Smiroldo

Smiroldo is a family name that has its origins in the Sicilian province of Messina in the mountain village of Antillo. "Smiroldo" means a precious gem in Italian.

Today the surname has spread far and wide across the world, with members of the Smiroldo family living across Europe, in the United States, Buenos Aries in Argentina and in Australia.

The diaspora of the Smiroldo family, like many other Italian families, was aided by the economic prosperity experienced overseas and the assistance that was provided by various governments to help them to immigrate to boost their populations and industries.

In the years immediately following the second world war, it was not immediately evident that the North of Italy would experience the great prosperity that followed. Many of the unskilled immigrants also could not offer much to such commercial and industrial sectors and were more suited to working in agriculture and in building and construction sectors.

Where the Smiroldo family originated prior to their settlement in Sicily is not entirely clear. However, a popular school of thought is that the family were English blacksmiths who Italianised their surname upon settling in the town of Costa Smeralda in Sardinia, Italy.