Meet Orso

Your Guide Back to Where It Began.

Every Italian family story began somewhere.

Maybe you know the comune. Maybe you only know a province, a surname, something your grandparents used to say, or the name of a place written on the back of an old photograph.

That's where Orso comes in.

Tell him what you know, and we'll help you start looking for the place in Italy where your family's story began.

Ask Orso Or explore on your own — Find Your Comune →

Why Orso?

Orso was created to represent something at the heart of Castellesi: the journey back to where your family story began.

For many Italian Americans, that journey starts with fragments — a town name remembered by a grandparent, a province written on an old document, a family surname, a photograph or a story passed from one generation to the next.

Orso follows those clues. He travels through the comuni, cities and regions of Italy, discovering the places behind the names and the stories carried from them across generations.

That's why you may see Orso representing Napoli one day, Avellino another, or traveling through Molise, Sicilia or Calabria. He doesn't belong to one place. He represents the journey to yours.

Ask Orso

Tell Us What You Know.

You don't need to have all the answers.

Give Orso whatever clues your family left behind. Even a small detail may help point the search in the right direction.

Your information

Your name

Email address

Your ancestor

Family surname optional

Ancestor's full name optional

Maiden name, if known optional

Relationship to you optional

Names of parents, spouse or other relatives optional

Italian origins

Known town or comune optional

Known province optional

Known region optional

Approximate year of birth optional

Approximate year of immigration optional

Leave anything blank if you don't know it — "I don't know" is a perfectly good answer.

Immigration clues

Where did they go?

Where your family settled can sometimes provide another clue.

City they settled in optional

State / province optional

Country optional

Family memory

What else do you know?

Family stories, nicknames, church names, occupations, old addresses, words or place names you remember hearing — sometimes the smallest clue can help.

Have something that might help?

Old documents can hold important clues.

Birth records, marriage records, naturalization documents, passenger records, passports, letters, old photographs or anything containing an Italian place name. Mention what you have in the box above and we'll reply and tell you where to send it.

Only share documents or information you're comfortable sending. Please don't include Social Security numbers, account numbers or other sensitive personal information.

Ready, Orso?

Submitting your information does not guarantee that we can identify your family's comune. We'll help you understand the clues you've provided and where they may lead.

While we look

Keep Exploring Your Roots.

Want to do a little searching of your own? Find Your Comune is where we've gathered everything you need to keep going while we review your clues.

Explore Find Your Comune

Orso's travels

Follow Orso Through Italy.

Orso's journey takes him through the comuni, cities and regions of Italy — each with its own history, character and story.

The Orso d'Italia collection follows him along the way, celebrating the places that generations of Italian families have called home.

Caserta Orso Sweatshirt

$55.00

Palermo Orso Sweatshirt

$55.00

Reggio Calabria Orso Sweatshirt

$55.00

Benevento Orso Sweatshirt

$55.00

Explore Orso d'Italia

Not Sure What to Get Them?

Tell Orso where their family comes from — or whatever you know — and we'll help you find something that connects them to their roots.

Ask Orso