romualdo005002.jpg
romualdo005003.jpg
romualdo003003.gif
romualdo005005.gif romualdo005004.jpg romualdo005005.gif
star_bullet_blue.jpg
OUR FAMILY NAME HISTORY
Web Site Home Page
In 1993 we requested and paid for a genealogy search of our Family surname.

The results returned appear below and we have been contemplating a more complete search for our ancestors. If that should happen, we will surely post the results and update the Family History page.

The Italian family name ROMUALDO is classified as being of patronymic origin. Many family names, indeed the largest category of nomenclature, are derived from the personal name of the father or the mother of the initial bearer. This
name was applied as a distinguishing epithet which is placed after the bearer's first name.

In this instance, the family name Romualdo is derived the Latin personal name Romualdus, which is composed of the elements "hroma" meaning "fame," or "glory," and "walda" meaning "potent," "commander."

The name was popular due to the devotion to several saints who bore the name, particularly Saint Romualdo (which is referenced twice further below if you are
interested) who was born in Ravena, Italy circa 950 AD.

During more than thirty years of his life he dedicated himself to the foundation of monasteries in Italy. He died in Val-Di-Castro in 1027; and in 1032 an alter was
erected on his tomb and later in 1595 Pope Clement VIII established his commemorative day on February 7. He is represented holding a ladder on which the monks ascend to heaven.

Another ancient bearer of the name was Romualdo I, Duke of Benevento, who died in 677; his son, Romualdo II, was also Duke of Benevento, and conquered the city of Cumas from the Greeks, even though they recovered with the help of Pope Gregory II.

The surname Romualdo is found throughout Italy. During the Middle Ages, and before the hereditary family surname system was instituted, it was a practice to adopt a second name to be able to differentiate one individual from others
with the same personal name.

To the present time there is no record of the bearers of this name being granted a blazon of arms (or family crest) although we have seen several.

Since this was the case, we have discovered that you may create your own crest so we then persevered and were able to secure a personal family crest which appears on the Family Crest page of this web site. While our family crest may be a modern creation, it should be noted that other Romualdo's having a crest utilize the lion as a central piece.
Site Main Page
Our Family Blog
Welcome Page
Introduction
Family Name History
Our Family History
Our Family Crest
Mario Romualdo Jr
Gladys Romualdo
Aidan Romualdo
Our Careers Page
Our Business Page
Our Religion Page
CYCM Information
Our Politics Page
Our Foundations
Our Interests Page
Our Photographs
Our Links Page
Our Commentary
The USS New Jersey
Our Legal Page
Our Contact Page
ST. ROMUALDO
St. Romualdo (In Italian) or St. Romuald (In French)

Born at Ravenna, probably about 950; died at Val-di-Castro, 19 June, 1027. St. Peter Damian, his first biographer, and almost all the Camaldolese writers assert that St. Romuald's age at his death was one hundred and twenty, and that
therefore he was born about 907.

This is disputed by most modern writers. Such a date not only results in a series of improbabilities with regard to events in the saint's life, but is also irreconcilable with known dates, and probably was determined from some mistaken inference by St. Peter Damian.

In his youth Romuald indulged in the usual thoughtless and even vicious life of the tenth-century noble, yet felt greatly drawn to the eremetical life. At the age of twenty, struck with horror because his father had killed an enemy in a duel, he fled to the Abbey of San Apollinare-in-Classe and after some hesitation entered religion.

San Apollinare had recently been reformed by St. Maieul of Cluny, but still was not strict enough in its observance to satisfy Romuald. His injudicious correction of the less zealous aroused such enmity against him that he applied for, and was readily granted, permission to retire to Venice, where he placed himself under the direction of a hermit named Marinus and lived a life of extraordinary severity.

About 978, Pietro Orseolo I, Doge of Venice, who had obtained his office by acquiescence in the murder of his predecessor, began to suffer remorse for his crime. On the advice of Guarinus, Abbot of San Miguel-de-Cuxa, in Catalonia, and of Marinus and Romuald, he abandoned his office and relations, and fled to Cuxa, where he took the habit of St. Benedict, while Romuald and Marinus erected a hermitage close to the monastery.

For five years the saint lived a life of great austerity, gathering round him a band of disciples. Then, hearing that his father, Sergius, who had become a monk, was
tormented with doubts as to his vocation, he returned in haste to Italy, subjected Sergius to severe discipline, and so resolved his doubts.

For the next thirty years St. Romuald seems to have wandered about Italy, founding many monasteries and hermitages. For some time he made Pereum his favourite resting place. In 1005 he went to Val-di- Castro for about two years, and left it, prophesying that he would return to die there alone and unaided. Again he wandered about Italy; then attempted to go to Hungary, but was
prevented by persistent illness.

In 1012 he appeared at Vallombrosa, whence he moved into the Diocese of Arezzo. Here, according to the legend, a certain Maldolus, who had seen a vision of monks in white garments ascending into Heaven, gave him some land, afterwards known as the Campus Maldoli, or Camaldoli.

St. Romuald built on this land five cells for hermits, which, with the monastery at Fontebuono, built two years later, became the famous mother-house of the Camaldolese Order.

In 1013 he retired to Monte-Sitria. In 1021 he went to Bifolco. Five years later he returned to Val-di-Castro where he died, as he had prophesied, alone in his cell. Many miracles were wrought at his tomb, over which an altar was allowed to be
erected in 1032.

In 1466 his body was found still incorrupt; it was translated to Fabriano in 1481. In 1595 Clement VIII fixed his feast on 7 Feb., the day of the translation of his relics, and extended its celebration to the whole Church. He is represented in art
pointing to a ladder on which are monks ascending to Heaven.
[Note: By the Apostolic Constitution Calendarium Romanum, promulgated in 1969, the feast of St. Romuald was assigned, as an "Optional Memorial," to 19 June, the day of his death.]

Sources
Acta SS., Feb., II (Venice, 1735), 101-46; CASTANIZA, Historia de S. Romvaldo (Madrid, 1597); COLLINA, Vita di S. Romualdo (Bologna, 1748); GRANDO, Dissertationes Camaldulenses (Lucca, 1707), II, 1-144; III, 1-160; MABILLON, Acta SS. O.S.B., saec. VI, par. I (Venice, 1733), 246-78; MITTARELLI AND COSTADONI, Annales Camaldulenses, I (Venice, 1755); St. Peter Damian in P.L., CXLIV (Paris, 1867), 953-1008; TRICHAUD, Vie de Saint Romuald (Amiens, 1879); WAITZ in PERTZ, Mon. Germ. Hist.: Script., IV (Hanover, 1841), 846-7.[Note: By the Apostolic Constitution Calendarium Romanum, promulgated in 1969, the feast of St. Romuald was assigned, as an "Optional Memorial," to 19 June, the day of his death.]
romualdo005001.jpg
romualdo003003.gif