First Generation

1. Giuseppe Antonio GRAZIANI^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7} was born on 10 June 1754 in Pescaglia [Villabuona], Lucca, Toscana, Italy.⁸ He was baptized on 10 June 1754 in Pescaglia, Lucca, Toscana, Italy.⁸ He died on 12 June 1817 in Pescaglia, Lucca, Toscana, Italy.^9,10 He was the last ancestor of the GRACIANI of Spain to die in Italy. Fue el último antepasado de los GRACIANI de España que murió en Italia.

Una nota sobre la ortografía del apellido [English follows]:

Según Isabel BESTEIRO GRACCIANI -- bisnieta de Romano GRAZIANI -- "originalmente nuestro apellido se escribía con dos zetas, pero lo españolizaron debido a las equivocaciones que con frecuencia surgían en documentos legales con los trastornos consecuentes, se escribió con dos ces o sea GRACCIANI y más tarde se le quitó una c por el mismo motivo" (1975).

Esperanza GRACIANI CASTILLA, bisnieta de Flavio GRAZIANI, dijo que "No hay ninguna duda, la ortografía original era con dos zetas."

Después de mis (Emil SIGNES) investigaciones no creo más en esta teoría. Sin embargo, es cierto que en el siglo XIX se usaron consonantes dobles, ZZ y también CC. Según Isabel BESTEIRO, "El abuelo [Francisco GRACIANI PASTOR] se firmaba en sus obras F. GRAZZIANI." Esperanza GRACIANI nota que su padre y sus tíos y también su abuelo, usaron GRAZZIANI. Actualmente (2009) los hijos de Esperanza usan MARTÍNEZ GRAZZIANI.

De los hijos de Victorina GRACIANI LORENZO, nieta de Romano, Domingo (1883), Josefa (1884) y Emilio (1886) son inscritos en sus actos de nacimiento como "GRACIANI" mientras Jorge (1889) e Isabel (1896) son "GRACCIANI". Joaquín GRACIANI LORENZO, hermano de Victorina, firmó el acta de nacimiento de Isabel "Joaquín GRAZZIANI."

En los padrones de 1890, 1895 y 1900 todos estos hijos están inscritos como GRACCIANI, y en 1905 como GRACIANI. Las familias de los hijos de Flavio - Domingo y Manuel - son inscritos en los padrones como GRACIANI MARTíN. También Segundo y su familia, a volver a Madrid de Sevilla en 1929, están inscritos como GRACIANI.

En los padrones de 1871-1880 Francisco GRACIANI PASTOR usó "GRACIANI" pero en 1882 - la última vez que está inscrito - el apellido está escrito "GRAZIANI."

Lo que si está claro ahora es que en Italia sólo se usaron GRAZIANI (y, durante el siglo XVII, GRATIANI).

A note about the spelling of the surname:

Isabel BESTEIRO GRACCIANI -- a great-granddaughter of Romano GRAZIANI -- wrote in 1975 that originally the name was spelled with two z's, but to make it Spanish and in order to avoid consequences on legal documents, it was written with two c's, that is GRACCIANI, and later they took off a c for the same reason."

Esperanza GRACIANI CASTILLA -- a great-granddaughter of Flavio GRAZIANI -- and whose father spelled his name GRAZZIANI wrote, "there is no doubt that the name was originally spelled with two z's."

I (Emil SIGNES) no longer believe this theory. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that double consonants -- both ZZ and CC - were used in the 19th century. According to Isabel BESTEIRO GRACIANI, her grandfather signed his name "F. GRAZZIANI," and Esperanza GRACIANI CASTILLA notes that not only her father, but also his siblings and his father, spelled their names GRAZZIANI. Despite the orthodox spelling of her name, her children now (2009) spell their name MARTÍNEZ GRAZZIANI.

Although all of her children used BESTEIRO GRACCIANI as their personal spelling of choice, the spelling change seems to have begun in the late 1880s: on their birth certificates, Domingo (1883), Josefa (1884), and Emilio (1886), are listed as "GRACIANI," whereas Jorge (1889) and Isabel (1896) are listed as "GRACCIANI." Signing Isabel's birth certificate, her uncle Joaquín wrote "Joaquín GRAZZIANI."

In the 1890, 1895 AND 1900 Madrid censuses all these children are listed as GRACCIANI, and in 1905 as GRACIANI. In the Madrid censuses of the time, the families of Flavio's sons - Domingo and Manuel - were spelled GRACIANI MARTÍN. Furthermore Segundo, and his family, on their return to Madrid from Seville in 1929, were all listed in the census records as GRACIANI.

From 1871 to 1880, Francisco GRACIANI PASTOR used "GRACIANI," but in 1882, the last time he is listed in a census, it was written "GRAZIANI."

What is now clear is that in Italy the only spelling of the name was GRAZIANI (and in the 17th century, GRATIANI)..

Giuseppe Antonio GRAZIANI and Maria Lucia MARCHI were married on 29 September 1783 in Villa a Roggio, Pescaglia, Lucca, Toscana, Italy.^9,11 Maria Lucia MARCHI was born on 24 September 1756 in Villa a Roggio, Pescaglia, Lucca, Toscana, Italy.^9,12 She died on 28 March 1809 in Pescaglia [Villabuona], Lucca, Toscana, Italy.¹³ When Emil SIGNES visited Villa a Roggio in 2003, there was still a large MARCHI presence (the population of the entire hamlet was only 60 people) and he was able to visit "the Marchi house." He was told a large number of MARCHI family members emigrated to Boston in the late 19th century where apparently they still maintain a significant presence. As of 2009, he had not followed up.

Según la familia Marchi de Villa a Roggio, varios miembros de esta familia emigraron a Boston al fin del siglo XIX. Hasta ahora (2009) no hemos investigado esta conexión.

Giuseppe Antonio GRAZIANI-4383 and Maria Lucia MARCHI-6800 had the following children:

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i.
Maria Teresa GRAZIANI⁹ was born on 8 July 1784 in Pescaglia [Villabuona], Lucca, Toscana, Italy.¹⁴ She was baptized on 8 July 1784 in Pescaglia, Lucca, Toscana, Italy.¹⁴ She died between 1830 and 1836. Was in 1824 census but not 1936 census. Not found in death records, searched until 1830. Possibly moved elsewhere and lived past 1836 but unlikely.
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ii.
Maria Maddalena GRAZIANI⁹ was born on 28 October 1785 in Pescaglia [Villabuona], Lucca, Toscana, Italy.¹⁵ She was born at 10 AM. She was baptized on 28 October 1785 in Pescaglia, Lucca, Toscana, Italy.¹⁵ She died after 1836.⁹ Still living in the family home as of the 1836 census. Did not examine death records after 1836.
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iii.
Romano GRAZIANI-239.
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iv.
Olimpia Paolina GRAZIANI ** was born on 13 July 1791 in Pescaglia [Villabuona], Lucca, Toscana, Italy.¹⁶ Nata le ore 3; born at 3 AM. She was baptized on 13 July 1791 in Pescaglia, Lucca, Toscana, Italy.¹⁶ She died on 11 March 1793 in Pescaglia, Lucca, Toscana, Italy.¹⁷
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v.
Agata Olimpia GRAZIANI ** was born on 5 February 1795 in Pescaglia [Villabuona], Lucca, Toscana, Italy.¹⁸ Nata circa le ore 12 (born about noon). She was baptized on 5 February 1795 in Pescaglia [Villabuona], Lucca, Toscana, Italy.^18,19 Instead of being baptized in the parish church of Pescaglia, as was the norm, Agata was baptized in Villabuona. The Rector explains that she was "baptized by my permission - due to bad weather - in the Chapel of Villabuona." Fu battezzata –per il tempo cattivo- nell’Oratorio di Villabuona.
Antonio GRACIANI VÁZQUEZ's 1978 note to his nephew Ramón GRACIANI RUIZ says that Flavio was born in "Vilabona." There is no indication of that on Flavio's baptismal certificate. Fortunately, there is one document - this baptism - that ties the Graziani siblings to Villabuona as opposed to the other areas of the parish of Pescaglia.
En 1978, Antonio GRACIANI VÁZQUEZ escribió una nota a su sobrino Ramón GRACIANI RUIZ donde notó que Flavio GRACIANI nació en "Vilabona, provincia de Lucca (Italia)." Normalmente, en los actas de bautismo, matrimonio, defunción, no había distinción entre los varios localidades de Pescaglia donde vivía la gente. La única conexión entre Flavio y Villabuona es el hecho de que su hermana Agata - por mal tiempo en febrero - fue bautizada, en vez de en la iglesia parroquial, en la capilla de Villabuona [donde, podemos presumir, la familia vivía].
She died on 18 January 1796 in Pescaglia, Lucca, Toscana, Italy.²⁰
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vi.
Flavio GRAZIANI-4349.
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vii.
Mª Irene GRAZIANI **^9,21,22 was born on 12 June 1801 in Pescaglia [Villabuona], Lucca, Toscana, Italy.²² She was baptized on 13 June 1801 in Pescaglia, Lucca, Toscana, Italy.²² She died on 21 April 1802 in Pescaglia, Lucca, Toscana, Italy.²³