House of Simonetti

The Simonetti family is an Italian family with origins in Tuscany during the 11th Century. During the 12th Century different branches in Florence(Siminetti,della Sannella), Lucca, Pistoia and Pescia developed. Other famous branches of this family are the house of Simonetti of Jesi (Fava-Simonetti) and Simonetti of Milan. Dante, Villani and Gamurrini mentioned or discussed the dn|Lombard noble origins of the family and its decline as a powerful noble family.

Simonetti of Lucca

The Lucca branch of the family became bankers to Edward I of England and the Pope. The family was also one of the three major families controlling the Riccardi Bank 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 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 Castruccio 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 Castruccio Castracani. Francisco Simonetti dei Quartigiani was pro Florence and influenced in the acquisition of Lucca by Florence in 1341. [http://archivi.beniculturali.it/ASLU/patrimonio/curiarettori.html] 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). [http://www.google.ca/books?vid=04Auw29_-MO3S64BTHnoQe&id=jJeGzd64p_MC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=Giuseppe+Matraia#PPA46,M1]

Famous Members of the Family

Count Lorenzo Simonetti

Princess Isotta Simonetti (dei Principi di Musone, Bologna)

Prince D. Raniero Simonetti (Bologna)

Cardinal Giuseppe Simonetti (Rome)

Cardinal Raniero Simonetti (Governor of Rome, Noble of Cingoli)

Marquis Saverio Simonetti (Napoli, Secretary of State - Sicily)

Marquis Filippo Simonetti (Sabina, Rome)

Giacinta Simonetti (daughter of Marquis Simonetti, Rome. Mother of explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza) [http://www.brazza.culture.fr/en/homme/giacinta.htm]

Further reading

U.Bosco, "Encyclopedia Dan

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)