My dear friends.
I have had the good fortune to connect with someone that lives in Gaeta, and who is willing to go to the Cemetery in Gaeta and take photos of the graves to help anyone with roots in Gaeta get photos of the graves of their family surnames.
The way it works is that you give him a list of family surnames from your tree that you are researching. He goes to the cemetery and any grave he finds with that surname, he takes a photo of it, and when he has gone through all accessible parts of the cemetery, and collected the photos he will send you the photos.
One of the beautiful traditions of the Gaeta cemetery is that a photo of the deceased is usually displayed on the grave stone, in addition to the dates of birth and death when all that information is available. This is a chance for you to see the faces that go with the names in your family tree.
Also, multiple family members can be found in the same mausoleum unit, so you might be fortunate enough to find multiple people, with multiple photos, on the same grave.
He does this for a fee. He also wishes to remain anonymous, so you can order those photos through this website. To be clear, this website takes NO commission nor profit. All we get is a copy of any photos he takes, in case those same family surnames come up in The Chinappi Family Tree.
Here are a few things you need to know.
1-Not all parts of the cemetery are accessible to the public. Some areas are now off limits because it is not structurally safe for visitors. This means that many of those older graves may not be accessible. He can walk around the grounds and some of the chapel and mausoleums as long as they are open. If they are barred from public visitors, he will not have access.
2-I was very disappointed to learn recently that the cemetery in Gaeta recycles its grave spots. First the deceased is usually buried in the courtyard in the center of the cemetery. After a number of years, the remains (usually only bones at that point) are dug up, gathered and put into a family plot in the mausoleum walls. Which means that the graves currently in the ground (and grave stones) may no longer exist in as little as 10 years from the year of death. Then to add to that, if the living family no longer wishes to pay annual fees and taxes for the mausoleum plots, those plots are emptied and the bones are relocated to a mass grave that the public has no access too… and the grace spots are sold to new families. All of this is to say that unless a family continues to pay said fee, the information on the graves will be lost forever. The graves in the Gaeta cemetery will not last indefinitely. You have a limited window to get your photos of your family tree surnames before the information and photos are beyond your reach forever.
I have personally used his services, and have collected about 1000+ photos of graves at the cemetery. He is professional, fair, and honest. I trust him. For that reason, I am happy to act as a go between to help you get your photos before you lose the chance forever.
If you are interested in hiring our Guy In Gaeta to take photos of the cemetery graves as per family names, and you wish to inquire about prices, please email me at
info@chinappifamilytree.com
