As you all know by reading my blog, my last name is Speziale. I’ve been researching my last name Speziale for years to find out its meaning. Today I stumbled upon a new Wikipedia Speziale page. I had to translate the Speziale page to english, because naturally, it was written in Italian – Italy being the origin of the Speziale last name.
The Wikipedia article describes Speziale: “The chemist in the Middle Ages was the one who took care of the preparation of medicines, usually had a shop called pharmacy, within which the activities carried out also for the sale of spices and medicinal herbs.”
So my ancestors were presumably the modern-day equivalent to pharmacists and chemists. Interesting. Check out the full Speziale Wikipedia article
Robin R. Speziale 
Hi Robin,
I proudly carry the surname Speziale. I am in Melbourne, Australia. Have you noted the town/village of Speziale in Italy’s south east, near Fasano? It is just north of Brindisi.
I have seen a reference to Speziale deriving from the role of the Apothecary, the specialist, many centuries ago.
I am a second generation Australian, my paternal grandfather arriving in 1922. He, his bother, wife and her niece travelled from the the Lipari Islands off Messina, Siciliy. (Via Naples).
I visited Lipari for the first time last year – the village of Canneto – just north of he Old Port, was where m grandfather spent his childhood and teens! Bartolomeo set sail when he was 21.
Kind regards,
Steve
Very interesting. Thanks for this comment Steve. I was not aware of Speziale, Italy. I just checked it out in Google Maps.
My Grandfather came over to Canada (Nova Scotia) in the 1940’s (after WWII) to then move to Toronto. I am a 3rd generation Italian and have been to Italy (Rome, Pescara) where I have family members.
Robin