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The poster is not trying to categorize people, they are not over the top with their Italian ancestry. They are just interested in family roots and wondering where to begin. This is a common interest or ancestry.com or "Who Do You Think You Are?" on TLC wouldn't exist. I have a family tree dating back to the 1600's based on a lot of work a relative put in years ago. I am named after a relative. All of the 8 of us are. I have a painting of Cora that I have restored. And I discovered a famous landmark named after one family I am related to. One of my favorite reads was left by a relative who immigrated to the USA from Lithuania and wanted to summarize her simple life as a poor immigrant traveling with just a few items inside a bag she could carry with her husband. I come from coal miners, farmers and eventually this turned to business men, doctors, scientists with some things in between. Like many in the US today. I am Italian, Lithuanian, Irish and even a little Spanish and Indian. It doesn't define who I am but it is nice to know how I finally ended up here....
they are over the top with their italian ancestry
Ive been to NY/NJ and you see these ridiculous stereotypes walking around telling everyone how italian they are, and how traditional they are, and how momma is so important to them because momma is important to all italians and then they do that neapolitan hand gesture on your face and go momma mia!!!!
in reality none of them speak lick of italian, know nothing of italy and the only italian thing they know is how to emulate stereotypes
there are MILLIONS of italian descendants in south america and you don't see them acting like that.... it's mostly Italian-Americans.
you go to Argentina and the italians there act normal and don't think italians walk around saying momma mia
Silvio Berlusconi is from Milan (or the area that surrounds it) therefore northern Italy. Although, honestly italian skin color is very tricky as it is not a good indicator as where someone is from in Italy. For instance, Americans wrongfully believe the more south in Italy you go the darker the skin. My family is from Campania and for instance my mothers side (Benevento) is so light their skin type is Casper the Friendly Ghost and many of them have red hair and light eyes. My father side also from Campania (salerno) is a bit darker although still very light. To think I see a lot of italians from veneto which is in North Italy and their complexion seems much darker than many from Campania.
Their are even many sicilians that are blonde with light eyes. I'm currently in Abruzzo, Francavilla al Mare and again here people are very fair skinned although there are also a few "what americans would call typical olive complexion dark haired italians as well"
Italy has been settled for at least 30,000 years and people have always been mobile so it's almost as it's not easy or rather possible to say "the italians from Veneto have this skin tone whereas the Italians from Umbria have that skin tone"
For goodness sake there are many here in abruzzo who could pass for irish with red hair and white skin!
Anyway, good a free way to start off would be go to this website.... Turismo, viaggi e tradizioni in Italia | Gens
type in your last name or last name of your italian family and click "cerca". It will show you where on the map of italy people live that have your same last name. Of course you can spend 100 bucks and have your DNA tested although I still feel that can't pin point it.
Let's say you do find a town where your ancestors come from. If you ever take a trip there go to the office of the ANAGRAFE which is where the municipal building is. Give them your last name and ask for "Albero Genealogico" which is family tree.
This post is totally on point. I've said it before; I have southern friends who have light/red hair and northern friends with black curly hair. People have lived here for thousands of years and have had a lot of time to mix and interbreed.
The only truth is that it is sunnier in Calabria than in Veneto or Lombardy.
Is it Italic (roman)? Southern italian? Northern Italian/ Germanic?
Berlusconi is Italian, his skin tone could be found all over Italy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with him. He looks Mediterranean as his the majority of ethnic Italians. In anthropology he would fit in the Dinaricized-Mediterranean (a blend of Dinaric/Alpine-Mediterranean mix). Most Italians are of this type.
This post is totally on point. I've said it before; I have southern friends who have light/red hair and northern friends with black curly hair. People have lived here for thousands of years and have had a lot of time to mix and interbreed.
The only truth is that it is sunnier in Calabria than in Veneto or Lombardy.
Stop talking so much sense, it doesn't suit this thread!! For some reason (some) people STILL believe that Italians are 'pure bred' Roman, English are 'pure bred' Anglo Saxon, Norwegians are 'pure bred' Vikings etc, it is completely and utterly beyond them to realise that Europe is a VERY mixed continent. As an example as to how 'close' we all are apparently MOST Europeans can trace back ancestory to Charlemagne. People just need to do the maths - just 20 generations back we ALL have 2,097,152 DIRECT ancestors and if people seriously believe that all of their 2 million DIRECT ancestors came from their particular corner of Europe then they are not very bright.
Stop talking so much sense, it doesn't suit this thread!! For some reason (some) people STILL believe that Italians are 'pure bred' Roman, English are 'pure bred' Anglo Saxon, Norwegians are 'pure bred' Vikings etc, it is completely and utterly beyond them to realise that Europe is a VERY mixed continent. As an example as to how 'close' we all are apparently MOST Europeans can trace back ancestory to Charlemagne. People just need to do the maths - just 20 generations back we ALL have 2,097,152 DIRECT ancestors and if people seriously believe that all of their 2 million DIRECT ancestors came from their particular corner of Europe then they are not very bright.
Very good, whatever survived high and low middle ages was carried way by the five waves of bubonic plague. Most people descend from a very small group of survivors that scattered all around. People forget that the big European "impregnators" were mercenaries, rape was a "fringe benefit" during many centuries.
Americans think Europe is some sort of Walt Disney, and tourism focus on that to bring non-european tourists.
Russian tourists are the only cultured ones, they do love to visit old churches, shrines, etc. I hope they return coming in big numbers.
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