28 May Ratta-Lamborghini family
My Ratta-Lamborghini Family from Cento and Renazzo
After my mother, Corinda (Ratta) Davis passed away, I couldn’t stop thinking about her, her family’s past and origin. There were many family unknowns, only old letters and photos detailing information. Stories claiming the Ratta name was once Ratti, related to Pope Pias XI, Achiles Damiano Ratti. There was also the Lamborghini family name like the automobile company. Were we related to both of these people and families? Who are my relatives in Italy and in the United States. Where was our family from? Corinda was a wonderful mother and person, and I wanted to find out more. I decided to research her origin using Ancestry, Family Search, other records and old family letters and pictures.
My mother, Corinda Ratta was born in 1922 in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother Anna Marie Lamborghini died when she was born. Corinda’s aunt on her dad’s side, Theresa, raised her until she was ten when she went to live with her father James Ratta in New Jersey. She had little to no connection with the Lamborghini side of her family.
On Ancestry, I tried to search and find my great, great grandmother on the Ratta side, Mariana Sacenti. Marianna married Antonio Ratta after her first husband Gioachino Grandi or Grandini died. She had a son, Ferdinando Grandi, from her first marriage. The new Ratta/Sacenti marriage created another son, my great grandfather, Giacomo Ratta in 1864.
There was animosity between the stepbrothers until Giacomo “sent for” Ferdinando in Italy. Ferdinando settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts with other Grandi and Sacenti family. I made contact with a newly found relative on the Sacenti side of the family, Janice Tura whose grandfather, Carlo, had first settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Many from the Lamborghini side of our family had made Plymouth their home as well. Janice helped me piece together parts of my family tree on the Sacenti side. I also visited cemeteries in Plymouth and Kingston, Massachusetts. She introduced me to the online Museum of Emigration of Cento, Nulla Osta per il Mondo where I met via email, Diego Paganelli. He helped me greatly; he researched and identified many of our missing family relatives and help me connect the dots. Both sides of our family were from Cento and Renazzo even though they met in the United States. Diego even provided addresses as to where they lived. I could view these locations using Google Maps. Incredible!
Also, through this research, I made contact with two second cousins that I had never met, Diana Pomeroy and Michaela Doyle on the Lamborghini/Govoni side of the family. We have the same great grandmother, also from Cento, Augusta Govoni (1875-1934) who is the daughter of Leonardo Govoni and Maria Gallerani. My newly found second cousins live close to me in Massachusetts, and we plan to meet soon.
Some of my family below.
The Govoni’s and the Lamborghini’s in the Boston area, close to the turn of the century.
MEN: Left to right: Amos Govoni, Fred Balboni, Louis Lamborghini, and Leonardo Govoni my great, great grandfather.
WOMEN: Left to Right: Adelina Govoni Balboni, Maria Teresa Gallerani Govoni, Augusta Govoni Lamborghini (my great grandmother) and Mary Lamborghini Govoni. Children, Lucy Govoni and Emilia Lamborghini.
Giacomo Ratta and Rosa (Gilli) Ratta with three of their four children, Marion, Adeline and Theresa circa 1893. James was not yet born.
I learned that relatives from Cento in the mid 1800’s were mostly farmers. It must have been a hard and difficult life. Many died as children and as young adults. The first generation to come to the United States in 1880’s had a difficult struggle as well.
Giacomo Ratta and Rosa Gilli arrived in the United States in 1880. They made Boston their home. They lived in Medford in two family homes and shared them with other relatives. The Lamborghini’s and the Sacenti’s lived in Boston and Plymouth. I know that Giacomo made fancy ice cream cakes and desserts for a business.
His son James was born in 1895 and went to Tufts University. He graduated with an engineering degree in 1920 and went to work for Bell Laboratories, the research arm of AT&T. He has several patents in his name.
I am so appreciative of what they did and how it benefited my good life today. I hope I can pass on some of the same attributes and values they had to my children and grandchildren.
My wife, Mary, and Corinda making Cappelletti. We plan on teaching our five grandchildren, passing forward our family tradition that started in Cento.
I am hoping to connect with more living relatives and meet them some day in Cento and Renazzo. Direct family names (from the 1800s) that I am seeking living relatives to: Rose Marie Gilli, Giacomo Ratta, Mariana Sacenti, Teresa Nannini, Guiseppe and his son Luigi Lamborghini, Augusta Govoni, Anunziata Barbiari and Maria Gallerani.
On the Ratta side, we are trying to trace the roots to Pope Pius II, Ambrosio Damiano Achillie Ratti. While attending church at Saint Joseph’s in Medford, Massachusetts in the 1930s Giacomo was approached by the clergy who told him that he was related to the new pope, Pope Pius II. He was told that when a new pope is ordained, they research and find local relatives and they found Giacomo. We know the Giacomo’s daughter and granddaughter Theresa and Roz, visited the Vatican in 1932.
Photo of Theresa Ratta Matinzi, with daughter Roz and Corinda Ratta Davis, my mother
A Vatican document attesting to the visit of Theresa Ratta Matinzi and her daughter Roz
Here’s a picture of me with the founder, Ferruccio of his car company. Any resemblance?
Please feel free contact me via email if you think you are related or have pertinent information about my relatives. I can give you access to our family tree on Ancestry.
Best Regards,
Rich Davis
rdavis0000@hotmail.com
Sources:
Ancestry.com
Documents from L’Archivio Storico di Cento
Email communications with Diego Paganelli
Familysearch.org
Family letters and photographs
Personal communications with Janice Tura