My journey to claim my citizenship has reached its final step! I should have my EU passport in hand at the end of January having locked in an appointment at the DC embassy.
I’m grateful to Justin Attino-Salvadore for his support gathering the final documents I struggled with until we had all the paperwork in hand. Jeanette Conrad for her email correspondence over the past couple years answering my many questions and concerns and always keeping that line of communication open. And especially Alessandro Bovino for being there to guide my sister, daughter and me through each step in the the process while in Italy – and even supporting us beyond that. His energy and multi-tasking is something to see in action to better understand what it takes.
While living in Benevento we were close enough to visit several times our grandparent’s home in Gaeta. Falling in love and confirming it to be our landing pad and place to live someday. The process takes effort and time, with some deep breaths along the way, but in the end it’s well worth claiming your family heritage and enjoying all the possibilities it brings. All the best to everyone on their own journey!

(Amy N. – Maryland, USA)

Thank you Alessandro for once again working so hard to help me find my Rizzi roots. I truly appreciate everything you have done. I love the passion and excitement you show when find out something new. Keep up the wonderful work you are doing to help families find their roots.
I was very close to my grandmother when I was growing up. She was a very quiet person, but when she did talk it was usually about Bari. So hearing about Bari all my life I knew that I would one day travel here.
However, I never thought that I would meet relatives here, so I was very, very surprised to get to meet some cousins.
I will treasure the memories of my visit forever. Thank you so very much!!! We will hopefully be back one day soon to find out about my Pellegrino roots.

(Donna C. – New York, USA)

My family did the Meet Your Roots tour in Guardia Lombardi, Campania, with Alessandro of Bella Italia Genealogy, and it was, in a word, epic.
While I knew the name of the town where my grandfather had been born and a few other details, doing the Roots tour enabled me to connect with my heritage in a way that I never, ever expected. I think every tour for every individual is by nature unique, but mine was packed with surprises and ran the gamut of meeting town officials and relatives in a Facebook livestream; seeing and examining original records; exploring the same small streets where my ancestors had lived; visiting and touring the church where my grandfather and other relatives had been baptized and experienced major life events; seeing other sites in the town; and then, the grand finale, meeting even more cousins still living in the area. We even went out to dinner together!! Alessandro also coordinated with a nearby agritourism destination for us to go there for a lunch feast of local fare (little did he know we are foodies too!), and went out of his way to translate and guide us through the day (especially valuable at the church), so we optimized our time there.
Words can not describe the experience, which I think will resonate with me (and hopefully my children!) forever. It was fantastic! It might sound like hyberbole but the experience was truly profound, and gave me a sense of fulfillment and connection with my past and my present that goes beyond words.

(Gina B. – Pennsylvania, USA)

Alessandro mentored me thru the entire process. He helped me to register where I have a house in Italy and met me 3 times to ensure success until I got my passport. He even helped me get a medical card and a first Drs Appointment – all in one day! As an American thats all very confusing:). Now he is advising how my 5-year-old Beatrice has to get registered 14 June when we arrive again for her 45 day residency! Best to Allessandro’s very kind team!

(Mark R. – Missouri, USA)

Bella Italia Genealogy!
Wow, wow, wow! Yesterday I received my passport and Italian ID. This is an unbelievable feeling and it is so surreal. I am ecstatic! Alessandro is THE MAN. He truly cared for me throughout the entire process and I am convinced that no one puts more time, effort, and care into helping people get their Italian citizenship.
Alessandro is special, his passion and excitement for genealogy was evident and that made it that much more exciting and reassuring while I was waiting to hear back from consulates and for paperwork to be processed.
Achieving your Italian citizenship can be a stressful process and it does require a leap-of-faith, but I am posting this to assure you that it can and will happen if you are patient and trust Bella Italia. They know what they are doing and I have nothing but fond memories now that I have achieved my goal and can look back at the entire process. I am so grateful for having met Alessandro and the Bella Italia team. They operate with the best intentions and are incredibly caring.

(Thomas F. – Florida, USA)

Hello everyone! I’m writing to endorse, once again, the fabulous services of Alessandro Bovino and Bella Italia Genealogy! I received my Italian citizenship with Alessandro in *less than 2 months* which is truly incredible.
I had been working on gathering my documents on my own for over 1 year when I began to realize that some of my documents had discrepancies. I didn’t really know how to resolve them, and my appointment at the Miami Consulate was drawing near. With Covid, things became even more complicated as government services slowed down or stalled.
I contacted Audra De Falco ,who has also been super helpful to me throughout this process, and she advised me to reach out to Alessandro (hooray for teamwork!)… he was able to help with my document discrepancies very quickly. I wanted to expedite the timeline and was worried about things closing in the US, so I agreed to work with Alessandro in Italy and submit my docs there. I arrived in Italy and Alessandro took care of everything for us, even things like buying us groceries when we were quarantined upon arrival + getting us covid test appointments upon arrival. He went above and beyond for absolutely everything.
I don’t have a photo to post yet (hopefully coming soon!), as I haven’t been able to officially get the passport but… I’m so happy to have my citizenship papers in hand and feel like I made progress despite the craziness of 2020. If you want to make progress, Alessandro is your guy!

(Courtney M. – Belgrade, Serbia)

I went to Italy late summer to do my residence – in the exact small paese my great-grandfather (LIRA) left in 1903. Thanks to the help of Alessandro Bovino / Bella Italia I was recognized as a citizen in mid-November. Quickly following AIRE a few weeks back I was able to use the Prenot@mi system to set up an appointment for my passport here in Philadelphia.
FYI GGF-GF-M. Although Italian was my GF’s first language, he never visited the country and might have been oblivious to his citizenship, particularly with his father dying young. My GGM didn’t naturalize until decades into her widowhood, and my GGF never did.
The entire appointment from walking in the door to walking out with the passport took 15 minutes, a new record for anything I’ve done with any level of government in my entire life.
If I had to go the consular route with the additional documentation, expense, time etc etc I don’t know where I’d be and I’m amazed so many of you can stick with it. If it’s at all possible I recommend getting to Italy, it can be reasonable (food is cheaper for starters!) and you might as well get immersed in language and so forth if you’re going to be a citizen!
A world of opportunities opens from here, so again thanks to Alex and to the staff at Philadelphia Orphan’s Court and the consulate. It’s not all stick, folks, there’s a carrot!

(Christopher R. – Pennsylvania, USA)

Success!! On to passaporti!
A 2 year process is complete aside from passports, its been a crazy ride for me personally even aside from trying to collect documents from USCIS and NARA in the middle of a pandemic.
I want to thank Alessandro with Bella Italia Genealogy for the assistance along the way. From Italian documents, to securing my father and I a place to stay and then rapidly having to adapt and change comune when the clerk in Morcone fell ill, to accompanying us to all of our appointments, Alex helped us through all of it. I’m not sure you will find a more passionate person about their work than Alex.

(William C. – Michigan, USA)

Alessandro was incredible to work with throughout my process while applying in Italy. I highly recommend Bella Italia Genealogy for not only assisting with the citizenship process but also to find your roots. Since my trip I’ve reconnected with family still living in my ancestral town.

(Raymond V. – Oklahoma, USA)

If you’re like me and need to expedite your Italian Dual Citizenship application, then look no further to work with one of the best genealogist services I’ve encountered: Alessandro Bovino’s Bella Italia Genealogy. Alex and his team not only provided hands-on expert guidance, they also went above and beyond to literally walk me through every document, every appointment at the commune, explain every process step, and thoroughly answer every question that followed on the ground in Italy and from the USA after my trip. From start to finish, Alessandro and his entire team ensured I was prepared and successful in obtaining my dual Italian citizenship on a quick timeline. I’ve already shared my experience and my recommendation of his services with family, friends, and colleagues, so they, too, can pursue their roots with boots on the ground in Italy.

(Angela L. – California, USA)

I spent the day with Alessandro searching through city records for my grandfather and grandmother both born in Benevento. Alessandro (and Federica) had done a lot of pre-work and was able to show us amazing detail of births, residences, and family. It was an unbelievably wonderful experience. Plus he showed us the streets where they were born and lived. Finally through his research he introduced us to two relatives who were warm and wonderful. It was a great day and Alessandro knows what he is doing and goes the extra mile. He exceeded my hopes for research and meeting a relative. One word of advice: be patient with him. He has so many requests that he is not as responsive as he wants to be. But he truly knows what he is doing. I can’t say enough about what he did for us.

(Gary C. – California, USA)

My family and I worked with Alessandro in May 2017. He assisted us on the ground in Benevento to file our applications for Italian citizenship. Besides being one of the nicest people I have ever met, Alessandro is well versed in the citizenship process and knows exactly how to navigate the environment. From the moment we arrived in Benevento, he ensured that we were comfortable and informed every step of the way. As a host, Alessandro went above and beyond in arranging activities and enjoyable meals. After leaving Benevento, Alessandro continued to advocate for us and we were ultimately recognized as Italian citizens in October 2017. I was so pleased with his service that I will be heading back to Benevento to obtain my passport and discuss genealogy services. If you are looking to apply for Italian citizenship or learn about your roots, I whole heartedly recommend Alessandro of Bella Italia Genealogy.

(Frank F. – Florida, USA)

Thanks again for all your help and for the wonderful tours of Airola and Teggiano. We really enjoyed our visit in Teggiano. We met many Manzolillos, even ones from Brazil. Lots of people for the festival. It was a glorious time.

(George M. – Massachusetts, USA)

I do not have the appropriate words to explain my gratefulness for Alessandro’s proactiveness. He reached out to me while going through a difficult impasse during the citizenship process. He is patient, kind, humble, does not pressure you, and truly wants to help. He also takes the time during the intake process to really get to know you and your situation, so as to see how he can appropriately help.

(Marie D. – Michigan, USA)

Just wanted to let everyone know that Alessandro Bovino was wonderful. I tried searching for my great grandfather’s birth certificate and marriage certificate for over seven years. Then as soon as Alessandro helped me he located it very quickly. He is wonderful to work with and highly recommend his services, especially if you are researching in the Campania region.
(Dave P. – North Carolina, USA)

I want to thank you so much for the information you have given me. I have been researching my family history since 1996 could not get the information and 19 documents in all, that you got for me in less than 3 months time. I love the way you put it all in family tree form so that I can understand it. I can’t thank you enough, your work is of professional standard without the big expense. I am looking forward to doing more research with you. I can’t wait to show the family.

(Marylou V. – New York, USA)

It was such a wonderful experience that I will always hold dear. Much more than I ever expected….Joy!!!

(Joann M. – Florida, USA)

Alex, the trip to Canosa was nice. What made it a lifetime memory is you. Your knowledge, mental skills and knowledge are fantastic, simply fantastic.

(Joseph C. – California, USA)

Thank you so much for sending the results. I wasn’t sure quite what to expect, but I am truly impressed and so grateful for all of the time, care, and skill that went into this research! I never expected that it was possible to go back as many generations as you did. Thank you so much! This information means the world to me.

(Christina M. – Massachusetts, USA)

I was so fortunate to have hired Alessandro, from Bella Italia Genealogy, he made my trip to Italy extremely meaningful. He did an outstanding job with a surprise itinerary. We met family members we had not known before, it was magical. I am still stunned that Alessandro has never lived in an English speaking country, as his English is flawless. I am now a repeat customer as I have hired him to assist me in getting my Dual Italian Citizenship.

(Danielle M. C. – California, USA)

Can’t speak for all the researchers as my experience is of Alessandro. He was an excellent asset to our stumbling efforts to find out about our family. He introduced us to approx 40 relatives. Very emotional journey for me. I’m sure the rest of the organisation are as good as him.

(Frances T. – Wales, UK)

Alessandro is AWESOME! I have now referred my cousin, to him to help with a research mystery we have found in our Sassano family tree. So glad we have such a wonderful person to be friends with in our ancestral town of Benevento!

(Mary Ann B. – Illinois, USA)

I did not want any time to pass without thanking you for being soo, soo wonderful to Stephen and I. You were a Godsend to us. Our family roots search and our travels with you were fantastic. Thanks for your patience, understanding and good nature. You made ALL the difference!

(Alicia B. – Massachusetts, USA)

Alessandro, all I can say is WOW!!! The work is above and beyond anything we expected and you are to be praised for your hard work and efforts. It’s exciting to now see how all the pieces fit and can put faces and names together, as the whirlwind trip, meeting so many new family members, was difficult to figure who fit where. Now that is clarified.
Thank you again for everything that you did to make our trip to Moschiano & Sant’Antonio Abate so successful. You went above and beyond in all that you did; not only the extensive research, but being able to gather all of my relatives together, all the surprises that you had for me, being so patient when we needed translating. We never could have done any of this without you!

(Al & Donna C. – New York, USA)

Everything is going great! The town hall clerks have been so welcoming, I have made lots of new friends and all paperwork has been submitted. I really had no idea what to expect with this Dual Citizenship process, but it has exceeded my expectations on all accounts. Working with all of you has been great and I will stay in touch for sure!
Alex – Thank you so much for all you’ve done!! I really appreciate all of the hard work you put into making sure my stay has been perfetto! You have gone above and beyond to make me feel at home and basically adopt me. I am sad to be leaving shortly, but I will be back!
Grazie mille to everyone involved! It’s seriously been amazing.

(Meredith G. – California, USA)

One of the greatest days of my life was the day I spent with Alessandro Bovino in San Lorenzo Maggiore. He introduced me to my Iannotti cousins. The culture and heritage that I always longed for. Best wishes to Bella Italia Genealogy. Salute Alessandro!!! Alla Famiglia!!!

(Mike P. – Utah, USA)

I can’t thank Alessandro and Bella Italia Genealogy enough for all their help, expertise and kindness with my expedited citizenship application this summer. I am now the proud holder of an Italian / EU passport, and my father and family are so proud!

(Andrea G. – Iowa, USA)

Alessandro took a bunch of time out of his day to work with me on my citizenship documents. He is both knowledgeable and personable. I look forward to working with him in the near future.

(Chad G. – Texas, USA)

I have to share the wonderful news I heard this week! My mother and I are now officially recognized Italian citizens! We hired Bella Italia Genealogy for the whole package- genealogy research / finding living relatives and applying for dual citizenship. From start to finish the process was explained to us and Alessandro handled everything wonderfully.
While on the genealogy tour we went to 6 different towns that my family is from in the south of Italy. We met relatives. I was given irons and tailoring tools that have been in my mother’s family for hundreds of years. We were treated like family at all the towns we visited because Alessandro went and worked with the people there to prepare for our arrival way before we ever landed in Italy!
Alessandro did a fabulous job and reunited us with my dad’s family. My dad met his first and second cousins that we would never have found if it was not for him and the team at Bella Italia. We had many, many surprises on our genealogy trip that would take me days to explain! It was a whirlwind of excitement.
Everything was so exciting and we even got led to the cemetery where my great grandfather is buried and there was a photo of him on the grave. A year ago we only knew his name and now we have his photo and we met the other descents of him still living in the town where my grandparents were born and lived in. Working with Alessandro changed our lives! I can’t put into words how happy I am, or how I feel like such a different person since I came back from Italy 🇮🇹 . I would do it all again in a heartbeat! So do yourself a favor, have a call with Alessandro and Bella Italia and see what is waiting for you in Italy!! You may be surprised to find out some of your relatives are looking for you too!!! And you just may find out that you are eligible for dual citizenship too!

(Deanna O. – New York, USA)

I decided to go with Bella Italia after a long phone call with Alex. I had acquired all my paperwork and translations myself which was a very long process. If I had to do it again I would let Bella Italia do it for me. Would probably have been finished 2 years earlier.
I applied in Italy for citizenship and made the long drive from Germany down to Southern Italy. I explained beforehand I will be traveling with my dog. The accomodations were perfect for us both.
Don’t loose heart if Alex does not get back to you immediately I saw first hand how his phone does not stop ringing. Alex and Bella Italia took care of everything just like promised in the begininng.
In 6 weeks time of being there in Italy I was a citizen!
I had the pleasure of getting to know Alex and he truely likes to help people. Bella Italia made the process a breeze.
I would use Bella Italia again and recommend others to do the same.

(Craig C. – Massachusetts, USA)

Excellent experience with Bella Italia….Completely satisfied with all they did to help us obtain our paperwork for our Citizenship. Allesandro was informative, helpful, and had every detail laid out for us so that the process was easy. His knowledge of genealogy and his ability to find records and necessary documents was impeccable. Highly recommend him and it was a pleasure to work with this company.

(Suzanne R. – Oregon, USA)

Got my certificate of citizenship on Friday! What a glorious feeling. I almost gave up after 2 previous attempts until I was introduced to Alex. He made the process simple and care free. He is extremely knowledgeable and easy to work with. I look forward to working with him and Federica on my family genealogy. Grazie mille Alessandro Bovino!

(Joanne S. – New York, USA)

I’m working with Alessandro on my Dual Citizenship. He’s wonderful, detail oriented, good communication and a pleasure to work with.

(Dennis M. – Massachusetts, USA)

Thanks to Alessandro Bovino and Bella Italia for painless navigation through the bureaucracy of being recognized as an Italian citizen. I came prepared with the necessary documentation, and It took me four months from taking up residence to citizenship. Getting public records in the US is not difficult, but I would have had a very difficult road had I tried to continue on my own in Italy. It pays to have someone who knows the requirements and the system, which offices to go to in what order, etc. I did not use the genealogy services, but I have seen that Alessandro is a very competent and efficient researcher who has connected a great many families.

(Tom P. – Pennsylvania, USA)

Alessandro Bovino guided my son and I through the process of applying for dual citizenship, and today we are citizens of Italy!

(Carmela S. – California, USA)

Alex was instrumental in helping my wife get her Italian citizenship. We really consider ourselves lucky to have found him, especially when other service providers were not able to help us. Alex was the only one who understood our case. He was very efficient with his time and as a result our application got processed in a timely manner. I highly recommend his services.

(Sheharyar K. – Colorado, USA)

I had such a great experience with Alessandro! It was a relief to have him by my side through my entire citizenship process while in Italy. He took care of everything for me, and gave me detailed instructions for paperwork I needed to take care of on my own. He’s a busy guy, so sometimes we were taking care of things at the last minute, but he always got it done! He works very hard for his clients and is worth his weight in gold! I truly could not have gotten through this process without him. Thank you Alessandro!

(Elizabeth A. – Florida, USA)

I can’t say enough good things about Allesandro and Federica and the research they did to locate my husbands family in Pesco Sannita. We met several cousins and spent hours with them eating and talking. Well Allesandro did most of the talking since he had to translate for us. It was the best experience and one that our family will cherish forever. Thank you and we will be back soon!

(Marylou M. – Ohio, USA)

Alex was our last hope after dealing with several services that could not help us in any way. We are now officially Italian citizens and so joyful after all the difficult things we were put through! We cannot thank him enough for this life changing experience we thought we might never get to have!!

(Stephano D. – New York, USA)

We had an initial consultation by telephone with Alex to discuss citizenship application in Italy.
Alex was excellent! He was so helpful, knowledgeable and approachable. All our questions were answered and he reassured us of the excellent service his company will offer when we go to Italy to apply for citizenship. To anyone looking for advice and assistance with any aspect of researching their family history in Italy or applying for their citizenship in Italy we would absolutely recommend Alex, TJ and Bella Italia for their efficiency, knowledge and helpfulness. We are very grateful to them.

(Martyn and Jane S. – Bournemouth, UK)

I can’t thank Alessandro and Bella Italia Genealogy enough for all their help, expertise and kindness with my expedited citizenship application this summer. I am now the proud holder of an Italian / EU passport, and my father and family are so proud!

(Angie L. – Washington, USA)

You will find the expertise and desire to help you find and connect with your ancestors all in one spot, with the benefit of working with fun and joyful people.

(Nunzia S. – Utah, USA)

My husband was referred to Alex and Bella Italia by my sister, who is an amateur genealogist. For over a year she tried to help him find out where in Italy his Great-Grandparents had come from to no avail…
To make matters worse, they emigrated to Brazil, where he was born and grew up before emigrating himself to the USA. Once we got Alex involved, he was able to track down the ship that brought his Great Grandfather over and thru his manifest track down the town he came from. We were so impressed he was able to quickly find and request his birth and marriage certificate that immediately hired Bella Italia to help with his Jus Sanguinis citizenship process. I am happy to say that everything went thru exactly like Alex described, with no surprises or downsides! My husband is now a “Vero Italiano” and would recommend Alex and Bella Italia to anyone that could use some guidance locating documents or navigating the citizenship process!

(Soraya C. – New York, USA)