Papal nobility
The papal nobility are the
Background
The Roman heritage of the papacy accounts for many of its traditions regarding ranks of nobility. As temporal ruler of the city of Rome, the Pope awarded civic titles of classical origin such as
The Lombard Duchies of
History
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Middle Ages
By the year 900, Frankish power in Italy had dissipated. the Popes assumed direct control in the
The late middle ages were marked by a rivalry between the
Early modern period
When the Pope returned to Italy at the end of the fourteenth century, he had to either overthrow or force the submission of the lords of the cities of
From the second half of the 16th century onwards, members of the higher clergy and the aristocracy connected to the papal court built a number of stately homes, or suburban villas in the countryside of Lazio.[3] The Ville Pontificie were designed by renowned architects. The Villa Farnese in Caprarola was the work of Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and Baldassare Peruzzi.[4] The homes were often decorated by noted artists. Taddeo Zuccari was commissioned to paint the Histories of Alexander for the Castello Orsini at Bracciano.[5]
As modern statehood emerged and the boundaries between imperial and papal territory solidified, titles of nobility were proliferated as a means of establishing allies and friendly buffer states. The Emperor elevated the Duchies of Milan, Florence, Mantua, and Modena, and the Pope likewise elevated the Duchies of Urbino, Ferrara and Parma. From the late sixteenth century onward, with the papal territory relatively secure, noble families were enriched with the title of
1800–1870
The Napoleonic occupation of Rome led to the temporary abolition of noble titles. Upon restitution of sovereignty to the Papal States,
1870–1946
After the Kingdom of Italy annexed the Papal States and captured Rome in 1870, the new kingdom recognized the existing nobility in its new territory. The pope remained a self-described "prisoner in the Vatican", supported by the so-called "black nobility" of families who remained loyal to the papacy rather than the Italian monarchy. The Lateran Treaty ended this dispute.
Pope Leo XIII ennobled French and American philanthropist Joseph Florimond Loubat as the Duc de Loubat. In 1902 he made Pennsylvania businessman Martin Maloney a papal marquis, and two years later a member of the papal court as a Chamberlain of the Sword and Cape. Among Maloney's various charitable activities was a home for the elderly in honor of his parents, donations to the Catholic University of America, and towards the refurbishment of the Lateran Basilica.[6] In 1903, Leo created New York City socialite and benefactress Annie Leary a Papal Countess, the first such title to have been bestowed upon a woman in the United States.[7] Pope Pius X named New York City builder John D. Crimmons a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. A trustee of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Crimmons established Corpus Christi Monastery at Hunts Point in the Bronx for the Dominican Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
On the occasion of the signing of the
Since 1946
Few Pontifical titles, other than personal nobility obtained by individual appointment into the several
Although the custom of conferring noble titles such as
The popes continue to award knighthoods and other honors, which do not confer titled-nobility status, with the exception of Count of the Sacred Palace of the Lateran.[9]
Structure
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Titles
Historically, papal nobility has included the titles of
.At times, certain rulers paid a type of feudal homage to the papacy (Poland, 991; England, 1213). Inversely, the Pope claimed the authority to create and anoint rulers (Holy Roman Empire, 800, 962, etc.; Sicily, 1059; Kingdom of Aragon, 1204; Latin Empire of Constantinople, 1217; Sicily, 1265), to depose them (Holy Roman Empire, 1076, 1245; Portugal, 1247), to elevate them (Croatia, 925; Hungary, 1001; Sicily, 1130; Portugal, 1179; Tuscany, 1569), and to decide disputes between them (Corsica, 1217; Treaty of Tordesillas, 1493). The Pope also had strong claims to the feudal sovereignty of Naples-Sicily.
While some titles were traditionally linked to territorial privileges to a fief of the
Within the ecclesiastical hierarchy Cardinals are referred to as
Just as Catholic monarchs sometimes exercised veto powers in papal elections, bishops and abbots were historically represented in the
Papal counts and countesses
Recipients of such honours included both Italians – especially those close to the papacy (some of whom were/are papal relatives) – and prominent non-Italian Catholics, including Irish tenor
Count of the Sacred Palace of the Lateran
The title "Count of the
Fiefs of the State of the Church
From the sixteenth century forward, strong
- The Francesco Maria II)
- The Rudolf I; 1288, Modena and Reggio gained by the d'Este; 1293, Ferrara, Modena and Reggio elevated to Marquisates; 1308–1309, succession crisis, Papacy defeats Venetian attempts to control Ferrara; 1317, d'Este restored with papal support; 1452, Emperor Frederick IIIelevates Modena and Reggio to Duchies; 1571, Paul II elevates Ferrara to duchy; 1598, Ferrara devolves to the Papacy, Modena and Reggio to d'Este heirs recognized by the Emperor)
- The Duchy of Julius III; in 1551, Ottavio, threatened by the ambitions of Charles V, places himself under the protection of France initiating the War of Parma; 1552, Treaty of Chambord, France distracts Imperial forces to Germany, Julius III negotiates a truce with Farnese who is tentatively restored; 1556, Charles V abdicates Milan to his son, Philip IIof Spain, and Ottavio Farnese submits to his protection in the Treaty of Ghent)
- The Principality and Duchy of Paliano (Colonna)
- The Principalities of Palestrina, Valmontone, Anticoli and Roviano (Barberini), Arsoli, Roccasecca dei Volsci, Prossedi, Triggiano (Massimo), Canino and Musignano (Bonaparte), Farnese and Campagnano (Farnese), and Meldola (of the Doria-Pamphilj), Cerveteri, Parrano, Poggio Suasa
- The Lombard Duchy of Benevento (1805–1814, Napoleon elevates Benevento and Pontecorvo to Principalities)
- The Duchies of Duchy of Camerino (of the Da Varano), The Duchy of Spoleto, The Duchy of Romagna, the Duchy of Giove, the Duchy of Cerveteri, the Duchy of Monterotondo, Duchy of Nemi, Calcata, Rignano, Ferentillo
- The Counties of Tusculum, Segni, Spello and Bettona, Fondi, Vignanello, Falcino, Ronciglione
- The Marquisates (or Marches) of Ancona, Fermo, Riano, Belmonte
- The Lordships (Signories) of Perugia, Foligno, Fano, Pesaro, Rimini, Cesena, Forlì, Faenza and Imola
Noble houses
Examples of Italian noble houses of the papacy include:
Noble house | Coat of arms | Current head | Titles |
---|---|---|---|
House of Aldobrandini | Camillo Aldobrandini | Prince of Meldola and Sarsina | |
House of Barberini
|
Francesco Barberini |
| |
House of Borghese
|
Scipione Virginio Flavio Giacomo Antonio Maria Borghese | Prince of Sulmona, Rossano, Montecompatri, Vivaro, Sperliga e Manganelli, etc.
| |
House of Borgia | Extinct in 1748 | Numerous titles | |
House of Borromeo | Vitaliano XI Borromeo | ||
House of Braschi | Giovanni Angelo Theodoli-Braschi | ||
House of Chigi
|
Mario Chigi |
| |
House of Colonna
|
Federico Colonna (Paliano line) |
| |
House of Cybo | Extinct in 1790 |
| |
House of Doria-Pamphili-Landi | Extinct in 2000 |
| |
House of Massimo | Fabrizio Massimo Arsoli |
| |
House of Mattei
|
Extinct in 1801 | Duke of Giove | |
House of Medici | 3 cadet branches |
| |
House of Orsini | Domenico Napoleone Orsini |
| |
House of Ruspoli | Francesco Ruspoli |
|
See also
- Armorial des comtes romains, 1890 book about papal counts in France from 1815 to 1890
- Nobility of Italy
- Noble Guard (Vatican)
- Prince Assistants to the Papal Throne
- Papal orders of knighthood
References
- ^ Schnürer, Gustav. "States of the Church." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 15 November 2022 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b Leopold von Ranke (2009), History of the popes; their church and state, Volume III, Wellesley College Library
- ^ "Villas of the Papal Nobility", UNESCO, January 6, 2006
- ^ Coffin David, The Villa in the Life of Renaissance Rome, Princeton University Press, 1979: 281–285
- ^ Cheney, Liana De Girolami. "Zuccaro". Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. (subscription required)
- ^ "Marquis Martin Maloney Succumbs in Quaker City". The Scranton Republican. 9 May 1929. p. 3.
- ^ McNamara, Pat. "'The Church Would Look Foolish Without Them': Countess Annie Leary, New York, New York". patheos.com.
- ^ a b "The Papal Nobility", The Christian Knighthood Information Center
- ^ Philippe Levillain, ed. John W. O'Malley, tr. The Papacy: An Encyclopedia (2002) vol. ii s.v. "Nobility, Roman".
- ^ a b "How to... join the papal nobility", The Catholic Herald, July 11, 2019
- ^ de Mata, Manuel (1955). "Breve resena de la Orden del Santo Sepulcro presentada a S.M. el Rey D. Alfonso XIII el 25 de julio de 1904 por el Excmo. Sr. D. manuel de Mata". Memorias de la Academia Mallorquina de Estudios Genealógicos (in Spanish). 1–4: 136–143.