Contessa Anguissola Photo 2020

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Comment by Cinzi Lavin on April 29, 2023 at 21:51

Thank you! I'm hoping we can all learn more. Best regards!

Comment by J Ruaidri Douglas on April 29, 2023 at 20:03

Benvenuta, Cinzi! I am so pleased, to see that we are beginning to welcome descendents from the Italian branch of the family! 

Comment by William Douglas on April 25, 2023 at 18:51

I use ChatGPT and Monica.

Comment by Cinzi Lavin on April 25, 2023 at 14:28

Out of curiosity, what AI website are you using for this search? I Googled some of the phrases in your information and didn't find the same things you have here. It would be interesting to try it with the name Laguisanso if it picks up info that isn't on Google. 

Comment by Cinzi Lavin on April 25, 2023 at 14:24

Thank you, William, for that fun an interesting tidbit! With respect to the groundbreaking nature of AI, there's only one problem: my surname "Lavin" comes from the other side of the family (so no relation to the Anguissola-Douglas-Scottis whatsoever). My great-grandmother was given a surname name that was an anagram of "Anguissola": Laguisanso. Her birth certificate indicates that both of her parents wished to remain anonymous. 

Comment by William Douglas on April 25, 2023 at 10:19

I am experimenting with AI, and getting extraordinary results that just cannot be true.
But also some amazing insights.
Here is what I have found:
Lavin was an English journalist who emigrated from Italy to South America around 1887. He is known for his coverage of the construction of the Trans-Andean Railway.

An associated search found the following:
The Ferrocarril Transandino Lavin (in English: Lavin Trans-Andean Railway) was a railway line that operated in Peru, connecting the cities of Arequipa and Puno. The railway was named after its founder, Manuel Antonio Lavin, and was built between 1869 and 1873. It was one of the highest railway lines in the world, reaching an altitude of 4,781 meters above sea level at its highest point. The railway played an important role in the development of the region, providing transportation for passengers and goods, including minerals and agricultural products. The railway was decommissioned in 1973 and replaced by a new line, but sections of the original railway have been preserved as a tourist attraction.

My experience of AI in family history research is that double-checking is not enough - every fact has to be cross-referenced!

Comment by Cinzi Lavin on April 24, 2023 at 12:04

Hi William,

Yes, she married Ubertino Landi and was then known as Anna Landi di Chiavenna. She is a Douglas Scotti on her mother's side (Giuseppina Scotti Douglas). While she had children with her husband Ubertino, she later had an extramarital relationship with an English correspondent which resulted in the birth of my great-grandmother. She could not accept the child socially, so she was raised in one of the family castles under the care of nuns (later adopted by a local family). Anna had one of her brothers periodically check on the welfare of the child. I'm hoping to find out who the English journalist could be by knowing Anna's whereabouts around the time of the child's birth. All I know is that he emigrated to South America around 1887 when my great-grandmother was born. 

Comment by William Douglas on April 24, 2023 at 10:18

Did she become Anna Landi di Chiavenna?