A Summary of the Early History of Casata Canterna

We give the summary of the general news that we have about this illustrious Family who from that which appears has enjoyed through the centuries until now a days of a really clear renown, who brings it in a brilliant light such that is due to those families who have operated with rectitude, ability and honesty.

The news who give the summary should be more diffuse, if instead a general news the searches were more probed, even trough a genealogical tree. The searches of historical and genealogical type present some difficulties that a lot of people don't understand. When these news are made with seriousness and patience a lot can be rebuilt, and is noble and human rebuild the history of the own Family, if not for the alive people, is for who will come after us in the future.

The news which regards to the Casata Canterna start in the XIV century and until the XV century there aren't complete. This Family has started in the south of Italy, in the province of Potenza. It was called also by the people CANTERMO and had a development after 1000. For various war's events the fueds of CANTERNA passed to Caracciolos in 1456 to Petricone Caracciolo, big enemy of Ugo Cantermo who, after bloody fights with his folks was forced to go away to others places.

A branch of this Family in the XVI century went to live to Viterbese where it could enjoy without disturb the benevolence of Papi Alessandro VII and Clemente IX. . During the unfavourable period of fights between Guelfi and Ghibellini they were with the Guelfi's side and an Antonio CANTERNA was at the battles of Monteaperti. In the 1700 and 1800's these Canterna didn't appear in the public life, they were busy in commercial and agricultural engagements.

It was at the beginning of the XIX century that a branch transferred to Venice where it already now flourishes. The Symbol of this illustrious Family is the Guelfa and it's composed by these herald predications:

" To the roe deers* of red and black alternates".

Of this Illustrious Family appears a Piacentus (Canterna) emersed at the end of the XVI century, which was a theologian at the Papa's Court and left some religious and dogmatic works worthy of interest. This Family today is in Strongoli but some branches passed to the centre of Italy and in other regions of Italy, and in its bosom recorded public notaries, soldiers, lawyers, doctors, seniors. For its high civic virtues, patriotic and familiar it can enrol among the most sparkling Italian Families and about it we will can write like Farsalia:

.......................STAT MAGNI NOMINIS UMBRA

 

* A rather small, delicately formed Eurasian deer (Capreolus capreolus) having short, branched antlers in the male and a brownish coat.

 

From Offices of Heraldic-Historical Searches, Florence Italy