Italian nobility

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Italy (House of Savoy)

The Italian nobility (

unification of the region into a single state, the Kingdom of Italy
.

Nobles had a specific legal status and held most of the wealth and various privileges denied to other classes, mainly politicians. In most of the former Italian pre-unification states, it was the only class that had access to high-level government positions. They represented the most distinguished positions of the peninsular nations in addition to the Catholic Church for several centuries. There were varying forms of nobility over time in their respective regions.[1]

From the Medieval Period until the nineteenth century in March 1861, Italy was not a single unified sovereign state. It was a peninsular consisting of several separate kingdoms, duchies, and other minor principalities, with many

dynasties
. These were often related maritally to both the neighbouring Italian states and other major and minor European dynasties.

Recognition of Italian nobility ceased with the creation of the

Italian Republic in 1946. Although many titles still exist, they are used as a matter of social courtesy and are not recognised under Italian law. A limited number of noble titles granted by the pope were formally acknowledged according to Article 42 of the Lateran Treaty
until its abrogation in 1985.

History

Pre-unification

Ludovico Sforza by Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis

Before the

Italian Renaissance in their cities & regions. Of course the most important were those of the House of Savoy
nobility, who masterminded the creation of the kingdom of Italy in the XIX century.

In the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, the Italian peninsular was home to a myriad of noble families that had risen to prominence via

Catholic Church office.[2]

There were also families which had been part of Italian nobility for many decades or even centuries. For example in Rome, writing in the 19th century, Leopold von Ranke recorded:

In the middle of the 17th century there were computed to be fifty noble families in Rome of three hundred years' standing, thirty-five of two hundred, and sixteen of one hundred years. None were permitted to claim a more ancient descent, or were generally traced to an obscure, or even a low origin.

Sicilian nobility

Main article: Sicilian nobility
Roger I de Hauteville

The

Kingdom of Italy
, whose origins may be traced to the 11th century AD.

The Romans, Byzantines and Saracens exported different elements of their aristocratic structures to the island of Sicily, however, it was not until the Norman invasion of 1061, led by Roger I de Hauteville, that the Sicilian aristocracy and feudal system took root.

Over the centuries, established noble families were advanced through the aristocratic ranks. By the 18th century, the titles

marchese were held by many men whose ancestors, only several centuries earlier, had been barons and lords. Conte, signore and cavaliere are titles that have been used by the Sicilian nobility. Over the centuries many families emerged as landed aristocracy or nobility similar to the English gentry and peerage
.

Papal nobility

Main article: Papal nobility

During this period, throughout Italy various influential families came to positions of power through the election of a family member as Pope or were elevated into the ranks of nobility through ecclesiastical promotion. These families freely intermarried with aristocratic nobility. Like other noble families, those with both papal power and money were able to purchase comunes or other tracts of land and elevate family patriarchs and other relatives to noble titles. Hereditary patriarchs were appointed Duke, Marquis and even Prince of various 16th and 17th century principalities. According to Ranke:

Under

Barberini.

— Leopold von Ranke
, The History of the Popes

Bishop or a Cardinal, from which position they could dispense further titles and positions of authority to other family members.[2]

The period was famous for papal nepotism and many families, such as the Barberini and Pamphili, benefited greatly from having a papal relative. Families that had previously been limited to agricultural or mercantile ventures found themselves, sometimes within only one or two generations, elevated to the Roman nobility when a relative was elected to the papal throne.[2] Modern Italy is dotted with the fruits of their success – various family palazzi stand today as a testament to their sometimes meteoric rise to power.

Genoese nobility

In the case of the Republic of Genoa, through the Constitutional Reform and the laws of 1528, 1548 and 1575, an aristocratic republic was inaugurated, which would last until 1797. With the constitutional reform of 1528, belonging to an albergo became from optional to compulsory, effectively transforming the alberghi into lists of registration to the city nobility recognized by the government. The reform required that the wealthiest citizens who owned six or more houses should originate a distinct albergo. On that occasion, it was decided to establish a single Order of noble citizens, otherwise known as Old Nobles, divided into twenty-three old and already existing alberghi and five new ones were created for the occasion. These associations were to prevent the resurgence of ancient hostilities and protect the wealth and power of the wealthiest families.[3][4]

Florentine nobility

Flag of the galleys of the Order of Saint Stephen

The Florentine, and later Tuscan nobility distinguished itself in the two classes of Patricians, recognized as noble since before 1532, belonging to the Order of Saint Stephen, and residing only in the ancient noble homelands: Florence, Siena, Pisa, Pistoia, Arezzo, Volterra, Montepulciano and Cortona. And of the nobles, simple nobility, civic nobility, senators and commanders, with residence of the "new" noble homelands: Sansepolcro, San Miniato, Livorno, Pescia and Prato. Overall, the Florentine nobility was divided into feudal, senatorial and priority.[5][6]

Milanese nobility

In

Sforza, the nobility residing in the city was increasingly predisposed to become court nobility, in the direct service of the duke, especially in the field of arms and alliances for war purposes. These families, during this period, played a fundamental role in the politics of the territory, without ever completely outclassing the figure of the duke. Most of the Milanese patriciate is linked to this period, which in the following centuries will constitute a sign of distinction between the nobility granted "to the Milanese by their duke" and that granted by "foreigners".[7]

Venetian nobility

Portrait of the Loredan family, by Giovanni Bellini, 1507, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin. Leonardo Loredan, 75th Doge of Venice, ruled from 1501 until his death in 1521 and was a member of the Loredan family, one of the Republic's most prominent noble houses.[8] His four sons are depicted wearing the typical regalia
of Venetian noblemen.

The Venetian Patriciate was one of the three social bodies into which the society of the Republic of Venice was divided, together with citizens and foreigners. Patrizio was the noble title of the members of the aristocracy ruling the city of Venice and the Republic. The title was abbreviated, in front of the name, by the initials N.H. (Nobil Homo), together with the feminine variant N.D. (Nobildonna). Holding the title of a Venetian patrician was a great honour and many European kings and princes, as well as foreign noble families, are known to have asked for and obtained the prestigious title.

The noble houses were primarily divided into Old (Case vecchie) and New houses (Case nuove), with the former being noted for traditionally electing the first Doge in 697 AD. The New houses were no less significant, as many became very prominent and important in influencing the history of the Republic of Venice. The families were furthermore divided into several other "categories", including Ducal houses (which gave Doges), Newest houses (Case nuovissime), Non-Venetian patricians, and "Houses made for money" (usually very wealthy landowning or bourgeoise families enriched through trade).

Although there were numerous noble houses across Venice's

Arellano, Morosini and the Venier
families.

Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946): the House of Savoy

The House of Savoy was the ruling dynasty of the Duchy of Savoy, then the Kingdom of Sardinia and later Kingdom of Italy from 1861 to 1946. The nobility of this House of Savoy masterminded the creation of the Kingdom of Italy.

In the years preceding the political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of

Duchy of Modena, the Duchy of Savoy, the Papal States and the Austrian Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
led to parallel nobilities with different traditions and rules.

Unification

The Royal Palace of Caserta, the residence of the king of the Two Sicilies. It is the largest former royal residence in the world.[9][10]

Modern Italy became a nation-state during the

Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, the Chief Minister of Victor Emmanuel. Rome itself remained for a further decade under the Papacy, and became part of the Kingdom of Italy only in 1870. In September of that year, invading Italian troops entered the Papal state, and the ensuing occupation forced Pope Pius IX to his palace where he declared himself a prisoner in the Vatican, as did his successors, until the Lateran Pacts
of 1929.

Nobility in the Kingdom

Paolo Thaon di Revel

Under the united

Black Nobility.[11]

After the unification of Italy, its kings continued to create titles of nobility for eminent Italians, this time valid for all Italian territory. For example, General

Eugenio Pacelli became Pope in 1939, Mussolini had the title of Principe posthumously bestowed on the new Pontiff's brother Francesco Pacelli
, who had already been made a Marchese by the Holy See during his lifetime.

In 1929, the Lateran Treaty acknowledged all Papal titles created before that date and undertook to give unquestioned recognition to titles conferred by the Holy See on Italian citizens in the future.[11]

Victor Emmanuel III's Coat of Arms of the Italian Empire

After the successful Italian

invasion of Abyssinia, the Mussolini government recommended some Italians to the king of Italy for titles of nobility. For example, Marshal Pietro Badoglio was created Marchese del Sabotino and later Duke of Addis Abeba, while General Rodolfo Graziani
became Marchese di Neghelli.

In May 1936 the king

WW2. In November 1943 Victor Emmanuel III of the House of Savoy renounced his claims to the title of Emperor of Ethiopia (and also of King of Albania, that obtained in 1939).[12]

Italian Republic

In 1946, the Kingdom of Italy was replaced by a

Italian Constitution adopted in 1948, titles of nobility, although still used as a courtesy, are not legally recognised.[13]

Certain predicati (

courtesy titles.[14]

Titles of nobility

Leonardo Loredan, Doge of Venice, portrait by Giovanni Bellini, 1501, National Gallery, London

The southern kingdoms of Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia, as well as the Papal states, granted titles as in monarchies such as Spain, France, or England: duke, marquis, count, baron. The title of viscount was not, however, as frequent in Italy as elsewhere. Joseph Bonaparte conferred the title "prince" to be hereditary on his children and grandchildren.[15]

Often, Italian comunes (also in the Kingdom of Naples) and republics granted or recognised the title of Patrician (post-Roman Europe)[16]

The Republic of Venice also granted feudal titles. In the Middle Ages:

The majority of feudatories were simply signori (from the French

seigneur, a title introduced into Italy by the 11th century Normans), vassalli (vassals) or cavalieri (knights). Eventually, this class came to be known collectively as the baroni (barons); in Italy barone was not always a title descriptive of a particular feudal rank. During the 14th century, most minor feudal lands became baronies, their holders barons. It must be observed that the use of these titles usually required some form of sovereign award or feudal tenure.[17][full citation needed
]

During the Renaissance, noble families conquered most of the Italian city-states except the republics of Venice, Genoa, Lucca, San Marino and Ragusa.

Until 1806, parts of the present-day Italy formed the Kingdom of Italy, belonging to the Holy Roman Empire. When in 1861 the king of Sardinia annexed the other Italian states, the Consulta Araldica (the Italian college of arms) integrated these different and varied systems into the hierarchy described below.

Ranks

Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy

The official ranks under the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946) were:

Italian Translation
Masculine Feminine Masculine Feminine
Re d'Italia Regina d'Italia King of Italy
Queen of Italy
Principe Principessa Prince Princess
Duca Duchessa Duke
Duchess
Marchese Marchesa
Marquis
Marchioness
Conte Contessa Count (Earl)
Countess
Visconte Viscontessa Viscount
Viscountess
Barone Baronessa Baron
Baroness
Nobile, or Nobiluomo Nobile, or Nobildonna Nobleman Noblewoman
Cavaliere
ereditario 		Dama Baronet (hereditary knight) Dame
Patrizio of certain cities Patrizia of certain cities Patrician

This hierarchy resulted from the overlapping of titles granted by the pre-unification states, though these were different from each other.

Post-World War II

By 1946, with abolition of the monarchy, a number of titles borne by families in the pre-unification states (Two Sicilies, Papal State, etc.) still had not been matriculated by the Consulta Araldica.

Palaces and noble houses

Palaces of rulers

Palazzo dei Normanni, the residence of the king of Sicily
The Royal Palace of Milan, the residence of the duke of Milan

Sovereign houses

Coat of arms of the House of Savoy
Coat of arms of the House of Medici
House of Visconti
  • House of Savoy: Kings of Italy (1861–1946), Kings of Spain (1870–1873), Emperors of Ethiopia (1936–1941), Kings of Albania (1939–1943), Kings of Croatia (1941–1943), Kings of Sicily (1713–1720), kings of Sardinia (1720–1861), dukes of Savoy (1416–1861), lords and princes of Piedmont (1233–1416), counts of Savoy (1032–1416), marquises of Turin (1057–1233)
  • House of Ivrea
    Kings of Italy
  • House of Habsburg and Habsburg-Lorraine: kings of Italy (1519–1802), kings of Sicily (1720–1734), kings of Sardinia (1708–1720), kings of Naples (1713–1734), kings of Lombardy–Venetia (1815–1859), grand dukes of Tuscany (1737–1801; 1815–1859), dukes of Milan (1535–1797), dukes of Parma and Piacenza; dukes of Mantua (1708–1797)
  • House of Hauteville
    : kings of Sicily (1130–1198), dukes of Apulia (1059–1198), counts of Apulia (1042–1059), counts of Sicily (1071–1130)
  • House of Hohenstaufen: kings of Italy (1128–1135; 1154–1197; 1212–1250), kings of Sicily (1198–1266)
  • House of Anjou-Capetian
    : kings of Sicily (1266–1282), kings of Naples (1282–1442)
  • House of Barcelona: kings of Sicily (1282–1516), kings of Sardinia (1324–1516), kings of Naples (1442–1516)
  • House of Bourbon: dynasty divided into:
    • House of Bourbon-Parma: dukes of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla (1748–1802; 1847–1859), kings of Etruria (1801–1807), dukes of Lucca (1824–1847)
    • House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: kings of Naples (1735–1806; 1815–1816), kings of Sicily (1735–1816), kings of the Two Sicilies (1816–1861)
  • House of Bonaparte: king of Italy (1805–1814), king of Rome, king of Naples (1806–1808)
  • House of Medici: de facto lords of Florence and Tuscany (1434–1494; 1512–1527), dukes of Florence (1531–1569), grand dukes of Tuscany (1569–1737)
  • House of Este: Margraves of Este (1171), lords and marquesses of Ferrara (1240–1471), dukes of Ferrara (1471–1597), dukes of Modena and Reggio (1452–1796), counts of Polesine and Garfagnana
  • House of Austria-Este
    : dukes of Modena and Reggio (1814–1860)
  • House of Farnese: dukes of Parma and Piacenza (1545–1731); dukes of Castro
  • House of Visconti: lords of Milan and Lombardy (1277–1395), dukes of Milan (1395–1447)
  • House of Sforza: dukes of Milan (1450–1499; 1512–1515; 1521–1535)
  • House of Gonzaga: lords of Mantua (1328–1433), marquesses of Mantua (1433–1530), dukes of Mantua (1530–1708); marquesses of Montferrat (1536–1574), dukes of Montferrat (1574–1708)
  • House of
    Paleologus
    : marquesses of Montferrat (1306–1536)
  • House of Aleramici: marquesses of Saluzzo (1125–1548), marquesses of Montferrat (before 933–1306)

Papal houses

Further information:
Houses of the papal nobility

Duke

Further information: List of dukes in the nobility of Italy

Marquesses

Further information: List of marquesses in Italy

See also

References

  1. ^ Visconti, Alessandro. (1958). L'Italia nell'epoca della Controriforma 1516-1713 (in Italian). Mondadori.
  2. ^ a b c History of the popes; their church and state (Volume III) by Leopold von Ranke (2009, Wellesley College Library)
  3. ^ "ALBERGO dei nobili in "Enciclopedia Italiana"". www.treccani.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  4. ^ "albergo in "Dizionario di Storia"". www.treccani.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  5. ^ "Famiglie fiorentine iscrite nei libri della nobilta'". www.carnesecchi.eu. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  6. ^ Ammirato, Scipione. Delle Famiglie Nobili Fiorentine di Scipione Ammirato, Vol. 1 (in Italian). Forgotten Books.
  7. ^ Visconti, Katia. Il commercio dell'onore. Un'indagine prosopografica della feudalità nel milanese di età moderna (in Italian). CUEM.
  8. ^ AB (May 2020). "Famiglia Loredano | Conoscere Venezia" (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  9. ^ "Il Palazzo". Reggia di Caserta Unofficial (in Italian). 14 October 2016.
  10. ISBN 9782259222679
    – via Google Books.
  11. ^ a b Guy Stair Sainty Archived November 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Indro Montanelli, Mario Cervi, Storia d'italia. L'Italia della guerra civile, RCS, 2003
  13. ^ "How Professional Genealogists Determine Ancestral Nobility in Italy". Italiangenealogy.com. 24 October 2015. Retrieved 2016-08-11.
  14. ^ Kretschmer, A. (4 October 2019). "Princess Beatrice revelation: Heartbreaking reason why Edo cannot take aristocratic title". UK Daily Express. Retrieved 15 October 2019. They (Italian titles) may still be used as a courtesy, but have no legal standing (in the UK).
  15. ^ Velde, François. "Titles of Nobility". Heraldica.org. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  16. ^ https://www.docenti.unina.it/webdocenti-be/allegati/materiale-didattico/34330813%7Ctitle=Ancora da Marc Bloch, La società feudale|access-date=16 December 2023|language=it|page=3
  17. ^ Italian Titles of Nobility
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