The Quilietti Family

The story of a Scots Italian family

BRATTESANI Giovanna 1901-1972. Franchi/Borrotzu connections

It is with great pleasure that we introduce our new fourth cousin Lia Franchi into the family. Lia very kindly has been in touch with myself and has connected her line back to our mutual Brattesani lines in Italy.

Lia was born in the year 1962 in Raynes Park in London.  She is the daughter of Remo Valentino Giovanni Franchi 1929-2005 and Norma Teresa Virginia Collini 1936-2012. Brought up in London she and her husband now live in Puglia in Italy in a town called San Vito dei Normanni. They also are owners of La Mimosa which is a beautiful holiday destination for anyone looking to visit the area.

CONNECTED SURNAMES

PATERNAL LINES – BORROTZU FRANCHI. BRATTESANI LANZAROTTI. FORTUCCI. CURA. FERRARI a possibility still to be confirmed

MATERNAL LINES – COLLINI, MAFFEI, SORENTI, BOSCO, BURZONI

GUINADI, Massa Carrara, Toscana

MAP showing Guinadi, home of the family,  with nearby Borgo Val da Taro, San Vincenzo, Rovinalia and Buzzo, villages which are steeped in the histories  of the Brattesani family.  The family was scattered all around the area.

The village of Guinadi belongs to the municipality of Pontremoli, in the province of Massa-Carrara, region Toscana. The village is on the border between Tuscany and Emilia Romagna to the north.

The village of Guinadi is 6,89 kilometers far from the same town of Pontremoli to whom it belongs.

THE BRATTESANI CONNECTION

The Brattesani Clan
1911 London.  Julio Brattesani Clan.  Julio described as a Marble Mason and his brother Giuseppe as a Bootmaker Dealer, and of course  Rosa Lanzarotti.  They were all born in Italy.   However all their children were born in England.  This document tells us that they had been married for 18 years and had 10 children of whom 8 survived.
Lia’s direct line, Giovanna’s name was already changed to the anglicised version of Johanna.  Their address was  114 Canterbury Road, Kilburn, Willesden, Middlesex.

LIA’S GRAND-PARENTS Brattesani/Franchi

Marriage between Luigi Giovanni Franchi and Johanna Daisy Brattesani. You see Luigi lives in a most interesting part of the City at 70 Marylebone Lane.
https://alondoninheritance.com/tag/marylebone-lane/

Luigi and  Giovanni [Johanna] were married at Our Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Paddington, London on 12th October 1924.  Luigi was described as a confectioner and was 24. He lived at the time at 70 Marylebone Lane, St. Marleybone, London.   His father was Francesco Franchi [deceased] and he was a builder. Luigi’s  witness was Lorenzo Franchi who was his brother.

Giovanna or Johanna’s dad was Giulio Brattesani, confectioner and her sister Netta [Antoinetta] Brattesani given as her witness.  The family lived at 33 Delamere  Crescent which was situated in Paddington, London at the time of their marriage.

After their marriage they  moved to an address in , No. 50 Oakland Road in Islington where Lia’s dad RENO VALENTINO GIOVANNI FRANCHI was born on 28th August 1929. Luigi’s profession given as Refreshment Caterer.

Reno at the right of the photograph here. With his beautiful wife Norma Collini and two friends on the roof of the Dorchester Hotel.

Giovanna and Luigi moved to 2 Middleton Buildings, London during the 50s\60s.   They ran a sandwich bar with a restaurant attached. Opposite and downstairs they had a Function Room called San Rocco in the adjacent Riding House Street.   For a time Luigi also ran a confectionery business in another property opposite.

Giovanna Brattesani Franchi holding her grandson on his  Christening Day.  Her husband Luigi is standing slightly behind to the left

The restaurant business was in the blood and their son Mario ran two restaurants, The First Edition and the New Edition, aptly named as they were in the Fleet Street, Chancery Lane District of London.

Like a lot of Italians who lived abroad the couple would return back to Italy for the summer where they had a house in Lido di Camaiore.  Lia remembers holidaying there in the summer months with her family.

Johanna Brattesani died in 1972.  Luigi Franchi in 1976.

THE FRANCHI CHILDREN

  • Guido Franchi was born in 1926. He married Alba Zazzi in 1960.  Two children Marco born 1960 and Viviano in 1962
  • Mario Franchi was born in 1927. He married Ida Villanelli in 1953.  Two daughters Francesca and Cristina.
  • Maristella Franchi date of birth unknown married Alberto Manfredi in 1967.  One son Allessandro born 1970
  • Remo Franchi was born in 1929. He married Norma Teresa Virginia Collini on 9th September 1956.  They are Lia’s parents

LIA’S PARENTS

REMO FRANCHI and NORMA TERESA VIRGINIA COLLINI

 

Remo and Norma had three children.   Lia born 1962,  Lia married Giuseppe Borrotzu. Roma was  born in 1959 and Marino in the year 1964.

LIA’S Line

Lia married Giuseppe Borrotzu.  They had two daughters Pierina 1985 followed by Carmela in 1987.  

Carmela married to Lewis Evans and they have two daughters Lidia and Allegra.

Lia’s daughter Carmela on her wedding day in 2013. She married Lewis or Luigi Evans who was born in 1987
Lidia and Allegra – two beautiful additions to the family

Lia’s eldest daughter Pierina looking very beautiful indeed

Lia in 2017

THE COLLINI / SORENTI LINES

Hamlet of Pinzolo village, Sant’Antonio di Mavignola is located on a hill made by a heap of morainal debris of the post glacial ages. At the beginning many inhabitants were peasant families from Pinzolo, who in summer brought their livestock to those pastures, before reaching the alpine huts (“malghe”) at the highest altitudes. It seems that the first core of the village was in Milegna area, where now you can see the ancient farms dedicated to the mountain pasture. The Masi Milegna belonged to some families of Pinzolo, who lived there before going up to “Ritorto malga” (alpine hut); they came back to these “masi” in the end of summer, before going to their houses in the valley. Milegna is one of the typical mountain huts, made by some private houses in a pasture area. Isolated by the other houses, “Casa Capot” is a typical restored mountain hut, with a granite base and huge larch logs. “Capot” was the nickname of a family of jurists, who lived in a majestic mansion house; the mountain house was dedicated to the pasture and, at the same time, it was the symbol of the wellbeing and the richness of the family.

The village of Pinzolo streches from one side to the other one of the valley, framed by the Dossone mountainsides westward, the Lancia peak northward, the Doss del Sabion eastward, and the Brenta Dolomites all around. Traditionally, the name of Pinzolo is linked to the Sarca river, that swept away the old village of Bolbeno with a flood: according to one version, the flood avoided only a “pinza” (corner) of that patch of land, according to another version only a “pin sol” (only a pine). Now, the village is made up by three hamlets: Baldino (the ancient center), Carera (the central part) and Ruina. In Pinzolo the first Italian Alpine Rescue Corp was founded in 1952.

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