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The Morelli family was one of the most distinguished of Florence, the foremost city of Italy during medieval days. Originally the family was located in the old province of Romagna in the northeast of Italy.
Traditionally it is said to have come to Italy with Charlemagne, the great King of the Franks, during the 8th century. The family is believed to have settled in Florence early in the 15th century where it became one of the great merchant families.
The Coat-of-Arms for the family displays a red shield upon which are two golden fore-legs of a lion, crossed diagonally. In the upper part of the shield is a golden chess-piece known as a rook which is often mistaken for a coronet.
Branches of the family were established in Piedmont, at Perugia and at Taranto. In 1439 the family was honored with the title of Count Palatine by the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire when he attended the Council of Florence in an effort
to reconcile the Roman and Greek churches; the title was later confirmed by Pope Leo X (1513-1521).
This web page identifies the descendants of Joseph Barnaba Morelli, born in Lierna, Italy in 1842. Lierna is a small town located on the eastern shore of Lake Como, about 15 Km (9 miles) north of Lecco. One of Joseph's sons (Joseph Jr.) married a member of the Vanoni family from Aurigeno, Switzerland.
As a consequence, the genealogy of the Vanoni family is also included on this site. Many of the 1300 entries on this web site are related by blood to Dennis W. Morelli, the site's creator. If you wish to add or correct any information, please contact the author by email or telephone. |
