The records, and where they live
This section does not sell passports. Citizenship eligibility now turns on precise statutory exceptions, and an EU-law question remains pending. What is still there, and always will be, is the paper: the town, the register, the handwriting, the names.
The 1863 civil birth record of archaeologist Raniero Mengarelli. Comune di Lugnano in Teverina / Il Lucumone, Public domain.
Where Italian records actually live
Civil registration did not start on the same date across Italy, and that one fact decides how far back you can go
Italian Citizenship by Descent: 2026 Living Update
The rules after Law 74/2025, the 2029 transition deadline, and the EU case that is still pending
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