Siracusa Family
Encyclopedia
The House of Siracusa was a noble Sicilian family.
. At the Reconquista
of Zaragoza
, Gaston IV
Vicomte of Béarn liberated the Christian borrow of the town Zaragoza, called Sta Maria and was honored by the Spanish king with the lordship of the town. This is also confirmed by several documents published by the Spanish Archives.
The family Zaragoza, during the domination of the kings of Majorca, was in charge of the castle of the city Perpignan.
In 1283, the family went to Sicily
with King Peter of Aragon
, when he was called to be King of that island, as legitimate successors of the House of Hohenstaufen, being the husband of Constanza of Aragon, the daughter of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
.
Thomas Saragoza was baron
of the town of Vizzini
, as documented by the "adohámenti" (the charges to be covered by the barons for the exempion of military duties) decreed by King Frederick III of Sicily
.
Roger Zaragoza was the “Secret Master over the river Salso” and Peter Zaragoza was governor of the island Djerba
, where he was killed in 1333 during a Muslim
revolt.
Bernardo Zaragoza was baron of Collesano
married to Ilaria Ventimiglia, daughter of the Count of Geraci
.
In the following centuries, the family held the baronies Muxia
, Cassaro
, Castelluzzo, Xiridia and Monastero in the Noto
Valley as documented by Capibreve of Barberi.
The family was represented in Messina, Trapani
, Noto, Sciacca
and Palermo
and had relationships with the families of Medici
, Tagliavia, Perollo, Caetani, Spinola
, Corsetto, Oppezinga and Bonanno.
Pietro and his daughter Margherita Siracusa, baroness of Cassaro, are shown also as ancestors of Queen Paola of Belgium
.
The princes of Cassaro and the Duques
of Casteldimirto also derive from this family.
Earthquake
s destroyed the Castle Cassaro (1542) and the residence of the family in the town of Noto (1693).
The Branch of Sciacca was strongly involved in the civil war between the families Peralta and the Count of Luna, which endured for almost 100 years. This was the so-called “Caso di Sciacca”.
Many members of the family lost their lives or had to leave their homes.
Antonio Siracusa transferred his family to Palermo: here he was several times a judge at royal courts and was encharged by King Philip II of Spain
to be the President of the Supreme Council of Italy at the Spanish court.
His son Carlo studied law at the University of Bologna
: he was the fiscal lawyer of the king and general procurator of the crown. He served the king as an officer of the Spanish army. He was a knight of the Order of Alcantara
.
His son Giacomo was in charge as royal visitor of royal Ports. His grandson Carlo married Maria Spinola, who belonged to a very old family from Genoa
. He covered many charges in behalf of the crown.
Carlo, who followed his father was a knight of Alcantara Order, married Porzia Corsetto, sister of Ottavio Corsetto, the first count of Villalta and duque of Casteldimirto. Documents of his nomination are available at the Spanish General Archiv of Simancas. Because Ottavio Corsetto was without children, he was inherited by his nephew, Ottavio Siracusa, in the county of Villalta and duchy of Casteldimirto. He was the first bearer of the county Villalta belonging to the family Siracusa, as documented by the royal Protonotaro files at the archive of the state of Palermo.
He had a seat in the Sicilian Parliament and was knight of the Order of St. James of the Sword. Documents of this award are at Archivo historico Nacional (Madrid
). He refused the Duchy of Casteldimirto in favour of his sister Maria, who married in the family Boccadifuoco, starting a new dynasty (now Filangeri Prince of Mirto).
With the Utrecht Agreement
in 1717 and the short government of the House of Savoy
in Sicily, the family retired from active political life, having been loyal to the House of Bourbon
. The counts of Villalta dedicated themselves to the administration of their own properties.
Zaragoza
The origin of the Siracusa family is documented in the year AD 1018 by Jeronimo Zurita, as a branch of the House BéarnBéarn
Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
. At the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
of Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, Gaston IV
Gaston IV of Béarn
Gaston IV was viscount of Béarn from 1090 to 1131. He was called "le Croisé" due to his participation in the First Crusade....
Vicomte of Béarn liberated the Christian borrow of the town Zaragoza, called Sta Maria and was honored by the Spanish king with the lordship of the town. This is also confirmed by several documents published by the Spanish Archives.
The family Zaragoza, during the domination of the kings of Majorca, was in charge of the castle of the city Perpignan.
In 1283, the family went to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
with King Peter of Aragon
Peter III of Aragon
Peter the Great was the King of Aragon of Valencia , and Count of Barcelona from 1276 to his death. He conquered Sicily and became its king in 1282. He was one of the greatest of medieval Aragonese monarchs.-Youth and succession:Peter was the eldest son of James I of Aragon and his second wife...
, when he was called to be King of that island, as legitimate successors of the House of Hohenstaufen, being the husband of Constanza of Aragon, the daughter of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
.
Thomas Saragoza was baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
of the town of Vizzini
Vizzini
Vizzini is a town and comune in the province of Catania, on the island of Sicily. It is located 60 km from Catania in the Hyblaean Mountains, on the most northwesterly slopes of Monte Lauro....
, as documented by the "adohámenti" (the charges to be covered by the barons for the exempion of military duties) decreed by King Frederick III of Sicily
Frederick III of Sicily
Frederick II was the regent and subsequently King of Sicily from 1295 until his death. He was the third son of Peter III of Aragon and served in the War of the Sicilian Vespers on behalf of his father and brothers, Alfonso and James...
.
Roger Zaragoza was the “Secret Master over the river Salso” and Peter Zaragoza was governor of the island Djerba
Djerba
Djerba , also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is, at 514 km², the largest island of North Africa, located in the Gulf of Gabes, off the coast of Tunisia.-Description:...
, where he was killed in 1333 during a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
revolt.
Bernardo Zaragoza was baron of Collesano
Collesano
Collesano is a small town in the Province of Palermo, Sicily. It is situated roughly 70 km from the provincial capital of Palermo.-External links:*...
married to Ilaria Ventimiglia, daughter of the Count of Geraci
Geraci Siculo
Geraci Siculo is a comune in the Province of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about 70 km southeast of Palermo...
.
In the following centuries, the family held the baronies Muxia
Muxia
Muxia is a coastal town in the province of A Coruña, in Galicia, Spain. It is one of the final destinations for pilgrims on the Way of St. James after visiting the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in Santiago de Compostela.Muxia is known for its spectacular beaches...
, Cassaro
Cassaro
Cassaro is a town and comune in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily . The name is originally from the Arabic word القصر meaning "the castle." Cassaro is 52 kilometers from Ragusa and 35 kilometers west from the city of Siracusa...
, Castelluzzo, Xiridia and Monastero in the Noto
Noto
Noto is a city and comune in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily . Its located 32 km southwest of the city of Syracuse at the foot of the Iblean Mountains and gives its name to the surrounding valley, Val di Noto...
Valley as documented by Capibreve of Barberi.
Syracuse
The nearness of the family’s properties to Syracuse, Sicily (Italian: Siracusa), which, during the Spanish domination in Sicily was called “Zaragoza de Sicilia” favoured the change of the family's name to Siracusa and Siragusa. In Latin documents the family was also written “de Syracusis”.The family was represented in Messina, Trapani
Trapani
Trapani is a city and comune on the west coast of Sicily in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Egadi Islands.-History:...
, Noto, Sciacca
Sciacca
Sciacca , also Schiacca, is a town and comune in the province of Agrigento on the southwestern coast of Sicily...
and Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
and had relationships with the families of Medici
Medici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
, Tagliavia, Perollo, Caetani, Spinola
Spinola
Spinola may refer to:*Spinola family a leading political family in Genoa in the 13th and 14th Centuries.-People:* Battista Spinola, 16th century Doge of Genoa* Benedict Spinola , a 16th century Genoese merchant in London...
, Corsetto, Oppezinga and Bonanno.
Pietro and his daughter Margherita Siracusa, baroness of Cassaro, are shown also as ancestors of Queen Paola of Belgium
Queen Paola of Belgium
Paola, Queen of the Belgians , is the queen consort of Albert II of Belgium....
.
The princes of Cassaro and the Duques
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
of Casteldimirto also derive from this family.
Earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s destroyed the Castle Cassaro (1542) and the residence of the family in the town of Noto (1693).
The Branch of Sciacca was strongly involved in the civil war between the families Peralta and the Count of Luna, which endured for almost 100 years. This was the so-called “Caso di Sciacca”.
Many members of the family lost their lives or had to leave their homes.
Antonio Siracusa transferred his family to Palermo: here he was several times a judge at royal courts and was encharged by King Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
to be the President of the Supreme Council of Italy at the Spanish court.
His son Carlo studied law at the University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
: he was the fiscal lawyer of the king and general procurator of the crown. He served the king as an officer of the Spanish army. He was a knight of the Order of Alcantara
Order of Alcántara
The Order of Alcántara , also called the Knights of St. Julian, was originally a military order of León, founded in 1166 and confirmed by Pope Alexander III in 1177.-Alcántara:...
.
His son Giacomo was in charge as royal visitor of royal Ports. His grandson Carlo married Maria Spinola, who belonged to a very old family from Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. He covered many charges in behalf of the crown.
Carlo, who followed his father was a knight of Alcantara Order, married Porzia Corsetto, sister of Ottavio Corsetto, the first count of Villalta and duque of Casteldimirto. Documents of his nomination are available at the Spanish General Archiv of Simancas. Because Ottavio Corsetto was without children, he was inherited by his nephew, Ottavio Siracusa, in the county of Villalta and duchy of Casteldimirto. He was the first bearer of the county Villalta belonging to the family Siracusa, as documented by the royal Protonotaro files at the archive of the state of Palermo.
He had a seat in the Sicilian Parliament and was knight of the Order of St. James of the Sword. Documents of this award are at Archivo historico Nacional (Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
). He refused the Duchy of Casteldimirto in favour of his sister Maria, who married in the family Boccadifuoco, starting a new dynasty (now Filangeri Prince of Mirto).
With the Utrecht Agreement
Triple Alliance (1717)
The Triple Alliance was a treaty between the Dutch Republic, France and Great Britain, against Spain, attempting to maintain the agreement of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. The three states were concerned about Spain becoming a superpower in Europe. As a result of this militarisation took place,...
in 1717 and the short government of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
in Sicily, the family retired from active political life, having been loyal to the House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
. The counts of Villalta dedicated themselves to the administration of their own properties.