TheDuchy of Bracciano was afief of thePapal States, centred onlago di Bracciano and the town ofBracciano itself and ruled by a branch of theOrsini family with the title of Lord (from 1417) and Duke (1560–1696).
The Orsini ruled Bracciano from 1417, when Charles, a descendant of Napoleone Orsini (died c. 1267), was made lord of Bracciano byPope Martin V. On Charles' death in 1445 the lordship was inherited byNapoleone Orsini (also count ofTagliacozzo),Gentile Virginio, Gian Giordano, Girolamo andPaolo Giordano I Orsini. In 1558 Paolo Giordano I marriedCosimo I de' Medici's daughterIsabella de' Medici. To gain the Medici's consent to the match,Pope Pius IV promoted Bracciano to a dukedom and added to its territories, giving the Orsini greater financial resources. The Orsini took full advantage of this, building a new aqueduct and using its water to mine sulphur and iron and manufacture tapestries.[1] After church power had been consolidated, the new duke moved against the barons and gradually placed all the fiefdoms under his complete control.[2]
The classic feudal rights were conferred on the new duke - imposing tribute, minting coins (a right he did not take up), political asylum, the so-called 'mero et mixto imperio' (i.e. exercising judicial power in civil and penal law). The duchy was made up of seven main lands - Bracciano,Anguillara (linked to the Orsini bypersonal union; technically an autonomous county, than a marquisate, ruled by the duke's eldest son),Cerveteri,Trevignano,Monterano,Campagnano andFormello, as well as twenty-five other estates, such asPalo andViano.[3]
Vassals of the pope and theking of Spain, the various Orsini branches had accumulated a vast set of lands, reaching from the counties of Tagliacozzo (origin of the Bracciano line),Alba andCarsoli, through theviceregality of Naples and the areas aroundSubiaco and Lake Bracciano and ending at theTyrrhenian Sea nearcastello di Palo, watching over the most important main roads into Rome. Napoleone I Orsini had chosen Bracciano as his capital and turned it into a major military stronghold and an elegant lordly court.[4] The family usedMonte Giordano as their palace in Rome and were buried in thecollegiate church of Santo Stefano in Bracciano.
After the tragic events surrounding the marriages ofPaolo Giordano I,Isabella de' Medici andVittoria Accoramboni, the most notable duke was his grandson Paolo Giordano II, who became a prince of theHoly Roman Empire (1623) and prince-consort ofPiombino through his marriage to the art-loverIsabella Appiani. However, the duchy started to fall into a decline since its ruling family now lived so far away and showed so little interest in it. The final duke, Flavio, was short of money and little by little sold off the duchy's lands to theChigi and del Grillo families. He finally sold Bracciano itself and the title of duke to theOdescalchi in 1696 - they still own the castle. After his death his widowMarie Anne de La Trémoille moved toMadrid, wherePhilip IV of Spain made hercamarera mayor to queenMaria Luisa of Savoy. However, in 1714, Marie Anne was dismissed byElisabetta Farnese for her continued interference in Spanish politics and returned to Rome, where she died in 1722. The inalienable lands and ducal rank were thus transferred to the Odescalchi and very briefly to theTorlonia before finally being re-absorbed into the Papal States byPope Innocent XII.[5][6]
Source:[7]
| Name | Period | Wife | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlo Orsini | 1417–1445 | Paola Gironima Orsini di Tagliacozzo | |
| Napoleone | 1445–1480 | Francesca Orsini di Monterotondo | Also count of Tagliacozzo |
| Gentile Virginio | 1480–1497 | Isabella Orsini di Salerno | |
| Gian Giordano | 1497–1517 | Maria Cecilia d'Aragona-Napoli; Felice della Rovere (illegitimate daughter ofpope Julius II | Boughtcastello di Palo |
| Girolamo | 1517–1545 | Francesca Sforza di Santa Fiora | |
| Paolo Giordano I | 1545–1560 | Isabella de' Medici Vittoria Accoramboni (several attempts made to annul the marriage) |
| Name | Period | Wife | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paolo Giordano I | 1560–1585 | Isabella de' Medici Vittoria Accoramboni (several attempts made to annul the marriage) | |
| Virginio | 1585–1615 | Flavia Peretti Damasceni | |
| Paolo Giordano II | 1615–1646 | Isabella Appiani,princess of Piombino | Made a prince of the Holy Roman Empire byFerdinand II on 18 July 1623 |
| Ferdinando | 1646–1660 | Giustiniana Orsini | |
| Flavio [it] | 1660–1696 | Ippolita Ludovisi; Marie Anne de La Trémoille | Last sovereign duke, died 1698 |