Italian Signorie: Rulers of the City Quiz

Answer: Massa e Carrara

The Malaspina were the Lords of Massa e Carrara, in Tuscany, since the 14th Century. "Malaspina" means "bad thorn": the family was divided in two branches, called "Dry Thorn" and "Flowering Thorn". The family motto was "A bad thorn for the good. A good thorn for the bad".
Today, one can find reminders of this great family in innumerable castles and fortresses not only in Tuscany but also in Liguria and Lombardy, and in Dante's "Purgatory".

Answer: Urbino

The Montefeltro or Da Montefeltro became Dukes of Urbino in 1443. The most famous member was Federico da Montefeltro, a condottiero (that is, "military leader") but also scholar and humanist. He is famous chiefly thanks to a portrait by Piero della Francesca, who painted a profile to hide the lack of the right eye, lost in a tournament. Now one can admire the portrait at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The beautiful city of Urbino, in the Marche Region, hosts the majestic Palazzo Ducale where the Montefeltro resided.

Answer: Florence

Probably the most famous among Italian Renaissance dynasties, the Medici ruled Florence (Firenze) from 1434 until 1737, with minor interruptions.
The Medici owned the largest bank of the Renaissance, produced four Popes and two queens of France.The family's wealth and liberality funded the building of beautiful churches including the part funding of Saint Peter's in Rome and they sponsored artists and geniuses like Leonardo, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Galilei.
Lorenzo "the Magnificent" and his relatives even earned even a TV miniseries. The ultimate accolade?

Answer: Milan

The Visconti family ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447, defeating another family, Della Torre, in open battle: that is how things went in Italy at the time. The power of the Visconti was not limited to within the city walls of course, but covered a big part of Northern Italy, including territories now in Switzerland.
The Visconti coat of arms is peculiar: a serpent swallowing a child, that is now, with variations, the symbol of the City of Milan, the Internazionale Football Club, Alfa Romeo cars and Berlusconi's TV networks (with a flower substituting for the child).
The film director Luchino Visconti was born in a cadet branch of the family.

Answer: Milan

Successors of the Visconti by marriage, the Sforza ruled the Duchy of Milan from 1450 to 1535.
The most famous Sforza was Ludovico il Moro, who employed for some years Leonardo da Vinci.
The "Castello Sforzesco" in the centre of Milan is still one of the main features of the city skyline.

Answer: Genoa

Genoa (Genova) was a Republic, so the Doria were not "Signori", but they were nevertheless the leading family in the economic, military and political life of the city, since the 12th century. Adept in the art of war, members of the Doria family led Genoese armies in the wars against Venice and Pisa, took part in the Battle of Lepanto (1571) against the Turks and in the battle of Crécy (1346) on the French side.

Their political influence extended to the Ligurian Region, Sardinia, Naples and colonies in the east.

A Doria was even ambassadors for the Mongols. No wonder that today one can find remains of Doria's past splendour almost everywhere in Italy including the beautiful Doria-Pamphili Gallery in Rome.

Answer: Mantua

The Gonzaga dynasty ruled Mantua (and also Casale in Piedmont) from 1328 to 1707.
The family includes a saint (Aloysius) and some queens (of the Holy Roman Empire and Poland).
To have an idea of the power and grandeur of this family, one should go to Mantua (Mantova), one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The "Palazzo Ducale" and "Palazzo Te", and the works of Andrea Mantegna, Giulio Romano and Leon Battista Alberti keep intact the beauty and values of Italian Renaissance.

Answer: Ferrara

The House of Este or Estensi ruled in Ferrara from the 13th through the 16th century, and in Modena and Reggio till the late 18th century. Under Ercole I (1471-1505) Ferrara became one of the leading cities of Europe, acquiring the beauty that it still retains today, with a majestic castle, palaces and the intact walls.
The power of the Estensi lasted until 1859 as Dukes of Modena, when the Duchy joined the Kingdom of Sardinia that two years later became the Kingdom of Italy.

Answer: Verona

Della Scala or Scaligeri ruled in Verona and part of Veneto in the 13th and 14th centuries.
"Scala" means "ladder": the coat of arms represents a white ladder on a red (should I say "gules"?) background with the motto: "Not going down, not hesitating".
Prince Escalus in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is an imaginary member of the Della Scala family, whose actual members bore very strange names like "Cangrande" (meaning "Big Dog") or "Mastino" ("Mastiff") "Cansignorio" (loosely translatable as "Lord Dog").

Answer: Rimini

Rimini is the main summer resort on the Adriatic sea, and Federico Fellini's hometown. From 1295 to 1500 it was the centre of Malatestian power, that extended along the coast south to Ascoli and for a short period even in Lombardy. A well-known episode involving a Malatesta family member is narrated in Dante's "Divine Comedy": the lovers Paolo and Francesca killed by Francesca's husband Cianciotto Malatesta. All three, according to Dante, are in Hell.
Malatesta, by the way, means "Evil Head".