The last time this page was updated

08/07/2008 08:33:48 AM

I Wonder If This Is Where It All Began?

 

 

 

( Notice the name of the place Vellano (frazione di pescia) 

My research has now uncovered some interesting facts as you will read below. Mary and I have spent 3 weeks in Italy and driven the 2 hour trip to Vellano, it was wonderful, the top of a mountain, a beautiful picturesque area north east of Florence. We have a video of the trip and pictures as well.

I wouldn't doubt that this is where our family name started ... long before Sicily!

So here's my theory on how we arrived with the name DeVellano.Well family stories has it that when my great grandparents arrived in New York, they like most other immigrants didn't speak English. As a result they were met at the US border by immigration who didn't speak Italian. I'm betting that when they were asked their name where they originated ...they answered with the phrase pedivellano which refers to the region of Sicily, Italy. 

I am researching the vast database of records from www.ellisisland.org but due to the fact that the name was changed it is presenting a challenge.

Update December 22, 2006: PediVellano This name has surfaced on official paperwork. 

EllisIsland doesn't show this spelling but has Angela Pedevilano in the archives versus Pedivellano.

We now  have a document dated 1951 from Sue M. grandfather Salvatore (Sam) Devellano that she had translated.   Click here to see the document. We believe that it reads Sams great grand mother being Mariano became a widow in 1924, she was born in the town (Municipio di Termini Imerese), that Salvatore PEDIVELLANO, born in 1904. We believe Sicily was a  short part of our history which dates back to Vellano Italy.

  1. This is a database that may also hold answers as time moves on: http://www.termini-imerese.org/ LDS.org (Latter Day Saints) has microfilmed the civil records for Termini Imerese for the years of 1820 thru 1910. I am in the process of researching the database records.

  2. And This Is The Largest Database On Earth Created By The Mormons LDS  http://www.familysearch.org/

  3. This is a great resource link  http://www.cyndislist.com/portsentry.htm

  4. And this is Canadian  http://www.collectionscanada.ca/genealogy/022-500-e.html

  5. Ontario Database: http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/common/collections.htm

  6. http://www.censusfinder.com/ontario-canada-census-records.htm

  7. http://ontariocensus.rootsweb.com/transcripts/10251-1.html

  8. This is an excellent database Ancestry.com

 

 

 

Back to the year 1300

Vellano, Pescia,(Tuscany) Italy

This place in Vellano goes back a lot longer then the last 100 years of my great-grandfathers life. 

This goes back to the year 1000 and the castle in 1300.

So we KNOW for a fact that the original couple Michele and Maria came from Termini Imerese, Sicily, but If the family name is Pedivellano D'Vellano or Di Vellano or De Vellano then perhaps it started back in Tuscany, northern Italy.

In Vellano, there is an old...old family name VELLANO so my guess is that our name is a derivative of the original. The town was unified by 

Giuseppe Garabaldi.  Giuseppe Garibaldi (July 4, 1807 – June 2, 1882) was an Italian patriot and soldier of the Risorgimento. He personally led many of the military campaigns that brought about the formation of a unified Italy. He was called the "Hero of the Two Worlds", in tribute to his military expeditions in South America and Europe.

 

Vellano is a Castle...

The castle of Vellano dates back to the 10th century, Giuseppe Garabaldi played a major role in defending Italy during regional up risings and wars. As a result there is a plaque that recognizes him as a hero of the village, it's posted above the old church door. There are about 600 people in Vellano, (Tuscany, Italy) beautiful mountains and lush green valleys, the wine is considered of the best in the world...Tuscany. There are no Vellano's left in the Village, but there are Vellano's in different places in Italy and New York , NY USA.

My investigation of this connection between Vellano, Italy and the family name have me convinced so far ...That Michele Devellano was from Termini Imerese, Sicily early in his life and he met Maria Boviconti and they married. They then traveled to America, by boat on their way to Canada. Why Canada? Apparently if they could come up with $1.00 more they could have ended up in California...BUT they settled on cold Toronto. So  they arrived in Toronto and then the family grew from these humble beginnings.

Fred And Mary De Vellano 2005

Click to email me

Here's some interesting research, I have uncovered that a part of our family named Vellano, is based in the New York area.The Vellano brothers corporation is a large company in the pipeline industry. It is headed up by key executives who are all descendants of the family Vellano. The original Vellano started this company in the 1920's his name was Paul Vellano, he started his company with his son's John and Anthony. Today it has grown to become a leading company in New York state based out of the Latham NY area. The third generation of the family and company is Joseph CEO, and others James, Anthony,John, and Paul all of which are executives with the corporation.

Some of the pictures in the hyper links below were provided to me by Joseph Vellano , via Susan Vellano. http://www.vellanobros.com/

www.ellisisland.org

My search continues as we attempt to locate the passenger document like the one shown below

And the ship was probably this one from Palermo

And the ship manifest is part of the search

Alternate Spelling

Pedevilano

 

To Make The Picture Larger Just Click The Image.


 

 

'To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not having seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the key to everything.'

So said Goethe. Tuscany might want a look in, and Rome might beg to differ, but Sicily, with a history of foreign occupation across the centuries, is certainly fascinating, with a real pot-pourri of culture, cuisine and architecture. Plus the odd volcano.

Sicily was chosen by the Gods of Olympus as the scene of their stories of love and hatred, of passion and revenge, of sudden wrath and deep compassion, and today it's still a land of fire and passion. (Click here for a potted guide and history.)

It's also a land of great beauty and contrast, not least the contrast between what the local politicians say they'll do with the money, and what eventually ends up getting built/maintained/improved.

http://www.knowital.com/sicily/

 

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