May 2002:
There is a village in the Modena foothills called Casa Maestri.
It is 1/2 mile from the town of Montebonello. As early as the 1700s,
Maestri's are listed in the public birth records in this area. It is
likely that the family name originates from this village name. There
are still 20 Maestri's in the area today.
The town of Montebonello is listed in ancient Longobardic (Lombard)
records as having a castle that existed before 743 AD. This castle is
mentioned in the latin records of King Luitprand. He indicates that in
743, he occupied this castle, as well as the castle in nearby Pavullo,
which was known at that time as Feroniana [most likely derived from the Castrum Feronianium fortress occupied by the Romans as early as 200 AD].
There is a group of masonic builders that are famous in Northern Italy.
Their history goes back as far as 200 BC to the area of Lake Como. They were called the Maestri Comacine. This group is derived from the Roman road builders that occupied the stone quarries in the valley near the Lake. Their name in latin was Magister Comacini and there are Lombard references to them in the laws of 643 AD as builders with 'special privileges', most notably, their ability to make contracts and move about the country as free men. The Comacine were the exclusive builders for the Lombards and built many of their castles and fortifications.
The Maestri Comacine were responsible for building most of the
Cathedrals in Northern Italy, including Milan, Como, Monza, Verona,
Brescia, Trento, Piacenza, Cremona, Parma, Modena Pisa and Ferrara,
beginning as early as the 10th century. They were accomplished stone
masons and architects of the highest order. In addition to their church
building activities, they are also credited with building a unique
style of fortification, known as a house tower. These towers still
exist in many locations, including the ones built in the ancient
province of Frignano, now a part of Modena province. These towers are located in the old medieval villages of Montetortore, Rosola, Pavullo,
Montebonello and dozens of other locations in these foothills.
The castle of Montebonello [called Monte Bello in Lombard times] was
re-constructed as a Catholic Abbey in the 1200s by the Maestri Comacine. There are other castles in this area that were also re-constructed during this period. In addition to this activity, the Comacine were the original architects and designers of the Modena Cathedral.
The Modena Cathedral was started in 1099 by the Comacine builders.
These Maestri Comacine [masters from Como] split into several families in the 1200s. The Maestri Campionesi were one group. They were sculptors in the original guild and were descendants of the Comacine builders from Campione on Lake Maggiore, near Lake Como. One of the most spectacular works created by these Campionesi masters was the exterior of the Modena Cathedral and its famous Rose Window.
These same Maestri Campionesi are credited with the construction of theAbbey of Montebonello in the 1200s. Since it appears from several
ancient maps that there is evidence of a rock quarry located in the
location where the village of Maestri exists today, it is likely that
the location was a mountain lodge for the Campionesi and probably
acquired its name from the Maestri's that lived and worked there.
In addition to this village, there are 3 additional villages called
Maestri or its variants. They are located in the province of Parma,
Tuscany and Brescia. There is also evidence that many rock quarries
that once existed, have descendants of the Maestri's living nearby.
One such location is in the Italian Alps near Trento. The Trento
Cathedral was built by the above mentioned Maestri Campionesi in the
1200s. One of the larger 'clans' of Maestri's come from this area. In
fact, many of these present day Maestri's from this area are involved
with the occupation of knife grinding, which would have been an
essential skill for the ancient Campionesi, especially in mountain
quarries.
The village of Maestri, located at the foot of Mount Barigazza in the
province of Parma, may have also been a mountain lodge and quarry for the ancient builders. The Parma Cathedral and especially its wonderful Bapistry were constructed by the Maestri Campionesi.
The Villaggio Maestri, located near the marble works in Carrara, may
also have been a mountain lodge. As it is Tuscany, mid way between the marble works and the Cathedrals in Lucca and Pisa [both built by the Maestri Campionesi], it is likely that this location was used as the
others. The village of Maestrini near Brescia may also have been a
mountain lodge for these ancient builders.
To date, I have discovered about 500 Maestri's in the US and about 4000 in Italy. Curiously, the Maestri's in Italy are mostly centered in the
north and 80% of them are located within 30 miles of the ancient
cathedrals built over 800 years ago. The connection is very strong for
the theory that the family name is derived from these ancient builders,
the Maestri Comacine.
Written by John Ma'estri
Reprinted with permission
CASA MA'ESTRI
