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Lanza Family
Lanza are an Italian noble family that originated in Sicily in the 15th century. Derived from a cadet branch of the ''Lancia family'', Longi, barons of Longi, it represents one of the major dynasties of the Sicilian aristocracy. Over the centuries, this family was at the top of political and economic power on the island, having its exponents held the highest institutional, civil and military positions in the Kingdom of Sicily. After the eldest branch of the Princes of Trabia became extinct in the first half of the 20th century, the Lanza Branciforte family is represented by the collateral line of the Princes Lanza of Scalea. History The proven founder of the family was Blasco Lanza (1466-1535), a lawyer from Catania belonging to a cadet branch of the noble Lancia family of the Barons of Longi. He became a feudal lord with the acquisition of the land of Trabia, in the Val di Mazara (1498), and of the barony of Castania, in the Val Demone (1507), both possessions received in dowr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Motto
A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organization. Mottos (or mottoes) are usually found predominantly in written form (unlike slogans, which may also be expressed orally), and may stem from long traditions of social foundations, or from significant events, such as a civil war or a revolution. One's motto may be in any language, but Latin language, Latin has been widely used, especially in the Western world. Language Latin language, Latin has been very common for mottos in the Western World, but for nation states, their official national language is generally chosen. Examples of using other historical languages in motto language include: *Counties of England, County of Somerset in England: (All the men of Somerset), Old English language ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Branciforte Family
Branciforte (sometimes Branciforti) is the name of an influential Sicily, Sicilian aristocratic family of Italian nobles, clergy, and men of arts, from the 9th century. Tradition has it the family began with Obizzo Branciforte, a knight who fought under Charlemagne. History The first to settle permanently from Piacenza on Sicilian soil was Guglielmo Branciforti under King Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick I, but already at that time the family was considered important in Sicily. He was in fact preceded by some years by Aloisia Branciforte, who married Orlando I Grifeo Maniace, 5th Baron of Partanna and List of stratigoti and governors of Messina, Strategote of Messina in 1275. Guglielmo died during a duel in Catania in 1347; he left the Piacenza possessions to his brothers Bosso and Gaspare, while the lands in Sicily went to his nephews Raffaello and Ottaviano, sons of a third brother, Stefano, who was in charge of collecting duties and controlling the traffic of goods ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victor Amadeus II
Victor Amadeus II (; 14 May 166631 October 1732) was the head of the House of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 12 June 1675 until his abdication in 1730. He was the first of his house to acquire a royal crown, ruling first as King of Sicily (1713–1720) and then as King of Sardinia (1720–1730). Among his other titles were Duke of Savoy, Duke of Montferrat, Prince of Piedmont, Marquis of Saluzzo and Count of Aosta, Maurienne and Nice. Louis XIV arranged his marriage in order to maintain French influence in Savoy, but Victor Amadeus soon broke away from the influence of France. At his father's death in 1675, his mother, Marie Jeanne Baptiste of Nemours, was regent in the name of her nine-year-old son and would remain in '' de facto'' power until 1684 when Victor Amadeus banished her further involvement in the state. Having fought in the War of the Spanish Succession, he was rewarded with the Kingdom of Sicily in 1713, but he was forced to exchange this title ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pettineo
Pettineo ( Sicilian: ''Pittineu'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about east of Palermo and about west of Messina. Pettineo is a beautifully restored medieval city, situated on a hilltop with a view of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Mar Tirreno), In the center, are the ruins of a Norman-era castle, and on the outskirts, there is a Franciscan convent. Most employment is agricultural, with fields and olive groves surrounding the town. There are notable architectural elements such as the Duomo, medieval outdoor ovens, and a public washing area. Holy Week is marked with colorful processions on Good Friday and on Pascha, with the entire community engaged. Roads are cobbled and narrow, and generally devoid of vehicular traffic. Among area attractions are the valley of Tusa with monumental sculptures commemorating the landing of Allied paratroopers, during World War II. Pettineo borders the following municipalities: Ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Order Of Calatrava
The Order of Calatrava (, ) was one of the Spanish military orders, four Spanish military orders and the first Military order (society), military order founded in Kingdom of Castile, Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bull confirming the Order of Calatrava was given by Pope Alexander III on September 26, 1164. Most of the political and military power of the order had dissipated by the end of the 15th century, but the last dissolution of the order's property did not occur until 1838. Origins and foundation It was founded at Calatrava la Vieja in Kingdom of Castile, Castile, in the twelfth century by St. Raymond of Fitero, as a military branch of the Cistercian family. Rodrigo of Toledo describes the origins of the order: Calatrava is the Arabic name of a castle recovered from the Muslims, in 1147, by the Alfonso VII of Castile, King of Castile, Alfonso VII, called ''el Emperador''. Located in what was then the southernmost border of Castile, this conque ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gela
Gela (Sicilian and ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the regional autonomy, Autonomous Region of Sicily, Italy; in terms of area and population, it is the largest municipality on the southern coast of Sicily. Gela is part of the Province of Caltanissetta and is one of the few in Italy with a population and area that exceed those of Caltanissetta, the provincial capital.Gela was founded in 698 BC by Greek colonists from Rhodes and Crete; it was an influential ''polis'' of Magna Graecia in the 7th and 6th centuries BC and became one of the most powerful cities until the 5th c. BC. Aeschylus, the famous playwright, lived here and died in 456 BC. In 1943, during the Allied invasion of Sicily, Invasion of Sicily, the Allies of World War II, Allied forces made their first landing on the island at Gela.La Monte, John L. & Lewis, Winston B. ''The Sicilian Campaign, 10 July17 August 1943'' (1993) United States Government Printing Office pp.56-96 History Ancient era Archaeol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Augusta, Sicily
Augusta (, archaically ''Agosta''; ; Ancient Greek, Greek and , Medieval: ''Augusta'') is a town and in the province of Syracuse, Italy, Syracuse, located on the eastern coast of Sicily (southern Italy). The city is one of the main harbours in Italy, especially for oil refineries (Sonatrach and others as part of the complex Augusta-Priolo) which are in its vicinity. Geography The city is situated in the province of Province of Syracuse, Syracuse and faces the Ionian Sea. The old town is an island, made in the 16th century by cutting an isthmus, now connected to the Sicilian mainland by two bridges. One bridge was built around the 12th or 13th century as part of the Frederick II of Swabia Viaduct. And the other, older bridge was built when the city was founded and is called the Porta Spagnola. Augusta is currently home to two ports. History Founded 27 centuries ago, Megara Hyblaea is one of the oldest Greek colonies of Sicily. It was destroyed by its rival Syracuse, was raised ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Syracuse, Sicily
Syracuse ( ; ; ) is a historic city on the Italian island of Sicily, the capital of the Italian province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek and Roman history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace and home of the pre-eminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in ancient times, when it was one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world. Syracuse is located in the southeast corner of the island of Sicily, next to the Gulf of Syracuse beside the Ionian Sea. It is situated in a drastic rise of land with depths being close to the city offshore although the city itself is generally not so hilly in comparison. The city was founded by Ancient Greek Corinthians and Teneans and became a very powerful city-state. Syracuse was allied with Sparta and Corinth and exerted influence over the entirety of Magna Graecia, of which it was the most important city. Described by Cicero as "the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sommatino
Sommatino (; Sicilian language, Sicilian: Summatinu, ) is a ''town'' (municipality) in the Province of Caltanissetta in the Italy, Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo and about southwest of Caltanissetta. Economy Until the early 1990s the economy of Sommatino relied heavily on sulphur extraction but with the advent of new technologies in this field the mines has been closed. The economy was based principally on agriculture, craftmanship and the service industries. However, these sectors are not enough to employ all the town's people and Sommatino is experiencing emigration to northern Italy, France and Germany. Twin towns * Fontaine (Isère), Fontaine, France References External links * Cities and towns in Sicily {{Sicily-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sciacca
Sciacca (; ; , , , or ) is a town and (municipality) in the province of Agrigento on the southwestern coast of Sicily, southern Italy. It has views of the Mediterranean Sea. History Thermae was founded in the 5th century BC by the Greeks, as its name suggests, as a thermal spa for Selinunte, 30 km distant, whose citizens came there to bathe in the sulphurous springs, still much valued for their medical properties, of Mount San Calogero which rises up behind the town. There is no account of the existence of a town on the site during the period of the independence of Selinunte, though the thermal waters would always have attracted some population to the spot. It seems to have been much frequented in the time of the Romans. At a later period they were called the Aquae Labodes or Larodes, under which name they appear in the Itineraries. Pliny was most likely mistaken in assigning the rank of a '' colonia'' to the southern, rather than northern, town of the same name. Strab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philip III Of Spain
Philip III (; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain and King of Portugal, Portugal (where he is known as Philip II of Portugal) during the Iberian Union. His reign lasted from 1598 until his death in 1621. He held dominion over the Spanish Netherlands, Naples, Sicily, Sardinia, and the Duchy of Milan during the same period. A member of the House of Habsburg, Philip III was born in Madrid to King Philip II of Spain and his fourth wife, Anna of Austria (1549–1580), Anna of Austria. The family was heavily Inbreeding, inbred; Philip II and Anna were related both as uncle and niece, as well as cousins. Philip III married his cousin Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, Margaret of Austria, the sister of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor. Although known in Spain as Philip the Pious, his political reputation internationally has generally been negative. Historians C. V. Wedgwood, R. Stradling and J. H. Elliott have described him, respectively, as an "undistinguished and insi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mussomeli
Mussomeli (''Mussumeli'' in Sicilian language, Sicilian) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy. History Mussomeli is claimed to have been founded in the 14th century by Chiaramonte, Manfredo III Chiaramonte with the name Manfredi, but later the current name, of Latin or Arab origin, was imposed. In 1549 it became a county under the Lanza family. Culture A feast is held every September for the Madonna of the Miracles. A similar feast is held simultaneously in Buffalo, NY, which has a large number of Mussomeli émigrés and their descendants. Diaspora Many townspeople emigrated to the UK, to London and Woking, Surrey where the Madonna dei Miracoli (Madonna of Miracles) is celebrated every July. This created a depopulation problem in the town, and as of 2021 the town is seeking foreign purchasers of the empty houses in central Mussomeli. People linked to Mussomeli *Don Francesco Langela (1598-1679) *Don Giuseppe Langela, majon in 1625 and in 164 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
