The Stampa are a well-known family of old

Italian nobility The Italian nobility ( Italian: ''Nobiltà italiana'') comprised individuals and their families of the Italian Peninsula, and the islands linked with it, recognized by the sovereigns of the Italian city-states since the Middle Ages, and by the k ...

that rose to prominence in the 15th century. They were

Grandees of Spain Grandees of Spain () are the highest-ranking members of the Spanish nobility. They comprise nobles who hold the most important historical landed titles in Spain or its Spanish Empire, former colonies. Many such hereditary titles are held by extend ...

, members 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 owned many estates throughout the Italian Peninsula, including a

Castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

in Soncino, a

Palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

in Milan, and countless others in

Muggiò Muggiò (, ; Milanese: Mugg) is a city (municipality) in the Province of Monza and Brianza in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on September 27, 1992. ...

Melzo Melzo ( ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about east of Milan. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 18,400 and an area of .All demographics and other statistics: Italian sta ...

Gorgonzola Gorgonzola (, ) is a famously pungent Italian blue cheese made from unskimmed cow's milk; believed to have been created in the 9th century; now with use of its name controlled under the criteria of a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Gorg ...

Rivolta d'Adda Rivolta d'Adda () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cremona in the Italian region Lombardy, located about east of Milan and about northwest of Cremona Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situat ...

Ferentino Ferentino is a town and ''comune'' in Italy, in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, southeast of Rome. It is situated on a hill above sea level, in the Monti Ernici area. History ''Ferentinum'' was a town of the Hernici; it was captured from them ...

and

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. They are related to some of the most important Italian noble

houses A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

, such as the Doria,

Sforza The House of Sforza () was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan. Sforza rule began with the family's acquisition of the Duchy of Milan following the extinction of the Visconti of Milan, Visconti family in the mid-15th century and ...

Gonzaga Gonzaga may refer to: Places *Gonzaga, Lombardy, commune in the province of Mantua, Italy *Gonzaga, Cagayan, municipality in the Philippines *Gonzaga, Minas Gerais, town in Brazil *Forte Gonzaga, fort in Messina, Sicily Surname *House of Gonza ...

, Borromeo and

Visconti Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...

Early history

The Stampa trace their ancestry back to Carlo Lanfranco of the dukes of

Étampes Étampes () is a Communes of France, commune in the functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the Kilometre zero#France, center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a Subprefectures in ...

, later governor of

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

under

Charles the Great Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian Empire from 800, holding these titles until his death in 814. He united mo ...

. His descendants settled in

and

Gravedona Gravedona ed Uniti is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Como in the Italy, Italian region of Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northeast of Como. The municipality of Gravedona ed Uniti contains the ''frazione, fr ...

, and ruled over the

Val Bregaglia The Val Bregaglia (; , ; ) is an alpine valley of Switzerland and Italy at the base of which runs the river Mera ( Romansh and ). Most of the valley falls within the Swiss district of Maloja in the canton of the Grisons, the lower part within ...

. The best evidence for this is the city of

Stampa Stampa is a former municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Maloja (district), Maloja district of the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton, Graubünden. It is now part of the municipality of Bregaglia. History Stampa is fir ...

, named so by the family in honour of its ancestors. However, historians such as the Count Pompeo Litta do not believe these sources, arguing that it was very common for aristocratic families to trace their ancestry back to France. One of the earliest documents Litta could find dates to 1277, when the

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Ottone Visconti Ottone Visconti (1207 8 August 1295) was Archbishop of Milan and Lord of Milan, the first of the Visconti line. Under his rule, the commune of Milan became a strong Ghibelline city and one of the Holy Roman Empire's seats in Italy. Biograp ...

became

Lord of Milan The Lordship of Milan was a state in Northern Italy created in May 1259 following the election of Martino della Torre as lord of Milan. From 1259 to 1277 it was governed by the Della Torre, Della Torre family until, following the Battle of Desio, ...

: it consists in a register compiled by Ottone himself, granting several privileges to the most influential families of the city, including the Stampa and their progeny. The Stampa decided the destiny of Milan on more than one occasion. The first time was in 1450, when they helped

Francesco I Sforza Francesco I Sforza (; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiero who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) Duke of Milan, duke from 1450 until his death. In the 1420s, he participated in the ...

become

Duke of Milan Milan was ruled by dukes from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna. List of dukes of Milan House of Visconti In 1395, Gian Galeazzo Visconti was titled Duke ...

. In February the Venetians had sent an ambassador, Leonardo Venieri, to negotiate the city's surrender and help them defeat Sforza. Giovanni Stampa marched onto Milan with his army and killed Venieri on the stairs of

Palazzo Reale This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania {, class="wikitable" width="95%" , - bgcolor="white" !align=center, Residence !align=center, Photo !align=center, City !align=cen ...

, forcing the Milanese to surrender. The

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

was naturally obliged to the family, and rewarded them with many honours.

Stampa di Soncino

The branch of Soncino, arguably the most important of all, originated with the emblematic figure of Massimiliano I Stampa, son of count Pietro Martire Stampa and countess Barbara Crivelli. Massimiliano was a loyal courtier of

Francesco II Sforza Francesco II Sforza (4 February 1495 – 1 November 1535) was Duke of Milan from 1521 until his death. He became duke of Milan after Emperor Charles V reconquered it from the French. He fought at Bicocca against the French, but in 1526 joine ...

and castellan of the

Sforza Castle The Sforza Castle ( ; ) is a medieval fortification located in Milan, northern Italy. It was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Later renovated and enlarged, in the 1 ...

from 1531. The

held him in high regard, and in 1534 was appointed to accompany the future duchess

Christina of Denmark Christina of Denmark (; November 1521 – 10 December 1590) was a Denmark, Danish princess, the younger surviving daughter of Christian II, King Christian II of Denmark and Norway and Isabella of Austria. By her two marriages, she became List ...

on her first trip to Milan. He also hosted a reception for her in his

Cusago Cusago ( ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about west of Milan. Cusago borders the following municipalities: Milan, Cornaredo, Settimo Milanese, Bareggio, Cisliano Cislian ...

Castle, which he bought that same year. After the death of Francesco II in 1535 the city was about to plunge into chaos, just as it happened when

Filippo Maria Visconti Filippo Maria Visconti (3 September 1392 – 13 August 1447) was the duke of Duchy of Milan, Milan from 1412 to 1447. Reports stated that he was "paranoid", but "shrewd as a ruler." He went to war in the 1420s with Romagna, Republic of Florenc ...

died. To avoid disorders, Massimiliano took charge of an embassy and offered Milan to

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and head of state of the Holy Roman Empire. ...

. In recognition, Massimiliano was created 1st

Marquess A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or wid ...

of Soncino and granted an allowance of 50.000

scudi The ''scudo'' (pl. ''scudi'') was the name for a number of coins used in various states in the Italian peninsula from 1551 until the 19th century. The name, like that of the French écu and the Spanish and Portuguese escudo, was derived from t ...

. The family ruled over

until 1876, and the city flourished immensely under their guidance. Massimiliano Cesare Stampa, the last Marquess of Soncino, died without children and donated his

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

to the municipality. His assets were acquired by the Casati family, thus creating a new branch called Casati Stampa di Soncino.

Marquises of Soncino Stampa (1536–1876)

* Massimiliano I (1536–1543), Count and 1st Marquess of Soncino from 1536 * Ermes I (1543–1557), Marquess of Soncino, brother of Massimiliano I * Massimiliano II (1557–1596), 3rd Marquess of Soncino, son of Ermes I. Married to Marianna de Leyva, aunt of Suor Virginia de Leyva * Ermes II (1596–1621), 4th Marquess of Soncino, son of Massimiliano II * Massimiliano III (1621–1659), 5th Marquess of Soncino, son of Ermes II, sentenced to death for murder * Giovanni I (1659–1678), 6th Marquess of Soncino, brother of Massimiliano III * Massimiliano IV Domenico (1678–1693), 7th Marquess of Soncino, son of Giovanni I * Giuseppe I (1693–1735), 8th Marquess of Soncino, brother of Massimiliano IV * Massimiliano V Giovanni (1735–1769), 9th Marquess of Soncino, son of Giuseppe I * Massimiliano VI Giuseppe (1769–1818), 10th Marquess of Soncino, son of Massimiliano V Giovanni,

Grandee 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 ...

of Spain and Member of the

Order of the Iron Crown The Order of the Iron Crown () was an order of merit that was established on 5 June 1805 in the Kingdom of Italy by Napoleon Bonaparte under his title of Napoleon I, King of Italy. The order took its name from the ancient Iron Crown of Lombard ...

, married to Princess Carlotta Gonzaga di Luzzara (1767-1823) in 1785 * Massimiliano VII Giovanni (1818–1824), 11th Marquess of Soncino, son of Massimiliano VI Giuseppe * Massimiliano VIII (1824–1834), 12th Marquess of Soncino, son of Massimiliano VII Giovanni * Massimiliano IX Giovanni (1834–1876), 13th Marquess of Soncino, son of Massimiliano VIII and last Marquess of Soncino : ''After Massimiliano IX Giovanni's death, the Casati inherited the title of Marquess of Soncino, which was held unofficially by Camillo Casati Stampa from 1876 to 1892''

Casati Stampa, Marquess of Casate (1876–1970)

* Camillo I, Marquess of Casate (1892–1946), husband of

Luisa Casati Luisa, Marchesa Casati Stampa di Soncino (born Luisa Adele Rosa Maria Amman; 23 January 1881 – 1 June 1957), was an Italian heiress, socialite, and patroness of the arts in early 20th-century Europe. Early life Luisa Adele Rosa Maria Amman wa ...

. * Camillo II, Marquess of Casate (1946–1970), son of Camillo I. His infamous suicide marked the end of the dynasty.

Stampa di Ferentino

In the early years of the 18th century

Carlo Gaetano Stampa Carlo III Gaetano Stampa (1667–1742) was an Italian cardinal and Archbishop of Milan from 1737 to 1742. Early life Carlo Gaetano Stampa was born on 1 November 1667 in Milan to count Cristiano Stampa and Giustina of the House of Borromeo. ...

moved to

central Italy Central Italy ( or ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a first-level NUTS region with code ITI, and a European Parliament constituency. It has 11,704,312 inhabita ...

and acquired a palace near the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

, Palazzo Capponi Stampa. A few years later his cousin Pietro Antonio Stampa inherited the palace, settling in Rome and marrying a local

noblewoman A noblewoman is a female member of the nobility. Noblewomen form a disparate group, which has evolved over time. Ennoblement of women has traditionally been a rare occurrence; the majority of noblewomen were linked to the nobility by either their ...

, who had a dowry of estates in

and

Alatri Alatri () is an Italian town and ''comune'' of the province of Frosinone in the region of Lazio, with c. 30,000 inhabitants. An ancient city of the Hernici,Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Hernici". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). it is kno ...

. In 1779, with the consent of

Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...

, Pietro Antonio's youngest son Angelo joined the council of the 15 noble families of Ferentino. He and his older brother Filippo were loyal servants of the

papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

, so much that in 1770

Pope Clement XIV Pope Clement XIV (; ; 31 October 1705 – 22 September 1774), born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 May 1769 to his death in September 1774. At the time of his elec ...

appointed them state administrators of the

Duchy of Castro The Duchy of Castro was a fiefdom in central Italy formed in 1537 from a small strip of land on what is now Lazio's border with Tuscany, centred on Castro, a fortified city on a tufa cliff overlooking the Fiora River which was its capital and ...

. There is still a plaque in his memory at the entrance of Ferentino’s town hall:

"Count Filippo Stampa (1710–1789), scholar and administrator, lived here. A.D. 2001"

Among the other commercial activities which the Stampa administered on behalf of the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

, there were several iron mines in

Elba Elba (, ; ) is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, a ...

. The family also had the wood cutting rights in the area of

Canino Canino is a town and ''comune'' of Italy, in the province of Viterbo (northern Lazio) in the internal part of Maremma Laziale. It is west of Valentano and northwest of Viterbo. It is also near the ancient Etruscan town of Vulci, and the des ...

. It was a very lucrative business, but when

Lucien Bonaparte Lucien Bonaparte, 1st Prince of Canino and Musignano (; born Luciano Buonaparte; 21 May 1775 – 29 June 1840), was a French politician and diplomat of the French Revolution and the Consulate. He served as Minister of the Interior from 1799 to ...

was confined to the Papal States, he claimed part of those estates. After

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

's exile to

Saint Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII (; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He ruled the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again ...

offered Angelo Stampa's first born Pietro an important job within the

Papal State The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct Sovereignty, sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy fro ...

s to compensate him for the financial damage. The relationship between the family and the Holy See continued with succeeding generations.

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

Mastai Ferretti, later

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

, ensured that Domenico Stampa contracted a good marriage with Paolina Vinciguerra, last heir of the counts Antonini di

. The family continues to exist in Rome and

Notable members

Archbishop of Milan The Archdiocese of Milan (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy which covers the areas of Milan, Monza, Lecco and Varese. It has long maintained its own Latin liturgical rite usage, the Amb ...

* Massimiliano I Stampa,

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

and politician *

Massimiliano II Stampa Massimiliano II Giovanni Stampa, 3rd marquess of Soncino (1545 – 1601) was an Italian nobleman and writer of the Stampa (family), Stampa family, also known after his profession as a Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, Capuchin friar as frate or fra ...

, nobleman and writer * Stefano Stampa,

stepson A stepchild is the offspring of one's spouse, but not one's own offspring, either biologically or through adoption. Stepchildren can come into a family in a variety of ways. A stepchild may be the child of one's spouse from a previous relationshi ...

and biographer of

Alessandro Manzoni Alessandro Francesco Tommaso Antonio Manzoni (, , ; 7 March 1785 – 22 May 1873) was an Italian poet, novelist and philosopher. He is famous for the novel ''The Betrothed (Manzoni novel), The Betrothed'' (orig. ) (1827), generally ranked among ...

Gaspara Stampa Gaspara Stampa (; 1523 – 23 April 1554) was an Italians, Italian poet. She is considered to have been the greatest woman poet of the Italian Renaissance, and she is regarded by many as the greatest Italian woman poet of any age. Biography ...

, 16th century

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

. *

Ermete Stampa Ermete Stampa (died 1526) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Novara, Bishop-elect of Novara (1525–1526). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Ermete Stampa was born in Milan, Italy. Wikipedia:SPS, On 20 December 1525, Ermete Stampa was a ...

Bishop of Novara The Diocese of Novara () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vercelli.Discalced Carmelite The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel () or the Order of Discalced Carmelites (; abbrev.: OCD; sometimes called in earlier times, ), is a Catholic mendicant ...

*Massimiliano IX Giovanni, patriot *

George Loraine Stampa George Loraine Stampa (29 November 1875 – 26 May 1951), also known as G. L. Stampa, was a British artist. He contributed to '' Punch'' for over 50 years and was the illustrator for books written by A. P. Herbert, E. V. Lucas and Anthony Arm ...

, artist

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stampa (family) Italian noble families