Entry 38: Basilia Pintabona (Part 1) - Her Birth

Location: Sicily, Italy

Date: 17 October 1897

The paternal ancestry of Martino Casella has been investigated in previous posts, and this is currently in the process of ongoing research, centred on his grandparents - Carmelo Casella and Francesca Catrini. The Casella family has resided in the Sant’Angelo di Brolo region of Sicily for numerous generations. Similarly, living in the same area, also for many generations, were the ancestors of his mother – Basilia Pintabona. Tracking this branch of the family tree will start with Basilia, who will be the key reference point for the PINTABONA lineage.

Basilia Pintabona was born on Sunday, 17 October 1897. She was the eldest sister of Antonia, Salvatore, Basilio, Carmela and Giuseppina. Her parents were Antonino Pintabona (born 17 September 1872) and Rosaria (born 8 January 1873).

Rosaria's surname appears inconsistently in primary documents as either 'Princiotto' or 'Princiotta'. According to oral history, family members pronounced her surname as 'Princiotta'. However, archived documents of her ancestors born before her, along with the birth records of her siblings, consistently show the surname as 'Princiotto'. Therefore, she will be referred to as Rosaria Princiotto in my posts.

Providing an overview of the intended direction for my research:

1. In Sicily, the CASELLA and PINTABONA branches will continue to be explored.

2. In Calabria, the TRIMBOLI and MOSCHILLA branches have already merged, and the current focus is on the lives of Concetta, Salvatore and their children. The long and eventful journey into the past will finally lead back to Entries 1 - 3, with the Australian marriage of Martino Casella and Girolama (Genny) Moschilla.