AttoCopia integrale vs Antenati scan
Two things look alike on your screen but are not the same document: the scanned image you find free on Antenati, and the copia integrale a comune stamps for official use. Understanding the difference decides whether you are done reading names or still have a filing-grade gap. Atto does not decide eligibility; it only helps you keep track of what you have and what is still open.
What the scan is
An Antenati image is a research scan of a civil-register book — a digital photograph of the page the state archive digitized for public research. It is usually free to browse, and it is the fastest way to read names, dates, and parent details from the 1800s and early 1900s.
It is not, by itself, proof for a filing. A scan has no fresh signature, no issuance date, no seal from the current office, and no guarantee the image matches what the comune now holds. Coverage also varies by province and year, so a blank result on Antenati says nothing about whether the record exists.
What the copia integrale is
A copia integrale is the full certified copy of the civil-register entry, issued by the comune (or the competent local office) for official use. It reproduces the whole act rather than a summary, carries an issuance date, and is what consulates and Italian authorities typically mean when they ask for “the birth act.” It is a formal document with a fee and a wait time.
A shorter estratto is a summary of specific facts. Many request templates want the full copia integrale, but the right form varies by venue and by what you are proving. See Italian document types for the difference between atto, estratto, certificato, and copia integrale.
Side by side
- Research scan — free, online, good for reading and lineage; not fresh, not sealed, not filing-grade.
- Copia integrale — paid, issued by the comune, sealed and dated; the filing-grade copy.
- Order the copy only after you identify the act, year, and register on the scan — otherwise you may repeat the request.
Using a scan to identify the record, then ordering the official copy, is the common loop. Atto tracks this under Identified → Ordered → Received in the citizenship checklist.
How Atto helps
Atto is a tracker, not a mailroom. It keeps the scan in your Documents, links what you found on Antenati to the person on your tree, and shows which items are still awaiting their official copy. It does not write to the comune, does not decide whether you qualify, and is not a substitute for professional advice on your specific case.
Use the scan to be sure of names, dates, and place of registration before you pay for a copy. If a name spelling looks off across acts, note it — see Surname variants.
Practical steps when you order
- Identify first. On the scan, note the comune, the year, the register (Nati / Matrimoni / Morti), and the act number if the register shows one.
- Write to the right office. For a civil copy, that is usually the comune of the event — not the state archive that hosts the scan online.
- Ask for the form you need. Name copia integrale (or estratto) explicitly, and say the record is for citizenship paperwork when that is the goal.
- Check the routing. Some comuni accept email, some want a form, some require a postal request; the fee and the wait vary. Confirm before you send money or documents.
- Track it. Note the request date and the reference so you can follow up without losing the thread.
Atto records the request and the received copy in the checklist, but leaves the letter, the fee, and the filing to you. It never writes on your behalf.