De Spucches
De Spucches is the name of an Italian noble family that still exists today . The Despuig family, who came from Spain , came to Sicily in one line , became lords of Calamonaci in 1296 , served in the positions of judges and civil servants and rose to princely and ducal dignities through succession in the 18th century.
history
Spanish branch
The oldest known representative of the family was a Ramon Despuig , architect in the 14th century who built the monastery of the Vic Cathedral in Catalonia and around 1329 the church of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona . Other well-known representatives were the Gothic painter Bernat Despuig (15th century), Luis Despuig (8th Grand Master of the Order of Montesa from 1453 to 1482 ), Francisco Bernardo Despuig (13th Grand Master of the Order of Montesa from 1506 to 1537), Cristòfor Despuig (Catalan writer and humanist in the 16th century), Ramon Despuig (1670–1741), 67th Grand Master of the Order of Malta and Cardinal Antonio Despuig y Dameto (1745–1813).
Sicilian branch
The first on Sicily known namesakes was a Berengario de Spucches , 1296 with Calamonaci invested was. Simone de Spucches was Capitano di Giustizia in Caltagirone from 1520-21 , Marco de Spucches was Judge in Messina from 1525-39 and Judge of the Supreme Court from 1559-60 , Vincenzo de Spucches, from 1582-83, Judge of the Great Civil Court and from 1592-93 at the Consistory Acquired the fiefs of Amorosa, Mendoli and Villafrati in 1617-18, his daughter Francesca married Pietro Filangeri , Conte di San Marco in 1594 . Vespasiano de Spucches , Baron of Calamonaci, was a judge at the Praetorian Court of Justice in Palermo in 1599 and a judge at the Great Court of Justice from 1605-1607. Francesco Spucches e Lanza was a judge at the Great Civil Court between 1741 and 1752. In 1776 Salvatore de Spucches e Caruso received a confirmation of nobility from the Senate of Palermo. Antonino de Spucches († 1780) was Prior of the Order of Malta for Lombardy.
A branch that still exists in Palermo and Cefalù are the De Spucches, Barone di Rocca e Valdina.
In addition to the Alliata , Filangeri , Gravina , Lancia , Moncada , Notarbartolo , Paternò , Stagno , Tomasi di Lampedusa , Valguarnera and Ventimiglia , the De Spucches are among the great princely houses in the former Kingdom of Sicily . After the famous novel The Gattopardo , these are sometimes referred to as The Leopards .
Branch of the Dukes of Santo Stefano, Princes of Galati and Dukes of Caccamo
Biagio De Spucches e Corvaja , Baron de Kaggi, was a judge at the Praetorian Court of Justice in Palermo around 1695-96, the Gran Corte Civile 1706-7 and 1710-11, President of the Supreme Commercial Magistrate and the Consistory, his son Giovan Battista Spucches e Amato inherited 1753 the title Duca di Santo Stefano , a title that went back to the family of his mother Maria Agata Amato e Cirino. He was followed by his son Antonio, who in 1802 was his son Giuseppe. The residence was the Palazzo Duca di Santo Stefano in Taormina , it was built in the 14th century and shows stylistic elements of the Sicilian Romanesque and Gothic.
Antonino De Spucches (* 1797), son of Giuseppe De Spucches, Duca di Santo Stefano, became Prince of Galati and Duke of Caccamo (both possessions also came from the Amato family, who were made Prince of Galati in 1644 and Barons of Caccamo in 1646 had been). His son from his marriage to Donna Marianna Ruffo , Giuseppe de Spucches e Ruffo, Principe di Galati and Duca di Caccamo (* 1819), was also chamberlain and praetor of Palermo from 1856-60, and also a writer. He was followed by his son Antonio (* 1860), this his son Giuseppe (1888-1935), this Antonio (1927-1993). The current head of the family is his son Don Giuseppe de Spucches, Principe di Galati, Duca di Caccamo e di Santo Stefano (* Palermo 1959), married to Jenifer Ruth Chartoff (* 1960), daughter of the film producer Robert Chartoff , with whom he has two sons Has.
Known family members
- Ramon Despuig (1670–1741), 67th Grand Master of the Order of Malta
literature
- Mango di Casalgerardo: Nobiliario di Sicilia. A. Reber, 1912.
- Vincenzo Palizzolo Gravina: Il blasone in Sicilia: ossia, Raccolta araldica. Visconti & Huber, 1875.
