The Streets Around us-Belmont Streets are Named
Cipriani Boulevard is named after Count Leonetto Cipriani (1812–1888), one of the earliest and most fascinating European settlers in what would become Belmont.
Before there was a Ralston Hall, there was Villa Cipriani.
Who was Leonetto Cipriani?
Leonetto Cipriani was:
- An Italian patriot and military general who fought for the unification of Italy.
- The first Consul of the Kingdom of Sardinia in San Francisco arrived in 1852.
- A wealthy landowner who purchased about 40 acres in the Cañada del Diablo (the valley that later became Belmont).
He had a prefabricated villa built on the site that would later become the famous Ralston Hall.
The Connection to Ralston Hall
In 1862, Cipriani sold his estate to William Chapman Ralston.
Ralston initially enlarged Cipriani’s villa before eventually demolishing it and constructing the magnificent Ralston Hall that still stands today. In other words, Ralston Hall occupies the very site of Cipriani’s original home.
Why is there a Cipriani Boulevard?
When the Belle Monti subdivision was developed in the 1920s, the developers intentionally honored Belmont’s early pioneers by naming streets after many of the area’s most influential historical figures.
Those included:
- Ralston Avenue — William Chapman Ralston
- Sharon Road — William Sharon
- Mezes Avenue — Simon Mezes
- Monserat Avenue — Simon Monserat Mezes
- Carmelita Avenue — Carmelita Mezes
- Cipriani Boulevard — Count Leonetto Cipriani
Stay tuned for more stories in our Belmont 100th Anniversary Series as we celebrate the people, places, and events that shaped our remarkable community over the past century. And don’t miss our first in the series−The Ghosts of Belmont: A Lost Golf Course, a Round Tower, and the Men Who Left Their Names Behind
Thanks for reading along.
