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).
• Did his mother die after the birth? All 296 Lucca death acts for March–May 1901 were checked: the ordinary register and the hospital (Part II) section. None mentions childbirth, but hospital death acts never give a cause. Seven unmarried women of childbearing age died in the Regio Spedale between 11 March and 30 April. The strongest leads are Fenili Giulia (38, of Gragnano, d. 31 Mar), Borelli Teresa (40, of Lucca, d. 7 Apr) and Baldassini[?] Giulia (28, of the Garfagnana, d. 10 Apr). They are leads only, to check against register 4318. See 02_italy_civil_records/deaths_1901_lucca/findings_hospital_deaths_March-April_1901.md.
• 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). Check it also for the seven women who died in the hospital in March–April 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.