15.

EARLIEST SARLI ANCESTOR

Matera sassi (caves carved into limestone)

If any of you are looking for an interesting given name for a new son, here it is - Saverio! The earliest Sarli/o ancestor I have been able to trace is Saverio Sarlo. 

Saverio Sarlo was born about 1750. I don't know where, exactly. Until a couple of months ago, I would have guessed that he was born in Laurenzana, where all of his children were born. However, I came across some interesting information included in the 1818 marriage record of his son Francesco, stating that Saverio died in Matera, Italy. 

RECORDS
familysearch: Laurenzana marriage records, 1818 #69
Francesco Sarlo (age 26) married Maria Giuseppe Crapullo (age 21), daughter of Gaetano Crapullo (age 60), shepherd, and Brigida Rossi (age 50), on November 24, 1818.

"Francesco Sarlo, di anni ventisei, di professione bracciale, domicilato in questo comune strada Trojano, figlio maggiore dei fu Saverio a quindeci marzo mille otto cento dieci morto in Matera, e di Geronima Bianco a due novembre mille otto cento quattro qui decessa."

Translation:
Francesco Sarlo, age 26, workhand, living in this town, Trojano street, adult son of deceased Saverio who died March 15, 1810 in Matera, and Geronima Bianco who died November 2, 1804.

WHAT WAS HE DOING IN MATERA?
What was he doing in Matera, the capital of Basilicata from 1663 to 1806? Matera, sometimes called the most spectacular city in Italy. Matera, the ancient city, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, where extensive cave dwellings called sassi were carved out of limestone walls, and were first inhabited by Benedictine and Basilian monks?

Is there an Italian tradition of returning to your place of birth to die? Was he visiting a sick relative? Did Saverio decide to go to Matera and become a monk after his wife died in 1804? Okay, my ideas are getting a little wild, but does anyone out there have any cultural or historical insights (or wild guesses!) to explain Saverio's reason for being in Matera when he died?

SARLI FAMILY TREE

Saverio Sarlo (c. 1750-1810)

married Geronima Bianco (1755-1804)

Children:

*Michele Sarlo (15 Sep 1774, Laurenzana-6 Oct 1828, Laurenzana)

Rosa Sarlo (18 Oct 1779, Laurenzana-)

Maria Sarlo (3 Feb 1782, Laurenzana-)

Rocco Sarlo (18 Feb 1784, Laurenzana-)

Francesco Sarlo (18 Apr 1785, Laurenzana-)

* Michele, father of Egidiantonio Sarli (1817-1860) and grandfather of Vito Maria Sarli (1855-1944) and Rocco Vincenzo Sarli/Joseph Louis Mott (1857-1894).