Pallante Center is an independent research center which operates primarily from this website.
Debora (Pallante) Hill, an Italian-American with roots in the Molise Region,is the owner and founder. She holds a B.A. degree in History,with coursework in methods of historical research, genealogy,family history, the Italian language, and Mediterranean history--with certificates in International Studies and genealogy. She also has a strong background in anthropology (world cultures and archaelogy--with some study in digging up ancestors literally!) She was a member of Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society at Rowan University in N.J. where she graduated with honors. Debora also earned an ALA-accredited MLS (Masters in Library Science), from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a concentration in archives through Temple University. She is both an information professional and trained in the preservation of historical documents and artifacts. Debora has many many years of hands on training and experience in various museum and historical societies in the Mid-Atlantic Region, including the world-renowned Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology at the prestigious Univ. of Pennsylvania. Debora chose to give up employment as archivist and assistant museum curator at a local history museum inupstate New York, in order to devote her full time energies to the development of the Pallante Center. She has decades of experience doing genealogical research.
Memberships (past and present) include (SAA) Society of American Archivists, (MARAC) Mid Atlantic Regional Archives, (ALA) American Library Assoc., (AIHA)American Italian Heritage Assoc., (APG) Assoc. of Professional Genealogists,POINT (#1213), and COI (#18) Italian genealogy groups.
When On site research is needed, Debora has many long time associates in Italy who are professional genealogists and native Italian residents of Italy. Many of them also have formal degrees. Assignments are given to the researcher who lives closest to the geographic area of need, or the researcher with a specific expertise. Some speak only the Italian language, thus may not be known outside of Italy. For years PCIR has been making their excellent services available to people all over the world. They are all freelance researchers with a variety of expertise who cooperate with PCIR when needed. Their services supplement research projects when help is needed to access church records, search civil records for towns that are not available on microfilm, or to help out making telephone calls to an Italian archives office, or contact current residents when searching for living relatives.
Our clients come from all over the world -- anywhere that has experienced Italian immigration.
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