This site attempts to traces several threads of my family history. If you’re related or know the family, and have any lore or stories to share, feel free to comment!
— Matthew Simon Ryan Cavalletto
Immigrants From Vesignano, Italy
Our branch of the Cavalletto family immigrated to America a century ago from Vesignano, Italy.
Traces of this immigration are visible in the Ellis Island records for Cavalletto, Cavaletto, and Cavallette.
Our branch of the family settled in Goleta, California, and the Santa Barbara area, appearing in increasing numbers in the 1910 and 1920 census records.
Family Histories
The extended Cavalletto family in the Santa Barabara area has gathered and shared information about the history of the family. One version of this story was posted as How the Cavallettos settled in Santa Barbara, with a family tree since 1600, and an accompanying letter from George Sr.
A related tradition is recorded in this Illinois Cavallettos Home Page and early history (originally from ourfamilyties.net, now offline, archived at www.archive.org).
Hello, I’m from Argentina, my grandparents came from Venice, I did not know about Vesignano. Sending greetings.
I’m the son of Cavaletto Teresina born in Santa Barbara in 1907 died in Vesignano in 2008. My mother was the daughter of Michele Cavaletto (1879-1960) and Clara Cavaletto (1881-1974). Michele was the son of C. Defendente (d. about 1910) and C. Teresa (d. about 1925). Clara the daughter of C. Domenico (d about 1942) ad C. Domenica (d. about 1910/12). My grand parents, Michele and Clara, show in the Ellis Island records in 1906 when they, just married, emigrated from Italy to California. Michele had already spent two years there working as peasant before going back to Italy to marry my grandmother. The whole family, including a son, Defendente, born in 1908, lived in Santa Barbara for about 13 years. Then got back to Italy, Vesignano in 1919.
I was born in Torino, son of Bonessa Stefano and C. Teresina, in 1941 and I’m living in Southern France since 1980.
My father, Dominic Cavaletto, had an uncle named Michael Cavaletto from California.
My father said that Michael was a wine tester.
I’m interested information about the oldest son of Aventino cavalleto and Clémentine Pagliotti. I believe his name is Lodovico. My distant relative may have been his wife. Her name was Caterina Lucia Vicchio. Her naturalization papers state she had two sons both born in Santa Barbara. Aventino b 1905 and his brother Ernest Dominick b 1907. The 1910 census shows the family living in Santa Barbara , the names on the doc are not correctly spelled. Lodovico is listed as a farmer. , the same for the 1920 census. By 1930 census Catherina is living in Kern county with her two sons and is listed as widowed. However, I find nothing to support that Lodovico died. I think they may have divorced. Thank you for any informative you may have.
Sharon, thanks for writing!
I don’t have much information on Aventino and Clementina ‘s son Lodovico, but he does show up in this family tree prepared by some members of the California Cavalletto family in the 1990s:
http://family.cavalletto.org/a-version-of-the-family-tree/
According to that record, Lodovico was also called “Cato,” and had a brother named Jack.
Those records trace the paternal line back to 1600, but omit a lot of other branches of the family, and don’t have any further details on your relative or their descendants.
Good luck with your research, and please let us know what else you find!
Hi! My grandfather was Juan Paglia Cavaletto, born in 1907 in Rivarolo Canavese. He emigrated to Chile and his original name Giovanni was changed to Juan. He was the son of Caterina Cavaletto (d. 1881, Michele’s sister and daughter of Teresina Cavaletto)
Juan went to Chile following his uncle Ludovico Cavaletto (also Michele and Caterina’s brother). He was a luthier and lived in Chile until he died in 1983.
Pleased to meet you, Alejandra!
I’m not sure of our precise relationship — it’s confusing when so many of the Cavaletto / Cavalletto family members are named Giovanni, Lodovico, Michele, or Caterina.
It sounds like a number of other members of the Cavaletto extended family from Vesignano / Rivarolo Canavese also moved to Chile around the same time, but I haven’t done much research on that side of the family tree.
Are you familiar with the group of cousins described on this archived web page, assembled by an Illinois branch of the family?
https://web.archive.org/web/20031108032856/http://www.ourfamilyties.net/Genealogy/Cavaletto/CavalettosofChile.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20040131112750/http://ourfamilyties.net/Genealogy/Cavaletto/index.htm
I’d love to hear any other family stories you’re able to share!
Yes! I know, so many had those names. My grandparents knew well the Osés Family. Marietta Cavaletto was a sibling of Caterina Cavaletto, aunt of my grandfather Juan (or Giovanni) Paglia Cavaletto.
Hola, lamento escribir en español. Soy Cavaletto y soy de Chile, creo que es una rama familiar distinta a la que aparece en este sitio, no conozco a la familia Oses. Mi abuelo Giusseppe Cavaletto viajó desde Vesignano a Chile, se casó con Galicia Flores, tuvieron 4 hijos Franco Cavaletto, Amalia Cavaletto, Sandra Cavaletto y Dino Cavaletto. Soy Hija de Franco Cavaletto.
Hola Paola, y gracias por escribir. Está claro que los miembros de la familia Cavaletto / Cavalletto de Vesignano viajaron a muchas áreas del mundo, pero no tengo una comprensión clara de las muchas ramas de la familia en América Latina. ¡Gracias por expresar su historia y espero que podamos conectarlo con otros primos de la familia extendida!
Conozco a tu papá. Mi mamá es Caterina Paglia. Había dejado un mensaje aquí antes, pero no aparece. En algún punto en el pasado hay parentesco. Saludos.
Hola Paola. Mi mamá conoce a tu papá! Sé que hay un parentesco, no sé bien cuál es exactamente. Mi mamá es hija de Juan Paglia Cavaletto, hijo de Caterina Cavaletto.
Saludos!!
Hola, lamento escribir en español. Soy Cavaletto y soy de Chile, creo que es una rama familiar distinta a la que aparece en este sitio, no conozco a la familia Oses. Mi abuelo Giusseppe Cavaletto viajó desde Vesignano a Chile, se casó con Galicia Flores, tuvieron 4 hijos Franco Cavaletto, Amalia Cavaletto, Sandra Cavaletto y Dino Cavaletto. Soy Hija de Franco Cavaletto.
I have a guitar made in 1961 with his name on the inside.
That is awesome. He was a luthier. I still have one made by him.
Marietta and Caterina were siblings and Juan Paglia was a son of Caterina. I think Caterina lived all her life in Rivarolo Canavese. She married Carlo Paglia and they have a few children. One of them was Defendente Paglia, who was missing during the WWI. I gathered that recently the family got news about what happened to him during the war and where. I understand there is a memorial for the soldiers in Rivarolo where his name is.