Children born "da genitori ignoti" at the Lucca hospital, 1–31 March 1901
Sweep of every act from act 319 (1 Mar) to act ~468 (31 Mar 1901) in the Lucca birth register (FamilySearch DGS 7125577, images 2305–2354, all saved in Lucca_Nati_1901_pages_24Feb-31Mar/). Done 2026-10-17.
A hospital foundling birth is identified by this pattern: the declarant is Carlo Celli fu Luigi (37, clerk, the hospital’s delegated official), the birthplace is Lucca, Via Galli Tassi no. 27, and the parents are “genitori ignoti”. The witnesses are usually Giuseppe Rocchi and Mario Mariani. Name readings marked [?] are uncertain.
| Act | Registered | Born | Name given by the hospital | Sex | Image | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 353 | 7 Mar 1901 | 2 Mar 1901 | Galeno VALDESE[?] (margin: “Valdese Galeno, d’ignoti”) | M | 2316 (left, lower) | first letters blotted |
| 388 | 14 Mar 1901, 13:20 | 11 Mar 1901, 01:00 | Pirro GAGLIARDI | M | 2328 (left, upper) | our ancestor |
| 389 | 14 Mar 1901, 13:30 | 12 Mar 1901, 02:15 | Messalina VELITI | F | 2328 (left, lower) | registered 10 min after Pirro |
| 413 | 18 Mar 1901, 13:50 | 14 Mar 1901, 09:00 | Amarillide GINEPRI | F | 2336 (left, lower) | possible twin of 414 |
| 414 | 18 Mar 1901 | 14 Mar 1901, 09:00 | Berecinzia PEDANI[?] | F | 2336 (right, lower) | same date, hour and place as 413 |
| 425 | 21 Mar 1901, 13:20 | 17 Mar 1901, 19:15[?] | Consalvo SCIABACCI | M | 2340 (left, lower) | |
| 463 | 30 Mar 1901, 14:40 | 27 Mar 1901 | Circe CERCI | F | 2353 (left, upper) | declared by Celli, Via Galli Tassi 27, “genitori ignoti”; margin: recognised as natural daughter by Lucchesi Gio[vanni?] of Lucca, notarial deed 28 Jul 1940 |
Seven foundling births in March 1901 (plus legitimate births in the ward: acts 354, 355, 462) at the maternity ward, roughly 1–2 a week. Celli usually registered them in the early afternoon, often in batches (388 and 389 together).
Not foundlings but same place: act 355 (7 Mar) is a legitimate child born at Via Galli Tassi 27 to a married couple (Pannucci/Pieri?), also declared by Celli. The maternity ward served married women too, so “born at Via Galli Tassi 27” alone does not mean a foundling.
Why this matters: each of these children would have a matching entry in the brefotrofio register (ASLu unit 4326) and the maternity admission register. If the archivist finds Pirro’s neighbours (Messalina Veliti, 12 Mar; Amarillide, 14 Mar), Pirro’s entry will be on the same page. Mention these names in the request to the Archivio di Stato di Lucca.
Takeaway: the hospital gave invented, often classical names (Pirro = Pyrrhus, Messalina, Galeno = Galen, Amarillide = Amaryllis, Consalvo). “Gagliardi” was assigned, not inherited, so it cannot lead to blood relatives.
Also on 30 Mar 1901: act 462 (image 2352) mentions the official “delegato dal Superiore dello Spedale… cui è annessa la Sala di Maternità”. It looks like a birth in the maternity ward with a named family, not a foundling. Not fully read.
Full transcription of all 149 March acts: Lucca_Nati_marzo_1901_atti_319-467.xlsx.
Note on act 463: a foundling of the same month was legally recognised by her father 39 years later (1940), and the recognition was annotated in the margin. Pirro’s act 388 carries no recognition note, only the 1920 marriage.
Source note: 02_italy_civil_records/birth_1901_lucca/other_hospital_foundlings_march_1901.md