The family
Originally from Como, the Durini family was involved in the silk and gold trade and as a merchant-banker.
In 1648, the Durinis purchased the title of Count of Monza from the De Leyva heirs, Luigi Antonio and Gerolamo, for 30,000 Neapolitan gold ducats. This title was recognized with a diploma by King Philip IV of Spain on July 21, 1652.
The county was owned by all the brothers and their legitimate male descendants and granted them all rights, duties, and revenues, including the salt tax, which normally remained the property of the state. Thanks to its lending activities, the family had close ties with the Grand Dukes of Tuscany in the 17th and 18th centuries, and later with the House of Lorraine.
With the descendants of Gian Giacomo II, the family split into two branches, that of Giovanni Battista and that of Giuseppe. A third son of Gian Giacomo II, Carlo Francesco, a cardinal, is best known for his diplomatic work in the service of the Holy See in France from 1744 to 1753. Upon his return to Italy, he was appointed Bishop of Pavia.
Among the members of the first branch of the family are Antonio Durini, who was mayor of Milan between 1807 and 1814 and again between 1827 and 1837; his sons Carlo, a fighter during the Five Days of Revolt, and Alessandro, a painter. The second branch of the family includes another cardinal, Angelo Maria, who became famous for his diplomatic activities and his patronage, and is still referred to today as “Cardinal Durini.” He was papal legate in Warsaw from 1766 to 1776, the year in which he was appointed cardinal; and Giuseppe Durini, a member of the provisional government of Milan during the Five Days of Revolt and a supporter of the annexation of Lombardy to Piedmont.
Archive
A collection of documents and testimonies on the history of the Durini family of Monza
Discover the Durini family genealogy from “Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini” by Cristina Geddo