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The
origins of the
Schiappapietra
family is known,
from centuries
ago, to have
been Italy,
Liguria, around
Albisola. One
member moved in
the 17th Century
to Mexico, the
branch there
adopting the
surname Chapa.
Two other
members, Pietro
and
Giambattista,
brothers, both
baptized in S.
Teodoro in
Genoa, were, c.
1760, asked by
the Marquis of
Pombal, prime
minister of
Portugal, to go
there and set up
a factory to
weave the silk.
An Italian
branch lives in
Albissola Marina
and Albisola
Superiore, where
there is a
museum and a
foundation, the
Fondazione
Schiappapietra.
[1, 2].
The
two brothers,
Pedro and João
Baptista, were
experts in silk
weaving,
particularly in
the very
complicated
looms to weave
patterned
tissues, and
socks. João
Baptista was
charged with the
direction of a
workshop to
manufacture all
sorts of steel
and brass parts
needed for the
industry,
including the
silk weaving. In
this workshop it
was built a
mobile throne
encircled by
steel bars, to
protect the king
from any assault
like one he
suffered in Vila
Viçosa. [2, 3].
The
male line from
João Baptista's
Father to the
armiger is, as
follows: 1 -
Antonio
Schiappapietra
and Vitoria,
married in S.
Teodoro, Genoa;
2 - João
Baptista
Schiappapietra,
b. and baptized
in Genoa, c.
1737, married
with Clara,
baptized in
Genoa, in S.
Lorenzo
cathedral; 3 –
Sebastião
Clemente
Schiappapietra,
b. 1770, married
1795 with Maria
Libânea de
Azevedo, from an
old Alcobaça
family; 4 - João
Pedro Schiappa
de Azevedo, b.
1797; 5 - João
Baptista
Schiappa de
Azevedo, b.
1828, mining
engineer,
married 1863
with Maria
Helena Bon de
Sousa, daughter
of the general
1st baron of
Pernes; 6 -
Fernando Luis
Schiappa de
Azevedo, b.
1869, officer of
the Lisbon mint
(Casa da Moeda);
7 - Pedro
Fernando
Schiappa de
Azevedo, b.
1906, officer of
the Lisbon
ancient charity
(Misericórdia);
8 - Fernando
Luis Schiappa de
Azevedo, MSc
(DIC), KSLJ, b.
1945, mechanical
engineer (IST,
University of
Lisbon), MSc
(Imperial
College,
University of
London), lead
research officer
(retired) at the
Civil
Engineering
Research
Portuguese
Laboratory
(Laboratório
Nacional de
Engenharia
Civil), in
Lisbon [4],
Knight of the
Order of Saint
Lazarus of
Jerusalem [5].
Fernando married
in 1977 to
Catherine
Braddell, b. in
Lisbon in 1955,
of English
family; they
have four sons,
João, b. 1978,
Teresa, 1980,
Pedro, 1987, and
Tiago, 1989.
The
per bend wavy
depressed
represents a
rock (in Italian
Pietra) and the
lion's gamb with
the sword
alludes to the
Italian meaning
of Schiappa, the
two-word surname
Schiappapietra
having the
meaning of
breaking rocks.
References:
1 -
www.fondazioneschiappapietra.org,;
2 - J. Accursio
das Neves -
Noções Sobre a
Produção das
Sedas em
Portugal (about
the Silk
Production in
Portugal)
Lisboa, 1827;
pg.s 222 on.; 3
- G. de Matos
Sequeira -
Depois do
Terramoto (After
the 1755
Earthquake),
Lisboa, 1918
(reprinting
1967); vol. II,
pg. 237, vol.
III, pg. 131,
vol. IV, pg. 202
on. ; 4 - Raizes
& Memorias
(Roots &
Memories) n. 8,
pg. 75; n. 11,
Oct. 1995, pg.
253; 5 - Diploma
of the Order de
Saint Lazarus of
Jerusalem, dated
19 Nov. 2016.
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