The Barbiano di Belgioioso (originally Da Barbiano) have been a noble family of northern Italy since the late
Middle Ages.
Originally
Romagnol, the family can be traced back to Alidosio,
count of Cunio [
it] and of
Barbiano in the 14th century. His son,
Alberico da Barbiano, was a prominent early condottiero whose nephew,
Alberico II [
it], received the
castle of Belgioioso [
it] from Duke
Filippo Maria Visconti of Milan in 1431. The family was always most famous for its soldiering, rarely rising high in political or ecclesiastical rank. Only in later centuries did some members adopt an interest in arts and letters.[1]