The House of Gabrielli (sometimes known as "Gabrielli di
Gubbio") is the name of an old and influential feudal
Italian noble family from
Gubbio, a town in
Umbria.
History
Some historians trace their origins back to the Roman age and claim they descend from the emperor
Caracalla, however the first historical documents mentioning the family appear in the 10th century only when Cante Gabrielli was awarded by
Pope Stephen VII (according to some genealogists a family member himself), a few castles in central Italy and especially the castle at Luceoli which was renamed
Cantiano (i.e. belonging to Cante) after him.
Notable members
Forte Gabrielli was a hermit in the mountains around Gubbio, and later on joined the Benedictines at
Fonte Avellana. He died on 9 May 1040 and was beatified by
Pope Benedict XIV on 17 March 1756. His body is still exposed in the Cathedral of Gubbio.
Saint Rodolfo Gabrielli was born in 1034; in 1051 he bequeathed his castle at Camporeggiano to
Saint Peter Damian and became a
Benedictine monk at the Monastery of Fonte Avellana. He was appointed
bishop of Gubbio in 1061 and died on 17 October 1064. He was later canonized. Saint Peter Damian described Rodolfo's life in his Vita Sancti Rodulphi Episcopi Eugubini (Life of St Rudolph Bishop of Gubbio).
Pompeo Gabrielli (1780-1861) was Minister of War in 1848, the first layman to sit in the Pontifical States' Government ever.
Luigi Gabrielli (1790-1854) was a soldier and military writer.
Rodolfo Gabrielli di Montevecchio (1802-1855), considered a hero of the Italian
Risorgimento, fought in the
First Independence War, distinguishing himself at Santa Lucia (1848) and Sforzesca (1849), where he commanded the Piemonte Reale Cavalleria regiment. Deployed in
Crimea as a General of the
Piedmont-Sardinia army, he was mortally wounded at
Cernaia on 16 August 1855 and died two months later at the
Balaclava hospital.
The family divided over the centuries in many branches, the most famous of which was the one that settled in
Rome and obtained the title of Prince of Prossedi. Two members of this branch married two princesses of the
Bonaparte family. In 1749 the counts of
Carpegna extinguished in the male line and the marquesses Gabrielli inherited their fief, with the principality of Carpegna-Gattara-Scavolino following in 1817. The line is currently continuing in the family of the princes di Carpegna-Falconieri-Gabrielli.
A branch that settled in Fano was styled Gabrielli-Wiseman, and was related to Cardinal
Nicholas Wiseman. Another branch settled in Fano was styled Gabrielli di Montevecchio, and bears the titles of Duke and Count. The branch that settled in the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies bears the title of Count Gabrielli and Baron of Quercita.
A branch bears the title of Count of Baccaresca and Corraduccio since 1581. It settled in
Comtat Venaissin at the end of the 16th century when Bartolomeo de' Gabrielli di Gubbio became Governor of
Cavaillon then
Carpentras. The line is continuing today in France.
All the branches bear the title of Patrizio di Gubbio (Patrician of Gubbio).
References
Francesco Sansovino, Della origine et de' fatti delle famiglie illustri di Italia. Venezia, Salicato, 1609