Italian descent of Pacai, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania noblemen

Šio straipsnio tikslas - pasitelkus lyginamąjį metodą apžvelgti XVII-XX a. pradžios istoriografiją, joje atskleidžiamą skirtingą požiūrį į Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės didikų Pacų giminystę su Florencijos Pazzi šeima, pabandyti išsiaiškinti šios istorijos kilmės priežastis ir kaip ši giminystė buvo vertinama Pacų. Remiantis įvairių autorių tyrinėjimų analize bei XVII a. šaltiniais, galima daryti prielaidą, kad XVII a. Pacų ir Pazzi giminystė buvo natūralus, nekeliantis abejonių dalykas, o vėlesniais amžiais Pacų „florentietiška kilmė“ tapo reikšminga jų giminės istorijos tradicija, perduodama iš kartos į kartą.Article discusses the kinship of Lithuanian Pacai noblemen with Florentine Pazzi, which is often repeated in historiography. The roots of such a declaration lies in the theory of the Lithuanian descent from Romans. It is alleged that the Pacai relationship with the Florentine Pazzi could have begun at the start of the XVII c. and through A. V. Kojelavičius' investigation into the Lithuanian gentry this idea spread into works of other biographers, such as Polujanavičius or K. Niesieckis. It was later developed in the panegyric literature, a very popular genre during the Baroque era. The Pacai kinship with Florentine Pazzi was not just of local interest, because during the second half of the XVII c. such a historical outline of Pacai family descent was also found in the Italian genealogist E. Gamurrini works. During the XVIII c. there were no doubts about the Pacai and Pazzi kinship and since the XIX c. in historiography there appeared two different trends: some authors - B. Zaydler, M. L. Fournier, G. D. Tiribili and G. B. di Crollalanza were claiming that Pacai and Pazzi were of the same kin, whereas other authors - S. Ciampi, A. Boniecki and J. Wolff denied the possibility of such a kinship. At the beginning of the XX c., in his work on Italians in Poland, De Daugnon attempted to explain convincingly the reasons for the development of Pacai and Pazzi kinship. These reasons, according to the author, depended on the theory of the Lithuanian descent from Romans and were different from the Polish Western European heraldic system, which was based on the unification of different families under one coats of arms, flag or the guard of one family, without there necessarily being a blood relationship. The kinship of Pacai and Pazzi could have appeared because of this reason, based upon the similarly sounding family name, derived from the same Roman root (the Roman Council Cosmus Paccius). Pacai - Pazzi kinship development during the XVII c. showed that this story was accepted by both sides. This acceptance of this story in their social environment also helped to strengthen the meaning of the relationship. This is attested to by various sources of that epoque: the letters of Papal nuncio Pietro Vidoni, or the recollections of the French court member of the Queen of Poland, F. P. Dalairac. Despite various interpretations which appeared later, during the second half of the XVII c. Pacai and Pazzi kinship was understood as a real fact, and over the passing of centuries became a tradition, closely connected with Pacai family history