Historical Notes Covering Plate One

These notes are taken from the Genealogy and History of the Guadagni family by Luigi Passerini, and translated from Italian by Francesco Carloni. Revised and updated by Antonio, Isabella, and Vieri Guadagni.

The number before the name refers to the number on the family tree

Please click here to view plate one.

1. Guittone

Gamurrini recalls a parchment of 1080, drawn up by notary Peter, which states that Guittone Guadagni bought some land in the parish of S. Martino a Lubaco, in a place called Marusia. This document was originally located in the archive of the convent of Vallombrosa but it was not transferred with the other documents of the convent to the diplomatic archive and then to the state archive in 1776. Today it is nowhere to be found. However Gamurrini says he saw it and noted it in his annotation books; There are rumours that the monks did not hand over all the parchments as the law demanded but hid as many as they could.

Back to Top

 

2. Giovanni

His existence is proven by a parchment of the capitular archive, recalled by Lami in his book "Monumenti delIa chiesa fiorentina" (Monuments of the Florentine church) on page 944. It is dated 10/1/1088. In it Giovanni appears as a witness to the donation of a piece of land located in Rovezzano made by Eppo di Marone to the church of S. Reparata.

Back to Top

 

3. Francesco

I will use a document recalled by Lami (same book as above, page 1016) in which Franciscus Iohannis Guictonis (Latin for Francesco son of Giovanni son of Guittone) is remembered as being the guarantor for Matilde, wife of Induino of Domenico Cavacapo. In this document the latter pawned some properties located in Monteripaldi to Tosa, wife of Migliorello of Davizzo Visdomini, on March 11, 1126. He was still alive in 1152, since on December 15 of that year he sold a piece of land located at Ripole and Alberello to the monks of Vallombrosa for 43 lire of Lucca currency. The parchment, drawn up by Corbizzo, can be found in the State archive among the papers originating from the monks of Vallombrosa. The same paper proves the existence of his wife, Ermellina, and his son, Guittone, who also took part in the sale.

Back to Top

 

4. Ildebrandino

With the permission of his wife Brunetta he gave a piece of land in Casciolla to Chiaro, prior of S. Maria Maggiore, for the use of the church on December 18 1198. This paper can be found in the archive of the Cathedral of Florence and was published by Lami in the aforementioned work. According to Guadagni Family tradition, Pope Innocent III gave the Guadagni Family a relic, consisting of a piece of the Cross of Christ, to reward them for having helped finance the Fourth Crusade in the year  1198, by donation of money and land. It seems that the date corresponds to the above mentioned donation of the land in Casciolla by Ildebrandino. The relic, guaranteed as authentic by a recent Vatican certificate, seems to have been originally bigger but was “partitioned” among family members through the centuries. A sliver of it was inherited by Antonio Guadagni, son of Luigi and Antonietta Revedin. At his death, his widow, Dolores Mapelli Guadagni, and his three children, Tecla, Vieri and Carlo, lent it to Monsignor Edward L. Buelt, pastor of Our Lady of Loreto Church in Denver, CO. It was placed in a little icon on top of a crucifix Cimabue style above the main altar of the church, to be venerated by the faithful. I am not sure if another document published by Lami in his book with the date April 22 1224 refers to the same Ildebrandino. In it it appears that sir Ildebrandino of Guittone, maybe a knight by then, was witness to another act related to the church of S. Maria Maggiore. No author has noticed that we should start the series of Guadagni who held public office from him rather than from his brother Guadagno. He started it in a very noble way: his name can be found among those of the Consuls who governed the Republic of Florence in 1202. Probably, he was the Consul of the merchants. Ildebrandino of Guittone is remembered in two documents: one is the treaty of alliance with the city of Montepulciano; the other is a chart of privileges given on February 20 to the ancestors of the del Sera family and to others in S. Donato in Poci who had acted well on behalf of the Florentines in the war of Semifonte.

Back to Top

 

5. Guadagno

On May 15, 1204, he exercised his public authority by assigning Tignoso Lamberti as ambassador to the Roman Curia. At the time he was one of the three Prior of the Arts, who governed the Florentine Republic together with the consuls. We don't have any document describing the political constitution of our old republic at that time so we must limit our knowledge of it to the papers concerning that century which are still available and to suppositions. We find the first consuls around 1160. They were in charge of governing the city. But we don't know how many there were; often there were two, however, sometimes there were more, as many as twelve. One thing we can be sure of: they were all picked among the wealthy families of the city, who later became part of the aristocracy. In 1202 the common people were mixed with the nobility. We read of a certain Chiarito del Pilli, consul of the merchants, who represented Florence in the negotiations with the government of the city of Sangimignano. I cannot believe that the participation of the common people to the supreme power of the city happened peacefully. I am sure that the upper class had to give in because of a revolt of the commoners. But the history of Florence does not mention this fact. When Guadagno was called to his public office, there were eleven consuls chosen among the nobility, a twelfth consul was placed at the head of the administration of justice; two more nobles were consuls of the army there were three commoners elected as priors of the arts: and above all was a senator, whose name was Forte of Bilicozzo, from whom the Gondi family originated. The fact that Guadagno was elected to the public office is a proof not only of the high esteem he was held in in the city but also of his great wealth as a merchant.

Back to Top

 

6. Migliore

"Migliore filius Ildebrandini Guictonis" (Latin for Migliore son of Ildebrandino of Guittone) was a witness of the sale of a piece of land located in Polverosa, that a certain Iacopo made to a priest called Chiaro, prior of S. Maria Maggiore on April 2 1196. This is documented by a parchment of the capitular archive, published by Lami in his book "Monumenti delIa chiesa fiorentina." I know nothing else about him.

Back to Top

 

7. Gianni

"Gianni filius Guadagni" is mentioned as one of the twelve elders in 1253. The following year on February the fourth, he is one of the members of the City Council who signed the peace treaty between the Florentines and their allies from Lucca and Prato, and the representatives of the city of Pistoia. At that time Italy was torn apart by the war between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy. Many towns, Florence included, had two parties, warring against each other: the Guelphs, who were for the Pope, and the Ghibellines, for the Emperor. The Guadagni declared themselves Guelphs and remained faithful to their party, following its military and political ups and downs. When in 1260, the Guelph city of Florence attacked the city of Siena, which was Ghibelline, Gianni fought for Florence under the banner of Ruggerino of Fulcone in the tragic battle of Montaperti, which Florence lost. After that defeat, the Guadagni were forced to leave Florence and live in exile until the Guelph victories of Benevento and Tagliacozzo brought the Guelphs back to power.

Back to Top

 

8. Zato

In 1289, Zato divided the family properties located in Lubaco with his brothers, but they decided that the castle and the surrounding land would remain undivided among the different members of the family.

Back to Top

 

9. Pierotto

He fought in the Guelph army in the aforementioned battle of Montaperti in 1260, and after the defeat he lived some time in exile. Back in Florence he was one of the guarantors of the peace with the Ghibellines in 1281; rich people on both sides were called to sign the peace treaty. In 1295 and again in 1299 he was elected prior. In December 1298 he was elected with other people to try and recuperate goods and properties of the city of Florence. In 1305 he was gonfalonier of justice. He did not live much longer because he died for sure before 1309. He was a banker and one of the wealthiest in Florence. In 1298 he was one of the people who guaranteed the city of Florence for 60,000 gold florins that they would loyally guard the castle of Laterina, which had been consigned to him. But before his death his bank became insolvent and his palace, situated close to the Balla door, had to be rented to the famous Antonio d'Orso, bishop of Florence. The same palace returned to the family use later on and remained family property until today.

Back to Top

 

10. Lotto

In many documents he is called Ghiotto. We don't have any information concerning him before 1295: in that year he was a prior from February 15 to April 15. During his office as prior Giano delIa Bella went in voluntary exile. The governing council of Florence had brought an action against Giano, accusing him of having secretely instigated the people to revolt against the mayor, drive him away and plunder his palace. In Lotto's time Florence was no more divided between Guelphs and Ghibellines, but between Bianchi, who stood for the lower classes, and Neri, who defended the interests of the rich. Lotto sided with the Neri and was held in great esteem by the governing council because of it. However, when the ambitious aims of the leader of the Neri, Corso Donati, were discovered, he was one of the people who opposed Corso and instigated a riot against the latter resulting in the killing of the arrogant leader. In 1308 the government of Florence rewarded him publicly for this behavior by awarding him the privilege of bearing arms. This privilege of going around armed even in absence of war or conflict was only granted to the nobles and the upper class. I do not know if he took part in the war against Arezzo but I know for sure that he fought in the heroic defence of Florence, besieged by the emperor Arrigo VII. When the emperor was forced to raise the siege he was furious and in a declaration at Poggibonsi he proclaimed rebels to the empire the most famous Guelphs of Florence, Lotto Guadagni included. He was still living in 1325, because he was one of the members of the City Council that year; the same year, he and his children on one side and the descendants of Guadagno of Guittone on the other presented a request to the City Council to be freed from the regulations of family obligations because no living person at that time could remember how the two branches of the family were related.

Back to Top

 

11. Filippone

He was a City Councilman in 1295. But he was more a man of war than of peace and we find him in all the military campaigns of the Republic. He distinguished himself in the war against Pistoia; then he fought in the war against Arezzo. When the freedom of Florence was threatened by the Holy Roman Emperor Arrigo VII he organized a military company together with the bravest men in Florence. It was called the company of the band because its banner was made of a red band on a green background. The goal of the members of the company was to emulate each other in who could do the bravest deeds in battle. That is why Arrigo VII did not forget to mention his name also in the list of the rebels to the Empire. But the Florentines will always remember him as a hero to whom the city owes much. When Florence created the Magistrature of the sixteen Ward Captains, he was chosen to bear it's banner. In 1325 he was among the priors.

Back to Top

 

12. Migliorozzo

He was a warrior more than a merchant. He fought in the defense of Florence against Arrigo VII in 1312, and his name also is recalled in the list of the enemies of the Empire. He fought in the battle of Montecatini in 1315 among the "feditori" and was a " fed it ore" also in the tragic battle of Altopascio in 1325. This army corps of "feditori" was made up of the bravest soldiers of the army, who fought in the front line to meet the first attack of the enemy. He was a Prior in 1321 and standard-bearer of the company of his district in 1325. He spent the rest of his life as a military commander, mostly in charge of guarding the fortresses which Florence had conquered. He was a violent man, enemy to his own relatives. In 1327 he attacked, smit and wounded his cousin Gherardo with a knife. Later he poisoned the pancakes that Gherardo and his pregnant wife were eating. The couple were given an antidote which saved their life momentarily but the wife died of the consequences of being poisoned two months later. When the crime was discovered, on February 18 the judge sentenced Migliorozzo to pay a fine of 2,000 lire and to have his right hand and left foot cut off. However the second part of the sentence was not carried out because the victims offered him peace and forgiveness on Good Friday of that same year which fell on March 22. He died anyway a short time later in 1333.

Back to Top

 

13. Biagio

He was an illegitimate son. He was a lot older than his brothers and in 1328 he was named their guardian. He was a soldier all his life and participated in all the wars of the Florentine Republic. As an old man he supervised the management of the castles that defended the territory of the Republic. In 1356 he was given the management of Pagliericcio in Mugello, where he remained until he died in 1363.

Back to Top

 

14. Pieraccio

His name can be found for the first time in official documents in 1313, when he was condemned by Arrigo VII for having defended Florence against the Emperor. Afterwards he was "feditore" in Montecatini in 1315 and in Altopascio in 1325. In 1317 he was Chief Justice in Florence. He supervised the construction of a bridge on the Arno River. This bridge was to have been called"Royal". However it was never finished because of floods which completely destroyed the piers. In 1324 he was a Prior. At that time Pieraccio and his brothers started becoming hostile to the descendants of Migliore of Panza Guadagni. In 1324 common friends tried to soothe the animosity. He died in June 1328.

Back to Top

 

15. Francesco

He was a soldier and mercenary that spent all his life fighting for Florence and for other cities who would pay him for it. When he became unfit to fight actively he asked to be put in the management of the fortresses that defended the Florentine territory. In 1335 he was appointed governor of the castle of Uzzano and in 1340 of the castle of Altopascio. He died in 1348. He was an insolent fellow and we often find his name in the criminal records of the city. In 1332 he and his brother Biagio and a few cut-throats attacked three peaceful citizens they greatly disliked and seriously injured them. Whence Biagio was fined 800 lire and Francesco 400. They avoided a more serious sentence by giving money to their victims who did not prosecute them further. They were on bad terms with some of the Quintanelli family of S. Martino a Lubaco and blood was shed on both sides. However the governing council of Florence asked for anger to be put aside and Francesco and his sons solemnly promised peace on September 17, 1341. In 1345, his niece Lisbetta went to the mayor and accused Francesco of having invaded her properties by main force and having encroached some of her estates. But the accusation was proven unfounded and Francesco was acquitted. There is some confusion on who were his descendants and I cannot guarantee an exact specification of all of them. This branch of the family became extinct a long time ago and their names do not appear on the cadastral registers because they were poor. It is easy to make mistakes on their names and dates because the documents that remain are very uncertain.

Back to Top

 

16. Lapo

He was a City Councilman in 1342. Giovanni marquis of Monte Santa Maria, mayor of Florence, sentenced him to be beheaded in January 1344 for the following crime. Lapo was still hostile to the descendants of Migliore of Panza Guadagni the only one left was now Filippo of Lotto, so he decided to kill him. With the help of his brother Naddo and of his cousin Leonardo he attacked him close to San Michele Visdomini and left him lifeless because of his wounds. Ser Banco of Lapo Alfani, parish priest of S. Stefano a Castiglione, witnessed the deed and started to defend Filippo; he was wounded on the face. In spite of that he ran after the attackers to have them arrested but was killed by Lapo and Leonardo. When the felony was taken to court the three culprits were sentenced to pay 4200 lire each for the wounds inflicted on Filippo. For the murder of Alfani the two killers were sentenced to death and to have all their properties confiscated. Lapo was in the city jail at that time so the verdict was carried out and he was beheaded.

Back to Top

 

17. Naddo

He was a member of the City Council in 1338. Convicted of the aggression upon his cousin Filippo he had to pay a large fine; maybe because of his ensuing poverty he left Florence and lived in the country. He died very old on February 5, 1401.

Back to Top

 

18. Leonardo

He signed a peace treaty with the Quintanelli family in 1341. Convicted of the murder of Banco Alfani, he was sentenced to death and to have his properties confiscated; but he hid himself and avoided the death penalty. He lived many years in Pisa and then it seemed that he was allowed to come back to S. Martino a Lubaco and live there. He stayed there until he died a few years later.

Back to Top

 

19. Antonio

It seems that he was poor and opted to live in the country in the parish of S. Martino a Castel Lubaco. In 1335 he was City Councilman. He was a soldier and the Republic provided for his needs by paying him to defend their fortresses. He was appointed governor of the castle of Tirli in 1334, of Vellano in 1336, of Montopoli in 1341. He was then entrusted to pass in review the paid soldiers in Mugello in 1354j afterwards he was appointed governor of the castle of Carmignano. In 1356 he was asked to manage the fortress of Monteluco dalla Berardenga. In 1358 he was sent with full authority to Valdarno to provide to the needs of the fortresses and to pass in review the soldiers. In 1362 he was appointed governor of the old fortress of Prato and the following year of the more important one of Volterra, where he stayed many years. He was still living in 1382 when he was recalled among the legatees of his cousin Migliore of Vieri. He too was accused of unlawful deeds by the mayor. In 1361 they inquired into the accusation of having beaten and threatened a prisoner with a knife, while he was supervisor of the jail of the Stinche. However, the prosecutor was convicted of slander and condemned on September 4, while Antonio was absolved.

Back to Top

 

20. Matteo

He was approved elected to public office in 1411 and 1433. In March 1406 he was elected mayor of Monterappoli, Pontorno and Granaiolo; in December 1408 of Castel franco and Santa Maria a Monte; in April 1410 of Carmignano. In 1415 he was appoined governor of the fortress of Pisa. In December 1416 he was mayor of Ponsacco and Capannoli.

Back to Top

 

21. Battista

She was the daughter of Giovanni of Ranieri degli Abati. If not the last descendant of this family she was at least the heir of the main branch. She married Guadagni in 1437 and she brought to him in dowry many properties listed in the cadastral register of 1470. However, in the cadastral register of 1480, in the district of . S. Giovanni, which has the golden lion as a banner, this poor woman described her poor state with the following words: "She lives of alms and is infirm; the Inquisitor tortured her on the wheel and she cannot use her arms anymore and he drew seven of her teeth which he carries in his bag". Her properties had probably been confiscated. The crime of that woman, who was in her sixties at that time, is unknown, because the Inquisition papers are jealously kept by who is in charge of them. It is probable she was accused of being a witch. She died in 1492.

Back to Top

 

22. Marino

He went to Rome to look for prosperity. At first he became an aide to Cardinal Orsinit, then he was secretary to the Pope John XXIII for Latin letters. He kept his job with Pope Martino V who ordered him to be ordained a priest, as he was only a friar until then. In 1416 he was appointed canonical of the Church of Florence. He was also canonical of Volterra, of Pistoia, of Pisa in 1422, of Fiesole in 1428, and of Bayeux in France in 1430. He was parish priest of S. Giovanni a Cornazzano, S. Cecilia a Decimo and S. Floriano a Castelfalfi. While he was at the Pope's court he had the title of acolyte, abbreviator and apostolic protonotary. The Republic of Florence held him in great esteem and recommended him to the Pope for the Archbishopship of Pistoia in 1428, and for the one of Arezzo in 1433. He died in 1438.

Back to Top

 

23. Antonio

He was guilty of a serious crime in 1410. He had become partner with Gaspero del Legname, a citizen of Padua. Gaspero went to Florence, along with Antonio, introducing himself as Iacopo son of Francesco da Carrara, ruler of Padua, who had already been strangled by the Venetians and who looked like him. He asked that the money poor Iacopo had deposited in the Florentine banks be returned. The two partners were almost going to get all the money when their fraud was discovered. Thence they were both put to jail and beheaded.

Back to Top