According to the genealogy tree, the Pavoncelli family was of far past origins from Abruzzo (a Central Italy Region, North East of Lazio). They moved to Foggia (a large agricultural town in the Puglia or Apulia Region) at the end of the 17th Century.

At the beginning of the 19th Century there is record in Cerignola (province of Foggia) of Gaetano Pavoncelli's presence, married with the noble Anna Maria Tortora. They had a son, Federico, who married Antonietta Traversi, whose father - Giuseppe - was a well known trader of wheat. Federico's father-in-law introduced him into the wheat trading business, and thanks to his personal ability as businessman he multiplied the small capital assets belonging to him and his wife. Federico was the initiator of the family fortunes and wealth.

Federico succeeded to sell wheat to the Anglo-French army during the Crimean war, and this was a major step forward to reach the monopoly of wheat trading in Puglia.

In 1860 he founded the "G. and F. Pavoncelli" company, aided by the two sons Giuseppe and Gaetano, who immediately started to be involved in their father's agricultural and trading business.  Giuseppe, in particular, completed his studies in Marseille, in Belgium and London and was only twenty years old when he could already be considered an experienced wheat trader.

In 1874 Giuseppe was elected in Cerignola  (close to Foggia) as a member of the Parliament (Deputy Chambers). He will keep this post for thirteen legislative periods. Liberal-conservative and well esteemed by other political personalities, he was appointed Minister of Public Works in 1887, and played this important role until June 1888.

As a member of Parliament he was very passionate and dedicated to the agricultural, hardening and tempering problems. He first gave a significant contribution to the modernization of wheat plantation; later he introduced a diversification of plantations, developing vineyards and olive trees plantations in Puglia. While he was member of Parliament and Minister, he helped to resolve the issues concerning the construction of the "Acquedotto Pugliese" (one of the larger water-ducts in the world, serving most of the Puglia Region). Later he was apponted President of the Board of the non profit organization managing the "Acquedotto".

In addition to the "Palazzo Pavoncelli", a large family building in the town center and the Administration offices in Cerignola (to run the large farms, the well known Wine-Cellars and Olive Oil Mills), also a Bank was created (at that time named Agricultural Credit Bank of Cerignola) to support the complex farming and trading activities of the Family.

Of the three sons of Giuseppe, Federico, Nicola e Gaetano, the two younger were very active in continuing the family tradition as entrepreneur in the agricultural and trading business. They also successfully participated to the national public life. Nicola established the center of his operations in Naples where, among other investments, he bought from the Marquee of Frisjo his prestigious Villa in Posillipo, called "lo Scoglio di Frisjo" (Frisjo Rock). Gaetano settled in Rome, facilitating his participation - together with his brothers - to the national social life.

Of the three brothers only Nicola had sons: Maria, Giuseppe, Demetria, Augusta, Giulia, Federico, Gaetano and Antonio.

Giuseppe e Gaetano tried to preserve the family estates and assets which nevertheless shrunk significantly, over time. The second world war period first, followed by a national law to redistribute lands to the country workers caused a dramatic decline in the agricultural and trading activities of the Pavoncelli family. The Cellars had to be closed while a process of radical transformation of plantation took place in order to increase the revenue. During this dramatic conversion period the vineyards had to be scrapped and replaced by vegetables. The olive trees plantations were improved. The wheat plantations were significantly reduced. The split of the estates and all these transformation slowly pushed the members of the Pavoncelli family - with the exception of Giuseppe's heirs - out of the agricultural business and from Puglia Region.

Francesco is the last of Gaetano's five sons, all born between 1925 and 1942. 

Gaetano died in 1985.