy was that I had not taken the time to learn some basic Italian. My few phrases and some creative inventions weren't an effective way to communicate. Tourists are rare in Sovico, and people in villages such as this generally do not speak English like those in touristy areas do. It was rare to find someone who did. Going there without the researcher My Italian Family provided, would have been of far less value." - Lois, My Italian Family client from Canada

Postcard from the early 1900s showing the Old Church

Lois' experience raises a great point about travelers to Italy, the language barrier. If she had traveled solo to Sovico (Lombardia), without knowing Italian, she would not have been able to find the information we did about her ancestors.

Photo of Lois and her husband in the old church (currently under renovation) in Sovico, her Ancestral town.

Travel Tip:

When visiting Italy, especially on an ancestral town visit, prepare by learning some Italian. Many of our clients visit their ancestral towns in hope of meeting living Italian relatives. Learning Italian brings you one step closer to your past and your Italian family story. Imagine the joy in communicating with your long lost cousin or uncle? Learning Italian also helps preserve and promote our heritage outside the Italian borders.

Rest assured, no matter your Italian language or proficiency, our Italian speaking genealogists and guides will help you navigate ancestral churches, obtain documents in town halls and parish churches and interpret information at local cemeteries.