Albani (family)

Albani
Albani Family Coat of Arms
Ethnicity	Albanian, Italian
Current region	Urbino, Italy
Place of origin	Malësi e Madhe, Albania

The Albani were an Roman family of Albanian origin who originally moved to Urbino from the region of Malësi e Madhe in Albania. Originally having the surname Chigi, the members of this family attained the highest dignities in the Roman Catholic Church, one, Giovanni Francesco Albani, having been elected as Pope Clement XI.

The Albani family originated in Albania by two brothers, George and Fillip. After serving in the Albanian-Venetian War in the 15th century, they sought refuge in Italy, where they settled in Urbino and adapted the new surname "Albani". After a short while, they rose to high status and were trusted in many inner circles within the church and the government. One of the first and most prominent members of the family, Gian Girolamo Albani, started the family on the path to government affiliation. Many members of the family took after him and pursued government and church leadership.

Back in 16th century Italy, the Albani Family were very influential, and in some ways, they still are. Many of the male family members reached out for positions in government and the church. With allegiance to their God and their country being so important to everyone in that era, the Albani family name gained a lot of respect and influence over the course of the years in many different fields.

Back in the Age of the Enlightment in Italy, religion was everything. Every one followed the church and looked to the leaders of the church for guidance. The church held a lot of power back then, and there were many members of the family who held high positions in the Catholic Church.

Though many of the family members held positions with the church, their were also a few that held government jobs. Many of them were cardinals or diplomats in there time, whilst some others dealt in the armed forces. One of the more prominent members of the family, Giovanni Girolamo Albani, was a cardinal and a vice commander of armed forces in the Serenissima Republic. Others dealt with foreign affairs such as Gian Francesco Albani.

Though none of the family members were known artists, the family had a lot of pull in the artistic world. Much of the knowledge we have about the Albani' in the art world consists of purchased collections and controversy surrounding them. One of the major pieces they were associated with was a portrait of some of the major members of the family called "Sette Ritratti Albani". It's known as "one of the most compelling group portraits in Italy". An example of the controversy surrounding the family within the world of the fine arts is that one of the paintings the Albani owned, a portrait of one of its most prominent members, Gian Girolamo Albani. It caused conflict because in the beginning, no one recognized the subject of the painting, and questioned why he was wearing symbols of high ranking. He wore a lynx coat and a gold cross, symbolizing high status and rank, but no one knew who he was, or if he deserved to be dressed in such a fashion.