Caetani
 | This article includes alist of references,related reading,orexternal links,but its sources remain unclear because it lacksinline citations.(July 2019) |
| Caetani | |
|---|---|
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| Country |  ItalyFormer countries |
| Founded | 12th century |
| Titles | |
TheHouse of Caetani,orGaetani,is the name of anItalian noble family,originally from the city ofGaeta,connected by some to the lineage of the lords of theDuchy of Gaeta,as well as to the patrician Gaetani of theRepublic of Pisa.It played an important role in Rome, in thePapal Statesand in theKingdom of Naples,and later in theKingdom of the Two Sicilies.[1]
Origins[edit]
The House of Caetani, or Gaetani, according to a family tradition, was descendant of the Dukes of Gaeta. Nevertheless, the family had no more great importance in Rome until the election of Benedetto Caetani to the papacy asPope Boniface VIIIin 1294, when they at once became the most notable in the city. The pope helped them to buySermoneta,Bassiano,Ninfaand San Donato (1297, 1300), and the marquisate of Ancona in 1300, while Charles II of Anjou created the pope's brother count of Caserta.[2]
Giordano Roffredo Caetaniby his marriage withGiovanna dell'Aquila,heiress of the counts ofFondi,in 1297 acquired the title of counts of Fondi, and his grandson Giacomo acquired the lordships of Piedimonte and Gioia. The Caetani proved brave warriors and formed a bodyguard to protect Boniface VIII from his many foes. During the 14th and 15th centuries their feuds with the Colonna caused frequent disturbances inRomeand theCampagna,sometimes amounting to civil war. They also played an important role as Neapolitan nobles:[2]in particular,Onorato I Caetaniwas a powerful baron in what is now southernLazioand one of the main supporters ofAntipopesClement VIIandBenedict XIII.[1]In 1500Pope Alexander VI,in his attempt to crush the great Roman feudal nobility, confiscated the Caetani fiefs and gave them to his daughterLucrezia Borgia;but they afterwards regained them.[2]
Lines[edit]
Until the 20th century, there were two lines of the Caetani family - Caetani and Caetani d'Aragona (or Gaetani Dell'Aquila d'Aragona). The Caetani line ended with the last male descendant's death in 1961.
Caetani[edit]
Caetani, princes of Teano and dukes ofSermoneta,founded by Giacobello Caetani, whose grandson,Guglielmo Caetani,was granted the duchy of Sermoneta byPope Pius IIIin 1503, the marquisate of Cisterna being conferred on the family by Sixtus V in 1585. In 1642, Francesco, the 7th Duke of Sermoneta, acquired by marriage the county of Caserta, which was exchanged for the principality of Teano in 1750. The 19th century head of the house,Onorato Caetani,14th Duke of Sermoneta, 4th Prince of Teano, Duke of San Marco, Marquis of Cisterna, etc. (1842 – 1917), was a senator of thekingdom of Italy,and was minister for foreign affairs for a short time.[2]His sonGelasio Caetanirose to fame during theFirst World Waras amilitary miningengineer.
The last agnate (male member) of the family was the noted composer, DonRoffredo Caetani,17th Duke of Sermoneta and 8th Prince of Teano (1871–1961); his wife, Marguerite Chapin, founded and edited the literary journalBotteghe Oscure.His niece Topazia (1921–1990) married the composer and conductorIgor Markevitch(1912–1983) and was the mother of the conductorOleg Caetani(b. 1956), who perpetuates his mother's surname as an enate, a uterine member, of the Italian noble family.
Caetani d'Aragona (or Gaetani dell'Aquila d'Aragona)[edit]
Caetani d'Aragona, Princes of Piedimonte, and Dukes ofLaurenzana,founded by Onorato II Caetani, Count of Fondi, Alife and Morcone, Lord of Piedimonte and Gioia, in 1454. The additional surname of Aragona was assumed in 1466. The duchy of Laurenzana, in the kingdom of Naples, was acquired by Alfonso Gaetani by his marriage in 1606 with Giulia di Ruggiero, Duchess of Laurenzana. The lordship of Piedimonte was raised to a principality in 1715.[2]
The family is currently represented by Don Bonifacio Gaetani Dell'Aquilla D'Aragona, Duca di Laurenzana e Principe di Piedimonte (b. 1950) whose heir is Conte Don Giovanni Gaetani dell’Aquila d’Aragona (* 1973) who marriedGinevra Elkann(the sister ofJohn Elkanndaughter ofAlain Elkann,and granddaughter ofGianni Agnelli) in 2009.
References[edit]
- ^ab"CAETANI in" Enciclopedia Italiana "".www.treccani.it(in Italian).Retrieved2021-11-24.
- ^abcdeOne or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Gaetani".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 385.
- "CAETANI E GAETANI".Enciclopedia genealogica del Mediterraneo(in Italian). Italian Genealogical Society.RetrievedJanuary 24,2013.
- Original 1922 Almanach de Gotha (edited by Justice Perthes) entry for the Caetani family,link to the original universally-recognised genealogical reference document, with details of family honours