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Here is a short story about a very special person. We hope you will enjoy reading it.

On March 13 the words "Habemus Papam!" were finally heard in a crowded St. Peter's square announcing the election of the new Pope, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio age 76 from Argentina. It did not take long to discover that Pope Francis had Italian roots; his family was originally from the village of Portacomaro Stazione part of the city of Asti, in the rolling hills of Monferrato located in the historic region of Piedmont.

A view of Portacomaro Stazinone, Asti

The mayor of Asti, Fabrizio Brignolo, minutes after Pope Francis was elected requested the research of the Bergoglio family tree. The results were made public a few days later. We followed his lead and researched some family documents which we are making available to you here.

On August 14, 1884 a 27-year old farmer walked in the town hall of Asti to declare the birth of his son Giovanni Angelo Bergoglio, born the day before at 11:00 a.m. in the house located in Valleversa (Valle means hill/valley and Versa is the name of the stream flowing through the hills of Monferrato) of Portacomaro Stazione from him and his legitimate wife Maria Bugnano. That farmer's name was Francesco Bergoglio, the great-grandfather of the current Pope who surprisingly chose the name of Francesco (Francis). Later we will learn as a tribute to Saint Francis, the protector of the poor. Witnesses to the birth were Lorenzo Nadelle age 41 contadino (i.e. farmer) and Giovanni Belangero age 42 facchino (i.e. porter). Francesco signed the birth document.

Francesco was the son of Giuseppe Bergoglio born in 1816 in the hamlet of Schierano part of the town of Passerano Marmorito and of Maria Giacchino or Gioacchino born in 1819 in Cocconato d'Asti. The two towns are only a few miles apart.

Giovanni Angelo Bergoglio born on August 13 1884 migrated to Torino when he was 22 years old on January 1, 1906. A year later, in 1907 Giovanni Angelo, liquorista and caffettiere (i.e. owner of a beverage and coffee shop) age 23 married Rosa Margherita Vassallo, daughter of Pietro, age 23 originally from Piana Crixia (province of Savona) and on April 2, 1908 they had their first son Mario Giuseppe Francesco Bergoglio, the Pope's father.

In 1918, a year after the birth of another daughter, Bianca Maria Bergoglio, stillborn, the family returned to Asti. At the time of his daughter's birth, father Giovanni Angelo, caffettiere, was away and the birth was declared by Giuseppe Martinengo, age 33, fabbro (i.e. blacksmith). Back in their hometown, they opened a grocery store and resided between Via Fontana, Corso Alessandria and via dell'Antica Zecca for eleven years before they boarded a ship on February 1, 1929 heading to Argentina.

The family kept some contact with the homeland; Mario who in the meantime had married Regina Sivori registered with the town hall of Asti the births of three of his five children: Maria Elena Bergoglio, Marta Regina Bergoglio and Alberto Horacio Bergoglio all born in Buenos Aires.

The Bergoglio Family in Argentina

Facts:

In 2003 the then Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was awarded from the Region Piemonte, the international recognition of "Piemontese nel mondo", as a person who positively represented Piemonte abroad.

When in 2005, Cardinal Bergoglio visited his Ancestral village he brought back to Argentina a bag full of soil never to forget his roots.

The newly elected Pope Francis I (Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio) on March 13, 2013

Learning about our origins can be an important legacy to our children, after all memories are not used to remember the lost time, but to start again, knowing that losing our roots inevitably leads to a loss in our identity as people who live, think and love.

To research your Family onsite in your Ancestral town, read about our RESEARCH OPTIONS or call us direct at 1-888-472-0171

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