The Simonetti family is an Italian noble family with origins in

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

. During the 12th Century different branches in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

Terni Terni ( , ; lat, Interamna (Nahars)) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria in central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera river. It is ...

Lucca Lucca ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957. Lucca is known as one o ...

Pistoia Pistoia (, is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of a province of the same name, located about west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno. It is a typi ...

and

Pescia Pescia () is an Italian city in the province of Pistoia, Tuscany, central Italy. It is located in a central zone between the cities Lucca and Florence, on the banks of the river of the same name. History Archaeological excavations have suggest ...

developed. Other famous branches of this family were established in

Jesi Jesi, also spelled Iesi (), is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Ancona in Marche, Italy. It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the left (north) bank of the Esino river before its mouth on the Adriatic ...

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

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 ...

and

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

. 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. The Simonetti also held positions in the

Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence, officially the Florentine Republic ( it, Repubblica Fiorentina, , or ), was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flo ...

and the

Republic of Lucca The Republic of Lucca ( it, Repubblica di Lucca) was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Lucca in Tuscany, which lasted from 1160 to 1805. Its territory extended beyond the city of Lucca, reaching the surr ...

, among them priori of the

signoria A signoria () was the governing authority in many of the Italian city states during the Medieval and Renaissance periods. The word signoria comes from ''signore'' , or "lord"; an abstract noun meaning (roughly) "government; governing authority; ...

gonfaloniere The Gonfalonier (in Italian: ''Gonfaloniere'') was the holder of a highly prestigious communal office in medieval and Renaissance Italy, notably in Florence and the Papal States. The name derives from ''gonfalone'' (in English, gonfalon), the ter ...

, captains, members of the council of the elders and the leadership of the

Guelph party The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, ri ...

Origin of the family

According to

Eugenio Gamurrini Eugenio is an Italian and Spanish masculine given name deriving from the Greek ' Eugene'. The name is Eugénio in Portuguese and Eugênio in Brazilian Portuguese. The name's translated literal meaning is well born, or of noble status. Similar de ...

and

Ludovico Jacobilli Ludovico Jacobilli ("Ludovicus Jacobillus" in Latin) was an Italian hagiographer and historian, a priest at Foligno. Jacobilli was born in Rome in 1598 into an illustrious family of Foligno and died in 1664. His work was mainly concerned with the ...

the Simonetti from

Osimo Osimo is a town and ''comune'' of the Marche region of Italy, in the province of Ancona. The municipality covers a hilly area located approximately south of the port city of Ancona and the Adriatic Sea. , Osimo had a total population of 35,037. ...

Cingoli Cingoli is a town and ''comune'' of the Marches, Italy, in the province of Macerata, about by road from the town of Macerata. It is the birthplace of Pope Pius VIII. History The town occupies the site of the ancient ''Cingulum'', a town of Pice ...

, 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 held

fiefs A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...

in central Italy. Gamurrini in his ''Istoria 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 of Aripert I, King of the Lombards (see

Bavarian Dynasty The Bavarian dynasty was those kings of the Lombards who were descended from Garibald I, the Agilolfing duke of Bavaria. They came to rule the Lombards through Garibald's daughter Theodelinda, who married the Lombard king Authari in 588. The Ba ...

). 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 the

Garfagnana The Garfagnana () is a historical and geographical region of central Italy, today part of the province of Lucca, in Tuscany. It is the upper valley or basin of the river Serchio, and thus lies between the main ridge of the Northern Apennines t ...

region and held castles around the Lombard city of

Barga Barga may refer to: People * Barga Mongols in the early 20th century Places * Barga (department), Burkina Faso * Barga, Tuscany Barga is a medieval town and ''comune'' of the province of Lucca in Tuscany, central Italy. It is home to around 10, ...

. Other historians such as Lord 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 to ''Ranerio Simonecti'' (Raniero Simonetti), a wealthy nobleman who was alive in 1188 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 of Colle.''U.Bosco'' - Encyclopedia Dantesca - see ''Sannella'' p. 6 and p. 7 According to Villani the family was forced to renounce all its titles in

and was reduced to ''popolani'' (common citizens) for a short time. The same happened in Lucca, by the beginning of the 15th century they had temporarily lost all prerogatives of

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...

in Lucca and Florence, however were still recognized as

patricians The patricians (from la, patricius, Greek: πατρίκιος) were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome. The distinction was highly significant in the Roman Kingdom, and the early Republic, but its relevance waned after ...

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...

mentions the family by ''della Sannella'', one of the ancient names of the family.

placed the Simonetti family in Paradiso XVI, among the ancient noble families of

and

Cacciaguida Cacciaguida degli Elisei (c. 1098 – c. 1148) was an Italian crusader, the great-great-grandfather of Dante Alighieri. Little is known about his life. He was born in Florence, and two documents from 1189 and 1201 mention his existence. The 1 ...

. In ''Canto'' XVI of ''Paradiso'', 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.''

Simonetti of Lucca

The

branch of the family became private

bankers A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...

and the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

. 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 placed

Castruccio Castracani Castruccio Castracani degli Antelminelli (; 1281 – 3 September 1328) was an Italian '' condottiero'' and duke of Lucca. Biography Castruccio was born in Lucca, a member of the noble family of Antelminelli, of the Ghibelline party. In 1300 he ...

in the office of captain-general of the Republic. After a few months in office Castruccio Castracani turned against his protectors and plotted against the Quartigiani clan, including the Simonetti branch of the family. Many members of the family were killed by

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 dei Quartigiani was pro

and influenced in the acquisition of Lucca by Florence in 134

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

Simonetti of Jesi

The Simonetti first arrived in

in the 12th century. According to Gamurrini, they were sent by emperor Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, Barbarossa to govern Jesi as

vicars A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

. The first member of this family to appear in a document from Jesi was Raniero son of Capthio in 1201. Raniero was elected

podestà Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...

of Jesi in 1216. He had four sons, named: Simonetto, Capthio, Gualtiero and Bartolo. The last three became lords of the castle of Castriccione around

. Bartolo later joined the

Sylvestrines The Sylvestrines are a congregation of monks of the Order of St Benedict who form the Sylvestrine Congregation. The Sylvestrines use the post-nominal initials O.S.B. Silv.. The congregation was founded in 1231 by Sylvester Gozzolini. They are me ...

and became leader of the order. Simonetto was elected

of Cerlongo and was the ambassador of Jesi to the government of the

Marche Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...

. Simonetto had seven sons; among them were Mercenario Simonetti, a famous

condottiero ''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Europe ...

, 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, near

Serra San Quirico Serra San Quirico is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ancona in the Italian region Marche, located about southwest of Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population o ...

, the castle of

Santa Maria Nuova Santa Maria Nuova is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ancona in the Italian region Marche, located about southwest of Ancona. Santa Maria Nuova borders the following municipalities: Filottrano, Jesi, Osimo, Polverigi Polverigi is ...

and other possessions in the Marche. Some members of the family joined the

ghibellines The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, ri ...

during the 13th century and caused a struggle with Rome. The

guelphs The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rival ...

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 pope

Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII ( la, Bonifatius PP. VIII; born Benedetto Caetani, c. 1230 – 11 October 1303) was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303. The Caetani family was of baronial ...

After struggles with the

Malatesta family ) , type= Noble house , country=ItalySan Marino, estates= Castel Sismondo (Rimini) Rocca Malatestiana (Cesena) , titles=, founded=, founder= Malatesta da Verucchio, final ruler= Pandolfo IV Malatesta, deposition=, dissolution= The House of Malates ...

, 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 the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

. The lordship was confirmed a second time by

Pope Boniface IX Pope Boniface IX ( la, Bonifatius IX; it, Bonifacio IX; c. 1350 – 1 October 1404, born Pietro Tomacelli) was head of the Catholic Church from 2 November 1389 to his death in October 1404. He was the second Roman pope of the Western Schism.Richa ...

in a papal bull from May 6, 1397. The family was banished from Jesi for a second time in the 15th century. From this branch of the Simonetti originated the Simonetti from

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...

and

. Some members of the Simonetti of Jesi migrated to

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, a famous member of this branch was Cicco Simonetta, secretary of

Francesco Sforza Francesco I Sforza (; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiero who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) duke from 1450 until his death. In the 1420s, he participated in the War of L'A ...

.Annuario della nobiltà italiana 188
Available online - Google books
/ref> According to Crollalanza the name was modified to Simonetta in Calabria.

Princes of Musone

In a papal bull of August 9, 1805

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...

created the title of Prince of Musone for Count Don Raniero Simonetti from

and his descendants. From this branch was also Cardinal Raniero Simonetti, governor of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in the 18th century.

People

Generic list of people named Simonetti: From Tuscany: *Dom Bindo Simonetti (Lucca) *Francesco Simonetti dei Quartigiani (Lucca) - Nobleman from the house of Simonetti and Quartigiani. (14th century) *Ser Azzolino Simonetti (Lucca) - Nobleman and banker of the English crown. (14th century) *Ser Guido Simonetti (Lucca) - He was

Podestà Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...

Modena Modena (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language#Dialects, Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern I ...

in 1299.

*Dr. Francesco Simonetti (Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Lucca) - Italian patriot jailed for 3 years in 1835, he was accused of being a member of

Giovine Italia Young Italy ( it, La Giovine Italia) was an Italian political movement founded in 1831 by Giuseppe Mazzini. After a few months of leaving Italy, in June 1831, Mazzini wrote a letter to King Charles Albert of Sardinia, in which he asked him to un ...

. *Count Luigi Simonetti - Consul of Lucca to Russia from 1834 to 1836. *Antonio Simonetti (Lucca)- Master goldsmith from the 18th century. He was known for his fine work using the baroque style. *Bartolo Simonetti (Florence) - Patrician and chief of the Guelph party in Florence. He was executed by the Florentine people. (14th century) *Raniero Simonetti - Podestà of

San Gimignano San Gimignano () is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. Known as the Town of Fine Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of ...

and

(c. 1199–1200), was also council of Florence. From Jesi, Osimo, Ancona and Bologna (same branch): *Manetto Simonetti (Jesi) - Condotierro and medieval

. *Ranieri Simonetti (Jesi) - Podestà and Captain of

in 1381. *Sciarra Simonetti (Jesi) - Podestà of

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...

in 1381.Archivio di Stato di Siena
N. 191 1381 gennaio 3 - 1382 luglio 24 n.a 194 Deliberazioni del Consiglio Generale *Cardinal Raniero Simonetti (Governor of Rome, Noble of Cingoli) *Captain-General Simonetto Simonetti (Jesi) - Commanded the Papal troops and died in battle. *Princess Isotta Simonetti (Bologna) - Princess of Musone *Prince D. Raniero Simonetti (Bologna) - Italian senator and Prince of Musone, he was an important figure in the

Italian unification The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...

. *

Prince Annibale Simonetti Prince Annibale Simonetti was a Roman nobleman from nineteenth-century Italy. He was born in Ancona and was related to the Osimo-Jesi branch of the Simonetti. He was assistant to Pope Pius IX, member of parliament and member of the high council o ...

(

) *Antonio Hercolani-Fava-Simonetti (Bologna) - Lieutenant Grand Master of the

Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

(1951–1955) * Fra' Gherardo Hercolani Fava Simonetti (b. 1941, Bologna) - He is the former Grand Commander of the

From Modena: *Count Lorenzo Simonetti *Cardinal Lorenzo Simonetti From Rome: *Marquis Alessandro Simonetti (1966-//) and daughter Valentina Simonetti (1999-//) *Michelangelo Simonetti (1724–1781) - Papal architect, he designed numerous neoclassical buildings in Rome and the Vatican. *Cardinal Giuseppe Simonetti (Rome) *Marquis Filippo Simonetti (Sabina, Rome) *Giacinta Simonetti (daughter of Marquis Simonetti, Rome. Mother of explorer

Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza Pietro Paolo Savorgnan di Brazzà, later known as Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza; 26 January 1852 – 14 September 1905), was an Italian-born, naturalized French explorer. With his family's financial help, he explored the Ogoou� ...

br>
From Naples: *

Antonio Sanseverino Antonio Sanseverino (died 1543) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and bishop. Biography Antonio Sanseverino was born in Naples ca. 1477, the son of Giovanni Antonio Sanseverino, a Neapolitan patrician, and Enrichetta Carafa. Early in ...

, (ca. 1477–1543), Neapolitan branch; Cardinal Priest (1527-1537), Cardinal Bishop (1537–1543); Archbishop of Taranto (1528–1543). *Marquis Saverio Simonetti (Napoli, Secretary of State - Sicily)

Gallery

File:FamigliaDellaSannella.jpg, Simonetti della Sanella File:Cover Vol II Istoria genealogica delle famiglie nobili Toscane et Umbre Eugenio Gamurrini (Firenze 1671).jpg, Gamurrini File:Simonetti de Cingoli e Jesi.jpg, Simonetti of Jesi File:StemmaSimonettiDellaSannella 2.jpg, Simonetti of Florence File:Tower in Lucca.jpg, Quartigiani Tower - Lucca File:Sercambi lucca.jpg, Sercambi - Medieval Lucca

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:House Of Simonetti Families of Florence Families of Lucca

Simonetti The Simonetti family is an Italian noble family with origins in Tuscany. During the 12th Century different branches in Florence, Terni, Lucca, Pistoia and Pescia developed. Other famous branches of this family were established in Jesi, Palermo, ...

Political families of Italy