Dukes in Italy, Germany and Austria
Encyclopedia
Germany
Although the titled aristocracy of Germany no longer holds a legal rank, nearly all ducal families in Germany continued to be treated as dynasticDynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
(i.e., "royalty") for marital and genealogical purposes after 1918. Some maintain dynastic traditions that are reflected in roles they still play in high society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
, philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
and Germany's version of local "squirearchy".
At first, the highest nobles – de facto equal to kings and emperors – were the Dukes of the stem duchies
Stem duchy
Stem duchies were essentially the domains of the old German tribes of the area, associated with the Frankish Kingdom, especially the East, in the Early Middle Ages. These tribes were originally the Franks, the Saxons, the Alamanni, the Burgundians, the Thuringii, and the Rugii...
:
- Duchy of SaxonyDuchy of SaxonyThe medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
(now Lower Saxony) - Duchy of FranconiaFranconiaFranconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
- Duchy of BavariaDuchy of BavariaThe Duchy of Bavaria was the only one of the stem duchies from the earliest days of East Francia and the Kingdom of Germany to preserve both its name and most of its territorial extent....
- Duchy of SwabiaDuke of SwabiaThe following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany.Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to hold Swabia were the Hohenstaufen, who held it, with a brief...
- Duchy of Lorraine (replacing Duchy of ThuringiaDuchy of ThuringiaThe Duchy of Thuringia was an eastern frontier march of the Merovingian kingdom of Austrasia, established by Dagobert I after his victory over the Slavic confederation of Samo at the Battle of Wogastisburg in 631/2...
)
Later, the precedence shifted to the prince-elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
s, the first order amongst the princes of the empire, regardless of the actual title attached to the fief. This college originally included only one Duke, the Duke of Saxony. The ducal title, however, was not limited by primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
in the post-medieval era. All descendants in the male line, including females, shared the original title, but each male added as a suffix
Affix
An affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word. Affixes may be derivational, like English -ness and pre-, or inflectional, like English plural -s and past tense -ed. They are bound morphemes by definition; prefixes and suffixes may be separable affixes...
the name of his inherited domain to distinguish his line from that of other branches. From the 19th century, some cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
s of the kingly houses of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
, and all those of the grand-ducal houses of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1348, when Albert II of Mecklenburg and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg by King Charles IV...
, Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy and later grand duchy in northern Germany, consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district , and the western exclave of the former Bishopric of Ratzeburg in modern...
and Oldenburg
Oldenburg
Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
, took the ducal prefix as their primary style instead of that of Prince (Prinz)
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
.
There were many other duchies, some of them insignificant petty states (Kleinstaaterei
Kleinstaaterei
is a German word, mainly used for the political situation in Germany and neighbouring regions during the Holy Roman Empire and during the German Confederation...
):
- Duchy of Bavaria, elector since 1623
- Duchy of Bremen (1648-1806)
- Duchy of Brunswick-LüneburgBrunswick-LüneburgThe Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
, divided into various lines, one of which became the electorate of HanoverHanoverHanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
in 1692 - Duchy of FranconiaFranconiaFranconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
, the secular title of the Bishop of Würzburg - Duchy of HolsteinHolsteinHolstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
, in union with SchleswigSchleswigSchleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
, in personal unionPersonal unionA personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
with the Danish crown. - Duchy of JülichJülichJülich is a town in the district of Düren, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Jülich is well known as location of a world-famous research centre, the Forschungszentrum Jülich and as shortwave transmission site of Deutsche Welle...
and BergBerg (state)Berg was a state – originally a county, later a duchy – in the Rhineland of Germany. Its capital was Düsseldorf. It existed from the early 12th to the 19th centuries.-Ascent:... - Duchy of Lorraine
- Duchy of MagdeburgDuchy of MagdeburgThe Duchy of Magdeburg was a province of Brandenburg-Prussia from 1680 to 1701 and a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1701 to 1807. It replaced the Archbishopric of Magdeburg after its secularization by Brandenburg. The duchy's capitals were Magdeburg and Halle, while Burg was another...
, the former prince-archbishopric after being acquired by Brandenburg-PrussiaBrandenburg-PrussiaBrandenburg-Prussia is the historiographic denomination for the Early Modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession...
in 1680 - Duchy of Mecklenburg, later divided into various lines
- Duchy of PomeraniaDuchy of PomeraniaThe Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
- Grand Duchy of SalzburgFerdinand III, Grand Duke of TuscanyFerdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1790 to 1801 and, after a period of disenfranchisement, again from 1814 to 1824. He was also the Prince-elector and Grand Duke of Salzburg and Grand Duke of Würzburg .-Biography:Ferdinand was born in Florence, Tuscany, into the...
, the secularized prince-archbishopric 1803-1806 - Duchies of Saxony, in Lower SaxonyLower Saxon CircleThe Lower Saxon Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. Covering much of the territory of the mediæval Duchy of Saxony , firstly the circle used to be called the Saxon Circle , only to be later better differentiated from the Upper Saxon Circle the more specific name prevailed.An...
and Upper SaxonyUpper Saxon CircleThe Upper Saxon Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire, created in 1512.The circle was dominated by the electorate of Saxony and the electorate of Brandenburg. It further comprised the Saxon Ernestine duchies and Pomerania...
, the successor state(s) of the original (stem)duchy of Saxony after dismissal of Duke Henry the Lion by the Emperor, collateral lines of the electoral line (to wit: the Lower Saxon Saxe-Lauenburg and the Upper Saxon Saxe-AltenburgSaxe-AltenburgSaxe-Altenburg was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia.-History:The duchy originated from the medieval Burgraviate of Altenburg in the Imperial Pleissnerland , a possession of the Wettin Margraves of Meissen since 1243...
, Saxe-Coburg and GothaSaxe-Coburg and GothaSaxe-Coburg and Gotha or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha served as the collective name of two duchies, Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha, in Germany. They were located in what today are the states of Bavaria and Thuringia, respectively, and the two were in personal union between 1826 and 1918...
, Saxe-EisenachSaxe-EisenachSaxe-Eisenach was the name of an Ernestine duchy ruled by the Saxon House of Wettin. The State intermittendly existed at three different times in the Thuringian region of the Holy Roman Empire...
, Saxe-EisenbergSaxe-EisenbergThe Duchy of Saxe-Eisenberg was one of the Saxon Duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin Dynasty. Established in 1680 for Christian, fifth son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha, the Duchy consisted Eisenberg and the towns of Ronneburg, Roda and Camburg...
, Saxe-GothaSaxe-GothaSaxe-Gotha was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine of the Wettin dynasty in the former Landgraviate of Thuringia. The ducal residence was erected at Gotha....
, Saxe-HildburghausenSaxe-HildburghausenSaxe-Hildburghausen was an Ernestine duchy in what is now southern Thuringia, Germany. Its territory was similar to that of the modern Hildburghausen district.-History:...
, Saxe-JenaSaxe-JenaThe Duchy of Saxe-Jena was one of the Saxon Duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin Dynasty. Established in 1672 for Bernhard, fourth son of Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, Saxe-Jena was reincorporated into Saxe-Weimar on the extinction of Bernhard's line in 1690.-Dukes of Saxe-Jena:*...
, Saxe-MeiningenSaxe-MeiningenThe Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin dynasty, located in the southwest of the present-day German state of Thuringia....
, Saxe-RömhildSaxe-RömhildThe Duchy of Saxe-Römhild was one of the Saxon Duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin Dynasty. Established in 1680 for Heinrich, fourth son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha. The line became extinct after the childless death of the duke in 1710 and his lands were disputed between his brothers...
, Saxe-SaalfeldSaxe-SaalfeldThe Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld was one of the Saxon Duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin Dynasty. Established in 1680 for Johann Ernst, seventh son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha. It remained under this name until 1699, when Albert, Duke of Saxe-Coburg died without sons...
, Saxe-WeimarSaxe-WeimarSaxe-Weimar was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia. The chief town and capital was Weimar.-Division of Leipzig:...
, Saxe-Weimar-EisenachSaxe-Weimar-EisenachThe Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was created in 1809 by the merger of the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach. It was raised to a Grand duchy in 1815 by resolution of the Vienna Congress. In 1877, it officially changed its name to the Grand Duchy of Saxony , but this name was...
, Saxe-WeissenfelsSaxe-WeissenfelsSaxe-Weissenfels was a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire from 1656/7 until 1746 with its residence at Weißenfels. Ruled by a cadet branch of the Albertine House of Wettin, the duchy passed to the Electorate of Saxony upon the extinction of the line....
, and Saxe-WittenbergSaxe-WittenbergThe Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg was a medieval duchy of the Holy Roman Empire centered at Wittenberg, which emerged after the dissolution of the stem duchy of Saxony. As the precursor of the Saxon Electorate, the Ascanian Wittenberg dukes prevailed in obtaining the Saxon electoral dignity.-Ascanian...
) - Duchy of SilesiaDuchy of SilesiaThe Duchy of Silesia with its capital at Wrocław was a medieval duchy located in the historic Silesian region of Poland. Soon after it was formed under the Piast dynasty in 1138, it fragmented into various Duchies of Silesia. In 1327 the remaining Duchy of Wrocław as well as most other duchies...
- Duchy of WestphaliaDuchy of WestphaliaThe Duchy of Westphalia was a historic territory in the greater region of Westphalia, located in the east of modern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Originally, Westphalia formed with Angria and Eastphalia one of the three main regions of Saxony...
, a territory under the Archbishop of Cologne, either a successor-state of the original Duchy of Saxony, which was divided into Eastphalia (which later became Brunswick-Lüneburg), Engern and Westphalia - Duchy of Württemberg, became an electorate in 1803
- Duchy of Zweibrücken
On the Baltic south coast
- The duchy of Pomerellen (Pomerelia; capital Danzig (Gdańsk), now in Poland) was part of the State of the Teutonic Order until its takeover by the Polish Crown in 1466.
- The duchy of Courland (now in LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
) was a Polish vassal state and once a colonial power from its foundation in 1562 for the last Master of Livonian OrderLivonian OrderThe Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...
, Gotthard KettlerGotthard KettlerGotthard von Kettler was the last Master of the Livonian Order and the first Duke of Courland and Semigallia....
, until 1795. - The Ordensstaat became the Duchy of Prussia in 1525, part of the dynastic home country of the later German (Hohenzollern) Emperor.
The Low countries (Netherlands/Belgium/Luxembourg)
- Duchy of BrabantDuke of BrabantThe Duchy of Brabant was formally erected in 1183/1184. The title "Duke of Brabant" was created by the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I, son of Godfrey III of Leuven . The Duchy of Brabant was a feudal elevation of the since 1085/1086 existing title of Landgrave of Brabant...
- Duchy of Guelders
- Duchy of Bouillon in the Ardenne
- Duchy of Luxembourg
Austria
The Austrian lands:- the Duchies of AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
proper - the Duchy of HohenbergHohenbergHohenberg may refer to:*the Austrian Ducal family of Hohenberg who are descended from the Austrian Imperial and Royal Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty*Hohenberg, Lower Austria, a town in Austria*Hohenberg an der Eger, a town in Bavaria, Germany...
- the Duchy of CarinthiaDuchy of CarinthiaThe Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
(today in Austria and Slovenia) - the Duchy of Styria (today in Austria and Slovenia)
- the Duchy of KrainCarniolaCarniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
(today SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
).
The Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
dukes came to style themselves Archduke
Archduke
The title of Archduke denotes a noble rank above Duke and below King, used only by princes of the Houses of Habsburg and Habsburg-Lorraine....
s.
Italy
The earliest territorial titles in Italy rendered as Duke were officially styled DuxDux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
in Latin, as they were appointed under Byzantine suzerainty (in the Exarchate of Ravenna), notably in chief of the essentially republican virtual Tyrhenean port cities of Amalfi
Amalfi
Amalfi is a town and comune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, c. 35 km southeast of Naples. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto , surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery...
, Gaeta
Gaeta
Gaeta is a city and comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is 120 km from Rome and 80 km from Naples....
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
until the Germanic takeover by the Italian kingdom of the Longobards.
More conventional feudal dukedoms include:
- Duchy of Acerenza, created by the Kings of Spain and Naples for the ancestors of the Prince Belmonte
- Duchy of SpoletoDuchy of SpoletoThe independent Duchy of Spoleto was a Lombard territory founded about 570 in central Italy by the Lombard dux Faroald.- Lombards :The Lombards, a Germanic people, had invaded Italy in 568 and conquered much of it, establishing a Kingdom divided between several dukes dependent on the King, who had...
, in the Longobard kingdom - Duchy of SavoyDuchy of SavoyFrom 1416 to 1847, the House of Savoy ruled the eponymous Duchy of Savoy . The Duchy was a state in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula, with some territories that are now in France. It was a continuation of the County of Savoy...
, originally a countship; also partly in present France and Switzerland - Dukes of Modena and Reggio
- Duchy of San Donato, created by the Kings of Spain and Naples for the ancestors of the Prince SanseverinoSanseverinoSanseverino is a surname, and may refer to:* Roscemanno Sanseverino, 12th century cardinal* Ferdinando Sanseverino , prince of Salerno and Italian condottiero* Gaetano Sanseverino , Italian theologian...
- Duchies of BeneventoBeneventoBenevento is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill 130 m above sea-level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino and Sabato...
(787-873 under Frankish suzerainty, then again Byzantine; later a principality, since 1051 held from the Pope) and PontecorvoPontecorvoPontecorvo is a town and comune in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, Italy. Its population is 13,400.- History :The village lies under Rocca Guglielma, a medieval fortification perched on an inaccessible spur...
, both of which became part of the Papal statesPapal StatesThe Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under... - the DogeDogeDoge is a dialectal Italian word that descends from the Latin dux , meaning "leader", especially in a military context. The wife of a Doge is styled a Dogaressa....
s (a variant in Italian) of Genua and of Venice were elective crowned heads of commercial maritime 'most serene republics', in style echoed by the minute Adriatic republic of SenaricaSenaricaSenarica is a village in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. With a population of fewer than 300 people, Senarica was an independent republic for about four centuries until the end of the eighteenth century...
- See also Historical states of ItalyHistorical states of ItalyItaly, until the present era, was a conglomeration of city-states and other small independent entities. The following is a list of the various states that made up what we now know as Italy during the past...
- Duke of CalabriaCalabriaCalabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
was the primogeniture for the crown prince of the Neapolitan kingdom.
A unique Napoleonic particularity was the creation by decree of 30 March 1806 of a number of duchés grand-fiefs. As the name suggests, these were duchies, but forming an exclusive order of 'great fiefs' (twenty among some 2200 noble title creations), a college nearly comparable in status to the original anciennes pairie
Pairie
The French word pairie is the equivalent of the English word peerage, in the sense of an individual title carrying the rank of Pair , which derives from the Latin par 'equal', and signifies the members of an exclusive body of noblemen and prelates, considered to be the highest social order -not...
s in the French kingdom. Since Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
wouldn't go back on the Revolution's policy of abolishing feudalism in France, but didn't want these grandees to fall under the 'majorat' system in France either, he chose to create them outside the French "metropolitan" empire, notably in the following Italian satellite states, and yet all awarded to loyal Frenchmen, mainly high military officers:
In the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state founded in Northern Italy by Napoleon, fully influenced by revolutionary France, that ended with his defeat and fall.-Constitutional statutes:...
, in personal union with France, personally held by Napoleon I:
- DalmatiaDalmatiaDalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
(now in Croatia): for maréchal Nicolas Jean de Dieu SoultNicolas Jean de Dieu SoultNicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia , the Hand of Iron, was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of the Empire in 1804. He was one of only six officers in French history to receive the distinction of Marshal General of France...
(1808, extinguished 1857) - IstriaIstriaIstria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
(now in Croatia): for maréchal Jean-Baptiste BessièresJean-Baptiste BessièresJean-Baptiste Bessières, 1st Duc d' Istria was a Marshal of France of the Napoleonic Era. His younger brother, Bertrand, followed in his footsteps and eventually became a Divisional General...
(1809, ext. 1856) - Frioul, i.e Friuli: for the widow of general Geraud Christophe Michel Duroc (1813, ext. 1829)
- CadoreCadoreCadore is a "comunità montana" in the Italian region of Veneto, in the northernmost part of the province of Belluno bordering on Austria, the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is watered by the Piave River poured forth from the Carnic Alps...
: for Admiral Jean-Baptiste Nompère de ChampagnyJean-Baptiste Nompère de ChampagnyJean-Baptiste de Nompère de Champagny, 1st Duc de Cadore was a French admiral and politician.He was born in Roanne, Loire. Entering the French royal navy in 1774, he fought through the war in America and resigned in 1787...
(ext. 1893) - Bellune, i.e. Belluno: for maréchal Victor (1808, ext. 1853)
- ConeglianoConeglianoConegliano is a town and comune of the Veneto region, Italy, in the province of Treviso, about north by rail from the town of Treviso. The population of the city is of around 36,000 people. The remains of a castle that was built in the 10th century remain on a nearby hill...
: for maréchal Bon Adrien Jeannot de MonceyBon Adrien Jeannot de MonceyBon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey , 1st Duke of Conegliano, 1st Baron of Conegliano, Peer of France , Marshal of France, was a prominent soldier in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
(1808, ext. 1842) - Trévise, i.e. Treviso: for maréchal Édouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph MortierÉdouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph MortierÉdouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier, 1st Duc de Trévise was a French general and Marshal of France under Napoleon I.-Biography:...
(1808, ext. 1912) - FeltreFeltreFeltre is a town and comune of the province of Belluno in Veneto, northern Italy. A hill town in the southern reaches of the province, it is located on the Stizzon River, about 4 km from its junction with the Piave, and 20 km southwest from Belluno...
: for general Clarke (ext. 1852, extended 1864) - BassanoBassano BrescianoBassano Bresciano is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. As of 2007 Bassano Bresciano had an estimated population of 2,176....
: for Hugues-Bernard Maret, minister (ext. 1906) - Vicence, i.e. Vicenza: for general Armand Augustin Louis de CaulaincourtArmand Augustin Louis de CaulaincourtArmand-Augustin-Louis, marquis de Caulaincourt, 1st Duc de Vicence was a French general and diplomat.-Biography:...
, also imperial Grand-Écuyer (ext. 1896) - Padoue, i.e. Padua (Padova in Italian): for general Jean-Toussaint Arrighi de CasanovaJean-Toussaint Arrighi de CasanovaJean-Toussaint Arrighi de Casanova , duc de Padoue, was a French diplomat and soldier of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. In the late 1840s, Arrighi was also involved in politics and was elected Deputy and then Senator in the French Parliament...
(24 April 1808, ext. 1888) - RovigoRovigoRovigo is a town and comune in the Veneto region of North-Eastern Italy, the capital of the eponymous province. -Geography:...
: for general Anne Jean Marie René SavaryAnne Jean Marie René SavaryAnne Jean Marie René Savary, 1st Duc de Rovigo , French general and diplomat, was born at Marcq in the Ardennes.-Biography:...
(extinguished in 1872)
In the Principality of Lucca-Piombino, only Massa et Carrara: for Régnier, judge (extinguished 1962); Massa and Carrara were separated from the kingdom of Italy by article 8 of the decree of March 30, 1806 and united to the principality of Lucca-Piombino by another decree of March 30, 1806.
In the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
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- GaeteGaeteGaete is a hamlet in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Drimmelen, about 1 km southeast of the town of Lage Zwaluwe.-References:...
, i.e. Gaeta: for Martin-Michel-Charles GaudinMartin-Michel-Charles GaudinMartin-Michel-Charles Gaudin, 1st Duc de Gaete was a French statesman, Napoleon I Bonaparte's Minister of Finances from November 1799 to March 1814, including the Cent Jours following Napoleon's return from Elba.-Biography:...
, finance minister (1809, extinguished 1841) - Otrante, i.e. Otranto: for Joseph FouchéJoseph FouchéJoseph Fouché, 1st Duc d'Otrante was a French statesman and Minister of Police under Napoleon Bonaparte. In English texts his title is often translated as Duke of Otranto.-Youth:Fouché was born in Le Pellerin, a small village near Nantes...
, minister of Police (1809) - ReggioReggio CalabriaReggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...
: for maréchal Charles Nicolas Oudinot (1810, main line extinguished 1956, but special clause of the letters patent authorizing a substitution were applied) - Tarente, i.e. Tarento: for maréchal Étienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre MacDonaldÉtienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre MacDonaldÉtienne Jacques Joseph Alexandre MacDonald, 1st duke of Taranto was a Marshal of France and military leader during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.-Family background:...
(1809, extinguished 1912)
In the states of Parma and Piacenza, ceded to France by the treaty of Aranjuez of 21 March 1801, shortly before both territories were united to the French Empire on 24 May 1808:
- Parme, i.e. Parma: for lawyer Jean Jacques Régis de CambacérèsJean Jacques Régis de CambacérèsJean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, 1st Duke of Parma was a French lawyer and statesman during the French Revolution and the First Empire, best remembered as the author of the Napoleonic code, which still forms the basis of French civil law.-Early career:Cambacérès was born in Montpellier, into a...
, author of the Code (the main European revision since Roman law, still influential in most democratic societies), Arch-Chancellor (24 April 1808, extinguished 1824) - PlaisancePlaisancePlaisance is a French word, meaning pleasantness, derived from the Latin placentia 'acceptable things'.The name Plaisance may refer to:Locations in Europe* Neuilly-Plaisance, in the Seine-Saint-Denis département in France...
, i.e. Piacenza: for Charles-François Lebrun, also imperial Arch-Treasurer (24 April 1808, ext. 1926) - GuastallaGuastallaGuastalla is a town and comune in the province of Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.-Geography:Guastalla is situated in the Po Valley, and lies on the banks of the Po River...
(extinguished in 1842)
Portugal
In Portugal, Duke was the title given to the higher nobles. The first duchies created in Portugal were the Duchy of Coimbra and the Duchy of Viseu, in 1415, both created at the same time.These were the duchies in Portugal.
- Duke of AbrantesDuke of AbrantesDuke of Abrantes was an aristocratic title granted on three separate occasions and it refers to the Portuguese city of Abrantes , located on the Ribatejo province.-1642: The Dukes of Abrantes :...
, created in 1753. - Duke of Albuquerque, created in 1886.
- Duke of AveiroDuke of AveiroThe Royal Dukedom of Aveiro was an aristocratic Portuguese title, granted in 1535 by King John III of Portugal to his 4th cousin, John of Lencastre, son of Infante George of Lencastre, a natural son of King John II of Portugal....
, created in 1535. - Duke of Ávila and BolamaDuke of Ávila and BolamaThis was a Portuguese Nobility title granted by King Luís I of Portugal to António José de Ávila, 1st Duke of Ávila and Bolama, a remarkable Portuguese politician and ambassador during the liberal period....
, created in 1878. - Duke of BarcelosDuke of BarcelosThe Dukes of Barcelos was an Nobility title granted by King Sebastian of Portugal on 5 August 1562, to the Duke of Braganza heir, during his father's life....
, created in 1562. - Duke of BejaDuke of BejaDuke of Beja was an aristocratic Portuguese title with the level of Royal Dukedom, associated with the Portuguese Royal House, created in 1453, by King Afonso V of Portugal for his younger brother Infante Ferdinand of Portugal.Infante Ferdinand younger son, became King of Portugal as Manuel I and,...
, created in 1453. - Duke of BraganzaDuke of BraganzaThe title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Since the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown was known as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil until 1822, or...
, created in 1442. - Duke of CadavalDuke of CadavalThe Dukes of Cadaval have their origins in Álvaro of Braganza, Lord of Tentúgal, Póvoa, Buarcos and Cadaval, 4th male son of Ferdinand I, 2nd Duke of Braganza. Dom Álvaro married Dona Phillipa of Melo, the rich daughter and heir of Rodrigo of Melo, 1st...
, created in 1648. - Duchesse of Cadaval-Hermès, created in 2001.
- Duke of CaminhaDuke of CaminhaThe title duke of Caminha was created by royal decree, dated from 14 December 1620, by King Philip III of Portugal , to Dom Miguel Luís de Menezes, 6th Marquis of Vila Real and 8th Count of Vila Real.The title was later passed on to his nephew Miguel Luís II, 2nd Duke of Caminha, who was executed...
, created in 1620. - Duke of CoimbraDuke of CoimbraDuke of Coimbra was an aristocratic Portuguese title with the level of Royal Dukedom, that is, associated with the Portuguese Royal House, created in 1415, by King John I of Portugal to the his 2nd. male son, Infante Pedro...
, created in 1415. - Duke of FaialDuke of FaialDuke of Faial is a Portuguese title of nobility granted by royal decree of Queen Maria II of Portugal, dated from April 4, 1833, to Dom Pedro de Sousa Holstein , a Portuguese politician during the first half of the 19th Century...
, created in 1833. - Duke of FicalhoDuke of FicalhoDuke of Ficalho was a Portuguese title of nobility, granted by a decree issued by Queen Maria II of Portugal on May 14, 1836, to Eugénia de Almeida Portugal, 2nd Countess of Ficalho by marriage....
, created in 1836. - Duke of GoaDuke of GoaThe Ducal House of Goa was a short, but very important, ancient noble house of Portugal. The title "Duke of Goa" was the first Portuguese ducal title given outside the royal family, and the first Portuguese noble title to be granted to a territory overseas, Goa...
, created in 1515. - Duke of GuardaDuke of GuardaThe title of Duke of Guarda was granted by a royal decree dated from October 5, 1530, by King John III of Portugal to his younger brother, Infante Ferdinand....
, created in 1530. - Duke of GuimarãesDuke of GuimarãesThe Dukes of Guimarães was an Nobility title granted by King Afonso V of Portugal in 1475, to Ferdinand II, 3rd Duke of Braganza. The king just upgraded the previous title of count of Guimarães), that he granted to the same Duke of Braganza, some years before .When Isabel of Braganza married...
, created in 1475. - Duke of LafõesDuke of LafõesDuke of Lafões was a Portuguese title of nobility created under the decree of February 17, 1718, of King John V of Portugal and granted to his nephew, Pedro Henrique de Bragança, son of the Infante Miguel de Bragança, an illegitimate son of King Peter II of Portugal and Anne Armande Pastre de...
, created in 1718. - Duke of Linhares, only between 1621-1640, in the reign of King Phillip III of Portugal.
- Duke of LouléDuke of LouléDuke of Loulé is a Portuguese title that was originally granted to the family of Moura Barreto.The dukedom was created by a royal decree of King Luis I of Portugal, dated from October 3, 1862, to his grand-uncle Nuno José Severo de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, 2nd Marquis of Loulé and 9th Count...
, created in 1852. - Duke of Miranda do CorvoDuke of Miranda do CorvoThe Dukes of Miranda do Corvo was a Portuguese title of nobility granted by Queen Maria I of Portugal, by a royal decree dated from May 13, 1796, to Dom José João Miguel de Bragança e Ligne, 1st Duke of Miranda do Corvo, who died in 1801, before his father, João Carlos de Bragança e Ligne de Sousa...
, created in 1796. - Duke of PalmelaDuke of PalmelaThe Duke of Palmela is a Portuguese title granted by royal decree of Queen Maria II of Portugal, dated from October 18, 1850, to Dom Pedro de Sousa Holstein , a Portuguese politician during the first half of the 19th Century...
, created in 1833. - Duke of PortoDuke of PortoDuke of Porto was an aristocratic Portuguese title with the status of royal dukedom, associated with the Portuguese royal house, created in 1833, by Queen Maria II of Portugal for herself, in honor of the city of Oporto, due its loyalty to the liberal cause she represented.From then on, this title...
, created in 1833. - Duke of SaldanhaDuke of SaldanhaDuke of Saldanha is a Portuguese title granted by royal decree of Queen Maria II of Portugal, dated from November 4, 1846, to João Carlos Saldanha de Oliveira Daun , also known as Marshal Saldanha, leader of the liberal armies, during the Liberal Wars in Portugal.Queen Maria II of Portugal has...
, created in 1846. - Duke of TancosDuke of TancosDuke of Tancos was a Portuguese title of nobility, granted by a royal decree issued by Queen Maria I of Portugal on April 22, 1790, to Contança Manoel, 2nd Marchioness of Tancos and 7th Countess of Atalaia....
, created in 1790. - Duke of TerceiraDuke of TerceiraThe title duke of Terceira, de juro e herdade was created by decree of King Pedro IV of Portugal, on 8 November 1832...
, created in 1832. - Duke of Torres NovasDuke of Torres NovasThe Dukes of Torres Novas was an aristocratic Portuguese title granted by King Philip II of Portugal, also known as Philip III of Spain, by a royal decree of September 26, 1619, to George of Lencastre, 1st Duke of Torres Novas, who died before his parents, Juliana and Álvaro of Lencastre of...
, created in 1619. - Duke of Trancoso, created in 1530.
- Duke of Vila RealDuke of Vila RealDuke of Vila Real was a Portuguese title of nobility created by royal decree, dated from February 28, 1585, by King Philip I of Portugal , and granted to Dom Manuel de Menezes, 5th Marquis of Vila Real and 7th Count of Vila Real.The title was granted by the King in one life, to the 5th Marquis of...
, created in 1585. - Duke of ViseuDuke of ViseuDuke of Viseu was a Portuguese Royal Dukedom created in 1415 by King John I of Portugal for his third male child, Prince Henry the Navigator, following the conquest of Ceuta....
, created in 1415. - Duke of Vitória, created in 1812.
All nobility was dismissed after the Implatation of the Portuguese Republic, in 1910. The pretendents of these titles aren't able to use them officially. The pretendents of the titles of Duke of Barcelos, Duke of Braganza, Duke of Coimbra, Duke of Guimarães, Duke of Porto and Duke of Viseu are members of the extincted House of Braganza
House of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza , an important Portuguese noble family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial Empire, from 1640 to 1910...
: D. Duarte Pio of Braganza, heir to the Portuguese Throne, and his sons and brothers (Dukes of Coimbra and Viseu).