This partnership based in L'Aquila, Abruzzo, was first formed
in 1998 alongside with an association, Abruzzo World Club, with the main aim of reconnecting
descendants of emigrants to their ancestral land through the new "electronic devices" made
possible thanks to the World Wide Web. The team is presently made of 3 researchers, 2 CPA,
one Webmaster with 2 helps, and other affiliates and cooperators. Three photographers also
have largely contributed to the website online, as well as publisher Polla who authorized
publications of excerpts from his Abruzzese books collection. This is however recent history.
The Webmaster (in the family picture on the site of ancient Alba Fucens) is an English teacher,
expert in Latin, with 3 children, whose origins are from Sassa (mother) and Rome-Barisciano (father).
Even though she is a veteran in genealogy, she has not found the birth of her grandfather yet (in Rome!
- remember the saying "cerca Maria per Roma" meaning an almost impossible task). After many years' working
as interpreter and guide for two of the partners, which gave the Team a complete knowledge of Abruzzo,
in 1997 she helped to make a school website, which surprisingly experienced a massive response from
descendants of emigrants.
This turned out to be a passion, a second job, which ended with the establishment of "Abruzzo2000 sas
" aiming to give information on the region in English - at first the group hoped to have some help from
the authorities in the Abruzzo, then decided to go on their own.
|
 |
 |
At the beginning the idea was to promote tourism, then the feedback pointed towards researching
ancestors' origins and connecting with living relatives.And so they started to build an archive of
information on Abruzzo places, a press review, a guide on researching.They are now preparing a
cultural-oenogastronomical tour of the region for next July-August, one of the first organized tour
focusing on Abruzzo only and mainly targeted to Abruzzese abroad who want to take a full-immersion
experience in the ancestral region.
"My grandfather immigrated to the US as a child bringing with him only the names of his grandparents
and the fact that he and they were born in Paganica, L'Aquila in Italy. I contacted Abruzzo2000 in March,
1999. By June, I had been advised of my Italian ancestors dating back to the mid 1700's. I have had birth,
military, death and marriage information retrieved from the local parish and from the local town hall.
The woman with whom I worked also translated the documents from Latin and Italian to English for me.
She also took pictures of the area and acquired written historical information about Paganica for me.
Some of the history was in out of print books!
"This was all done for a very reasonable fee. I have been very pleased with my success,
to say the least. The woman was very helpful and resourceful. I am tickled to death to
have found all of these new relatives because of her work." (Lori Chiaravalle Williams)
For those of you who dream of discovering the land of your Ancestors and plan to travel to Italy,
Abruzzo2000 team can escort you and research your family together with you in the town of origin
