House of Filicaja

House of Filicaia
Country	Holy Roman Empire, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Italy, Portugal, Brasil, United Kingdom
Founded	786 (786) as Tebaldi della Vitella
Founder	Ajone
Titles	Marquises Princely Counts in Siena Counts in Montaione Patricians of Florence
Cadet branches	- Geddes da Filicaia - Pucci da Filicaia - Nardi Dei da Filicaia Dotti

The Da Filicaja family is the name of a noble Tuscan family, of ancient Roman origins, from Pontassieve (province of Florence, Italy). Its most famous member is the late-17th-century poet Vincenzo da Filicaja, best remembered for his patriotic poems, particularly those celebrating the liberation of Vienna from the Ottoman Empire in 1683. His work earned him the admiration of various European rulers, and he was supported by Christina, the ex-Queen of Sweden. Filicaia held high positions in Tuscany, serving as governor of Volterra and Pisa, and was later appointed senator by the Grand Duke Cosimo III.

The Filicaia family ruled over a fief located in the Chianti region, corresponding to the current municipalities of Montaione, Gambassi, and Cerreto Guidi as counts, marquises, and barons and, eventually, as princely counts.

The family has deep historical roots, with the Palazzo Da Filicaja in Florence being one of their notable estates. The Filicaja coat of arms and other historical landmarks associated with the family are still visible in places like Volterra.

The Filicaia name continues to carry historical significance in Italy, associated with literary and political contributions during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

The Legend

According to legend, a young noble from Volterra, Ajone, once traveled through a distant land and deep in the forest met Ine, who was weeping for her beautiful daughter, Figline, abducted by a man named Gambasso. Ajone decided to bring Figline back and waged war against Gambasso. After successfully returning her to her mother, Ajone received permission to marry Figline. He then founded both the village of Monte Ajone (modern-day Montaione) and the castle of Figline nearby. Despite this, the descendants of Ajone and Gambasso maintained a bitter rivalry.

One day, the descendants of Ajone and Figline were attacked by an enemy army that destroyed the castle after a long siege, killing all defenders. Following this defeat, the people of Montaione reverted to idolatry and decided to sacrifice the village’s most beautiful girl, Filli, to the gods in hopes of securing peace and happiness. A Florentine knight, upon hearing of this, rushed to Montaione, horrified by the human sacrifice, and forced the villagers to release Filli and sacrifice a calf instead. The knight was thereafter known as the "Sire della Vitella" (Lord of the Calf).

Grateful to her rescuer, Filli gave him her red dress, torn during her ordeal, which he proudly used as his banner. The two married and rebuilt the castle of Figline, where they lived for many years. The Sire della Vitella, deeply in love with Filli, would often call her "Filli my beauty," "Filli my beloved," and "Filli dear." Over time, the place where they lived and the couple themselves came to be known as "Fillicara." Their descendants were called "Fillicara," "Filicaja," or "da Filicaja," and adopted the symbol of Filli’s dress as their emblem.

In 1623, Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger, nephew of the famous Michelangelo, wrote a version of this legend in his work Ajone, adding that in the da Filicaja palace in Montaione, even the fountains poured good wine.

In reality, Gambassi (now Gambassi Terme) is a neighboring village of Montaione, long under its dominance but historically a rival. Figline, named after the Latin "figulinae" (statuettes), was where the Romans discovered many Etruscan artifacts. The Figline castle was purchased in 1452 by Ser Giovanni di Simone da Filicaja for strategic military reasons. The da Filicaja family, initially known as "della Vitella" or "Tebaldi" until the mid-13th century, changed their name to "Filicaja" (from Felceto, a place where they had a castle near Florence) to avoid appearing noble and to be eligible for public office under the Florentine Republic. The strategy worked, as from 1284 to 1523, they produced 12 Gonfaloniers and 66 Priors for the Republic.

Origins

At the end of the 11th century, a family called Tebaldi, but also 'della Vitella' or 'd'Aquona' (from the place where they lived, the castle of Quona), dominated the town of Pontassieve, east of Florence. It seems that this family later took the name 'Filicaja' (meaning 'ferny area,' from the original toponym of the area covered by ferns), from the name of the area surrounding the castle, also called Costa Filicaia. The Tebaldi (or della Vitella), whose prominent figure was Tebaldo della Vitella, knighted by Charlemagne in 786, supposedly changed their name to Filicaja with the rise of the Republic in Florence, to appear non-noble and thus be able to hold public offices. The Filicaja family later moved to Florence, and in 1207, they sold almost all of their assets in Pontassieve to the Florentine bishopric.

In the 15th century, the Filicaja family, by then a Florentine family, seemed to have a certain interest in the area around Montaione (Florence), so much so that in the mid-century, Giovanni da Filicaja bought the castle of Figline from the Figlinesi family, which from that moment on would be called Filicaja (or Al Filicaja), and later Villa da Filicaja.

Among the offices held by members of this family in Florence, we remember:

12 Gonfaloniers of Justice (from 1284 to 1523); 65 Priors (from 1284 to 1523); 45 members of the "XII Buonuomini" (from 1329 to 1529); 49 members of the "XVI di Compagnia" (from 1322 to 1530); 5 Senators of the Grand Duchy (from 1573 to 1695).

Alexander Filicarius

He was born in Florence on August 13, 1429, the son of Antonio di Luca da Filicaja and Bartolomea di Giovanni di Paolo Morelli. Until the age of thirty, he lived exclusively on the income from his real estate holdings. In 1459, however, he began his cursus honorum by being appointed podestà of Montevarchi. From that moment until his death, Alessandro served as podestà, vicar, or captain of numerous areas or cities. He was twice Gonfaloniere of Justice (in 1467 and 1474), once a member of the Twelve Good Men (in 1486), and once of the Sixteen Gonfaloniers (in 1501). He held dozens of other offices throughout his life. In 1455, Alessandro, bound by a close friendship with Lorenzo de' Medici, married a Medici. He was also very close to Marsilio Ficino.

'Salutat Alexander Filicarius tuus, vir quantum probus tantum nobis carus, ergo carissimus' (January 13, 1474, Marsilio Ficino to the Magnificent (L. de' Medici, p. XXII)).

Although he belonged to a family closely aligned with the Medici, he continued to accumulate offices even during the popular regime that followed the expulsion of the Medici from Florence in 1494. Among other things, he participated in the Pratiche Riunite convened in 1505, which discussed measures to be taken for the reconquest of Pisa, which had rebelled in 1494 and was finally brought back under Florentine control only in 1509, with the entry into the city of his cousin Antonio da Filicaja, along with Averardo Salviati and Niccolò Capponi. The last record of him dates to August 12, 1512."

Antonio da Filicaia

He was born in Florence on July 7, 1455, the son of Niccolò di Antonio da Filicaja and Marietta di Giannozzo Pandolfini. His first appointment came in 1489 when he was selected as a member of the Twelve Good Men for the district of San Giovanni. He served multiple times as one of the Consoli del Mare, and during one of his stays in Pisa while holding this office, his daughter Ersilia died and was buried in the church of S. Martino a Chinzia. Antonio’s responsibilities increased following the expulsion of Piero de' Medici from Florence and the establishment of the republican regime. In 1494, Pisa rebelled against Florentine rule, and for five years (1495-1499), Antonio da Filicaja was almost continuously stationed at Rosignano, tasked with defending the stretch of coastline from the tower of Vada (now in the municipality of Rosignano Marittimo) to Livorno. In 1500, he was appointed Commissioner of Livorno to defend the mouth of the Arno from possible Pisan incursions. In 1501, he requested and was granted a galleon of the Florentine Republic anchored in the port, valued at 60 gold florins, as compensation for his services. In the summer of 1501, just before returning to Florence, he met the Prince of Piombino (Iacopo IV d'Appiano), who, while fleeing toward France pursued by Valentino, entrusted his son to Antonio’s care.

He later became Captain of Pistoia, and in 1503 he was appointed to the Priors for the first time. Also in 1503, he served in Valdichiana as Podestà of Castiglion Fiorentino, but with special attributions in rebus bellicis. There, he organized an extraordinary levy to prevent raids by Miguel Corella, Valentino's lieutenant, who was passing through the area on his way to Romagna. The men of Valdichiana, led by Filicaja and Giovanni Ridolfi, commissioner in Arezzo, managed to defeat Corella’s troops and capture him.

In 1504, he served for six months on the Council of Ten and was sent to Livorno to negotiate the hiring of a captain of galleys from the King of Naples, who was tasked with blockading the mouth of the Arno. He was subsequently sent to Livorno many more times to oversee fortification work at the port and handle other military matters along the coast. The Council of Ten wrote to him in 1508, stating that he had by then acquired more knowledge of that region than any other of our citizens. In the early months of 1509, after a very contentious vote, Antonio da Filicaja, Averardo Salviati, and Niccolò Capponi were elected commissioners for the region around Pisa. On June 8 of the same year, the three commissioners entered Pisa as victors, followed by their troops, and their names were inscribed on a marble slab at the entrance to Palazzo Pretorio as a perpetual reminder of their achievements. It is worth noting that in July, six years earlier, the Florentine government had sent Leonardo da Vinci, Gerolamo da Filicaja, and Alessandro degli Albizi to study how to divert the course of the Arno to flood the areas around Pisa. Gerolamo informed the Magnifici et Excelsi Domini of the Florentine government on July 22, 1503, that Alessandro degli Albizi, Leonardo da Vinci, and four others had arrived in the area of operations. Leonardo provided designs for an excavation machine but did not personally participate in the excavation, which was eventually abandoned. It is unclear whether this was due to excessive costs, technical impossibilities, changing political conditions, or other reasons.

In the following years, he served as commissioner or captain in many cities. In 1517, he was sent to Arezzo as commissioner during the war undertaken by the Medici, who had regained power in Florence, to seize Montefeltro. After this region was annexed, its government was entrusted to Antonio, first as special commissioner and later as captain of San Leo until 1522, when he requested to be relieved from his duties for health reasons. After serving six months as captain in Pistoia in 1523, he finally reached the pinnacle of Florentine institutions, obtaining the office of Gonfaloniere of Justice. He died in Florence on May 17, 1526.

Baccio da Filicaia

Between the mid and late 16th century, the Filicaja family heavily invested in trade with the Americas. During this period, they purchased palaces and warehouses in Lisbon, aided in this endeavor by an agreement between Francesco I de' Medici and King Sebastian of Portugal, under which several Florentine merchants, including the Filicaja family, obtained a privileged concession for importing pepper and other spices. However, a few years later (1580), the unification of the kingdoms of Portugal and Spain under Emperor Philip II led to a significant decline in Lisbon's commercial importance, eventually forcing the Filicaja family to close their Portuguese operations. As a result, Baccio da Filicaja (1575–1610), who had arrived in Portugal at a young age during the height of its trade, found himself as an adult needing to reinvent his career. At the age of twenty, he landed in Brazil, where he was appointed by Governor Francisco de Sousa as Chief Engineer, tasked with fortifying ports, building some fortresses, and restoring others. At the same time, he was appointed Captain of Artillery, responsible for training bombardiers and supplying arms to military bases. During this period, after the annexation of Portugal to the Imperial Crown and the defeat of the Spanish Armada, Brazil was subject to constant English raids and the slow settlement of French colonists in the northern area of Pernambuco. Over the next ten years, Baccio held various positions in Brazil, including the conquest, under Pietro Coelho de Sousa, of the territories between the Maranhão River and the Amazon River, the construction of the church of Monte Serrat (Santos), and an attempt to explore the mouth of the Maranhão River by ship. This last operation failed, and, due to bad weather, the ship was lost and ended up in present-day Mexico. For some unclear reason—perhaps out of frustration or simply homesickness for Lisbon—Baccio set sail for Europe. In the same year that Baccio arrived in Lisbon (1608), Philip III appointed Francisco de Sousa, former governor of Brazil, as Superintendent of Mines. Sousa again requested Baccio's services to build and repair fortifications. Thus, Baccio set out once more for Brazil, but he never arrived. According to some, though unverified, while traveling on a ship flying the Imperial flag, he was intercepted by the English, captured, and killed; according to others, more simply, he was caught in a storm. What is certain is that his traces were lost in the Atlantic.

Some authors believe that he is the same 'Bacho de Filicaya' who appeared in Buenos Aires as a merchant in 1611. This Bacho, in 1613, built the first city council building and the San Martín de Tours hospital. In 1619, he was tasked with reinforcing the prison walls of the Cabildo 'for the security of the detainees.' However, this 'Bacho de Filicaya' would have been 32 years old in 1611 (while Baccio would have been 36). Despite the many coincidences (a Baccio da Filicaja disappeared in the Atlantic in 1610 while en route to Brazil; a nearly coeval Bacho de Filicaya appeared in Buenos Aires in 1611; the latter was assigned engineering and architectural tasks, while the former was an engineer/architect), no documents have yet been found to support the—albeit likely—hypothesis that they were the same person.

Vincenzo da Filicaia

In 1642, Vincenzo da Filicaja was born in Florence, who a few decades later would gain fame and prestige as a poet. More than in Florence, Vincenzo resided in Filicaja, which he fondly referred to by its old name, Figline. At the age of forty, he composed and published his first poetic works, which brought him fame, thanks in part to his cultural partnership and friendship with Queen Christina of Sweden, who had converted to Catholicism and was living in Rome. He distanced himself from 'Marinism' and showed greater interest in sacred, philosophical, or political themes. It is recorded that in 1687, the Queen of Sweden helped the poet pay the tuition at the Tolomei School for his son, Braccio. Indeed, the poet lived his life under financial constraints, always hesitant to accept public positions for fear of losing his freedom; and Christina was generous with her assistance. After Christina’s death, Vincenzo was forced to seek practical sources of support, eventually securing a position for his son Baccio as a page at the Medici court. However, Braccio died young, and the poet finally decided to accept the position of senator 'not out of ambition but out of necessity.' He was later appointed Commissioner of Volterra and then of Pisa. He died in Florence in 1707 of a 'chest illness' and was buried in the chapel of St. Julian in the church of St. Pier Maggiore. When the church was demolished at the end of the 18th century, a memorial plaque was placed in his honor in the Basilica of Santa Croce.

The curious story of Galletti

In 1688, after witnessing several hangings on the justice field outside Porta alla Croce, Giuseppe Galletti became so fascinated by the grim spectacle that he could no longer think of anything else. Galletti was the respected servant at the palace of Senator Vincenzo da Filicaja, who is said to have treated him with all due respect.

After attending yet another execution, enjoyed from the front row thanks to a generous tip secretly given to the executioner, Galletti became obsessed with the idea of wanting to meet the same fate as the condemned, with the rope tightening around his neck, choking the life out of him. To achieve this longed-for punishment, he needed to commit something truly grave, with irrefutable evidence that would leave no doubt about his guilt. At first, he began by stealing small sums from his master, then larger and larger amounts, but it seemed that da Filicaja either didn’t notice or pretended not to. So, he decided to commit an act so extreme that it couldn’t be ignored: one night, he cleverly broke into the little church of Santa Brigida on Via del Paradiso and stole an ancient, highly valuable silver bell.

Naturally, he did nothing to cover his tracks. On the contrary, he left clues everywhere so that the guards could find him as quickly as possible. He was caught, arrested, and sentenced to death, not so much for the theft itself but for having desecrated the sacred place where the bell had been carefully kept. On a grim morning that same year, Giuseppe Galletti was led to the scaffold, right where he had once watched the agony of thieves and murderers. He was calm, proud of his act, as if he were not heading to his death but to a celebration, so much so that the Confortatori Neri, the black-robed men who accompanied the condemned to their executions, were both astonished and, in a way, captivated by him. Thus ended the incredible story of this extraordinary man who, not content with witnessing the death of others, wanted to fully savor his own end down to the very last breath.

See also

• Filicaja