| Orsini | |
|---|---|
| Black noble family | |
 Original arms of the family | |
| Parent family | Bobone/Orsini |
| Country |  Papal States Kingdom of NaplesCounty palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos Despotate of Epirus .svg) Grand Duchy of Tuscany Two Sicilies Kingdom of Italy |
| Current region |  Italy |
| Founded | c. 600 A.D. |
| Founder | Cajo Orso Orsini |
| Current head | Domenico Napoleone Orsini,Duke of Gravina |
| Titles | |
| Motto | Senza rimproveri (Italian for 'Without reproach') |
TheHouse of Orsini is anItalian noble family that was one of the most influential princely families inmedieval Italy andRenaissanceRome. Members of the Orsini family include five popes:[1]Stephen II (752–757),Paul I (757–767),Celestine III (1191–1198),Nicholas III (1277–1280),[2] andBenedict XIII (1724–1730). The family also included 34cardinals, numerouscondottieri, and other significant political and religious figures.[3] The Orsini are part of theBlack nobility who were Roman aristocratic families who supported the Popes in the governance of thePapal States.
According to their own family legend, the Orsini are descended from theJulio-Claudian dynasty ofancient Rome. The Orsini carried on a political feud with theColonna family for centuries in Rome,[4] until it was stopped byPapal Bull in 1511. In 1571, the heads of both families married nieces ofPope Sixtus V as an act of reconciliation. Not really coincidentally, the Colonna family also claims descent from theJulio-Claudian dynasty ofancient Rome.
The Orsini descend from Cajo Orso Orsini who lived c. 600 AD. Five popes are descended from him:Stephen II,Paul I,Celestine III,Nicholas III andBenedict XIII.[5] Some members used the surname of Bobone-Orsini. One member by the name Bobone, lived during the early 11th century, father of Pietro, who was in turn father ofGiacinto Bobone (1110–1198), who in 1191 became pope as Celestine III. One of the first greatnepotist popes, he made two of his nephews cardinals and allowed his cousin Giovanni Gaetano (Giangaetano, died 1232) to buy the fiefs ofVicovaro,Licenza,Roccagiovine andNettuno, which formed the nucleus of the future territorial power of the family.
The Bobone surname was lost with his children, who were calledde domo filiorum Ursi. Two of them, Napoleone andMatteo Rosso the Great (1178–1246), considerably increased the prestige of the family. The former was the founder of the first southern line, which died out with Camillo Pardo in 1553. He obtained the city ofManoppello, later a countship, and wasgonfaloniere of thePapal States. Matteo Rosso, called the Great, was the effective lord ofRome from 1241, when he defeated theImperial troops, until 1243, holding the title ofSenator. Two of his sons, and Napoleone, were also Senators. Matteo ousted the family's traditional rivals, theColonna family, from Rome and extended the Orsini territories southwards down toAvellino and northwards toPitigliano. During his life, the family was firmly in theGuelph faction. He had some ten sons, who divided the fiefs after his deaths: Gentile (died 1246) originated the Pitigliano line and the second southern line, Rinaldo that ofMonterotondo, Napoleone (died 1267) that ofBracciano, and another Matteo Rosso that of Montegiordano, from the name of the district in Rome housing the family's fortress. The most distinguished of his sons wasGiovanni Gaetano (died 1280): elected pope asNicholas III, he named his nephew Bertoldo (d. 1289) as count ofRomagna, and had two nephews anda brother created cardinals.
The rise of the Orsini did not stop after Nicholas' death. Bertoldo's son, Gentile II (1250–1318), was two times Senator of Rome,podestà ofViterbo and, from 1314,Gran Giustiziere ("Great Justicer") of theKingdom of Naples. He married Clarice Ruffo, daughter of the counts ofCatanzaro, forming an alliance of the most powerful Calabrian dynasty. His son Romano (1268–1327), called Romanello, was Royal Vicar of Rome in 1326, and inherited the countship ofSoana through his marriage withAnastasia de Montfort, Countess of Nola. Romano's stance was markedly Guelph. After his death, his two sons divided his fiefs, forming the Pitigliano and the second southern line.
Roberto (1295–1345), Gentile II's grandson, married Sibilla del Balzo, daughter of the Great Senechal of the Kingdom of Naples. Among his sons, Giacomo (died 13 August 1379;Dean of Salisbury,Archdeacon of Leicester andArchdeacon of Durham) was created cardinal byGregory XI in 1371, while Nicola (August 27, 1331 – February 14, 1399) obtained the counties ofAriano andCelano. The latter was also Senator of Rome and enlarged the family territories inLazio andTuscany.
His second son,Raimondello Orsini del Balzo, supportedCharles III'coup d'état in Naples against QueenJoan I. Under kingLadislaus he was among the few Neapolitan feudataries who were able to maintain their territorial power after the royal war against them. However, at his death in 1406 the southern Orsini fiefs were confiscated. Relationships with the royal family remained cold underJoan II; However, when Raimondello's sonGiannantonio (1386–1453) sent his troops to help her against the usurpation attempt of James of Bourbon, he received in exchange thePrincipality of Taranto.
The links with the court increased further underSergianni Caracciolo, Joan's lover and Great Senechal. A younger brother of Giannantonio married one of Sergianni's daughters. However, the Orsini changed side whenAlfonso V of Aragon started his conquest of the Kingdom of Naples. Giannantonio was awarded with theduchy of Bari, the position of Great Connestable and anappanage of 100,000ducati. Giannantonio remained faithful to Alfonso's heir,Ferdinand I, but was killed during a revolt of nobles. Having died without legitimate sons, much of his possessions were absorbed into the Royal Chamber.
This line was initiated by Guido Orsini, second son of Romano, who inherited the county ofSoana, on the western side of Lake Bolsena in southern Tuscany.[6] He and his descendants ruled over the fiefs of Soana, Pitigliano andNola, but in the early 15th century wars against theRepublic of Siena and the Colonnas caused the loss of several territories. Bertoldo (died 1417) managed to keep only Pitigliano, while his grandson Orso (died July 5, 1479) was count of Nola and fought ascondottiere under theDuke of Milan and theRepublic of Venice. Later he entered the service of Ferdinand I of Naples, but, not having taken part in the Barons' conspiracy, he was rewarded with the fiefs ofAscoli andAtripalda. He took part in the Aragonese campaign in Tuscany and was killed at the siege of Viterbo.
The most outstanding member of the Pitigliano line wasNiccolò, one of the major condottiere of the time. His son Ludovico (died January 27, 1534) and his nephew Enrico (died 1528) participated in theItalian Wars at the service of bothFrance andSpain, often changing side with the typical ease of the Italian military leaders of the time. Two of Ludovico's daughters married relevant figures: Geronima toPier Luigi Farnese, illegitimate son ofPope Paul III and Marzia toGian Giacomo Medici ofMarignano, an important general of the Spanish army.
The line started to decay after the loss of Nola by Ludovico, who was also forced to accept the Sienese suzerainty over Pitigliano. Under his son Giovan Francesco (died May 8, 1567) the county entered the orbit of theGrand Duke of Tuscany. Later, the attempt of Alessandro (died February 9, 1604) to obtain the title of Monterotondo was thwarted byPope Gregory XIII. His son Giannantonio (March 25, 1569 – 1613) sold Pitigliano to Tuscany, in exchange for the marquisate ofMonte San Savino.
The line became extinct in 1640 with the death of Alessandro.
This line was founded by Rinaldo, third son of Matteo Rosso the Great. His son, Napoleone, became a cardinal in 1288 and remained a prominent member of the Curia until his death at Avignon in 1342.
This branch of the family was often involved in the baronial struggles of the Late Middle Ages Rome, at least three members of the family being elected as Senators, while others fought as condottieri. Francesco in 1370 took part to the war of Florence against theVisconti of Milan. Orso (died July 24, 1424) died fighting for the king of Naples in theBattle of Zagonara against the Milanese. His sons Giacomo (died 1482) and Lorenzo (1452) battled for the Papal States, Naples and Florence. One of Giacomo's daughters,Clarice (1453–July 30, 1488) becameLorenzo de' Medici's wife.Franciotto Orsini was created cardinal byLeo X in 1517.
The most important member of the Monterotondo Orsinis wasGiovani Battista Orsini, who became cardinal underSixtus IV (1483). He was probably among the promoters of the failed plot againstCesare Borgia in 1502, being assassinated on February 22 of 1503 as retaliation, together with other members of the family:Giulio survived captivity under Cesare, andPaolo and Francesco 4thDuke of Gravina were strangled to death on 18 January 1503.
The line decayed from the late 16th century, when several members were assassinated or lost their lands for various reasons. Its last representatives Enrico (died September 12, 1643) and Francesco (1592 - September 21, 1650) soldMonterotondo to theBarberini in 1641.
Napoleone, another son of Matteo Rosso the Great, received Bracciano,Nerola and other lands in what is now northernLazio. In 1259 he wasSenator of Rome. Thanks to the strategic positions of their fiefs, and to their famouscastle built in Bracciano in 1426, they were the most powerful Orsini line in the Lazio. Count Carlo (died after 1485), son of anotherNapoleone (died October 3, 1480), was Papal Gonfaloniere. By his marriage with a Francesca Orsini of Monterotondo was born Gentile Virginio Orsini, one of the most prominent figures of Italian politics in the late 15th century. After Carlo's death, he enlarged the family's tenure with lands inherited by his wife, another Orsini from Salerno, and most of all he was amongst the favourites of Ferdinand I of Naples, who appointed him as Great Constable of Naples. Together with his cousin, the Cardinal Giovanni Battista, he was among the fiercest opponents of popesInnocent VIII andAlexander VI. In 1492 Gentile Virginio bought the county ofAnguillara fromFranceschetto Cybo.
DuringCharles VIII of France's descent into Italy, he managed to keep Bracciano.Ferdinand II had his fiefs confiscated and imprisoned him inCastel dell'Ovo, where he was poisoned in 1497. The family recovered this setback under the more friendly Medici popes of the early 16th century. His sonGian Giordano wasPrince Assistant to the Papal Throne. His nephew Virginio was a famous admiral for the Papal States and France, but in 1539 he had his fiefs confiscated under the charge of treason.
Paolo Giordano was created first Duke of Bracciano in 1560. The son of Girolamo Orsini and Francesca Sforza, he was grandson, on his father's side, ofFelice della Rovere[7] (illegitimate daughter ofPope Julius II) andGian Giordano Orsini and, on his mother's side, of Count BosioSforza andCostanza Farnese, an illegitimate daughter ofPope Paul III. An accomplished condottiero, he was however also a ruthless figure who had his wifeIsabella de' Medici murdered. For this and other homicides he had to flee to northern Italy. He was succeeded byVirginio, whose heirPaolo Giordano II married the princess ofPiombino and was created Prince of theHoly Roman Empire. His brotherAlessandro was cardinal and Papal legate, and another brother, Ferdinando (died March 4, 1660) acquired the assets of the other line ofSan Gemini. In the 17th century the Dukes of Bracciano moved their residence to Rome. This, along with a general economical decadence, damaged the dukedom, and last Duke and Prince, Flavio (March 4, 1620 – April 5, 1698) was forced by the huge debts to sell it toLivio Odescalchi.
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The line of Gravina, from the name of the eponymous city inApulia, is the only existing line of the Orsini. It descends from Francesco (died 1456), a son of Count Carlo of Bracciano. Most of his fief was located in northern Lazio, but he entered in the Neapolitan orbit when in 1418 he was called by Sergianni Caracciolo to fight against the Angevine troops, which he defeated. By marriage, he obtained the title ofCount of Gravina. He was made Duke of Gravina by King Alfonso, a title definitely assigned to his son Giacomo (died 1472), to which had been added the counties ofConversano,Campagna andCopertino. Two of Francesco's sons, Marino (died 1471) andGiovanni Battista (died June 8, 1476), were respectivelyarchbishop of Taranto andGrand Master of theKnights of Rhodes.
The fourth duke, Francesco, was part of a conspiracy along with his brothersGiulio and Paolo againstCesare Borgia but were found out, and Francesco was strangled to death on 18 January 1503 along with his brother Paolo. One of Francesco's nephews,Flavio Orsini, was created cardinal in 1565. The fifth duke, Ferdinando (died December 6, 1549), had all his fiefs confiscated by the Spaniards, but he regained them after a 40,000 scudi payment.
After the heirless death of Duke Michele Antonio (January 26, 1627), his lands passed to his cousin Pietro Orsini, count ofMuro Lucano (died 1641). The latter's nephewPier Francesco, who had renounced the succession in favour of his brother Domenico to become aDominican, was later elected pope with the name of Benedict XIII.
His successor raised Benedict XIII's nephew, Prince Beroaldo Orsini, to the dignity ofPrince Assistants to the Papal Throne (title held until 1958), after the emperorCharles VI had already, in 1724, made him a prince of theHoly Roman Empire. The last cardinal from the family was Domenico.
This branch of the family moved to Rome in the 18th century, where Duke Domenico (November 23, 1790 – April 28, 1874), married Maria LuisaTorlonia in 1823. In 1850, he was Minister of War and General Lieutenant of the Papal Armies, and also Senator of Rome.
The remaining princely family is represented by Prince Domenico Napoleone Orsini,Duke of Gravina (b. 1948). With no sons or male-line descendants, the heir to the dukedom of Gravina is his brother Don Benedetto Orsini (b. 1956), followed by his cousin Prince Lelio Orsini d'Aragona (b. 1981), whose mother is PrincessKetevan Bagration of Mukhrani.
Apart from the Bracciano castle, other notable buildings and structures associated with the Orsini include:
The Orsini family was briefly mentioned inBoccaccio's bookThe Decameron in the 5th day, 3rd story. In the woods, it is described that soldiers from a rival family's soldiers attacked a fictional character in the book named Pietro while they had become lost in the woods about eight miles from Rome. Boccaccio describes the soldiers acting to spite of the Orsini's. Furthermore, a castle namedCampo de' Fiori, was included in the text.L'Idole (R. Merle) also hasPaolo and Lodovico Orsini as main protagonists, since the book is aboutVittoria Accoramboni's life.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)(available online — to be linked)
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