The Ambiveri family, whose name is a nod to Ambivere, a village in the south of the province of Bergamo from which the clam likely derived, has been present in Bergamo since 1604, when Francesco Ambiveri di Stefano married Antonia Scotti di Alessandro. There is also evidence of a silk business involving the sale of gallette (silk cocoons) between Giuseppe Ambiveri and Girolamo Tassi, dated 16th July 1746.
Returning to more recent times, which concern Betty Ambiveri’s ancestors more directly, mention should be made of grandfather Gianroberto Ambiveri (1822–1879), born in Bergamo on Via Borfuro in the Parish of S. Alessandro in Colonna. In 1848, he married Maria Vanini (1829–1889), daughter of well-known builders from Mendrisio, a village in the Canton Ticino, with whom he had sixteen children.
Known for his anti-Austrian sentiments and being a follower of Garibaldi, he took part in the events of 1848. But when the Austrians returned to Lombardy, he was forced to flee, taking refuge in Switzerland where his wife owned property. Back home, he moved to Trescore Balneario, where he set up a silkworm farm. In 1859, he was appointed captain of the Bergamo National Guard and, from 1868 to 1873, was town councillor of Trescore, a position that was later taken over by his son Giovanni in 1882.
On the death of their father Gianroberto, Giovanni (who would become Betty’s father) and his brother Pietro inherited the “Semi-bachi” family business, which they ran together until 1886 when their partnership ended because Giovanni got married.
Indeed, in 1886 Giovanni Ambiveri married Chiara Radici, also from Trescore Balneario, and on the occasion of their marriage, moved to the Villa Gargana, in the Boccaleone district of Bergamo, where they set up their business producing seed for silkworm breeding.
Chiara was the only daughter of Elia Radici and Elisabetta Donadoni. Her father, who had a degree in law from the University of Padua, never became a lawyer but after finishing his studies, married and went to live with his wife Elisabetta in Trescore Balneario in a castle on the Aminella estate, where he continued the family business, setting up a spinning mill.
Giovanni and Chiara moved from Villa Gargana after four years, following the birth of their first two children (Betty in 1888 and Gianroberto in 1889). The new residence was Villa Ambiveri in Seriate where another five children were born – Clotilde, Maria Lucia Caterina, Elia Enrico Giuseppe who only lived to the age of one year, Maria Roberta e Maria Giulia Enrichetta.
Many details are known about Betty Ambiveri’s life and works, whilst very little is known about her other brothers.
In 1911 in Ranica, Gianroberto married Countessina Camozzi Vertova Giovanna Giulia Ernesta Costanza Maria who was known more simply as Gina. Gina belonged to the family of Gabriele Camozzi (a famous Risorgimento patriot). He later remarried, this time to Comolli Maria in Caprino Bergamasco in 1955.
Clotilde wed Luigi Angelini in 1914. A civil engineer, architect and town planner, he played a key role in the design of the new centre of lower Bergamo and the redevelopment plan for the Città Alta.
Maria Lucia Caterina Ambiveri married Giovanni Siotto Pintor in 1927 in Gorlago, where their villa can be visited. Holding the rank of lieutenant, Giovanni had a military career but was laid to rest following an ill-fated fracture during the First World War.
Maria Roberta Ambiveri married lawyer Bonomi Giuseppe in 1923 and had seven children.
Enrichetta Ambiveri married lawyer Giovanni Nencioni and moved to Livorno.
» Further information on Elisabetta Ambiveri
Elisabetta Ambiveri (nicknamed Betty) was born in Bergamo to Giovanni Ambiveri and Chiara Radici. His father was an entrepreneur in the field of seed production for silkworm breeding. The firstborn of seven children, she attended the Collegio delle Marcelline on Via Quadronno, Milan, until the age of 18. After finishing her studies, overseen by her father, she devoted herself to bacological activities and various agricultural crops on the land she owned. It was during this period that Betty developed a special interest in those living in poverty and misery, to whom she offered her financial and moral help not only within the local community but also to distant populations. In 1920, she founded the Laboratorio Missionario and later became president of the Opera Apostolica, the driving force behind missionary operations in the diocese of Bergamo.
The years of the First World War and the post-war period
During the World War, Elisabetta served as a Red Cross volunteer at the Ospedale Territoriale no. 1 and later at the Ospedale della Clementina in Bergamo until the end of the war, for which she was awarded a silver medal of merit. Her enrolment in the Italian Red Cross was the beginning of a voluntary service that lasted until 1957 and saw her participate in all the humanitarian initiatives undertaken by the association.
The fascist period
Relations with fascism were not easy but Betty always managed to continue her work to help the local population in need. The economic crisis had provoked a strong migratory flow and, together with Don Agostino Vismara, she began to dedicate herself to assisting emigrants and their integration in their place of destination, an activity that she was forced to interrupt due to fascist intervention.
World War II
In April 1940, Elisabetta’s father passed away. The idea of setting off as a missionary crossed her mind but historical events quickly precipitated. Indeed, Italy joined the war in June and she decided to remain. In March 1941, she again took on the role of volunteer nurse at the Ospedale della Clementina. It was during her work to help the war wounded that she realised there was a severe shortage of medicines for patients with lung diseases. Thus, she decided to protest, sending a letter directly to the Duce. The consequence was immediate suspension from duty for three months.
After 8th September
On the evening of 10th September 1943, a group of friends gathered in Villa Ambiveri to organise the Decò-Canetta band with the aim of supporting those who wanted to rebel against German oppression. Elisabetta volunteered to hide weapons in her villa and, after being reported, was arrested on the night of 24th November 1943 along with all of the members of the group. The trial was held on 7th March 1944, with the verdict decreeing the death penalty. But, following a general mobilisation of protests and entreaties from friends, acquaintances and the entire citizenship of Seriate, it was changed to ten years’ imprisonment to be served in Germany in the women’s prison in the village of Aichach. On 24th April 1945, the Americans entered the prison and freed all prisoners.
Reconstruction
After returning from captivity, Elisabetta became involved in political, administrative, social and voluntary work. In the elections of 24th March 1946, she became the first woman to be elected by number of votes to Bergamo’s first post-war municipal council. Victory came again in the following election on 27th May 1951. In 1956, she was the first and only woman to be elected to the Provincial Council of Bergamo on behalf of the Democrazia Cristiana. At the same time, from 25th October 1947, she was president of the Commissaria Bolognini, today’s Ospedale Bolognini in Seriate. In August 1945, Elisabetta Ambiveri founded the Bergamo chapter of the Centro Italiano Femminile (Italian Women’s Centre), managing to establish as many as 115 branches in the province in a short time. She remained its president until her death. Elisabetta even helped found the Casa del Sole, which took in children with maladaptive behaviour, and the Istituto Pietro Moroni for children with Down Syndrome.
In 1950, after years of activity in the Red Cross, she was appointed Inspector of the Voluntary Nurses of Bergamo and Province and, in addition to the usual assistance work, organised important moments of solidarity during major events such as the reception of the flood victims from Polesine and Calabria, along with refugees from Hungary.
The “Russia Cristiana” movement
In 1957, Betty met Father Romano Scalfi, a priest who, after years of training at the Roman Russicum college, had started the “Russia Cristiana” centre to spread the spiritual treasures of the Christian East in the West and give a voice to the ‘church of silence’, oppressed by the Soviet regime. Betty immediately took an interest in the initiative and, after meeting and asking Pope John XXIII for advice, began hosting the activities of Russia Cristiana in her villa, where the association is still based today.