Abel Socin

Earrings of Maria Hummel married Socin (1635–1681)

Abel Socin (born 1632 in Basel, died 1695 in Basel) was a Swiss merchant, politician, law lord (Gerichtsherr) and diplomat from Basel. He was a member of the Grand Council of Basel and served as the envoy of the Swiss Confederation to the French court (Swiss ambassador to France) from 1679.[1]

He was a member of the noble Italian Socin family, one of Basel's leading families. The Socin (Sozini) family had arrived in Basel in the 16th century from the Italian-speaking Swiss city of Bellinzona, which had formerly been part of the Duchy of Milan, and established themselves as wealthy merchants in Italian goods. While resident in Bellinzona in 1551, the family received a confirmation of nobility from the Holy Roman Emperor.[2] Abel Socin was a brother of burgomaster of Basel Emanuel Socin (1628–1717) and the great-grandfather of Abel Seyler, one of the preeminent theatre principals of 18th century Europe, who was named after him.[3] He was married three times; the remains of his second wife Maria Hummel (1635–1681) were discovered in front of the Basel Minster in 2009, in what was Abel Socin's family grave, along with elaborate jewelry described by archaeologists as masterpieces from the era.[4]

In the Basel Minster there is a Latin inscription in memory of Abel Socin; it recounts his life and praises him for his "innate eloquence and thoughtful wisdom."[5]

References

  1. ↑ Ludwig Meyer von Knonau (1829), Handbuch der Geschichte der Schweizerischen Eidsgenossenschaft, vol. 2, p. 65
  2. ↑ Markus Lutz, Baslerisches Bürger-Buch: Enthaltend alle gegenwärtig in der Stadt Basel eingebürgte Geschlechter, nebst der Anzeige ihres Ursprungs, Bürgerrechts-Aufnahme, so wie ihrer ersten Ansiedler und beachtenswerthen Personen, welche aus denselben zum Dienste des Staats, der Kirche und der Wissenschaften, hervorgegangen sind: nach alphabetischer Ordnung mit eingestreuten historischen Notizen und lythographischen Wappen-Tafeln, 1819, p. 308.
  3. ↑ Archiv für Geschichte des Buchwesens, vol. 52, p. 337, Walter de Gruyter, 1999
  4. ↑ Archäologen sprechen von Meisterstücken der Goldschmiedekunst: Grab mit Goldschmuck vor Basler Münster entdeckt, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 19 August 2009
  5. ↑ Andreas Pron, Die lateinischen Grabinschriften in den Kreuzgängen des Basler Münsters, pp. 147–149
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