| Savelli family | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country |  Papal States |
| Founded | 11th century |
| Titles | |
| Dissolution | 1712 |
TheHouse of Savelli (de Sabellis in documents) were a rich and influentialRoman aristocratic family who rose to prominence in the 13th century, and which included several popes, senators and condottieri.[1] They dominated the city in rivalry with the first generation of great Roman families, theColonna, theOrsini, theCaetani and theAnnibaldi, later being overshadowed by the emergence of the second generation represented by theChigi,Borghese,Barberini,Doria Pamphili andSforza Cesarini families.
The family, who held the lordship ofPalombara Sabina, took their name from therocca (castle) of Sabellum,[2] nearAlbano, which had belonged to thecounts of Tusculum before it passed to the Savelli. Early modern genealogies of the Savelli, such as the unpublished manuscript "eulogistic treatise"[3] compiled byOnofrio Panvinio,[4] drew connections toPope Benedict II, a possible but undocumentable connection, and even to thecognomen Sabellius of Antiquity.
They provided at least two popes: Cencio Savelli,Pope Honorius III (1216–1227) and Giacomo Savelli,Honorius IV (1285–1287).[5] His father,Luca Savelli, was a Roman senator and sacked theLateran in 1234. Luca's decision to side with EmperorFrederick II against Honorius III's successor, Gregory, brought various material benefits to the family, including some fiefs in theSabina region. Honorius' brother,Pandolfo Savelli, was thepodestà ofViterbo in 1275.
Later members include thecondottieriSilvio andAntonello Savelli. Savelli Cardinals includeGiovanni Battista Savelli (1471in pectore, 1480); Giacomo Savelli (1539); Silvio Savelli (1596); Giulio Savelli (1615);Fabrizio Savelli (1647); Paolo Savelli (1664); and Domenico Savelli (1853).[6] The last member of the family left in Rome was Giulio Savelli, who died in 1712.
By the 17th century, the Savelli had fallen on lean times.Castel Gandolfo had been relinquished under terms ofPope Clement VIII's "bull of the barons" to thePapal treasury in return for a mere 150,000 scudi in 1596, and in 1650Albano, with its princely title, was turned over to the Savalli family.[7]
A collateral branch, the Giannuzzi Savelli ('Giannuzzi' adopted later on) represents descendants of Antonio Savelli of Rignano who moved to the Kingdom of Naples in 1421 to fight as a condottiero.[1] This branch, in turn, is divided into two lines. The first line inherited the title of Prince of Cerenzia (principe di Cerenzia) in 1769 from Ippolita Rota, the mother of Ercole Giannuzzi Savelli of the barons of Pietramala who was last of her house. Members of this line included the republican patriot Luigi Giannuzzi Savelli of the Princes of Cerenzia who was shot 3 April 1799 by orders ofCardinal Ruffo.[8] During the 20th century, this line of the Princes of Cerenzia extinguished in theHouse of Paternò who assumed its titles. The second line, of the Barons of Pietramala and Patricians of Cosenza is still flourishing today.
In brackets the year of the beginning and end of his pontificate:
In parentheses the year of nomination as a cardinal:
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