Over the past year, work has been undertaken on a surname-mapping project focused on the Domenici families of Bagni di Lucca.
The project has been documented in a three-part blog series, in which the methodology and early findings are outlined. These posts trace the development of the study, from an initial research question to the emergence of wider family networks across multiple villages.
To date, more than 320 events have been identified in civil records, resulting in approximately 250 new individuals being added to the database. The majority of these entries are connected to the villages of Limano and Benabbio, both of which are proving central to understanding the distribution of the Domenici surname in the area.
In addition to the Domenici, a number of associated surnames have been identified through marriages, witnesses, and extended family connections.
From Limano, these include:
Bacci, Licci, Morandi, Tarlattini, Zonzi, Magi, Storti, Nerici, and Angeli.
From Benabbio, the following surnames appear:
Michelini, Giusti, Cianelli, Franceschi, Marchi, and Giuliani.
The individuals identified so far span a broad chronological range, with births (estimated or recorded) dating from 1734 to 1910. As is common in projects of this scale, some individuals currently have limited information and may represent duplicate entries. These have been retained as separate individuals pending further confirmation.
Although the original research question—the precise origins of Maria Domenici—has not yet been resolved, a clearer picture of the surname’s distribution is beginning to emerge. The Domenici appear to have strong roots in Limano and Benabbio, with connections extending into surrounding villages, including San Cassiano.
The project remains ongoing. Future work will focus on refining these connections, consulting additional archival material, and exploring further methods—including DNA analysis—to help address remaining uncertainties. Further details on the approach and findings can be found in the three-part blog series, where the surname-mapping process is described step by step. One blog post is already out, and can be found here, the others are scheduled for April and May.
In the next blog post, a practical step-by-step guide will be introduced for those wishing to map a surname within their own area.
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Update: June 2026
Update — Overview This update contains several major additions to the website’s research resources, including a new three-part surname study, a practical research guide, and the launch of a new digital archive dedicated to the war memorial of San Cassiano di Controne. The genealogy database has also received a modest update with new individuals, data…
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Launch of the Digital War Memorial
Today marks the launch of a new digital memorial dedicated to the children and men of San Cassiano di Controne who were lost during the First and Second World Wars. Built from civil records, military archives, cemetery registers, and international databases, the project brings together scattered traces of lives interrupted by war — and, in…
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Mapping a Surname: A How-To Guide, using the Domenici families of Bagni di Lucca as an example
Every genealogy project starts with a question. Mine began with a woman who carried the surname Domenici, and lived in San Cassiano di Controne in Bagni di Lucca, in the early 1800s. Yet, she was not born in San Cassiano – she had married into the village from surrounding villages, and little information was known about…
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Hunting the Domenici: Reconstructing a Family in Bagni di Lucca – Part 3
Three Andrea Domenici and One Missing Mother At this stage, one major inconsistency remained. None of the known spouses of these three Andrea Domenici were named Giovanna, as recorded in Maria’s marriage and death entries. On the surface, this appears to be a critical mismatch. However, the structure and limitations of the records leave room…
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Hunting the Domenici: Reconstructing a Family in Bagni di Lucca – Part 2
Reconstructing the Families and finding Andrea Domenici The work continues. Building trees. Within Benabbio and Limano, repeated appearances of the same individuals made it possible to begin identifying family units. The same couples would appear at regular intervals, registering the births of children every one to three years, and later reappearing in marriage or death…
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