▁Sic ili ans ▁and ▁other ▁It ali ans , ▁French , ▁and ▁British ▁people . ▁ ▁Im m igration ▁from ▁Spain ▁( including ▁refuge es ▁from ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Civil ▁War ) ▁and ▁inter mar riage ▁with ▁Sp ani ards ▁from ▁the ▁surrounding ▁Spanish ▁towns ▁was ▁a ▁constant ▁feature ▁of ▁Gib ral tar ' s ▁history ▁until ▁General ▁Francisco ▁Franco ▁closed ▁the ▁border ▁with ▁Gib ral tar , ▁cutting ▁off ▁many ▁Gib ral t ari ans ▁from ▁their ▁relatives ▁on ▁the ▁Spanish ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁front ier . ▁ ▁The ▁Spanish ▁government ▁re open ed ▁the ▁land ▁front ier , ▁but ▁other ▁restrictions ▁remain ▁in ▁place . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁the ▁border ▁was ▁closed , ▁although ▁Spain ▁was ▁nomin ally ▁neutral , ▁as ▁Franco ' s ▁regime ▁was ▁effectively ▁al lied ▁with ▁Naz i ▁Germany . ▁ ▁Gen o ese / Ital ian ▁S urn ames ▁ ▁Research ▁by ▁F ior en zo ▁T oso ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁about ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁Gib ral tar ian ▁families ▁of ▁Gen o ese ▁orig ins ▁found ▁that ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁em igration ▁from ▁the ▁Italian ▁region ▁Lig uria ▁was ▁from ▁the ▁areas ▁of ▁Gen oa ▁and ▁Sav ona , ▁and ▁some ▁s urn ames ▁such ▁as ▁Car u ana , ▁often ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁M alt ese , ▁origin ate ▁from ▁Sic ili ans ▁who ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Mal ta ▁during ▁the ▁Italian ▁Renaissance ). ▁ ▁The ▁following ▁are ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁Gen o ese ▁s urn