Agostino Balbani

-https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/agostino-balbani_(Dizionario-B...

Posted 30 Jan 2019, by Marvin Loyd Welborn, 13th GGson.

Excerpt from Bettye S. Rathbone:

"The general outline of the genealogy which follows [on the Balbani family, MLW] is taken from a record of the family begun in 1524 by Agostino Balbani, continued after his death in 1534 by his son Turco, and further continued by the latter's son Cesare after his father's death in 1564. A copy is found in the Bibliotheque publique et universitaire, Geneva, ms. supp. 438, 'Libro dei dignissimi nostre famiglie,' collected by Vincenzo Burlamacchi, and concerns other families of the Italian community in Geneva as well as the Balbani."

"Vincenzo Burlamacchi and his sister Maddalena were adopted at ages 4 and 7, respectively, by Cesare Balbani and his wife Renee Burlamacchi after the death of Vincenzo's own parents. In the manuscript Vincenzo wrote a touch tribute to his 'second father and mother' for the loving care and Christian upbringing they had given him and his sister."

Excerpt from Bettye S. Rathbone:

"Agostino di Giovanni Balbani was born 2 October 1482 and died in February 1534. In his childhood he had wanted to be apriest, buth when he was about 16 years of age, he abandoned that desire and went into the shop of Michele Burlamacchi and Niccolo Balbani, where he and his brother Francesco remained until April 1503.

"For the next 11 years he divided his time between shops in Bruges, Lyon and Lucca, in partnership with other members of the family. In 1514 he settled in a shop of his own at Bruges.

"In 1516 he returned briefly to Lucca where he was married (1) to Catarina Mei, daugther of Tommaso Mei, on 25 March. They then went to Bruges where they remained until April 1520, when they returned to live permanently in Lucca, leaving the firm in Flanders in the hands of Giovanni Balbani and Stefano Burlamacchi.

"On returning to Lucca, Agostino purchased of his cousin Niccolo di Paolo Balbani the house that Niccolo's father had built, for 2,500 ducats. In November 1520 Catarina gave birth to their fourth child. She became ill and died 11 January 1521.

"Although greatly saddened by the losss of his wife, Agostino realized it was necessary to marry again in order to provide for his young children. He 'resolved to marry and not by dowry...but one of good folk....' [Balbani ms., f. 22. ] and in November 1521 he was married (2) to Lucrezia Sbarra, daughter of Bernardino Sbarra.

"In 1522 Agostino bought property from the estate of Zaccaria Totti at Vicopelago, and in 1524 had a 'beautiful and fine house' [ Balbani ms., f. 22. ] built there. He also bought part of a house in contrado San Lorenzo, confiscated after the riots of 1522 from Rafaello di Battista di Poggio.

"The same year - 1524 - Agostino began his record of the origin and descent of the Balbani family, from which much of this account is taken.

"After returning to live in Lucca, he began to take part in the political life of the Republic. He served twice in the Uffizio della Sei Alla entrate, and between 1521 and 1533 he served frequently in the Council General. In 1525 he was elected to serve in the Uffizio dei Tre Segretarii. He served five times as Anziano of Lucca, and as gonfaloniere di Giustizia in 1527 and again in 1529.

"In 1528, he and eleven other citizens were named to a special Magistrato straordinario and given very broad discretionary powers, in order to deal with the threat presented by the Spanish who, having sacked Rome, were beginning their attack on the neighboring city of Florence. The members of the Magistrato were later accused of tyranny and as attempt was made to prosecute them before the Council General. As they all had relatives in the Council, however, they were forewarned and left until the furor died down. Agostino was subsequently, in December 1531, elected Rector of the school of Lucca for the year following.

"He became ill with a fever in February 1534 and died three days later. His son Turco added the following to his father's biography: Agostino was mourned 'with very great sorrow by his own family and all the land, because he was a very good man and loved by all for his good qualities, and in many years there has not been in that land such a man...that God give us grace...that we may imitate him and may arrive in the same degree of honor and benevolence..., which would not let him doubt anyone, and to enjoy that heavenly wealth that he had so much desired when he found himself in this present life, being a man that one could not so much call a Christian for the name as much as by his works...'

:Of his mother Turco says that she suffered infinite sorrow at the loss of such a husband. She had attended with prudence and virtue to the governing of their children, and 'in many years once could not find a lady of so much virtue, prudence, counsel and government, and of so much honesty as she; and I Turcho her son, cannot bear to say how many blessings I owe to her, and I am greatly obligated to her for her good government.'

"By both marriages Agostino was the father of eleven children, all born in Lucca except the three eldest. After their father's death, the children were under the guardianship of their uncle Francesco Balbani." 2 SOUR S67 3 PAGE pages 43-45.