♥ I knew I had some roots in Tuscany in the hills of Garfagnana near Lucca but I didn’t learn the whole story until recently… ♥

We may not have much choice on how and where our story begins but there’s no doubt that it sets the stage and the course of our lives…

In the process of seeking my Italian dual citizenship, which began in earnest about three years ago, most of my focus was on my paternal genealogy since that was the path to receiving my citizenship.

I decided early on that I would pursue my maternal side after I received my citizenship…

♥ More Questions than Answers…

I did have to obtain a long list of certified documents including birth certificates of all of my grandparents, my parents, and my own, of course. Simple enough, right? It would be easy to assume that I would’ve already known most of the information (e.g., birth dates, birth places, etc.) but, in fact, I did not.

Why not? That’s a bit tricky to explain. You really have to be Italian and of my generation to understand but suffice it say that these things were pretty much never discussed, divulged, or talked about. Maybe in generalities, maybe a few facts here and there but, for the most part, no. I thought this was just the case in my family but have since learned that it is quite characteristic and not at all unusual…

♥ Connecting the Dots…

So, when the certified copies of my parents and grandparents birth certificates arrived, I learned not only the names of the villages where they were born but the names of their parents (I already knew the paternal side in Sicily) but I did not know the maternal side and now, knowing all of their names…I felt and still feel a deep connection and emotions that are hard to describe.

It turned out that my maternal grandparents, Giovanni Bertolini and Natalina Lunardi were born in small villages only a few kilometers apart, Pieve Fosciana and Castiglione di Garfagnana respectively in the province of Lucca, Tuscany.

I have since learned from the ship manifest that they came to America together, already married, from Genoa in 1910. Her brother (my great uncle) and a few others from her village all came together and their destination was Napa, California.

On a recent visit to Napa I was even able to obtain a bit more documentation and locate the addresses where they lived…it’s hard to explain my sentiments…

♥ Coming Full Circle…

I knew that my grandmother died when my mother was young but little else… My grandfather was a presence but a bit of a mystery to this little girl. He passed when I was young leaving me with no grandparents…

My dad came to Napa, met and married my mother and that’s where I was born and raised… Napa was a very sweet place to grow up. I always knew and felt that I was adored and loved.

♥ Off to Lucca and to My Ancestral Hill Towns I Go!

Only in the past few years have I been putting more pieces of my genealogical puzzle together. It’s not born of a need to find or meet relatives in Italy. For me, it’s an affair of the heart…it’s about honoring, embracing and thanking them…it’s a sentimental journey to be sure.

And, as life and circumstance would have it, another confluence of events will bring me to the villages where my maternal grandparents were born.

Two years ago I met Debra Kollka at a blogger event in Rome. Debra and her husband live in Brisbane, Australia, but have a place in Bagni di Lucca where they visit often. Debra was one of the first bloggers I followed years ago and, as it turns out, she lives very close to Pieve Fosciana and Castiglione di Garfagnana!

She had invited me to stay with her on my next trip to Italy and has generously offered to take me to both villages! Would you believe she has already visited and done some reconnaissance work? I am simply speechless with gratitude!

♥ So, this September, I will visit the villages and walk the streets of the villages where Giovanni Bertolini and Natalina Lunardi were born and raised, somehow met and oh-so-long ago made that brave voyage together…and here I am to share a little of their story.

The story of so many immigrants who dreamed of and made their way to America. They worked hard, raised families and never looked back. And now, I am looking back, retracing the steps, closing the circle of courage and love. ♥

I would be remiss not to acknowledge the invaluable help and support in my research from the Santa Barbara Genealogical Society and in particular, to Rosa. Without her assistance and expertise, my search would have been formidable! Grazie!

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Have YOU ever researched your family tree? If so, what was your experience like? If not, would you like to?

Please comment below! I’d love to hear from you…