Introduction
The present custodian of the Lordship of the Manor of Moor Hall is Nicola Davide Bergamo, an Italian historian and cultural scholar. He acquired the Lordship in 2022, not as an act of vanity or nostalgic revivalism, but as a conscious gesture of heritage stewardship – ensuring that the memory and historical integrity of Moor Hall are preserved for future generations.
Biography
Nicola Davide Bergamo (b. 1977, Venice) is a Byzantine historian, lecturer, and author of several works on medieval and early modern history. Educated at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Queen’s University Belfast, and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, he is currently a doctoral researcher at the University of Granada.
Throughout his career, Bergamo has combined academic research with a passion for cultural preservation, serving as founder of the first Italian website dedicated to Byzantine studies and as creator of the acclaimed podcast Echi di Bisanzio. His work bridges archival rigor and public history, bringing forgotten legacies into contemporary awareness.
Custodianship and Purpose
The acquisition of the Lordship of Moor Hall marked the beginning of a new chapter for the manor’s long history. Bergamo’s goal has never been to “resurrect” an aristocratic identity, but to honour and document it.
Under his stewardship, Moor Hall is understood not merely as a legal title, but as a cultural responsibility:
- safeguarding archival material,
- producing research and publications,
- and maintaining the integrity of the manor’s story within the broader framework of English, Catholic, and European heritage.
The Bergamo Family
Lineage and Origins
The Bergamo family traces its roots back to Pergamon (Asia Minor), later migrating to Chios after the arrival of the Ottoman Turks, and eventually settling in Genoa during the late Middle Ages. By the 16th century, the family was formally aggregated to the Doria patriciate of Genoa under the name D’Oria de Bergamo, later returning to its original surname.
Over the centuries, different branches of the family settled across Northern Italy, particularly in the Venetian mainland, engaging in trade, local magistracies, and cultural patronage.
A Legacy of Service
Among the family’s most notable figures is Antonio de Bergamo († late 14th c.), Magister, physician, and Chamberlain (Ciambellano) at the court of the Lusignan Kings of Cyprus. His service and counsel at the royal court left a lasting mark, and his tomb bore one of the earliest known depictions of the Bergamo arms.
Modern Presence
Today the “ramo Costante” of the family continues this tradition of cultural stewardship, embodied by Nicola Davide Bergamo, who acquired the Lordship of Moor Hall in 2022 with the intent of safeguarding and documenting its history.
The Coat of Arms
The arms of the Bergamo family, officially registered with the Herald of the Republic of Malta (Archive Registration Number G0055/2023. Gazette Reference 15th August 2022, Vol. 1/G0055/22.), have been artistically rendered and refined by Marco Foppoli, one of the world’s foremost heraldic artists.
For the Lordship of the Manor of Moor Hall, the family arms have been differenced and enriched with the manorial coronet, signifying both the ancient lineage of the family and its present custodianship of this English title.
