I would like to introduce myself to the Italian Roots group.
I have recently returned from a trip to Chiavenna in Sondrio, Lombardy, Italy. Going there, I had only the name and a couple options for a birthdate of my great grandfather, my DNA test results that matched me to this area, and a photograph of a famous photographer that looked similar to my father.
I came away with a wonderful experience finding his baptismal record, his parents marriage records, and other great source items. Finally confirming where he came from, I have now been focusing on this small valley near Switzerland.
I am using a large trove of images that have yet to be transcribed that exist at Family Search. These are all in Italian and of course handwritten documents, that date back to just after my great grandfather's birth.
My plan is to enter the first and lastname at birth, year and place of death for the people listed in the MORTI records. On my way through this index, I will be posting a link to the page the index resides at the free space connected to this message and listed on the Sondrio category page.
For the names that interest me, I will be doing a more comprehensive translation. If you have any interest in joining me or advice from experience, I would like to hear from you as I am just getting started.