House of Siracusa

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The origin of the Siracusa Family (formerly Zaragoza) is documented in the year AD 1018 by Jeronimo Zurita, as a branch of the House Béarn. At the Reconquista of Zaragoza, Gaston IV Vicomte of Béarn liberated the Christian borrow of the town Zaragoza, called Sta Maria and was honored by the Spanish King with the lordship of the town.^[1]This is also confirmed by several documents published by the Spanish Archives.^[2]

The family Zaragoza, during the domination of the kings of Mallorca, was in charge of the Castle of the city Perpignan.^[3]

In 1283 the family went to Sicily with King Peter of Aragon, when he was called to be King of that island, as legitimate successors of the House Hohenstaufen, being the husband of Constanza of Aragon, the daughter of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor.

Thomas Saragoza was Baron of the town of Vizzini, as documented by the adohámenti (the charges to be covered by the barons for the exempion of military duties) decreed by King Fredrich III.

Roger Zaragoza was the “Secret Master over the river Salso” and Peter Zaragoza, Governor of the Island Djerba, where he was killed in 1333 during a Muslim revolt.^{[verification needed]} Bernardo Zaragoza was Baron of Collesano married to Ilaria Ventimiglia, daughter of the Count of Geraci.

In the following centuries, the family held the baronies Muxia, Cassaro, Castelluzzo, Xiridia and Monastero in the Noto Valley as documented by Capibreve of Barberi.

The nearness of the family’s properties to the town Siracusa, which, during the Spanish domination in Sicily was called “Zaragoza de Sicilia” favoured the change of the family's name to Siracusa and Siragusa. In Latin documents the family was also written “de Syracusis”.

The family was represented in Messina, Trapani, Noto, Sciacca and Palermo and had relationships with the important families of Medici, Tagliavia, Perollo, Caetani, Spinola, Corsetto, 0ppezinga and Bonanno and others.

Pietro and his daughter Margherita Siracusa, Baroness of Cassaro, are shown also as ancestors of Queen Paola of Belgium.

From this family the Princes of Cassaro and the Duques of Casteldimirto also derive.

The earthquakes of 1542 destroyed the Castle Cassaro and in 1693 the residence of the family in the town of Noto.

The Branch of Sciacca was strongly involved in the civil war between the families Peralta and the Count of Luna, which endured for almost 100 years. This was the so-called “Caso di Sciacca”. Many members of the family lost their lives or had to leave their homes.

Antonio Siracusa transferred his family to Palermo, where he held a very important position.

He was several times a judge at royal courts and has been encharged by King Phillip II to be the President of the Supreme Council of Italy at the Spanish court.

His son Carlo studied law at the University of Bologna: he was the fiscal lawyer of the King and General Procurator of the crown. He served the king as an officer of the Spanish army. He was a knight of the Order of Alcantara.

His son Giacomo was in charge as royal visitor of royal Ports. His grandson Carlo married Maria Spinola, who belonged to a very old family from Genua. He covered many charges in behalf of the crown.

Carlo , who followed his father was a knight of Alcantara 0rder and married Porzia Corsetto, sister of 0ttavio Corsetto, the 1st Count of Villalta and Duque of Casteldimirto. Documents of his nomination are available at the Spanish General Archiv of Simancas. Because 0ttavio Corsetto was without children, he was inherited by his nephew, 0ttavio Siracusa, in the county of Villalta and duchy of Casteldimirto. He was the first bearer of the county Villalta belonging to the family Siracusa, as documented by the royal Protonotaro files at the Archiv of state of Palermo.

He has a seat in the Sicilian Parliament and was Knight of the Order of St. James of the Sword. Documents of this award are at Archivo historico Nacional (Madrid). He refused the Duchy of Casteldimirto in favour of his sister Maria, who married in the family Boccadifuoco, starting a new dynasty (now Filangeri Prince of Mirto).

With the Utrecht Agreement and the short government of the House of Savoy in Sicily, the family retired from active political life, having been loyal to the House of Bourbon. The counts of Villalta dedicated themselves to the administration of their own properties.

[edit] Notes

^ Zurita in his Anales de Aragon wrote:

En la toma de esta ciudad gratificó el imperador a los ricos hombres y caballeros que le sirvieron en la guerra; y porque entre todos fue muy señalado el esfuerzo y constancia de Gaston Vizconde de Bearne, le hizo mercéd de la parte de la ciudad que era habitada para cristianos, quando los moros la poseían, que eran ciertos barrios de la parroquia de Santa Maria la mayor. Y túvola el Vizconde con la Vizcondesa D. Teresa su mujer y Centullo su hijo en honor, intitulandose Señor de Zaragoza como era costumbre….Una rama de esta familia se apellida Zaragoza

(In he takes of this gratified city the emperor to the rich men and gentlemen that served him in the war; and because between all of them they showed much indication of effort and consistency of Gaston Vizconde of Bearne, he did mercéd [translation?] of the part of the city that was lived in by Christians, when the Moorish possessed it that was the certain neighborhods of the parish of Santa Maria the eldest. And he had the Viscount with Vizcondesa D. Teresa his woman and Centullo his son in honor, he entitled Señor de Zaragoza as was custom….A branch of this family is called Zaragoza.)
^ In a document of Huesca of the year 1127, it was written:

…facta carta donationis apud Tarocha, era TCLXII, regnante me rege Adelfonso in Aragone et in Pamplona, in Suprarb et in Ripacorza. Episcopus Petrus in Cesaragusta. Episcopus Stephanus in 0sca et in Iaka. Garcias abbas in Leiore et abbas Garsias alter in Sancto Johanne. Gaston uicecomes senior in Cesaraugusta.
^ In the cited Anales of Jeronimo Zurita is documented:

…sin poner más dilación en ello el rey envió en el mismo istante a Don Felipe de Castro y al Almirante Don Pedro de Moncada a Elna, para que pidiésen al rey de Mallorca que les mandase entregar la villa y el castillo de Perpiñan y se pusiesen en él los pendones reales: Y ya el rey de Mallorca había mandado de palabra a un caballero que tenía cargo del castillo , que se decía mosén Zaragoza que le entregase y a los jurados de Perpiñan

(…without to put more delay on him, the king sent in the same instant to Don Felipe de Castro and to Admiral Don Pedro de Moncada a Elna, such that they asked the King of Mallorca that they sent him to deliver the village and the castle of Perpiñan and he put them in the real banners: And already the King of Malloca has sent the word to a gentleman that has the castle's goods, that he said Clergyman Zaragoza that it delivered him and to the juries of Perpiñan)