Birth records for foundlings or abandoned babies can be requested from the town where the birth was registered. When a couple were not married civilly the birth was registered on one of 3 ways. This applies even if they were married in the Church but did not register the marriage at City Hall.
- Showing the natural mother’s name
- Showing the natural father’s name
- Showing no parents and an surname invented by the Mayor.
Depending on the circumstances, the child may be placed with a person chosen by the Mayor (or priest who would know who was available to breastfeed) or entrusted to the natural father or mother. This person may be named on the birth act if the child was registered as parents unknown.
Formal adoptions were rare.
Angel Research and Genealogical Services 
Ann,
This is very interesting information.
Last night, I was doing some research on Italian foundlings and came across a book called “Italy in the Age of Pinocchio: Children and Danger in the Liberal Era” by Carl Ipsen (2006). This book focuses on foundlings in the Italian state during the latter part of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century.
Here’s a link to check it out on line…copy and paste this into your browser:
http://books.google.com/books?id=rn1axpfxc4wC&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=Foundlings+Italy&source=bl&ots=oQC950gr11&sig=OWepgQhMrp8PasaqjcGqE4dpIiI&hl=en&ei=XUquTdHfKZCy0QGw0f3ECw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFgQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Foundlings%20Italy&f=false
The bit of info that I found last night is an article called, “Tracing Italian Lineages of Adoptees and Ancestors Born Outside of Marriage.”
Here’s the link to the article…copy and paste the following into your Web browser:
http://www.italiangenealogy.com/articles/italian-genealogy/15-tracing-italian-lineages-of-adoptees-and-ancestors-born-outside-marriage
— Mary
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Ann:
You once had a photo of a “Ruota” (foundling wheel) on your website. I can’t find it. Could you post it once more? Thanks!
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