Pietro Cesare Alberti
Encyclopedia
Pietro Cesare Alberti was a Venetian
immigrant to Dutch
colony of New Amsterdam
, commonly regarded as the first Italian American
.
. The Alberti
family had enormous pull throughout the Italian peninsula, and had branches in Genoa
, and Florence
, as well as in Venice
. In addition to his maternal Medici relatives, Pietro's paternal relatives included the famed Italian polymath
and statesman
Leon Battista Alberti.
troops from the Netherlands
were stationed in Malamocco
, a narrow inlet in the Venetian Lagoon
. These troops carried with them a particularly virulent strain of Bubonic Plague
. The plague spread rapidly, killing 46,000 of the city's 140,000 residents. The immense decline in Venice's population led to a similar decline in its commercial power. Because the Alberti's power was derived from the success of Venetian traders, Pietro, at the age of 27 decided to seek a new life in the New World
. He arrived in New Amsterdam
aboard the Dutch ship the "King David" on June 2, 1635.
Pietro acclimated well in New Amsterdam's cosmopolitan environment. In 1642 he married a Dutch huguenot
woman named Judith Manje (also Magnee). The couple had 6 children from 1642 to 1655. The Albertis lived in a home on Broad Street
until 1646 when Pietro applied for a land grant from the Dutch. The Albertis farmed 100 acres in Brooklyn
until Pietro and Judith were killed in an Indian
raid in 1655.
. A small stone in Battery Park
marks the spot of Pietro's arrival.
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
immigrant to Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
colony of New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
, commonly regarded as the first Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
.
Background
Pietro was born in 1608 at the height of Venice's commercial power. Pietro was the son of the Secretary of the Ducal Treasury, Adrea Alberti and his wife, Lady Veronica de MediciMedici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
. The Alberti
Alberti (surname)
Alberti is a common surname in Italian language and derives from given name Alberto, Latin translation of Germanic Albert.Alberti may refer to:-People:*Alberti, Florentine family.*Leon Battista Alberti ; Italian polymath, active in many fields...
family had enormous pull throughout the Italian peninsula, and had branches in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, and Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, as well as in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. In addition to his maternal Medici relatives, Pietro's paternal relatives included the famed Italian polymath
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
and statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
Leon Battista Alberti.
Immigration
During the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
troops from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
were stationed in Malamocco
Malamocco
Malamocco is one of the three narrow inlets in the enclosing coastal dune bar that connect the Venetian Lagoon with the Adriatic Sea, together with the Lido and Chioggia inlets...
, a narrow inlet in the Venetian Lagoon
Venetian Lagoon
The Venetian Lagoon is the enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea in which the city of Venice is situated. Its name in the Venetian language, Laguna Veneta— cognate of Latin lacus, "lake"— has provided the international name for an enclosed, shallow embayment of saltwater, a lagoon.The Venetian Lagoon...
. These troops carried with them a particularly virulent strain of Bubonic Plague
Italian Plague of 1629-1631
The Italian Plague of 1629–1631 was a series of outbreaks of bubonic plague which occurred from 1629 through 1631 in northern Italy. This epidemic, often referred to as Great Plague of Milan, claimed the lives of approximately 280,000 people, with the cities of the Lombardy and Veneto regions...
. The plague spread rapidly, killing 46,000 of the city's 140,000 residents. The immense decline in Venice's population led to a similar decline in its commercial power. Because the Alberti's power was derived from the success of Venetian traders, Pietro, at the age of 27 decided to seek a new life in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
. He arrived in New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
aboard the Dutch ship the "King David" on June 2, 1635.
Pietro acclimated well in New Amsterdam's cosmopolitan environment. In 1642 he married a Dutch huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
woman named Judith Manje (also Magnee). The couple had 6 children from 1642 to 1655. The Albertis lived in a home on Broad Street
Broad Street
Broad Street may refer to:In the United Kingdom:*Broad Street , in London*Broad Street, Birmingham*Broad Street, Bristol*Broad Street, Oxford*Broad Street, Reading*Broad Street, Suffolk, hamlet near Groton...
until 1646 when Pietro applied for a land grant from the Dutch. The Albertis farmed 100 acres in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
until Pietro and Judith were killed in an Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
raid in 1655.
Legacy
Alberti was just the first of millions of Italian Americans who would later go on to form a vital part of American culture. June 2nd commemorates "Pietro Alberti Day" in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. A small stone in Battery Park
Battery Park
Battery Park is a 25-acre public park located at the Battery, the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City, facing New York Harbor. The Battery is named for artillery batteries that were positioned there in the city's early years in order to protect the settlement behind them...
marks the spot of Pietro's arrival.
See Also
- New AmsterdamNew AmsterdamNew Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
- Italian AmericanItalian AmericanAn Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
- Italian plague of 1629-1631Italian Plague of 1629-1631The Italian Plague of 1629–1631 was a series of outbreaks of bubonic plague which occurred from 1629 through 1631 in northern Italy. This epidemic, often referred to as Great Plague of Milan, claimed the lives of approximately 280,000 people, with the cities of the Lombardy and Veneto regions...
- Santa Maria della Salute