Chapter CXVIII: Appendix: B.—continued

(II.) THE POLOS OF SAN GEREMIA.

The preceding Table gives the Family of our Traveller as far as I have seen sound data for tracing it, either upwards or downwards.

I have expressed, in the introductory notices, my doubts about the Venetian genealogies, which continue the family down to 1418 or 19, because it seems to me certain that all of them do more or less confound with our Polos of S. Giovanni Grisostomo, members of the other Polo Family of S. Geremia. It will help to disentangle the subject if we put down what is ascertained regarding the S. Geremia family.

To the latter with tolerable certainty belonged the following:—

1302. MARCO Polo of Cannareggio, see vol. i. pp. _64–67_. (The Church
of S. Geremia stands on the canal called Cannareggio.)

Already in 1224, we find a Marco Polo of S. Geremia and
Cannareggio. (See _Liber Plegiorum_, published with _Archivio
Veneto_, 1872 pp. 32, 36).

1319. (Bianca, widow of GIOVANNI Polo?)[1]

1332. 24th March. Concession, apparently of some privilege in
connection with the State Lake in San Basilio, to DONATO and
HERMORAO (= Hermolaus or Almorò) Paulo (Document partially
illegible).[2]

1333. 23rd October. Will of Marchesina Corner, wife of Marino Gradenigo
of S. Apollinare, who chooses for her executors “my mother Dona
Fiordelisa Cornaro, and my uncle (_Barba_) Ser Marco Polo.”[3]
Another extract apparently of the same will mentions “_mia
cusina_ MARIA Polo,” and “_mio cusin_ MARCO Polo” three times.[4]

1349. MARINO Polo and Brothers.[5]

1348. About this time died NICOLO Polo of S. Geremia,[6] who seems to
have been a Member of the Great Council.[7] He had a brother
MARCO, and this Marco had a daughter AGNESINA. Nicolo also
leaves a sister BARBARA (a nun), a son GIOVANNINO (apparently
illegitimate[7]), of age in 1351,[6] a nephew GHERARDO, and a
niece FILIPPA,[6] Abbess of Sta. Catarina in Mazzorbo.

The executors of Nicolo are GIOVANNI and DONATO Polo.[6] We have
not their relationship stated.

DONATO must have been the richest Polo we hear of, for in the
Estimo or forced Loan of 1379 for the Genoese War, he is assessed
at 23,000 _Lire_.[8] A history of that war also states that he
(“Donado Polo del Canareggio”) presented the Government with 1000
ducats, besides maintaining in arms himself, his son, and seven
others.[9] Under 1388 we find Donato still living, and mention of
CATARUZZA, d. of Donato:[10] and under 1390 of Elena, widow of
Donato.[10]

The Testamentary Papers of Nicolo also speak of GIACOMO [or
Jacopo] Polo. He is down in the _Estimo_ of 1379 for 1000
_Lire_;[11] and in 1371 an inscription in Cicogna shows him
establishing a family burial-place in Sta. Maria de’ Servi:[12]

[M°CCC°LXXI. Die primo mensis ... S. Dn̄i IACHOBI. PAVLI. DE
CFINIO. SANCTI. IEREMIE. ET. SVOR. HEREDVM.]

(1353. 2nd June. Viriola, widow of ANDREA or Andrinolo Polo of Sta.
Maria Nuova?)[13]

1379. In addition to those already mentioned we have NICOLO assessed at
4000 _lire_.[11]

1381. And apparently this is the NICOLO, son of Almorò (_Hermolaus_),
who was raised to the Great Council, for public service rendered,
among 30 elected to that honour after the war of Chioggia.[14]
Under 1410 we find ANNA, relict of Nicolo Polo.[15]

1379. In this year also, ALMORÒ, whether father or brother of the last,
contributes 4000 _lire_ to the Estimo.[11]

1390. CLEMENTE Polo (died before 1397)[15] and his wife MADDALUZIA.[15]
Also in this year PAOLO Polo, son of Nicolo, gave his daughter in
marriage to Giov. Vitturi.[16]

1408 and 1411. CHIARA, daughter of Francesco Balbi, and widow of
ERMOLAO (or Almorò) Polo, called of _Sta. Trinità_.[15]

1416. GIOVANNI, perhaps the Giovannino mentioned above.[15]

1420. 22nd November. BARTOLO, son of Ser ALMORÒ and of the Nobil Donna
CHIARA Orio.(?)[17] This couple probably the same as in the
penultimate entry.

1474, _seqq._ Accounts belonging to the Trust Estate of BARTOLOMEO Polo
of S. Geremia.[15]

There remains to be mentioned a MARCO POLO, member of the Greater Council, chosen _Auditor Sententiarum_, 7th March, 1350, and named among the electors of the Doges Marino Faliero (1354) and Giovanni Gradenigo (1355). The same person appears to have been sent as _Provveditore_ to Dalmatia in 1355. As yet it is doubtful to what family he belonged, and it is _possible_ that he may have belonged to our traveller’s branch, and have continued that branch according to the tradition. But I suspect that he is identical with the Marco, brother of Nicolo Polo of S. Geremia, mentioned above, under 1348. (See also vol. i. p. _74_.) Cappellari states distinctly that this Marco was the father of the Lady who married Azzo Trevisan. (See Introd. p. _78_.)

We have intimated the probability that he was the Marco mentioned twice in connection with the Court of Sicily. (See vol. i. p. _79_, note.)

A later Marco Polo, in 1537, distinguished himself against the Turks in command of a ship called the _Giustiniana_; forcing his way past the enemy’s batteries into the Gulf of Prevesa, and cannonading that fortress. But he had to retire, being unsupported.

It may be added that a Francesco Paulo appears among the list of those condemned for participation in the conspiracy of Baiamonte Tiepolo in 1310. (_Dandulo_ in _Mur._ XII. 410, 490.)

[I note from the MS. of _Priuli, Genealogie delle famiglie nobili di Venesia_, kept in the Rᵒ. Archivio di Stato at Venice, some information, pp. 4376–4378, which permit me to draw up the following Genealogy which may throw some light on the Polos of San Geremia:—

ANDREA, of San Felice
│
┌─────────────┼────────────┐
│ │ │
Marco Nicolò Maffio
of S. Grisostomo,
buried at S. Lorenzo.
│
┌────────────┬────────┴───┬────────────┐
│ │ │ │
Marco Steffano Giovanni Maffio
(Milioni) │
┌───────────┬────────┴──┬───────────┐
│ │ │ │
Almorò of Maffio Marco Nicolò
San Geremia
│
Nicolò of San Geremia
made a Nobleman, 4th Sept. 1381
│
┌────────────────┼────────────────┐
│ │ │
Maffio Marco Marin
│ │
Marco + 1418
Governor of Castel Vecchio,
at Verona.

Sir Henry Yule writes above (II. p. 507) that Nicolo Polo of S. Geremia had a brother Marco, and this Marco had a daughter Agnesina. I find in the Acts of the Notary Brutti, in the Will of Elisabetta Polo, dated 14th March, 1350:—

BETA = MARCO POLO [MARCOLINO?]
of S. Grisostomo
│
┌──────────────────┼─────────────────┐
│ │ │
Agnesina Christina Marina
= Nicoleto. = Michaleto in the Monastery
of S. Lorenzo.

The Maffio, son of Nicolò of S. Giov. Grisostomo, and father of Pasqua and Fiordelisa, married probably after his will (1300) and had his four sons: Almorò of S. Geremia, Maffio, Marco, Nicolò. Indeed, Cicogna writes (_Insc. Ven._ II. p. 390):—“Non apparisce che Maffeo abbia avuto figliuoli maschi da questo testamento [1300]; ma per altro non è cosa assurda il credere che posteriormente a questo testamento 1300 possa avere avuti figliuoli maschi; ed in effetto le Genealogie gliene danno quatro, cioè _Ermolao, Maffio, Marco, Nicolò_. Il Ramusio anzi glien dà cinque, senza nominarli, uno de’ quali _Marco_, e una femmina di nome _Maria_; e Marco Barbaro gliene dà sei, cioè _Nicolò, Maria, Pietro, Donado, Marco, Franceschino_.”—H. C.]

[Sig. Ab. Cav. Zanetti gives (_Archivio Veneto_, XVI. 1878, p. 110). See our _Int._, p. _78_.

MATTEO, son of MARCOLINO
│
┌────────────────────┴─────────────────────┐
│ │
Maria? Marco
married Benedetto died at Verona
Cornaro in 1401, and in 1417, 1418, or 1425.]
Azzo Trevisan

---------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Document in _Archivio_ of the _Casa di Ricovero_, Bundle LXXVII., No. 209.

[2] _Registro di Grazie_, 4ᵒ c. Comm. by Comm. Berchet.

[3] _Arch. Gen. dei Giudici del Proprio_, Perg. No. 82, 1st July, 1342,
cites this. (Comm. Berchet.)

[4] _Arch. dei Procuratori di San Marco_, with Testam. 1327, January,
marked “N. H. Ser Marco Gradenigo.” (Comm. Berchet.)

[5] Document in _Archivio_ of the _Casa di Ricovero_, Bundle LXXIV.,
No. 651.

[6] List (extracted in 1868–9) of Documents in the above Archivio, but
which seem to have been since mislaid.

[7] Parchment in the possession of Cav. F. Stefani, containing a
decision, dated 16th September, 1355, signed by the Doge and two
Councillors, in favour of Giovannino Polo, natural son of the Noble
Nicoletto of S. Geremia (_qu. Nobilis Viri Nicoleti Paulo_).

[8] In _Gallicciolli, Delle Mem. Ven. Antiche_, Ven. 1795, II. p. 136.
In the MS. of _Cappellari Campidoglio Veneto_, in the Marciana, the
sum stated is 3000 only.

[9] _Della Presa di Chiozza_ in _Muratori, Script._ xv. 785.

[10] Documents seen by the Editor in the Arch. of the _Casa di
Ricovero_.

[11] In _Gallicciolli Delle Mem. Ven. Antiche_, Ven. 1795, II. p. 136.

[12] _Cicogna_, I. p. 77.

[13] _Arch. Gen. dei Giud._ Perg. No. 120.

[14] _Cappellari_, MS.; _Sanuto, Vite de’ Duchi di Ven._ in _Muratori_,
XXII. 730.

[15] Documents seen by the Editor in the Arch. of the _Casa di
Ricovero_.

[16] _Cappellari_.

[17] _Libro d’Oro_ from 1414 to 1497 in Museo Correr. Comm. by Comm.
Berchet.