Bevilacqua family

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The Bevilaqua family is a noble Italian family, descending from the 12th century, with many notable members.

Duchessa, Marchessa, and Countess Donna Felicita Bevilacqua La Masa (1822-1899) was a descendant of Morando Bevilacqua (1150-1221). He was of the noble Bevilaqua family from Ala of Trento, progenitor of the Ancient Line of Bevilacqua of Verona and Cremona. Morando’s grandson, Federico I (1230-1297), the son of Migliore and Desiderata, developed the family’s business in lumber from the forests in their principality, according to Count Pompeo Litta’s (1781-1852) Famigle Celebri Italiane.

Federico I Bevilacqua (1230-1297) built the family’s fortified palace in the Saint Michele section of Verona. He refurbished his families’ paleochristian church which was built in the early 1100’s, and named it the Church of Saint Apostoli. The votive chapel of the Church of Saint Apostoli dedicated to Saint Tosca and Saint Teuteria was in the Bevilacqua family since the fourth century, and was consecrated in 751. The chapel had been constructed over Roman ruins also thought to have belonged to the Bevilacqua family. Upon Federico’s I death, there was a placket placed in the Church of Saint Zeno over the tombs of three members of the great families of Verona in remembrance of their sense of humor. “Prince Bevilacqua – or Drink Water – who never drank it; Count Verita – or Truth – who never said it; Count Giusti – or Just –who never were it”. The church was constructed on the original site of a Roman Temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva. The Veronese artisans used some of the original Roman stones in constructing the new Christian church. The Church of Saint Zeno was established in 839 and was originally called Saint Proccolo. The Basilica was constructed in the early 12th century by donations from the Bevilacqua, Verita, and Giusti families. Over time, several descendants of these families inter married to strengthen their control of Verona.

Federico I’s sarcophagus is in the Church of Saint Apostoli, and his epitaph reads, “He wished for a family deserving of the mother land.” Since early Christianity, the church has been used by the family and contains several Bevilacqua sarcophagi. The family also commissioned an altarpiece by Turchi and the painting called Pentecost by Brentana for the church. Countess Matilde Canossa was christened in the thirteenth century baptismal font and the tomb of Saint Magdalena of Canossa is located in the church. The church remained in the Bevilacqua family until 1898 when Felicita Bevilacqua La Masa donated it to the parishioners of Verona.

Felicita is part of the Bevilacqua Primogenita Line of Verona begun by Count Gregorio I Bevilacqua, the son of the Venetian Knight Giovanni I and Aquilina Cavalli daughter of Donadio Cavalli, Patrizio of Veneto. Gregorio I was a Doctor of Law, a Nobleman of Verona and Trento, and a hereditary Knight of Venice. He fought with Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I of the German House of Habsburg who married Bianca Maria Sforza of Milan. In 1494, Ludovico Sforza was invested with Milan by Maximilian I to prevent France from conquering the city. Instead, Ludovico became an ally of King Charles VIII of France when he invaded Italy. In 1495, Ludovico turned against the French and joined Maximilian I, the pope, Spain, Venice, and Milan in the Holy League against the French, who were in the process of conquering Naples.

Gregorio I Bevilacqua continued to support King Ferrante of Naples (1423–1494).

Gregorio I married Angela, the daughter of Count Giovanni da Porto of Vicenza. Giovanni constructed a massive Gothic castle in the Common of Thiene near Vicenza in 1481 now called the Palace da Porto-Colleoni. Giovanni commissioned Domenico da Venezia, the “engineer of Vicenza” who designed and built the Duomo and the Palazzo della Ragione. The living quarters of the Palace da Porto-Colleoni were frescoed by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo (1530-1572) and Giovanni Batiste Zelotti (1526-1578).

The da Porto castle was transformed into a palatial villa during the sixteenth century by Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) who united the gothic characteristics of the ancient castle with his designs of a Venetian Palazzo. The Palace was built on the exact site of a castle documented to 1152. At that time, the castle belonged to the Bishops of Padova, and in 1166 the bishops granted the investiture to the Thiene family. The Thiene family fought the Ezzelini and the Ponzi who disputed the investiture for one hundred and fifty years.

In 1314, Ponzino, the podestà of Padova, and Cangrande della Scala of Verona destroyed the castle during their scorched earth march from Bassano to Schio. The Thiene family regained control of their city in 1492 from Doge Augustino Barbarigo for their loyalty to Venice. Giovanni da Porto re-built the castle, and began construction on a villa designed by Palladio in 1542. In 1816, both the villa and palace were inherited by Giovanni’s heir Guardino Colleoni of Bergamo, and then to his heir Conte Antonio Thiene.

Giovanni’s brother, Luigi da Porto (1485-1529) wrote the novel Giulietta and Romeo in 1524. He borrowed parts of Giulietta and Romeo from Masuccio Saqlernitano’s poem about two lovers called Cinquante Novelle of 1476. Count Luigi wrote the story at his Villa Montorso while he was recovering from injuries received during the war of the League of Cambri. His story was based in Verona during the reign of Bartholomeo della Scala. He based much of his story on Guglielmo II Bevilacqua’s marriage to Countess Francesca de Castlebarco. The Castlebarco family was the most powerful Guelph family while Guglielmo II was the patriarch of the most powerful Ghibelline family.

Count Giuseppe da Porto, one of the most influential men in Vicenza, commissioned Veronese to paint two portraits of his family. The Portrait of Countess Livia da Porto Thiene and her daughter, Porzia (155l) was painted as a companion to the Count’s portrait with his son, Adriano. In 1542 Marcantonio Thiene, Livia’s uncle, expanded the family palace, originally built by Lorenzo Thiene from Bologna in 1489. Marcantonio commissioned Palladio as architect to shape the Thiene Palace in the Mannerist style. The palace is now the Banco Popular in Viecnza. In 1525, Marcantonio Thiene, was considered a “cortegiano” according to Baldassar Castiglione in his Book of the Courtier, because of his familiarity with the Renaissance courts and the artists of Italy.

When the portraits of Count Giuseppe and Countess Livia are hung side by side, the Countess directs her glance at her husband. Countess Livia is pregnant in the portrait as indicated by her biography and the fact that she is pointing her fingers at her stomach. She is also holding a fur of a marten which was an animal believed to protect women in childbirth during the Renaissance. The full-length portraits demonstrate Veronese’s mastery of a new painting format, and his development of companion portraits.

Gregorio I Bevilacqua and Angela had ten children of which five survived infancy. Francesco I (1486-1549) was the oldest son, and he fought in the war of Cambrai utilizing the Bevilacqua Castle outside of Verona as his stronghold against Venice.

The Bevilacqua Castle was badly damaged during the war so Francesco I rebuilt it into a magnificent fortified palace. Holy Roman Emperor and German King Maximilian I (1459 – 1519), son and successor of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III made Francesco I the Ambassador of Verona to Venice. In 1539, Francesco I was the head of the delegation sent from Verona to congratulate Doge Pietro Lando on his election. In 1505, he married Bartolomea daughter of Conte Antonio Verita, and they had two daughters. Diamonte married Count Antonio della Torre and Cassandra married Verita, the son of Count Bartolomeo Verita. Francesco I is buried in a magnificent sarcophagus in the Church of Saint Teuteria in Verona.

Francesco I’s younger brother was Antonio I born on March 18, 1492. At the age of twenty-five, Antonio I was sent to Venice as the Ambassador of Verona. While he was in Venice, he established his family’s business enterprises including ship building utilizing the family’s extensive lumber holdings, a printing plant, and a lucrative silk trade. In 1554, he headed the delegation from Verona to Venice to congratulate, Francisco Venier, upon his election to Doge.

It was on this occasion that the Doge made Antonio a Knight of Venice with hereditary citizenship. Knighthood was an extremely important mark of social distinction and it was conferred upon the recipient at the most solemn of all ceremonies. The title of Knight was always recognized in any formal proceeding or invitation list. Knights were given golden spurs and were thus referred to as gilded. Knighthood could only be granted by a monarch or pope usually to gain the continued support of an important and distinguished person from a noble and powerful family.

Antonio I and his brother, Gregorio II, commissioned Sanmichele to completely renovate their palace on the Via del Corso in Verona. In 1555, Titian painted Antonio I’s portrait wearing his gold chain signifying the highest civilian honor of Venice for his services to the Republic. His portrait is displayed in the Castlevecchio Museum in Verona. Antonio I was married to Zenone dalla Corte, and one of his daughters, Elena, married Lodovico, the son of Dante Alighieri. Dante’s other son; Peter Alighieri lived at a Bevilacqua Palace on Courso Saint Anastasia which has a beautiful Renaissance fountain in the garden. When Lodovico Alighieri died, Elena married the son of Marco Ridolfi, Pellegrino. Marco Ridolfi was the uncle of Carlo Ridolfi (1594-1658) the Venetian artist and author of the Life of Titian and the Life of Tintoretto.

Antonio I’s only son was Conte Giovanni II Bevilacqua (1529-1559) who married Livia the daughter of Count Alberto Sarego and Camilla Visconti of the Count of Fagnano. Giovanni II and Conte Raimondo della Torre donated the funds to build a Contagious Disease Hospital for the victims of the plague. According to Vasari, Sanmicheli was commissioned to develop the architectural design in 1548. The hospital’s re-construction was begun by Angel Rossi and Filippo Gabrieli in March 1602, and was completed in 1628 in time for the great epidemic of 1630 which infected two thirds of Verona’s citizens.

In 1821, Giambattista della Persiano, a historian of Verona, wrote a description of the hospital, “In the center of the 152 rooms, there was a great courtyard with fifty one pillars, four doors and towers with five porches. The steps in the center of the courtyard were round with a double quantity of turned columns of marble from Tuscany. Under the cupola was the statue of Saint Rocco in sight of all the sick ones behind every door of the rooms.” The statue of Saint Rocco is still preserved in the Castelvecchio Museum of Verona. In 1960, the tempietto, a round temple or rotunda, was partially reconstructed on the occasion of the celebrations in honor of Sanmicheli’s death four hundred years earlier. In the same year, a wooden model was made, currently on display in the Soprintendenza Archeologica of Verona.

In the late afternoon of Sunday May 20, 1945, the Contagious Disease Hospital of Verona was blown up by the escaping German Nazis. At least 30 men, eleven children under thirteen years of age, and several old women died in the explosion. Also, many anti-Nazis civilians were wounded, to the point that the exact number of persons could not be accurately assessed. The Nazis blew up the hospital to destroy the ammunition and explosives stored there so the “free Verona” partisans could not use the munitions against the Nazis while they were escaping. Approximately a month before the tragedy, the Nazis tried to blow up the munitions stored at the hospital, but a boy cut the fuse.

Giovanni II’s uncle, Gregorio II (1497-1564) married Countess Julia Canossa Nogarola. Julia was a descendant of Matilde of Canossa, and her aunt was Isotta Nogarola (1417-1468). The couple commissioned a portrait of Matilde from Parmigiano (1504-1540). Isotta was the best educated female humanist of the time, and she engaged in an intellectually passionate correspondence with the humanist and Venetian nobleman, Ludovico Foscarini. Their letters debated the guilt of Adam and Eve with Foscarini defending Adam and Nogarola defending Eve. Although Nogarola at times argues from the weak position that women are inherently inferior to men, her defense of Eve when viewed as a whole is really quite strong. Indeed, at times, she seems to be conceding Eve’s weakness only to satirically point out Adam’s alleged strength.

Their oldest son was Count Giulio (1532-1571) died while he was Cuirassier for Guido Ubaldo della Rovere, the Duke of Urbino and General of the Venetian army. Giulio married Orestina the grand niece of Benedetto Faelli who at the end of the fourteenth century developed the art of Gutenberg. The Faelli family developed the Bevilacqua printing empire which quickly spread to Venice with Simon Bevilacqua. Their son Claudius (1578-1614) was Privy Chamberlain of Vincenzo Gonzaga Duke of Mantova. Claudius was assassinated in Venice in 1614 at the age of thity six. His wife’s family donated their art collection and the Montanari Palace to Vicenza as a museum.

[edit] Montanari palace

The Montanari Palace is typical of the Vicentine Baroque style showing Palladian influence. The Montanari became wealthy from the wool and silk industry, and received the title “noble citizens of Vicenza”. They joined the Vicenza City Council in the early 1500’s. The decoration of the Palace continued until 1713. It was designed by the Giuseppe Marchi and Carlo Borella. Ludovico Dorigny, the French painter, decorated some of the interiors. The Paraccas, a family of sculptors, and the Trento painter Giuseppe Alberti, also were involved with the decoration of the palace.

The palace housed a collection of 14 paintings by Pietro Longhi and others by Pietro's father, Alessandro Falca Longhi. Currently, the Palazzo Leoni Montanari houses 130 ancient (13th-19th century) Russian icons, one of the most important collection of Russian icons in the West.

[edit] Bevilacqua Counts

Count Ippolito I Bevilacqua (1591-1630), Cladius’ son, was Page at the Imperial Court of Vienna, and escorted Princess Maria Maddalena Hapsburg of Austria to Florence for her wedding to Cosimo II de' Medici. In 1613, he was Commander of the Cavalry of the Cuirassiers for the Duke of Mantua Francesco IV Gonzaga against Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy and his wife Caterina daughter of King Philip II of Spain at the Battle of Monferrato. Ippolito married Countess Sofonisba Thiene of Vicenza. The Thiene family donated their enormous Palace Thiene built by Marcantonio Thiene during the 16th century designed by Lorenzo from Bologna, Giulio Romano and Palladio. The gift included their collection of paintings and sculptures by Tiepolo, Jacopo Bassano, Bartolomeo Montagna, and Tintoretto.

In 1665, Count Gaetano I Bevilacqua (1627- 1692), son of Ippolito I and Sofonisba, fought with the Este of Modena against the Spanish army, and was wounded in Reggio. While he recuperating, Princess Cristina of Sweden stayed with him during her visit to Verona. Count Gaetano was an art collector, and also developed an immense library of antique art books. Gaetano Bevilacqua’s heirs recently sold his copy of Giorgio Vasari’s (1511-74) vite.

In 1668, Gaetano married Countess Vittoria Pompei di Illasi descendants of General Gneo Pompeo who ruled the Roman Republic together with Julius Caesar and Licinio Grasso. Pompeo’s descendants were co-conspirators in Caesar's Assassination. The Pompei di Illasi family was enrolled to the Noble Council of Verona in 1410.

Gaetano and Countess Vittoria’s son was Conte Ippolito II (1669-1750) who was Prince of the Academia of the Philharmonic of Verona married to Ottavia daughter of Conte Leonardo Turco. In May 1564, Earl Mario Bevilacqua, Gaetano’s great, great uncle, formed the Philharmonic Academy of Verona by fusing the Alla Vittoria Academy with the Incatenata and he became known as the “father of the Philharmonic Academy”. The Philharmonic Academy was primarily known for music but was also very involved in the arts, philosophy and the sciences. Mario was especially interested in exploring single melodies in conjunction with a basso continuo to meet the demands of the Council of Trent for intelligibility in music for the most holy sacrifice of the mass. This eventually led to the most important form of concert music, the solo sonata.

Count Mario Bevilacqua (1536-1593) was a prominent collector of ancient sculptures, antique books, and numismatic coins. Orlando Flacco was his personal consultant in the selection and purchase of art and antiquities. He created a public Library and Museum of Antiquity in his palace. His collection of paintings included several works by Michelangelo’s instructor Ghirlandaio. The Earl was great personal friends, a patron, and an avid collector of Veronese and Felice Brusasorci (1540-1605) who was Veronese’s student. Mario Bevilacqua held concerts of Orlande de Lassus and Luca Marenzio in his ridotto ^[1] , and was the dedicatee of books of music theory of the day (e.g. by Pietro Ponzio). He left a substantial collection of musical instruments at his death, intended to be bequeathed to the library but lost due to the negligence of his estate; a list of some historical interest remains ^[2].

Mario assisted his personal friend, Cesare Nichesola, in establishing the Lapidario Museum. He worked with Federico Ceruti to publish his satires and prose. He offered friendship and encouragement to Pietro Sonzoni’s medical studies, and Francesco Pola’s artistic writings. Mario graduated from the University of Bologna with a Doctor of Civic Law degree concurrent with the opening of his Library and Museum of Antiquity in 1567. Mario was also the Municipal Purveyor of Verona at this time. In 1579, Mario was appointed Ambassador of the Venetian Republic to Istanbul which was the most important ambassadorial position given the constant warfare between Venice and Turkey.

The Bevilacqua family member best remembered in the current history of Italy is Felicita Bevilacqua (1822-1899). Her fortune financed much of the Risorgimento movement which led to the unification of Italy. She also donated the funds to create the L’Opera Bevilacqua La Masa and donated her Ca’ Pesaro Palace to house the Galleria d’Arte Moderna and the Museo Orientale in Venice.

Felicita Bevilacqua and her husband, Baron Giuseppe La Masa (1819-1881) were two of the primary leaders of the Risorgimento Movement. Italy was dominated by several foreign countries from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries, and had not been a single cohesive country since the Roman Empire fell in the fifth century. Napoleon Bonaparte drove out the Austrians and created the French dominated Cisalpine Republic in 1797 which included Milan, Parma, Modena, Bologna, Ferrara, and Venice. From 1799 to 1800, the Austro-Russian armies dominated the Cisalpine Republic, but the French recovered the area. In 1805, the country of Italy was referred to as the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.

Felicita Bevilacqua was the last descendant of the Bevilacqua - Grazia branch of the family begun by Conte Gaetano II Bevilacqua, the son of Conte Ippolito II and Ottavia Turco. Gaetano II married Margherita daughter of Conte Giovanni Grazia, Nobleman of Padova. According to Count Pompeo Litta’s (1781-1852) Famigle Celebri Italiane, Gaetano II was Commander of the General Army of the People of Verona, and Provveditore and Captain of Lake Garda.

Felicita’s great grandfather Conte Alessandro I, Gaetano II’s son, married Margherita daughter of Giovanni Negroboni, Nobleman of Brescia. Alessandro I succeeded his father as Commander of the General Army of the People of Verona, and he and his wife built the Villa Ducale Negroboni-Bevilacqua of Gerolanuova. Felicita’s grandfather Conte Ernesto married Felicita daughter of Gerolamo Scarampi, Marquis of Villanova of Turin. Ernesto inherited his familiey’s titles including Conte of Bevilacqua and Minerbe with Saint Zenone, Saint Stefano and Gazzolo, Gentleman of Brentino, Nobleman of Verona and Trento. His wife helped to establish the Scarampi Foundation which is dedicated to organizing and promoting cultural activities of figurative art, culture, and music.

Felicita’s mother was Carolina Santi widow of Alessandro II Bevilacqua who was killed in the War of Independence in 1848 by the Austrians. Carolina Santi, daughter of Count Bernardino Santi of Brescia, sold Count Mario Bevilacqua’s ancient Roman sculpture collection to King Ludwig I of Bavaria (1786-1868). When Earl Mario Bevilacqua died in 1593, his collection was moved to the Bevilacqua Palace on Via Corso in Verona. The palace was turned into a museum for the city of Verona.

Two of Earl Mario’s ancient sculptures were placed in the Glyptothek in Munich. Portrait of Geta (202 A.D.) depicts the younger son of Emperor Septimius Severus. Portrait of Caesar Augustus is based on the original bronze statue from Livia’s villa at Prima Porta of 53 B. C. Augustus wears a wreath of oak leaves, which was a special “citizen crown” bestowed on a soldier for saving the life of a fellow citizen in battle. Augustus saved the entire Roman citizenry from the civil wars. The bust depicts the classical style of many Augustus portraits from the time of the early first century. The extraordinary skill of the sculptor is demonstrated in the smallest details of the skin and facial details.

Countess Carolina used the proceeds from the sale of the sculpture to open a hospital in Valleggio. Carolina and her daughter, Felicita, cared for the wounded soldiers throughout the remainder of the war. Carolina died on September 27, 1849 from an infectious disease that she contracted at the hospital. King Carlo Alberto of Italy struck a gold coin in her honor with the inscription, “To Maria Carolina Santi, of Marquis Bevilacqua of Brescia, this Merit of Humanity of the native land is given for building a hospital and comforting the valorous Italians wounded in the War of Independence.”

Felicita’s brother Girolamo born in 1823 was Lieutenant of the Cavalry in the Regal Sardinian Army killed on April 30, 1848. He was killed by two bullets on his first day of action at the Battle of Pastrengo. Her other brother Conte Don Guglielmo, was made Duke and Marquis by Leopoldo II von Österreich, the Bourbon Granduke of Tuscany October 19, 1851.

Felicita was a great patriot and benefactress of the Risorgimento movement. She founded the hospital for the Italian wounded in Valeggio on the Mincio in 1848, and organized the institution of feminine committees of aid for the Expedition of the Thousand. This was the name given to the 1860 campaign led by Giuseppe Garibaldi that overthrew the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and permitted the unification of Italy.

The Kingdom of Italy authorized a special law for Felicita to take a loan in order to resolve the debts that she had contracted in favor of the Italian cause. On May 6, 1866, the Italian Government authorized the loan after several debates in Parliament. The Duchessa Felicita Bevilacqua had to mortgage her property for her expenses in establishing a hospital for the Italian wounded during the War of Independence in 1848.

The Palermo revolution against the Bourbons broke out on January 12, 1848 led by Giuseppe la Masa who defeated the Bourbon cavalry. La Masa set up a revolutionary government presided by Roger VII of Sicilian descent. At the same time, revolutions broke out in Venice, Parma, Modena, Tuscany, Sicily. In the Papal States, a short-lived Roman Republic was proclaimed under the leadership of Mazzini. La Masa was also one of the leaders of the 1848 revolution in Sicily, and led the Sicilian volunteers during the First Independence War. On January 9, 1848, Francesco Bagnasco wrote and distributed a circular in Palermo calling on the people to revolt on January 12, the birthday of King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (1751-1825). This day was selected since Ferdinand I abolished the Sicilian constitution, in violation of his own sacred oath, and subjugated himself to the Austrians. Bagnasco and the other supporters of the Risorgimento movement wanted to form a constitutional government. The police arrested eleven conspirators on January 10 to quell the uprising. However, on the twelfth clashes erupted between the citizens and the soldiers and police. Many citizens were killed and barricades were erected in the section of Palermo called Fieravecchia. Baron Giuseppe La Masa formed a committee, and took charge of the revolt resulting in his being given the nickname “the man of action.”

By January 13, the rebels gained four thousand supporters, but they were not well armed and they were outnumbered by the royal garrison composed of six thousand well trained and disciplined soldiers. The Bourbon army bombed the Fieravecchia section of Palermo from their fortress at Castellamare. On January 13, Baron La Masa issued the following Proclamations of the Provisional Revolutionary Committee of Palermo addressed:

“To the needy of the city!”

So as to remedy the inevitable and harmful effects of our glorious revolution, the revolutionary committee invites all those who have no means of sustenance because of the interruption of their daily work to go to the Cela palace in the square of Fieravecchia. There they will be given a monetary subsidy to the amount of one Sicilian carlino per person.

The committee is convinced of the deep and ardent love that every citizen has for our holy revolution; and it is equally certain that only those persons who truly have had no bread these past few days will ask for the subsidy. We know that the greater part of those who are now fighting will demand of the committee only powder and ammunition; we know that they are prepared to shed their own blood for the liberty of their brothers. Long live Poverty! Long live Independence! The President, GIUSEPPE LA MASA

Despite the arrival of five thousand royal army reinforcements on January 15, the rebels took control of the city. La Masa demanded the freedoms established by the Sicilian Constitution of 1812. On January 15, he issued the following announcement: “Citizens!”

The provisional committee of the Sicilian revolution has now overcome the principal barriers which were dividing it from one part of the people. In every street of the city the victorious fighters for our independence have now hauled up the tricolour flag. From the cities and villages close to the capital we are now receiving hour by hour numerous reinforcements as well as many captured Bourbon soldiers. And so it is time that the committee called to its aid every type of citizen, and particularly the most respected, to assist it in the glorious task of building on the ruins of despotism and amongst the flowers of victory.

And so that every class of citizen, every proprietor can rest secure on seeing our flag and our arms, the provisional committee has today given solemn proof of its intentions by inscribing on its banners two words which are sacrosanct to all peoples and lethal to all despots: LEGALITY and UNION.

We clearly showed the meaning of the first word when we raised the battle cry, a cry that was both of alarm and victory, ‘Long live Independence and the Constitution’. The committee now intends at this crucial moment to give substance to the second word by sharing its absolute power with the oldest and most constant of patriots, Ruggiero Settimo. It also intends to invite into the government the most distinguished and most liberal men of the island, to unite them with those heroes who have shown how without arms it is possible to overthrow a tyrannical government and put in its place a free and provisional one.

Sicily, represented by its legally elected deputies, will then adapt for the new government the constitution of 1812. That constitution is a glorious heritage of our ancient land, and is guaranteed by England. But it must be refurbished in keeping with that spirit of liberty and justice which is the guiding force in the progress of all the people, not just of Sicily, but of Italy.

For the time being the citizens who have been chosen will join with the members of the committee of Fieravecchia to form a general committee which will add to its ranks any other individuals who are considered indispensable for the waging of a successful war.

Our cause is a profoundly holy one; Pius IX, legality, the people and victory are on our side. Whoever refuses to help in this sublime task will be considered an enemy of the country. The President, GIUSEPPE LA MASA

After a year of negotiations, General Filangieri, the Neapolitan commander in Sicily of Bourbon King Ferdinand captured Palermo on May 15, 1849, and Baron La Masa was exiled. Baron La Masa and Felicita escaped to the Bevilacqua Castle outside of Verona to plan their next steps in forming a constitutional government. Felicita’s father had just died, and they went to live with her mother. One year later her mother died, and Felicita and her husband inherited the Bevilacqua Castle, and the Maccastorna Fortress.

They began renovating and reinforcing the castle in successive stages in case they were attacked by the Bourbons. However, they also paid close attention to aesthetic detail and the external walls were decorated with merlons and the entire building acquired a neo-gothic savour in line with the romantic spirit of that time. They paid particular attention to maintain Sanmichele’s architectural detail when he had modernized the immense medieval Castle Bevilacqua for Giovanni Francesco III Bevilacqua in 1535.

Count Camilo Cavour, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Giuseppe Mazzini, and Duke Giuseppe La Masa secretly planned the formation of the unification of Italy under a constitutional government. In order to keep their location secret, these men would also alternately meet at the magnificent Bevilacqua Castle of Verona, the Bevilacqua Palace in Verona, the Maccastorna Fortress, and the Bevilacqua Castle in Lazise. It was almost nine centuries since the year 962, when Holy Roman Emperor Otto I issued his first Concessagli Decree which granted autonomy to Lazise making it the first free Common of the Italians. Principe Antonio Bevilacqua was made Governor of Lake Garda by Otto I forming the first constitutional government in Italy.

The Bevilacqua Castle of Verona also represented a bastion of constitutional government in Italy. On May 7, 1059, the Principality of Bevilacqua was established for the Bevilacqua family’s loyalty to Bonifacio Canossa, Marquis of Tuscany. Bonifacio Canossa was the grandson of Atto Adalbert of the Baron Siegfried of Lucca, who helped Queen Adeleide of Italy escape from the tyrant King Berengar II. Queen Adeleide married Holy Roman Emperor Otto I who defeated King Berengar II, and they granted Atto Adalbert the County of Canossa.

In 1533, Antonio I Bevilacqua and his brother Gregorio II commissioned Sanmicheli to redevelop and rejuvenate the Palazzo Bevilacqua in Verona. Sanmichele was not only a gifted military architect and engineer, but he also built some of the most magnificent fortified palaces. Antonio I was a great lover of art and had his portrait done by Titian which hangs in the Castlevecchio Museum in Verona. Gregorio II married Ludovico Canossa’s niece and this marriage merged two of the most powerful Veronese families.

Sanmichele based the overall palace design was on the general principles of Donato Bramante’s Palazzo Caprini built in Rome in 1510. The Palazzo Caprini became known as Palazzo Raphael in 1517 when the artist bought the palace. The façade was the first in Verona made entirely of stone to fortify it against canons. The design for the façade was based on the elaborate Roman Porta dei Borsari located very close to the palace. This was a symbolic design element linking the Bevilacqua’s Roman heritage in the architecture of their palace. The piano nobile is based on Sansovino’s design for the Scuola della Misericordia built in Venice in 1531. The combination of these designs makes the palace one of the most original works of art. It is considered the most spectacular and complex example of the Mannerist rhythmic style.

After twelve years of preparation and planning, Mazzini led a revolution at Palermo on April 4, 1860, however, he was quickly defeated. Almost concurrently, Garibaldi led an expedition with La Masa as second in command to overthrow the Bourbon regime in Sicily. In May, 1860 Garibaldi’s Expedition of the Thousand set sail from Liguria to free the Italian south from Bourbon rule. Despite scant preparations and a shortage of weapons, Garibaldi’s volunteers landed at Marsala on May 11, 1860, and in less than three months conquered the entire island of Sicily. Garibaldi declared on May 14 that he ruled “in the name of Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy”. After the victorious battle at Caltafimi on May 15, Garibaldi and La Masa decided to attack Palermo by way of Monreale where eight thousand Spanish Bourbon troops, cavalry and cannons were garrisoned.

On May 17, La Masa recruited an army from Sicily to assist the rebels that were battling the Bourbon troops in the mountains of Palermo. On May 18, passing through the city of Mezzojuso, La Masa led the citizens in an uprising, and the insurgents directed themselves toward Palermo establishing a camp at Gibilrossa on May 21. La Masa used the church and the convent as his headquarters with approximately 5,000 men awaiting Giuseppe Garibaldi’s arrival with his troops. On the night May 26, La Masa began the march toward Palermo and on May 27 the troops assaulted the Bourbon city.

On May 7, 1860, Felicita made a passionate appeal to all Italian women to help in creating peace, published in all newspapers of Europe. Women responded to the appeal throughout Italy, Great Britain, Spain and France.

In 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed with Victor Emmanuel II as king. In October of that year, Felicita began the Philanthropic Association of Italian Women with Principessa Maria Pia di Savoia. Felicita led this organization until her death in Venice in 1899.

From 1870 to 1881 Duke Giuseppe La Masa served as a General in the Italian Army. When he died in 1881, Felicita planned to create a foundation called L’Opera Bevilacqua La Masa and donated Ca Pesaro, her palace to provide studio, living, and exhibition space for young painters. Duchessa Felicita donated her real estate and all her wealth with clear instructions in her will for the future management of her foundation. L’Opera Bevilacqua La Masa helped provide a home and a start to the careers of artists like Umberto Boccioni, Gino Rosso, Arthur Martini, Emilio Vedova, and Filippo de Pisis. The tradition of the foundation continues and provides assistance not only for painters but also photographers, and graphic designers and testifies to the intelligence and intuition of the duchessa. Today, the Ca’ Pesaaro Palace houses the Galleria d’Arte Moderna (Modern Art Gallery) and the Museo Orientale (on the top floor).

Felicita was following the family tradition begun by Lucrezia Malaspina Bevilacqua-Lazise who always tried to assist the young people of Verona in their careers. In 1546, Giovanni Bevilacqua-Lazise commissioned Veronese who was only eighteen years old at the time to paint the Bevilacqua-Lazise Altarpiece in honor of his deceased wife Lucrezia Malaspina Bevilacqua-Lazise.

In her will, Lucrezia donated much of her money to the betterment of the youth of Verona. The commission began Veronese’s path to becoming one of the most famous artists of the Italian Renaissance. The Virgin with the Child with Saints and Givers demonstrates Veronese’s influence by Parmiagiano and Bassano in his Mannerist inspiration for the painting. However, Veronese also demonstrates his unique style with acidulated colors, silver plated reflections, realistic fabrics, and his talent at engraving and drawing especially architecture.

Felicita’s great uncle, Bonifazio was a patron of the arts, Pope Clement VIII made Bonifazio Bevilacqua a Cardinal. In his youth, Bonifazio was “secret waiter” of Pope Gregorio XIII, and received his doctorate in law at the University of Padua. Later, Bonifazio became Archdeacon of Ferrara and the Patriarch of Constantinople. Bonifazio was also elected Governor of Fano, and Governor of the Duchy of Camerino which were Papal States. During the conclave of Pope Gregorio XV, Bonifazio formed alliances with the French against Cardinal Guido Bentivoglio and the Spanish. When Gregorio XV won the papal election, he gave Bonifazio citizenship in the Republic of Lucca.

Cardinal Bonifazio constructed the Church della Madonna della Neve in Cervia with his relatives the Capponi. The Capponi built the Church and Monastery of Santo Spirito in Florence in 1360. Gino Capponi was famous for conquering Pisa for the Florentines in 1404. His son Neri, whose portrait is done in basso-relief by Simone di Betto in the church, was distinguished in the war of the Florentines against the Duke of Milan, Cosimo de’ Medici. His grandson Piero was threatened by Charles VIII of France to surrender or Charles VIII would “sound his trumpets for the final attack”. Piero responded, “Then, we shall sound our bells.” Piero Capponi was killed in 1496 in an assault against the Pisans. He was buried in the same tomb as his great-grandfather Gino which is next to the monument of Cardinal Luigi Capponi, a close friend and associate of Cardinal Bonifazio Bevilacqua.

Ventura Salimbeni (1568-1613) was major benefactor of Cardinal Bevilacqua’s patronage. Ventura was the son of the Florentine artist, Arcangelo Salimbeni (1567–1589) and Battista Focari, widow of Eugenio Vanni. Ventura was first taught painting in his native Siena by his father, as was his half-brother Francesco Vanni. Cardinal Bonifazio introduced Ventura to Pope Sixtus V (1585–90) in 1588. Ventura received his first commission for the fresco decoration of the Vatican Library by the pope.

During 1590–91, Salimbeni received commissions from Cardinal Bevilacqua to decorate Il Gesù Church and Santa Maria Maggiore Church in Rome. In 1595, Cardinal Bevilacqua commissioned Ventura to fresco the Church of Santa Trinita and the Church of Santa Spirito in Siena utilizing the Mannerist style. Subsequently, Cardinal Bonifacio Bevilacqua commissioned Salembeni to paint the Bethroel of the Virgin in the diocese’s seminary in Foligno while Bonifazio was governor.

Salimbeni was commissioned to paint Saint Carl Borromeo Adores the Name of Jesus for the cathedral of Saint Lorenzo to Grosseto. Cardinal Bevilacqua was a supporter of the cult of the Name of Jesus instituted by Saint Bernardino and sanctioned by Pope Eugenio IV in 1432. His next work, Concert of Angels, is stylistically very similar to Bethroel of the Virgin. For almost all of his painting cycles he first created detailed preparatory drawings. The few engravings that Salimbeni executed for the cardinal were made in Rome. Of these, only seven survive, dated between 1589 and 1594.

In Perugia, he decorated the Church of San Pietro. After completing his fresco in the church called Cavaleriato del Esperon de Oro, Cardinal Bevilacqua bestowed Ventura Salimbeni with the Bevilacqua family name. From that time, he became know as Il Cavaliere Ventura Salimbeni Bevilacqua. The title of Cavaliere was similar to being knighted. While knighthood was the first and most common of Italy’s entitlements, it is not hereditary as are the royal titles. Knighthood is an individual title conferred by members of an Italian royal family for an individual’s outstanding or meritorious service.

In 1612, one year before Il Cavaliere Salimbeni died, he painted a portrait in celebration of Bonifacio’s elevation to the cardinalate. The inscription on the letter that Cardinal Bevilacqua holds in his right hand in the portrait reads, “Bonifacius Bevilacqua of Ferrara created Cardinal of the Most Holy Roman Church in 1598”. This is a reference to the letter sent by Pope Clement VIII on April 3, 1598 granting Bonifacio with dispensation for not having reached the canonical age to accept his election by the College of Cardinals to the title of Patriarch of Constantinople. Bonifacio was only twenty seven years of age; three years younger than the canonical age to be elected a Patriarch.

In 1735, Marquis Ercole Bevilacqua and his wife, Bradamante d’Este donated their Palace Paradiso to the city of Ferrara as The Civic Lapidario Museum. They also donated several ancient Roman gravestones, and many works of art including the Portrait of Cardinal Bonifacio Bevilacqua. This gift was in celebration his reelection to Giudice dei Savi or Mayor and Judge of Ferrara. In 1763, Cardinal Bonifacio’s portrait was incorporated as part of Cardinal Giovanni Maria Riminaldi’s prestigious collection of nineteen portraits of famous cardinals at the Civic Museum of Ferrara in the Schifanoia Palace.

When Bonifacio was made Cardinal, he was in charge of the diocese of Sabina, Umbria, and Perugia. He was also made the Prefect of the Cardinal’s Consul, Referendario of the Cardinal’s Senate, and elected Prefect of all of the Catholic Church’s Assemblies. Pope Clement VIII bestowed his own family name, Aldobrabdini, with all hereditary rights to Bonifazio since he loved him like a son. Bonifazio had the sepulchral monument of Torquato Tasso built in the church of S. Onofrio al Gianicolo in memory of one of his closest and dearest friends. Bonifacio is buried in a beautiful tomb in the Chapel of Saint Sebastiano Martire in the Church of Saint Andrea della Valle in Rome.

Duchessa, Marchessa, and Countess Donna Felicita Bevilacqua La Masa (1822-1899) was a descendant of Morando Bevilacqua (1150-1221).

Ca Pesaro was donated by the Duchess Felicita Bevilacqua La Masa “for the benefit of young artists from whom the way is often barred to great exhibitions”. Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa always operated in Venice in helping young artists to find popularity, even providing working spaces and funds. The Fondazione promotes those young artists that normally are excluded in the major exhibitions. This tradition is still brought forward nowadays as Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa put at disposal of young artists spaces situated on the top floor of ancient Palazzo Carminati. The guest house began its activity in 1969 in Palazzo Cavagnis. Restoration began in 1994 and it is expected to increase the capacity of accommodation to seventy five.

Felicita also donated her mother’s aristocratic mansion of Palazzo Santi and the Church of Saint Anthony to the town of Cascia in Perugia. The Palazzo Santi is now a museum and houses an outstanding collection of wooden statues and polychrome terracottas dating from the 11th to the 16th-century. A section is devoted to archaeological finds concerning the ancient settlements in the whole municipal area. The 14th-century Church of St. Anthony, which is included in the museum, keeps a cycle of 15th-century frescoes by the Maestro della Domitio of Terni and Nicola da Siena. The da Siena frescoes depicts scenes from the life of Saint Anthony and magnificent scenes from the Passion. Felicita’s estate sold her island of Loreto north of Monteisola on September 10, 1900 to satisfy her loan from the Government of Italy.

The Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa continues the legacy of the generosity and patriotism of Felicita Bevilacqua and Giuseppe La Masa. It was at the famed battlefield of Gibilrossa where General La Masa smoothed the way to Palermo for Garibaldi. La Masa was able to convince Prince Ruggero Settimo to become the leader of the revolt of the populace for the independence of Sicily. This allowed La Masa to gain the support of Lord Mintho, Commander of the English fleet in the port of Palermo against the Bourbon Commander, Massone De Majo. Ultimately, this led to an independent and unified Italian nation.

References:

• History of The Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation by FONDAZIONE BEVILACQUA LA MASA, City of Venice, Italy - 1998
• Famigle Celebri Italiane - Bevilacqua published in 1819 written by Count Pompeo Litta
• The Origin of the Most Illustrious Family of the Gentleman Count Ercole Bevilacqua by Adriano Valerini in 1578
• Totius Bevilacqua by Sebastiano delle Donne and Girolamo Stringario in 1584
• Famiglia Bevilacqua by Vittorio Baldini in 1606
• Genealogy of the Bevilacqua Family by Francesco Luzzi in 1626
• Biographical Traits of the Marquis Bevilacqua of Ferrara by Ratta in 1750
• The Story and Memory of the Noble Family Bevilacqua by Antonio Frizzi written in Parma during 1779
• The Origins and Descendancy of the Bevilacqua Family by Bishop Valerio Seta in 1608.
• The Original Archives of the Bevilacqua and the Bevilacqua-Lazise Families in the Archives of the Civic Museums in Verona, Bologna, and Ferrara.
• GENEALOGIE DELLE FAMIGLIE NOBILI ITALIANE A cura di Davide Shamà
• Istituto Araldico Genealogico Italiano (I.A.G.I.)
• "The Ancient Large Book of Reggio Emilia" documents by Bishop Adelberio (1140-64) of The Principality of Salvaterra dated 1162, and Bernardo di Pietro Count of Salvaterra dated 1204
• The Complete Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt
• Archives of the Institute for the Historical Studies of Verona
• Dante Alighieri Letters dated March 31, 1311 to the Florentine government and a letter of April 16, 1311 sent to the emperor their promise of fidelity to the Emperor
• The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri in the XIV canto of the Purgatory
• Paradiso by Dante Alighieri, Paradiso XVII, 76
• Le architetture della difesa nella bassa veronese in età scaligera by Professor Arturo Sandrini 30 Marzo 2001
• De Architectura by Vitruvio Chapter I of Book V
• Del Moro’s Child with a Dog by the Museo degli Affreschi of Verona
• The Simonetti Stairway by the Vatican Museum and the Museo Etrusco
• Verona e il Suo Territorio by Istituto per gli Studi Storici Veronesi 1981 Volume 4 Chapter 11 - La Dominazione de la Bevilacquaa Verona de 1387 a 1404
• Archivio Bevilacqua in the Archivio di Stato Verona
• La Venerabile Pieve dei Santi Apostoli de Verona by Parrocchia dei Santi Apostoli - Verona 1994 Appendice II Sante Teuteria e Tosca e dei Sepolcri Bevilacqua
• Book of the Courtier by Baldassar Castiglione in 1525
• Life of Titian by Carlo Ridolfi (1594-1658)
• Life of Tintoretto by Carlo Ridolfi (1594-1658)
• Giorgio Vasari: Architect and Courtier by Leon Satkowski and Ralph Lieberman; Vasari Architetto by Claudia Conforti - The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 56, No. 2 (Jun., 1997), pp. 223-225
• "Catalog of the Castlevecchio Museum" Verona, Italy 2004
• The History of Verona by Giambattista della Persiano in 1821
• Catalog of the Soprintendenza Archeologica of Verona Verona, Italy 1960
• Catalog of the Palazzo Leoni Montanari Museum Vicenza, Italy 1984
• Michele Sanmicheli by Piero Gazzola Ordinatore della Mostra, The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 103, No. 697 (Apr., 1961), pp. 148-152
• Comune di Bevilacqua - Provincia di Verona Sito web ufficiale del comune 2007
• The Castel of Bevilacqua - Union of European Historical Companies 2006
• The History of the Accademia Filarmonica of Verona by L’Accademia Filarmonica di Verona 2007
• The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church - Biographical Dictionary - Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605) - Consistory of March 3, 1599 (IV)(22) 1. BEVILACQUA ALDOBRANDINI, Bonifazio (1571-1627)
• Legati e governatori dello Stato Pontificio : 1550-1809 Roma : Ministero per i beni culturali e ambientali, Ufficio centrale per i beni archivistici, 1994. (Pubblicazioni degli archivi di Stato. Sussidi; 7), pp. 172, 234, 330, and 494.
• Famiglia Bevilacqua by The Verona City Book (source)