San Marino is an independent country which is completely surrounded by the Emilia-Romagna province of Italy. It is the 5th smallest country in the world, and one of two micro-countries enclaved within Italy, with Vatican City being the other. San Marino is one of the oldest nations under continuous rule, which means that its records are much more consistently archived and centralized. However, due to its small size, specific surnames are popular and used by large numbers of people.
Founded in the 4th century, San Marino has been aligned with the Catholic Church and Papal States throughout it’s history. Although it enjoyed the protection of the Papal States during the Renaissance, the country was independently governed. Similarly, when the French conquered the Emilia Romagna region during the Napoleonic Wars, San Marino was primarily allowed to go it’s own way.
The primary language of San Marino is Italian, although some older records may have been written in Latin.
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Administrative division of San MarinoAdministrative division of San Marino
Today San Marino is divided into 9 municipalities (castelli):
- San Marino (capital city)
- Acquaviva
- Borgo Maggiore
- Chiesanuova
- Domagnano
- Faetano
- Fiorentino
- Montegiardino
- Serravalle
Types of family history records available in San MarinoTypes of family history records available in San Marino
San Marino census recordsSan Marino census records
Population censuses from 1772 – 1947 are available on the website of the official Archives of San Marino. More recent records can be found in each municipality’s registration office (anagrafe). The availability to the public differs from location to location.
San Marino vital recordsSan Marino vital records
San Marino church recordsSan Marino church records
Vital records were primarily kept by the Catholic Church. Parishes kept standardized records of baptisms and marriages starting in 1563 and deaths starting in 1614. These church records were usually written in Latin or Italian.
The structure of the Church in Italy is comprised of diocese and parishes. A diocese is a regional office that oversees a number of parishes. The entirety of San Marino is overseen by the diocese of San Marino–Montefeltro[1] which it shares with the Italian Emilia-Romagna province. In order to find specific vital records, you will need to know the name and location of the church that holds those records. If the church still exists today, you can contact the records office there to do a search. If the church has been closed, contact the diocese office to determine where the records are currently stored.
San Marino civil recordsSan Marino civil records
Civil records were recorded by the municipal registrar (Uffiziale dello Stato Civile) and kept at the local (comune) level. These include birth, marriage, and death records. In addition, civil registration may include documents required for marriage, miscellaneous records (such as stillbirths), deaths occurring in other cities or countries, and legitimations or parental acknowledgments [ricognizioni].
San Marino Immigration and emigration recordsSan Marino Immigration and emigration records
San Marino was swept up in the the first Italian diaspora, from the 1880s through the 1920s was a time when millions of people left for other countries. They were fleeing harsh conditions, poverty and food insecurity. It is estimated that around 13,000 Sanmarinese left the republic looking for a better life;[2] popular destinations were Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Uruguay in South America; and the United States and Canada in North America. As San Marino is landlocked, immigrants sailed from Italian ports.
Unfortunately, departure records from Italian ports are rare. It is much more common to find passenger manifests and immigration records in the receiving countries. These records can include such information as names and relationships, town and port of departure, occupation, and in some cases, the name and address of a person that was meeting the travelers in the new country.
See alsoSee also
Explore more about San Marino family history recordsExplore more about San Marino family history records
References
- ↑ Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro. Catholic Hierarchy
- ↑ Emigrant Museum. Visit San Marino