Cavanna
Encyclopedia
Origins
It seems that the name first appeared historically in GenoaGenoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, and later in Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
. Nearby, a place called Cavanna di Lesignaro is to be found in the vicinity of Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
. In the center of the triangle Genoa-Piacenza-Parma lies the municipality of Ferriere
Ferriere
This article is about the Italian commune, for the Bordeaux Third growth see Château FerriereFerriere is a comune in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 150 km west of Bologna and about 45 km southwest of Piacenza, in the Val Nure of the Ligurian...
, which includes the localities of Cassimoreno and Centenaro, and adjacent to the neighbouring municipality of Farini. This is a montane area where a high concentration of Cavannas exists historically.
Aristocratic patrician lineage and titled nobility
The family has a coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, indicating noble origins, and several distinguished noble members through the centuries. They are listed as one of the several noble families of the former Republic of Genoa, and during the Albergo
Albergo
An Albergo was a term used during the Renaissance to indicate an organizational structure in which several families linked by blood or a common interest banded together. The different families derived economic, political, or military support from each other...
period of the governance of Genoa, they formed part of the Albergo De Franchi, one of the 28 Alberghi of the Republic of Genoa.
An Albergo (Alberghi in plural) was an informal grouping, in which several families bonded around a dominant family. Families of an Albergo shared the same political views and economic interests. They usually lived near each other and attended the same churches.
The Cavanna (De Franchi) heraldic arms are portrayed in the Libro d'Oro della Nobiltà di Genova, published in 1920. The Cavannas were also feudal Lords of Castel Gazzo, which castle today survives in the town of Novi Ligure
Novi Ligure
Novi Ligure is a town and comune north of Genoa, in the Piedmont region of the province of Alessandria of northwest Italy.The town produces food, iron, steel, and textiles. It is an important junction for both road and railroad....
, just north of Genoa, and Patricians of Genoa.
One of the earliest historical references to the family is found in a record of Ida and Ottobonus de Cavanna of Genoa, during the period 1202-1226. In the last part of the 14th century, one of the three skillful lawyers ("valenti giuristi") commended by the famous lawyer Bartolomeo Bosco was Antonio della Cavanna. He was confirmed as Lord of the castle of Gazzo by the Comune of Genoa in 18 October 1397. During 1423, he was Console of the Comune of Genoa in Caffa and during the 1430 was Vicario in Pera, the Genoa's neibourhood in Costantinopoli. In the 15th century, Galeazzo Cavanna (died circa 1480) was Signore di Castel Gazzo http://www.comune.noviligure.al.it/servizi/Menu/dinamica.aspx?idArea=2059&idCat=1989&ID=4468, a Patrician
Patricianship
Patricianship, the quality of belonging to a patriciate, began in the ancient world, where cities such as Ancient Rome had a class of patrician families whose members were the only people allowed to exercise many political functions...
of Genoa, and aristocratic Nobile
Nobile (aristocracy)
Nobile or Nob. is an Italian title of nobility ranking between that of baron and knight. As with the other titles of nobility, such as baron or count, nobile is also used immediately before the family name, usually in the abbreviated form: Nob.The word “nobile” is derived from the Latin “nobilis”,...
di Novi
Novi
- Places:In Bosnia and Herzegovina:* Bosanski Novi, a town in northwestern region of the country.In Italy:* Novi di Modena, a commune in the province of Modena...
and of Tortona
Tortona
Tortona is a comune of Piemonte, in the Province of Alessandria, Italy. Tortona is sited on the right bank of the Scrivia between the plain of Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines.-History:...
, and he married Orietta Fregoso of Genoa (1453–1494), who had a brother Rinaldo (1454–1498), a Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
of Saint John
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
of Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
(Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
, later known as Knights of Malta), and Prior of Tortona
Tortona
Tortona is a comune of Piemonte, in the Province of Alessandria, Italy. Tortona is sited on the right bank of the Scrivia between the plain of Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines.-History:...
. They were children of the Doge of Genoa
Doge of Genoa
The Republic of Genoa, in what is now northern Italy, was technically a communal republic in the early Middle Ages, although it was actually an oligarchy ruled by a small group of merchant families, from whom were selected the Doges of Genoa.- History :...
, Pietro II and his wife Bartolomea Grimaldi of the House of Grimaldi
House of Grimaldi
The House of Grimaldi is associated with the history of the Republic of Genoa and of the Principality of Monaco.-History:The Grimaldi family descends from Grimaldo, a Genoese statesman at the time of the early Crusades. He might have been a son of Otto Canella, a consul of the Republic of Genoa in...
rulers of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
and Princes of Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. A certain Gian Nicola di Gian Maria Cavanna is also recorded in Genoa in 1640.
Domenico Cavanna da Gropallo is found in records dating to 1700 in Casimoreno http://www.tuttogenealogia.it/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=31, a small fraction of the Commune di Ferriere. In 1794, Alba Cavanna became the third wife and Countess of Marco Antonio Arcelli (died 1812), Count of Monteventano, Montebissago, Veratto, and Valle Luretta. His sister Nobile Caterina married Nobile Manfredo Cavanna Pacchiarotti. Their aunt, Nobile Ippolita married Nobile Antonio Cavanna Pacchiarotti (died 1751). Another relative, Nobile Maria Teresa Cavanna Pacchiarotti (died 1748) married Conte Cesare Caracciolo, descendant of Antonio Caracciolo
Caracciolo
Caracciolo is the surname of a famous noble family of southern Italy.Its members include:*Battistello Caracciolo, Italian painter*Carmine Nicolao Caracciolo, Spanish viceroy of Peru*Francesco Caracciolo, Neapolitan admiral and revolutionist...
(died 1504), Count of Macerato, Statto, Fiorano, Pozzolo, Fabiano, Raglio and Spettino, Governor of Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
, and a Patrician of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
who served for the Duke 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 ,...
.
Don Giuseppe Cavanna was initiator and first director of “Il Resegone”, the first edition of which appeared in Lecco
Lecco
Lecco is a town of c. 47,760 inhabitants in Lombardy, northern Italy, north of Milan, the capital of the province of Lecco. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of Lake Como...
on 17 February 1882 as a response to national political turmoil and rampant laicization and anti-clericalism
Anti-clericalism
Anti-clericalism is a historical movement that opposes religious institutional power and influence, real or alleged, in all aspects of public and political life, and the involvement of religion in the everyday life of the citizen...
. Don Cavanna ensured a catholic perspective on social problems, influenced by the encyclical of Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
, Rerum Novarum
Rerum Novarum
Rerum Novarum is an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on May 15, 1891. It was an open letter, passed to all Catholic bishops, that addressed the condition of the working classes. The encyclical is entitled: “Rights and Duties of Capital and Labour”...
on rights and duties of capital and labour, and the conditions of the working classes, enunciating workers’ rights and the right to property; the Roman Question
Roman Question
thumb|300px|The breach of [[Porta Pia]], on the right, in a contemporaneous photograph.The Roman Question was a political dispute between the Italian Government and the Papacy from 1861 to 1929....
; and in order to fight corruption in public life. Don Cavanna held that religion must be the fundamental basis of all values, and that truth and justice should be upheld rigorously. His legacy endures as the periodical continues in its 127th year http://www.chiesadimilano.it/or4/or?uid=ADMIesy.main.index&oid=4768.
Coat of arms
The Cavanna arms consist of a shield gules a bend argent from the dexter fess to the sinister base, in chief an eagle sable displayed, the head to the dexter, under a crown or. This displayed black eagle in chief under a crown was the “capo dell’Impero”, and derives from Frederick I BarbarossaBarbarossa
Barbarossa, a name meaning red beard in Italian, may refer to any of these:-People:* Emperor Barbarossa or Frederick I , Holy Roman Emperor...
, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
, first of the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
dynasty of Emperors, who was crowned by Pope Adrian IV
Pope Adrian IV
Pope Adrian IV , born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare, was Pope from 1154 to 1159.Adrian IV is the only Englishman who has occupied the papal chair...
in 1155. Its origin in Genovese nobility hails from 1161, when the then-ambassador of Genoa to the court of Frederick I in Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
was granted that concession. The Cavanna heraldic motto is "Iurista Sapiens".
Early migration and diaspora
Today, a concentration of descendant Cavannas is found in the locality of Cassimoreno and the nearby village of Centenaro, near Ferriere, and which lie half-way between Genoa, Piacenza, and Parma. From Centenaro, Carlo Cavanna (1873–1925), left to EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, settling in Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
in 1888, at a very young age. He was one of the earliest pioneers, in search of prosperity, initially as an agriculturalist with an experimental farm at Godofelassi, just east of Adi Ugri, and south of Asmara
Asmara
Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
. During the early part of the 20th century, and Italy's colonial administration of Eritrea, he directed the construction of the first railway line in Eritrea, and later established a citrus farm at Ghinda
Ghinda
Ghinda is a town in the Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea. It lies between Asmara and Massawa.-Overview:Ghinda is a major fruit and vegetable growing area and a centre for Tigre Muslims. It lies near the springs of Sabarguma...
, an important station on the railway. His brother Andrea (1876–1950) remained in Centenaro and is one of several buried in the large Cavanna Mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
in Centenaro. Carlo had three children. One took over the Ghinda estate, sold it, and returned to Italy, while the other two and their families left Eritrea during Ethiopian imperial rule, and migrated to Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and later returned to Europe.
Descendants for this branch of family members are found today in Centenaro, Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
, Novi Ligure
Novi Ligure
Novi Ligure is a town and comune north of Genoa, in the Piedmont region of the province of Alessandria of northwest Italy.The town produces food, iron, steel, and textiles. It is an important junction for both road and railroad....
, Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and other parts of Italy, and in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Many other Cavannas emigrated from Italy to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
and to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the USA.
Notable contemporary members of the Cavanna family
- Carlo Cavanna, (1873–1925), Italian agricultural pioneer and first director of railway in Eritrea.
- Don Giuseppe Cavanna, (died 1902), Italian, founder and director of "Il Resegone", a catholic periodical.
- Elise CavannaElise CavannaElise Cavanna was an American film actress, stage comedienne, dancer, and artist.-Stage and film career:Born Elise Seeds in Pennsylvania, she went to the Pennsylvania Academy and studied dancing with Isadora Duncan in Berlin, Germany. She gave dance recitals in New York City until she began to...
, (1902–1963), late American actress. - Nicola Cavanna, (1916–1980), Italian, late Bishop of RietiRietiRieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...
and of AstiAstiAsti is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River...
:it:Nicola Cavanna - François CavannaFrançois CavannaFrançois Cavanna is a French author and satirical newspaper editor.He contributed to the creation and success of Hara-Kiri and Charlie Hebdo...
, French author and novelist. - Bernard Cavanna, French composer and musical director.
Link
- Castel Gazzo in Novi Ligure http://www.comune.noviligure.al.it/servizi/Menu/dinamica.aspx?idArea=2059&idCat=1989&ID=4468
- Cavanna and Eritrea in late 19th century http://www.ilcornodafrica.it/s-ler02.htm
- Don Giuseppe Cavanna and Il Resegono periodical http://www.chiesadimilano.it/or4/or?uid=ADMIesy.main.index&oid=4768.