The Pope’s Secret Sicilian Roots: How Milazzo Became Part of Vatican History
In an unexpected twist of fate, the newly elected Pope Leo XIV — known in secular life as Robert Francis Prevost — may have ties that stretch far beyond the French and Spanish ancestry he often mentioned. As Vatican News revealed on the day of his election, the Pope also has Italian roots. But what they didn’t fully unravel was how deep those roots actually go — and how they lead directly to the Sicilian coastal town of Milazzo.
From Illinois to Italy: The Mystery of the Prevost Lineage
At first glance, the Pope’s background seemed straightforward: a mix of European and Latin American heritage, with some maternal ancestors from Cuba and Haiti. But when genealogists began digging into his paternal side, the story took a dramatic turn.
Early documents, including the U.S. 1950 Census and the death certificate of the Pope’s grandfather, listed him as born in Italy on June 24, 1876. That would be John Prevost, a professor of Romance languages — but here’s where things get curious.
For a while, researchers speculated the family came from the Piedmont region, perhaps originally bearing the surname “Prevosto.” But after ruling out a few dead ends, attention shifted south — and the real story began to unfold.
Enter: Giovanni Riggitano of Milazzo
A group of volunteer genealogists from the Genealogy Discord Server published a remarkable document titled “One Man, Two Identities.” Their investigation revealed that the man known in America as John Prevost was actually born Salvatore Giovanni Gaetano Riggitano, in Milazzo, Sicily, on June 24, 1876 — the same date previously associated with the Pope’s grandfather.
So how did Giovanni Riggitano become John Prevost?
It appears that after immigrating to the U.S. in 1903 and settling in Quincy, Illinois (where his sister Rosa lived), Giovanni started a career as a language teacher. Talented and driven, he even published his own language school ads in local newspapers. But by 1917, everything changed.
According to records from that year, Giovanni had begun a relationship with a younger French woman named Suzanne Fontaine — despite being legally married to someone else, Daisy Hughes. In a time when adultery was a criminal offense, Giovanni had to cover his tracks. When his child with Suzanne was born, he used a different name on the birth certificate: Jean (or John) Prevost — adopting Suzanne’s mother’s maiden name, and falsely listing himself as French-born.
From that moment onward, Giovanni Riggitano vanished from official records, replaced entirely by this new identity: John Prevost.
The Final Clue: A Confession Hidden in U.S. Archives
For years, this dual identity was mere speculation — until a final piece of evidence surfaced. In 1940, under the Alien Registration Act, all non-citizens had to formally register with the U.S. government. On his form, the Pope’s grandfather made a stunning declaration:
“My name is John Riggitano Prevost. I entered the United States under the name Salvatore Giovanni Riggitano Alioto.”
That single document confirmed what researchers had long suspected: the Sicilian-born Riggitano and the American-born Prevost were the same person.
Even more fascinating, it’s likely that this secret was kept from the family for generations. The Pope and his siblings have consistently referred to their grandfather as French — suggesting that this discovery is new even to them.
Meet the Sicilian Ancestors of Pope Leo XIV
The Pope’s great-grandparents, Santi Riggitano and Maria Alioto, were born and raised in Milazzo. Santi worked as a municipal usher, while Maria came from a family of merchants and craftsmen. They married in 1853 and had at least eleven children — the youngest being Salvatore Giovanni Gaetano Riggitano.
Their family lived on Via Ottaviana, right in the heart of Milazzo, a town with deep roots in Sicilian tradition, nestled between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the volcanic Aeolian archipelago.
A Pope with Truly Global Roots — Including Sicily
Pope Leo XIV is now known to have ancestry spanning North America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa. His family tree includes roots in Cuba, Haiti, France, Spain, and now — thanks to this genealogical revelation — Sicily.
In a world growing ever more connected, this story reminds us that even the most sacred of figures can carry within them a piece of our shared cultural mosaic. And for Sicilians around the world, it’s a proud and poetic twist of fate:
The Pope’s grandfather was born in Milazzo — a son of Sicily.
Our Pope is truly international not only in the way he relates to the world, but in his ancestry. I am so proud that he, like many of us Americans, has Sicilian roots.