The Brivio de Brokles (in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

and Hungarian: ''Brivius de Brokles'') were a Hungarian and

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 ...

noble family, supposed to be a branch of the more famous Brivio family from

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

Origins

Founder of the family was Pietro Brivio (in

: ''Petrus Brivius'' or ''Petrus de Brippio''), who moved at the end of the 15th Century from Milan to Montevecchia, where he had bought many properties. According to some historians, he was supposed to belong to the Brivio family of Milan, which was said to descend from the

Brunonen The Brunonids (or Brunonians, german: Brunonen, la, Brunones, i.e. "Brunos") were a Saxon noble family in the 10th and 11th centuries, who owned property in Eastphalia (around Brunswick) and Frisia. The Brunonids are assumed to be descendants ...

family. The family rose to significant influence in

Brianza Brianza (, , lmo, label=Brianzöö dialect, Briànsa) is a geographical, historical and cultural area of Italy, at the foot of the Alps, in the northwest of Lombardy, between Milan and Lake Como. Geography Brianza extends from th ...

at the end of the 17th century, when a member of this family, Francesco (+ before 1679), became very rich with silk trading. At the beginning of the 18th century his son, Giacomo (1660ca. + 1736), financed the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

and

Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor , father = Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor , mother = Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg , birth_date = , birth_place = Vienna, Austria , death_date = , death_place = Vienna, Austria , burial_place = Imperial Crypt, Vienna , ...

rewarded him with the title of Count of Brokles (in

: ''Brochles'') in 1708. Brokles was a small county in the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

, but nowadays it is located in

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

Giacomo Brivio

Thanks to his richness, Count Giacomo Brivio lent money to many notable people of his time. In 1710 he was fideiussor of

Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de' Medici (14 August 1642 – 31 October 1723) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1670 until his death in 1723, the sixth and penultimate from the House of Medici. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the elder son of Grand Duke Ferdinan ...

. In 1713 Giacomo became Lord of Montevecchia, the village of his ancestors, and in 1716 famous composer

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...

dedicated him a

dramma per musica Dramma per musica (Italian, literally: ''drama for music'', plural: ''drammi per musica'') is a libretto. The term was used by dramatists in Italy and elsewhere between the mid-17th and mid-19th centuries. In modern times the same meaning of ''dra ...

Arsilda, regina di Ponto ''Arsilda, regina di Ponto'' is a dramma per musica by Antonio Vivaldi. The opera was first performed at the Teatro Sant'Angelo in Venice on 27 or 28 October 1716. Roles Plot The plot was considered rather controversial at the time and led or ...

Other notable members

Giacomo Brivio had two notable sons. Francesco (1680 + 1732) married Elena Attendolo Bolognini, member of an important noble family from Milan and descendant (by mother, Cecilia Medici di Marignano) from

Pope Pius IV Pope Pius IV ( it, Pio IV; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death in December 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered ...

and

Gian Giacomo Medici 250px, Gian Giacomo Medici, ''Il Medeghino'', in a 16th-century engraving Gian Giacomo Medici (25 January 1498 – 8 November 1555) was an Italian condottiero who became a noted Spanish general, Duke of Marignano and Marquess of Musso and Lecco ...

. The marriage was of course very important for the Brivio family. Carlo (1684 + 1746) was Lieutenant Colonel in the Austrian Army from 1709. His only daughter, Anna (1742 + 1784), married an Irish nobleman called David Griffith. Another notable member of this family was Giuseppe Ferdinando Brivio (+ 1758), who was a famous composer and music teacher in Milan. Finally, Anna Fortunato Brivio (1699 + 1732) married Pietro Agnesi and was mother of the famous mathematician

Maria Gaetana Agnesi Maria Gaetana Agnesi ( , , ; 16 May 1718 – 9 January 1799) was an Italian mathematician, philosopher, theologian, and humanitarian. She was the first woman to write a mathematics handbook and the first woman appointed as a mathematics profes ...

Notes

Literature

*Annibale Brivio Sforza, ''Notizie Storico Genealogiche della Famiglia Brivio'' . *Sironi, ''Monte delle Vedette in Brianza'' *Felice Calvi, ''Famiglie Notabili Milanesi''

External links