explain this gravesite female surname tradition??

[Nataliej]

Lusietto Famiglia graves in San Ponso.jpg

I got this photo from a cousin who went to Italy in the 1970's We know for sure that Michele Lusietto is my great great grandfather and his wife was Margaritta Chiaventone - they are in the middle with the pink flowers. Was it common for the woman to retain her maiden name?? I don't understand how all the others fit into this 'famiglia' I think I can see the name 'Boetta' on a stone as well and MIchele's son Dominic married a Vallero whose mother was a Boetta - so now I am thoroughly confused....


Many thanks as always

[PeterTimber]

women in Italy never lose their identity and it is only the children who carry the father's family name. Thus whenever you look up immigrant arrivals from Italy bear this in mind when searching for a family composition. You will find a mother in her single name escorting her husband named children as a family unit

[Nataliej]

Ok. So now this is my Great Grandfathers sister - Did she marry a Savio? and what does the N. mean? birth name?

Emma Luscietto.JPG

[PeterTimber]

Women in Italy always retain their identity and it is only children that carry the Fathers family name so that when researching you must be aware that a mother will often have a family name different that the children she is listed as mother.

[PeterTimber]

She was born Luscietto and the family name is Savio as are her husband and children.

[paola52]

N is short for nata meaning born.Luscietto was her maiden name, Savio her husband's name

[paola52]

Re the family grave
not easy to read past the pink flowers, but your great great grandmother name looks like Rita,as it was in the birth certificate of her son. Rita could be used as a short form of Margarita or Margherita, but also as a name of its own. Many Italians are devoted to Santa Rita of Cascia

[Nataliej]

Yes, it is hard to read past the pink flowers - My great grandmother wrote down the names of her and her husband's siblings and parents and she wrote 'Marguerite Skiaventone" which I'm sure is Margaritta Chiaventone, she did write that she was French and an only child too. I did notice when she wrote things down, she used the 'English version' - she had a brother Guiseppe - whom she wrote 'Joe' who I think is the soldier in the picture in my other thread.

Thank you all so much - you have all been most helpful