Hello/CIAO
My name is Mark Belloni and I am a historian based in Brownsburg, Indiana.
BELLONI
Midwest: BELL-uh-knee
Italia: Bay-LOW-knee
My love for history was born out of my Italian and Romanian heritage, which led me to the stories of my paternal and maternal great-grandparents who immigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century; this heritage is foundational to who I am. In 2014, after a long genealogical research journey, I applied for and obtained Italian citizenship by descent. I am a proud dual citizen of both the United States and Italy.
I completed my undergraduate studies in anthropology at Indiana University Indianapolis with a focus on historical archaeology. My deep passion for local history was realized while assisting with research and excavations at a 19th-century pioneer homestead in Sheridan, Indiana and a 17th-century sugar plantation on the island of Antigua in the West Indies.
I continued my training as a historian at IU Indianapolis, where I completed my master’s degree in public history. My master’s research was focused on historic preservation, landscape history, and the history of 19th-century utopian communities—subjects which all have strong ties to local history.
I live with my wife, Teresa, and our two dogs in an 1880 Italianate farmhouse that we've been restoring since 2018. Outside of restoring our home, I enjoy keeping up on my Italian, serving on the board of the Hendricks County Historical Museum, reading, spending time with my family, and getting lost in local history rabbit holes.
I started Belloni Research Consulting to share my love of history with others. I'm glad you're here, and I look forward to working with you.