Oldofredi

Oldofredi
Country	Duchy of Milan Republic of Venice Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
Founded	12th century
Founder	Oldofredo
Titles	Marquis of Iseo and the Riviera Count of Iseo Count Brescian patrician Noble
Branches	Oldofredi Tadini

Iseo, Oldofredi Castle

The Oldofredi coat of arms in Iseo

Mausoleum of Giacomo Oldofredi at the Pieve di Sant'Andrea in Iseo  ( it )

The Oldofredi were an Italian noble family from Brescia, related to Pandolfo III Malatesta and originally from Manerbio. In the 13th century, the family rose to prominence in the Franciacorta area and around Lake Iseo, where they also owned a castle at Peschiera Maraglio on the island of Monte Isola. From this possession derived the titles da Ysé or Isei. ^{[1] [2]} They were Ghibellines and aligned with Milan, firmly opposed to Venetian rule. ^[3]

The probable founder of the family was Oldofredo (died 1212), feudal lord of the castle of Chiari. ^[4]

Coat of arms

Gules, a lion rampant argent, ^[3] also recorded as: Gules, a lion rampant Or, langued Gules and armed Sable; on a chief Or three eagles Sable crowned of the field, placed fesswise.

History

According to Gabriele Rosa  ( it ), ^[5] in 1426, after Carmagnola conquered Iseo for the Republic of Venice, local power was transferred to the municipality of Iseo and the Oldofredi were banished. They moved to Cesena, where they continued to claim the title of Counts of Iseo. Nevertheless, in 1497 they hosted Catherine Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus and sister of the podestà of Brescia, at their castle in Peschiera Maraglio. ^[6]

In 1846, the writer Costanzo Ferrari  ( it ) published the historical novel Tiburga Oldofredi - Scene storiche del secolo XIII, set in the 13th century and centered on two Oldofredi sisters, Tiburga and Imelda. ^[7]

During the Risorgimento, a descendant, Ercole Oldofredi Tadini  ( it ), took part in the process of Italian unification, first in the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia and later in the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Kingdom of Italy.

Titles

Bearing the title of Count ab immemorabili, the Oldofredi also held the oldest marquisal title in the Brescia area: Marquis of Iseo and the Riviera, granted in 1415 to Giacomo II, known as “il Novello”, by Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg. ^[8]

Notable members

• Giacomo (12th century), son of Oldofredo, politician
• Giacomo III Oldofredi  ( it ) (1251–1325), lord of Iseo and Franciacorta, Podestà of Milan and military commander for the House of Visconti
• Oldofredo (died 1348), military commander and podestà in several Lombardy cities
• Giovanni, who in 1378, with the support of the Ghibellines of Val Camonica, destroyed Clusone, Roccafino and Cerete ^[9]
• Giacomino (died c. 1440), associate of Filippo Maria Visconti and his ambassador to Emperor Sigismund; created Marquis of Iseo and its Riviera in 1415 together with his brother Giovanni ^[10]
• Ercole Oldofredi Tadini (1810–1877), senator of the Kingdom of Italy

Residences

• Villa Oldofredi Tadini, Cuneo
• Oldofredi Castle  ( it ), Iseo
• Oldofredi Castle, Peschiera Maraglio ^[11]
• Villa Secco Oldofredi Tadini, Calcio, Lombardy

See also

• Iseo, Lombardy
• Monte Isola
• Lake Iseo
• Calcio, Lombardy

References

1. "Famiglia OLDOFREDI (de ISEI)" [The Oldofredi (de Isei) family]. Brescia Genealogia (in Italian). April 2, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
2. "Famiglia Oldofredi" [The Oldofredi family] (in Italian). Retrieved December 19, 2025.
3. Monti Della Corte, Alessandro Augusto (1974). Armerista bresciano, camuno, benacense e di Valsabbia[Armorial of Brescia, Val Camonica, Lake Garda and Valsabbia] (in Italian). Brescia: Tipolitografia Geroldi.
4. Piovanelli, Giancarlo (1981). Casate bresciane nella storia e nell'arte del medioevo[Brescian families in the history and art of the Middle Ages] (in Italian).
5. "Storia Oldofredi - Rosa" [History of the Oldofredi – Rosa] (in Italian). Archived from the original on May 9, 2006. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
6. "Castello" [The castle] (in Italian). Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
7. "Tiburga Oldofredi di Costanzo Ferrari" [Tiburga Oldofredi by Costanzo Ferrari] (in Italian). Retrieved December 19, 2025.
8. Antonio Fappani (ed.). "Oldofredi". Enciclopedia Bresciana[Brescian Encyclopedia] (in Italian).
9. Bontempi, Franco (2003). Storia del comune di Sonico[History of the municipality of Sonico] (in Italian). Padua: Upsel Domenighini. p. 265.
10. "GIACOMINO «il marchese» OLDOFREDI (1350–1439)" [Giacomino “the Marquis” Oldofredi (1350–1439)]. Brescia Genealogia (in Italian). January 21, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
11. "Castello Oldofredi" [Oldofredi Castle] (in Italian). Retrieved December 19, 2025.

Bibliography

• Zani, Attilio Alfredo (2015). "Da Iseo poi Oldofredi". In Luca Giarelli (ed.). I Signori delle Alpi. Famiglie e poteri tra le montagne d'Europa[The Lords of the Alps. Families and powers among the mountains of Europe] (in Italian). ISBN   978-8893218924.
• Ferrari, Costanzo (1847). Flavio Guarneri (ed.). Tiburga Oldofredi - Scene storiche del secolo XIII[Tiburga Oldofredi – Historical scenes of the 13th century] (in Italian). Sardini. p. 418. ISBN   978-88-7506-182-1.
• Piovanelli, Giancarlo (1981). Casate bresciane nella storia e nell'arte del medioevo[Brescian families in the history and art of the Middle Ages] (in Italian).