The Filangieri (or Filangeri or Filingeri) were an

Italo-Norman The Italo-Normans (), or Siculo-Normans (''Siculo-Normanni'') when referring to Sicily and Southern Italy, are the Italian-born descendants of the first Norman conquerors to travel to Southern Italy in the first half of the eleventh century. ...

noble family Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the rea ...

that first established as

counts Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

and lords in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Avellino Avellino () is a city and ''comune'', capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento. ...

(). Having established itself in much of

Southern Italy Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions. The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...

in the second half of the 11th century, the family played a key role in the history of the

Kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily (; ; ) was a state that existed in Sicily and the southern Italian peninsula, Italian Peninsula as well as, for a time, in Kingdom of Africa, Northern Africa, from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 until 1816. It was ...

and the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples (; ; ), officially the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was established by the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282–1302). Until ...

after the fall of the

Altavilla Altavilla is a village and former municipality in the district of See District, Fribourg, See in the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. History It was first recorded in 1340 as ''Alta villa''. It has also had the German name ''Altenfüllen'' and ...

family, which occurred at the end of the 12th century at the hands of the

Hohenstaufen The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynast ...

History

The name Filangieri originates from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''Filli Angerii'' (sons of Angerio) named after Richard "Angerio" of Arnes, who adopted the

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

"Angerio" during his military service as

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

''falangerio'' (

phalanges The phalanges (: phalanx ) are digit (anatomy), digital bones in the hands and foot, feet of most vertebrates. In primates, the Thumb, thumbs and Hallux, big toes have two phalanges while the other Digit (anatomy), digits have three phalanges. ...

) in the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...

. They played a prominent role in the

(prior to the

War of the Sicilian Vespers The War of the Sicilian Vespers, also shortened to the War of the Vespers, was a conflict waged by several medieval European kingdoms over control of Sicily from 1282 to 1302. The war, which started with the revolt of the Sicilian Vespers, was ...

) and the subsequent

.Coniglio, Giuseppe ''I Gonzaga. Varese: Dall'Oglio'' (1967). Over the years, the family came to hold the highest political and military positions in the

first and then in the

, finally coming to own a total of six principalities, eight duchies, two marquisates, sixteen counties and over 120 baronies. It was also awarded the

Grandee of Spain Grandee (; , ) is an official royal and noble ranks, aristocratic title conferred on some Spanish nobility. Holders of this dignity enjoyed similar privileges to those of the peerage of France during the , though in neither country did they ha ...

, the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...

and other illustrious Orders of Chivalry and, in 1444, it was received into the

Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic Church, Cathol ...

. Among others, it enjoyed nobility in

Benevento Benevento ( ; , ; ) is a city and (municipality) of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the Sabato (r ...

Messina Messina ( , ; ; ; ) is a harbour city and the capital city, capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of 216,918 inhabitants ...

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

in the Seats of Capuana and Nido,

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

and

Trani Trani () is a seaport of Apulia, Southern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea, by railway west-northwest of Bari. It is one of the capital cities of the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani (BAT). History Overview The city of ''Turenum'' appears for the ...

in the Seat of Campo. The family eventually branched out into the following lines: Princes of Arianello, Princes of Satriano, Counts of Avellino, Lords of Lapio and Lords of Vietri in the

, Princes of Cutò, Princes of

Mirto Mirto may refer to: People * Alexander Mirto Frangipani, Roman Catholic prelate * Fabio Mirto Frangipani (died 1587), Roman Catholic prelate * Mirto Davoine (1933-1999), Uruguayan football player * Mirto Picchi (1915-1980), Italian dramatic ten ...

, Princes of

Santa Flavia Santa Flavia (known as Solunto until 1880) is a town in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. Overview The town is situated between the Gulf of Palermo and the town and hot springs known as Termini Imerese, on the Tyrrhenian ...

and Dukes of Pino in the

, and Candida Gonzaga.

Princes of Cutò

The first to be invested with the Principality of Cutò was Alessandro Filangieri, Marquis of Lucca Sicula, who married Giulia Platamone, heiress of the fiefdom, in 1706. Among the Princes of Cutò there was another Alessandro, Captain and

Justiciar Justiciar is the English form of the medieval Latin term or (meaning "judge" or "justice"). The Chief Justiciar was the king's chief minister, roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Justiciar of Ireland was ...

in 1726 and, Girolamo, also Captain and Justiciar in 1743 and gentleman of the chamber of King

Charles III of Spain Charles III (; 20 January 1716 – 14 December 1788) was King of Spain in the years 1759 to 1788. He was also Duke of Parma and Piacenza, as Charles I (1731–1735); King of Naples, as Charles VII; and King of Sicily, as Charles III (or V) (1735� ...

. The branch boasted various Viceroys and Lieutenants, including Alessandro Filangieri and his son Niccolò Filangieri. Their main residences were the Palazzo Cutò located in Bagheria in Via Maqueda, designed by Giacomo Amato, with a staircase built by the architect Giovanni Del Frago, and the Palazzo Cutò in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, opposite the

Palermo Cathedral Palermo Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo, located in Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. As an architectural complex, it is characterized by the pre ...

, whose façade is by the architect Emmanuele Palazzotto in 1836. Teresa Mastrogiovanni Tasca Filangieri di Cutò, mother of the poet Lucio Piccolo, Baron of Calanovella, son of Giuseppe, and his sister Beatrice, mother of the writer Giuseppe Tomasi, 11th Prince of Lampedusa, 12th Duke of Palma, belonged to this branch.Hickson, Sally Anne. ''Women, Art and Architectural Patronage in Renaissance Mantua: Matrons, Mystics, and Monasteries.'' (2016) Routledge, p. 87.

Notable members

* Giordano Filangieri I * Riccardo Filangieri I (–1254/63), son of Giordano I * Giordano Filangieri II (b. 1195/1200), son of Giordano I * Lotterio Filangieri I * Enrico Filangieri (d. 1258) * Marino Filangieri (d. 1251) * Lotterio Filangieri II (d. 1302), son of Giordano II *

Aldoino Filangieri di Candida Aldoino (or Alduino) Filangieri di Candida (died December 1283) was a nobleman in the Kingdom of Naples. He was the son of Giordano of the Filangieri and an unnamed woman, the sister of Aldoino di Cicala, after whom he was named and from whom he ...

(d. 1283), son of Giordano II; founder of the Candida branch * Riccardo Filangieri di Candida (d. 1321) * Guido Filangieri * Giordano Filangieri III * Alessandro Filangieri (1740–1806), son of Girolamo; Prince of Cutò * Gaetano Filangieri, 5th Prince of Satriano (1753–1788), son of Cesare, Prince of Arianiello * Niccolò Filangieri (1760–1839), son of Alessandro;

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

of Sicily * Carlo Filangieri, 6th Prince of Satriano (1784–1867), son of Gaetano * Gaetano Filangieri, 7th Prince of Satriano (1824–1892), son of Carlo; founder of the Museo Civico Filangieri

Affiliated properties

Campania

* in

Nocera Inferiore Nocera Inferiore ( or simply , , locally ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno, in Campania in southern Italy. It lies west of Nocera Superiore, at the foot of Monte Albino, some 20 km east-southeast of Naples by rail. ...

. * Candida Castle. * Immaculate Church and Sant'Antonio alla Cercola, built in 1755 by Cesare Filangieri, Prince of Arianiello, until 1877 it fell within the hamlet of Ponte della Cercola in the municipality of San Sebastiano al Vesuvio and was a branch of the Sanctuary of San Sebastiano Martire. * Palazzo Baronale of

Lapio Lapio is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy. Lapio includes the frazioni of Casale Monaci, Case sparse, Cerreto, Cortejoanna, Crete, Fortuna Fortuna (, equivalent to the Greek mythology, Greek godd ...

. * Palazzo Filangieri a Chiaia of Naples. * Palazzo Filangieri d'Arianello of Naples. * Palazzo Filangieri di San Potito Sannitico. * Palazzo Filangieri d'Arianiello di San Sebastiano al Vesuvio (birthplace of the jurist

Gaetano Filangieri Gaetano Filangieri (22 August 1753 – 21 July 1788) was an Italian jurist and philosopher. Filangieri was born in San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, in the Kingdom of Naples. He was born the third son of a sibship of the noble family of Filangieri, wh ...

). Since 1877 the residence has been part of the territory of the municipality of Massa di Somma which changed its name to

Cercola Cercola is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 9 km northeast of Naples. Cercola borders the following municipalities: Massa di Somma, Naples, Pollena Trocchia, San S ...

in the same year; the palace was demolished in the 1980s. * Villa Filangieri De Clario of San Paolo Bel Sito. * Villa Filangieri Rossi of Torre Annunziata.

Sicily

* Baglio of

Villafrati Villafrati is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo. As of 31 December 2016, it had a population of 3,340 and an area of .All demographics and other statis ...

, feudal residence of the Princes of Mirto, also Counts of San Marco. * Castello di San Marco d'Alunzio, currently in ruins. * Palazzo Cutò of Bagheria. * Palazzo Filangeri-Cutò, Palermo * Palazzo Filangeri-Cutò, Santa Margherita di Belice, damaged by the 1968 earthquake. * Palazzo Mirto in Palermo, inhabited by the Princes of Mirto, also Counts of San Marco, until 1984. * Palazzo Ramacca, seat of the National Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts, founded in 1718 by Pietro Filangieri. * Cutò Square,

Lucca Sicula Lucca Sicula () is an Italian ''comune'' (municipality) founded in 1621. Located in the Province of Agrigento in Sicily, it is about south of Palermo and about northwest of Agrigento. Lucca Sicula borders the following municipalities: Bivona ...

. * Villa Filangeri, Santa Flavia, today seat of the municipality

's town hall. * Villa San Marco, Santa Flavia.

References

External links

Genealogia dei Filangieri (XIe s.–XVIe s.)

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