Susan wrote to ask about the letters and numbers following a date for a notation of death on a birth record.

Most of the time you will be searching for and finding records in Parte 1 of the various registers but as time goes on and your ancestors spread across the world there will be more likelihood of locating records in Parte 2 and the various Serie.  What do these letters and numbers tell us?  This is how it is today and for the most part it also applies to earlier records.

Birth records are divided in 2 Serie: A & B.  In Serie A in the first Parte you will find the normal birth registrations for children born to residents of the Comune, and in Parte 2 will be those births that occurred in other Comunes. (as when a woman delivers in a hospital in the next town.)

In Serie B, Parte 1 you will find registrations that occurred more than 10 days after the birth and in Parte 2 recognition of abandoned babies or natural children, adoptions, unrecognition of children (with all the DNA testing I suspect this one will become more common), and added the addition or change of surnames.

Marriage records are divided in 2 parts with the ‘allegati (attachments) in a separate register.  In Parte 1 are the marriages conducted in the Comune by the Mayor or other official and in Parte 2 the marriages conducted in the Comune offices by a person authorized by the State (A minister or Rabbi).   If the marriage takes place in another Comune this is written in section B.  In section C are those marriages that are conducted by the Mayor or other official outside the Comune offices, (in a park or private chapel) those celebrated where death of one party is imminent, or where one party is a proxy (another person stands in for the bride or groom who is in another country) or that takes place outside the country and finally, the record of the dissolution of a marriage.

Registration of civil union marriages (same sex) are divided the same way but kept in a separate register.

Death records are divided in 2 parts.  In Parte 1 are all deaths that take place in the Comune. In Parte 2 section A are those deaths that take place outside the Comune of residence of the deceased. Section B contains those deaths where the Comune is notified by the hospital, police etc. and in section C you will find all deaths that took place outside the country (if notified by the Consulate), deaths that occurred during travel, and those deaths where the person is not named (John Doe).

All types of acts may contain annotations but you will most frequently see them on the birth records as recognition by natural parents, adoption, marriage divorce and death.

Annotations on marriage would include, presumed death of previous spouse, annulment of the marriage) Change of sex of one of the participants, legal separation of the couple and change of name.

Annotations on a death records would include the deceased’s legitimization, and the annulment of a presumed death.