Carraresi family
Encyclopedia
The Carraresi were an important family of northern Italy
in the period 12th-15th centuries. As signori of Padua, their overwhelming power and patronage
placed them in an isolated position far outshining any other single family. Their extensive land holdings in the Paduan contado
were supplemented by extensive property within the comune
itself, and their political prominence made them comparable to the Scaligeri of contemporary Verona
, or the Visconti
of Milan
. Margaret Plant has examined how "in its period of domination in Padua from 1337 to 1405 the house of Carrara sustained a singular chapter in the history of patronage". Francesco il Vecchio, son of Giacomo, a close friend of Petrarch
in his early years, was a noted patron of Petrarch himself and commissioned frescoes (destroyed) illustrating Petrarch's De viris illustribus
in the palazzo, ca 1367-79, employing Guariento
and others; Petrarch's retirement years were spent at Arquà, a Carrara fief, and he bequeathed to Francesco his picture of the Virgin by Giotto.
Coming from Carrara Santo Stefano
, near Padua
, the family had their origin in a certain Gamberto/Gumberto, of Lombard
origin, to judge from his name and that of his son Luitolfo, founder of the abbey of Carrara in 1027; Gumberto was signore of castrum Carrariae, the Castello of Carrara San Giorgio. Faithful to the Emperors generation after generation, after becoming lords of Pernumia
, in 1338 they ousted the Veronese
della Scala from Padua and became the lords of that city. In 1388 a coalition of Milanese and Venetian forced Francesco il Vecchio to abdicate in favor of his son. The Venetians invested Padua as Venetian territory in 1405. The elder Cararrese line was extinguished with the murders of Francesco Novello da Carrara
and all his sons but Marsilio and bishop Stefano in a Venetian prison in 1406; Marsilio died soon after, and Stefano fled to Rome, where he lived until 1448; all Paduan bishops to the end of the Venetian Republic (1797), with two exceptions, were Venetian nobles. The Baptistery at Padua, which was under Carrarese patronage and served as their mortuary chapels, reverted to the bishop and the cathedral chapter; its Carrarese tombs were removed when the floor level was raised.
Part of their palace in Padua is still standing. Notable parts are the Loggia and the Sala dei Giganti. They erected the important Abbazia di Santo Stefano abbey in the locality Carrara Santo Stefano, between the modern Due Carrare
and Padua. The abbey's church, dedicated to Saint Stephen, is still standing today and contains, among others, the tomb of Marsilio da Carrara
.
In the 15th century the Carraresi were represented in the cadet male line of the two descended from 13th-century brothers Marsilio (the elder) and Jacopino (the younger). The imprese of the family coat of arms is a four-wheeled cart (carro), and the family colors are red and white, in a checkerboard arrangement.
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
in the period 12th-15th centuries. As signori of Padua, their overwhelming power and patronage
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
placed them in an isolated position far outshining any other single family. Their extensive land holdings in the Paduan contado
Contado
Contado can mean:* a county in Italian. In the context of pre-modern Italy, generally refers to the countryside surrounding, and controlled by, the city state. The contado provided natural resources and agricultural products to sustain the urban population...
were supplemented by extensive property within the comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
itself, and their political prominence made them comparable to the Scaligeri of contemporary Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
, or the Visconti
House of Visconti
Visconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. Margaret Plant has examined how "in its period of domination in Padua from 1337 to 1405 the house of Carrara sustained a singular chapter in the history of patronage". Francesco il Vecchio, son of Giacomo, a close friend of Petrarch
Petrarch
Francesco Petrarca , known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar, poet and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism"...
in his early years, was a noted patron of Petrarch himself and commissioned frescoes (destroyed) illustrating Petrarch's De viris illustribus
De viris illustribus
De viris illustribus, meaning "On Illustrious / Famous Men", represents a trope of ancient Roman exemplary literature that was revived during the Italian Renaissance and inspired the assembly or commissioning of series of portraits of outstanding men— and sometimes, by the sixteenth century, of...
in the palazzo, ca 1367-79, employing Guariento
Guariento
Guariento , sometimes incorrectly named Guerriero, was the first Paduan painter of distinction.The only date distinctly known in his career is 1355, when, having already acquired high renown in his native city, he was invited by the Venetian authorities to paint a Paradise, and some incidents of...
and others; Petrarch's retirement years were spent at Arquà, a Carrara fief, and he bequeathed to Francesco his picture of the Virgin by Giotto.
Coming from Carrara Santo Stefano
Due Carrare
Due Carrare is a comune in the Province of Padua in the Italian region Veneto, located about 40 km southwest of Venice and about 15 km south of Padua....
, near Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, the family had their origin in a certain Gamberto/Gumberto, of Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
origin, to judge from his name and that of his son Luitolfo, founder of the abbey of Carrara in 1027; Gumberto was signore of castrum Carrariae, the Castello of Carrara San Giorgio. Faithful to the Emperors generation after generation, after becoming lords of Pernumia
Pernumia
Pernumia is a comune in the Province of Padua in the Italian region Veneto, located about 45 km southwest of Venice and about 20 km southwest of Padua. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,756 and an area of 13.2 km².Pernumia borders the following municipalities:...
, in 1338 they ousted the Veronese
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
della Scala from Padua and became the lords of that city. In 1388 a coalition of Milanese and Venetian forced Francesco il Vecchio to abdicate in favor of his son. The Venetians invested Padua as Venetian territory in 1405. The elder Cararrese line was extinguished with the murders of Francesco Novello da Carrara
Francesco Novello Carraresi
Francesco Novello da Carrara was Lord of Padua after his father, Francesco il Vecchio, renounced the lordship on June 29, 1388; he was a member of the family of Carraresi...
and all his sons but Marsilio and bishop Stefano in a Venetian prison in 1406; Marsilio died soon after, and Stefano fled to Rome, where he lived until 1448; all Paduan bishops to the end of the Venetian Republic (1797), with two exceptions, were Venetian nobles. The Baptistery at Padua, which was under Carrarese patronage and served as their mortuary chapels, reverted to the bishop and the cathedral chapter; its Carrarese tombs were removed when the floor level was raised.
Part of their palace in Padua is still standing. Notable parts are the Loggia and the Sala dei Giganti. They erected the important Abbazia di Santo Stefano abbey in the locality Carrara Santo Stefano, between the modern Due Carrare
Due Carrare
Due Carrare is a comune in the Province of Padua in the Italian region Veneto, located about 40 km southwest of Venice and about 15 km south of Padua....
and Padua. The abbey's church, dedicated to Saint Stephen, is still standing today and contains, among others, the tomb of Marsilio da Carrara
Marsilio da Carrara
Marsilio da Carrara was Lord of Padua after his uncle Jacopo I. He was a member of the Carraresi family.He successfully faced a plot against him in the city. However, after treason of his nephew Nicolò da Carrara who had sided with the Scaliger of Verona, Marsilio was forced to relinquish Padua to...
.
In the 15th century the Carraresi were represented in the cadet male line of the two descended from 13th-century brothers Marsilio (the elder) and Jacopino (the younger). The imprese of the family coat of arms is a four-wheeled cart (carro), and the family colors are red and white, in a checkerboard arrangement.
Notable members
- Gumberto (died before 970)
- Gumberto (died before 1027)
- Litolfo da Carrara (died before 1068), who founded the Abbazia of Santo Stefano in Due CarrareDue CarrareDue Carrare is a comune in the Province of Padua in the Italian region Veneto, located about 40 km southwest of Venice and about 15 km south of Padua....
(1027). - Artiuccio
- Gumberto (known in 1077)
- Marsilio (known in 1109)
- Marsilio (died before 1210)
- Jacopino (died before 1262)
- Jacopo IJacopo I da CarraraJacopo or Giacomo I da Carrara , called the Great , was the founder of the Carraresi dynasty that ruled Padua from 1318 to 1405. He governed with the advice of the leading citizens during a rule characterised by unity within the city...
, called "The Great", lord of Padua (died 1324) - MarsilioMarsilio da CarraraMarsilio da Carrara was Lord of Padua after his uncle Jacopo I. He was a member of the Carraresi family.He successfully faced a plot against him in the city. However, after treason of his nephew Nicolò da Carrara who had sided with the Scaliger of Verona, Marsilio was forced to relinquish Padua to...
, lord of Padua (died 1338) - UbertinelloUbertinelloUbertino I da Carrara , called Novello and better known as Ubertinello, was the Lord of Padua from 1338 until his death.-Youth:...
, lord of Padua (died 1345) - Marsilietto Papafava, lord of Padua (died 1345)
- Jacopo IIJacopo II da CarraraJacopo II da Carrara , of the Carraresi family, was the capitano del popolo of Padua from 1345 until his death. Though he assumed power through forged documents and political murder, he was a patron of art and literature. He succeeded in bringing Francesco Petrarca to Padua for a time, and his own...
, lord of Padua d. 1372 in prison - Francesco "il Veccho"Francesco I da CarraraFrancesco I da Carrara was Lord of Padua from 1350 to 1388.The son of the assassinated Giacomo II da Carrara, he succeeded him as lord of Padua by popular acclamation. In 1356 he was named imperial vicar by emperor Charles IV...
, lord of Padua (abdicated in favor of his son, 1388; died a prisoner of Giangaleazzo Visconti at MonzaMonzaMonza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
, 1393) - Francesco NovelloFrancesco Novello CarraresiFrancesco Novello da Carrara was Lord of Padua after his father, Francesco il Vecchio, renounced the lordship on June 29, 1388; he was a member of the family of Carraresi...
(1359–1405) - Francesco III (died 1405)
- Giacomo (died 1405)
- Marsilio (died 1435)