Conti Guidi

The origins: Tegrimo I and Guido I

The founder of the house is Tegrimo I († c. 930), Count of Modigliana in 925, probably son of a Theudelgrimus (himself son of a Grimaldus) residing in Pistoia as early as 887. With Count Guido I († c. 963), son of Tegrimo I, the dynasty of the Conti Guidi officially begins.

The series of “Guido Guerra”

Among the most celebrated descendants is the series of “Guido Guerra”. Boccaccio writes of Guido Guerra, observing that “this Guido’s byname is believed to have come from an innate desire for arms”.

Count Guido Guerra I (Guido V, † 1124) frequented the court of Countess Matilda of Canossa in Florence, and followed her to Lucca and Lombardy, as far as her castle of Brescello, where he was declared adoptive son in 1099, thus taking the title of Marquess.

Counts Palatine of Tuscany

In 1164, Count Guido Guerra II (Guido VI, † 1157) obtained from Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa a diploma confirming the title of comes Tusciae, imperial protection for himself and all his possessions, the grant of the regalia and jurisdictional rights over all his lands — which now extended from Romagna to Tuscany.

In 1217, on the death of Count Guido Guerra III (Guido VII), his five sons — Guido Guerra IV, Ruggiero, Marcovaldo, Aghinolfo and Tegrimo VI — obtained from Emperor Frederick II a famous diploma of confirmation, with a list of about two hundred fiefs.

The division into four branches

Ruggiero having died without heirs, the other four brothers, through a new division of property, became heads of as many ramifications of the same family. The great domain of the Conti Guidi was thus split into four lordships, destined for a slow but progressive decline under the continual pressure of the Communes of Florence and Pistoia:

• Count Guido Guerra IV forms the branch of the Counts of Modigliana and of Poppi/Battifolle;
• Count Marcovaldo gives rise to the branch of the Counts of Dovadola;
• Count Aghinolfo to that of the Counts of Romena;
• Count Tegrimo VI to that of the Counts of Porciano.

Each branch, while preserving the original partition of the arms, adopts a particular bichromy.

Motto: “Chi ha la bona fama et poi la perde, racquistare la puo’ ma non si verde”

Conti Guidi of Porciano (12th–13th c.)

In 1217, on the death of Count Guido Guerra III, his five sons — Guido Guerra IV, Ruggiero, Marcovaldo, Aghinolfo and Tegrimo VI — obtained from Emperor Frederick II a famous diploma of confirmation, with a list of about two hundred fiefs. Ruggiero having died without heirs, the other four brothers, through a new division of property, became heads of as many ramifications of the same family.

The great domain of the Conti Guidi was then split into four small lordships, destined for a slow but progressive decline under the continual pressure of the Communes of Florence and Pistoia. Count Tegrimo VI gives rise to the branch of the Counts of Porciano, from which descends, through Guido dei Conti Guidi, the line that will lead to the present House.

Motto: “Chi ha la bona fama et poi la perde, racquistare la puo’ ma non si verde”

Counts of Val d’Ambra (13th–14th c.)

Among the descendants of Tegrimo VI, Count of Porciano († c. 1234), are Corrado, Amerigo, Guido Zeffiro, Count of Val d’Ambra († c. 1348), and his son Giovanni († 1363), who lose all their possessions in 1336, to the Republic of Florence.

The white-and-green bichromy of the arms is preserved, but the partition becomes typically Ghibelline (a bend argent on a field vert).

Giovanni’s son, Pietro, moves to Siena, losing his noble rank and having to take a surname to be counted among the citizens of Siena and to gain access to public office. In various documents this Pietro uses several surnames: Guerra, Guerrae, de Guerris, Guerri. From him begins the branch of the Guerri of Siena, the branch from which descends, after five centuries, the present House of Guerri dall’Oro Gallone di Tricase e di Moliterno.