Italy
Basilicata
Potenza
Pignola is a comune in the provincia of Potenza, Basilicata with a population of 6,829 as of 2025. Between 1830 and 1912, at least 526 passengers departing from Pignola arrived in the United States. The comune was previously known as Vignola.
Contact
To request vital records from the anagrafe (records office), write to the PEC address or email below. Include the full name, approximate date, and record type in Italian.
Map
Historical Names
Vignola→Pignola di Basilicata
Changed on May 10, 1863
Località
Each Italian comune is divided into località (localities), which include centri abitati (populated centers) and nuclei abitati (smaller settlements).
Centri abitati
AltitudePopulation- Pignola926m3,314
- Madonna del Pantano795m734
Nuclei abitati
AltitudePopulation- Masseria Fornarino871m187
- Tora801m117
- Sciffra782m75
- Petrucco Masseria Falce777m67
- Masseria Faraldo834m49
- Sciffra Masseria de Stefano772m47
- Rifreddo1,146m45
- Masseria Coviello1,078m16
Population and Migration
This chart shows annual resident population, US arrivals (1830 to 1912), and international migration (2001 to present). Not all data is available for every period, so gaps are normal.
The population has grown 63% since 1861. US arrivals peaked in 1898 with 58 recorded passengers. Since 2001, net international immigration has added the equivalent of 6% of the current population.
Total US arrivals
526
1830–1912
Peak year
1898
58 arrivals
Cittadinanza per discendenza
Could a line from Pignola qualify for Italian citizenship?
Between 1830 and 1912, at least 526 passengers from Pignola arrived in the United States. Arrivals peaked in 1898. If one of them is your ancestor, Italy may recognize you as a citizen under jure sanguinis (citizenship by descent).
The birthplace alone does not decide it. Each generation between that ancestor and you does: who naturalized, and when. Since the 2025 law, the number of generations matters too.
The checker goes back through your line one generation at a time. It is not legal advice, and it does not search for records.
Check your lineItalian-born ancestor
Your ancestor from Pignola
Born in Pignola (PZ), Italy
Each generation between
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Top Emigrant Cognomi
Most common cognomi (family names) among emigrants from Pignola recorded in US arrivals, 1830 to 1912.
- 1.Albano19
- 2.Scavone12
- 3.Giordano11
- 4.Postiglione11
- 5.Molinari10
- 6.Coppola9
- 7.Petraglia7
- 8.Santangelo7
- 9.Altieri7
- 10.Di stefano7
Notable People
People born in Pignola.