It’s been over 20 years since we last visited Italy and we’ve been dying to go back ever since. When we were there in 1996 we spent a few days in Rome and a week in Sorrento. We took the train from Rome to Naples and hired a car to go to Sorrento. Even though my dad’s family was from Naples, I did not know the ancestry of his parents and had no idea how close I was to where they lived. Less than a mile!
Being a Sorrentino myself, I wanted to get a photo in the Sorrentino Club in Sorrento. I wanted to take a photo inside but was advised by the maitre d’ that this would not be a very good idea. “But I just want a photo” He then pointed to the table with the gentlemen smoking cigars and wearing fedoras. Being from NYC, I got the message. Outside photos only.
For the past 10 years I have been searching my Italian families and have wanted to go back and trace the history. As I wanted to visit several places and get a real experience I was looking for a tour company to help. Most of them did not fit the bill until I made contact with Letizia Sinisi from Italy Rooting. We began to discuss my needs on Facebook and through email and I decided that Italy Rooting was the best fit. Mainly because Letizia works with you to not only set up tours, but works with you on your family history and family tree in mind to develop a “back in time” experience.
We have just completed our planning and I wanted to share that with you in case you are looking to plan a similar experience. You can view our plan in a PDF at the end of the blog post. We will be blogging the experience at the end of April
Letzia partners with Loretta Pompi from Borghi Italia ( BITN ) who puts together all the accommodations, ground transportation, tours and meals. She does this based on your needs and gives you several options, so that you do not have to hunt around the internet. So far, Loretta and the rest of the staff at BITN have been very responsive and gracious, considering I have been pretty demanding what I am looking for.
While we are still a couple of months away from our Italy Rooting experience, I wanted to get this out there for anyone that may be planning a similar rooting experience. If you contact Letzia or Loretta please let them know that you learned about them from Italian Genealogy. Click the Italy Rooting below to view the itinerary.
