If you are passionate about genealogy you might have heard about DNA testing. 

DNA is material that governs inheritance of eye color, hair color, stature, bone density and many other human and animal traits. Our body's cells each contain a complete sample of our DNA. As DNA is passed down from one generation to the next, some parts remain almost unchanged, while other parts change greatly. This creates an unbreakable link between generations and it can be of great help in reconstructing our family histories.

The key document to determine whether you qualify or not is the Naturalization Certificate or “lack” of it (the so-called Certificate of Non-Existence).

You have to make sure that your ancestor who was born in Italy did not become a U.S. citizen before the birth of his/her son or daughter in the United States. 

A few years ago, Mayor Vincenzo Tamburi, came up with a bright idea to repopulate the ghost town of San Basile, located on the slopes of Mount Pollino in the province of Cosenza (Calabria). The online initiative was called: "A home in San Basile". He put up for sale about 150 abandoned homes and parcels of land ranging from as little as Euro 5,000 each (about $5,600) to a maximum of Euro 60,000 ($69,000). San Basile was an instantaneous success with buyers from all over the world. 

For as long as I can remember, I have had an interest in my Italian roots.  I was very curious of my paternal grandfather's heritage because he died before I was born.  Then, recently a friend told me that the US allows its citizens to have dual citizenship with Italy, which sparked my interest even more.  Knowing so little about my Italian side of the family, I decided it was time to discover Italy and my family history.