Marquess of Galatone

The title of Marquess of Galatone is a subsidiary title of the Prince Belmonte, created for the Squarciafico family in the 16th Century and inherited by the Princes of Belmonte through a Pinelli-Ravaschieri marriage in the 17th Century.

Creation of the Title

The feudality was acquired in 1557 by Don Uberto Squarciafico of Genoa, who died on 8th February 1562 leaving his property to his son Don Stefano. On 29th June of that year, the title Marquess of Galatone was conferred on Don Stefano by Philip II of Spain, son of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, whose Queen was Mary I of England, (daughter of Henry VII and grand-daughter of the Catholic Monarchs (los Reyes Católicos), Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile). Don Stefano married Donna Vittoria Doria.

Succession

Don Uberto's younger son Don Giulio Cesare succeeded his brother Don Stefano as 2nd Marquess of Galatone and Count of Copertino in 1567, and was placed under the guardianship of Don Uberto's sister Donna Livia and her husband Don Galeazzo Pinelli owing to his youth.

In 1588 Don Cosimo, son of Donna Livia and Don Galeazzo, succeeded to the lands, Castle and title as 3rd Marquess of Galatone and Count of Copertino. He married Donna Nicoletta, daughter of Don Agapito Grillo, Patrician of Genoa and Guardian ('Custode') of the Galley of Admiral Don Andrea Doria. On 12th April 1593 Philip II of Spain conferred on Don Cosimo the title of Duke of Acerenza. Duke Cosimo was responsible for the construction of the Church and Convent of San Francesco in Galatone in 1599-1600 at his own expense, dedicating it to the care of the Cappuchins and reserving the Chapel of the Immacolata as a family crypt.

Duke Cosimo and Duchess Nicoletta's only son, Don Galeazzo (II) Francesco succeeded his father in 1602 as 2nd Duke of Acerenza and 4th Marquess of Galatone and Count of Copertino. Their daughter Donna Caterina also lived at Galatone, and is buried in the Chapel of the Immacolata, along with her cousin Donna Nicoletta, daughter of Don Galeazzo (I).

Documents produced at the time of the Duke Galeazzo (II) Francesco's succession include the following description of the Castle that he inherited:

'uno castello cum diversi membri; sala, camera, torre, cortiglio, stalle, cantine, giardene, et altri membri, con puzzo seu trozza, cisterne tre, sito dentro la terra di Galatone'.

Don Cosimo (II) succeeded as 3rd Duke of Acerenza and 5th Marquess of Galatone and Count of Copertino, and married Donna Anna Maria Ravaschieri Caracciolo, bringing her from the convent where she had been enclosed. Together they had nine children. Her tomb is in the Chapel of the Immacolata in Galatone.

Don Gaetano Pinelli, their second son, inherited the titles of 4th Duke of Acerenza and 6th Marquess of Galatone and Count of Copertino, since his elder brother Don Gaetano Antonio was considered 'fatuo' or simple. Duke Gaetano died at Belmonte (now Belmonte Calabro) in 1711, with no direct heir. The titles and lands therefore passed to Don Gaetano's first cousin, nephew to Donna Anna Maria, Marchioness of Galatone, His Excellency Don Oronzo Ravaschieri Fieschi Pinelli, 3rd Prince of Belmonte, who thus became 5th Duke of Acerenza and 7th Marquess of Galatone.

For the continuing descent of the Duke of Acerenza, Marquess of Galatone and Count of Copertino, see Prince Belmonte

Coat of arms

• The Arms: a list of the individual blazons related to the Dukes of Acerenza and Marquesses of Galatone prior to their inter-marriage with Prince Belmonte is given below, in the Italian of their original language. A series of illustrations of these arms is currently being prepared.

Squarciafico- la ruota crociata, coronet of a Marquess (Galatone)

Doria-

Grillo- il grillo,

Pinelli- le tre pigne, coronet of a Duke (Acerenza)

Ravaschieri- le bande diagonali, coronet of a Prince (Belmonte)