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The Geneaology of the Bevilacqua Dynasty provides the genealogical and biographical information of one of the most celebrated one hundred families of Italy as written by Count Pompeo Litta (1781-1852). Count Litta's work was entitled "Famigle Celebri Italiane", a sixteen volume work published in 1819. Litta was a descendant of the Visconti family. Johann Christian Bach was the personal music director to Count Litta's father, and the family commissioned The Litta Madonna by Leonardo da Vinci. The relationship between the Litta/Visconti dynasty and the Bevilacqua dynasty has been documented from 1388. In that year, the Venetian Republic formed an alliance with the Visconti family of Milan and the Bevilacqua family of Verona to defeat the Carrara family who controlled Padua, Vicenza, much of Verona, and Treviso. At the end of the war in 1391, the Visconti acquired Padua, Vicenza and Verona. Conte Guglielmo Bevilacqua II was granted the Castle of Maccastorna, the cities of Cornogiovine, Cornovecchio, Meleti, Passone, Lardaria, Cavarizia and Caneta. These areas were combined with the Principality of Bevilacqua near Verona to form an immense county which the Bevilacqua family controlled until the the sixteenth century.

Pompeo Litta utilized several Bevilacqua family histories as references for his work including: 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, and Biographical Traits of the Marquis Bevilacqua of Ferrara by Ratta in 1750. Bishop Valeric Seta had written the most extensive historical compendium of the origins and descendancy of the Bevilacqua family in 1608. Count Litta divided the "GENEAOLOGY OF THE BEVILACQUA DYNASTY COUNT AND MARQUISES, DUCHI OF TORNANO" into six distinct parts for each branch of the dynasty. This article will deal with Part I. ANCIENT LINE OF VERONA AND CREMONA begun by Morando I (1150 - 1221) who was a member of the Council of the LXXX Noblemen of Verona and Commander of the Ghibelline Army.

Morando Bevilacqua was the progenitor of the noble Bevilaqua family whose ancestors were from Ala of Trento, and he established the Ancient Line of Bevilacqua of Verona and Cremona. Morando Bevilacqua's family had constructed a castle and a church to form the ancient nucleus of the city of Trento during the time of the Romans. Trento was located on the ancient Antoniin Roman road which was an important trade route between Europe and the Mediterranean. Over time, the ancient Bevilaqua Castle came to be known as the imposing Buonconsiglio Castle which contains the famous frescoes called the Cycle of Months completed in 1400 by an anonymous artist from Bohemia. For each month of the year, the frescoes depict the lives of the peasant and the nobility: harvesting, grape picking, parades, games, and tournaments. The area surrounding Trento had expansive forests for lumber, grapes for wine production, mulberry bushes to raise silk worms, and the Italian silk industry began there in 400 A.D. In 1495, Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) on his return journey from Venice to Germany made a watercolor of The Castle at Trento which is displayed in the British Museum in London.

Morando Bevilacqua's ancestors from Ala of Trento lived in "Villa Alta" which is the most ancient part of Ala characterized by ancient palaces, and the eleventh century Romanesque church of Saint Pietro in Bosco constructed by the Bevilacqua family. Ala has always been important militarily due to its strategic location in the foothills of the Alps. It was impossible to enter or leave Italy into Austria without passing through Ala. The ancient Castle Chizzola allowed the Bevilacqua a defensive fortress to control any transportation on the river. The Castelbarco family owned Castle Serravalle located on the other river bank directly across the Adige from the Castle Chizzola. Since the families were great allies and had intermarried, the two castles created an impenetrable blockade of the river. The small town of Villetta served the Bevilacqua family as a toll station, and another fortified castle was placed there.

The Bevilacqua family also established a settlement of ancient Venetic people on the banks of the River Adige documented to 589 A. D. very near to Verona. This fortification served as an early warning system for Castles Chizzola and Serravalle if any intruders approached from the south. The settlement also served as a last fortress of defense if a northern enemy was ever able to pass the castles Chizzola and Serravale. This fortification came to be known as the Bevilacqua Castle located in the Principality of Bevilacqua. Over the ruins of one of the Bevilacqua prehistoric cliff fortresses, the family constructed the church of San Valentino overlooking the mouth of the valley of San Valentino. The church was consecrated on April 11, 1329, and contains the remains of Saint Valentine.

By the time Morando I was born in 1150, the Bevilacqua family was already established in many other areas including Verona, Milan, Bologna, Modena, Brescia, Reggio, Lazise, Sicily, and Ferrara. Their influence in northern Italy stretched from Ala and Lake Garda in the Alps on the northern border of Italy to Verona and Cremona. Several ancient documents indicate that Morando I ruled a number of major cities of the time between Ala and Verona including Trentino, Brentino, Belluno, Cremona, Caprino, Val di Sole, Male, Termenago, Pelliazzno, Valle dell' Adige, Cavedine, Croviana, Giaveno and Riva. His family was involved in lumber, sawmills, silk worm breeding, silk production and dying, plus grape cultivation and wine production.

Several northern Italian cities had established oligarchic governments that were tending to become democratic. The prosperous merchants of these cities became members of the Guelph political party. The Guelphs began to contest the authority of the powerful nobles who belonged to the Ghibelline political party. Gradually, some of the nobles were divested of their power and compelled to abandon a portion of their extensive landholdings. Civil strife was constant, and the triumph of one party usually resulted in the banishment or execution of members of the other.

In 1200, Morando I Bevilacqua was given the command of the troops of Count Salinguerra Torelli (1160-1244), the grand champion of the Ghibellini from Ferrara. Morando I led the attack on Count Traversari's Guelph troops of Ferrara to retake the Terra d' Argenta region of Ferrara for his family. Count Paolo Traversari, Podesta of Ravenna, was considered a traitor to the Ghibelline since he switched sides and became a Guelph in 1198.  GENEAOLOGY OF THE BEVILACQUA DYNASTY Italic text

Part I.   ANCIENT LINE OF VERONA AND CREMONA

Part II. PRIMOGENITA LINE OF VERONA

Part III. SECONDOGENITA LINE OF VERONA

Part IV. LINE OF FERRARA

Part V.  LINE OF FERRARA OF SAINT FRANCISCO

Part VI. LINE OF BOLOGNA

Part I. Bevilacqua Ancient Lines of Verona and Cremona

Morando I, descended from the family Bevilacqua of Wing of Trento (1150-1221). Council of the LXXX Noblemen of Verona and Commander of the Ghibelline Army

A. l. Migliore I, Nobleman of Verona (1175-1240) married Desiderata B. l. Francisco I, Nobleman of Verona and lived in the Palace Isolo C. l. Jacopa married Bernardo di Pietro Count of Salvaterra

B. 2. Zavarise, Captain of the Ghibelline Army at the Battle of Montaperto

B. 3. Vitale, Magistrate signed the Peace Act of 10/4/1279 with Bishop of Trento

B. 4. Federico I, Noble of Verona (1230-1297, buried in Church of the Apostles) C. l. Guglielmo I, Nobleman of Verona, granted hereditary Citizenship of Padova and Parma (1260-1335, buried in Church of the Apostles); m. Maria daughter of Armanino Manzoni, Nobleman of Verona

D. l. Francisco II, Nobleman of Verona, granted hereditary Citizenship of Ferrara and Venice buried in Church of St. Teuteria of Verona; m. 1334 Anna daughter of Florimondo Zavarise, Nobleman of Verona E. l. Guglielmo II, Noble of Verona and Trento, granted hereditary Citizenship of Cremona, Pavia and Genoa (1334-1397) m.1)Francesca daughter of the Conte Guglielmo di Zenone de Castelbarco, (+1372);    m. 2) Taddea daughter of Maso Tarlati d' Arezzo, Lord of Pietramala and the sister of Cardinal Galeotto (+1417)

F. l. Conte Francisco III, title conferred by the Doge of Venice Michele Steno, Captain of the Armys of the Republic of Venice (1373-1419); m. 1411 Dina daughter of Pierfrancesco Pantaleon Brancaleoni, Gentleman of Casteldurante, and Petrella di Massa, the Contessa di Montefeltro

G. l. Conte Gianfrancesco, Captain of the Armys of the Marquis of Mantova (1414-1439); m.  Maria daughter of Giovanni Corraro, Patrizio Veneto and Santuccia Vidor

H. 2. Conte Giovanni, Knight of Venice (+1508); m. Aquilina daughter of Donadio Cavalli, Patrizio Veneto (+1513);

I. 1. Conte Gregorio I, Nobleman of Verona and Trento, Doctor in Laws and Knight (+1497). Primogenita Line of Verona

G. 2. Conte Guglielmo III, Knight of Emperor Federico III, Captain of the Armies of Mantova, (1418-1486). Secondogenita Line of Verona

F. 2.Conte Leonardo I, Captain of the Venetian Army (+1412)

F. 3. Conte Galeotto, Knight of Venice by Doge Steno, Councilman and Secretary of the Duca of Milan, Captain of the Army and Secretary of         Pandolfo Malatesta, (1374 -1441) m. 1393 Leda daughter of Conte Onofrio Smeducci and Francesca Simonetti of the Gentleman of Saint Serra Quirico

G. 3. Conte Ernesto, Conte di Maccastorna, Ambassador of Verona to Venice (1450); m. Elisabetta

H. 3. Conte Riccardo, Captain of the Armys of the Duca of Milan (+1488); m. Gonzaga G. 4. Conte Cristin Francisco IV, Consigliere, Luogotenente Supremo of the Duke of Ferrara, Capitano Generale (1399-1468). Linea di Ferrara

G. 5. Conte Onofrio I, Captain of the Army, Councilman and Secretary of the Duke of Milano (1401-1475)

G. 6. Mattea, m. Conte Galeotto Malaspina (1447-1474)

F. 4. Leonardo, Nobleman of Verona and Trento, Captain of the Venetian Army (+1412)

F. 5. Antonio, Noble of Verona and Trento (1388-1400)

E. 2. Migliore II, Archbishop of Palermo, Bishop of Feltre and Belluno, Canonico Verona Cathedral, Vicar General Verona (+1365) D. 2. Morando II, Nobleman of Verona, granted hereditary Citizenship of Trento, Ferrara and Venice (1307-1343); m. Jacopa daughter of Antonio da Legge, Patrizio Veneto and Senator of the Republic of Venice