Italian noble family
The
House of Colonna
, also known as
Sciarrillo
or
Sciarra
, is an Italian noble family, forming part of the
papal nobility
. It was powerful in
medieval
and
Renaissance
Rome
, supplying one
pope
(
Martin V
) and many other
church
and political leaders. The family is notable for its bitter feud with the
Orsini family
over influence in Rome, until it was stopped by
papal bull
in 1511. In 1571, the heads of both families married nieces of
Pope Sixtus V
. Thereafter, historians recorded that "no peace had been concluded between the princes of
Christendom
, in which they had not been included by name".
[4]
History
[
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]
Origins
[
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]
According to tradition, the Colonna family is a branch of the
Counts of Tusculum
? by Peter (1099?1151) son of
Gregory III
, called Peter "de Columna" from his property the Columna Castle in
Colonna
, in the
Alban Hills
. Further back, they trace their lineage past the Counts of Tusculum via
Lombard
and Italo-Roman nobles, merchants, and clergy through the
Early Middle Ages
? ultimately claiming origins from the
Julio-Claudian dynasty
and the
gens Julia
whose origin is lost in the mists of time but which entered the annals for the first time in 489 BC with the
consulship
of
Gaius Julius Iulus
.
The first
cardinal
from the family was appointed in 1206, when
Giovanni Colonna di Carbognano
was made
Cardinal Deacon
of SS. Cosma e Damiano.
[5]
For many years, Cardinal
Giovanni di San Paolo
(elevated in 1193) was identified as a member of the Colonna family and therefore its first representative in the
College of Cardinals
, but modern scholars have established that this was based on false information from the beginning of the 16th century.
[6]
Giovanni Colonna (born c. 1206)
[7]
nephew of Cardinal Giovanni Colonna di Carbognano, made his solemn vows as a
Dominican
around 1228 and received his theological and philosophical training at the Roman
studium
of
Santa Sabina
, the forerunner of the
Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas,
Angelicum
. He served as the Provincial of the Roman province of the
Dominican Order
and led the provincial chapter of 1248 at Anagni.
[8]
Colonna was appointed as Archbishop of
Messina
in 1255.
[9]
Margherita Colonna
(died 1248) was a member of the Franciscan Order. She was beatified by Pope
Pius IX
in 1848.
Princely arms of the Gravina line of the house of Orsini
At this time, a rivalry began with the pro-papal Orsini family, leaders of the
Guelph
faction. This reinforced the pro-Emperor
Ghibelline
course that the Colonna family followed throughout the period of conflict between the Papacy and the
Holy Roman Empire
. Ironically according to their own family legend, the Orsini are also descended from the
Julio-Claudian dynasty
of
ancient Rome
.
Colonna versus Papacy
[
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]
In 1297, Cardinal
Jacopo
disinherited his brothers Ottone, Matteo, and Landolfo of their lands. The latter three appealed to
Pope Boniface VIII
, who ordered Jacopo to return the land, and furthermore hand over the family's strongholds of Colonna,
Palestrina
, and other towns to the
Papacy
. Jacopo refused; in May, Boniface removed him from the
College of Cardinals
and excommunicated him and his followers.
The Colonna family (aside from the three brothers allied with the Pope) declared that Boniface had been elected illegally following the unprecedented
abdication
of
Pope Celestine V
. The dispute led to open warfare, and in September, Boniface appointed Landolfo to the command of his army, to put down the revolt of Landolfo's own Colonna relatives. By the end of 1298, Landolfo had captured Colonna, Palestrina and other towns, and razed them to the ground. The family's lands were distributed among Landolfo and his loyal brothers; the rest of the family fled Italy.
The exiled Colonnas allied with the Pope's other great enemy,
Philip IV of France
, who in his youth had been tutored by Cardinal
Egidio Colonna
. In September 1303, Sciarra and Philipp's advisor,
Guillaume de Nogaret
, led a small force into
Anagni
to arrest Boniface VIII and bring him to France, where he was to stand trial. The two managed to apprehend the pope, and Sciarra reportedly slapped the pope in the face in the process, which was accordingly dubbed the "Outrage of Anagni". The attempt eventually failed after a few days, when locals freed the pope. However, Boniface VIII died on 11 October, allowing France to dominate his weaker successors during the
Avignon papacy
.
Late Middle Ages
[
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]
The family remained at the centre of civic and religious life throughout the late Middle Ages. Cardinal
Egidio Colonna
died at the papal court in
Avignon
in 1314. An Augustinian, he had studied theology in Paris under St.
Thomas of Aquinas
to become one of the most authoritative thinkers of his time.
In the 14th century, the family sponsored the decoration of the Church of
San Giovanni
, most notably the floor mosaics.
In 1328,
Louis IV of Germany
marched into Italy for his coronation as
Holy Roman Emperor
. As
Pope John XXII
was residing in Avignon and had publicly declared that he would not crown Louis, the King decided to be crowned by a member of the Roman aristocracy, who proposed Sciarra Colonna. In honor of this event, the Colonna family was granted the privilege of using the imperial pointed crown on top of their coat of arms.
The celebrated poet
Petrarch
, was a great friend of the family, in particular of
Giovanni Colonna
and often lived in Rome as a guest of the family. He composed a number of sonnets for special occasions within the Colonna family, including "Colonna the Glorious, the great Latin name upon which all our hopes rest". In this period, the Colonna started claiming they were descendants of the
Julio-Claudian dynasty
.
Palazzo Colonna
in Rome (begun by
Pope Martin V
, to this day residence of the family)
At the
Council of Constance
, the Colonna finally succeeded in their papal ambitions when
Oddone Colonna
was elected on 14 November 1417. As Martin V, he reigned until his death on 20 February 1431.
Early modern period
[
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]
Vittoria Colonna
became famous in the sixteenth century as a poet and a figure in literate circles.
In 1627
Anna Colonna
, daughter of
Filippo I Colonna
, married
Taddeo Barberini
of the family
Barberini
; nephew of
Pope Urban VIII
.
In 1728, the Carbognano branch (Colonna di Sciarra) of the Colonna family added the name
Barberini
to its family name
[10]
when Giulio Cesare Colonna di Sciarra married Cornelia Barberini, daughter of the last male Barberini to hold the name and granddaughter of
Maffeo Barberini
(son of
Taddeo Barberini
).
Current status
[
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The Colonna family have been
Prince Assistants to the Papal Throne
[11]
since 1710, though their papal princely title only dates from 1854.
The family residence in Rome, the
Palazzo Colonna
, is open to the public every Saturday morning.
The main 'Colonna di Paliano' line is represented today by Prince Marcantonio Colonna di Paliano, Prince and Duke of Paliano (b. 1948), whose heir is Don Giovanni Andrea Colonna di Paliano (b. 1975), and by Don Prospero Colonna di Paliano, Prince of Avella (b. 1956), whose heir is Don Filippo Colonna di Paliano (b. 1995).
The 'Colonna di Stigliano' line is represented by Don Prospero Colonna di Stigliano, Prince of Stigliano (b. 1938), whose heir is his nephew Don Stefano Colonna di Stigliano (b. 1975) principe frederico giuseppe born 1954
[12]
[
full citation needed
]
Notable members
[
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]
Oddo Colonna (1368?1431),
Pope Martin V
1417-1431
Prospero Colonna
(1452?1523), papal condottiere
- Blessed
Margherita Colonna
(c. 1255 ? 1280)
- Stefano Colonna
(1265 ? c. 1348), an influential noble in Medieval Rome and Imperial vicar in the early 14th century
- Jacopo Colonna
(1250 ? 1318), cardinal
- Giacomo Colonna
(1270?1329), who took part in the Outrage of Anagni against
Pope Boniface VIII
- Giovanni Colonna
(1295?1348), influential
cardinal
during the
Avignon papacy
- Oddone Colonna (1369?1431), whose election as
Pope Martin V
in 1417 ended the
Western Schism
- Ludovico Colonna
(1390-1436), condottiero
- Prospero I Colonna
(1410?1463), cardinal
- Fabrizio Colonna
(c. 1450 ? 1520), the father of
Vittoria Colonna
, and a general in the
Holy League
- Prospero Colonna
(1452?1523), who fought alongside his cousin Fabrizio Colonna
- Francesco Colonna (1453? ? 1517?) [La "Pugna d'amore in sogno" di Francesco Colonna Romano, 1996, Maurizio Calvesi], who was credited (along with the monk
Francesco Colonna
) with the authorship of the
Hypnerotomachia Poliphili
by an acrostic in the text; also believed to have written the story
- Marcantonio I Colonna
(1478?1522),
condottiero
of the 15th-16th centuries
- Pompeo Colonna
(1479?1532), cardinal, a nephew of Prospero Colonna, mentioned above.
Viceroy of Naples
from 1530 to 1532
- Vittoria Colonna
(1490?1547), friend of
Michelangelo
. Married in 1507 the Spanish-Italian
Fernando d'Avalos
, marquis of
Pescara
(deceased 1525), adopting (on becoming a widow)
Alfonso d'Avalos
, also marquis del
Vasto
, a nephew of her former husband
- Pirro Colonna
(1500?1552), 16th century captain under
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
- Marco Antonio Colonna
(1523?1597),
cardinal
- Marcantonio II Colonna
the Younger (1535?1584), Duke of
Tagliacozzo
. Son of
Ascanio Colonna
and
Juana de Aragon
. He participated in the naval
Battle of Lepanto
against the Turks, 7 October 1571 and was
Viceroy of Sicily
in 1577?1584. Prince of
Paliano
.
- Ascanio Colonna
(1560?1608), cardinal
- Federico Colonna y Tomacelli, Prince of Butera (1601?1641),
Viceroy of Valencia
, in
Spain
, 1640?1641,
Viceroy of Catalonia
, 1641. He was Great Constable of the kingdom of Naples (1639-1641) as had been his father
Filippo I Colonna
, (1578 ? 11 April 1639).
- Marcantonio V Colonna
(1606/1610?1659), Prince of Paliano
- Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna
,
Viceroy of Aragon
, 1678?1681, in
Spain
- Prospero II Colonna
(1662?1743), cardinal
- Carlo Colonna
(1665?1739), cardinal, created by
Clement XI
in 1706
- Marcantonio Colonna
(1724-1793), cardinal
- Giovanni Antonio Colonna
(1878?1940), politician
- Guido Colonna di Paliano
(1908?1982), diplomat and European Commissioner
See also
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References
[
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]
- ^
Duchesne, Louis (1887).
Liber Pontificalis
. p. 307.
- ^
Beolchini, Valeria (2006). L'Erma di Bretschneider (ed.).
Tusculum II - Tuscolo: una roccaforte dinastica a controllo della valle latina. Fonti storiche e dati archeologici
(in Italian). p. 81.
- ^
Virgil
's
Aeneid
,
Book X, Line 771
(in Latin).
- ^
History of the popes; their church and state (Volume III)
by
Leopold von Ranke
(
Wellesley College
Library, reprint; 2009)
- ^
Werner Maleczek,
Papst und Kardinalskolleg von 1191 bis 1216
, Vienna 1984, p. 154-155
- ^
Helene Tillmann, "Ricerche sull'origine dei membri del collegio cardinalizio nel XII secolo. II/2. Identificazione dei cardinali del secolo XII di provenienza Romana", Rivista di Storia della Chiesa in Italia, 1975, p. 401-402
- ^
Stefano, Antonio N. Di (1 January 1995).
Fra Giovanni Colonna
(in Italian). Edizioni Studio Domenicano.
ISBN
9788870941920
.
- ^
Monumenta et antiquitates veteris disciplinae Ordinis Praedicatorum ab anno 1216 ad 1348 praesertim in romana provincia praefectorumque qui eandem rexerunt biographica chronotaxis... opera et studio p. fr. Pii-Thomae Masetti...
(in Latin). ex Typographia Rev. Cam. Apostolicae. 1 January 1864.
- ^
Antonio N. Di Stefano (1995).
Fra Giovanni Colonna
. Edizioni Studio Domenicano. pp. 30?31.
ISBN
9788870941920
. Retrieved
24 February
2013
.
- ^
Worldroots - Barberini
Archived
October 15, 2009, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Article by Guy de Stair Sainty on Papal Court
Archived
March 13, 2007, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
History of the popes; their church and state
(Volume III)
by
Leopold von Ranke
(
Wellesley College
Library, reprint; 2009)
[
dead link
]
Sources
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External links
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