I am searching for information on my great-great-grandfather, John Joseph Mattare, who was born in Lombardia on January 6, 1836 (he told his children that he came from Lake Como). He arrived in the U.S. in 1861, where he was a woodworker and also made violins, and for a short period a few years after his arrival, a confectioner. While his American name was "Mattare," in the church records for the baptisms and marriages of his children, John's last name and that of his children was recorded as "Matteri." I have found that the Matteri name is common in some of the areas around Lake Como (but not elsewhere in Italy), and that the Mattare name does not exist in Italy. I suspect that his name in Italy was "Giovanni Giuseppe Matteri" but that is only speculation. John's death certificate does not list his birthplace, and I have not been successful in finding him in the passenger lists, or in the U.S. immigration and naturalization records, so I have not found any evidence of the place in Italy in which he was born. Any ideas on how I can locate his records and birthplace in Italy is appreciated! Thanks.

Jackie,

Could this information help?


Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s
about Giovanni Matteri
Name: Giovanni Matteri
Year: 1863
Place: America
Source Publication Code: 8123.20
Primary Immigrant: Matteri, Giovanni
Annotation: Date and port of arrival. Extracted from microfilms located in the State Archives of Swiss cantons Aargau and Basel, passport lists of Swiss canton Solothurn, and the personal records of a private researcher. Date and place of birth and other genealogical
Source Bibliography: SCHRADER-MUGGENTHALER, C. The Swiss Emigration Book, Vol. 1. Apollo, PA: Closson Press, 1993. 216p.
Page: 82

Thank you. I had previously found that entry on the internet, and I am looking for a copy of the book so I can check that passage. U.S. Census records indicate that John Mattare came to the U.S. in 1861 and then married there in 1863, but his first child was born in December 1866, so it is possible that John Mattare did not come to the U.S. until 1863. Until I can see the entry in The Swiss Immigration Book, I was hoping to find leads as to where I could begin my search in Italy -- probably in Dongo, Gravedona or the villages around it, as that is where the concentration of people with the name Matteri live at Lake Como today.

I live just a few miles from Dongo and Gravedona and if I can be of any help just let me know... I was in Gravedona on Wednesday, I go there quite often - it is a wonderful place.

If you have any other details about the concentration of families with the name you're researching just let me know. I could easily visit/phone the comunes in those towns if I have something to go on.
Thought you might like to see two photos I took in Gravedona....

Thie second looking across the lake from Piona Abbey with Gravedona on the opposite bank.

The first sitting in the sun and taking an aperitivo and looking the opposite way towards Piona...

Thanks, and what nice photos! Before researching my family history, I traveled around Lake Como years ago (and lived in Ferrara for 6 months), and your photos took me right back there!

All of the information I have on John Joseph Mattare (Giovanni Giuseppe Matteri?) is contained in my previous posts. The only additional information that might be helpful is that he was (rather obviously) Catholic. In the U.S., he married an Irish Catholic immigrant, and they lived in Baltimore, Maryland where they had 6 children. Their 5 sons joined their father in his woodworking business, and after his death several continued as woodworkers, and also made violins.

The information I have about the location and concentration of the Matteri name in Italy today comes from the website: italia.indettaglio.it/...ardia.html

The list of towns and their respective provinces, and numbers of people there with the name Matteri, given by the website is:

91.76 Dongo Como
18.96 Garzeno Como
9.28 Gravedona Como
5.22 Vigevano Pavia
5.10 Villa Guardia Como
4.98 Consiglio di Rumo Como
4.82 Gera Lario Como
4.60 Germasino Como
2.86 Dubino Sondrio
2.78 Ronago Como
2.76 Gironico Como
2.73 Appiano Gentile Como
2.71 Uggiate-Trevano Como
2.68 Cavallasca Como
2.66 Faloppio Como
2.66 Stazzona Como
2.58 Lurate Caccivio Como
2.58 Ponteranica Bergamo
2.55 Erba Como
2.55 Paderno d`Adda Lecco
2.54 Lenno Como
2.50 Drezzo Como
2.40 Como Como
2.37 Tremezzo Como
2.35 Domaso Como
2.29 Milano Milano

As you can see, the most are located in Dongo and Garzeno above, followed by Gravedona, and then a few elsewhere. I would think that in the 1860's, the Matteri's were even more concentrated in one area (Dongo?) than they are today? So I imagine that the Dongo commune and churches would be the logical place to start.

Any help you can provide locally or ideas on who I might contact is welcome!

Hi Jackie
A quick check reveals that there is still ONE carpenter named Matteri living and working in Dongo....

Matteri Laboratorio Falegnameria Mobili (Furniture makers)
5, VIA SAN LORENZO
22014 Dongo (CO)
tel: 0344 81109
Categoria: falegnami = carpentry

Here are the other listings in the Phone Book and Yellow Pages just for that small area around Dongo, Gravedona and Domaso... which does include several of the other villages on your list like Consiglio di Rumo and Gera Lario.

Pagine Bianche:
>Dongo<

>Domaso<

>Gravedona<

Pagine Gialle:
>Dongo<

>Domaso/Dongo area<

I will make a few calls/investigations over the next few days and see where will be the best place to start. But the comunes will, without doubt be a good starting point.

Thank you Carole. I have made some progress on locating a copy of The Swiss Emigration Book by C. Schrader-Muggethaler. While I have not yet seen the book and passage in which I am interested, I am told that it "includes the following for Giovanni Matteri: birth year, 1843; birthplace, Garazero Como Italy, emigration year, 1863; source of the information, Staatsarchiv des Kanton Aargau, CH 5001 Aarau". I suspect that this quote contains a couple of typing or transcription errors: "Garazero" is probably "Garzeno" and "Aarau" is probably "Aargau." I will let you know what I find as soo as I can see the book and passage myself, but it appears as if this Giovanni Matteri (I don't know whether this one was my g-g-grandfather) was born in Garzeno, the village above Dongo, in 1843 (the information I have on my g-g-grandfather is that he was born in 1836, but that may not be accurate). The 1861 Census records 1,654 inhabitants in Garzeno, and the 2001 Census records 1,029 inhabitants in Garzeno, Approximately 18 garzenesi have the name Matteri today. Just wanted you to have all the information I do. Thanks so much for your help!

Aarau could quite well be right - it is the capital of the Canton of Argau.
>AARAU>

This is only about 170 miles from Garzeno, but 'as the crow flies' only about half that.

Hi Carole - I finally was able to get access to a copy of The Swiss Emigration Book to look at the information it contains about the "Giovanni Matteri." Unfortunately, the book contains nothing more than the information as outlined in my last post on 9/9/08. I appreciate any advice you can give me about where would be the best place/person to which or whom I should write to explore whether the "Giovanni Matteri: birth year, 1843; birthplace, 'Garazero' Como Italy, emigration year, 1863" in The Swiss Emigration Book is my great-great-grandfather John Mattare (Giovanni Matteri) who, according to U.S. Census records, was born around 1836 in Lombardy, Italy and immigrated to the U.S. in 1861 and records suggest he lived in Baltimore, Maryland from at least 1863 until his death in 1915. Do you recommend that I contact someone in Garzeno, and if so, at the church for their records, at the commune, or one or more of the Matteri's living in Garzeno today? Thanks for you help!

Hello,
I suggest you to write to Parish of Garzeno in order to have his bapt certificate or copy from real record
there are two churches there

Reverendo Padre
Parrocchia S. Bernardino
Via per Dongo,
22010 Catasco di Garzeno (CO)
Italy

Reverendo Padre
Parrocchia di Ss. Pietro e Paolo
Via Roma, 1, 22010 Garzeno (CO)
Italy

There are not Matteri in the all region of Lombardy

I hope it helps
bye Riccardo

Hello Jackie, I´m Fernando Matteri from Argentina, and I am searching for information about my family too. My great-great-grandfather was Pedro Matteri who was born in Lake Como. If you are interested in contact me, my mail is fermatteri @ yahoo.com
I hope your answer. Thanks.

Jackie wrote:

I am searching for information on my great-great-grandfather, John Joseph Mattare, who was born in Lombardia on January 6, 1836 (he told his children that he came from Lake Como). He arrived in the U.S. in 1861, where he was a woodworker and also made violins, and for a short period a few years after his arrival, a confectioner. While his American name was "Mattare," in the church records for the baptisms and marriages of his children, John's last name and that of his children was recorded as "Matteri." I have found that the Matteri name is common in some of the areas around Lake Como (but not elsewhere in Italy), and that the Mattare name does not exist in Italy. I suspect that his name in Italy was "Giovanni Giuseppe Matteri" but that is only speculation. John's death certificate does not list his birthplace, and I have not been successful in finding him in the passenger lists, or in the U.S. immigration and naturalization records, so I have not found any evidence of the place in Italy in which he was born. Any ideas on how I can locate his records and birthplace in Italy is appreciated! Thanks.

Thank you Riccardo! I have sent a letter to each of the Garzeno area parishes (in Italian), and will let you know if I hear anything. I appreciate your help, and fingers crossed that they find him, and that he is my bis-bis-nonno!

And thank you Fernando. I will email you directly. It seems as if the Matteri's have originated from a small area next to Lake Como, so I am sure we are "cousins" now on two continents slightly removed from our Italian village(s)!

Jackie

it was my pleasure, good luck and let us know
bye Riccardo

Success - it looks like I have found my great-great-grandfather! I just received the following response from the priest at the church in Garzeno, Italy: "Gentile Signora, le confermo di aver rinvenuto sul registro di Battesimo alla data 7 gennaio 1836 il nome del suo bisnonno Giovanni Matteri nato il 6 gennaio 1836. I genitori si chiamavano Matteri Natale e Domenica Albini. Le auguro un Buon Natale e cordialmente la saluto.
Il Parroco di Garzeno" Since the birth year and birth date of the Giovanni Matteri in the Garzeno church records matches that of my g-g-grandfather, and his father's name Natale Matteri is the same name given by my g-g-grandfather to his first-born son in America, Natale John Mattare (but recorded as "Matteri" in the Baltimore church records), it seems like compelling evidence that my g-g-grandfather is the Giovanni Matteri born in Garzeno in 1836 to Natale Matteri and his wife Domenica Albini. Now I will start planning my visit to Garzeno in 2009! Thanks again for your help -
Jackie

Jackie,

This is wonderful news. Thank you for getting back to us and letting us know. Please continue to keep us posted on progress and let us know if you need anything else.