Ercole Branciforte, 1st Duke of San Giovanni

Ercole Branciforte, 1st Duke of San Giovanni (c. 1550 – 1616), also 7th Count of Cammarata, was an Italian aristocrat and diplomat who served as ambassador to Emperor Rudolf.

Early life

Branciforte was born in c. 1550 in Palermo into the noble Branciforte family. He was eldest son of Girolamo Branciforte, 6th Count of Cammarata (c. 1527–1568) and Ippolita Settimo (b. c. 1528). After his father's death, his mother married Giuseppe Francesco Landriani and had Vittoria Landriani (wife of Tommaso di Carpegna, Count of Carpegna), Ercole's younger half-sister.[1]

His paternal grandparents were Blasco Branciforte, Baron of Tavi, and Margherita Abbatellis, Countess of Cammarata. His maternal aunt, Belladama Branciforte, married Carlo Barrese, 1st Marquess of Militello. Through his half-sister Vittoria, he was uncle to Bishop Pietro Carpegna and Cardinal Ulderico Carpegna. His maternal grandparents were Michele Settimo, Marquess of Giarratana, and Belladama Barrese.[1]

Career

From his father, he inherited the fiefdoms of Vultano, Buonanotte Pietranigra, La Bruca, Giuffrè, lo Chiuppo, lo Gulfo, Chirubò and il Daini, formerly belonging to Motta S. Agata, and today aggregated to the County of Cammarata. In October 1572, he sold the fiefdom of Pasquale to Andrea Ortulano.[2]

In 1587, the Duchy of San Giovanni was established by King Philip II of Spain and Branciforte was made the first Duke. In 1603, he was Governor of Bianchi di Palermo and was Deputy of the Kingdom in 1615.[3]

Branciforte served as ambassador to Emperor Rudolf and was a Knight of the Order of Saint James of the Sword.[2]

Personal life

In 1580 Branciforte was married to Isabella Tagliavia d’Aragona (c. 1550–c. 1580), a daughter of Carlo d'Aragona Tagliavia, 1st Prince of Castelvetrano, 2nd Duke of Terranova,[4] and Margherita Ventimiglia e Moncada (daughter of Simone Ventimiglia, 5th Marquess of Geraci).[5] Together, they were the parents of:

  • Girolamo Branciforte, 2nd Duke of San Giovanni (1582–1622), who married Caterina Gioeni, a daughter of Tomaso II Gioeni, 1st Prince of Castiglione.[1][6][a]

In c. 1597, Branciforte remarried to Agata (née Lanza) Branciforte (b. 1568). The widow of Giuseppe Branciforte Moncanda, 5th Count of Raccuja,[b] Agata was the daughter of Ottavio Lanza, 1st Prince of Trabia, 2nd Count of Mussomeli, and Giovanna Orteca Gioeni, Baroness of Valcorrente and Pietratagliata. Together, they were the parents of:[8]

Branciforte died in 1616 and was buried at the Church of Saint Zita in Palermo.

Descendants

Through his son Girolamo, he was a grandfather of Francesco Branciforte, 3rd Duke of San Giovanni (c. 1600–1652), who married Antonia Gaetani and Antonia Notarbartolo, 2nd Princess of Villanova.[12]

References

Notes
  1. ^ Caterina's niece, Isabella Gioeni Cardona, Princess of Castiglione (the daughter of Lorenzo III Gioeni, Prince of Castiglione), married Marcantonio Colonna, 7th Prince of Paliano).[6]
  2. ^ From her marriage to Giuseppe Branciforte Moncanda, 5th Count of Raccuja (1560–1596), Agata Lanza was the mother of Giovanna Flavia Branciforte (b. c. 1592), who married Giovanni Branciforte, a son of Fabrizio Branciforte, 3rd Prince of Butera,[7] and, after his death in 1622, Francesco Ventimiglia d'Aragona, 10th Marquess of Geraci (a son of Giuseppe Ventimiglia, 9th Marquess of Geraci); and Niccolò Branciforte, 1st Prince of Leonforte (1593–1661). His son was Pietro Branciforte, Marquess of Martini (1615–1661), who married Margherita Colonna Romano, daughter of Giuseppe Colonna Romano, 12th Baron of Fiumedinisi, 14th Baron of Cesarò, and Maria Antichi, Baroness of Giancascio and Realturco.
Sources
  1. ^ a b c Villabianca, Francesco Maria Emanuele e Gaetani marchese di (1757). Della Sicilia nobile (in Italian). Forni. pp. 17, 316. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  2. ^ a b Milanesi, Luigi (17 October 2015). Dizionario Etimologico della Lingua Siciliana (in Italian). Mnamon. p. 1415. ISBN 978-88-6949-056-9. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  3. ^ Giornale araldico-storico-genealogico pubblicazione ufficiale dell'Istituto araldico armerista italiano (in Italian). 1912. p. 222. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  4. ^ The Titled Nobility of Europe: An International Peerage, Or "Who's Who", of the Sovereigns, Princes and Nobles of Europe. Harrison & Sons. 1914. p. 108. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Historical and illustrious family of southern Italy, recognized by many authors as descending from the Lombard Dukes of Benevento, which proven line starts with Lucio Pignatelli, Constable of Naples in 1102". www.pignatelli.org. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  6. ^ a b de Expilly, Jean-Joseph (1753). Della casa Milano libri quattro, dedicati a consecrati dall'abbate Expilly . (in Italian). nella stamperia di Giuseppe Barbou alla Cicogna nella strada di San Giacomo. p. 309. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  7. ^ Giornale araldico, genealogico, diplomatico italiano (in Italian). 1889. p. 142. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  8. ^ Mazzuchelli, Conte Giammaria (1763). Gli scrittori d'Italia, cioè notizie storiche e critiche intorno alle vite e agli scritti dei letterati italiani: B (in Italian). Bossini. p. 1998. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  9. ^ "Bishop Ottavio Branciforte". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Bishop Luigi Branciforte". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  11. ^ Pirro, p. 560, column 2.
  12. ^ Della Sicilia nobile opera di Francesco Maria Emanuele e Gaetani ... Parte prima [- terza]: Parte terza, nella quale si ha la cronologia senatoria, ovvero il catalogo di tutti i patrizj, che i supremi magistrati han tenuto nelle cinque rispettive città principali del Regno ... (in Italian). nella Stamperia de' Santi Appostoli, in piazza Vigliena. 1759. p. 137. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
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