The Appiani (also Appiano or d'Appiano) were an Italian noble family, originally from Al Piano or Appiano, a now disappeared

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

identified with the modern La Pieve in the ''comune'' of

Ponsacco Ponsacco is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence and about southeast of Pisa. La Popolazione è composta da Diletta Pratelli Geography The municipality of Pons ...

. They held the

principality of Piombino The Lordship of Piombino (''Signoria di Piombino''), and after 1594 the Principality of Piombino (''Principato di Piombino''), was a small state on the Italian peninsula centred on the city of Piombino and including part of the island of Elba. ...

from the early 15th century until 1628.

History

The family originated in the region of Appiano val d'Era, in the present day

province of Pisa The province of Pisa ( it, provincia di Pisa) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Tuscany region of central Italy. Its capital is the city of Pisa. With an area of and a total population of 421,642 (), it is the second most populous and fif ...

. The first known member is one Guarnito d'Appiano, a

notary A notary is a person authorised to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents. The form that the notarial profession takes varies with local legal systems. A notary, while a legal professional, is disti ...

who lived between 1200 and 1255; his son Jacopo (flourished at

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

c. 1230-1290) was also a notary, as well as his grandson Benvenuto, who became chief of the Pisane Corporation of Notaries. His grand-grandson Vanni, also a notary, became an Anziano ("Elder", meaning consul) of Pisa and then Chancellor of the Senate of

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 ...

in 1347, before he was beheaded at Pisa in May 1355. His son Jacopo (c. 1322 - 1398) became Chancellor of the

Republic of Pisa The Republic of Pisa ( it, Repubblica di Pisa) was an independent state centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa, which existed from the 11th to the 15th century. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated ...

and head of the political party of the Raspanti, associated with the

Della Gherardesca The House della Gherardesca was an old noble family of the Republic of Pisa, dating back as early as the 11th century of Longobard origin. They were an important one of the most prominent initially in Pisa, then of Volterra and eventually and of F ...

family. In 1392, after assassinating Pietro Gambacorti and his sons, he became effective lord of Pisa. He was succeeded by his son Gherardo (c. 1370-1405) in 1398, who, one year later, ceded the seigniory of Pisa to

Gian Galeazzo Visconti Gian Galeazzo Visconti (16 October 1351 – 3 September 1402), was the first duke of Milan (1395) and ruled the late-medieval city just before the dawn of the Renaissance. He also ruled Lombardy jointly with his uncle Bernabò. He was the foundi ...

lord of Milan The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna. Before elevation to duchy Until 1259, Milan was a free commune that elect ...

; when the latter died, Pisa was sold to

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 ...

by Gabriele Maria Visconti, while the Appiani retained the lordship of

Piombino Piombino is an Italian town and ''comune'' of about 35,000 inhabitants in the province of Livorno (Tuscany). It lies on the border between the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea, in front of Elba Island and at the northern side of Maremma. Ove ...

, Suvereto, Buriano,

Scarlino Scarlino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence and about northwest of Grosseto. Scarlino borders the following municipalities: Castiglione della Pescaia, Fol ...

Vignale Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe.Populonia Populonia or Populonia Alta (Etruscan: ''Pupluna'', ''Pufluna'' or ''Fufluna'', all pronounced ''Fufluna''; Latin: ''Populonium'', ''Populonia'', or ''Populonii'') today is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Piombino (Tuscany, central Italy). As o ...

Elba Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National ...

Pianosa Pianosa () is an island in the Tuscan Archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. It is about in area, with a coastal perimeter of . Geography In Roman times the island was named ''Planasia'' (plain) because of its flatness – its highest poin ...

and

Montecristo Montecristo, also Monte Cristo (, ) and formerly Oglasa ( grc, Ὠγλάσσα, Ōglássa), is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea and part of the Tuscan Archipelago. Administratively it belongs to the municipality of Portoferraio in the province o ...

. Gherardo was succeeded by his son Iacopo II in 1404; at his death (1441), his mother and regent

Paola Colonna Paola Colonna (c. 1378 – 3 November 1450) was the lady of Piombino from 1441 until 1445. She was born in Genazzano as the daughter of Agapito Colonna, lord of Genazzano. Her brother Giordano was shortly Prince of Salerno and Duke of Venosa, whi ...

clashed against

Emanuele Appiani Emanuele Appiani (c. 1380 – 15 February 1457) was Prince of Piombino during the Appiani dynasty in the Renaissance.Mauro Carrara, Signori e principi di Piombino, Bandecchi & Vivaldi, Pontedera 1996. He was born in Pisa, the son of Iacopo I A ...

for Piombino. Paola Colonna died in 1445, and the rule went to

Caterina Caterina is a feminine given name which is an Italian and Catalan form of the name ''Katherine''. Notable people with the name include: In music: * Caterina Assandra, Italian composer and Benedictine nun * Caterina Bueno, Italian singer and fo ...

, Iacopo II's sister, although the effective rule was held by her husband

Rinaldo Orsini Rinaldo Orsini (died 1450) was an Italian condottiero, a member of the Orsini family. He was the son of Jacopo Orsini. In 1426 he fought for the Pope against the Colonna family. In 1442 he was hired by the Republic of Siena, and in 1445 he beca ...

. Rinaldo died of plague in 1450 and Caterina in 1451, after which Emanuele was elected lord of Piombino by the population. In 1509 Iacopo IV was accorded the title of Prince of Piombino by emperor Maximilian of Habsburg. His son Iacopo V married two sisters of the two

Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...

popes Leo X and

Clement VII Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...

and, after they had both died, a descendant of

Lorenzo de' Medici Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (; 1 January 1449 – 8 April 1492) was an Italian statesman, banker, ''de facto'' ruler of the Florentine Republic and the most powerful and enthusiastic patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. Also known as Lorenzo ...

. However, his son Iacopo VI was ousted from Piombino in 1548 by emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...

, who assigned his lands to

Cosimo I, Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Life Rise to power Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...

. Iacopo was restored in 1559, though three years later a popular revolt forced him to fight in the Tuscan navy, leaving his son Alessandro as governor. Alessandro was able to obtain the imperial legitimation, but was killed by the populace in 1589 after four years of reign. Iacopo VII succeeded him, obtaining from emperor

Rudolf II Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg), Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–160 ...

the title of prince. After Iacopo died heirless in 1603, Piombino went to a cousin, but the principality was actually held by

Isabella Appiani Isabella Appiani (1577 – 10 November 1661) was Princess of Piombino from 1611 until 1628. Through her father, she was a descendant of Lorenzo de' Medici Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (; 1 January 1449 – 8 April 1492) was an Italian statesma ...

until 1628, when she was ousted; finally, in 1634 emperor Ferdinand II assigned Piombino to

Niccolò Ludovisi Niccolò I Ludovisi (1610 – 25 December 1664) was Prince of Piombino from 1634 until his death, along his military and diplomatic career he was known and recorded in historical documents as Commander ''Niccolò da Candia'', for his engagement ...

, who married a daughter of Isabella.

History

References

See also