Pietro Cesare Alberti
Pietro Cesare Alberti (1608-1655) was a Venetian immigrant to Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, commonly regarded as the first Italian American.
Background
Pietro was the son of the Secretary of the Ducal Treasury, Adrea Alberti, and could count among his relatives the famed Italian polymath Leon Battista Alberti. The Alberti family was quite prominent, and held significant political sway in Genoa, Florence, and Venice. They were often in conflict with other patrician families on the Italian peninsula such as the Medici and Albizzi. The Albertis were members and patrons of the St. Luke church in Venice.[1]
Immigration
An outbreak of the Bubonic Plague made conditions in Venice very difficult. On June 2nd 1635, Pietro immigrated to the (then) Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, an ally of Venice during the 30 Years War.
Later Life
Pietro married a Dutch huguenot woman named Judith Manje (also Magnee). They had 6 children. In 1646, the family moved from a home on Broad Street given to them by Judith's family, to a 100 acre farm Pietro had purchased on the current site of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He was killed in an Indian raid in 1655.
Legacy
Alberti was just the first of millions of Italian Americans who would later go on to form a vital part of American culture. June 2nd commemorates "Pietro Alberti Day" in New York City. A small stone in Battery Park marks the spot of Pietro's arrival.[2]