ell esch i ▁said : ▁" We ▁have ▁suffered ▁a ▁great ▁loss ." ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Mas ac cio ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁Giovanni ▁di ▁Sim one ▁Cass ai ▁and ▁Jac op a ▁di ▁Mart ino z zo ▁in ▁Cast el ▁San ▁Giovanni ▁di ▁Alt ura , ▁now ▁San ▁Giovanni ▁Val dar no ▁( today ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁Are z zo , ▁T usc any ). ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁not ary ▁and ▁his ▁mother ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁an ▁inn keeper ▁of ▁Bar ber ino ▁di ▁M ug ello , ▁a ▁town ▁a ▁few ▁miles ▁north ▁of ▁Florence . ▁His ▁family ▁name , ▁Cass ai , ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁trade ▁of ▁his ▁pat ernal ▁grand father ▁Sim one ▁and ▁grand un cle ▁Lorenzo , ▁who ▁were ▁car pent ers / c ab inet ▁mak ers ▁( c asse , ▁hence ▁c ass ai ). ▁Mas ac cio ' s ▁father ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 4 0 6 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁only ▁five ; ▁later ▁that ▁same ▁year ▁a ▁brother ▁was ▁born , ▁named ▁Giovanni ▁( 1 4 0 6 – 1 4 8 6 ) ▁after ▁his ▁father . ▁He ▁also ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁painter , ▁with ▁the ▁nick name ▁of ▁lo ▁Sch eg gia ▁meaning ▁" the ▁spl inter ." ▁In ▁ 1 4 1 2 ▁Mon na ▁Jac op a ▁married ▁an ▁elder ly ▁ap othe c ary , ▁T edes co ▁di ▁ma estro ▁Fe o , ▁who ▁already ▁had ▁several ▁daughters , ▁one ▁of ▁whom ▁grew