| Simonetti | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Current region | Worldwide |
| Earlier spellings | Syminetti, Siminetti, Simonecti, Simoneth, della Sannella, Simmonette, Simonette |
| Place of origin | Tuscany |
| Titles | Count,Baron,Prince,Consul (representative),Senator,Marquis |
TheSimonetti family is an Italian noble family with origins inTuscany. During the 12th century different branches inFlorence,Terni,Lucca,Pistoia andPescia developed. Other famous branches of this family were established inJesi,Palermo,Milan andBologna.
Members of this family have held different titles since the Middle Ages, among them:Lords of Jesi,Princes of Musone,marquis,Barons in the kingdom of Naples and Rome,counts in the kingdom of Italy and Bologna, senators and Consuls of Rome and the Kingdom of Italy.[1][2][3] The Simonetti also held positions in theRepublic of Florence and theRepublic of Lucca, among them priori of thesignoria,gonfaloniere, captains, members of the council of the elders and the leadership of theGuelph party.[4][5][6]
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According toEugenio Gamurrini andLudovico Jacobilli the Simonetti fromTerni,Milan,Florence,Jesi,Lucca,Osimo,Cingoli, had a single origin. Gamurrini linked the Florentine branch of the family to medieval Lucca but could not find the common ancestor that linked the Simonetti from Tuscany to the Simonetti from Jesi. He pointed to other facts that indicated the connection and the earlier research done by Jacobilli. According to Jacobilli the Simonetti branches were all descendants of a single line of Lombard barons that heldfiefs in central Italy.[7] Gamurrini in hisIstoria genealogica delle famiglie nobili Toscane et Umbre studied manuscripts that linked the Simonetti of Milan, Lucca and Florence to Teuprando, a Lombard lord living in Lucca and a descendant ofAripert I, King of the Lombards (seeBavarian dynasty). Other noble families from Lucca also recognized Teuprando as their ancestor, including the Rolandinghi, Soffredinghi, and Opezinghi. All these families held control of vast areas in theGarfagnana region and held castles around the Lombard city ofBarga.[8]
Other historians such asLord Vernon were more conservative in their studies and researched documentation up to the beginning of the 13th century, still older documentation survived including documents related toRanerio Simonecti (Raniero Simonetti), a wealthy nobleman who was alive in 1188[9] and who was also mentioned by E. Gamurrini. Vernon also studied the family's lordship of parts of the Val d’ Elsa and the castle ofColle.[10]
According to Villani the family was forced to renounce all its titles inFlorence and was reduced topopolani (common citizens) for a short time. The same happened in Lucca, by the beginning of the 15th century they had temporarily lost all prerogatives ofnobility in Lucca and Florence, however were still recognized aspatricians.
Dante mentions the family bydella Sannella, one of the ancient names of the family.[10]Dante placed the Simonetti family in Paradiso XVI, among the ancient noble families ofFlorence andCacciaguida.
InCanto XVI ofParadiso, Dante says:
Therefore should not appear a marvellous thing
What I shall say of the great Florentines
Of whom the fame is hidden in the Past.
I saw the Ughi, saw the Catellini,
Filippi, Greci, Ormanni, and Alberichi,
Even in their fall illustrious citizens;
And saw, as mighty as they ancient were,
With him of La Sannella, him of Arca,
And Soldanier, Ardinghi, and Bostichi.[11]
TheLucca branch of the family became privatebankers toEdward I of England and thePope. The family was also one of the three major banking family dynasties controlling the Riccardi Banks of Lucca. In the year 1308 the Simonetti,Quartigiani and other noble families were banned from holding public offices in Lucca. In 1317 the Quartigiani clan regained power and placedCastruccio Castracani in the office of captain-general of the Republic. After a few months in office Castruccio Castracani turned against his protectors and plotted against theQuartigiani clan, including the Simonetti branch of the family. Many members of the family were killed byCastruccio Castracani and the Simonetti family was banned from Lucca for the second time in a period of a few years. The Simonetti family returned to Lucca after the death of Castracani. Francisco Simonetti deiQuartigiani was proFlorence and influenced in the acquisition of Lucca by Florence in 1341.[1] The Quartigiani and Simonetti were banned from holding office in Lucca for a third time after the reestablishment of the Republic in 1370. The palace and tower of the Simonetti and Quartigiani families were located in the center of Lucca, today called Quartigiani Tower or Torre delle ore (Clock Tower).[2]
The Simonetti first arrived inJesi in the 12th century. According to Gamurrini, they were sent by emperorBarbarossa to govern Jesi asvicars. The first member of this family to appear in a document from Jesi was Raniero son of Capthio in 1201. Raniero was electedpodestà of Jesi in 1216.[13] He had four sons, named: Simonetto, Capthio, Gualtiero and Bartolo. The last three became lords of the castle of Castriccione aroundCingoli. Bartolo later joined theSylvestrines and became leader of the order. Simonetto was electedpodestà of Cerlongo and was the ambassador of Jesi to the government of theMarche. Simonetto had seven sons; among them were Mercenario Simonetti, a famouscondottiero, Muzzolo and Oddone Simonetti, the last two became Lords of Donazzano. By 1286 the family was very powerful. As a result, they attracted the attention of the Pope and other lords. They were at this time Lords of Castriccione, the castle of Sasso, nearSerra San Quirico, the castle ofSanta Maria Nuova and other possessions in the Marche. Some members of the family joined theghibellines during the 13th century and caused a struggle with Rome. Theguelphs took Jesi and confiscated the property of the Simonetti and expelled the family from Jesi. In 1298 Rinaldo Simonetti signed a treaty with other nobles swearing allegiance to popeBoniface VIII.
After struggles with theMalatesta family, Tano di Baligano, and Rome, the family returned to Jesi in the 14th century where Filippo Simonetti and Lomo Simonetti were De facto Lords of Jesi. The Church later recognized the lordship of Jesi by the Simonetti and declared the family vicars of theHoly See. The lordship was confirmed a second time byPope Boniface IX in a papal bull from May 6, 1397. The family was banished from Jesi for a second time in the 15th century.[14] From this branch of the Simonetti originated the Simonetti fromOsimo,Ancona andCingoli. Some members of the Simonetti of Jesi migrated toCalabria, a famous member of this branch wasCicco Simonetta, secretary ofFrancesco Sforza.[15] According to Crollalanza the name was modified to Simonetta in Calabria.[15]
In a papal bull of August 9, 1805Pope Pius VII created the title of Prince of Musone for Count Don Raniero Simonetti fromAncona and his descendants.[15] From this branch was also Cardinal Raniero Simonetti, governor ofRome in the 18th century.
Generic list of people named Simonetti:
From Tuscany:
_Effigies_(serietitel)%2c_RP-P-1938-665.jpg)
From Jesi, Osimo, Ancona and Bologna (same branch):
From Modena:
From Rome:
From Naples:
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U.Bosco,Encyclopedia Dantesca
Dante Alighieri,Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy) Paradiso: Canto XVI
Louis Green, Castruccio Castracani:A study on the Origins and Character of a Fourteenth-Century Italian Despotism (Oxford, 1986)Simonetti of Lucca - 27n., 86, 92n., 96n., 100, 197 and 194n.
Richard W. Kaeuper,Bankers to the Crown: The Riccardi of Lucca and Edward 1 (Princeton 1973)
Eugenio Gamurrini,Istoria genealogica delle famiglie nobili Toscane et Umbre (Firenze 1671)
Alberto Malvoti,Quelli della Volta (Comune di Fucecchio)
Ignazio Del Punta,Mercanti e banchieri lucchesi nel Duecento (Pisa, 2004)