What's in a name ...

It’s down to basics and the first step is establishing some sort of background to the four family names that have come together to form my “roots”- Rebuli, Rossetto, Danieli and Garbuio. Out of the four, it only stands to reason that the Rebuli name would be the easiest. After all, there are only a small number of us Rebuli’s in Australia – all of whom are related. Everyone that hears the name for the first time comments about what an “usual name” it is. So surely it should be easy enough to find out more about the name? Or so I thought.

The world really has become much smaller due to the magic of the internet and as a result I have realised just how very little I really do know. The Rebuli name is much more widespread and popular than I originally thought. I have since been surprised to discover others with the same name all over the world. I have come across the Rebuli surname in places as varied as Canada, US, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, UK, Slovenia and of course Italy. I have even found other Rebuli’s in Australia of which I am unable to connect to known relatives. There is some sort of weird connection to a VW kombi as well as a “Rebuli” bus line in Guatemala. But perhaps the most interesting connection is to a medieval Pope of Portuguese origin with the Rebuli name. Pope John XXI (1276-77) - the first Portuguese Pope (Pietro Rebuli-Giuliani).

History shows Pope John XXI was a doctor. Rebuli Giuliani - named Pedro - was born around 1215 in Lisbon, Portugal. He studied medicine at the University of Montpellier and from 1247 was professor of medicine and ophthalmology at the University of Siena. Pietro (or Pedro, or Peter) practiced for more than twelve years and in that time he wrote several treatises on medicine and abstracts on Logistics. He had a great interest in science and astronomy and died as a result of injuries incurred when his observatory collapsed.