Traversari

The 'Traversari' (or domus Traversariorum, according to medieval chroniclers) are a noble italian family. The dynasty saw its history mainly from the city of Ravenna (who ruled between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries). The name of Traversari was made famous not only by knights, dukes and captains, but also by women crowned and queens and priests, monks, bishops and saints. Traversari were also poets, writers, painters and musicians. St. Romuald was the son of the Duke Sergio degli Onesti by Ravenna and of Traversara Traversari, daughter of Theodore Traversari, son of Paul I Traversari. Born in 952, he was monk of Order of Saint Benedict in 1012 and he founded the religious house of Camaldoli, which gave its name to the the Camaldolese monastic order. Traversari Lake is a history place,rose near.

Legendary Origins

The house was the pride of ancient origins, dating back to the V century. The progenitor was Theodore, a general of Heruli, the people led by King Odoacer who in 476 took control of Ravenna marking the end of 'Western Roman Empire'. Theodore build in the middle of the plain created by the river Lamone, the Traversara Castle, from which his descendants would later take the surname. After the death of Odoacer, around 490, Theodore Traversari came under the service of the new winner Theodoric (king of the Goths), getting Duke : that title will be transfered to his descendants. Theodore appointed Prefect of Ravenna, later he became Patrick, then he was elected Consul. After the death of Theodoric, Italy began a rapid decline. Took advantage of the Byzantines : in 553 they finished the conquest of the Italian peninsula, with its capital in Ravenna. During the Byzantine domination, the Traversari covered various important positions, and participated in the most outstanding events of that period.

History

Middle Ages

Girolamo Rossi sketched a family tree of the house on the book "Historiarum ravennatum books" (Venice, Aldus Manutius editions, 1572) He found that the first to assume the designation of "Traversaria" was Duke Paul, who died in 947. A branch of the family, about the year 1000, moved to Venice, getting the Patrician title. From here they took a new surname, beginning the noble Venetian family called "Lezze". The main branch of the family remained in Romagna.

Podestà of Ravenna

The Traversari family clung to the ancient tradition of the Holy Roman Empire, he had many possessions in Ravenna and in the countryside and in the city he exercised a dominant role so that he could almost be called worship. Out of the Romagna land, the Traversari extended their influence over much of the northern Adriatic, such is the Will of Rustico Traversari. In 1024 he left property in Adria, Comacchio, Ravenna, Cervia, Imola, Faenza, Rimini, Jesi and Ancona. The chronicles of the time recall Alberto Traversari (1060-1137), who served under the flags of "Lothar II" of the "Holy Roman Empire. "Lothar II" was also the Saxon king of Germany. His brother John Traversari died in 1158 during the siege of Milan, fighting under the banner of the emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. At Ravenna their sister Sophia was married to Peter, Duke of the Onesti, while the other brother William increased the power of the ruling : he married Marseilles, nephew of the Marquise Matilda of Canossa. Peter Traversari II (son of William) took [[Frederick I Barbarossa] to Venice in 1180 ], in a historic meeting with Pope Alexander III. Then he had the honor of hosting the emperor in his palace at Ravenna. In 1181 Peter was the first of the family to be appointed mayor of Ravenna. Under the Traversari family, Ravenna became a major city of Ghibellines of the Romagna. Peter then married one of the most beautiful women of Italy, known by the name of Emilia Guidi. This did not prevent that, on the last decade of the twelfth century, families Traversari and Guidi were to arms for the possession of Dovadola and some castles in Faenza. Pietro III Traversari (son of Peter II) was an important and renowned Traversari : like his father he was a protector of poets and artists. Born in 1145, was mayor of Ravenna from 1218 in 1225 Before Peter III, the Podesta of Ravenna Traversari is documented for the years 1181, 1182, 1188, 1189, 1196, 1200, 1202, 1213 and 1216. In 1226 received the visit of Frederick II and helped him to form an army against the Lombard League. Paul was again the office of mayor in 1229 and 1233. He also had the title of Count of Rimini for services rendered to the Emperor Frederick II. His three daughters were wedding with all kings:

Ayca married the King of Britain, Philip Augustus (later King of France);
Elizabeth married King Andrew II of Hungary;
Tramontana married King Alfonso II of Aragon and later acquired the county of Provence.

At 14 years old, Traversari Paul II (son of Peter II) took to wife Beatrice of Nontivoglia, educated woman, very beautiful and of great elegance, also sung by various poets in Provençal language. Paul II had twelve children, including Catherine who was the grandmother of the famous Francesca (called da Rimini). Catherine married Lamberto da Polenta and she had a son named Guido the Great, who was the father of Francesca Francesca. Francesca's death (some report 1283, others 1284) came from the hands of her husband Gianciotto Malatesta of Rimini, which surprised her while cheating on him with Paul, brother of Giangiotto. At the time the fact of blood, people passed over in silence, almost considered "justified" by his contemporaries and we would not have been news if Dante Alighieri had not immortalized in his Divine Comedy (Canto V of "Hell").

Exile from Ravenna

In Romagna the power of Traversari was opposed from the accounts of Bagnacavallo and Cunio and in Ravenna from the Dusdei family, headed by Guido, who was succeeded by his son Ubertino. This led to open warfare in the 1218. On 2 October 1218, Traversari attacked the houses of Dusdei and their allies and they forced them to leave the city. In November the exiles retaliated by attacking Bertinoro, where the family had many houses and palaces : they given them completely to the ground. But the struggles between Guelph (loyal to the Pope) and Ghibellines (pro-Emperor) was not completed, involving Traversari and Ravenna in various battles and sieges. During 1239, after being loyal ally of the emperor, the family Traversari changed the front and they sided with the Guelphs. The emperor's reaction was immediate. August 8, 1240, on the death of Paul II Traversari, the house was no male heir. Frederick decided to catch Ravenna, and after three days of siege, he drove the Traversari from the city (August 15, 1240). Many family members were saved and others were exiled (a large part in Puglia). Among the exiles, Traversara Traversari married Thomas Fogliani of Reggio, Count of Romagna and nephew of Pope Innocent IV. Thomas Fogliani got to go back to Ravenna with the rights and honors which had hitherto been the Traversari. On the death of Thomas, Traversara married to Stephen, son of Andrew, King of Hungary. At his death (1250), the emperor Frederick II left a will, the release of all prisoners and this allowed Ayca Traversari (daughter of Paul II Traversari) to return to Ravenna and, after several disputes, to regain possession of the family property. Between 1253 and 1270 there was a period of relative calm, thanks to the control of Archbishop Philip, but after his death the contrasts were back, contrasts between the noble families: Da Polenta against Traversari, then Malatesta and da Polenta against the Montefeltro, then Traversari against Da Polenta.

Fall of Ravenna

In 1275, Theodore Traversari (son of Anastasius) lost the post of mayor of Ravenna, which passed to Da Polenta. Households Traversari headed Venice, where nearly three centuries before other Traversari families had moved there. Others Traversari moved in 'Apennines, at Portico di Romagna and at Montone Valley (Forli). The Da Polenta family continued to govern Ravenna, but despite the various "forgive", the Traversari was not allowed to return to Ravenna. Theodore Traversari went exile at Constantinople with his son John. Thaddeus Traversari with his sons Peter and Thomas Traversari were famous and valiant mercenary captains under the banner of the German Ludwig of Bavaria. The lineage was carried on mainly by Traversari James (son of Peter VI) with his son Loth, from whom was born Bencivenni, father of Ambrose Traversari. In 1431 Ambrose (1386-1439) became Prior General of the "Order of the Camaldolesi" and he had great part in the Council of Ferrara and Council of Florence, where his work of mediation and conciliation between the Latin and the Greek Church was important, thanks to his knowledge of greek and latin language. He left several books and philosophical and theological studies and he was declared Blessed shortly after his death. At Portico di Romagna, threatened by Manfredi, lord of Faenza, the Traversari families made obeisance to the Republic of Florence, enjoying the same privileges and honors of the inhabitants of the same Florence. Some Traversari took the last name of Fabbri, continuing to use his last name for a long time, as appears from deeds of the State of Florence. There are also records of families Traversari in Istria, probably they came from Venice. Among others it recalls the humanist Traversari Louis, professor at the University of Padua (on 1443). Anthony Traversari lived in the mid-fifteenth century, and he was theson of Bencivenni : he had three sons (Stagio, James and Sergio or Seresta), each of which gave rise to a lineage with a prolific offspring.

The families up to the '700

The House of Stagio Traversari lived mainly in the Portico di Romagna's place, until the middle of '700, counting several generations of Notaries. In Portico di Romagna they still remember the presence of the Traversari with the Traversari's Palace and the Ambrose Traversari's Square. Also, the family of Iacopo Traversari was rich of notaries. In 1592 his son Francis participated in the drafting of the document granting the Traversari (and all their successors) the right to return to Ravenna and to enjoy the privileges and property as in the past. At Ravenna there is still 'Traversari House' in San Vitale Street, numer 28 and a street is called "Pier Traversari - sec. XIII ". Jacopo's family was very prolific: Achilles (grandson of James) had six sons; the grandson of Jacopo, James, had ten children and died in 1686; Horace (grandson of James) had five children and was Superintendent of the Fort of Terra del Sole (Forli). The family of Sergio Traversari (named also Seresta) lived between the Romagna and Tuscany, and in many old deeds is also mentioned with the name of Fabbri. For two centuries, there were several generations of Traversari among which we remember Cecilia, daughter of Giovan Antonio (famous lawyer). In 1613 Cecilia married Bartholomew Portinari by Florence, descendant of Folco Portinari, father of Beatrice Portinari, the famous Beatrice, the Muse of Dante Alighieri. Alexander Traversari was the father of Joseph Traversari (1797) whose daughter, Marianna (1823) was united in marriage to Dini. Alexander Dini Traversari was born in 1847, prominent lawyer, author of the book 'Ambrogio Traversari and his times'.

Today

Currently, Traversari are mainly in Italy, with the Venetian group, the Sardinian group, and families in Romagna, Tuscany and Rome and southern Italy. But we have news of Traversari in Australia, Canada, British Isles, U.S.A. and especially in Quito in Ecuador. There you can find some Traversari families impermarried with the master Pedro Pablo Traversari, eminent musician and composer, active in music between the end of '800 and the beginning of '900.

References

Cav. Avv. Alessandro Dini Traversari Ambrogio Traversari e i suoi tempi (Ambrose Traversari and his times) – Ed. Premiata Officina Mazzocchi, Borgo S. Lorenzo – Firenze 1975

Giovanni Lazzaretto – Traversari di Ravenna: memorie e documenti (Traversari of Ravenna: memories and documentes) – Published by M. Lapucci, Tip. Ravenna

Alfredo Traversari – I Traversari – Research handmade with Adolfo and Gustavo Traversari, Treviso - Italy - 2008

External links