servNar

The surname, Servente, has an unknown origin. It is not a common name. At http://gens.labo.net/en/cognomi/genera.html, a phone book listing for Servente finds fewer than 70 people with this surname located in 19 different towns in Italy, most in the Moneglia area. Many Italian surnames are based on the type of work a person did, or the town from which he came, or the name of one's parents (such as son of . . . ). The word Servente is found in several uses in Italian text. One use is in the poem by Dante Alighieri "Lo meo servente core . . . " or "May love ever protect . . ." Some dictionary translations state that Servente derives from the Latin servus or serviens meaing serving. Thus a foundation for the name may be protector, serving or servant. Another interesting association is the use of the name with cavalieri, where a cavalieri servente is a male-mistress, often used in writings about the aristrocrats from the times of the Doges. The roots of our family in the rocky hills above Moneglia would tend to discount the association with the latter comment.

The Serventes of our lineage are from the small village of Masso, Italy, in the hills above Moneglia, in the province of Liguria, which lies on the coast south of Genoa about half-way to Spezia. The maps show the location in Italy of Moneglia and Masso and Tessi which are near Moneglia.

Our earliest known ancestor is Ignazio Servente. Born in Masso, Genova, Italy in 1830, he is believed to have been a stone mason. He died and was buried in Masso in 1906. Ignazio married Caterina Tealdi, born in 1835 in Masso. They had six children.

Their son Carlo at the age of 18 may have traveled to Argentina on the ship Duca de Galliera from the port of Genova arriving Argentina 3/16/1905 (According to Radici-Centro de Estudios Migratorios Latino Americano, which holds the data banks on Italian emigrants to Argentina). He is said to have returned to Italy where he died.

Another son, Giuseppe, supposedly traveled to Argentina but also returned to Italy.

Yet another son Giovanni, also according to the Radici-Centro de Estudios, may, at the age of 17, have traveled to Argentina on the ship Ravenna from the port of Genova arriving Argentina 9/3/1906. He is believed to have stayed in Argentina.

Two daughters, Maria and Theresa, stayed in Italy. It is unknown if they married.

Cesare, born in Masso on March 14, 1880, appears to be the oldest son. On February 14, 1901, in San Saturnino, which lies between Tessi and Moneglia (see map insert), he married Luisa Sambuceti, born January 14, 1882, in Tessi.

After the births of Amelia in 1904 and Enes in 1907, the family moved to Algiers, Algeria where it is said that Cesare worked as a stonemason. On 2/20/1910 Guglielmo was born.

More to come . . . .