Fregoso family
One of the more famous Genoese popolano families. In origin the Fregoso were merchants who first became active in civic life in the 13th century. They gave to Genoa 13 doges, including the Domenico Fregoso whose deposition of Gabriele Adorno in 1370 initiated a bitter struggle between the Fregoso and Adorno families which was to dominate Genoese history for two centuries. After 1528, the Fregoso family disappeared into the Albergo (branch) de Fornari and the Albergo de Ferrari; until the family name was reassumed in 1576.
