Roccafranca, Brescia, Lombardia, Italy Genealogy

Italy

Lombardia

Brescia

Roccafranca

Guide to Roccafranca municipality, Italy ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

History

The first settlement dates back to the 4th century when a group of Celts settled near the current town. The name of the town appears for the first time in a 13th-century document, likely derived from the castle.

Jurisdictions:

• In 1368, it became part of the possessions of Regina della Scala.
• In 1426, Roccafranca separated from Brescia.
• Two years later, it was annexed to the territories of Carmagnola, who was later replaced by the Albini family, who in turn were replaced in 1453 by Francesco Sforza.

Major events:

• The construction of the castle, mentioned in a 13th-century document and likely the origin of the town's name, is a significant historical element.
• The parish church dedicated to Saints Gervasio and Protasio preserves fragments of some frescoes from the 1500s.
• The palace built by the Martinengo family contains 16th-century frescoes bearing the signature of Lattanzio Gambara.
• Since 1695, Roccafranca has celebrated the "fistù", a quinquennial festivity in May with religious and folkloric significance, remembering the three local martyrs (Saint Clare, Saint Vincent, and Saint Victorinus) with religious celebrations and the creation of elaborate triumphal arch decorations ("arcate") by individual families. This tradition has continued for centuries, with the introduction of "piantiline" (branches with paper leaves and peach blossoms) around the 1950s.

Resources

Civil Registration

• 1806-1813 Italia, Brescia, Ludriano. Stato civile 1806-1813(*); Ludriano (Brescia). Ufficio dello stato civile at FamilySearch Catalog - images
• 1806-1814 Italia, Brescia, Roccafranca. Stato civile 1806-1814(*); Archivio di Stato di Brescia at FamilySearch Catalog - images
• 1806-1813 Italia, Brescia, Ludriano. Stato civile 1806-1813(*); Archivio di Stato di Brescia at FamilySearch Catalog - images
• 1806-1814 Italia, Brescia, Roccafranca. Stato civile 1806-1814(*); Roccafranca (Brescia). Ufficio dello stato civile at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Repositories

For a list of FamilySearch Centers and Affiliate Libraries, see map.

Research Helps

The following articles will help you research your family in Italy.

• Italy Guided Research
• Italy Record Finder
• Italy Research Tips and Strategies
• Italy Online Genealogy Records
• Italy Online Learning
• Italy Languages
• Italian Genealogical Word List
• Italy Handwriting