Codice Civile del Regno d’Italia, lib. I, tit. 1.
- “4. The child of a citizen is a citizen.
- “5. If the father has lost his citizenship before the birth of the child, the latter is reputed a citizen if he is born within the state and resides therein.
- “Nevertheless, on becoming of age, according to the laws of the realm, he may elect to take the quality of an alien on making a declaration before the authorities of the civil state in which he resides, or, if in a foreign country, before the royal diplomatic or consular agents.
- “6. The child born in a foreign country of a father who has lost his citizenship before the child’s birth is reputed as alien.
- “He can, however, elect to take the quality of a citizen on making a declaration as prescribed by the preceding article, and fixing his domicile in the kingdom during the year in which he makes such declaration.
- ‘Nevertheless, if he has accepted public employment in the kingdom, or has served [Page 1431] in the army or navy, or otherwise satisfied the requirements of the conscription without seeking exemption as an alien, he shall he considered a citizen without further process.
- “7. When the father is unknown the child of a citizen mother is a citizen.
- “When the mother has lost her citizenship before the birth of the child, the dispositions of the two preceding articles become applicable.
- “If even the mother is unknown, a child born in the kingdom is a citizen.
- “8. The child of an alien who has established his domicile within the kingdom uninterruptedly for ten years is considered a citizen; residence for commercial purposes is not sufficient to constitute domicile.
“The child can, however, elect to be considered an alien, on making the declaration prescribed in article 5.
“When the alien has not established his domicile in the kingdom for ten years, the child is considered an alien; but the dispositions of the two first paragraphs of article 6 are applicable to the case.”
Extract of paragraph 10: “The wife and minor children of an alien who has obtained citizenship become citizens, on the condition of their also establishing their residence in the realm, but the children can elect to take upon them the quality of aliens on making the declaration prescribed in article 5.”
Extract of paragraph 11: “The wife and minor children of one who has lost his citizenship become aliens, unless they have, continued to reside within the realm.
“Nevertheless, the wife can re-acquire citizenship in the case and by the means stated in the second paragraph of article 14, and the children according to the second and third paragraphs of article 11.”