I can trace this family back to the beginning to Jacapino Della Scala, my 23rd great grandfather,  who died in 1215.  He was a wool trader that eventually received the title of Imperial Vicar at Ostiglia. Alberto I della Scala (died 3 September 1301) was lord of Verona from 1277, a member of the Scaliger family. The son of Jacopino della Scala, he was podestà of Mantua in 1272 and 1275. In 1277, after the assassination of his brother Mastino, inherited the seigniory of Verona. Alberto died in Verona in 1301. His son Bartolomeo succeeded him. His other sons Alboino and Francesco (Cangrande) were also lord of Verona from 1304 and 1312, respectively. His daughter Costanza married Obizzo II d’Este, Marquis of Ferrara, as his second wife. Della Scala family, also called Scaliger, Italian Scaligeri, Latin Scaligerus, noted family that ruled Verona during the late 13th and the 14th centuries. Although the family had been prominent in Verona since the 11th century, the founder of the ruling dynasty was Mastino I della Scala (d. 1277), who became podesta (chief magistrate) shortly after the defeat and death (1259) of Ezzelino da Romano, tyrant of Verona. A new election in 1262 gave Mastino the added authoritative office of captain of the people. He was succeeded in 1277 by his brother Alberto (d. 1301), who was followed by his son Bartolomeo (d. 1304), the “gran Lombardo” (Dante, Paradiso), in whose reign (according to tradition) Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet loved and died. Bartolomeo’s brother Can Francesco, called Cangrande I (d. 1329), was the greatest figure of the family and protector of the exiled Dante. He first ruled Verona jointly with his brother Alboino, and together they gained the title of imperial vicar from the Holy Roman emperor Henry VII (1311). After Alboino’s death (Oct. 28, 1311), Cangrande became the sole ruler and began a series of successful wars against Vicenza (1312–14) and Padua (1317–18). In 1318 he became captain general of the Ghibelline League and extended his control over Fetre and Belluno. In 1327 he was named imperial vicar of Mantua, reaching the apex of his power. His successor and nephew, Mastino II (who ruled with his brother Alberto II), tried to continue the expansionist policies of his uncle. His aggressiveness, however, provoked a rival Florentine-Venetian coalition and the loss of allies and territories, and by the end of his reign he was left with only Verona and Vicenza. The della Scala rule in Verona finally came to a close after the brief successive reigns of Mastino’s sons and grandsons, ending in 1387 with the annexation of the city by the Visconti, under Gian Galeazzo Visconti, duke of Milan.  CITATION INFORMATIONARTICLE TITLE: Della Scala familyWEBSITE NAME: Encyclopaedia BritannicaPUBLISHER: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.DATE PUBLISHED: 20 July 1998URL: https://www.britannica.com/topic/della-Scala-familyACCESS DATE: February 08, 2019 Follow us on Facebook Mastino II 20th Great Grandfather Mastino II della Scala (1308 – 3 June 1351) was lord of Verona. He was a member of the famous Scaliger family of northern Italy. He was the son of Alboino I della Scala and Beatrice da Correggio. At the death of Cangrande I, he and his brother Alberto II were associated in the rule of Verona. Soon, however, Mastino’s independent attitude overshadowed the brother’s presence. In the first part of his reign, abandoning the careful policy of balance held by his father, he conquered Brescia(1332), Parma (1335) in Lombardy and Lucca (1335) in Tuscany. However, the extension of Mastino’s power spurred the creation of League of all the other local powers (Florence, Siena, Bologna, Perugia and Venice). In the first year of war he managed to resist, but in 1336 the League was joined by Azzone Visconti of Milan, the Este of Ferrara, the Gonzaga of Mantua and the Papal States. Surrounded by every side, he could only ask for a treaty of peace through the intermediation of Emperor Louis IV of Bavaria, which he obtained in 1339. His territories were restricted to Verona and Vicenza, the remaining part split among the victorious enemies. An attempt to recover part of his lands with the German mercenaries that had remained in Vicenza after the war, led by Lodrisio Visconti, was unsuccessful. He died in Verona in 1351. He is buried in the Gothic mausoleum near the church of Santa Maria Antica, in one of the Scaliger Tombs. Beatrice 20th Great Grandmother Beatrice Regina was born in Verona in 1331,[2] the youngest child and only daughter of Mastino II della Scala and Taddea da Carrara. She had three older brothers, and five illegitimate half-siblings. Her father, who was a member of the Scaliger family of Northern Italy, was Lord of Verona, Vicenza, Brescia, Parma, and Lucca.[2] Her paternal grandparents were Alboino I della Scala and Beatrice, daughter of Gilberto III da Correggio of Parma, and her maternal grandparents were Jacopo I da Carrara and Anna Gradenigo, daughter of Pietro Gradenigo, Doge of Venice and Tommasina Morosini. On 27 September 1350 in Verona, Beatrice Regina was married to Bernabò Visconti, son of Stefano Visconti and Valentina Doria. She was nineteen years of age and he was twenty-seven. The marriage welded a powerful political alliance between Milan and Verona. He assumed power as Lord of Milan in 1354, henceforth, Beatrice Regina was styled as Lady of Milan. It has been claimed that Bernabò was a cruel and ruthless despot, and an implacable enemy of the Church. He seized the papal city of Bologna, rejected the Pope and his authority, confiscated ecclesiastical property, and forbade any of his subjects to have any dealings with the Curia. He was excommunicated as a heretic in 1363 by Pope Urban V, who preached crusade against him.[3] When Bernabò was in one of his frequent rages, only Beatrice Regina was able to approach him.[4] She reportedly had a strong will, and her influence upon Bernabò – and thereby upon the policy of Milan – was recognized: Catherine of Siena used her as an intermediary every time she had a political request to Bernabò.[1] Beatrice Regina died on 18 June 1384 at the age of fifty-three years. She was buried in Milan. A year and a half later, her husband was deposed and later poisoned by his nephew and son-in-law Gian Galeazzo Visconti, who in 1395 became the first Duke of Milan. She gave her name to the church of Santa Maria alla Scala in Milan, and by extension, the La Scala opera house (Teatro alla Scala) which was built on the same site four hundred years later. Scaliger Tombs The Scaliger Tombs (Italian: Arche scaligere) is a group of five Gothic funerary monuments in Verona, Italy, celebrating the Scaliger family, who ruled in Verona from the 13th to the late 14th century. The tombs are located in a court outside the church of Santa Maria Antica, separated from the street by a wall with iron grilles. Built in Gothic style, they are a series of tombs, mostly freestanding open tabernacle-like structures rising high above the ground, with a sarcophagus surmounted by an elaborate baldachin, topped by a statue of the deceased, mounted and wearing armour. According to the French historian Georges Duby, they are one of the most outstanding examples of Gothic art. The tombs are placed within an enclosure of wrought iron grilles decorated with a stair motif, referring to the name of the della Scala family, meaning “of the stairs” in Italian. The stone pillars of the enclosure have statues of saints. The tombs are those of the following notable members of the Scaliger dynasty: Cangrande I. This was the first tomb built, in the 14th century, according to the will of the deceased, the most famous Scaliger ruler of the city. The designer was the architect of the church of Sant’Anastasia, who planned it in the shape of a Gothic tabernacle, supported by richly harnessed dogs (Cangrande meaning “Big dog” in Italian). Unlike the later tabernacles, it is built out from the church wall, over a doorway, rather than being free-standing. On the sarcophagus lies a recumbent effigy statue of the lord, characterized by an unusual smile. The sarcophagus is decorated on each side by high reliefs with religious themes and low reliefs with military themes. On the summit of the baldachin is an equestrian statue of Cangrande, now replaced by a copy (the original is in the museum of Castelvecchio). Mastino II. Begun in 1345, this tomb was modified during its construction. It was originally painted and gilt, and is enclosed by a railing with four statues of the Virtues at the corners. The faces of the funerary urn are decorated by religious motifs; on the sepulchre cover lies again the deceased’s statue, guarded by two angels. The baldachin has religious themes sculpted on the pediment, and is also surmounted by an equestrian statue of Mastino II. Cansignorio. Dating from 1375, and the most richly decorated. It was designed by Bonino da Campione, and has sculptures portraying warrior saints, Gospel figures, the Virtues and the Apostles, and a large equestrian statue of Cansignorio. Alberto II. Unlike the others, it has no baldachin but only a sarcophagus, though richly decorated. It dates from 1301. Giovanni. This monument is built into the wall of the church. It was finished in 1359 by Andriolo de’ Santi, and until 1400 it was located in the church of San Fermo Maggiore, before being moved to join the others.

Curious about your genetic ancestry? Ready to unearth secrets about your family’s past that are hidden within your DNA? Join us as we embark on a journey of discovery with Diahan Southard, creator of Your DNA Guide, who unravels the intricacies of DNA testing and genetic ancestry. Diane guides us through this enigmatic world, shedding light on the distinctions between culture, ethnicity, and heritage, and their impact on interpreting DNA test results. She introduces the concept of reference populations, highlighting its pivotal role and potential limitations in categorizing individuals to a specific location. The adventure continues as we dive deeper into the specifics of DNA ethnicity results and haplogroups. Diahan demystifies why DNA test results can vary between companies and evolve over time. She elaborates on the critical aspects of reference populations, algorithms, and statistics, and why a larger dataset can produce more accurate results. Our conversation emphasizes the importance of participating in research to improve the accuracy of results for your community, heightening the excitement of this genealogical exploration.As we round off our captivating discussion, we unveil the astonishing power of DNA testing in revealing unexpected family connections. Hear about individuals who unraveled surprising links to historical figures and places, emphasizing the significance of understanding the culture, ethnicity, and heritage of both sides of a family. Diahan offers practical tips for interpreting DNA test results, making this episode a treasure trove of knowledge for anyone intrigued by their family history or eager to learn more about the world of DNA testing. Tune in and let us embark on this journey together. What do your DNA ethnicity results mean? It’s the most-asked question in DNA testing! To help you better understand them, we’ve compiled a free downloadable guide to your ethnicity estimates. It explains how much you can trust them, why they are evolving, and how they can help you better understand your heritage right now. Your DNA Guide And don’t forget to use Coupon Code ITALIANROOTS Podcast Click here to join our group on Facebook Video What is the Mango Theory? What are Reference Populations?

Join us as we journey into the overlooked chapters of World War II history with our esteemed guest, Carmine Vittoria, author of the insightful book, Hidden in Plain Site. This episode promises to unravel not just the tales of hidden internment camps in Southern Italy under the reign of Mussolini, but also the gripping dynamics of post-war migration and internment in Italy. We’ll delve into the heart-tugging realities of internment towns wiped out by bombings, and follow the trails of displaced Jews, who found new homes across the globe, from Israel to America. Carmine also shares some fascinating insights from Carlo Levy’s renowned book, Christ Stopped at Eboli, a literary masterpiece that offered a sense of identity to the local Italian populace during those turbulent times. Podcast Click here to join our group on Facebook Video

But I know my grandparents came from Italy, how come I’m not 100% on my Italian  DNA test?  I know where I came from, why should I take a DNA test.  Ahh, there just made up anyway, somebody I know took the test and it said they where only 10% Italian, how can that be? All valid questions.  One thing we have to remember is that Italy was not united until the mid 19th Century.  Before then, it was conquered and ruled by many other countries.  In addition, cities like Naples, Florence, Venice, Milan were all important stops on trade routes as was Sicily. Autosomal DNA tests trace back 10 generations, so to your 8th great grandparents or anywhere from 200 to 250 years.  The charts below will help you to understand.   My children are both adopted and for several years I kept seeing the same names from my wife’s DNA as matches to my son.  I knew they had to be related in some way, but could not prove it.  When her first cousin did a test, our son appeared as her 5th cousin.  As they are all from the same general area in Puerto Rico, it is very possible that they are related. Relationship to You Likelihood of a Match % of DNA Shared 1st Cousin (common grandparents) 100% 7-13 2nd Cousin (common great-grandparents) >99% 3-5 3rd Cousin (common great-great grandparents >90% .3-2 4th Cousin (common ggg grandparents) >50% <1% 5th Cousin (common gggg grandparents) >10% Sometimes none detectable at match threshold 6th Cousin (common ggggg grandparents) <2% Often none detectable at match threshold Click on the photo to buy a great book on the origin of Italian names! Enter IR2020 at checkout for 20% discount. Another great question, how come my sister or brother is more Italian than I am?  Here’s a great example from Who are you made of?  Check there site for a lot more good info.  Here’s a link to my DNA COMPARISON from 3 different companies.  And one of my first posts on DNA. Jellybean example to explain how impossible it would be for two siblings to have 100% identical DNA Imagine that you are sitting in front of two giant jugs of jellybeans.  Each jug has 7,000 jellybeans, and each jug represents DNA from each of your parents.  You are instructed to pour half of each container into a new jug, which represents your own DNA. You then put them back. Your sister or brother comes along, and is instructed to do the same thing (let’s pretend, in our story, that the jellybeans magically were poured back into the right jug for mom or dad).  Your sibling pours jellybeans from each container into their own jug. How many matching jellybeans do you think you each got? The probability is that about 50% of your jellybeans were the same, and about 50% of them were different.  This is a very simplified example of the way that DNA inheritance works.  When your parents conceive you, the DNA that you will randomly inherit from each parent is already programmed into the sperm and the egg.  A statistician could probably give us the exact odds, but all we really need to know is that probability favors about half of your randomly chosen jellybeans matching the ones that your sibling selected. In this image below, They illustrate overlapping shared DNA between siblings, and what is not shared: We have some recommended some very good books on DNA. Click to Join Our Facebook Page I tried to make this simple, but not easy!!!   Where does Italian DNA come from? Another thing to also consider is Haplogroups.   Here is a simple explanation from Living DNA on Motherline Within each of your cells, you have thousands of mitochondria, structures which supply energy to the cell. Your mitochondria have their own DNA, which makes it possible to trace the motherlines of individuals across the world and see how they connect. As our ancestors changed how they were living, from generations to generations, it created changes in the mtDNA – which is shown as branches of the mtDNA tree. Each person on this planet receives their mtDNA from their mother, who received it from her mother, who in turn received it from her mother. Males also receive the mtDNA from their mothers, but do not pass it on to their children, as the few mitochondria that power the sperm before it fertilizes the egg are dwarfed by the thousands of mitochondria in the egg. Your haplogroup is a collection of family lines you are connected to within your mtDNA. You share a common ancient ancestor with all the people who share your haplogroup. Haplogroups can be associated with geographic regions, and are also used to trace the ancient migrations of early humans. The details and history of your haplogroup are and you can view a map of haplogroup distribution, your haplogroup’s speculated migration route over hundreds and thousands of years and where on the mtDNA tree you fit. The maps used are what we know today to be the borders of each country, however these have just been created for political reasons. This means that although you may be shown your ancestry comes from certain countries, this would have looked very different 100 years ago. Haplogroup: U4 Subclade: U4a A genetic story of your motherline Haplogroup U encompases U1-U8 and K. Origin pre-dates agricultural expansion in Europe. Your motherline belongs to the U4 group. The U4 haplogroup can be found in low frequencies across much of Europe and Asia. Uncommon in Middle Eastern areas, and it is rare to find frequencies above 2%. Similarly, U4 is not far from absent in African populations. This group is more commonly found in populations near the Ural Mountains and Volga River in Siberia (Malyarchuk et al., 2010).. Studies have suggested that the Kalash have the highest percentages of U4 in the world (Quintana-Murci et al., 2004). However, these are based on small samples that may suggest the percentage of U4 is higher than it is in reality. This motherline is estimated to have arisen up to 25,000 years ago. Amongst the Mansi, a small Siberian population, U4 originated around 18,000 years ago in the later stages of the Upper paleolithic (Malyarchuk, 2004). U4 is therefore an old group, which helps to explain the relatively low frequencies in populations today. It is now thought that haplogroup U4 was involved in migrations into Europe from the Middle East that occurred before the end of the last ice age. Who were the people who carried your signature? The U4 group has been linked to migrations into Europe during the last ice age. The populations who migrated from the Middle Eastern regions would have been hunter gatherers. They were hardy nomadic people who utilised caves and natural shelters to protect themselves from predation and the elements. They ate edible plants, nuts and berries and had skilled huntsman to catch prey to cook and eat. The Pitted Ware cultures have also been interlinked with this motherline. Pitted Ware populations were a later hunter gatherer group. They were mainly found across Scandinavia from 5200 years ago. Studies suggest U4 is at its highest frequency today in Kalash populations. This population has puzzled geneticists for quite some time, proving to be a difficult enigma to crack. They appear to have much higher frequencies of U4 that neighbouring populations, which was once thought to be down to conquering groups colonising the area. This would perhaps fit in with the Kalash’s self proclaimed idea that they are descendants of the armies of Alexander the Great. However, discoveries in genetics are beginning to point towards a Siberian descent – an area in which U4 is commonly found (Ayub et al., 2015). Citations Ayub, Q., et al. 2015. The Kalash genetic isolate: ancient divergence, drift, and selection. Malyarchuk, B. A. (2004). Differentiation of the mitochondrial subhaplogroup U4 in the populations of Eastern Europe, Ural, and Western Siberia: Implication to the genetic history of the Uralic populations. Malyarchuk, B. et al. 2010. Mitogenomic diversity in Tatars from the Volga-Ural region of Russia. Quintana-Murci, L., et al. 2004. Where west meets east: the complex mtDNA landscape of the southwest and Central Asian corridor. BUT MOM WAS FROM BARI!!! Motherline Countries Motherline Migration Fatherline haplogroup from Living DNA. Your Y chromosome (YDNA) is passed down from father to son, which we refer to as your ‘fatherline’. The Y chromosome is the sex chromosome that determines you are male. So only sons inherit the Y chromosome from their father, who inherited from his father and so on. It is a direct male line you can trace back along your entire ancestry. Your haplogroup is a collection of related family lines you are connected to through your Y chromosome (YDNA). You share a common ancient ancestor with all the people who share your haplogroup. Haplogroups can be associated with geographic regions, and are also used to trace the ancient migrations of early humans. The details and history of your haplogroup are and you can view a map of your haplogroup’s distribution today, your haplogroup’s speculated migration route over hundreds and thousands of years and where on the YDNA tree you fit. The maps used are what we know today to be the borders of each country, however these have just been created for political reasons. This means that although you may be shown your ancestry comes from certain countries, this would have looked very different 100 years ago.   Haplogroup: G2a Subclade: G2a2b2b A genetic story of your fatherline Your fatherline is concentrated across the mountainous regions of Europe. Your fatherline signature belongs to the G2a  group. Your fatherline has been associated with the migrations that occurred from the Near East to Europe during the Neolithic (New Stone Age). Around 11,500 years ago, haplogroup G2 split into two branches: G2a and G2b. G2b spread across Iran, whilst G2a travelled with its carriers across Anatolia and Europe. WIth the spread of agricultural technologies, practices and ideas came movements of people and populations. The populations that spread into Europe are thought to have carried the G2a fatherline with them, which helps explain the small presence of this haplogroup across Europe today. The high percentage of G2a found in samples from Neolithic burials suggests the carriers of this group played a significant role in Neolithic migrations across Europe some 6-8000 years ago (Lacan et al., 2011). Today, the highest frequency of G2a can be found across the most mountainous zones of Europe. This fatherline can be found from the Apennine mountains to Greece. One possible reason for this haplogroup being so concentrated in the mountains is that these high altitudes acted as a place of refuge for the migrating tribes who carried G2a. Most likely during the early Bronze Age, carriers of your fatherline retreated to the mountains after Indo-Europeans invaded much of Europe from the Eurasian Steppe (Hay, 2016). Who were the people who carried your signature? People from the Near East gradually migrated across Europe via Anatolia from 9,000 BP, bringing the knowledge of raising livestock and cultivating crops. Hunter gatherer lifestyles were slowly replaced and farmers assimilated with many existing groups across Europe. These populations are thought to have brought the G2a haplogroup to Europe, alongside the new farming techniques. The farming populations that migrated from the Anatolia region to the rest of Europe were discovered to be predominantly of the G2a group (Lacan et al., 2011).  The farming of land occurred around 2000 years before this European expansion, partly due to the lengthy processes involved in the domestication of crops, thus hunting and gathering for food would have remained a staple for survival for many millenia. It is possible to link carriers of G2a with populations who were part of the Cardial Pottery culture, among many other cultures across Europe. These people were likely farmers who made and transported cardial style pottery, travelling across the Aegean by sea and ultimately settling across what is now Italy, France and Iberia (Hay, 2016). From here, the style evolved into Cardium Pottery some 6000 years before present, whereby shells were used to print shapes onto clay (Amorosi & Morelli, 2012). Of the Neolithic remains associated with this culture, a large majority belonged to G2a. Citations Amorosi, A., & Morelli, A. (2012). The Influence of Transgressive Paleogeography on the Development and Decline of Cardium Pottery Culture (Mediterranean Neolithic). Climates, Landscapes, and Civilizations, 171-176. Hay, M., (2016). Haplogroup G2a, [ONLINE]. Lacan, M., et al. (2011). Ancient DNA suggests the leading role played b y men in the Neolithic dissemination. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(45), 18255-18259. Fatherline Countries Fatherline Migration My Autosomal Chart from Living DNA Start your own newsletter

Imagine stepping back into the brilliant opulence of 15th century Italian fashion with none other than esteemed author, Tim McCall as our guide. Picture the Italian princes adorned in radiant attire, their shining bodies reflecting their wealth and power. Not just a dazzling display, this episode uncovers the intricate Sumtuary Laws, the rules that dictated the length, color, and type of clothing according to status. And buckle up, because there’s an intriguing twist: the severe consequences that came with attempting to deceive buyers with counterfeit gems and gold. But this journey doesn’t stop at the glistening surface. We go behind the scenes of the silk production that engulfed Italy in the 1300s, culminating in a fashion peak in Milan in the 15th century. We’ll trace the pathways of Isabella D’Este, dubbed the ‘Jackie Kennedy of the Renaissance’, navigating the royal courts of Europe with her refined sense of fashion, even as she traded dress dolls to keep up with international fashion trends. And just when you thought it couldn’t get more interesting, we dive into the her riveting correspondence, and some tantalizing discoveries about Isabella’s role as a patron of the arts. Finally, we take a detour into Renaissance masculinity and fashion. You won’t want to miss the tale of a 15th-century Italian prince’s quest for self-fashioning, complete with fresco cycles and a desire for whiter teeth in a time before modern dentistry. As we wrap up, we’ll delve into the creation of Tim’s new book ‘Making the Renaissance Man’, a treasure trove of insights about this vibrant period. So, come along on this fascinating journey into the heart of Renaissance Italy. You won’t be disappointed. Podcast Click here to join our group on Facebook Video