The lists of military recruitment: Liste di Leva and Ruoli Matricolari.
These records can be a very important source if you only know the province of origin of your male ancestor. Conscription of all males at the age of eighteen was instituted in 1862.
The lists of military recruitment contain the name of all young residents in every Italian province, indicating the municipality of residence. These lists include also young people who emigrated outside Italy.
Military records contain very precious genealogical information. They provide not only vital information on your ancestor but they usually include informations about his parents, occupation and physical description.
These records, after 70 years of the military call up, were sent to the Archive of the State of every city, and, actually, they can be consulted for free.