Together with the Vertova and the Capitani di Scalve, the Zoppi family was one of the most influential in the Costa di Mezzate area and the surrounding villages.
They were, in fact, the rightful owners of most of the land on which the inhabitants of the area lived as tenant farmers. Whilst little is reported about them in earlier periods, it is from the 13th century onwards that we have more information about the Zoppi generations, probably due to the greater accuracy and demand for increasingly detailed administrative documents that began to be drawn up precisely in those years. From such documentation, it is possible to learn about the figures of Giacomo De Zoppis, Chancellor of Bergamo in 1237, Giovanni De Zoppis, who became Chief Magistrate in Parma in 1283, Bortolo De Zoppis, Chief Magistrate in Todi in 1293, Piegapane De Zoppis, Chief Judge at the Court of Bergamo in 1326, and Giorgio De Zoppis, appointed as delegate to receive the King of Bohemia.
All were alive at the time of the foundation of the new legal entity and the birth of the municipality of La Costa, in place of the hamlet of Mezzate, as attested by the Chapter parchment number 4762 of 1251, containing sixteen new names for the hamlet. In the hierarchical scale, the Zoppi family occupied the class of vavasours, whilst the Vertova family were considered the vassals. This difference in hierarchical class was emphasised in both the architecture and the location of the properties of the two families. Indeed, the Vertova family with a higher noble title began building their tower-house halfway up the hill of San Geminiano, whilst the Zoppi family built their residence a little further down. Basically, the two tower-houses belonging to the two families were separated by a new road that, coming from the municipal square, followed the other hills towards the locality of Cornella, passing through the locality of Foppa di Lantro. Both sets of buildings underwent architectural changes over time that are still recognisable to the discerning eye. The Zoppi family’s coat of arms was a black eagle on a yellow and gold background, which was later crowned, on which the name Del Zoppo could be read. This coat of arms was retained until the 18th century. It is interesting to note that, as mentioned, the more powerful Vertova family initially had a rampant leopard on their mantle, which was later joined by the crowned imperial eagle.
The Zoppi family mainly supported the Ghibelline faction, boasting of being descendants of Lombard lineage and, at the same time,
claiming membership of Roman lineage, with the attribution of Saints Domno, Domneone and Eusebia, martyrs in the 5th century, found in the Basilica of Sant’Andrea Mars. The Zoppi dynasty in Costa di Mezzate ended at the beginning of the 19th century, with the passing of the last descendant, Giovanni Zoppi, leaving behind his wife Rosa de Tanzi, daughter of Count Antonio of Milan. The couple had no children.