THE DILELLA LINEAGE: ANNA MARIA DILELLA AND ACHILLE ANTONIO DELLA MONICA The story of our family history begins around 1800 in the small town of Apricena, in the province of Capitanata, in the Kingdoms of the Two Sicily’s when Domenico DiLella married Girolma Di Nunzio and Matteo Barone married Celesta Merlino. While Napoleon was waging war against Austria in the northern Kingdom of Piedmont, these two couples each had one child that we know of. Domenico and Girolma had a son, Giovanni, born 1800. And, Matteo and Celesta had a daughter, Maria Giuseppa, born 1804. (1)

1. THE DILELLA LINEAGE: ANNA MARIA DILELLA AND ACHILLE ANTONIO DELLA MONICA
The story of our family history begins around 1800 in the small town of Apricena, in the
province of Capitanata, in the Kingdoms of the Two Sicily’s when Domenico DiLella married
Girolma Di Nunzio and Matteo Barone married Celesta Merlino. While Napoleon was waging
war against Austria in the northern Kingdom of Piedmont, these two couples each had one child
that we know of. Domenico and Girolma had a son, Giovanni, born 1800. And, Matteo and
Celesta had a daughter, Maria Giuseppa, born 1804. (1)
On November 28, 1824, when Giovanni was twenty four years old and Maria Giuseppa
was twenty, they married. (2) They had three children; two daughters; Anna Maria, born 1830
and Girolama, born 1834 and a son Vincenzo, born 1835. (3)
Their son Vincenzo, at the age of nineteen, married Filomena Nargiso, on September
17th
, 1856. Filomena was one year older than Vincenzo. (4) Vincenzo and Filomena had three
children; Giovanni born January, 7th
, 1859, Mariangela born July 15th
, 1862 and Maria Guiseppa
born February 10th
, 1866. (5)
Giovanni and Maria Guiseppa’s, second daughter, Girolama, married Leonardo Crudo on
March 1, 1857. It is unknown if and how many children they had. (6)
During Italy’s Second War of Independence, their eldest child, Anna Maria at the age of
twenty married twenty two year old Matteo Ferrazzano, on May 2nd
, 1850. (7) Anna Maria and
Matteo had two daughters; Maria Giuseppa, born December 24th
, 1853 and Luca born January
30th
, 1856. (8) Sometime between 1856 and 1860, Matteo died.

2. It is a mystery as to how and when Matteo died and what happened to Anna Maria and
Matteo’s two daughters. No marriage records could be found for Luca and Maria Giuseppa.
And, if they were married the marriage would have taken place in Apricena. This is because
according to custom, marriages are performed and registered in the town of the bride. (9)
Furthermore, there are no death records prior to 1866 and records of their deaths after 1866
could not be found. Since there are no records of marriages, and deaths, it is possible that
Maria Guiseppa and Luca died during childhood. If this is so, not only did Anna Maria suffer
the loss of a husband, but also two children.
As you read through this narrative you will note that childhood death was a common
occurrence that many families experienced. During nineteenth century Italy, it was not
uncommon for women and children to die in childbirth or later from complications of child
birth, or men to die in the civil war and rebellions that erupted in various parts of Italy,
particularly in the south, or children as well as adults to die of influenza and other diseases.
During the years of the ‘Rigorgimento’ the death rate exceeded the birth rate in Apricena. (10)
Perhaps the commune experienced an epidemic , or perhaps men from the commune fought
and died in the southern rebellions or both of these occurrences happened simultaneously.
After the death of Matteo, the widow Anna Maria fell in love with a young local man,
Achille Antonio Della Monica. Achille at this time was married to Rosina Cocca. Achille and
Rosina married on July 13th
, 1848 and both were eighteen years old at the time of their
marriage. (11) It is unknown as to whether Achille and Rosina had children, but what is known
was that they had a discontented marriage. Whether Achille fell in love with Anna Maria before

3. he left Rosina, or whether he left his marriage first and then fell in love with Anna Maria, is
unknown. (12)
Whatever the circumstances, the young couple found themselves in a difficult situation.
Divorce was against the law, both civil and church, and incompatible couples who left their
marriages, were only able to form common-law relationships. In a country where the Catholic
faith dictated society’s morality and families were close, the relationship between Anna Maria
and Achille was most likely met with controversy among family members and the town folks of
Apricena.
The Della Monicas were a well known family and had been residing in Apricena for
generations. Their ancestry can be traced back to the mid 1700’s. Raffaele Giuseppe Maria
Della Monica, Achille’s father, was born in Apricena in 1791 and earned his living as a
‘negoziante’ (shopkeeper or storekeeper). (13) He married Felicia Polichetti. Felicia and
Raffaele had two children we know of; Annibale Pasquale born 1816 and Achille born 1830. (14)
Felicia died sometime between 1830 and 1854. Raffaele remarried to Anna Maria Fiorentino
on November 28th
, 1854. He was sixty three and she was fifty six. (15)
Raffaele and Felicia’s first son, Annibale married Nunzia Stella Troiano on October 24th
,
1842. (16) Between 1842 and 1852 Nunzia died. Since birth records are not available prior to
1851, it is unknown as to whether Annibale and Nunzia had children. However, Annibale
remarried to Maria Giuseppa Tartaglia on May 22nd
, 1852 and had three sons and one
daughter. (17) Maria Felica was born June 27th
, 1854, Raffaele Alfonso Maria was born June 4,

4. 1857, Pasquale Giuseppe was born November 17th
, 1859 and Matteantonio born June 3rd
, 1862.
(18)
While Raffeale’s son, Annibale had settled into the traditional style of family life, his
youngest son Achille had not. Regardless of church and civil law and commune controversy,
Anna Maria DiLella and Achille Della Monica lived together and had five sons. Because Achille
and Anna Maria were not legally married their children were considered illegitimate. When
children were born out of wedlock, the mother’s name appears on the birth record and the
father’s does not as they are not considered legally his children. And this was so with all five
children that Anna Maria and Achille had between 1861 and 1868. The only way that Achille
and Anna Maria could marry would be if Rosina Cocca died. (19)
Anna Maria and Achille had their children during the period of the ‘Risorgimento’; a
critical time in Italy’s history. Civil war raged in both the north and south and death rates due
to war and epidemics were particularly high in the south and in Apricena as was previously
mentioned. Their first child, Pasquale was born on July 14th
, 1861. (20) However, it is assumed
that this child died because Anna Maria named another son Pasquale, which she gave birth to
in 1868. It was a common custom to give a dead child’s name to one of the new born children.
It was also common to name children after parents or grandparents.
Their next four children, all sons, would live into their adult years. Their eldest child
Raffaele was born on August 20, 1863, the second son Vincenzo was born on August 22nd
, 1865
and Pasquale was born in 1868. (21) Anna Maria and Achille had a fourth son, Felice.
However, a birth record for Felice cannot be found to indicate his date of birth. It is unknown

5. as to what work Achille did to support his family, however, it could be assumed that he assisted
his father Raffaele in his store.
Sometime prior to 1884, Rosina Cocca died, because on July 2nd
, 1884, Anna Maria and
Achille were married. They were both fifty four years old at the time. (22) After they were
married, their four children continued to use the DiLella name. Since the children were born
out of wedlock, they were still considered illegitimate regardless of the marriage. Also, the
children were adults when their parents married and probably saw no need to change their
name to Della Monica.
Anna Maria and Achille saw their children marry and have their grandchildren and
settle in the commune of Apricena. Their eldest son Raffaele, married Maria Gaetana Leggieri.
They had three children. Their first son, Achille Matteo was born on September 23rd
, 1891.
However, he died four months later on January 30th
1892. A year later a second son, Achille
was born to Maria Gaetana on March 11th
, 1893. Their daughter Anna Maria was born August
23rd
, 1905. Raffaele earned his living as a ‘calzolaio’ (cobbler/shoemaker). (23)
Vincenzo married Lucia Castellitti on September 12th
, 1888. Vincenzo, like his brother
was also a ‘calzolaio’. Perhaps the brothers owned a business together. (24) Lucia and
Vincenzo had seven sons. Her first child Achille was born on December 17th
1891. (25) The
birth date of her second son Raffaele is not known, however, he died on October 25th
1895.
Her next two children would survive. Frederico was born on October 14th
, 1896 and Raffeale
was born on October 25th
, 1900. Their next two children born on September 23rd
, 1904 were

6. twins; Michele and Guiseppe. However, Guiseppe died two months later on November 17th
.
Their last child, Guiseppe, was born on February 10th
, 1908.(26)
Pasquale married Anna Maria Cardella on August 20th
, 1892. (27) Anna Maria was the
eldest daughter and child of Luigi Cardella and Maria Michele Lauriola. Like the DiLella’s, and
Della Monica’s, the Cardella families had been living in Apricena for generations.
The Cardella line can be traced back to the early 1800’s. Carlo Cardella married
Maddalena Lombardi and they had eight children Vincenzo, Antonio, Maria Caterina, Teresa,
Donato, Carlo, Dominic and Luigi. (28)
Their son Luigi married Maria Michele Lauriola in 1872. (29) They had five known
children, four daughters and a son; Anna Maria, Maria Maddelena, Lucia, a second child called
Maria Maddelena, and Guiseppe. Anna Maria was born on December 14th
, 1873, (30) Maria
Maddalena was born on October 30, 1876. However, she died at the age of three on March
15th
, 1879. (31) A son Guiseppe was born in 1879. (32) A third daughter and the youngest
child, Lucia was born on August 25th
, 1884. (33) Luigi and Maria Michele had a fourth daughter,
Maria Maddelena, but the birth date is unknown. (34) Luigi earned his income as a ‘contadino’
(peasant farmer).
Pasquale and Anna Maria settled amongst family members in Apricena. Anna Maria
gave birth to ten children, however two died during childhood. Pasquale and Anna Maria’s first
child Achille was born on October 5th
, 1893. Their second son Raffaele was born on February

7. 27th
, 1896. (35) In 1898, Achille at the age of five and Raffaele age two died two weeks apart.
Raffaele died first on October 29th
and Achille died on November 14th
. (36)
Fortunately, their next eight children survived childhood and lived into their adult years.
Achille their eldest child was born January 2nd
, 1899, Raffaela the eldest daughter was born
August 12, 1901, Luigi was born January 5th
, 1904, Lucia was born April 29th
, 1906, Adelina was
born October 24th
, 1908, Assunta was born December 4th
, 1910, Michele was born June 18th
,
1913, and Antoinetta, the youngest, was born in December, 1919. (37)
According to family oral history, Pasquale was employed by wine companies to sell their
wines to local farmers. However, in Pasquale and Anna Maria’s marriage record and the birth
records of their children and the death records of their first two children Pasquale is listed as a
‘barbiere’ (barber). (38) This is not to say that Pasquale didn’t sell wine. Since his grandfather
and father were storekeepers, wine was a most likely an item sold in the store. Perhaps
Pasquale was connected to the family business and sold wine as well as being a ‘barbiere’.
A year after Pasquale married, his brother Felice did the same. On September 23, 1893
he married Stella Maggio. (39) Felice and Stella Maggio had six children of which three died.
Achille their first child was born in 1895, however, he died at the age of three on July 1st
, 1898.
(40) Their second child, Angelo was born on November 8th
, 1896 and their third child a
daughter, was born on September 18, 1898 and named Anna Maria after Felice’s mother.
Their fourth child, Achille was born on November 5th
, 1900. Their next child Raffaele born July
5, 1903 died five months later on December 27th
. Felice and Stella’s last child whom they

8. named Raffaele was born on November 24th
, 1907, but again this Raffaele also died two months
later on January 27th
, 1908. (41) Felice worked as a ‘bracciante’ (labourer) to support his family.
On March 18th, 1896, Achille Antonio Della Monica died in Apricena at the age of sixty
six. Seven days later his wife Anna Maria DiLella died on March 24th
. (42)
This is an interesting and unique story of the DiLella lineage. It not only tells us who we
are and where we came from, but of the political, social and economic times our ancestors lived
through and the hardships they endured. It gives us a glimpse into the traditions, customs and
life of Italians living in southern Italy. Our history tells the story of two young people, Anna
Maria DiLella and Achille Della Monica who fell in love and regardless of what societal pressures
they faced, raised a family of four children who married and settled in Apricena and had their
grandchildren.
REFERENCES
1. Western Europe Vital Records Index—Italian Region, FamilySearch, Family History
Support and Church History Department, Church of the Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City,
Utah, 2000, Film 1177259. Domenico DiLella and Girolma DiNunzio, Mattero Barone
and Celesta Merlino were probably born during the late 1770’s or early 1780’s. The
surname DiLella is used in this record.
2. Ibid.
3. Western Europe Vital Records Index—Italian Region, Film 1177260.
4. Ibid. In Vincenzo’s marriage abstract the surname DiLella was used.
5. Western Europe Vital Records Index, Film 1177253 and ‘Italia, Foggia, Lucera, State
Civile (Tribunale), 1866-1910. Images FamilySearch.ttps://familysearch.org. Nati,
matrimoni, pubblicazione, morti, 1866 to 1873, Image 11 and 150. This latter reference
is for Maria Guiseppa. Her surname in the birth abstract is spelled de Lella, but her

9. father’s surname is spelled DiLella. Her siblings Mariangela and Giovanni’s surnames are
spelled DiLella.
6. Western Europe Vital Records Index, Film 1177260. Leonardo was 33 years old and
Girolama was 23 years old when they married. In their marriage abstract Girolama’s
surname is spelled Delellis. Maria Giuseppa Barone is listed as her mother and
Giovanni Delellis as the father in the abstract. The mother was used as the reference.
7. Ibid. In the marriage record Anna Maria’s surname name is Delellis and Giovanni her
father’s surname is also spelled Delellis. Maria Giuseppa Barone is listed as her mother
in the abstract, therefore using the mother as a reference.
8. Ibid. Film 1217518. In Maria Guiseppa’s birth record Anna Maria is listed as the mother
and her name is spelled DiLella, whereas in Luca’s birth record her name is spelled
DiLello. Cross checking was used with Matteo Ferrazzano as the father.
9. Italian Records Extraction—An Instrumental Guide. Copyright by Corporation of the
President of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, on-line familysearch.org. With regards
to Matteo Ferrazzano, since there are no death records available prior to 1866, there is
no proof of death before this time. Also, no record of death was found after 1866. So,
it is assumed he died a young man. Furthermore, Anna Maria and Achille Della
Monica’s marriage record indicates she was a widow.
10. Italia, Foggia, Lucera, State Civile (Tribunale) 1866-1910. Images Death Records. In
1866 there were 152 births and 424 deaths, in 1867 there were 228 births and 257
deaths, in 1868 there were 253 births and 311 deaths, in 1869 there were 209 births
and 228 deaths, and in 1871 there were 195 births and 265 deaths. After these years
the births began to out- number the deaths.
11. Western Europe Vital Records Index, Film 1177260. In the marriage abstract Achille’s
full name is listed as Achille Antonio La Monica. However, his father Raffaela uses the
surname Della Monica.
12. Family Oral History.
13. Western Europe Vital Records Index, Film 1177259. The birth date was calculated from
the age at which Raffeale remarried to Anna Maria Forentino. Although not mentioned
in the text, we can trace the Della Monica’s back one more generation. Raffaele’s
father, (Achille Della Monica’s grandfather) was Pasquale Della Monica and his mother
was Carmina Lamberti, born during the mid 1700’s. Also, Anna Maria Fiorentino’s
father was Vincenzo and her mother, Cristina Modola, also born mid 1700’. The

10. surname was spelled Della Monica in these abstracts. Raffeale’s occupation in Nati,
pubblicazioni, matrimoni, morti 1874-1885 Image 2805 (Achille’s marriage record)
14. Western Europe Vital Records Index, Film1177259 and 1177260. Even though there is
no birth record available for Felicia Polichetti, the two marriage records of her sons,
Annibale and Achille show her as their mother and Raffaele as the father.
15. Western Europe Vital Records Index, Film 1177259. Anna Maria Fiorentino was born in
1798.
16. Ibid. In Annibale’s first marriage to Nunzia Stella, his surname in the marriage abstract
is spelled Della Monica.
17. Ibid. In this abstract the surname La Monaca is used. However, Maria Felicia Polichetti
is listed as Annibale’s mother, therefore indicating Annibale Della Monica is also La
Monaca.
18. Western Europe Vital Records Index, Film 1217518 and 1177253. In these birth
abstracts the surname is spelled Della Monica.
19. Italian Records Extraction: An Instrumental Guide. Divorce was not legal in Italy until
the early 1970’s.
20. Western Europe Vital Records Index, Film 1177235. Anna Maria DeLellis is listed as the
mother and no father is listed. Pasquale’s surname is spelled DeLellis.
21. Western Europe Vital Records Index, Film 1177253 and Nati, pubblicazione, matrimoni,
morti 1866-1873, Image 436. In the birth abstracts of Raffaele and Vincenzo, Anna
Maria DiLella is listed as the mother and no father is listed. Their surnames are spelled
DiLella. Pasquale’s complete birth record also indicates Anna Maria DiLella as his
mother and her father is shown as Giovanni and her mother as Maria Guiseppa Barone.
The surnames are spelled DiLella. Also, this record was near to impossible to read
because of illegible handwriting and smudging, therefore, it is unclear as to the month
and day of Pasquale’s birth.
22. Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, morti 1874-1885, Image 2805 or 2846. Anna Maria uses
the surname DiLellis. Giovanni is listed as the father of Anna Maria and Maria Giuseppe
Barone, the mother of Anna Maria. There was no death record for Rosina Coca found
in Apricena. So, it was assumed she had died recently, because Anna Maria and Achille
married.
23. The marriage record of Raffeale and Maria Gaetana could not be found. Perhaps she
was from another commune and the marriage was performed and registered there
because there were very few Leggieri’s in the registers. The parents were listed in the

11. children’s birth and death record. Achille Maetto birth and death records Images 223
and 435, and Achille birth record Image 545 in Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, morti
1891-1901. Achille married Natalina Rinaldi and they had three children; Maria,
Vincenzo, and Giovanna. Achille and his descendants use the surname DiLellis. Anna
Maria DiLellis birth record Image 999 in Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, morti 1902-
1910. Raffaele’s occupation is mentioned in Achille Maetto’s birth record.
24. Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, morti, 1886-1890. Vincenzo and Lucia’s marriage
record. Image 796. Anna Maria uses the surname DiLella when listed as Vincenzo’s
mother. Vincenzo’s occupation is mentioned in his marriage record and his children’s
birth and death records.
25. Ibid. Achille’s birth record Image 251.
26. Frederico’s birth record in Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, morti, 1891-1901. Image
1526. First son Raffaele’s death record Image 1432 in Ibid. Birth record for Raffaele
Image 2831 in Ibid. Raffaele immigrated around 1927 to New York. Michele and
Guiseppe the twins Image 639 in Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, morti, 1902-1910.
Guiseppe’s death record Image 847 in Ibid. Guiseppe (no. 2) birth record Image 1735 in
Ibid. All of Vincenzo and Lucia’s children use the name DiLellis.
27. Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, morti, 1891-1901. Image 395. Anna Maria DiLella is
listed as Pasquale’s mother with the surname spelled ‘DiLella’.
28. The known history of the Cardella family is as follows: This some of the marriages of
Carlo and Maddalena Lombardi’s other children: Vincenzo Cardella married Maria
Vincenza Nardella on October 2nd
1873. (Image 1809 in Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni,
morti, 1891-1901.) They had one known son Paolo Emilio born April 4th
, 1895. ( Ibid.
Image 1202. ) However, Paolo died at the age of two on September 12, 1897. (Ibid.
Image 2006.) Maria Caterina married Pasquale Savonne on November 10th
, 1856. She
was twenty five and he was 38 and previously married. (Western Europe Vital Statistics
Film 1177260. Antonio was born on June 2nd
1852. (Ibid. Film 1217518). Teresa died in
1892. (Ibid. Image 443) Donato married Angelamaria Lauriola in 1871. (Nati,
pubblicazioni, matrimoni, morti 1866-1873. Image 1191.) They had five known
children. The two twins Vincenzo and Vincenza were born on September 19th
, and
September 20th
, 1874. ( Ibid 1874-1885, Images 65 and 66. Vincenzo died at the age of
seven in November of 1881. (Ibid. Image 2162.) Guiseppe was born on November 30th
,

12. 1876, Luigi was born on August 31st
, 1881 and died February 11th
, 1903 Image 489 in
Ibid. 1902-1910 and Vincenzo the youngest was born on March 13th
, 1884. (Ibid. Images
683, 1973, 2718.)
29. Nati, pubblicazione, matrimoni, morti, 1866-1873. Image 1549. They are shown in the
indices, but can`t be found in the register; several pages are missing.
30. Nati, matrimoni, pubblicazione, morti, 1866-1873. Anna Maria’s birth record Image
1734.
31. Nati, matrimoni, pubblicazione, morti, 1874-1885. Maria Maddelena’s birth record
Image 667 and her death record Image 1591.
32. Ibid. Image 1873 or 1878. His name was listed in the Indices, but can`t be found in the
register.
33. Ibid. Image 2743.
34. Nati, matrimoni, pubblicazione, morti, 1891-1901. Marriage record Image 2624.
Maria Maddalena married Michele Palermo on January 7th
, 1899. The record lists Luigi
as Maria’s father and Maria Michele as her mother.
35. Ibid. Achille birth record Image 602. Raffaele birth record. Image 1469.
36. Ibid. Achille death record. Image 2370. Raffaele birth record. Image 2365.
Ibid.
37. Ibid. Achille’s birth record Image 2712. The image is of the Indices as the birth register
for 1899 was destroyed; pages were torn out. Luigi’s birth record Image 567 in Nati,
matrimoni, pubblicazione, morti, 1902-1910. Assunta’s birth record Image 2472 in Ibid.
Adelina’s birth record Image 1833 in Ibid. Raffaela’s birth record Image 3068 in Ibid.
38. Nati, matrimoni, pubblicazione, morti, 1891-1901. Pasquale and Anna Maria’s
marriage record Image 395.
39. Felice and Stella’s marriage record in Ibid. Image 720.
40. Achille’s birth record in Ibid. Image 1182 and his death record Image 2337.
41. Ibid. Anna Maria’s birth record Image 2129 and Angelo’s birth record Image 1536.
Achille’s birth record Image 2833 in Ibid. Raffaele’s birth record Image 345 in Nati,

13. pubblicazione, morti, 1902-1910. Raffaele’s death record Image 552 in Ibid. Raffaele’s
birth record Image 1583 in Ibid. Raffaele’s death record Image 1984 in Ibid.
42. Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, morti, 1891-1901. Image 1666 and 1667. Anna Maria
uses the surname DiLellis in Achille’s death record and the name DiLellis is used in her
death record. Achille`s surname is spelled Della Monaca.