Vespucci: the wasps of Florence

I have to admit that finding out about the origin and meaning of the name Vespucci is something that has been at the back of my mind since the beginning of this PhD.  Apparently the name derives from the Italian word vespa, wasp, and  in all probability it was originally linked to the name of the Roman emperor Vespasiano. According to some historians (Baldini, Arciniegas) the early Vespucci were variously called Dolcebene, Bonamico, etc. In 1309 a document was signed by a man called Vespino de Vespinello de Vespuccia and from then on the family was identified with the name Vespucci. They became the ‘wasps’ of Florence as wasps characterized the family coat of arms: golden wasps on a blue stripe placed on a red background.

Variations can be found in the family coat of arms. For instance in 1428 Alfonso of Aragon King of Sicily, a close friend of one of the Vespucci, authorized the family to add at the top of their shield a golden vase with three white roses.  Both versions have been found carved in stone outside Florentine palaces.

A third example stands above the entrance of the Vespucci house in Montefioralle. Here a V (for Vespucci) and a wasp are represented next to each other.

 

(images source: google)

History, lineages and family members

One of the first aspects my research has to consider is the history of the Vespucci family – members, weddings and alliances. Several genealogical studies on the family have been published and the one I had the chance to consider is I Vespucci di Greve in Chianti, Peretola e Firenze by the Italian historian Carlo Baldini (1920-2009). The small volume analyses the Vespucci from an historical point of view, giving details on the origin/extinction of the family and providing information on its members. According to Baldini the family originated in Peretola, a small village near Florence (thank you Google Map!) and the earliest documents date back to the XI-XII centuries. This information is confirmed by the Florentine historian Marco Conti who identified in Peretola the house where the early Vespucci lived (article available online http://www.comune.firenze.it/comune/organi/q5/set03/13.pdf. Also the Colombian historian German Arciniegas (1900-1999) – one of the major experts on Amerigo Vespucci and his travels – stated that the family came from Peretola where they owed lands and vineyards (Arciniegas,  Why America? 500 years of a name : the life and times of Amerigo Vespucci).

At the beginning of the XIV century the Vespucci moved to Florence and settled in the area known as Borgo Ognissanti. By the XV century they managed to strengthen their wealth and power in the Medicean Republic:  family members were variously involved in political matters; Amerigo became one of the most popular explorers of the time; alliances were made with relevant families in Florence, Genoa and Naples; and works of art were commissioned to the major painters in town.

Amerigo’s lineage ended in 1875 when Amerigo di Cesare, a Florentine patrician, died in Montefioralle (near Florence) where the family owed a palace.  The grave, found in the local cemetery, carries an inscription and the Vespucci coat of arms. Although Amerigo’s lineage ended, others survived. According to the Italian Heraldic Institute website (http://www.iagi.info) the last representative of the Vespucci family, Enrichetta, married in 1853 Antonio Colocci starting the Vespucci-Colocci lineage. The last member of the family died in recent years and the Colocci-Vespucci palace still stands today in Jesi (Marche, Italy).

All these information generated an awful lot of confusion in my head… lineages, members, houses… I am particularly fascinated by the palaces issue. How many houses did the Vespucci hold? Are the ones they had in Florence still standing today? Was the majority of art works kept there or was the collection spread between the palaces of Florence, Peretola and Montefioralle? All these aspects need to be sorted out and I hope to be able to give some sort of shape to this material soon.

A little bit about my research...Part 2

In order to gain a comprehensive knowledge of the Vespucci family as well as the artistic, social and political situation in Florence during their time, I will take into account a wide range of material and sources. The project however will benefit not only from archival research but also from people’s knowledge, contribution and interaction.

I have therefore opened an email account that I will be using for research-purpose only. Anyone who wish to share ideas, info and material related to the Vespucci should write to: vespucciproject@gmail.com (still not sure whether the address is cheesy or cool…)

A little bit about my research…Part 1

My PhD focuses on the patronage of a family who have been relatively under-studied despite their central role in the life on the Medicean republic, the Vespucci (focus on XV-XVI centuries). Although heraldic investigations on the family tree, studies on its prominent members (Amerigo) and alliances with important families (Medici) have been carried out, the Vespucci role as art patrons and their influence in Florentine artistic matters have never been explored. This is what my research aims at doing.

The primary goal of the project is to ‘reconstruct’ the Vespucci collection, gain a better understanding of the works of art that the family owned and analyse the collection’s display within the family palace in Florence. It is known that artists such as Botticelli, Piero di Cosimo and Ghirlandaio worked for the Vespucci, who else? Did the collection benefit from pieces received as gifts due to family alliances or weddings? Was the collection functional to show/prove the “social identity” of the Vespucci and confirm the family wealth and power?