Foundlings of Como - San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna

Melody

I'm hoping someone can help.

I'm trying to learn more although I'm faced with an abandoned ancestor that was taken to an orphanage.

I have my GF's Atti Di Nascita. He was a foundling that was assigned his surname by civil official or the mayor of the comune soon after abandonment. I believe there is no info about the family because on birthact it is written that the child was born from a woman that wishes not to give name.

My questions are: by her stating this phrase, is it not possible to know more. If a baptismal document exists, would it list the mother's name? Could he have been adopted from the orphanage facility? How do I go about finding the Atti Di Diversi? Since the abandonment system was designed to protect the anonymity of the parents of the abandoned infant by unwed mothers - would an Atti Di Recognizione show if someone reclaimed the child? Where would I find adoption records if any? Any help is greatly appreciated in finding more records..

BillieDeKid · V.I.P. Joined: Oct 26, 2007 Posts: 1221 Location: Illinois

Hi Melody. There may be a baptism for him in the allegati when he got married (if he married in Italy). If he was given up at birth, more then likely, his baptismal document would not list his birth mother or father either. In one of my towns I have come across documents during the marriage where the groom/bride had official documents listing the birth father and it was an acknowledgement of the birth father that the child getting married was indeed his legit. child.

Can you post the document (atti di nascita) here so people can take a look?

You say he was taken to an orphanage and later you ask if he could have been adopted from the orphanage....that's a bit confusing because if he was adopted from the orphanage he would know unless the people that adopted him did not tell him he was adopted. Is that what happened?