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Update: September 2026
It’s hard to believe four months have passed since our last check-in in June 2026, but the site has seen a flurry of activity in that time. We’ve published four new deep-dive blog posts, exploring everything from leveraging FamilySearch’s game-changing full-text search and MyHeritage DNA mapping to discovering what famous visitors like Mary Shelley revealed…
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How FamilySearch full-text search is helping me break down brick walls in Bagni di Lucca – Part 1
If you’ve used FamilySearch’s Full-Text Search feature, you know it feels like magic. For decades, finding ancestor details in unindexed records meant clicking through digital image rolls page by page; essentially flipping through thousands of dusty microfilm frames on your computer screen. Before then, you had to physically visit the archive where the microfilms were…
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How DNA can lead you to Lucca
How can a DNA test look at a sample and point to something as specific as a province, valley, or local community? I did the digging, and here’s what I figured out. Family historians know the satisfaction of watching evidence slowly arrange itself into a coherent picture: a baptism here, a marriage there, a familiar…
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What we can learn about our Bagni di Lucca ancestors from Mary Shelley and her circle
Summer, 1818 For those of us with roots in Bagni di Lucca and the slopes of Prato Fiorito, the summer of 1818 provides an unusual historical perspective on the valley through the writings of several well-known English visitors. In the summer of 1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley, his wife Mary — author of Frankenstein — together with Claire…
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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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Database and Website Update – April and May 2026
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…
Uniting Tuscan Stories Across Borders
Embark on a journey of discovery with San Cassiano Connections—a testament to the enduring spirit and cultural richness of our cherished Tuscan villages in Bagni di Lucca.
Here, we are dedicated to preserving and celebrating the stories of this historic Tuscan community. Our database, meticulously curated over 400 years, contains records of more than 4000 individuals, spanning generations and linking families acrossvillages and continents. Whether you’re exploring your own roots or delving into the shared past of this remarkable area, you’ll find a wealth of resources at your fingertips.
Discover. Detailed genealogical records, including specific lists of emigrants from Bagni di Lucca who ventured far and wide, contributing to diverse cultures around the globe.
Explore. The courageous men of Bagni di Lucca who served in various wars, from Italy’s domestic and international conflicts to engagements in Canada and the United States.
Highlight. We also call attention to the invaluable contributions of women from Bagni di Lucca, a focus that continues to evolve through ongoing research efforts.
Participate. Join us in uncovering the interconnected stories that define Bagni di Lucca. Through photographs, documents, and narratives, San Cassiano Connections bridges the gap between past and present, preserving legacies and fostering a deeper understanding of our shared history.
Some of our resources.
Explore our database, registers, sources, and photographs.
Unsure of where to start? Search your surname and discover which villages of Bagni di Lucca are connected to it.
Search and learn more about our unique database here.
In progress: Learn more about the unique lives of emigrants from Bagni di Lucca.
Learn more about the young men from San Cassiano who participated in military conflicts and sacrificed their lives.
Search our digitized cemetery register, with more than 900 names over more than 450 graves.