- Gabrielli (Gabrielli di Gubbio)
The Gabrielli (sometimes known as "Gabrielli di
Gubbio ") are an Italian feudal family fromGubbio , a town inUmbria .Some historians trace their origins back to the Roman age, and claim they descend from the emperor
Caracalla , however the first historical documents mentioning the family appear in the 10th century only, when Cante Gabrielli was awarded byPope Stephen VII a few castles in central Italy, and especially the castle at Luceoli, which was renamedCantiano (i.e. belonging to Cante) after him.The family grew in power and many of its members had remarkable lives:
*
Forte Gabrielli was a hermit in the mountains around Gubbio, and later on joined the Benedectines at Fonte Avellana. He died on 9 May 1040 and was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV on 17 March 1756. His body is still exposed in the Cathedral of Gubbio.
*Saint Rodolfo Gabrielli was born in 1034 and in 1054 bequeathed his castle at Camporeggiano toSaint Peter Damian and became aBenedictine monk at the Monastery of Fonte Avellana. He was appointedbishop of Gubbio in 1061 and died on 17 October 1064. He was later canonized.
*His brotherPietro Gabrielli was also beatified.
*Girolamo Gabrielli was the leader of 1000 knights during theFirst Crusade . According to an undocumented tradition he was the first Crusader to enter theHoly Sepulchre whenJerusalem was seized (1099).
*Cante Gabrielli wasCommander in Chief of the Guelph League in CentralItaly andPodestà (Lord-Mayor) ofFlorence . He condemnedDante Alighieri , the famous poet, forbarratry , and exiled him fromFlorence .Dante took vengeance on Cante by giving the allusive name ofRubicante to the furious devil thatDante himself encounters in theDivine Comedy , in thebolgia ofbarratry (cantos XXI and XXII).Giosuè Carducci , the famous Italian poet andNobel Prize winner in 1906, also dedicated a sonnet toCante Gabrielli .
*Blessed Castora Gabrielli joined theFranciscan order as a tertiary. She died on 14 June 1391 and was later beatified.
*Giovanni Gabrielli , count of Borgovalle was lord ofGubbio from 1350 to 1354.
*Paolo Gabrielli wasbishop of Lucca from 1374 to 1380. He died inPerugia and was buried in thecathedral of that city.
*Gabriello Gabrielli was lord andbishop of Gubbio from 1381 to 1384.
*Gabriele Gabrielli (1445-1511), called "Il Cardinal d'Urbino" (the Cardinal of Urbino), wasbishop of Urbino from 1504 until his death. He was created Cardinal in 1505, and died in theApostolic Palace inRome .
*Francesco Gabrielli, count of Baccaresca , served as General of Italian troops during thePortugal war and died at the battle ofAlcazarquivir in 1578.
*Giulio Gabrielli the Elder (1604-1677) was created Cardinal in 1641.
*Domenico Gabrielli (1651-1690) composer and virtuoso violoncello player.
*Giulio Gabrielli the Younger (1746-1822) served asCardinal Secretary of State from 26 March 1808 to 25 July 1814.
*Rodolfo Gabrielli di Montevecchio (1802-1855), considered a hero of the ItalianRisorgimento , fought in the First Independence War, distinguishing himself at Santa Lucia (1848) and Sforzesca (1849), where he commanded the Piemonte Reale Cavalleria regiment. Deployed inCrimea as a General of thePiedmont-Sardinia army, he was mortally wounded at Cernaia on 16 August 1855 and died two months later at theBalaclava hospital.
*CountNicolò Gabrielli (1814-1891) was a well known musician at the court of the French EmperorNapoleon III .The family divided over the centuries in many branches, the most famous of which was the one that settled in
Rome and obtained the title of Prince of Prossedi. Two members of this branch married two princesses of theBonaparte family. The line is currently continuing in the di Carpegna-Falconieri-Gabrielli family.A branch that settled in Fano was styled Gabrielli-Wiseman, and was related to
Nicholas Cardinal Wiseman . Another branch settled in Fano was styled Gabrielli di Montevecchio, and bears the titles of Duke and Count.The branch that settled in theKingdom of the Two Sicilies bears the title of Count Gabrielli and Baron of Quercita.All the branches bear the title of "Patrizio di Gubbio" (Patrician of Gubbio).
References
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Francesco Sansovino , "Della origine et de' fatti delle famiglie illustri di Italia". Venezia, Salicato, 1609
*G. B. di Crollalanza , "Dizionario Storico-Blasonico", Pisa, 1886
*Vittorio Spreti , "Enciclopedia Storico Nobiliare Italiana", Milano, 1928-35
* "Libro d'Oro della Nobiltà Italiana", XXII edizione, Roma, 2000
*Annuario della Nobiltà Italiana , XXX edizione, 2006
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