cichinelli

Demetri Cichinelli

Sicilian. Father of Achilles Cichinelli, paternal grandfather of Ines Valda Cichinelli (later Jeannopoulos). Name only. Stub.

stub — data pending

Demetri Cichinelli is the furthest-back identified ancestor on the Sicilian side of the family tree — the father of Achilles Cichinelli and paternal grandfather of Ines Valda Cichinelli, the French Resistance survivor who married Dr. John Lazare Jeannopoulos. His name surfaced in May 2026 through testimony from his great-granddaughter Aline.

The Greek-form first name “Demetri” (Δημήτριος) on a Sicilian surname is unsurprising — Sicily had centuries of Greek influence from Magna Graecia and the Byzantine era through later Greek refugee settlements — but a specific Sicilian-Greek connection is one of the things still to investigate about this line.

open questions

  • Sicilian village of origin.
  • Dates of birth and death.
  • Wife's name (Ines's paternal grandmother).
  • Whether he emigrated from Sicily or stayed there.
  • Other children besides Achilles.