Pirro Gagliardi family archive

Pirro Gagliardi (1901–1966)

• Birth: 11 March 1901, 1:00 am, at Via Galli Tassi no. 27, Lucca. This was the city hospital (Regi Spedali ed Ospizi), which had a maternity ward (Sala di Maternità) attached. Today the building is Palazzo Galli Tassi. Source: Lucca birth register 1901, act no. 388, registered 14 March 1901 by the officer Cornelio Gemignani. The birth was reported by Carlo Celli, the hospital’s delegate.
• Parents: “genitori ignoti” (unknown) in every record: Lucca 1901, both 1920 banns, the 1920 marriage, and São Paulo 1966.
• Name: Pirro Gagliardi was invented by the hospital. It is not a family surname. Seven babies with unknown parents were born in the ward in March 1901, each given an invented name: Galeno Valdese, Pirro Gagliardi, Messalina Veliti, Amarillide Ginepri, Berecinzia Pedani, Consalvo Sciabacci and Circe Cerci.
• Wheel or ward? The record describes a birth witnessed in the maternity ward (exact hour, “è nato”), not a baby found in the wheel. His mother was probably a woman who gave birth there in secret (gravida occulta).
• The nun story: the hospital’s nurses were the Sisters of Charity of Ivrea (documented 1847–1871, probably still there in 1901). A newborn foundling was nursed by them in the foundling ward before being sent to a wet nurse. A nun named “Nina Gagliardi” turned up by the family has not been found in any record yet.
• Childhood: he was a ward of the Regi Spedali until age 21. In 1919–1920 he lived in Gello, in the comune of Bagni di San Giuliano (now San Giuliano Terme, Pisa), probably with a foster family. The President of the Regi Spedali signed his consent to marry on 11 Sept 1920.
• Marriage: 5 Dec 1920, Vecchiano, act no. 89, to Maria Braccioli. Pirro was 19, a farm labourer, and could not sign his name. Banns were posted in Vecchiano and Bagni S. Giuliano.
• In Italy 1921–1923: he lived at Avane no. 12 (Vecchiano). By 1923 he could sign his name.
• Emigration: sometime between Dec 1923 and 1938, probably before his wife (1930). He is in São Paulo in Aug 1938. He registered as a foreigner in São Paulo in 1940 (index: “Pirro Gagliardo”, cert. 262920, reg. 68955). The card should give his ship and arrival date, but the image is restricted.
• Death: 5 Sept 1966, Hospital A.C. Camargo, São Paulo, of lung cancer, aged 65, retired. Address: Rua Padre João 675, Penha. Buried in Cemitério São Miguel Paulista. Informant: Reinou Justino.

Maria Braccioli (1889–1968), his wife

• Birth: 27 Jan 1889, Avane no. 90, Vecchiano, act 26. Her passport and Brazilian papers say 1891, which is wrong.
• Parents: Giovanni Braccioli (c. 1849–Dec 1921, Avane no. 88; son of Emilio Braccioli and Maria Vittoria [Barsanti?]) and Teresa Maffei (daughter of the late Antonio; died between 1921 and 1930).
• Passport: issued 5 July 1930 in Vecchiano, covering Maria and her daughter Teresa.
• Voyage: sailed from Genoa in 3rd class on the SS Mendoza, arriving at Santos on 22 Aug 1930. She is listed as head of the family, last residence Pisa.
• Death: 7 Nov 1968, Hospital N.S. da Penha, São Paulo, a widow at the same Penha address. Buried in Cemitério da Saudade.

Children

• Teresa (Tereza) Gagliardi: born 14 July 1921, Avane (Vecchiano), act 109; Brazilian papers say 21 July.
  • Came to Brazil with her mother in 1930.
  • Married Miguel Justino on 4 Aug 1938 at Penha, São Paulo (casamento no. 2243). Miguel was a goldsmith, born 12 Jan 1916 in the Brás district, son of João Justino and Maria Peragine[?], both born in Italy.
  • Registered as a foreigner in 1965 (cert. 3684369). Died 14 Oct 1996.
• Giovanni and Francesco Gagliardi (twins): born 22 Dec 1923. Giovanni died 23 Dec and Francesco 24 Dec 1923, at Avane no. 12.

Archives: what is left to get

1. Archivio di Stato di Lucca, fonds Regi Spedali e Ospizi (inventory 1623; the site is blocked from the US):
   • Register 4318, “Occulte dal 1879 al 1909”: women who gave birth in secret, with personal details. This is the best chance of finding his mother’s name (entry around 11 March 1901).
   • Register 4326, “Ricoverati nel Brefotrofio 1894–1918”: foundling admissions, giving his matricola number.
   • Sub-series Certificati di collocazione, Movimenti, Segnali e libretti ai tenutari, Esposti: should show who raised him (wet nurse or foster family) and any tokens left with him.
   • The draft request email in Italian is in 05_correspondence/ (not yet sent).
2. São Paulo 1940 foreigner cards for Pirro and Maria: view at a FamilySearch Center, or order from APESP (about R$ 65). They should give his arrival ship and date.
3. San Giuliano Terme population register and 1911 census for Gello: would show the foster household.
4. Military draft records, class of 1901 (Pisa/Lucca): residence and guardian.

Where things are

All documents, images and transcriptions are in this folder, organised by place and person and tracked in git. Start with README.md, 06_research_notes/timeline.md and 06_research_notes/next_steps.md. The March 1901 birth register transcription is 02_italy_civil_records/birth_1901_lucca/Lucca_Nati_marzo_1901_atti_319-467.xlsx.