MANFREDO BONGIOVANNI DI CASTELBORGO
Manfredo Bongiovanni (1705-1760) was the son of Ludovico Antonio Bongiovanni and Vittoria Margherita Cissone (daughter of Ignazio Cissone), the sister of the advocate Giovanni Antonio Cissone. With his uncle's money, Manfredo became the richest citizen of Neive and in 1735, had the means to begin work on the noble palazzo that would become the Castello di Neive.
Manfredo Bongiovanni became Count of Castelborgo and his life was marked by both luck and ill-fortune.
He was indeed rich, and in 1755 was owner of 542 Piedmontese giornate in the following estates: Caveja, Montà (now Valtorta), Cascina Nuovo (now Gallina), Santo Stefano, Bosco, Palasina, Casala, Ponzetto, Basarino, Brichet, Amandola, Bricco d’Alutto, Riofreddo, Longoria, Pianmezzanto and Moglie.
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His first wife, Teresa Eleonora Avogadro of Quaregna (1727 - 1752) gave him with three children:
Teresa Ludovica Vittoria Amedea (1746 - ?);
Giovanni Antonio Carlo Giuseppe Agostino (1747 – 1822), his firstborn son;
Vittoria Amedea Lodovica Teresa Maddalena (1752 – 1757);
Sadly, she died young at the age of 25 in 1752.
Manfredo remarried and his second wife was Maria Margherita Poncino di Castagnole (1732 – 1758), this union produced:
Paola Maria Teresa Caterina (1756 - 1756);
Luigi Antonio Giovanni Domenico (1757 – 1834) rank of Major in Turin (February 9th, 1797); Major-General, Commander of Turin; General Commander of the Nice division (1830); Lieutenant-General, Governor of Genoa (September 10th, 1831); General of the Reserve Army (July 26th, 1833); Grand Cross and Grand Conservator of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (August, 1833); Commander of the Military Order of Savoy and Treasurer (February 19th, 1818);
Luigi married Marianna dei Marchesi Novarina of Spigno and they had five children:
Angelo Filippo Luigi Bongiovanni (1802 – 1862) who married Sabrina Calista Ricardi of Netro. Cavalry General in the first two wars of independence, at Goito and at Palestro; Governor of Milan; awarded the Silver Medal for military valour; Grandmaster of the house of the Prince of Carignano;
Luigi Bongiovanni (1804 – 1814);
Felicita Bongiovanni (1804 – 1875) married Conte Luigi Cocito (1800 - ?);
Luigi Agostino Bongiovanni (1804 – 1830);
Ignazio Luigi Agostino Bongiovanni (1807 - ?);
In 1759, Manfredo married his third wife, Angela Vittoria Adami di Casalbagliano who gave birth to Angelo Francesco Pietro Luigi (1760 – 1762), who died at the age of 2.
Manfredo Bongiovanni also died in 1762, leaving his estate to his firstborn son, Giovanni Antonio, who was just 13 years old.
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