IACOPI DISCENDENZE E STORIA

PREMISE AND WARNING FOR INTERNET USERS AND SECTOR SPECIALISTS

The findings reported on this site are the fruit of over thirty years of research into my family's origins. This research, driven primarily by a coat of arms, a ring, and the evening tales of my grandfather CESARE , a descendant of Tuscans with Florentine roots and proud to bear that surname, prompted me to delve into my family's roots. Although passionate about heraldry, but certainly a novice in the specific field, it seems appropriate to emphasize, for the sake of intellectual honesty, that for a long period, my initial research was "inconsistent and sporadic," conditioned by vacations and the limited time available to me at work. It was based exclusively on consulting numerous secondary sources, which are listed in the bibliography on the site. This sporadic, "quantum" work often forced me to revisit everything from the beginning and, quite often, to change orientations and convictions that had been "firmly matured" up to that point.

The task I had set myself seemed daunting and nearly impossible, precisely because the surname, derived from a certain Iacopo/Jacopo or Giacomo, was apparently common and certainly widespread throughout Italy. But the reality that emerged from initial research helped, almost immediately, dispel many of my initial doubts. My grandfather's stories, the basis of my initial orientation, were confirmed, and what seemed like a common surname turned out to be a "rare" surname (fewer than 500 individuals in Italy and about the same number abroad) and incredibly concentrated, for the most part, in the territory of the ancient Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Furthermore, all the IACOPIs living in other Italian regions whom I consulted, either by telephone or in person, confirmed, for the vast majority, their Tuscan origins, with a predominance of geographical origins in VERSILIA and LUCCA. The investigations extended to the rest of the world have led me to contact many other IACOPIs, residing in Europe, North and South AMERICA and even in AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND. The data collected so far, on a sample of over 100 individuals, have confirmed their common origin from TUSCANY and confirmed the discovery that many JACOPIs, JACOPPIs, JACOPPEs and YACOPIs from South America are nothing more than the result of errors in registry or phonetic transcription, produced over time by people coming from the same family lineage.

As for the identification of my family lineage, I was initially guided to FLORENCE by documents found in my hometown of ASSISI, where my family immigrated from the Arezzo area for work in 1861, after the unification of Italy (they worked in the transport sector for the construction of the ROME-FLORENCE railway). In fact, the history of my city records that, during the 13th century, two individuals were Podestà in ASSISI, ANDREAS and LOTTERINGO), both coming from the Florentine family, of the Guelph party, the IACOPI or IACOPPI of the ROSSI d'OLTRARNO Consortium . In fact, this family, already from that period, was clearly indicated with a series of surnames (among which IACOPI, IACOPPI, ACCOPPI), a habit that in FLORENCE was consolidated, for a large part of the family nuclei, during the 14th century. But the IACOPI dei ROSSI ( IACOPPI de' RUBEIS ) were for the most part affected by the ban against the "Grandigia" during the 14th century and disappeared from the Florentine panorama, to move, probably, either to the Sienese, to the Lucca area, or to territories north of the Apennines, enemies of the FLORENCE.

The course of subsequent investigations led me to discover two other IACOPI family lines in FLORENCE , one , derived from the TORNAQUINCI family , born from the proscription of the “Grandi” in 1379, but which, from what I can see, seems to have abandoned the new surname to return to the old one, before 1427, once the … “stormy” Florentine politics had passed.

The third lineage , which I initially and generically called, of the VENERI (I believe it would be decidedly more correct to call it, albeit with certain limitations, only of SANTA CROCE or of the BLACK LION derived in turn from the IACOPI/IACOBI of PISTOIA ), is the one that has revealed the most interesting things and which, due to its long history, its political importance in TUSCANY and its branches, would seem to be the origin of almost all the IACOPI existing today. In fact, this third branch would find its origin in the IACOPI/JACOBI of PISTOIA, on the basis of recent considerations arising precisely from the discovery (2023) of documents in the State Archives of PISTOIA.

Only in recent years (the early 2000s), once retired and supported by the guidance and advice of my dear and generous friend Pier Luigi CARNESECCHI , was I able to focus on part of the Florentine archives, collecting an incredible wealth of data that, once organized, now forms the basis of this website. Today, I am personally increasingly convinced that the Florentine IACOPI of SANTA CROCE derive from those of Pistoia.

Only a thorough DNA investigation would allow us to infer with certainty a possible common origin, which, in any case, cannot be excluded a priori!

Ultimately, I must state without a shadow of a doubt that, despite everything, the work still to be done to ensure full documentary reliability appears truly daunting. It would be necessary to examine the thousands of documents relating to baptisms held in the Archives of Santa Maria del Fiore, the documents relating to the "portate" and the appraisals, the documents relating to burials in the Florentine churches of Rosselli and Sarmantelli held in the State Archives of Florence, and numerous other documents which, due to their geographical location and the time available, appear decidedly beyond the current possibilities and scope of this writer.

In this context, it would be greatly appreciated to have the help of the many scholars in Florence and Tuscany who may happen to read these notes. To all of them, I address a passionate SOS , hoping they will help me continue this difficult, demanding, yet exciting research. This research, undertaken as a tribute to local history enthusiasts, is especially rewarding for all those honored to bear this important and rare surname. Finally, to all the IACOPIs, few in number indeed, scattered throughout Italy and the world (between 500 and 900 individuals in total), I address a warm appeal, to help me, if possible, to expand and complete the sections relating to the various branches of the family today, with the aim of stimulating in everyone a healthy and vigorous pride of belonging, which, in today's "globalized" world, certainly does not hurt!!

Massimo IACOPI

Given in ASSISI in March 2016 as an initial presentation of the results of the complex research carried out, with the addition of the latest update of May 2025, as far as it has been drawn from the section relating to the IACOPI of SANTA CROCE and PISTOIA