The Nutelli Family

The Nutelli Family Crest

Nutelli Family History

Nicolo Nocciolini, from the town of Noce in Northern Italy, came from humble origins. His town was famous for its folk-dancers, and his family pioneered the dance the Grande Bootina. He fell in love with Cesarina Cioccolati, of the noble Cioccolati family from Naples. Though neither family approved of the match, the two, who were madly in love, ran off to Florence. There they became cloth makers, and specialized in making pashminas. Over several generations, they rose through the ranks of the Florentine textile guilds, establishing themselves as the best pashmina makers of the city.

By this time, one of the Nocciolini descendents decided to change the family’s name to Nutelli, to disguise their humble origins. In 1557, thirty years after the sack of Rome, a cold spell in the city gave the Nutelli family the chance they needed to establish themselves as a major power in Italy’s most important city. With the demand for warm clothing outstripping the supply, the Nutelli family stepped in with their fluffy and fashionable pashminas, saving the lives of hundreds of Romans, and increasing their fortunes 11-fold in the process. They were now creamier and richer than ever.

They rose through the ranks of Roman society, intermarrying with many of the noble families, including the Tartufo, Linguine, and Gelati. Finally, in 1617, the great, great, great, great-grandson of Nicolo and Cesarina, Marcello Nutelli, became Pope Delicioso X. Delicioso was a rather weak man, and his papacy was marked by the influence of his sister-in-law, Zucchero Marrone. She was known as a Renaissance woman, that is, a woman of many talents. Her pet project for Delicioso was the construction of the eighth hill of Rome, to mark the permanence of the Nutelli family in city.

Pope Delicioso’s illegitimate son, Piccantini, was the failure of the family. He was a poor businessman, and squandered the family’s fortunes when he tried to expand the business to include hats and gloves. Following this, the family quickly faded into obscurity, with most of the descendents becoming minor cloth merchants.

Centuries later, four young maidens arrived in fair Roma for a leisurely summer. Residing together at the famed Palazzo di Campo de’ Fiori, they discovered that, despite their diverse backgrounds, they could all trace their ancestry back to Nicolo Nocciolini and Cesarina Cioccolati. Together they resurrected the Nutelli dynasty and created this new crest to represent the reunited Nutelli family.

Symbolism

The hazelnut and the chocolate were from the original Nutelli family crest. The hazelnut represents the Nocciolini family and the chocolate represents the Cioccolati family. We are not sure why they chose these symbols. The eight hills were added after Delicioso’s reign to commemorate his work in altering the city’s skyline. The music notes indicate the way in which the four identified their shared ancestry: they all knew the traditional Grande Bootina dance. The stairs that divide each portion of the crest are further proof of their familial connections. Each was clumsy enough to fall down the stairs of a famous monument in Italy: the Capitoline Hill, the Spanish Steps, the stairs of Italiaidea in the Piazza della Cancelleria, and the Rialto Bridge. The arms that encircle the crest are the arms of the four young ladies, each a different color of the rainbow. Finally, the pashmina at the bottom of the crest is both a nod to their ancestors, the pashmina specialists, and features the family motto “Insieme, per sempre” (Together, forever). The latter was added by the descendents, to celebrate their unshakeable bond, formed during this unforgettable summer.

Viva la Nutelli!