Eligibility for Italian citizenship?

Question

Would I be eligible for Italian citizenship through bloodline if only my great-great-grandfather was born and died in Italy. My great-grandfather was born in Italy but became a naturalized US citizen, and my grandfather was born in America.

Answer 1

not if the bloodline has been interrupted,

here:

Acquisition of citizenship

Italian citizenship can be automatically acquired:

By filiation (birth to an Italian parent); this is consistent with the principle of jus sanguinis.

By birth on Italian territory to stateless parents or to unknown parents or to parents who cannot transmit their nationality; this is partially consistent with the principle of jus soli.

By paternal/maternal acknowledgment or legitimation.

Through special application:

For those of Italian origin up to the second degree, the applicant must have served in the Italian military or civil service or have resided for two years in Italy before reaching the age of majority.

If Italian-born, the applicant must have resided in Italy continuously from birth to adulthood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_nat...

Answer 2

I've nearly completed the process for dual US-Italian citizenship.  I am only waiting to receive my letter that says I can apply for a passport.

What you seek is possible if the following conditions are met (based on the information you provide above):

First, you receive citizenship from your Italian parent, who received it from theirs, and so on.  

Your path only needs to go back to your great-grandfather.  He was born in Italy to Italian parents, so your great-great grandfather will not figure into this at all.  If the path to your great grandfather goes through your mother, YOU must have been born after January 1, 1948.   Italian women were unable to confer citizenship on their children until that date (the date of the present Italian constitution).  Your mother could have been born before this date, but you must have been born after it.

The above only applies if you're going through mom - an all male line does not have this restriction, so if you are going through your father, you'll be fine.

If your meet either of the above conditions, you need to find out when your great-grandfather naturalized.  If it was BEFORE your grandfather was born, you will not qualify as your grandfather was born to a purely American citizen.  If not, he passed citizenship to your granddad, granddad to your parent, and your parent to you.  That is, assuming nobody in your direct line of descent renounced their Italian citizenship.

I hope this helps.  This is the simplistic version but more help is available to you at the message boards at www.myitaliancitizenship.com.  That site was a huge help when I went through this process.

Expect to pay about $1000 or so (in 2007) for everything you need to get this done.

Good luck.