It’s always a struggle to find the right charting tool to display the family, especially if you have found that you have some royal roots.  Most online or software charting tools get cumbersome and it’s very difficult to capture the essence of the family on one page.  During the course of my research I came across Ancestralcharts.com.  Ky and his wife do a spectacular job in creating family lines and are able to place your ancestry roots on one very readable poster, with their authentic coats of arms.  In addition, they highlight things like Saints, Crusaders and Knights.  All well done and suitable for framing.   Below is a photo of the chart that Ky did for me.  Not the greatest photo because of the glare off the glass, however you can see much more on Ky’s site.  In addition to the charts, Ky will also do family history.

These are the most prominent discoveries to date.  Most are direct grandparents.  You may see duplication of names, that is because many people carried more than one title throughout their lifetime.  Dates are when the title was bestowed.  You have to click Read More to view the gallery.

Well of course I may be a little bit biased, but Marietta Nicoletti was perhaps the best grandmother ever.  She had 11 children and 23 grandchildren.  She loved having all her grandchildren around, and didn’t mind having a bit of pasta now and then.   I’ll always remember playing cards with her and having to take out the 8’s 9’s and 10’s first.  The fun times in the yard for her birthday and Mother’s day. I don’t remember too much about my grandfather Luigi as he passed when I was only about 9 or 10.  I do remember him playing bocce, making his own wine and occasionally having a glass or two.   The Nicoletti’s Arrive Grandma “Enemy Alien” Grandpa “Enemy Alien” Grandpa’s Birth Record

Aside from his father Angelo, mentioned in the record below, Vincenzo is the oldest Sorrentino record found to date, thanks to Bella Italia Genealogy.   There is not much that I can say regarding him or the family other than to publish in the hope that someone will have him as a common ancestor. Birth Record of Vincenzo Sorrentino Birth record excerpt for mr. Vincenzo Sorrentino, number 48. On November 11th, 1813, at 22 hours, before us Pietro Contaldi, adjunct and civil status officer for the municipality of Nocera Corpo, province of Principato Citra, appeared sir don Angelo Sorrentino, pharmacist aged 29, residing in strada San Pietro of the said town, and declared that at 16 hours of the above said day, in his own house, to him declarer and to lady Carmela Genovese, his lawful wife aged 29, was born a child whom he presented to us and to whom he bestows the name of Vincenzo. This present declaration is done in the presence of Luigi Contaldi, well-off aged 30, residing in said municipality, strada San Pietro, and of Vincenzo D’Andrea, tailor aged 40. This present act was read out to the declarer and the witnesses, and then signed by us, and crossmarked by one of the witnesses who is not able to write. Issued for marriage use, October 6th, 1834. True signature of the mayor, Salerno, October 13th, 1834. [This place is today’s Nocera Superiore in the province of Salerno. I’ve used sir and lady not because they were noble, but to render the respectful signore and signora that the clerk used at the time, most probably because being him a pharmacist he was an important person. Hours are counted from sunset, so 22 is actually in the late afternoon, and 16 in the late morning.] Marriage of Vincenzo Sorrentino to Maria Michela Longo Perhaps the longest marriage contract ever on the pages below.  Partial Translation. Ferdinand the Second, by the grace of God king of the kingodom of the Two Sicilies, and of Jerusalem, Duke of Parma, Piacenza, Castro, great hereditary prince of Tuscany. On the 30th day of March, 1835, in the municipality of Nocera, province of Principato Citeriore. Before us, notary Agostino Primicerio of the late Giuseppe, residing in the hamlet said Portaromana of this municipality of Nocera, and [before] the undersigned witnesses to us known, according to the Law, personally appeared messrs. don Angelo Sorrentino of the late don Tommaso, pharmacist aged 50, and donna Carmela Genovese of the late Vincenzo, aged 47, spouses well known to us, residing in this municipality of Nocera, and in the San Pietro hamlet, who with this present act give and concede their full consent to their son don Vincenzo Sorrentino, attorney at law aged 22, resinding in Napoli, vico Lungo a Carbonara number 40, as to enter into a true and lawful marriage with ms. donna Maria Michela Francesca Saveria Longo, daugher of don Paolo and of donna Eleonora Scafuro, unmarried aged 25, residing with her father in Napoli in the said vico Lungo a Carbonara number 40, and this according to the prescriptions of the civil and canonical laws, also declaring that this son of theirs is unmarried, never belonged, nor belongs, to any troop, either of land or the sea, nor was enrolled in the army, having always practiced as a lawyer, and never was employed in the ministry of war, and finally never received any veteran pension. Because of the foregoing, this act has been drafted and read to the appearing spouses, and to the witnesses, and they all declared that it was by them well understood. Done, read, and published by us the above said notary and in our studio located in the above mentioned Portaromana hamlet of the above said municipality of Nocera, province of Principato Citeriore, and before the above said spouses, and [before] the below said witnesses messers. don Ignazio Lamberti of the living Pasquale, owner residing in the said San Pietro hamlet, and Domenico Carpentiere of the late Pasquale, owner residing in the said Portaromana hamlet, both of this municipality, having the qualities required by the laws, who declare that they know the above said appearers, and together with them they have signed [this act], except for ms. donna Carmela Genovese who has declared before us and the witnesses that she is not able to write.

I chose to post Nicola Piromallo today, as I received a long lost obituary from a distant cousin yesterday.  Nicola is where my real interest and quest began.  When I was very young my mother would always show me his calling card, and tell me how he was nobility.  Nicola is my paternal grandmother’s father, and while I do not have a lot of first hand knowledge, I have found a lot of documentation.  Below is the image of his card.  My best guess is that this dates  between 1900 and 1915, I always presumed early on, that I would find a good deal of information about Nicola doing simple google searches.  That was far from the truth.  What happened was that I came across a Nicola Piromallo marrying Emilia Caracciolo in 1882, but that was under Caracciolo.  Now plenty of children were listed throughout the lineage, but I did not see my grandmother.  I finally realized that in all the nobility records, the children were always listed under the father.  I then asked my older cousin Luisa, that lived with my grandmother,  if she recognized the name Caracciolo.  She said that she did and that our great grandmother was a Caracciolo.  Little did I know how important that family is in Italian history. Record of the marriage of Nicola Piromallo to Emilia Caracciolo (5C) Here is the link to the Caracciolo di Torchiarolo Ancestry. http://www.famiglienobilinapolitane.it/Genealogie/Caracciolo-Torchiarolo.htm And the link to Capece Piscicelli  with succession to Piromallo. http://www.genmarenostrum.com/pagine-lettere/letterac/capece/CAPECE%20PISCICELLI.htm As it turns out, Piromallo is not a common name in Italy.  Searching google some more, I came across the Piromallo Capece Piscicelli.  This family seemed the most logical fit, however, I could not find “my” Nicola.  That being said, everything else, such as the family crest, dates, names etc. all pointed to this being my great grandfather’s family.  I struggled with making this connection for years.  My third great grandmother, Duchess Beatrice Capece Piscicelli, merged the to family names, when she inherited the title Duchess of Capracotta.  As a result, only her son that inherited the title from her carried both family names.  The rest of the children from her and Count Giacomo Piromallo, carried only the Piromallo name, including Saverio Giovanni, Nicola’s father. Finally, I hired Alessandro, from www.bellaitaliangenalogy.com to help me find the missing records, which pulled this altogether. Index Record for the Birth of Nicola Piromallo Birth Record of Nicola Piromallo Page 1 Birth Record of Nicola Piromallo Page 2 The basic translation shows Nicola Piromallo born to Saverio Giovanni Piromallo.  Along with marriage information.  I am working on full translation. Birth Record of Saverio Giovanni Piromallo The year 1816, the 2nd day of the month of December at the hour of 23, before me, Giuseppe Pignatelli, an official of the town of Montecalvario, province of Naples appeared Signor Conte Don Giacomo Piromallo, age 40, a landowner living at Vico Campanile, number 22, and he said on this day at the hour of 10 Italian was born at the house of the declarant and Signora Contessa Donna Beatrice Capece Piscicelli, his legitimate wife, age 30, a male infant given the name Saverio Giovanni. This presentation and declaration was made in the presence of Cristofaro di Blasio, age 45, a coachman living at Strada Toledo number 373 and Gaetano di Berardino, age 24, a waiter living in the same place. After reading this act to all present, we all signed our names. Notation bottom right: The baby was baptized at the parish of Santa Maria Ogni Bene on the 3rd. These records show the link from Beatrice and Giacomo to Saverio Giovanni to Nicola. Record of Nicola Piromallo’s Death My best guess between 1923 and 1930.