Any advice would be great, going to Italy Summer '09

JamesBianco

I am taking my mother and children to visit the town of my great-grandmother's birth in the Summer of '09. We will also be visiting Venice, Florence and Rome.

Her town was Valle di Cadore, Provincia Belluno

I wasn't sure where to fly into and make our base from so that we can relatively easily reach Valle di Cadore by train or hire a guidetranslator to take us there (we don't speak Italian very well and want to possibly meet relatives and be able to communicate)

Any suggestions??

Thanks!
Jim

Carole

Well I think your nearest international airport to fly INTO will be Venice - that's about 134km (83miles) from Valle di Cadore. See link below....
Then perhaps book your return flight from Rome.

>MAP HERE<

And if I was fitter James, I would have loved to have been able to drive you around and help you... I wonder if you might have the opportunity to get as far as Lago di Como? That's only 300km (186 miles) away from Venzia! But Isuspect that you will have tight time constraints - right?

JamesBianco

Thank you so much Carole, I guess Venice it is! My mom really wants to see it anyway (and I haven't been there) so this will work out. I am just concerned about getting to Valle! Hiring a guide out of Venice would be a nightmare.

I think there are going to be some time restraints, especially if she wants (and she sure does) to see Rome. This will be her first trip over, and I am not sure if she is really ready for what traveling to more remote parts of Italy is like! I've done it a couple times, and I was exhausted. lol

Thank you so much for your wishing you could help us, it was very sweet.

I'll keep this thread posted as I make more definite plans/arrangements.

stevenspringer

do you know the address of her house? if so, How did you find it? id like to get to grassano, but i dont know the address on where they lived and dont know what paper i could request from grassano town hall Sad

JamesBianco

Yes there is this wonderful man who has the complete church records for Valle extracted and into a connected family database 1570-1910! Here is the entry for my Great-Grandmother's mother Anna Maria Agnoli, with a picture of her house, and address!

Del Favero Ancestral Home, Valle di Cadore

charliemis

Hi James,

I have visited Venezia about 8 times --- each time is better than the last. When I was younger (stationed in the military in Germany and then later after college) I stayed in Venezia proper. There is a special ambiance of waiting up and looking out over the city. However in subsequent trips I have stayed on the mainland. A few times near Mestre with a hotel that offered a shuttle and more recently in Quarto d'Altino --- a beautiful, brand new Holiday Inn adjacent to the train station. The tradeoffs are many, but when you see folks lugging their bags through Venezia (up and down the many bridges going to their hotels) and Venezia is really expensive. I also believe there is a "partial Autostrada" heading towards Belluno in the area near Marco Polo Airport (small airport but much easier than Roma)
JMHO.

The autostrada (east/west) that runs just past Venezia can be a real traffic nightmare ---- main truck route heading towards Trieste and Eastern Europe ---- I have spent hours sitting there in traffic. I think that Roma is a 5-6 hour train ride (check treni italia website) ---- Mestre is the main train station for heading to other parts of Italy, but Venezia has a large train station too.

Please feel free if you need any more info.....

stevenspringer

JamesBianco wrote:

Yes there is this wonderful man who has the complete church records for Valle extracted and into a connected family database 1570-1910! Here is the entry for my Great-Grandmother's mother Anna Maria Agnoli, with a picture of her house, and address!

Del Favero Ancestral Home, Valle di Cadore

wow man thats great, i wish i could find if someone has the grassano ones, any idea on who i should write to to check?

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

I have never seen anyone with as much luck as James! Many of his towns go back so far! Congratulations on the trip James!! It should be so much more special with your mom and sons with you! Very Happy

debbth · Mem Joined: Apr 13, 2008 Posts: 19 Location: Agassiz, BC

You could also stay in Triviso, a 30 minute train ride to Venice. Triviso is often referred to as "Little Venice" as the river winds through the city and there are many bridges over it. Also the river runs through some of the buildings. The old town of Triviso is surrounded by a wall dating back to Roman times I believe. My ancestors come from that area, Silea (south east of Triviso). I would think that Triviso would be cheaper than Venice to stay in.

Debbie

liviomoreno

debbth wrote:

You could also stay in Triviso, a 30 minute train ride to Venice. Triviso is often referred to as "Little Venice" as the river winds through the city and there are many bridges over it. Also the river runs through some of the buildings. The old town of Triviso is surrounded by a wall dating back to Roman times I believe. My ancestors come from that area, Silea (south east of Triviso). I would think that Triviso would be cheaper than Venice to stay in.

Debbie

I guess you mean Treviso Twisted Evil

nuccia

Oh Livio!

I guess its not just me and Cathy that spell things incorrectly, huh? Maybe we're going to have to change your avatar to read "Teacher"!

debbth · Mem Joined: Apr 13, 2008 Posts: 19 Location: Agassiz, BC

Ooops!!!! Yes, of course I meant Treviso!! I must have been tired or cross-eyed from looking at my computer screen!!! Sorry!
Debbie

Aether

James,

My husband will be in Rome for a conference first week of June. I will go later. If there is any specific thing you need just ask. My husband knows Italy even better than I do, he was a Fulbright scholar twice - the first time to Sicily, and the second - Venice and Veneto. And we have lived in Rome on and off for a few years.

Aether Smile

nuccia

I just found our my dad booked his flight for Italy for Aug 12th. I am collecting my research to keep him busy (although I believe most of the offices will be closed for the holidays). Thankfully he still has family alive there so maybe I can get some info from them...and hopefully Dad doesn't "forget" to ask them. He is horrible at things like this!

Carole

nuccia wrote:

I just found our my dad booked his flight for Italy for Aug 12th. I am collecting my research to keep him busy (although I believe most of the offices will be closed for the holidays). Thankfully he still has family alive there so maybe I can get some info from them...and hopefully Dad doesn't "forget" to ask them. He is horrible at things like this!

It is highly unlikely that any 'state' offices will be closed during August. What tends to happen is that a 'skeleton staff' keep the offices open for those daily tasks that must be completed. It also means that as the 'majority' of people are on holiday during this period then such offices do NOT have the usual loooong queues, but equally they have less employees sitting around looking busy (LOL).

In my years over here I have often conciously chosen to conduct any dealings I have had with any comune or state office during August... Your Dad will no doubt find the same during his visit Nuccia!