Federico Marri’s very recent paper, which finally solves the long-standing mystery of the birth of the well-known composer and violinist Giuseppe Maria Cambini (born in Montelupo Fiorentino, not in Livorno, on 8 April 1746), prompted us to publish these brief genealogical notes, gathered while trying to find out more about Cambini’s family. We hope they will be useful for future research on this extraordinary “Livornese” figure.

Marri’s note tells us that Giuseppe Maria Cambini was the son of Luca, son of Silvestro, and of Petronilla (or Camilla), daughter of Gaetano Viviani. This is where our notes come in, as we had found Silvestro (or Salvestro) Cambini in Livorno, where he died on 8 February 1763, aged about 70. Through the church registers of the Collegiata and of the Pieve di S. Jacopo in Livorno, we had also traced several of his children:

• Antonio, died in Livorno in 1749, aged 30 (parish of S. Jacopo)
• Lazzero (or Lorenzo) Maria, married twice in Livorno, in 1756 and 1757: first to Margherita Guidotti of Lucca and then, having been widowed almost at once, to Maria Rosa Bottacci of Livorno or Figline Valdarno.
• Giovacchino, about whom we know nothing more except that he was godfather at the baptism of one of his brother Lazzero’s daughters.
• Giovanni Battista Benedetto, married two (or three) times in Livorno between 1762 and 1792: first to Maria Rosa Domenica Martini of Livorno (1762), then to Maria Diamante Casaretto of Livorno (1792). In the latter record, however, he is described as the widower of one Maria Rosa Monti, which may be a slip for Maria Rosa Martini, unless we have missed this possible second marriage.

All the brothers are said to have lived in Livorno “ab infantia” (since childhood) and to come from Montelupo, in the diocese of Florence. The year of Antonio Cambini’s death (1749) also helps us place the Cambinis’ arrival in Livorno between 1746 (Giuseppe Maria’s birth) and 1749.

Lazzero Maria, at least, had many descendants through his second wife (we have researched them), and the family became related to the Pini, Olivero, Bonamici, Gargani, Bouisson, Sogner, Grotta and Braamberg families, among others. A couple of curiosities: the famous Livorno painter Adolfo Tommasi (1851-1933) married a Cambini descendant, Pia Francia, and the great Livorno bibliographer and scholar Diomede Bonamici (1823-1912) was also a direct descendant of the Cambinis.

Note: all data prior to 1808 were taken directly from the original records in the diocesan archive of Livorno.