The Frangipane family of Rome

The Frangipanes were a powerful family and played an important role in medieval Rome. In the 11th century they owned major monuments, such as Circus Maximus, the Collosseum, the Arch of Titus, the Turris Cartularia, the Tomb of Caecilia Metella, some of which were turned into fortresses. They lived in the Caesars' Palace on the Palatine.

The center of their domain was the Colosseum, which they turned into a fortress. We find the family in Rome and its vicinity from 1014 to 1654, the year in which Mario, Roman baron and the first Marquess of Nemi died in his palace in Venezia. Today, the name of a tower at the Circus Maximus, Torre dei Frangipane, is a reminder of their presence in the city of Rome. They had their family chapel in San Marcello al Corso. In 1223 St. Francis of Assisi was a guest of the Frangepani during his visit to Rome.

The family had three major branches: the main branch was in Rome, in Lazio and the Kingdom of Naples, the second in Dalmatia and the third in Friuli. We are descendents of the Dalmatian branch, which in Hungarian is called Frangepán and in Croatian Frankopan. They were mentioned in the year 1133 as rulers and lords of the island of Veglia (Krk in Croatian) and part of the littoral. Count Doimo I, who lived between 1118 and 1163, was the ancestor of the Dalmatian branch. The Friulan branch, which is still flourishing, began in 1112 with Federico di Caporiacco. Doimo's and descendents called themselves only "Counts of Veglia" and later on also of "Senj, Modrusia and Tersatto", while the descendants of Federico in Friuli were called "of Caporiacco" or only "of Castello" and were known by this name in the Middle Ages. It was only much later, in the fifteenth century that both the Counts of Veglia and the Lords of Castello started to use Frangepán or Frangipane as their last name. In a document issued in Padua in 1487, the name of Giacomo di Castello is followed by the terms "ex nobilissima Francapanum familia".

The descendance of the Veglian and Friulan branches from the Roman Frangepanis is taken for certain nowdays, although it has been debated pro and con in the past by various genealogist. Numerous documents have survived, which show that there were strong ties between the separate branches. Even as late as the 17th century, Francis Christopher Frangepán of the Veglian branch corresponded with with Pietro Urbano Frangipane of the Friuli branch, and in his letters he always signed himself as "servant and relative". Christopher offered friendly hospitality to Pietro Urbano's son Orfeo, which grew into their constant companionship. Mario Frangipane, the last of the Roman family, who died in Rome on 19 January 1654, in his last will left all his possessions to the Veglian Frangepán, and in case of their extinction, to the Frangipane of Friuli. After Mario's death, this title of Marquise of Nemi passed to Francis Christopher Frangepán. Even today, the title of Marquise belongs to the Frangipane of Friuli, the only surviving brach of this family.

Another well known Frangepane, also named Mario, the son Antonio, lived in Rome between 1506 and 1569. He served as conservatore of Rome severel times, as well as cancelliere. In 1556 he was appointed by Pope Paul IV as Commissiario della Atichita Romane. It seems that upon his appointment Mario decided to found a chapel as a memorial to himself and his family. The Church authorities conceded to Mario a chapel dedicated to St. Paul in San Marcello al Corso, and committed to holding twelfe masses per year. Mario commissioned Taddeo Zuccari to decorate the chapel, who painted several large frescos depicting the events leading up to thr conversion of St. Paul. One of the frescos illustrates one of the Frangipane family members: Saint Ottone Frangipane. Apperantly St. Ottone, who lived in the middle of the 11th century, had experienced similar events to those of St. Paul. He was a young soldier who converted to Christianity and changed his way of life after experiencing a heavenly appatition.

There is a story explaining the origin of the name Frangipane: In the year 717, when there was a great flood and starvation in Rome, one of the Frangipane ancestors distributed bread to the poor people who cried out to him 'Frange nobis panem', that is, 'sell, respected man, bread' (break bread for us). "Frangere" in Latin means "to break", and "panis" means "bread". After this occurrence, the family changed its name from "Anicia", first to "Frangentes panem", then later to "Frangipane".

Some historians believe that the Frangipanes were descendents of the famous gens Anicii, who were, by the time of the later Empire, the most august family within the Roman world. They claimed Republican origins to affirm their antiquity, they were intermarried with all highest families of the Roman nobility, they had branches of the family throughout the Empire, and their wealth was proverbial. Beyond political prominence, they represented one of the first senatorial families to adopt Christianity and contributed Church leaders, philosophers, and patrons of the arts, throughout the Empire. Though they were most prominent in the West, they survived the fall of the Western Empire, continuing on in Constantinople.

Two of the most famous members of this family, who are still remembered today, were Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (475-524) who was the leading philosopher of his age; and the Western "shadow" Emperor, Anicius Olybrius (d. 472). Incidentaly, some genealogist claim that Charlamagne himself descended from the gens Anicii.