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Piezzi Family History, Part I

PIEZZI Families of Giumaglio, 1692

One Piezzi household and two households with Piezzi wives are found in the first surviving parish census of Giumaglio, Ticino canton, Switzerland. As I continue to work backward prior to 1692, it appears that our Giacomo² was the son of a Pietro Piezzi¹ and Maria and Caterina were the daughters of a deceased Giovanni Antonio Piezzi:

1.	Pietro Piezzi1	(1610)	24 Dec 1679	(69)
11.	Giacomo Piezzi (I)2	(1645)	18 Aug 1724	(79)
A.	Giovanni Antonio Piezzi	--	(< 1668)	--
A1.	Maria (Piezzi) Giumini	(1643-1649)	(11 Sep 1705)	(56)
A2.	Caterina (Piezzi) Mirenini	(1649)	9 May 1716	(66)

Pietro PIEZZI¹ (~1610-1679)

1. Pietro Piezzi¹ was born about 1610, probably in Giumaglio, Ticino, Switzerland. He is only known to have had one son who survived to adulthood:

11.

Giacomo Piezzi (I)2

(1645)

18 Aug 1724

(79)

The identification of Pietro as the father of Giacomo is only known through the baptism record of grandson Giovanni Pietro Piezzi.^{[Bap 1672]}

Pietro Piezzi died on December 24, 1679, at his home in Giumaglio, following an affliction spanning nearly a week. He was buried the following day, Christmas Day, in the cemetery of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. Pietro was reported to be 69 years old.^{[Dth 1679]}

Giacomo PIEZZI (I)² (~1645-1724)

11. Giacomo Piezzi (I)² was born about 1645, probably in Giumaglio, Ticino, Switzerland. He may have been married as many as three times. His first marriage was to Maria Pedrotti, the daughter of the late Giovanni Pedrotti, with whom he had two children. Then he married another Maria Pedrotti, the daughter of Pietro Pedrotti, and had as many as five children before her death in 1685. A month later, Giacomo remarried to Domenica Tognini² of Someo, 2 kilometers upriver, who was about 16 years younger. They had at least seven more children. All total, Giacomo fathered as many as 13 children!:

11A.	Maria Giacomina Piezzi	9 Aug 1668	2 Jan 1674	(5)
11B.	Giovanni Pietro Piezzi	28 Jan 1672	29 Sep 1676	(4)
11C.	Maria Maddalena Piezzi	8 Apr 1675	(28 May 1718)	(43)
11D.	Pietro Paulo Piezzi	22 Dec 1677	13 Sep 1741	(63)
11E.	Giovanni Giacomo Piezzi	25 Jul 1680	6 Jul 1683	(2)
11F.	Carlo Antonio Piezzi	27 Oct 1683	(> 1703)	(> 20)
11G.	Domenico Piezzi	8 Jan 1688	2 Oct 1694	(6)
11H.	Giacomina Piezzi3	(1688-1689)	30 Jan 1743	(55)
11I.	Giacomo Piezzi (II)	12 Jul 1691	25 Feb 1764	(72)
11J.	Giovanna Piezzi	6 Jul 1694	(1718-1720)	(25)
11K.	Anna Maria Piezzi	25 Jul 1698	5 Nov 1742	(44)
11L.	Domenico Piezzi•	12 Mar 1701	18 Nov 1756	(55)
11M.	Domenica Piezzi	15 Mar 1704	13 Apr 1764	(60)

Giacomo's two children from his first marriage both died at the ages of 5 and 4 on January 2, 1674, and September 29, 1676, respectively. Both were buried in the cemetery next to the Church of Santa Maria Assunta.^{[Dth 1674, 1676]}

During the last week of May 1677, Giovanni Ambrogio Torriano, Bishop of Como, held mass confirmation ceremonies for parishes in the valley at Maggia, 4 kilometers downriver, and Someo, 2 kilometers upriver. Maria and daughter Maddalena were the only two to be confirmed, Maria at the Church of San Maurizio in Maggia on May 22^{[Con 1677A]} and Maddalena the following week at the Church of Santi Placido ed Eustachio in Someo on May 31.^{[Con 1677B]} Their sponsoring godmothers were named as Mrs. Domenica (Ianzini) Ruscha (Giovanotti) and Giovanna Giumini, respectively.^{[Con 1677A-B]} Maria in turn was named as godmother to Maria Cerini at Maggia.^{[Con 1677A]}

Tragedy struck the Piezzi family on July 6, 1683, when young son Giacomo died while in the Spluga Alps, likely those above Gordevio, about 9 kilometers south of Giumaglio. He was only three weeks short of his third birthday.^{[Dth 1683]} At the time, Maria was pregnant with son Carlo Antonio.

Maria (Pedrotti) Piezzi died on February 6, 1685, at the family home in Giumaglio. She was reported to be "about 30 years" old and was buried the following day in the cemetery next to the Church of Santa Maria Assunta.^{[Dth 1685]} Maria and Giacomo had been married 11 years or more.

Giacomo remarried to Domenica Tognini a month after Maria's death on March 6, 1685, in the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, Giumaglio. This followed the three traditional declarations, which were made in both the parishes of Giumaglio and Someo on February 24 and 25, and March 4. Witnesses to their union were Giovanni Pozzi, Giacomo Mirenini, and Giacomo Sartori, all of Giumaglio. Also married on the same day, and with the same dates of declarations beforehand, were Giovanni Giacomo Gaspari and Giovanna Guglielmetti.^{[Mar 1685]}

Giacomo and Domenica are first found as a family in the parish census of 1692 with Maddalena and Pietro noted as Giacomo's children, indicating they were from his previous marriage. Domenico (the elder), Carlo, Giacomina, and Giacomo were apparently added later as a group and simply named as "children," denoting they were the children of both Giacomo and Domenica.^{[Cen 1692]} However, Carlo Antonio was later grouped with Maddalena and Pieto Paulo as "children only of Giacomo" and Giacomina and the younger children as "children of both," which is born out by baptism records, with the notable exception of Domenico, who was born to Domenica but 10 years after that indicated in the 1692 parish census.^{[Bap 1688, Cen 1692-1702]}

Giacomo and his wives chose the following godparents for their children:

1. Giacomina: Giovanni Pedrotti, Maria's apparent younger brother, and Mrs. Maria (Piezzi) Giumini^{[Bap 1668]};
2. Giovanni Pietro: Antonio Pedrotti, Maria's apparent brother, and Caterina Piezzi, likely a sister of Giacomina's godmother, above^{[Bap 1672]};
3. Maddalena: Giovanni Pozzi and Giovanna Gaspari^{[Bap 1675]};
4. Pietro Paolo: Giovanni Pedrotti, likely Maria's younger brother, and Mrs. Giovanna (Beltrami) Giumini¹, Pietro's future mother-in-law^{[Bap 1677]};
5. Giacomo (elder): Martino Lafranchi of Coglio and Mrs. Maria Cerini^{[Bap 1680]};
6. Carlo Antonio: Giovanni Pietro Pozzi and Giovanna Cerini^{[Bap 1683]};
7. Domenico (elder): Battista Giumini and Domenica Bonetti (likely the wife of Giovanni Pedrotti)^{[Bap 1688]};
8. Giacomina³: no baptism record found in Giumaglio;
9. Giacomo (II): Pietro Bonetti and Mrs. Maddalena (Ianzi) Giumini^{[Bap 1691];}
10. Giovanna: Giacomo Mirenini and Maria Apollonia Giumini, the sister-in-law of Maddalena (Ianzi) Giumini and perhaps Giacomo's niece^{[Bap 1694]};
11. Anna Maria: Giovanni Giacomo Fedele Caneverini of Coglio and Maria Pozzi^{[Bap 1698]};
12. Domenico (younger): Carlo Tognini of Someo, Domenica's likely brother, and Mrs. Giacomina Tognini of Someo, the wife of Domenico Tognini, who was also Domenica's likely brother^{[Bap 1701]}; and
13. Domenica: Cristiano Sartori and Domenica Marchese.^{[Bap 1704]}

Not long after Giacomo and Maria's marriage, Maria was named as godmother and apparent namesake to likely niece Maria Pedrotti.^{[Bap 1674A]} On the same day Giacomo was named as godfather to Cristiano Sartori^{[Bap 1674B]}, whom Giacomo would later name as godfather to his youngest daughter Domenica.^{[Bap 1704]} Giacomo was also named godfather to his likely nephew Giovanni Antonio Mirenini, the son of his suspected younger sister Caterina (Piezzi) Mirenini.^{[Bap 1678]}

Six-year-old son Domenico died on October 2, 1694, at the family home in Giumaglio. He was buried at the cemetery of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta.^{[Dth 1694]}

By 1698, elder children Maddalena, Pietro Paolo, and Carlo Antonio were all annotated as "absent," while teenaged Giacomina and Giacomo remained and Giovanna and Anna Maria were added.^{[Cen 1698]} Maddalena returned by 1702, while Pietro Paulo and Carlo Antonio remained "absent," and the younger Domenico was added.^{[Cen 1702,1703]}

Giacomo Piezzi died on August 18, 1724, at the family home in Giumaglio. He was buried the following day in the cemetery of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. He was reportedly "about 82 years" old^{[Dth 1724]} but may have been about 79 years old based on ages recorded earlier.

Domenica (Tognini) Piezzi died 9 months later about June 6, 1725, at her home in Giumaglio. She was buried the following day in the cemetery next to the Church of Santa Maria Assunta.^{[Dth 1725]} Domenica was in her early 60s.

Maria (PIEZZI) GIUMINI (~1643-1705)

A1. Maria Piezzi was born between 1643 and 1649, probably in Giumaglio, Ticino, Switzerland. She was likely a cousin to our Giacomo Piezzi (I)¹ as the daughter of Antonio Piezzi. Maria married Giovanni (Giacomo) Giumini and had as many as four children:

A11.	Giovanni Antonio Giumini	(1666-1667)	24 May 1669	(2)
A12.	Giovanni Battista Giumini	(1667)	(> 1709)	(> 39)
A13.	Maria Apollonia Giumini	9 Feb 1671	(> 1694)	(> 23)
A14.	Domenico Giumini	12 Feb 1675	(> 1703)	(> 28)

Maria and Giovanni chose the following as godparents for their children:

1. Battista: no baptism records found in Giumaglio before 1667;
2. Antonio: Matteo Giornica and Mrs. Giovanna (Sartori) Lesina^{[Bap 1669]};
3. Apollonia: Doctor Giovanni Giacomo Pozzi and Mrs. Domenica (Ianzini) Gaspari^{[Bap 1671]}; and
4. Domenico: Giovanni Giacomo Giumini and Mrs. Giovanna (Fiori) Gaspari.^{[Bap 1675]}

Maria Piezzi, the daughter of Antonio Piezzi, was named as godmother to Maria Giacomina Piezzi, daughter of Giacomo Piezzi (I)².^{[Bap 1668]}

During the last week of May 1677, The Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Dom. Dom. Giovanni Ambrogio Torriano, Bishop of Como, held mass confirmation ceremonies for parishes in the valley at Maggia, 4 kilometers downriver, and Someo, 2 kilometers upriver. The Giumini family (less Giovanni) were confirmed at the Church of San Maurizio in Maggia on May 22, at which time their godparents were named: Maria's as Mrs. Giovanna (Bonetti) Cerini; Battista's as Giovanni Giacomo Giumini; Apollonia's as Mrs. Giovanna (Beltrami) Giumini¹; and Domenico's as Giovanni Cerini (Jr.).^{[Con 1677A]} Domenico's record indicated that he was confirmed at the Church of Santi Placido ed Eustachio in Someo^{[Con 1677B]}, however, he was more likely confirmed with the rest of the family. Maria was in turn named as godmother at the confirmation of Elena Lesina at Maggia and perhaps for Caterina Cantoni at Maggia and Maria Maddalena Ianzi/Ianzini at Someo.^{[Con 1677A-B]}

Giovanni Giumini died between 1677 and 1685, when daughter Apollonia was named as a godmother and daughter of "the late Giovanni."^{[Bap 1685]} Two Giovanni Giuminis of similar ages died during this general time period, one in 1681^{[Dth 1681]} and the other after 1685 in 1690.^{[Dth 1690]} As such, Giovanni was likely the one who died in a fall from a mountain cliff on August 4, 1681. He was reported to have been 45 years old. Giovanni was buried in the cemetery of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta.^{[Dth 1681]}

In 1692, Maria was enumerated living with their son Giovanni Battista Giumini and his wife Maddalena Ianzi. Enumerated following them, as a separate household, were children Maria Apollonia and Domenico Giumini:^{[Cen 1692]}

Come 1698, sons Battista and Domenico were both counted as "absent," perhaps working away at some distance from Giumaglio, which left Maria and Battista's wife Maddalena in the household.^{[Cen 1698]} Battista and Domenico returned and the four remained together through 1703.^{[Cen 1702-1703]}

Daughter Apollonia was named as godmother to Giovanni Giacomo Giumini (Jr.)^{[Bap 1685]} and Giovanna Piezzi, prehaps Maria's niece, in 1694.^{[Bap 1694]} What became of Apollonia after that time is not known. She about 22 years old at that time so perhaps she married outside of Giumaglio.

Maria (Piezzi) Giumini died sometime between 1703 and 1709^{[Cen 1709]} and is likely the widowed Maria Giumini who died on September 11, 1705, at her home in Giumaglio. She was reported to be "about 56 years" old^{[Dth 1705]}, but was likely around 62. She was buried the following day in the cemetery of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta.

Caterina (PIEZZI) MIRENINI (~1649-1716)

A2. Caterina Piezzi was born about 1646 or 1647, probably in Giumaglio, Ticino, Switzerland. Caterina married Giovanni Mirenini in 1672who had died prior to the first surviving census of the parish of Giumaglio, Ticino canton, Switzerland, in 1692. They had at least three sons:

A21.	Guglielmo Mirenini	26 Oct 1674	4 Dec 1720	(46)
A22.	Giovanni Antonio Mirenini	12 Aug 1678	23 Nov 1708	(30)
A23.	Giacomo Mirenini	9 Oct 1682	23 Feb 1691	(8)

Caterina and Giovanni wed on August 28, 1672, at the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. Recorded witness to their union were Giovanni Giovanotti, Gaspare Gaspari, and Giacomo Pozzi.^{[Mar 1672]}

Caterina and Giovanni chose the following as godparents for their children:

• Antonio: Giacomo Piezzi² and Giovanna Cerini^{[Bap 1678]}; and
• Giacomo: Giovanni Giacomo Giumini and Mrs. Maria (De Negris (Marindona?)) Marca of Cerentino.^{[Bap 1691]}

Giovanni Mirenini died on January 22, 1684, at the family home in Giumaglio, leaving Caterina with three boys between the ages of 15 months and 9 years. Giovanni was recorded to be 35 years old and was buried the following day in the cemetery of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta.^{[Dth 1684]}

Eight-year-old son Giacomo died February 23, 1691, at the family home in Giumaglio. He was buried in the cemetery of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta.^{[Dth 1691]}

Caterina was enumerated with her two eldest sons in 1692, with Guglielmo, age 19, named as the head of household. They were counted following the family of Giacomo Mirenini, who may have been her brother-in-law. This arrangement continued through 1703.^{[Cen 1692-1703]}

Son Antonio died on November 23, 1708, at the family home in Giumaglio. He was said to be 25 years old, but was 30. He was buried the following day in the cemetery of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta.^{[Dth 1708]}

Caterina continued to live with Guglielmo and his young family through 1709.^{[Cen 1709]}

Caterina (Piezzi) Mirenini died on May 9, 1716, at her home in Giumaglio. She was buried the following day in the cemetery of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. She was recorded to be "about 60 years" old but may have been about 66 years old.^{[Dth 1716]}