Geographical Organization of Italy

Italy's land is divided into 20 regioni (regions), 103 province (provinces) as of today with a region containing from 1 - 9 provinces, and each province is made up of comuni (cities) and frazioni (villages or hamlets).  Each province has a capital city that shares its name.

Because vital records were maintained at the town level, the ancestor that was born in Italy and migrated to North America is the key to unlocking your family heritage.

Nelson, Lynn (1997). A genealogist's guide to discovering your Italian ancestors: how to find and record your unique heritage. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway Books.

It is said that John Louisiana's (b. 1846 St Louis MI, d. 1900 Montrose MN) father Charles was born in Italy in 1819.  I do find that there is a region named Liguria in the northern ocean front part of Italy.  With the four modern provinces of:  Genova, Imperia, La Spezia and Savona and four Pre-Unification (1870) names of:  Genova, Savona, Genova and Savona.