The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ruled the mezzogiorno or southern Italy before the Unification of Italy in 1861. The kingdom stretched from Campania region right down to Sicily. Naples being the capital city. In a collection of the royal laws and decrees of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies for 1822 we find mention of Lorenzo Russo, our direct ancestor.
Lorenzo Russo was born in 1784 in Terranova Fossaceca, Arpaise, Benevento to Giovanni Russo and Anna D'Egidio. The family had moved to Paduli, Benevento, Campania by 1795 (Baptismal record found for Lorenzo's younger brother Carmine Antonio Russo). Records are scarse prior to this but Lorenzo Russo has been found in the provisional cadastre of 1816 of which he is listed as owning a few properties. A cadastre is an official register of the ownership, extent, and value of real property in a given area, used as a basis of taxation
In January 1822 the muncipality of Paduli granted Lorenzo Russo the use of land called 'Fontanella alla Croce' for the annual rent of fifty grains. No maps exist for the cadastre nor for the location of this land but a translation of the decree is below:
(14)
(N.º 174.) DECREE authorizing the municipality
of Paduli in the further Principality
to grant for the benefit of Lorenzo Russo
fourteen measures of sterile territory
located in the district called Fontanella alla
Croce * for the annual net rent of grain fifty;
provided that it can never be divided.
(Naples, 25 January 1822. )
Lorenzo Russo married Maria Calabrese before 1805 and they had at least 7 children including Pietro Paulo Russo (our direct ancestor) in 1824. Sadly Maria passed away in 1825 and Lorenzo remarried later that year to Marianna Grannitto with whom he had a further 8 children. Of Lorenzo's 15 children only 7 lived past childhood. Lorenzo Russo passed away in 1845 at 61 years of age.