Archivio di Stato di Novara

Genealogical research can be carried out by requesting information on enlisted personnel born in the Province of Novara (including Verbano-Cusio-Ossola) via the documents of the 

Military District of Novara

.

In general, to optimise your search we recommend consulting the following archives:

• Soldiers born before 1866: Liste di leva (Conscription records)
• Soldiers born after 1866: Ruoli matricolari (Conscription rolls)

CONSCRIPTION RECORDS

As regards conscription cohorts (generally based on the year of birth of the soldier) prior to 1866, research can be carried out using the draft/conscription records, structured on the basis of the mandamenti (districts) that made up the various municipalities. These records detailed, for every young man called up for national service, the name of their father, their date and place of birth, their current address, their permanent address and the results of the Conscription Council examination.

How to search the Conscription records:

1. The list of available Conscription record databases can be accessed at the following web page: Draft/conscription records.
2. To view or request a digital copy of records, send an email to as-no.salastudio@cultura.gov.it stating the register number, the name of the district and the relative conscription record number. The State Archive will perform the search and communicate the results.
3. As regards conscription cohorts and districts whose registers have not yet been published on the relative web page, to continue with the research it is necessary to know the Municipality and the year of birth of the soldier in advance and to communicate this information by email to as-no.salastudio@cultura.gov.it, specifying the name, surname, conscription cohort and Municipality of birth of the person in question. Please note that it will be impossible to continue with the research in the absence of this information.

 

CONSCRIPTION ROLLS

As regards conscription cohorts (years of birth) after 1866, we recommend carrying out research via the conscription rolls (click here for an example of a roll), which include information on the soldier’s date and place of birth, the name of their father, their local district, the regiment to which they were assigned, the war campaigns they were involved in, any honours they were awarded, their discharge details, and also their biometric data.

How to search the conscription rolls:

1. The names of enlisted soldiers can be traced using the conscription roll indexes, which are divided into the three categories established by the military regulations and in order of conscription number. The indexes have been digitised for conscription cohorts 1866-1923 and can be downloaded at the following web page: conscription roll indexes.
2. Having found the person of interest among the indexes, it is necessary to verify the presence of the conscription number corresponding to the conscription cohort in the relative registers by consulting the list available online: Click here for the complete list of registers. Please note that not all of the conscription roll registers are conserved in the State Archive of Novara: it may therefore be possible to find the name of the soldier in the indexes even if the associated register is missing.
3. To view or request a digital copy of records, send an email to as-no.salastudio@cultura.gov.it indicating the name, conscription cohort, register number, conscription number and category of the soldier (up to the conscription cohort of 1900). The State Archive will perform the search and communicate the results

For information on how to pay for digital reproductions visit the 

Image reproduction service page.