Anthony Bassano was a 16th-century

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

musician. Bassano, born in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, was one of six sons of

Jeronimo Bassano Jeronimo Bassano was an Italian musician in the Republic of Venice who is notable as the patriarch of a family of musicians: five of his sons, Anthony, Alvise, Jasper, John (Giovanni), and Baptista Bassano, moved from Venice to England to serve in t ...

(Anthony, Jacomo, Alvise, Jasper, John and

Baptista Baptista is a Portuguese surname. People with this name include: *Alba Baptista (born 1997) * Alexandre Baptista (born 1941), Portuguese footballer * Ana Filipa Baptista (born 1990), Portuguese chess player * António Maria Baptista (1866–1920 ...

) who moved from Venice to England to the household of Henry VIII to serve the court, probably in 1540. Of his ten children, the five sons (Mark Anthony, Arthur, Edward, Andrea and Jeronimo) all served as musicians to the court of Henry VIII, and a daughter (Lucreece Bassano) married Nicholas Lanier the Elder, grandfather of the artist-musician Nicholas Lanier. The historian A.L. Rowse in his correspondence to ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

'' in 1973 claimed that the Bassanos were Jewish and Dr. David Lasocki of

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

claimed in his 1995 book that the family were converted

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...

s. However, Giulio M. Ongaro in his "New Documents on the Bassano Family" in ''Early Music'' and Alessio Ruffatti (who did research in the archives of

Bassano del Grappa Bassano del Grappa ( vec, Basan or ''Bassan'', ) is a city and ''comune'', in the Vicenza province, in the region of Veneto, in northern Italy. It bounds the communes of Cassola, Marostica, Solagna, Pove del Grappa, Romano d'Ezzelino, Campolongo ...

assisted by Professor Pier Cesare Ioly Zorattini both argued that the Bassanos who moved to England were not of Jewish origin . Besides being wind players in the King's band, the Bassanos were also instrument makers. Anthony was recorded as a foreigner, formerly Queen Elizabeth's musician, resident in the London parish of St Olave and All Hallows Staining, in 1607. He was married with ten children, all born in England.Strype, John, ''Annals of the Reformation'', vol. 4 (1824), 571.

References

*''The Bassanos, Venetian Musicians and Instrument Makers in England, 1531–1665,'' by David Lasocki and Roger Prior, published by Scholar Press {{DEFAULTSORT:Bassano, Anthony Italian emigrants to England 16th-century births 16th-century deaths Woodwind musicians 16th-century Italian musicians 16th-century English musicians Court of Henry VIII Court of Elizabeth I

See also

References