III. The reason why the family in Florence changed their name from Canossa
to de'Buonarroti was because the name Buonarroto was usual in their house
from age to age, almost always, down to the time of Michael Angelo
himself, who had a brother called Buonarroto, and many of these Buonarroti
being of the Signori, that is of the supreme magistracy of the Republic;
the said brother especially, who was of that body at the time when Pope
Leo was in Florence, as may be seen in the annals of the city; this name
held by so many of them became a surname for the whole family, the more
easily as it is the custom of Florence in the lists of voters and other
nomination papers, after the proper name of the citizen, to add that of
his father, his grandfather, his great-grandfather, and even of those
further removed. Therefore, from the many Buonarroti thus continued, and
from that Simone who was the first of the family to settle in Florence,
and who was of the House of Canossa, they became Buonarroti Simoni, for so
they are called at this day. Lastly, Pope Leo X. being at Florence,
besides many other privileges, gave to this family the right to bear on
their coat the palla or ball, azure, of the arms of the House of Medici,
with three lilies, or
IV. Of such family, then, was Michael Angelo born; his father's name was
Lodovico di Leonardo Buonarroti Simoni, a good and religious man, somewhat
old-fashioned. Michael Angelo was born to him whilst he was Podesta of
Chiusi and Caprese(4) in the Casentino, in the year of our salvation
1474,(5) on the sixth day of March, four hours before daylight on a
Monday.
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