Of ancient feudal nobility, the Secco family were perhaps of Lombard origin, as the etymological root of the surname with the word “sich” or “siegche” (meaning “victory” in modern German) would seem to suggest. Indeed, this surname is referred to on the tombstone of Cervato, a member of the family, dating back to 1278, where the first ancestor of the family, Giovanni (who lived at the time of the first crusade) is also mentioned. He in turn had a son, Giacomo, from whom descended the sons Alberto, bishop of Utica, and Cervato, who is referred to as a Miles, or more properly Valvassor.
At that time, the family was most probably already established in Caravaggio, branching out from there into Brescia, Bergamo and Milan. One Antonio Secco, originally from Caravaggio, is listed in Milan as a supporter of the Ghibelline faction in 1393.
Throughout the 15th century, the family was able to carve out a better position in the society of the time through more prestigious marriages with important families such as the Gonzaga, Visconti, Torelli, Lusignano, Mocenigo, Doria and Comneno di Costantinopoli. The militancy of a certain Antonio Secco in the 15th century in the ranks of Francesco Sforza’s militia put him in contact with the leading families of the military nobility of the Milanese duchy.
The aforementioned Cervato was the father of Giacomo (d. 1278), who married Amorosa Bevilacqua and had two children: Marco I and Girolamo. Marco had two sons: Bartolomeo (b. 1291), who was captain of the Caravaggio fortress, and Giovanni Battista, founder of the Seccoborella counts of Vimercate. Bartolomeo, who continued the main lineage, married Francesca Pirovano, from whom came Giacomo III (1316–1363), known as Il Rosso, who was governor of Crema on behalf of the Viscontis. He married Isabella Della Torre, with whom he had three sons, Fermo, Marco II and Antonio, who were orphaned by their father at an early age but, thanks to the conspicuous fortune left to them, in the year 1388 were able to acquire the Seigniory of Calcio and the surrounding territory. The acquisition of the fief did not, however, take place through the institution of the Milanese lordship but by specific contract drawn up with Regina della Scala, consort of the Lord of Milan but personal ruler of the lands enfeoffed to the Secco family. This elevated the Secco family to a privileged position as independent feudal lords not subject to external sovereignty.
Fermo, who was a well-known Ghibelline of his time and favoured by the Visconti, was appointed by them as castellan of various strongholds and was the progenitor of the Secco Comneno lineage when the line, with Giorgio, Count of Mozzanica, became related to Andronica Comneno, as the ancestry of the Byzantine emperors. This lineage later came to an end in the Secco Suardo.
Marco, second son of Giacomo Il Rosso, first married Cassandra Del Carretto before later remarrying, this time to Lantelmina da Vistarino, who bore him two sons, Giacomo VI and Cervato III. The brothers were both consignors of Calcio but the former branched out into the Milanese area, whilst the latter into the Brescia area.
The fortunes of the lineage: between Visconti and Sforza
Giacomo IV was mercenary leader on behalf of the Visconti and married Luchina Del Cerro, of the lineage of the Counts of Cervia, and had four sons, two of whom are in the chronicles, Francesco (1423–1496) and Antonio (d. 1470).
Francesco embarked on a military career at a very young age, becoming a page at the Court of Mantua and being named a Knight of the Holy Roman Empire in 1452 by Frederick III whilst the latter was in Ferrara. During his career, he faithfully served in the company of arms of Francesco Sforza, for whom he reconquered the feud and fortress of Gera d’Adda, which had fallen into the hands of the Venetians during the wars of succession to the throne of the Duchy of Milan. For his efforts, Lodovico II Gonzaga granted the hand in marriage of his daughter Caterina with a rich dowry. For the Gonzagas, he was minister for military affairs and army lieutenant, thus distinguishing himself as a diplomat as well as a man of arms. It was he who negotiated the marriage between Isabella d’Este and Giovanni Francesco Gonzaga. Duke Gian Galeazzo Sforza invested him in 1482 with the county of Bosco d’Alessandria and in 1485 with the county of Sale, in the Oltrepò area. For the valour he had demonstrated and for his undoubted diplomatic skills, whilst taking part in the military league against Venice, in Cremona in February 1483, the Duke of Calabria, Alfonso d’Aragona, allowed him to add the name “d’Aragona” to his surname and to include the arms of the Spanish kingdom.
Francesco’s younger brother, Antonio (1430–1488), was also a soldier for Francesco Sforza, who first entrusted him with the regency of the stronghold of Gera d’Adda after his brother had reconquered it for the Duchy of Milan, then the governorship of Cremona. He married Caterina dal Verme, niece on his mother’s side of Carmagnola, from whom was born, amongst others, Giacomo Antonio (1451–1517), who conspired with his uncle Francesco but was later received at the Court of Ludovico il Moro and named senator in Milan by him. With the dethronement of del Moro, however, he passed into the pay of Venice, for which he fought in the battle of Agnadello. Defeated by the French, he had his fiefdom of Sale confiscated shortly after losing that of Bosco to the Riarios. Giacomo Antonio married Cassandra Pallavicino, from whom he had Francesco, Marco Antonio and four daughters. Eldest son, Francesco (1490–1562) escorted Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire to Italy in 1541 and married Countess Elisabetta Suardo, daughter of Ludovico, with whom he had ten children, the most noteworthy of whom was undoubtedly Socino (1540–1572), who was a jurisconsult, vicar of the provostship and prefect of Milan. With his marriage to Brigida Prada, he continued the main line of the lineage. A collateral offshoot was formed from the marriage of Marco Antonio with Prima Vertua, a branch that then died out in the 17th century.