How does a cabinet maker from Recanati in the Italian peninsula ever end up in London England in the 1850s? Well, as I have said, it is always exciting, when one of your Greats is directly involved in historical events. And in the case of our Cristoforo , your fourth great grandfather, this is very much the case. His life intersects with some critical Italian historical events and some very famous Italian people of his time. Events and people directly involved in the unification and creation of Italy itself. Events that Cristoforo was involved in, and famous Italians he most definitely knew.
We know from family stories that Cristoforo was involved in the fight for Italy to be unified and become a democratic constitutional republic. We believe that as a result of his involvement that he was exiled from Italy. Family lore has it that he was a follower of Giuseppe Garibaldi, and was even some form of a secretary to Garibaldi. This may very well be true, and I would never doubt family lore. But, there were two famous Guiseppes involved in Italy rising again. Yes it is Garibaldi and his Red Shirts who get most of the praise and the glory for their bravery and heroics but,
there was another Giuseppe by the name of Mazzini who you might not have heard of. In fact, Giuseppe Garibaldi was originally a follower of this other Giuseppe, by the name of Giuseppe Mazzini. If Garibaldi was the man of action, Mazzini was the organizer, the brains, the intellectual behind the move to unify Italy and make it a republic. Mazzini was the true revolutionary. And when Mazzini is exiled from Italy, where does he always eventually end up? In London England, his home away from home. Mazzini ends up spending a large part of his life exiled in London. Garibaldi certainly visits London at times, but it is never his home base. Now it could be that Cristoforo works, follows, and supports both of our Giuseppes. In fact that is very likely the case , but there is no doubt that Cristoforo was a supporter of Mazzini in London. We have evidence of that. And in my opinion it is highly likely that Cristoforo ended up in London because that is where Mazzini led him. And it is highly likely Cristoforo did act as a kind of secretary to Mazzini while in London. If you haven’t heard of Mazzini before, I encourage you to please google him, or read one of his books, or a book about him. You will be impressed by this friend of your fourth great grandfather! There are academics who claim Mazzini was one of the most important thinkers of the 19th Century.
When and how does our Cristoforo come into contact with these two great Giuseppes? To date, given we have no documentation or evidence, we can only guess. My guess is that it would be around 1848 to 1849. Cristoforo is born in 1823 in Recanati. Recanati is a town in the province of Marche. Marche at that time was one of the Papal states in the centre of the Italian peninsula , just north east of Rome. As Cristoforo is born, these Papal States are under the control of the Pope and the Catholic Church. Things however are changing in Europe. Ideas of revolution and constitutions and republics are taking hold. A new Pope, Pius IX is installed in 1846. At first Pope Pius IX seems sympathetic to these new ideas, but this changes as the new Pope realizes he can’t survive the revolutions taking place. He escapes Rome just in time. Through the efforts of the two Giuseppes a new republic is formed in Rome. Giuseppe Mazzini becomes one of the leaders and administrators of this new Roman Republic. His time as the leader of this new Roman Republic, however, is short lived. The French army, under the leadership of Napolean III, comes to the aid of Pope Pius IX. Giuseppe Garibaldi and his men try valiantly to defend the new Roman Republic , but they are no match to for the much larger French army. Garibaldi is forced to retreat. First to the mountains north east of Rome, and eventually to San Marino. Pope Pius IX is then safely reinstalled in Rome.
At the time all this is taking place Cristoforo Setacci is in his idealistic mid twenties. Recanati is not far from Rome. Did Cristoforo somehow get involved with the two Guiseppes at this time? My guess is yes. Either he was involved with Garibaldi in the take over of Rome, or with Mazzini in the administration of the new republic, or with both. Either way Cristoforo would have faced exile when Pope Pius IX returned to Rome and was reinstated as leader of the Papal states .
So let’s step back and think about all this for a minute. If we are right, then your 4th Great Grandfather was involved in the Italian Revolution or as it is known in Italy as the “Risorgiomento. ” The “rising again” of Italy.
Moreover, it is highly likely he was involved somehow or other in the attempted expulsion of the Pope and the Catholic Church from Rome! (maybe best not to share that with your Catholic relatives)
To date I have no documentation on the Setacci family in Recanati. No birth, marriage or death documents. To find out more about the Setacci Family in Italy might involve hiring an Italian genealogist, or taking a trip to both London England and Recanati Italy.
Regardless, I believe Cristoforo arrived in London in the mid 1850s after this unsuccessful first stage of the Italian revolution in Rome. Like Mazzini it is highly likely that he would have had other stops along the way. Probably hiding at times in Switzerland, Germany or France before eventually making his way to London.
Cristoforo is is not involved in the Expedition of the Thousand led by Garibaldi in 1860 that would finally eventually lead to the creation of the unified constitutional monarchy of the Kingdom of Italy.
We know that because? Because , well , as much as Cristoforo might have wanted to go and join that Expedition , there was a problem. Cristoforo had become smitten with a young lady in London. Her name was Lucy Iles. It is time to meet your 4th great grandmother.