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TheItalian nobility (Italian:Nobiltà italiana) comprised individuals and their families of theItalian Peninsula, and the islands linked with it, recognized by the sovereigns of theItalian city-states since theMiddle Ages, and by thekings of Italy after theunification of the region into a single state, theKingdom of Italy.
Nobles had a specific legal status and held most of the wealth and various privileges denied to other classes, mainly politicians. In most of the former Italian pre-unification states, it was the only class that had access to high-level government positions. They represented the most distinguished positions of the peninsular nations in addition to theCatholic Church for several centuries. There were varying forms of nobility over time in their respective regions.[1]
From the Medieval Period until the nineteenth century in March 1861, Italy was not a single unified sovereign state. It was a peninsula consisting of several separate kingdoms, duchies, and other minor principalities, with manyreigningdynasties. These were often related maritally to both the neighbouring Italian states and other major and minor European dynasties.
Recognition of Italian nobility ceased with the creation of theItalian Republic in 1946. Although many titles still exist, they are used as a matter of social courtesy, but are not recognised under Italian law. A limited number ofnoble titles granted by the pope were formally acknowledged according to Article 42 of theLateran Treaty until its abrogation in 1985.
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Before theUnification of Italy in 1861, the Italian peninsula was home to numerous noble families. Among the most prominent were theSforza ofMilan and theMedici ofFlorence, both of whom played a significant role in fostering theRinascimento (Italian Renaissance) in their respective regions. Perhaps the most politically consequential noble lineage was theHouse of Savoy, whose leadership was instrumental in the establishment of theKingdom of Italy in the 19th century.
From the 15th to the 18th centuries, the Italian peninsula was home to a wide array of noble families, many of whom rose to prominence through judicial appointments, election to regionalsenates, or high-ranking positions within theRoman Catholic Church.[2]
In addition to newly elevated nobility, many families had held noble status for generations, sometimes spanning centuries. Writing in the 19th century, the historianLeopold von Ranke described the longstanding noble lineages in Rome:
In the middle of the 17th century there were computed to be fifty noble families in Rome of three hundred years' standing, thirty-five of two hundred, and sixteen of one hundred years. None were permitted to claim a more ancient descent, or were generally traced to an obscure, or even a low origin.
TheSicilian nobility was a privileged hereditary class in theKingdom of Sicily, theKingdom of the Two Sicilies and theKingdom of Italy, whose origins may be traced to the 11th century AD.
TheRomans,Byzantines andSaracens exported different elements of theiraristocratic structures to the island ofSicily, however, it was not until theNorman invasion of 1061, led byRoger I de Hauteville, that the Sicilian aristocracy and feudal system took root.
Over the centuries, established noble families were advanced through the aristocratic ranks. By the 18th century, the titlesprincipe,duca andmarchese were held by many men whose ancestors, only several centuries earlier, had been barons and lords.Conte,signore andcavaliere are titles that have been used by the Sicilian nobility. Over the centuries many families emerged as landed aristocracy or nobility similar to the Englishgentry andpeerage.
During this period, throughout Italy various influential families came to positions of power through theelection of a family member asPope or were elevated into the ranks of nobility throughecclesiastical promotion. These families freely intermarried with aristocratic nobility. Like other noble families, those with both papal power and money were able to purchasecomunes or other tracts of land and elevate family patriarchs and other relatives to noble titles. Hereditary patriarchs were appointedDuke,Marquis and evenPrince of various 16th and 17th centuryprincipalities. According to Ranke:
UnderInnocent X there existed, for a considerable time, two great factions, or associations of families. TheOrsini,Cesarini,Borghese,Aldobrandini,Ludovisi, andGiustiniani were with thePamphili; while opposed to them, was the house ofColonna and theBarberini.
— Leopold von Ranke, The History of the Popes
Popes commonly elevated members of prominent families to the position ofCardinal; especially second and third sons who would not otherwise inherithereditary titles. Popes also elevated their own family members – especially nephews – to the special position ofCardinal-Nephew. Prominent families could purchasecurial offices for their sons and regularly did, hoping that the son would rise through Church ranks to become aBishop or a Cardinal, from which position they could dispense further titles and positions of authority to other family members.[2]
The period was famous for papalnepotism and many families, such as the Barberini and Pamphili, benefited greatly from having a papal relative. Families that had previously been limited to agricultural or mercantile ventures found themselves, sometimes within only one or two generations, elevated to the Roman nobility when a relative was elected to the papal throne.[2] Modern Italy is dotted with the fruits of their success – various familypalazzi stand today as a testament to their sometimes meteoric rise to power.
In the case of theRepublic of Genoa, through the Constitutional Reform and the laws of 1528, 1548 and 1575, an aristocratic republic was inaugurated, which would last until 1797. With the constitutional reform of 1528, belonging to analbergo became from optional to compulsory, effectively transforming the alberghi into lists of registration to the city nobility recognized by the government. The reform required that the wealthiest citizens who owned six or more houses should originate a distinct albergo. On that occasion, it was decided to establish a single Order of noble citizens, otherwise known as Old Nobles, divided into twenty-three old and already existing alberghi and five new ones were created for the occasion. These associations were to prevent the resurgence of ancient hostilities and protect the wealth and power of the wealthiest families.[3][4]
TheFlorentine, and laterTuscan nobility distinguished itself in the two classes of Patricians, recognized as noble since before 1532, belonging to theOrder of Saint Stephen, and residing only in the ancient noble homelands:Florence,Siena,Pisa,Pistoia,Arezzo,Volterra,Montepulciano andCortona. And of the nobles, simple nobility, civic nobility, senators and commanders, with residence of the "new" noble homelands:Sansepolcro,San Miniato,Livorno,Pescia andPrato. Overall, the Florentine nobility was divided into feudal, senatorial and priority.[5][6]
InMilan, the first officially drawn up list of nobility was the "Matricula nobilium familiarum Mediolani" byOttone Visconti, dated 20 April 1377, in which, however, only the noble Milanese families who helped theVisconti family in their seizure of power over the municipality of Milan were listed, therefore considered the most faithful and ancient nobility in the future lifetime of the city. From 5 September 1395 theDukes of Milan officially obtained the right to grant nobility to as many nobles as there were, consistent with the recognition of theDuchy of Milan. During the whole ducal period, first of the Visconti and then of theSforza, the nobility residing in the city was increasingly predisposed to become court nobility, in the direct service of the duke, especially in the field of arms and alliances for war purposes. These families, during this period, played a fundamental role in the politics of the territory, without ever completely outclassing the figure of the duke. Most of the Milanese patriciate is linked to this period, which in the following centuries will constitute a sign of distinction between the nobility granted "to the Milanese by their duke" and that granted by "foreigners".[7]
TheVenetian Patriciate was one of the three social bodies into which the society of theRepublic of Venice was divided, together with citizens and foreigners.Patrizio was thenoble title of the members of thearistocracy ruling the city ofVenice and the Republic. The title was abbreviated, in front of the name, by the initials N.H. (Nobil Homo), together with the feminine variant N.D. (Nobildonna). Holding the title of a Venetian patrician was a great honour and many European kings and princes, as well as foreign noble families, are known to have asked for and obtained the prestigious title.
Thenoble houses were primarily divided into Old (Case vecchie) and New houses (Case nuove), with the former being noted for traditionally electing thefirst Doge in 697 AD. The New houses were no less significant, as many became very prominent and important in influencing thehistory of the Republic of Venice. The families were furthermore divided into several other "categories", including Ducal houses (which gave Doges), Newest houses (Case nuovissime), Non-Venetian patricians, and "Houses made for money" (usually very wealthy landowning orbourgeoise families enriched through trade).
Although there were numerous noble houses across Venice'shome andoverseas land possessions, the Republic was in fact ruled as anoligarchy by about 20 to 30 families of Venice's urban nobility, who elected theDoge, held political and military offices and directly participated in the daily governing of the state. They were predominantlymerchants, with their main source of income being trade with the East and other entrepreneurial activities, on which they became incredibly wealthy. Some of the most important families, who dominated the politics and the history of the state, include those such as theContarini,Cornaro,Dandolo,Dolfin,Giustiniani,Loredan,Mocenigo,Arellano,Morosini and theVenier families.
TheHouse of Savoy was the rulingdynasty of theDuchy of Savoy, then theKingdom of Sardinia and laterKingdom of Italy from 1861 to 1946. The nobility of this House of Savoy masterminded the creation of the Kingdom of Italy.
In the years preceding the political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation ofdifferent states of theItalian Peninsula into a single state, theKingdom of Italy, the existence of theKingdom of Sardinia, theKingdom of the Two Sicilies (before 1816: theKingdom of Naples and theKingdom of Sicily), theGrand Duchy of Tuscany, theDuchy of Parma, theDuchy of Modena, theDuchy of Savoy, thePapal States and the AustrianKingdom of Lombardy–Venetia led to parallel nobilities with different traditions and rules.
Modern Italy became a nation-state during theRisorgimento on 17 March 1861, when most of the states of the peninsula and Kingdom of the Two Sicilies were united under KingVictor Emmanuel II of the Savoy dynasty, hitherto monarch of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which includedPiedmont. The architect of Italian unification wasCount Camillo Benso di Cavour, the Chief Minister of Victor Emmanuel.Rome itself remained for a further decade under the Papacy, and became part of the Kingdom of Italy only in 1870. In September of that year, invading Italian troops entered the Papal state, and the ensuing occupation forcedPope Pius IX to his palace where he declared himself a prisoner in the Vatican, as did his successors, until theLateran Pacts of 1929.
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Under the unitedKingdom of Italy a new national nobility, an attempt (not wholly successful) to impose a uniform nobiliary law, was created, including male succession (although it was possible for ancient titles to be transferred to an heir in the female line by royal authority), and some acknowledgement was made by theKing of Italy of titles conferred byFrancis II of the Two Sicilies in exile by making new grants in the same name. Those nobles who maintained allegiance to thepope became known as theBlack Nobility.[11]
After the unification of Italy, its kings continued to create titles of nobility for eminent Italians, this time valid for all Italian territory. For example, GeneralEnrico Cialdini was createdDuca di Gaeta for his role during unification. The practice continued until the 20th century, when nominations would be made by the Prime Minister of Italy and approved by the Crown. In the aftermath of theFirst World War, most Italians who were ennobled received their titles through the patronage of theMussolini government. Examples include GeneralArmando Diaz (Duca della Vittoria), AdmiralPaolo Thaon di Revel (Duca del Mare), CommodoreLuigi Rizzo (Conte di Grado e di Premuda),Costanzo Ciano (Conte di Cortellazzo i Buccari),Dino Grandi (Conte di Mordano) andCesare Maria de Vecchi (Conte di Val Cismon). Many of these werevictory titles for services rendered to the nation in the Great War. The writer and aviatorGabriele d'Annunzio was createdPrincipe di Montenevoso in 1924, and the physicist, inventor, andNobel laureateGuglielmo Marconi was also ennobled in 1924 asMarchese Marconi. In 1937,Ettore Tolomei was ennobled asConte della Vetta. When CardinalEugenio Pacelli became Pope in 1939, Mussolini had the title ofPrincipe posthumously bestowed on the new Pontiff's brotherFrancesco Pacelli, who had already been made aMarchese by the Holy See during his lifetime.
In 1929, theLateran Treaty acknowledged all Papal titles created before that date and undertook to give unquestioned recognition to titles conferred by the Holy See on Italian citizens in the future.[11]
After the successful Italianinvasion of Abyssinia, the Mussolini government recommended some Italians to the king of Italy for titles of nobility. For example, MarshalPietro Badoglio was createdMarchese del Sabotino and laterDuke of Addis Abeba, while GeneralRodolfo Graziani becameMarchese di Neghelli.
In May 1936 the kingVictor Emmanuel III was namedEmperor of Ethiopia and maintained this title until September 1943, when Italy surrendered to the Allies duringWW2. In November 1943 Victor Emmanuel III of the House of Savoy renounced his claims to the title of Emperor of Ethiopia (and also of King of Albania, that obtained in 1939).[12]
In 1946, the Kingdom of Italy was replaced by arepublic. Under theItalian Constitution adopted in 1948, titles of nobility, although still used as a courtesy, are not legally recognised.[13]
Certainpredicati (nobiliary particles and/orterritorial designations) recognised before 1922 may continue to be attached to surnames and used in legal documents. Often these were historic feudal territories of noble families. Although a high court ruling in 1967 definitively established that the heraldic-nobiliary legislation of the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946) is not current law, the title of the head of the noble family is still accorded to all descendants ascourtesy titles.[14]
The southern kingdoms of Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia, as well as the Papal states, granted titles as in monarchies such as Spain, France, or England: duke, marquis, count, baron. The title of viscount was not, however, as frequent in Italy as elsewhere.Joseph Bonaparte conferred the title "prince" to be hereditary on his children and grandchildren.[15]
Often, Italiancomunes (also in theKingdom of Naples) and republics granted or recognised the title ofPatrician (post-Roman Europe)[16]
TheRepublic of Venice also granted feudal titles. In the Middle Ages:
The majority of feudatories were simplysignori (from the Frenchseigneur, a title introduced into Italy by the 11th century Normans),vassalli (vassals) orcavalieri (knights). Eventually, this class came to be known collectively as thebaroni (barons); in Italybarone was not always a title descriptive of a particular feudal rank. During the 14th century, most minor feudal lands became baronies, their holders barons. It must be observed that the use of these titles usually required some form of sovereign award or feudal tenure.[17][full citation needed]
During the Renaissance, noble families conquered most of the Italian city-states except the republics of Venice,Genoa,Lucca,San Marino andRagusa.
Until 1806, parts of the present-day Italy formed the Kingdom of Italy, belonging to theHoly Roman Empire. When in 1861 the king of Sardinia annexed the other Italian states, theConsulta Araldica (the Italian college of arms) integrated these different and varied systems into the hierarchy described below.
The official ranks under the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946) were:
| Italian | Translation | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine |
| Re d'Italia | Regina d'Italia | King of Italy | Queen of Italy |
| Principe | Principessa | Prince | Princess |
| Duca | Duchessa | Duke | Duchess |
| Marchese | Marchesa | Marquis | Marchioness |
| Conte | Contessa | Count (Earl) | Countess |
| Visconte | Viscontessa | Viscount | Viscountess |
| Barone | Baronessa | Baron | Baroness |
| Nobile, orNobiluomo | Nobile, orNobildonna | Nobleman | Noblewoman |
| Cavaliere ereditario | Dama | Baronet (hereditary knight) | Dame |
| Patrizio of certain cities | Patrizia of certain cities | Patrician | |
This hierarchy resulted from the overlapping of titles granted by the pre-unification states, though these were different from each other.
By 1946, with abolition of the monarchy, a number of titles borne by families in the pre-unification states (Two Sicilies, Papal State, etc.) still had not been matriculated by theConsulta Araldica.
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They (Italian titles) may still be used as a courtesy, but have no legal standing (in the UK).
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