Fifanti

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The Fifanti are recalled by Cacciaguida in Canto XVI of the Paradiso, within the list of Florentine families that were already great in his time. The name appears alongside the Sacchetti, Giuochi, and Barucci, all sharing the same indication «Grand' era già», which signals their importance in eleventh-century Florence. The commentary notes on the passage indicate that the Fifanti were settled in the quarter of the porta Santa Maria, recalled by Villani together with the Galli. The mention is placed within the survey of the houses that Fortune has raised or cast down, implicitly contrasted with stocks of ancient nobility such as the Donati and the Calfucci.