Egisto was born in Cento Italy, the son of Antonio Roncalli and Antoinetta Merlo. Antonio was believed to be a professor in Italy.

Much information on Egisto and wife Medarda comes from a writeup done on their daughter Matilda and a typewritten genealogy given to me by Matilda. The typed genealogy appears to have been done about the mid 1960s as my brothers were in it but not me and I was born in 1966. The biography was written, I believe, by one of her sons in 2000 and I have supplemented with information and photos I have obtained since.

One very important and unanswered question that has intrigued the Roncalli family was whether or not they were related to Pope John XXIII who, before becoming Pope in 1958, was named Angelo Roncalli. In fact, when he became Pope our Roncallis were questioned ad nauseam by the local reporters with no one being able to offer a definitive YES. Angelo was born in Sotto Il Monte in Bergamo, Italy while Egisto was from Cento, approximately 80 miles away as the bird flies. The proximity seems promising but that is not evidence. However, the concentration of the name Roncalli is HEAVILY centered in Bergamo, suggesting that if you are a Roncalli of Italy your ancestry comes from that area. This makes the connection to Angelo all the more probable.

Another interesting story occurred in the 1960s. Members of the Springfield Roncallis were invited to the canonization ceremony for John XXIII. The question to be asked is why? Was this some worldwide invitation by the Vatican to all Roncallis to cover all the bases or were these Roncallis specifically cited as relatives? It is a mystery.

Finally, a bit of additional Roncalli trivia: There appear to have been at least two groups of Roncallis who settled in the United States, ours and some who settled in Ohio. I have not been able to determine (or put much effort into determining) a link.


From the Springfield [MA} Union issue dated 5/10/1949 --- Egisto Roncalli, 77, of 375 Union St., died Monday morning in his home. he was a native of Bologna, Italy, and had lived in this country for the past 48 years. For many years he had been employed here as a mill worker. He is survived by two sisters in Italy; five sons, Anthony, Ferdinando, Venturno, Albert and Armando Roncalli; four daughters, Mrs. Louis J Gilli, Mrs William Perkins, Mrs Earl Robinson and Mrs Russell Drapeau, all of this city, and also 18 grandchildren. He had been a member of Mount Carmel Church for many years. Funeral services will be held in George B Tazzini funeral home, Wednesday morning at 7.30, followed by requiem high mass in Mount Carmel Church at 8.15. Burial will be in St. Michael's Cemetery.