Lanza family

Last updated

Lanza
Italian: Casa di Lanza
Sicilian noble family
Lanzabranciforte.png
Parent familyLancia family
CountryFlag of Italy.svg  Italy
Former countries
Founded15th century
FounderBlasco Lanza
Titles
Cadet branches

Lanza are an Italian noble family that originated in Sicily in the 15th century. Derived from a cadet branch of the Lancia family, barons of Longi, it represents one of the major dynasties of the Sicilian aristocracy. [1]

Contents

Over the centuries, this family was at the top of political and economic power on the island, having its exponents held the highest institutional, civil and military positions in the Kingdom of Sicily. After the eldest branch of the Princes of Trabia became extinct in the first half of the 20th century, the Lanza Branciforte family is represented by the collateral line of the Princes Lanza of Scalea. [2]

History

The proven founder of the family was Blasco Lanza (1466-1535), a lawyer from Catania belonging to a cadet branch of the noble Lancia family of the Barons of Longi. He became a feudal lord with the acquisition of the land of Trabia, in the Val di Mazara (1498), and of the barony of Castania, in the Val Demone (1507), both possessions received in dowry jure uxoris.  On the land of Trabia he was investitured with the title of baron with a privilege given by King Ferdinand II of Aragon on 14 November 1509, made executive on 11 June 1510.  He was twice a deputy of the Kingdom of Sicily (1508 and 1514) and royal councilor from 1517. [3]

Blasco was succeeded in titles and fiefs by his son Cesare Lanza Tornabene, 2nd Baron of Trabia († 1593), born from his second union. Known as Cesare, he was a mastroportulano (1537), governor of the Compagnia della Carità of Palermo (1546), ambassador to Palermo of the Charles V of Habsburg, and four times praetor of Palermo (1548, 1555, 1556 and 1560).  In 1549 he purchased the land and castle of Mussomeli, in the Val di Mazara, on which he was invested with the title of count by privilege given on 11 January 1564 by King Philip III of Spain, executed on 27 November, for military services rendered to Charles V by his father.  Father of nine children from two different unions, he was succeeded in titles and fiefs by the eldest of his sons from the second marriage, Ottavio Lanza de Centelles, 2nd Count of Mussomeli (1547-1617), who was vicar general and captain general of the arms of the Kingdom of Sicily, who by privilege given on 22 July 1601 by King Philip III of Spain , executed on 13 November of the same year, was granted the title of 1st prince of Trabia.  From his union with the noblewoman Giovanna Orteca Gioeni Paternò of the barons of Valcorrente, he had four children, including Lorenzo, 3rd Count of Mussomeli († 1612), who, having predeceased him, could not succeed him in the possession of the titles and family fiefdoms, which his nephew Ottavio took possession of upon his death.  Another son of Count Cesare was Blasco, a priest and probably a Jerusalem knight from 1557. [4] [5]

Ottavio Lanza Barrese, 2nd Prince of Trabia († 1675), was deputy of the Kingdom of Sicily and vicar general in Sciacca in 1647.  He married Giovanna Lucchese Spinola, 2nd Duchess of Camastra, last descendant of a branch of the family Lucchese Palli, and through this union he received the Duchy of Camastra and the County of Sommatino as a dowry.  From this union five children were born including: Lorenzo, 5th Count of Mussomeli († 1660); Giuseppe, 3rd Duke of Camastra († 1708), who was a soldier, deputy of the Kingdom of Sicily (1668), captain of justice (1672) and praetor of Palermo (1679), vicar general of Syracuse, Augusta, and Gela (1676) and of the Val di Noto and Val Demone (1693); Giacomo († 1710), invested with the title of 1st Prince of Lanza by privilege given in 1677; Cesare, knight of the Order of Calatrava, III Prince of Buonfornello since 1684, title acquired by marriage to Anna Bellacera Giglio, widow of Blasco Alliata Galletti, who left no descendants. [6]  

Through Giuseppe, who first married Maria Gomez de Silveira Ferreri, the Lanzas acquired by succession in 1675 possession of the Principality of Santo Stefano and the baronies of Pettineo and Migaudo. The eldest son Lorenzo, who married Luisa Moncada Gaetani of the Princes of Paternò, fathered two children, Giovanna and Ottavio, III prince of Trabia († 1720), who was a deputy of the Kingdom of Sicily (1680).  Said Ottavio, in 1713, as peer of the Kingdom , welcomed Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy in Palermo for the royal coronation.  He married Lucrezia Reggio Saladino of the Princes of Campofiorito, with whom he had four children, of whom his successor in titles and fiefs was Ignazio, 4th prince of Trabia (1693-1753), who was captain of justice (1717) and praetor of Palermo (1739) and deputy of the Kingdom of Sicily (1723). He married his cousin Giovanna Lanza Castello, his uncle's only daughter and heir paternal Giuseppe, Duke of Camastra, who brought him the Principality of Santo Stefano and the Duchy of Camastra as dowry, and made him the father of four children, including Giuseppe, V Prince of Trabia, and Antonino (1728-1775), Theatine cleric who was bishop of Agrigento. [7]

Giuseppe Lanza, 5th prince of Trabia (1719-1783), was captain of justice (1762-64) and praetor of Palermo (1768-80), vicar general for the fight against banditry (from 1767), deputy of the Kingdom of Sicily (1778-80), maestroportulano, protomedico and president of the Royal Patrimonio, ambassador of the Senate of Palermo to King Charles III and gentleman of the chamber with exercise of the King of Naples and Sicily. He had seven children, born from his second marriage with Orietta Stella Valguarnera of the Dukes of Mirto, of which the eldest son Ignazio, VI Prince of Trabia (1758-1784), governor of the Compagnia della Pace of Palermo ( 1779), who, having died without leaving descendants, was succeeded in the family titles and fiefs by his younger brother Pietro, VII Prince of Trabia (1759-1811), invested in 1789, who was captain of justice of Palermo (1792), secretary of State and court master of the King of Naples and Sicily.  Known as Pietro, he married Anna Maria Branciforte Valguarnera of the Princes of Scordia, who made him the father of five children. [8] [7]

Giuseppe Lanza Branciforte, VIII Prince of Trabia (1780-1855), son of Pietro, eminent archaeologist and collector, was peer of the Kingdom of Sicily (1812 and 1848) and Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1841-48).  He married Stefania Branciforte and Branciforte of the Princes of Butera and Scordia, the last descendant of his lineage, and through this union which gave him six children, all the titles and assets of the Branciforte family came as dowry to the Princes of Trabia, whose members since then assumed the double surname Lanza Branciforte .  The eldest son Pietro Lanza Branciforte, 9th Prince of Trabia (1807-1855), historian, was magistrate of Palermo (1835, 1837 and 1848) and minister of public works and then of foreign affairs of the provisional government of Sicily (1848-49), died in exile in France.  He married the Neapolitan noblewoman Eleonora Spinelli Caracciolo, princess of Scalea and duchess of Misuraca, last descendant of her lineage who brought him as dowry all her titles and assets of which she was heir, and with whom he fathered six children, including Francesco (1834-1919) from whom the cadet branch of the Princes of Scalea originated, and Stefania (1842-1925), who was lady of the palace to Queen Margherita. [8]

The titles of the Lanza Branciforte family of the Princes of Trabia obtained legal recognition from the Kingdom of Italy with a ministerial decree of 5 May 1899 to Pietro Lanza Branciforte Galeotti, XI Prince of Trabia (1868-1929), son of Giuseppe, X Prince of Trabia ( 1833-1868). Known as Pietro, he was a municipal councilor of Palermo, a deputy and senator in the national parliament between the XVIII and XXVIII legislatures. He was the father of Giuseppe, Prince of Scordia (1889-1927), deputy several times, Ignazio (1890-1917) and Manfredi (1894-1918), the latter lieutenants of the Royal Italian Army in the First World War, in which they obtained the Medal of silver for military valor.  Since they died celibate before their father, and without leaving legitimate descendants, Prince Pietro was succeeded in titles by his younger brother Ottavio. [9]

Ottavio Lanza Branciforte Galeotti, XII Prince of Trabia (1863-1938), created Duke Lanza Branciforte with Royal Decree motu proprio of 9 March 1905, and Royal Letters Patent of 21 December of the same year, was an officer of the Royal Army and senator of the Kingdom of Italy in the XXIX legislature. Having obtained no issue from his marriage to the French noblewoman Rose-Blanche Rose Ney d'Elchingen of the Dukes of Elchingen, upon his death all titles passed to members of the cadet branch of the Lanza Princes of Scalea. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Leopard</i> 1958 novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

The Leopard is a novel by Italian writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, which chronicles the changes in Sicilian life and society during the Risorgimento. Published posthumously in 1958 by Feltrinelli, after two rejections by the leading Italian publishing houses Mondadori and Einaudi, it became the top-selling novel in Italian history and is considered one of the most important novels in modern Italian literature. In 1959, it won Italy's highest award for fiction, the Strega Prize. In 2012, The Guardian named it as one of "the 10 best historical novels". The novel was made into an award-winning 1963 film of the same name, directed by Luchino Visconti and starring Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giuseppe Lanza</span>

Giuseppe Lanza, Duke of Camastra, was a 17th-century Sicilian nobleman who oversaw the reconstruction of many Sicilian towns and cities following the earthquake of 1693.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrafranca</span> Comune in Sicily, Italy

Barrafranca is a comune and city in Sicily, southern Italy in the Province of Enna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pietro Novelli</span> Italian painter (1603–1647)

Pietro Novelli was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Palermo. Also known as il Monrealese or Pietro "Malta" Novelli to distinguish him from his father, Pietro Antonio Novelli I. He was also nicknamed by contemporaries as the Raphael of Sicily.

Laura Lanza, Baroness of Carini was an Italian noblewoman who was murdered, allegedly by her father, in Carini, Sicily, for having committed adultery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelo Italia</span>

Angelo Italia was an Italian Jesuit and Baroque architect, who was born in Licata and died in Palermo. He designed a number of churches in Sicily, and later worked to reconstruct three cities following the 1693 Sicily earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giuseppe Sorge</span>

Giuseppe Sorge (1857–1937) was an Italian historian, prefect and director of the public security. He was born in Sutera, Sicily.

Giovanni Forti Natoli or Gianforte Natoli was a Sicilian nobleman, the son of Blasco Natoli Lanza and Domenica Giambruno Perna. He was baron of S. Bartolomeo and Belice. On 20 August 1597 he bought the barony of Sperlinga from Giovanni Ventimiglia, marquis of Gerace, for 30,834 ounces of gold. Natoli was granted a licentia populandi cum privilegium aedificandi by the king of Sicily, Philip II of Spain. In 1627 he was made prince of Sperlinga by Philip IV of Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mussomeli</span> Comune in Sicily, Italy

Mussomeli is a town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notarbartolo</span>

Notarbartolo is one of the main aristocratic families of the Sicilian nobility. Originated in the Middle Ages, it gave to the island numerous personalities who have made a significant contribution to its social, political, intellectual and artistic life. The different branches of the family collected, over the centuries, numerous fiefdoms and noble titles.

Giangiacomo Borghese was an Italian politician who at the height of his career served as the 6th fascist governor of Rome (1939–1944).

The Prince of Leonforte is a noble title in Italy held by the House of Borghese, and previously by the families Branciforte and Lanza. The title derives its name from Leonforte, a town in Sicily. Indeed, the town gained its name from the coat of arms of the Branciforte, depicting a strong lion. It was originally created in 1614, during Philip III of Spain's reign as King of Naples for Nicolò Placido Branciforte. The title remained in the family until 1812, when Stefania Branciforte married Giuseppe Lanza Prince of Trabia. The family was thereafter known as Lanza Branciforte. The title was recognized by the Kingdom of Italy after the unification of Italy. In 1927, Sofia Lanza Branciforte, who was married to Don Giangiacomo Borghese, later Governor of Rome, was granted the title by Ministerial Decree. The title was thereafter used by her descendants, who are members of the House of Borghese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emanuele Notarbartolo</span> Italian politician

Emanuele Notarbartolo, Marquis of San Giovanni was an Italian banker and politician. He is widely considered as the Sicilian Mafia's first eminent victim in 1893.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raimondo Lanza di Trabia</span> Italian nobleman, soldier, diplomat and sportsman

Raimondo Lanza di Trabia was an Italian nobleman, soldier and sportsman. Member of an important Sicilian noble family, he was chairman of the football team Palermo Football Club from 1951 to 1952.

Within the Cosa Nostra, a mandamento is traditionally a district of three geographically contiguous Mafia cosche, which are families controlling a single land feud, or a city ward, in Sicily. A capomandamento represents the head of a territory, the mandamento, and is usually entitled to be part of the provincial Mafia Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francesco Branciforte</span>

Francesco Branciforte Barresi was an aristocrat, Marquis of Militello and 4th prince of Butera, as well as a notable patron of the arts and sciences in Sicily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palazzo Butera, Palermo</span> Baroque building in Palermo, Italy

The Palazzo Butera is a Baroque-style aristocratic palace located facing the Mediterranean in the ancient quarter of Kalsa of central Palermo, region of Sicily, Italy. On the shoreside, the long facade has a wide terrace, built atop the base of the former walls and called Passeggiata delle Cattive, in front of this is the park Foro Italico, in front, rising just south of Porta Felice and Via Vittorio Emanuele ; the access to the palace is from the land-side street of Via Butera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giovanni Riso, Baron of Colòbria</span> Italian politician (1836–1901)

Giovanni Antonio Riso (Notarbartolo) (1836-1901), Baron of Colòbria, was a Sicilian patriot active in the Unification of Italy and scion of one of the wealthiest families in 19th-century Palermo Sicily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Paternò</span>

The House of Paternò is a Sicilian princely family, among the most important and ancient of the Italian aristocracy. Founded in the 11th century, it is one of the four Sicilian families with more than 1000 years of history. The Paternò family also has a particular ancestry, originating from three sovereign and royal houses. Through the male line, and according to tradition, it is a cadet branch from the sovereign house of Barcelona. Through the female line, however, it comes from the Altavillas and, presumably, also from the Provenzas. These ancestries allow the Paternòs to date back to before the 8th century.

References

  1. ↑ "Lanza di Trabia - Storia della famiglia". movio.beniculturali.it. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  2. ↑ Randazzo, Antonio. "Lanza". nobili (in Italian). Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  3. ↑ "CASTANIA, Blasco Lanza barone di - Treccani". Treccani (in Italian). Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  4. ↑ "Comune di Mussomeli". www.comunedimussomeli.it (in Italian). Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  5. ↑ "mussomeli - Treccani". Treccani (in Italian). Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "Storia e Cultura". Comune di Trabia (in Italian). Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  7. 1 2 La Monica, Salvatore (2019). La Sicilia dei Lanza. La scalata nei secoli del lignaggio al vertice del potere feudale (in Italian). Editoriale Agorà. p. 146. ISBN   978-8889930441.
  8. 1 2 "LANZA - Treccani". Treccani (in Italian). Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  9. ↑ "SCORDIA, Pietro Lanza e Branciforte, principe di Trabia, Butera e - Treccani". Treccani (in Italian). Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  10. ↑ "Breve cronistoria del Teatrino dell'Ambasciata Italiana a Parigi - Sala stampa - Fondazione Sicilia". 30 December 2021. Archived from the original on 30 December 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2024.

Notes

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.