Genealogical
history
of
the
Melocco Family
CHAPTER
1
Florence, June 1st, 1905.
Ufficio
Araldico Italiano,
The Director of the office Florence
Director Count G. Guelfi
The ancient origin of the Melocco family
can be traced to the city of Venice, where, as far as is known, it had its origin
about 1200 and possibly before then, because the first person that there is
a record of is a certain Bartolomeo di Leone di Melocco of Venice, who took
part in the famous battle of Beneventoin 1266, fought by Charles of Anjou against
King Manfred of Sweden, as we now will relate.
Considering then that the said Bartolomeo,
at the time indicated should be about 30 years of age, he would have been born
about 1206 and his father about 1176, these estimates are only approximate but
should be accurate enough to substantiate our deductions.
It is certain that in 1266 Bartolomeo of
the Melocco andhe was the son of Leone of the Melocco he is the person of whom
we have documentary evidence of his action.
Urban the lV had just been elected Pope.
He offered the Crown of the two Sicilies to Charles d’Anjou, Count of Provence,
and Clement lV who succeeded Urban, who had died, invested the royal power of
Naples and Sicily to the said Prince. Charles represented in Italy the Guelf
party which was supported by the Church, King Manfred represented the Chibellin
party favoured by the Emperor.
At this period in almost all the cities of
the peninsula the imperial party prevailed, The Guelfs thought and not by mere
chance, that in order to benefit by the favourable opportunity that presented
itself and was offered to them in order to obtain the upper hand over the Chibellins,
joined the ranks of the French army which were marching to conquer the Neapolitan
territory, urged by Clement lV. Near Benevento, took place the famous battle
in which the unhappy (or unfortunate) King Manfred lost both his throne and
life. The Guelf victors obtained the supremacy over the Ghibellins who in their
turn were chased out.
Bartolomeo di Leone di Melocco fought strenuously,
as we have already recorded, in this battle which was commanded by the French
Prince Charles d’Anjou the prince to recompense the Guelfs who had assisted
and supported him in this enterprise, granted them the right to add to the head
of their shield his armorial emblem which is the red lambello with
four teeth which enclose three golden lilies or fleur de Lis of the house
of France.
This is the first origin of coat of arms of gentility of the Melocco family
and goes back to this period (1266) as the coat of arms up to this time was
simply a plain field of gold.
After
the battle of Benevento, in order to record the fact to be handed down to posterity,
the Meloccos put at the head of their coat of arms the shield of France of the
House of Anjou, as above mentioned.
We
also must further observe, how on the other side of the shield which is gold
faced with the red moons and the three staffs of silver on a green ground must
have been inherited by a women, the last of her race, who entered into the Melocco
home about 1462. Bartolomeo had a son of the name of Leone born in Venice in
1270, who travelled to the Orient for some years upon the Galleys of San Marco
in the service of the State. Leone had two sons, Pietro and Melocco. Pietro
was born in 1299 and Melocco was born two years after. Pietro followed
his fathers footsteps and was at the service of the Venetian Republic and was
in charge of a section of the workers of the Arsenal constructing the
ships of San Marco.
Sometime after 1300 he was the first to introduce
into the shield the fruit bearing apple tree upon the golden ground supported
by three mountains of azxure (blue) which is the speaking emblem of the family
and so the imprint was carried on by his descendants up to the present day.
At the time the Venetial Republic was governed,
by the terrible Council of Ten even the Doge had to submit to their rulings.
The subjects lived in a state of fear and insecurity always in a state of anxiety
of losing all their possessions.
The Doge. Marin Faliero, indignant against
the Grand Council, who in spite of his dignified position had not been able
to obtain justice against a Venetian nobleman by the name of Steno who had bitterly
offended, put himself at the head of a conspiracy which was formed by a varied
class of citizens. Within the Arsenal the majority joined the conspiracy directed
by the Doge and among these there was Pietro of the Melocco family.
The intention of the conspiracy was primarily
to elect to supreme power the Doge Marin Faliero, but the conspiracy having
been discovered by the vigilant inquisitors was crushed, the Doge was condemned
and in 1335 he was beheaded by the public executioner.
Then started prosecutions, confiscations and imprisonment of the greater part
of the conspirators. Pietro of the Melocco was also placed in the prisons
of San Marco for many months, had a long trial and torture, all his belongings
were confiscated, but was only conditionally set free that he had to leave the
city of Venice under a penalty of life imprisonment.
In fact he set sail upon a ship to the Orient,
landed in Greece and after a while, having heard that Pisa was building a fleet
to fight Genoa, went to Pisa and entered the Arsenal as director of the building
of some naval constructions. This was in 1341.
It seems that the Melocco, before returning
to their country, remained for some time in Tuscany, because this is borne
out by another memory that we have of this family, which is as follows, Livorno
in 1403 was only a small but very powerful castle under the control of the Signoria
of Pisa, and upon which the Florentines looked with greedy eyes. This castle
passed into the hands of the Genoese who wanted to retain the possession at
any cost, being envious of the power that Florence was gaining on the sea.
Filippo Maria Visconti, with a strong army of troops, was menacing Genoa, which
was forced to agree to a peace with the Republic of Florence, which made her
consider the disposal of Livorno to the Florentines for the sun of 100 thousand
florins in the year 1421.
Florence put to guard the Castle of Livorno a squad of soldiers who were in
charge of an officer by the name of Giovanni of Bartolomeo of Pietro
dei Melocco.
This Giovanni was in charge of the Castle
for many years and it seems that he died there of malaria, because nothing further
was heard of him.
Leone, a son of the abovementioned Giovanni, returned to the land of their origin
about 1400, where he had a son by the name of Pietro born in 1422, who
married an only daughter Anna Gradolino of a very rich Venetian family, the
last to bear this name.
After
a few years of married life, Anna Gradolino, the only daughter of Guiseppe Gradolino,
a very rich Venetian merchant, died and their children inherited the maternal
wealth also the family coat of arms which bears upon a red background a band
of gold with three red moons and three staffs upon a green background.
From the marriage of Pietro with Anna Gradolino came two boys, Antonio
and Marina, who became very wealthy and owned large property, having
followed their maternal grandfather’s commercial enterprise upon his death.
Many ships plied the most distant seas on their account as they had most extensive
commercial enterprises especially in the Eastern ports and their social standing
was one of the highest of their time.
At this period the Melocco divided into two sections, one branch was that of
Antonio and the other that of Marino, this has followed on and flourished up
to our present times.
Florence, March 1905.
Extracts gathered in the Archives of the Italian Heraldry Office, which regard
more on the development and composition of the Coat of Arms of Gentility of
the family Melocco.
CHAPTER
2
1st june 1905
Ufficio
Araldico Italiano
Firenze
Direttore Cotti G. Guelfi.
Pietro dei Melocco had two sons and
from these two branches of the family is formed the descendants of Antonio
and Marino.
The descendants of Antonio were eventually extinguished in France with the
death of Captain Francesco, while the descendants of Marino are proceeding
the story of which we will relate. These were gathered from the Archives of
the State of Venice and the present researches.
For commercial reasons Antonio transferred to France, thus separating himself
from his brother, thus creating two branches quite distinct. The Meloc of
France held quite a prominent position in their new country due to a great
extent to their wealth and their personal integrity beside the many family
relationship which were contracted while there.
Carlo de Meloc, son of Antonio, from his early age gave himself to military
pursuit, which added to the family name an added lustre.
Luigi XII, successor to the throne of France,
was the daring Duke d’Angouleme who wanted to again recapture Lombardy which
had been captured by Louis XlI in 1499 but had been lost in 1512.
After crossing the Alps under very great
difficulty, he unexpectedly arrived upon the collegates, at Melegmano was
fought the terrifically destructive battle, that Jacopo Trivulzio Marshal
of Francis 1, described as a Battle of Giants.
Charles de Meloc fought at the battle of
Melegnano (1515).
In this celebrated battle Carlo dei Meloc
took a most outstanding part, as described in an authentic document still
preserved in the diplomatic Archive of Nancy.
Carlo de Meloc is among one of the most conspicuous figures of this house
where the call to arms was much.
After the death of Francis 1, 1547, his son Henry II came to the throne
of France, he joined Pope Paul lV of the family of Caraffa, in order to chase
the Spaniards from Italy.
This war flared fiercely in the Abbruzzo in Piedmonte and in France. But where
it was most fiercely waged and the fate of the armies was to be decided in
Flanders and in particular at St. Quentin.
A Spanish army with English and Germans, in command of Emanuel Filibert of
Savoy, invaded Picardy.
The conestabile of Montmorency with the support of the fortress of San Quentin
was engaged in a fierce battle which he tried hard to avoid.
The French were completely routed and San
Quentin was taken (1557).
In this war we also find a De Meloc by the name of (Luigi) Louis, son of Carlo
who had an active part in the capture of Calais under the command of the Duke
of Guise. Queen Mary of England died of a broken heart due to the loss of
Calais. “Se I' on ouvrit mon Coeur.” (she said as she died) “on y lirait de
nom de Calais.”
The son of the above mentioned was Francesco born about 1540, shortly after
the death of Henry II, and he the same as the others took part in the wars
of this period.
Francesco De Meloc, son of Chavalier Luigi,
in the civil and religious war that so upset France between Catholics and
Protestants, constantly followed the Duke of Guise, but with him came to an
end in France this section of the family, having left no one to carry on to
posterity. The inheritance went to Pietro di Giovanni of the Venice branch
as we will further speak of.
Now returning to the descendants of Marino, son of Pietro dei Melocco
(the Venice branch) which still carries on in the present descendants, we
will quote what was possible to find in the archives of Venice, documents
which refer to this very important branch which still remains within our land.
The occurrances of one family are so changeable that it is essential to delve
into history to be able to understand and acquire the various phases. While
one may think that a family has lived rather modestly by searching in the
Archives, the record of these show same to be to the contrary that at these
have actually lived in the greatest splendour, while other families who at
present hold such elevated positions, perhaps one hundred years ago were totally
unknown and were really nothing. This is the unchangeable rule of human
things.
We will once again follow the thread of our genealogical narrative with Marino
son of Pietro.
From a document that can be found in the Venetian archives starts -Marinus
Petris filius de Melochis probissiums vir donationem fecit Rei Publicae galeam
quem vocata fuit tantus Marcus Anni Domini MDl - and thus the document continues
to speak that Messer Marino very generous, rich and a great lover of his country.
For this reason the Venetian Republic appointed Marino dei Melocco Captain
of the Arsenal of Venice and at the head of the naval construction of
the Republic of Venice.
Marina had two sons, Alessandro and Marco.
Of the first nothing is known, while of the second a parchment document that
is still preserved in the archives of Venice, that Marco was appointed Captain
of Galey of the State of Venice which had to guard the island of Cyprus which
had been purchased by the Venetians in 1489 from Caterina Camaro the heiress
of the Insignani.
Marco Melocco remained in Cyprus many years and gave full satisfaction
to the Republic which as a sign of esteem appointed him in 1524 as Captain of
Zara, a degree that corresponds to the present day rank of Governor or
at least Prefect.
Another document, that of 1527, records that Captain Marco with a galley (ship)
of San Marco made prisoner a Turkish ship which was plying the waters around
Zara for the purpose of obtaining booty, beside taking more than 100 prisoners
he sequestrated the rich cargo it was carrying, which was eventually taken,
together with the ship, to Venice and delivered same to the Republic.
At that time the Doge was Andrea Gritti or in his presence, Captain Marco dei
Melocco was publicly presented to the General Council, paying to him the well
earned homage in the name of the Republic of San Marco, for his valour and action.
After this period having no further knowledge of Captain Marco it is not known
if he died in Zara or whether he returned to end his days in Venice.
It is however known, without any doubt, that he had a son by the name of Giovanni
dei Melocco, born in 1523, who following his father’s example also dedicated
himself to arms and the use of same.
From a document of the period may be learned what took place in the life of
Giovanni dei Melocco who took part in the wars of that period. To give the reader
a more exact conception of those wars and the part that Giovanni played in them
it is well to record the history of the period which is so well known but which
the document naturally makes no mention.
In 1570 the Turks invaded the Island of Cyprus,
which was then a Venetian possession and captured the city of Niccia and encircling
Fumagosta laid siege, after the surrender of same destroyed the inhabitants
by torture.
Following such atrocities Pius V succeeded in concluding a league against the
Turks between Venice, Spain, Savoy, Tuscany, Genoa and the Knights of Malta.
The Christian fleet sailed from Messina towards
the Gulf of Lepanto, where the Turkish fleet was anchored. On the 7th of October
1571, near the Curzolari Islands the Christians inflicted a crushing defeat
to the Turks of which twenty thousand were killed and fifty thousand were
made prisoners.
Upon one of the ships of the Venetian Republic called the San Marco with other
Venetian noblemen was Giovanni di Marco dei Melocco, who after having
valorously fought in that memorable day with very great distinction was the
first to board an enemy craft, after strenuously fighting he was seriously
wounded in the right arm by a gunshot from a blunderbus(archibugit).
Due to his wound the sword fell from his hand and not being able to further
defend himself threw himself into the sea from where with the greatest of
difficulty his friends were able to save him, thus escaping certain death.
From Giovanni, about 1555, were born two sons, Martin and Pietro.
Of Martin nothing is known, no document of the period mentions him.
Pietro was entrusted by the Venetian Republic to found a Commercial Bank
in the city of Damascus in Syria, so that the Venetian colonies scattered
in that front and Cyprus, should have a means to carry on their negotiations
from a competent base with regard to their economical and commercial interest.
Pietro in 1598 went and established himself in Damascus on behalf
of the Venetian Republic and there through commerce greatly increased assets,
which were also greatly augumented as he also inherited from Francesco de
Meloc of the French branch a considerable fortune that very few citizens of
Venice could surpass.
Upon all letters written to him by the Government
of San Marco while he was in Damascus bear the heading of “To our beloved
and trusted son." After having for many years held
the directorship of the Banco di San Marco in Damascus, he retired
to his country to enjoy a life of tranquility. From Pietro was born Leone
who soon found himself the possessor of a great fortune, but unfortunately
did not possess either his father’s modesty or ability.
Leone who lived about 1637, gave himself up to the manner of grand
living as was then wont in the Venetian world, to wastefulness and luxury.
Feasting and enjoyments, lavishly spending on all sorts of luxury so much so
that when he died his resources had greatly diminished and here starts the down
grade of this family which for several centuries which through ability and upright
dealings had reached such a degree of esteem and respect not only within its
own country but throughout the world.
Leone left a son by the name of Marco who being of an adventurous spirit
instead of trying to make good the losses sustained by his father, went to the
Orient and took part in the war in Candia sustained by Venice against the Turks,
a war that lasted about 23 years and which meant further financial losses to
Marco dei Melocco, thus still reducing the family fortunes.
He had two sons, Fra Fedele, who became a monk, and Bartolomeo who took
on again commerce. But we here must admit that according to documents of this
time, that the fortune and splendour of the house of Melocco was further declining
that due to the wars that were still raging and the commercial pursuit of Bartolomeo
did not survive for long and with disasterous results.
Leone, son of Bartolomeo, born in 1685, retired to a private life
realising what high degree had been attained at one time by the family in order
not to lower the prestige of the name nor to have to suffer humiliation decided
to leave Venice and retire in the neighbourhood of Spilimbergo in the Province
of Udine about 1725 and there with the remains of the family fortune which had
been left by his ancestors, was able to buy various portions of farmland and
forest land and so live in comfort, although modestly, ending his days quite
happily, forgetting the long begone splendour.
Leone dei Melocco is the first to establish himself on the continent and here
cease the memoirs that we have been able to collect from the archives of Venice
and elsewhere regarding this ancient family.
In order to complete the history of this descendants and its relative geneoalogical
tree, it will be necessary to study further by research in the locality where
the Meloccos still flourish and any time that Sig. Pietro Melocco (dei Melocco)
actually representing this ancient and conspicuous family would care to favour
me with further data which may have been gathered upon the district, I could
complete this very important work which I must leave unfinished at this point.
CHAPTER 3
by
Peter O. Melocco
August 1948
MELOCCO
Following the history of the descendants and the genealogical tree of the family
of the Melocco, as described by the director of the office of Italian Heraldry
of Florence, Count G. Guelfi, who finished his history, with the transference
from Venice, the city where this family could trace its beginning according
to documents and traced back to 1176 continuing up to 1725, when Leone son of
Bartholomew transferred his residence from Venice to the neighbourhood of Spilimbergo,
buying several possessions of fruit bearing land together with forest land,
where he lived a comfortable although humble life, closing his days happily
and forgetting the splendours of the past.
From
this point I, Peter Oliver Melocco, son of Giovanni Batista, born in Toppo,
but residing in Australia, will endeavour to continue the history of our family
from the above period to the present day. This will be in a simple narrative
based upon the memory of persons who have lived during my lifetime and documents
by Sig. Attilio Melocco of Lestans near Spilimbergo, he having searched among
the registers of the various churches of the villages where members of this
family have resided.
First of all I must thank Sig. Giovanni Melocco, son of the late Attilio Melocco,
of Lestans, school teacher at Castelomovo del Frinli, in whose possession the
original above named records are, and also the original documents from the office
of the Italian Heraldry of Florence, both the first section dated March 1905
as well as the second section dated June 1st, 1905, and signed by the director
Count G. Guelfi, Signor Gionanni, generously put at my disposal for perusal
all the above documents.
When Leone of Bartholomeo, who was born in 1685, transferred his
residence to Frinli in 1725, he had a son by the name of Valentino, who
was born in 1705, and he with his father came to establish himself in
the neighbourhood of Spilimbergo. Valentino had a son by the name of Zuane,
born in 1726, who lived in Lestans (which is near Spilimbergo). Zuane,
son of Valentino, had five children, three males and two females, born as follows,
Valentine 1752, Maria 1754, Alaisia 1755, Giovanni Battista 1757 and
Antonio 1762.
Here the two branches of the present descendants of the Melocco family divide.
The sons of Valentino continued their residence in Lestans and a son of Antonio,
Giovanni Melocco accepted the position as director and overseer of the property
of the surveyor, Pietro Fabbrizi, in Toppo. This Giovanni Melocco di Antonia
was my great grandfather and from him. starts the branch of the Melocco family
in Toppo, also in the Spilimbergo district.
Giovanni Melocco di Antonio married Maddalena Moretti of Toppo
and from this marriage there were born four children, Alexander, Teresa, Pietro
and Luigi. Surveyor Pietro Fabbrizi never married and Giovanni Melocco proved
to be to him more than an overseer and director of his property but was more
like a son. He and his devoted wife Maddalena treated him more like a father
and showered upon him the love and affection due to a good parent. This was
in turn reciprocated by the kindly old gentleman whose affection was particularly
bestowed upon the two younger children and left a will bestowing his property
in Toppo to Giovanni, who was to endow especially the two younger children,
Pietro and Luigi. So the old home is still to this day as well as the family
known as ‘Casa di Castaldo” (the overseer’s home).
Pietro Fabbrizi was seized with a heart attack, near Travesio, near the
brook called "Sflancia" and to this day members of the Melocco family
say a prayer as they pass this locality to the memory of this great benefactor
of the Melocco family.
Giovanni Melocco of Antonio died peacefully in Toppo. Of the children of Giovanni
Melocco son of Antonio and of Maddalena Moretti, as above indicated, Alessandro,
the eldest, emigrated for some years but eventually settled in Toppo, working
the land he had inherited, also buying some more and building himself a home
and lived happily with his wife Maria and his son Pietro but died when
still quite young. His son Pietro had two sons, Alessandro and Umberto. Alessandro
emigrated to Australia in 1912 and while swimming in a small lake in Queensland,
was accidentally drowned. Umberto of this branch of the family attends to the
land in Toppo which had belonged to his grandfather.
The
only daughter of Giovanni married Giovanni Mazzaroli of Toppo and had one
son. Pietro the third child of Giovanni and Maddalena, was my grandfather,
was born on the 22nd January, 1829. He married Lucia De Martin
(Francese), a worthy wife and excellent mother of his five children, a good
charitable woman of plain, simple but quite elevated mentality.
The
six children were all boys, The eldest Antonio, an intelligent but rather
restless nature, decided to go to Algiers where when still very young died
a bachelor from malaria. The second son Giovanni Batista - my father
- was born on June 24, 1857. He dedicated his life to agriculture in
general and the raising of quality cattle in particular, and was considered
one of the best authorities in the district in all branches of practical agriculture.
It
was through his initiative and efforts that the chief industry of Toppo, the
cheese factory, came into being.
The
third son was Valentino, who sent to France to engage in his occupation as
a mosaic worker and from Paris betook himself to the United States, where
his brother Costante had preceded him and together and in company with some
partners formed a company for the working and developing the art of mosaic.
He was one of the principals of this company, becoming the secretary of same.
He had previously married Catterina Fabris (Nodar) a worthy companion to him,
an affectionate wife and devoted mother to their six children, Lucia, Luigi,
Vittorio, Maddalena, Erminia and Giovanni. After some years in America he went to spend
his latter years in Toppo in company of some of his children and of his good
wife, who predeceased him by a few years.
 |
| Entry
Mosaic of Costaldo Toppo |
The fourth son of Pietro and Lucia was Constante,
who like his brother Valentino, followed the occupation of a Mosaic worker.
He learned his trade in Venice, then went to France for some years, and it
was Costante who ventured to cross the Atlantic and settle in the United
States, where in company with his brother Valentino, engaged in business for
the working and developing of the art of mosaic. He married Enfransia Fabris
(Nodar) and there were no children to the marriage. After living many years
in New York, they went back to the old paternal home in Toppo to spend their
declining years in peace and contentment.
 |
| Castaldo
Toppo |
The fifth son was Angelo, who adopted
the calling of a master mason as his profession. He spent many years at his
calling in Zara, Dalmacia, but eventually followed his three brothers residing
in New York, where he died not many years after his arrival, leaving his widow,
a good and faithful companion whom he had married in Toppo about 1892. Her
maiden name was Lucia Faeclim. She also died in New York. There was no issue
from this marriage either.
Vicenzo, the youngest son of Pietro
and Lucia, also followed his brothers’ example of selecting the art of a mosaic
worker as his calling and he also after spending some time in Venice and France,
joined his brothers Valentino and Costante in New York, where he met and married
Maria Brusa, a worthy companion, born from a well respected Genoese
family and to this union was born a son Arthur, who at present is the
only male member of the Melocco family in America. Vincenzo died some years
ago leaving his good wife and son to cherish his memory,
 |
| Giovanni
& Teresa |
Referring back to my father, Giovanni Battista
di Pietro, married Teresa Fabris (Nodar).
Please note that three sisters married
three brothers,
Teresa married Giovanni Battista,
Catterina married Valentino and
Eufrasia married Constante.