Fenzi
The Fenzi Bank and family were key players in both the economical growth of the Italian industrial revolution and the expansion of the north Italian Railways between Florence and Livorno in 18th and 19th century pre-democratic Italy.
The family
The old Florentine aristocratic family produced several generations of noteworthy citizens who enhanced and enabled many different aspects of both the Florentine political life and economical market during the 17th,--Peter Verity 14:03, 20 June 2007 (UTC) 18th and 19th century. Much although the origins of the Fenzi family can be traced back to the Italian renaissance, it was not until the mid 17th century that the fortune of the family was to become as substantial [as the name Fenzi during the 18th and 19th century. The main founder of the Fenzi dynasty was Francesco Fenzi, who became financial adviser and creditor to the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Tuscany at the end of the 17th century; from that point onwards the family fortunes were to rise in connection with the financing of both private and public initiatives. The Fenzi family were to benefit from all the notable privileges of the nobility such as exemptions of taxes granted by the favors of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
One of the most successful Fenzi's was Cavalier Emanuele Fenzi 1784 - 1875 Elder son of Cavalier Jacopo Orazio Fenzi a Magistrate in the Florentine courts, in 1805 Emanuele had already established himself as a successful entrepreneur working for Bosi, Mazzarelli & C. By 1810 his reputation and talent as an entrepreneur were so well recognized in the trade that he decided to set up his own firm la Bandi, Orsi, Fenzi & C. making and selling tobacco. In this same year he acquired a Palazzo in the centre of Florence from where he set up his trade and offices By 1820 the tobacco industry had known such economical growth mainly due to Emanuele’s entrepreneurial initiatives and the high capacity of transactions both in Italy and Europe that by 1821 Emanuele had accumulated enough wealth to establish the Fenzi Bank. By 1829 the Bank had taken residence it what is today known as the Fenzi Palace via San Gallo, one of the finest addresses in Florence. In 1860 Emanuele Fenzi became Senatore. He later built the Palazzo Fenzi on Piazza della Singnoria (designed by Giuseppi Martelli) now Assicurazioni General.
One of the main factors linked to the success of the Fenzi family was the ability with which they managed to expand their ties to not only Italian investors but also the different financial market places in Europe as well as maintaining bonds with European aristocracy. They were central players in the financing of the Suez Canal.
The Fenzies historic Seat was the Villa de Granatier, but their pricipal residence was their estate at Sant'Andrea in Percussina, San Casciano (altered by Giuseppi Martelli.
Family of Emanuele Fenzi
a Jacobo Orazio Fenzi; b 1745,d 25 Nov 1805, Decendent of the Fenzi family who in the 15th Century moved to the Santo Spirito parish in the Oltramo district of Florence, m Luisa Bordini, b 21 Jun 1757, d 22 Mar 1849)issue:
b Cav Emanuele Fenzi; b 8 Apr 1784, Senator, m Grandtieri 4 Nov 1810 Countess Ernestna Paffetta dei Lamberti,(b Codogno 8 Mar 1810, d Villa S Andrea 26 May 1869) Cav Priore of the Equestrian Order of St Stefano, Cav of the Order of Merit of St Giuseppe. Senitor of the Grand Duchy and of the Kingdom of Italy, lived at the Palazzo Via SanGallo and Villa Fenzi at Sant’ Andrea in Percussina and a house at Liverno, d 10 Jan 1875 issue:
c Maria Eugenia Fenzi; b 1814 m 1834 Giuseppi Vaj (Prato)(b 1804, d 1878) d 1838, issue:
1d Luigi Vaj
2d Bianca Vaj m Marchese Gentile Farinolo
c Cav. Orazio Fenzi; b 4th Feb 1817,ed Wyke House, Sion Hill, Middlesex, m 1840 Countess Emilia della Gherardesca (b 1822) d 8 Dec 1850,issue:
1d Ernesta Fenzi; b 1841 m Marchese Guiseppy Garzoni, Senator,(d 1881) d 1882, issue :
1e Marchesa Maria Garzoin; m Marchese Gian Paolo Poschi-Meuron, issue:
1f Marchesa Antonietta Poschi-Meuron; m De Motter, issue:
1g Pier Luigi De Motter.
2g Maria Christina De Motter.
2f Marchesa Emilia Poschi-Meuron; m 21 Apr 1919 Count Gaddo della Gherardesca, issue:
1g Count Guelfo della Gherardesca; b 1920, m 1945 Adrianna Guillichmi, issue:
1h Countess Sibilla della Gherardesca b 1946.
2h Count Gaddo della Gherardesca; b 1949, m 1983 Michella Valli.
3h Countess Costanzia ddella Gherardesca; m Count Manfredi (b 1961).
2g Count Ugolino della Gherardesca; b 1925, m 1949 Anna Capacci, issue:
1h Count Arrigo della Gherardesca; b 1950, m 1985 Lithian Ricci, issue:
1i Count Walfredo della Gherardesca, b Milan 1987.
2i Count Gaddo della Gherardesca, b Milan 1990.
3g Count Ludavico della Gherardesca; m Countess Pandolfini, issue:
1h Count Gian Paulo della Gherardesca.
2h Countess Franchesca della Gherardesca.
3h Countess Marilli della Gherardesca.
4h Countess Oretta della Gherardesca.
2e Marchesa Emilia Garzoni m Count Gustavo Parravicino, issue:
1f Count Giuseppi Parravicino.
2f Countess Bianca Parravicino.
3f Countess Lilly Parravicino.
4f Countess Ernesta Parravinco.
2d Cav.Emanuele Orazio Fenzi; b 1843 m Cristina daugh Chevalier Sebastiano Fenzi and Emily Verity, d 1924, issue to follow
3d Luisa Fenzie, Princess Corsini; b 1848, m 24 Apr 1871 Cino Ernesto, Prince Corsini (b 1846, d 1898), d 1916 issue:
1e Count Ernesto Corsini; b 1872, d 1926.
2e Count Emanuele Corsini; b 1876, m 1911 Maria Carolina Giuntini, issue:
1f Countess Adreola Corsini; b 1913, d 1972.
2f Countess Simonetta Corsini; b 1914, m 1946 Giovanni Montaperio, Duca di S. Elizabeth.
3f Count Cino Tommaso Corsini; b 1917, m 1945 Aimee Gialard Russell, lived in USA, issue:
1g Countess Desideria Corsini; b 1950.
2g Countess Immaculata Corsini; b 1954.
3g Countess Alessandro Emanuele Corsini.
4g Countess Allegara Corsini; b 1962.
3e Count Guido Corsini; b 1876, m 1911 Marie Carolina Giuntini, b 1890.
4e Countess Nicol Corsini; b 1920, m Pierre Roy.
5e Countess Guiliana Corsini; b 1928 m 1961 Clement Fabio.
c Cav.Carlo Fenzi, Senator; b 1823, inherited the Palazzo via San Gallo, Villa Granatieri. d 1881.
c Cav.Sebastiano Fenzi; (b 1822, d 1901 m 27 May 1848 at St Mary’s, Coity and immediately afterwards at the Catholic Church, Cardiff, m Emily(b 1784, d 1875) daugh of Abraham Robert Verity, educ University of Pisa and Vienna, he wrote Rivista Britannica 1851-2, he inherited Villa Rusciano which was made over to his son Camillo, Emily d 7 May 1869 in Naples on returning from Egypt, buried 15 May at Villa de Granatieri issue:
1d Eugenia Fenzi; b 1849, m 1. 1867 Gustavo Adolphus, Baron Oppenheim, banker (Haus H Oppenheim Nachflger and Co), he built for his wife the Villa Oppenheim (now Villa Cora designed by Pietro Comarni Rossi and Giuseppo Poggi), a setting for the greatest social gatherings during Florence’s period as the capital of Italy, Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie were frequent guests. Baron and Baroness Oppenheim where in Egypt for the 1869 opening by the Empress of the Suez Canal (which both Oppenheim and the Banco Fenzi had been involved in financing) where Eugenia was the last person to cross by land prior to the joining of the channels and she was presented with a necklace of large pearls on which she would live in later years. Suspecting his wife’s infidelity Oppenheim attempted to blow up the Villa Oppenheim, here the Empress was to live from 1874 (now Villa Cora); Eugenia left Italy for the Verity family in Glamorganshire where she m 2. 29 Nov 1883 Giulio, Count Ricotti; Ouida’s novel ‘In the Winter City’ 1876 is based on Eugenia following her separation from Oppenheim and before her eventual marriage to Riccotti, d 1910, issue:
1e Edwin, Baron Oppenheim, Admiral, lived largely at the Villa Oppenheim at Taormina, dsi.
2e Countess Emilia Magnani Ricotti; m 1.Marchese di Lorenzo; 2. Corrado, Marchese dal Pozzo (b Milan 2 Oct 1875, d 1935), issue in addition to 2 by di Lorenzo:
1f Claudio Marchese dal Pozzo; b 31 Mar 1903 m 1. Ginevra dalla Serra Gabrielli Tortorelli, 2. Elvira Fairchild Hutchinson.
2f Marchesa Maria Cristina dal Pozzo; b Budapest 1904.
3f Marchese Corrado dal Pozzo; b Rapallo 1909, m 1937 Clara Marzocchi.
4f Marchese Gianlorenzo dal Pozzo; b Rapallo 26 Apr 1915.
3e Countess Constanza Ricotti; b 1882, d 1969; m Carlo, Marchese Carlo Santasicilia.
4e Cesare, Count Ricotti; b 1884, m Countess Luisa Cumboborgia, d 1919, issue:
1f Countess Eugenia Ricotti. m Filippo Salza, issue:
1g Silvio Salza.
2f Diego, Count Ricotti; m Salomone, issue:
1g Count Cesare Ricotti.
2g Count Lucio Ricotti.
5e Count Sidney Ricotti, b 1887, Italian Ambassador to Greece; m his cousin Cristina Morin, d 1959 issue:
1f Countess Maria Ricotti; m Count Cesare Ponza di San Martino.
2f Count Sidney Ricotti; m Anne Campbell.
2d Cristina Fenzi; b 1851, m 1870 Cav. Emanuele Orazio Fenzi son of Cav. Orazio Fenzi and Countess Emilia dalla Gherardesca b 1842, banker and horticulturist educ University of Pisa, he inherited most of the Fenzi Estates including Sant’Andrea; which (in 1893 was sold to Princess San Donato, Princess Elena Demidoff the neice of Anatole Demidoff who had been involved with the Fenzi’s in the development of the Florence rail connections) arrived Santa Barbra 1894 where he developed at Riviera a nursery and arboretum with Franceschi Flame Trees (now Franceschi Park) 1904 changed his name to Francesco Franceschi Fenzi, he built Montarioso on the Riviera. In 1912 at the behest of the King of Italy he supervised in Libya a horticultural programme, d Tripoli 1927, issue:
1e Ernestina Fenzi; b 1873, d1977, lived at Volterra later Santa Barbara.
2e Teresina Fenzi;b 1875 lived in Canada, d 1961.
3e Cav.Carlo Fenzi; b 1876, d Rome 1946.
4e Cav.Fenzo Fenzi; b 1880, d Rome 1947, m Countess Costanza dei Lamberti (b 1875, d 1945), issue:
1f Leopolda (Dina) Fenzi; b 15 Aug 1907, m 1934 Umberto Puccioni (b 1901, d 1963) son of Mario Puccioni and Brunetta Dainelli, issue:
1g Giovanna Puccioni; b 1936, m 1960 Stefono Scoli Legani.
2g Maria Caterina Puccioni; b 1941, m 1966 Alberto Missiroli.
2f Gianfranco Fenzi; b Milan 16 Oct 1908, d Somalia 1936.
3f Carlino Fenzi, Admiral; b 1910, m 1939 Rosalia Randisi(b 1907), d Rome 1945.
1g Gianfranco Fenzi; b 6 Mar 1942, m 29 Apr 1968 Princess Bianca Maria daugh Luigi Lopeze y Royo, Duke di Taurisano.
1h Cristina Fenzi; b 1969.
2h Francesca Fenzi; b 1972.
3h Carlo Fenzi; b 1977.
4f Cristina Fenzi; b Milan 15 May 1913.
5e Cav.Cammillo Fenzi; b 1889, m Dorothy Redfield (b1893, d 1970), d Santa Babara 1936, issue:
1f Cav.Warren Fenzi; President of Phelps Dodge Corporation, m Eleanor Huse Leeds, d 20 Oct 2002, issue:
1g Charles C Fenzi.
2g Louisa Fenzi.
3g Warren S Fenzi.
4g David L Fenzi.
5g Jane F Fenzi.
3f Sara Luisa Fenzi; m Carpenter.
4f Cav.Guido Fenzi; m Jewel, issue:
1g Cammillo Fenzi.
2g Rubh Fenzi.
6e Cav.Franco Fenzi; b Firenze 1890, m Margherita Dibble, issue; 1f Ernestina Fenzi.
2f Teresina Fenzi; m Basil Muncey, issue:
1g Magaherita Muncey.
2g Cristina Muncey.
3g Terence Muncey.
3f Francesca Fenzi.
4f Cristina Fenzi; b Milan 15 May 1913.
3d Cav.Cammillo Emanuele Arturo Carlo Sebastiano Fenzi b 17 Dec 1852 ; m 12 Jul 1875 Hadzor, Worcestershire, Evelina Isabella Douglas (b 1852, d 1938), daugh of Sir Douglas Strutt Galton of Himbleton, Worcestershire (see Burke’s L.G. Galton of Hadzor House ), inherited from his grandfather Emanuel Fenzi, Villa di Rusciano (designed by Brunelleschi), d 25 Aug 1883 at Montelabate where the Fenzi’s had minning interests, (Evelina m 2. 2 Feb 1898, Leonard Daneham Cunliffe, Governor of the Bank of England) issue:
1e Cammilla Fenzi; b Florence 1875 d 1882 twin.
2e Ida Fenzi; b Florence 1875, with her brother Leone inherited the Villa di Rusciano which was sold following the death of Sebastiano Fenzi in 1901, m 28 Jul 1908 Ronald, DL, JP (b 9 Feb 1884) son of Richard Copeland, DL, JP of Kibblestone Hall (see Burke’s L.G.), Polish Gold Cross of Merit, MP 1931-35 for Stoke on Trent. She stood against Sir Oswald Mosley whom she defeated in the 1931 general election, gave Trelissick, Cornwall, which she had inherited from Leonard Cunliff and the garden she had created, to the National Trust, d 29 June 1964, issue:
1f Spencer Copeland; issue:
1g David Copeland.
2g William Copeland.
2f Geoffrey Copeland; issue:
1g Richard Copeland.
2g Peter Copeland.
3g Michael Copeland.
3e Cav.Carlo Halo Fenzi; died young.
4e Cav.Leone(l) Sebastiano Douglas Carlo Hubert Galton-Fenzi; b 1880, coffee estate near Nairobi1919 Royal East Africa Automobile Association, 1926, first person to drive between Nairobi and Mombasa, Founded author ‘The New Equatorial Road’, Nairobi 1924, his memorial is near the GPO Nairobi m 1. 20 Apr 1912, Edith Lillian Shipster (d Djakarta) 2. Betty daugh of JM Sandy of Sydney, b 1892, (m 2 Harold Montgomery see Burkes PB. V Montgomery of Alamein), d 1976, issue:
1f Evelyn Galton-Fenzi;,b 1920 m Gerald Schleuter (b 1917, d 1979),lived in Nairobi, Leonel d 1937 issue:
1g Michael Galton Schleuter; b 1947.
2f Anthony Galton-Fenzi;issue:
1g Brian Galton-Fenzi;m Libby,3 issue.
2g Keith Galon-Fenzi;
3f Hugh Galton-Fenzi; m Jenny.
4d Costanza Fenzi; b 1855, m Admiral, Costantino Enrico Morin (b 1841, d 1910), Minister of the Italian Navy, 1903 Minister of Foreign Affairs; at Forte dei Marmi he built for his wife the Villa Costanza (later Villa Agneli) d 1932 issue:
1e Matilda Morin; b1883, m Riccardo Paladini, d 1919 issue:
1f Carlo Paladini; b 1910, m Marchesa Anna Maria Sersale (b Naples 1942), issue:
1g Fabrizio Paladini; m Lepri.
2g Costanza Paladini.
2e Cristina Morin; b 1881 m her cousin Count Sidney Ricotti, d 1969 see above.
3e Sebastiano Morin; b 1850, m Marchesa San Giusto Teulada, d 1976 issue:
1f Enrico Morin; m Costanza Giustaniani.
2f Maria Eugenia Morin; m Mario Zuppelli.
5d Matilda Fenzi; b 1857 d 1904, m 1876 at the Bavarian Chapel, London, Richard son of Robert Verity and Lucrettia Manners, of Southwood Hall, Yorkshire and Florence; b Paris 1844, godson of Sir Henry Lytton Bulwer, Lord Dalling and Bulwer; educ Exeter College, Oxford, 1871 called to the bar of Lincolns Inn, daugh of Cav. Sebastiano Fenzi and Emily Verity; lived 4 Curzon Street and Southwood Hall, he sold the estate in 1876 and with his mother Lucrettia Verity went to live in Florence. Founded the Florence Tennis Club, lost heavily in his investment through the Banco Fenzi in the Suez Canal, d 23 Sep 1926, bd Certosa, issue:
1e Beatrice Manners Verity; b 1877, m Massimo, Count di Frassineto; Italian ladies tennis champion, (part of her collection now in the Museo del Tessuto, Florence), d 22 March 1900, bd Chapel Fontaroncco, issue:
1f Countess Maria Antonia (Marinetta) di Frassineto, Princess Ruffo; b 11 Feb 1900 m Florence 25 Jul 1920 Francesco, Prince Ruffo, (Ducha di Bagnara e Principi di Castelcicala), d 2 Feb 1987,adopted as heir:
1g Marchese de Frescobaldi, son of Marchesa de Frescobaldi (nee Countess Antonietta di Frassinetta).
2f Count Carlo di Frassineto.
2e Roger Verity (Ruggero); b 20 May 1883, m 1 Jun 1922 Princess Giulia Gallarati–Scotti (b 20 Nov 1887, d 17 Jun 1938) daugh of Gian Carlo, Prince Mofetta, Duca di San Pietro in Galatina and Luigia, Duchess de Lodi di Giuseppina; Lepidopterist and the author of over 150 papers and books including ’Rhopalocera Palaerctica’ (1905-11), the five volume ’Le Farfalle Diurne d’Italia’ (1940-53) and ‘La Variations Geographiques et Saisonnieries des Papillons Diumes en France’, he was responsible for the naming of 2-3000 butter- flies, his collection of close to 250,000 butterflies together with his library now in La Specola Museum, Florence. Lived in Florence and at Cicaleto (Villa Verity) at Caldine, dsi 4 Mar 1959, bd Sofiana, memorial in the family chapel at Cicaleto.
3e Otho Robert Verity; b 26 Jan 1885, m 1914 Bertha Nolet (Belgian, d 1939), educ Wellington and Lucerne engineer involved in building the Brussels tram system, lived in Mexico, Greece, South Africa and at Mont Fleurie, Pau, France, d 13 Sep 1956 Johannesburg, leaving:
1f Beatrice Louisa Matilda Verity; b 21 Dec 1916, Cheshire, m 12 Nov 1940 George John Athenogenes, lived 12 Kensington Sq, London and Athens, issue:
1g Catherine Atheogenes; b 2 Feb 1942, m 1. Robin Peat, 2. Richard Morrissey-Pain, lived London and Athens, d 2005, issue.
2f Robert George Verity; b 10 Mar 1921 Florence, m 20 Jan 1956 Mary Elizabeth Anne daugh Col.Graydon Stannus (see Burke’s I.F.R, Stannus of Baltiboys; brother of Dame Ninette de Valois, nee Stannus of the Elms), b 6 Mar1930, issue:
1g Vanessa Verity; b 1956, m Jonathan Simmons, issue.
2g Louise Verity; b 1957, m 26 Mar 2005 Carston Mikkelsen (Danish).
3g Elizabeth Verity; b 1959, issue:
1h Sebastian Otho Verity; b 1979, educ Downside and University of Edinburgh.
4g Robert Verity; b 1960, m Vicky.
5g Hester Verity; b 1963.
3f Roger Richard Verity; b 25 May 1926 Mexico, educ Stowe, m 20 Oct 1951, Elizabeth Jenkins, lived in South Africa later NZ, issue:
1g Richard Michael Verity; b 25 Oct 1958, educ Rhodes University, m Jenni Davidson, d 1996 in a flying accident, issue:
1h Lisa Verity; b 2 Oct 1991.
2h Sean Robert Verity; b 21 Sep 1994.
2g Nicol Janine Verity; b 16 Nov 1962, m Nadav Kander (b 1962), issue.
3g Susan Anne Verity; b 1955, m 1 Apr 1978, George Andrew Deeb (b 1951), moved 1994 NZ, issue.
6d Eleonora Fenzi; b 1859, m 1882 Guglielmo, Count Bombicci-Pomi, d 1944, issue:
1e Countess Teresina Bombicci-Pomi, m Grimaldo, Marchese Beccadelli Grimaldi, issue:
1f Beccadino, Marchese Beccadelli Grimaldi; b 1910, d 1984.
2f Marchese Benno Beccadelli Grimaldi.
7d Emilia Fenzi; b 1864, m 1884 Carlo, Count Moretti, d 1894 issue:
1e Enrico Costantino, Count Moretti; b1887, Minister of the Navy 1900-1903, d 1917.
2e Countess Matilda Moretti; m Roberto Count Bellegardi.de St Lary.
8d Carlo Italo; b Vila Rusciano 14 Apr 1866, d 17 Jan 1867. buried at Granaterie.--Peter Verity 14:03, 20 June 2007 (UTC)
The bank
Established in 1821 by Emanuele Fenzi the bank, also known as the "Cassa di Sconto" is most famous for being the first public Bank in Italy. Based in the heart of Florence in the Fenzi-Murucelli Palace on Via San Gallo. They later built the Palazzo Fenzi Piazza della Signoria designed by Giuseppi Matelli, now Assicurazioni General. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Fenzi family started to create alliances with potential business partners both local and foreign . By 1820s the Fenzi Bank was backing the Hall family who had acquired the monopoly of the Tuscan straw hat market in England. Whilst maintaining an activity of financing public initiatives and in 1849 they became the main stockholders in the company that built the railway Leopolda. In the next thirty to forty years, the Fenzi Bank spread its network throughout Europe; by 1860, their agents were present in all the most important markets of central and northern Italy and in several cities in England, France, and Germany.They were parties to the financing of the Suez Cannal. Through their network of financial activities and their willingness to invest in common financial operations with both Tuscan and international banks, the Fenzi Bank blazed the trail for the creation of large credit institutions and for a unified financial market in Tuscany in the period before the 1860 annexation to the Kingdom of Italy.
The railway
It was in 1826 that marquis Leopoldo Carl Ginori first introduced the government to the iron track. The creation and innovation of the northern railways soon became a project that was dear to all members of the Italian government. When in early1830’s the Italian government was to sort out a financial partner for the project the Fenzi Bank entered the competition. The final decision was reached in 1835. There was to be the creation of a Railway between Florence and the coastal port of Livorno via Pisa and was to be named Leopolda after the then current Grand duke. In 1837 count Luigi Serristori and the engineer Piero Dini Castelli proposed a study for the Railway. However the Fenzi project had been accepted as more serious and bitterly planned. An agreement was set up between the government the Fenzi bank, a local contractor company and British engineer Peter Senn & C. of Livorno disciple of George Stephenson and his son Robert Stephenson. The opening date for the Railway line works was set for the 14 April 1838. The line was eventually inaugurated in 1844. After nearly 20 years of planning and creation upset by the unstable political situation of the Risorgimento, the first section of the Leopolda Railway was at last finished.
Palazzo Fenzi - the interior
Amongst many other extraordinary baroque architectural features such as ornate ceilings and marble sculptures the Palazzo Fenzi has a wide variety of fresco's some of which by the famous painter Sebastiano Ricci. These fresco's were executed during his stay in Florence from 1706 to 1707 and are now considered as some of his lifetime masterpieces. During this period he first completed a large fresco series on allegorical and mythological themes [1] in the Marucelli-Fenzi palace before going on throughout Italy and Europe . He was later to influence the Florentine Rococo fresco painter Giovanni Domenico Ferretti These fresco's are valued as some of the most beautiful examples of early 1700s wall paintings and the first part in his series of fresco work across Europe.
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Decoration of Palazzo Marucelli-Fenzi -
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1706-07 Oil on canvas
Palazzo Fenzi - the exterior
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One of the main exterior features of the Palazzo Fenzi are these security grills that rest upon the charismatic figures of tortoises. -
Palazzo Fenzi -
Palazzo Fenzi -
Front entrance Insignia representing the Railways built by the Fenzi Family between Florence and Livorno. -
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Il Possesso di Rusciano and Villa Sant'Andrea in Percussina
The villa of Rusciano, which is perched on an eminence higher up the road, was mentioned in a tale of the novelist Sacchetti, and originally belonged to the Salviati family. Brunelleschi built the present villa for Luca Pitti in the middle of the fifteenth century ; and to please Luca, whose ambition lay in a display of his wealth by the size of his dwellings, Brunelleschi's design, if carried out, would have covered even more ground than it now does, though it is one of the largest villas in the neighbourhood of Florence; it has spacious reception rooms, a terrace overlooking the distant country, and is surrounded by lovely gardens, with old cypresses and other fine and rare trees. In 1472 it was purchased by the Florentine Municipality to bestow on Federico II, Duke of Urbino, the Captain General of their forces, in reward for his recovery of Volterra, which had rebelled against Florence. The villa passed after-wards through several hands, until it was purchased by the banker Emanuele Fenzi for his family and then passed to his son Sebastiano it was eventualy sold by Sebastiano's grandchildren Leone and Ida Fenzi in 1901. The historic seat of the fenzi family was the Villa Granatieri, where they are buried. However their principal estate and residence was Sant'Andrea in Percussina,San Casciano (altered by Giuseppi Martelli who also built the Palazzo Fenzi) their ownership of this estate underpinned the families nobility, the family also lived at the Casa Fenzi where the guests included the Prince Napoleon.
External links
See also
Sources
Cambridge Journals, Isabella Bigazzi / Zeffiro Ciuffoletti "Palazzo Marucelli Fenzi Guida storico-artistica" Fenzi Family Archive Trust. Archivo Fenzi, Biblioteca de Risorgimento. "Il Possesso di Rusciano" EDIZIONI A.G.M. FIRENZE 1990. The Life of Emanuel Fenzi, Andrea Giutini, Postampa 2002. Verity Family Collection; Glamorgan Records Office, including the letters of Sebastiano Fenzi and Florence Cox from Sant' Andrea.