Castellini Baldissera

The Castellini Baldissera are an Italian aristocratic family originating from Milan and Brianza.

The arms of the Castellini family.

Background
Arms of the Marquesses of d’Estienne de Saint-Jean et d’Orves.

The Castellini Baldissera family's ancestral homes include the 14th century Casa Atellani in Milan and the 18th century Villa Castellini, on Lago Maggiore as well as a number of castles and villas in Emilia Romagna and Brianza. The Maranghi (Another branch of the Castellini) and Castellini families are still active in banking, real estate and textile production within Italy and the rest of Europe, the family is well known in the finance community for having co-owned Barclays for several years.[1] The Counts of Baldissera can be traced back to the early 16th century, originating from the town of Bra in Piedmont.[2]

The arms of the Count of Verampio, a title held by the Castellini family.

Both the Castellini and Baldissera families have a long military tradition with the Royal Italian Army and Imperial Austrian Army; most members have occupied senior positions in both. Antonio Baldissera, served as the Governor of Italian Eritrea, a role which has caused the family to be the subject of much controversy.[3] Antonio Baldissera's statue in Rome was recently vandalised by protestors as a response to the death of George Floyd. The Baldissera family were also extremely close with the Austrian Imperial family, with the young Antonio Baldissera having been directly recommended for service by Maria Anna of Savoy, Empress consort of Austria.[4]

Ettore of Verampio, The Count of Verampio, a member of the Castellini family, was an Italian nobleman and energy magnate who was well known for his close relationship with Victor Emanuel III who helped the count build most of the nations modern energy industry. The Count also served as a Senator in both the Kingdom and the Republic of Italy as well as being the founder of AGIP and Edison. Piero Portaluppi married into the family and was an architect and real estate mogul who designed a great number of villas and palazzos in and around Milan.[5] Portaluppi was also responsible for the restoration the Duomo di Milano and the Basilica di Sant Ambrogio after World War II.[6]

  • The Castellini Baldissera family posing for a photograph at Villa Castellini.
  • Vittorio Castellini and Enrico Stabile at the Royal Ascot in 1955.
  • A photograph of Villa Castellini from 1908.

History

The Castellini family originated as wealthy landowners in the early 18th century, living in the various hills and mountains around Milan, known as the "Alta Milanese" or Milanese Highlands. Around the mid 19th century the family began to industrialise, using their vast territories to raise Sheep and Lambs who's wool could be used in their mills where they produced fine fabrics and textiles. As the country's political system continued to shift, this business model became very popular amongst the Italian aristocracy, and other noble families who had similarly large estates. At the turn of the 20th century the Castellini family patriarchs Nicostratus and Clateus Castellini, used the wealth they had amassed from textile production to found a number of private and merchant banks across Italy.[7]

The family are also well known in the Equestrian world for owning some of the finest stables in Europe and for their expertise in breeding English Thoroughbreds.[7]

Over the years the Castellini family married their children into a number of other noble and princely families, a common practice amongst the Italian aristocracy. Because of this the Castellini are related to the Medici and Sforza families, with a number of direct relatives holding titles from both.[7]

  • Baldissera depicted as the Governor of Eritrea, the quote below reads "General Antonio Baldissera, the restorer of Italian glory in Eritrea."
  • A picture of Claudio Sforza (a relation of the Castellini Baldissera family) in the Baldissera family book.

d’Estienne de Saint-Jean et d’Orves et De Marthod

The Castellini Baldissera family is descended from the d’Estienne de Saint-Jean et d’Orves et De Marthod Family, a noble house from Provence who hold the hereditary Lordships of Orves, Saint-Jean, Bourguet, Marthod and Villemus.

The 2009 film "I Am Love" by Luca Guadagnino, the director of "Call Me By Your Name", was based solely on the Castellini Baldissera family. All the film's main scenes were shot on the family's various ancestral properties in Milan.[8]

Notable Estates

References

Citations
  1. "Italy | Barclays Group Archives". www.archive.barclays.com. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  2. "Heraldry Institute of Rome". Heraldry Institute of Rome. October 13, 2019.
  3. "BALDISSERA, Antonio in "Dizionario Biografico"". www.treccani.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  4. "BALDISSERA, Antonio in "Dizionario Biografico"". www.treccani.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  5. "Piero Portaluppi", Wikipedia, 2020-05-30, retrieved 2020-06-24
  6. SpazioFMG. "ITALIA PER INTERNI #3. DA PORTALUPPI AI CASTELLINI - Tre generazioni di progetti d'interni". SpazioFMG Per L'Architettura (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  7. Ivan, Doro Altan (2013). Castellini, storia di una famiglia. Italy: C&C Milano.
  8. Kirwan-Taylor, Helen (2011-04-15). "Touching the Fabric of Italian Life". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
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