Fulco Ruffo di Calabria
Prince Fulco Ruffo di Calabria |
6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda |
Spouse |
Luisa Gazelli dei Conti Rossana |
Issue |
Maria Cristina
Laura
Prince Fabrizio, 7th Duke of Guardia Lombarda
Augusto
Giovannella
Antonello
Paola, Queen of the Belgians |
Father |
Don Beniamino Tristano Ruffo di Calabria, 5th Duke of Guardia Lombarda |
Mother |
Laura Mosselmann du Chenoy |
Born |
12 August 1884(1884-08-12)
Naples, Kingdom of Italy |
Died |
23 August 1946(1946-08-23) (aged 62)
Marina di Massa, Italy |
Fulco VIII, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda (Naples 12 August 1884 – Ronchi di Apuana 23 August 1946) was an Italian World War I flying ace, and posthumous father-in-law of King Albert II of the Belgians.
Background
Ademarus Rufus, who died in 1049, held the title of Comes in southern Italy and Siggerio Ruffo became Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II's grand marshal of the Kingdom of Sicily in 1235.[1] The family divided into two branches after the 14th century: the Ruffo di Calabria and the Ruffo di Scaletta, to the former of which Fulco belonged.
Don Fulco was the son of Don Beniamino Tristano Ruffo di Calabria, 5th Duke of Guardia Lombarda (1848 - 1901, who himself was the younger brother of the head of the House of Ruffo, Don Fulco Ruffo di Calabria-Santapau, 10th Principe di Scilla, 2nd Duque di Santa Cristina, etc.), and Laura Mosselmann du Chenoy, a Belgian noblewoman, whose maternal grandfather was Jacques André Coghen, Belgium's second finance minister.
Don Fulco was made, by decree of 15-3-1928, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, in the Kingdom of Italy. By inheritance he was also the 6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda and 17th Count of Sinopoli.[1] The family Ruffo di Calabria represents one of the most ancient lineages of Italy and includes Cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo. Fulco was related to historically eminent Roman and southern Italian noble families, including the Colonna, Orsini, Pallavicini, Alliata and Rospigliosi. Among his distinguished ancestors of the French aristocracy were the Marquis de Lafayette, hero of American Independence, and the Dukes of Noailles.
Since the fall of the Italian monarchy in 1947 the Princes Ruffo di Calabria have become connected by marriage to such formerly reigning dynasties as the Orléans, the Savoys, the Bonapartes and the Windisch-Graetz.[2]
World War I service
He joined the 11th Foggia Light Cavalry Regiment when aged 20, and went on to serve in Africa. In 1914, he transferred to the Italian Air Service.[3][4] He won two Bronze awards of the Medal for Military Valor while still a two-seater pilot. He was assigned to 1a Squadriglia as a fighter pilot. He won his first victory there, on 23 August 1916,[5] and had a second go unconfirmed. By 16 September, he was scoring for his new unit, 70a Squadriglia, and ran his score with them to four confirmed and four unconfirmed by 28 February 1917.[6] He then switched to flying a Nieuport for 91a Squadriglia.[5] His personal emblem was a black skull and crossbones painted on the fuselage of his plane.[3][4] He flew Nieuport 11, Nieuport 17, and SPAD VII airplanes.[7] In the end, he shot down twenty enemy airplanes, making him the fifth highest scoring Italian flying ace of World War I.[8] After the death of Francesco Baracca in June 1918, Fulco assumed command of the 91a Squadriglia, the renowned 'Squadron of Aces'. He relinquished command of 91a Squadriglia, after suffering a nervous breakdown.[9] After recovering,he was handed command of 10th Gruppo, on 23 October 1918, but was shot down by artillery fire within a week near Marano.
Postwar service
Di Calabria remained in the military, though without assignment. He eventually did rise to the rank of tenente colonnello by 1942. However, his main activity was management of his family estates.[10]In 1934 he was named senator of the kingdom by king Victor Emmanuel III.[11]
Awards
Di Calabria was awarded he following distinctions:
Italian awards
- Knight of the Military Order of Savoy ‑ R.D. 10 September 1918
- Gold Medal of Military Valor ‑ D.L. 5 May 1918
- Silver Medal of Military Valor ‑ D.L. 15 March 1917
- Silver Medal of Military Valor (combat merit on the field) - D.L. 20 January 1918
- Bronze Medal of Military Valor ‑ D.L. 15 October 1916
- Bronze Medal of Military Valor ‑ D.L. 24 May 1917
- Bronze Medal of Military Valor - D.L. 10 June 1917.
- Bronze Medal of Military Valor‑ D.L. 16 June 1917
- War Merit Cross - 1918
- Badge for the war effort (with four service stars) - R.D. 21 May 1916
- Commemorative medal of the Italian- Austrian war 1915-1918 (with four service stars) - (R.D. 29 July 1920)
- Italian World War I Victory Medal - (R.D. 29 July 1920)
- Commemorative Medal for the Unification of Italy (R.D. 19 October 1922)
- Order of the Crown of Italy
- Commander (30 November 1939)
- Officer (22 December 1938)
- Knight (29 January 1929)
International awards
He also served as a senator.[1]
Family
On 30 June 1919 he married, in Turin, Luisa Gazelli (1896–1989), daughter of Augusto Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana, and of Maria dei Conti Rignon. Luisa served as a lady-in-waiting at the Italian court.[1]
They had seven children:[1]
- Donna Maria Cristina Ruffo di Calabria (1920–2003), married Casimiro San Martino d´Aglie dei (Marquis|Marchesi) di San Germano in 1940
- Emanuela San Martino d'Agliè, married 1962 Count Ernesto Rossi di Montelera (*1938)
- Lidia Rossi di Montelera (Born 1963), married 1990 Count Alexander zu Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg
- Maria Cristina Rossi di Montelera (born 1965), married 1994 Baron Hans-Ulrich von Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen
- Ginevra Rossi di Montelera ( born 1967)
- Antonella Rossi di Montelera (born 1970), married 2003 Count Alois von Waldburg-Zeil
- Antonella San Martino d'Agliè, married 1970 Count Ippolito Calvi di Bèrgolo Rocca Saporiti
- Giovanna San Martino d'Aglie (born 10 April 1945, Campiglione), married 24 May 1974 Campiglione, Italy, Don Alvaro de Orléans-Borbón y Parodi Delfino (son of HRH Infante Alvaro de Orléans-Borbón, Duke di Galliera)
- Nicolo San Martino d'Aglie (born 3 July 1948 Campiglione) married 4 June 1974 HIH Princess Catherine Napoléon (daughter of Louis, Prince Napoléon).
- Donna Laura Ruffo di Calabria (1921–1972), married Bettino, Baron Ricasoli Firidolfi in 1946
- Don Fabrizio, Prince Ruffo di Calabria-Santapau (1922–2005), head of the House of Ruffo from 1975, 13th Prince of Palazzolo, 14th Prince of Scilla, 7th Duke of Guardia Lombarda, 13th Marquis of Scilla and 18th Count of Sinopoli[1] who, by his first marriage to Maria Vaciago, had:
- Don Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, born 29 July 1954, current head of the House of Ruffo di Calabria, married and divorced Melba Vincens Bello; married secondly 2005 Luisa Tricarico.
- Don Augusto Ruffo di Calabria, born 1 October 1955, married HSH Princess Christiana zu Windisch-Graetz in 1980, and they have issue
- Donna Imara Ruffo di Calabria, born 7 July 1958, married firstly Uberto Imar Gashe (grandson of Princess Yolanda of Savoy) in 1986; married secondly Baron Marco Tonci Ottieri della Ciaia in 1993
- Don Umberto Ruffo di Calabria, born 23 October 1960, married Marchesa Leontina Pallavicino in 1987
- Don Alessandro Ruffo di Calabria, born 4 November 1964, married HRH Princess Mafalda of Savoy-Aosta in 1994, divorced without children 2000
- Don Augusto Ruffo di Calabria (1925–1943), killed in battle at sea on 2 November near Pescara
- Donna Giovannella Ruffo di Calabria (1927–1941)
- Don Antonello Ruffo di Calabria (born 1930), married to Rosa Maria Mastrogiovanni Tasca in 1961
- Donna Covella Ruffo di Calabria (born 4 February 1962 Rome.
- Don Lucio Ruffo di Calabria (born 14 April 1964 Rome).
- Donna Domitilla Ruffo di Calabria (born 9 May 1965 Rome) married 16 Jul 1990 to Don Giovanni dei Baroni Porcari Li Destri.
- Donna Claudia Ruffo di Calabria (born 30 August 1969 Rome) married 27 May 1989 Marcello Salom.
- Donna[12] Paola Ruffo di Calabria (born 1937), Queen consort of the Belgians, married to King Albert II of Belgium (then Prince of Liege) in 1959.
References
- Nieuport Aces of World War 1. Norman Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1855329611, 9781855329614.
- SPAD XII/XIII Aces of World War I. Jon Guttman. Osprey Publishing, 2002. ISBN. 1841763160, 9781841763163.
Sources of information
- ^ a b c d e f Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XVI. "Ruffo". C.A. Starke Verlag, 2001, pp.522-529. ISBN 3-7980-0824-8.
- ^ de Badts de Cugnac, Chantal. Coutant de Saisseval, Guy. Le Petit Gotha. Nouvelle Imprimerie Laballery, Paris 2002, p. 702 (French) ISBN 2-9507974-3-1
- ^ a b SPAD VII dell'asso Fulco Ruffo di Calabria, Museo Storico di Vigna di Valle - Bracciano (Roma)
- ^ a b Fulco Ruffo di Calabria, nonno
- ^ a b Nieuport Aces of World War 1. p. 79.
- ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/italy/ruffo.php ?Retrieved on 1 April 2010.
- ^ Fulco Ruffo di Calabria, theaerodrome
- ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/italy/index.php Retrieved on 4 May 2010.
- ^ SPAD XII/XIII aces of World War I. p. 26.
- ^ Nieuport Aces of World War 1. p. 80.
- ^ From Italian senate website [1]
- ^ Although The Belgian Monarchy website attributes the title of "Princess" to Queen Paola prior to her marriage, Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, The Descendants of Louis XIII, Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, La Descendance de Marie-Thérèse de Habsburg and Le Petit Gotha, among others, accord only the noble prefix of Donna to she and her sisters, reserving the title Principessa for the wife of the head of the family, her father having received the title of prince in the Italian nobility in 1928 from King Victor Emmanuel III, heritable according to masculine primogeniture.
External links
Persondata |
Name |
Ruffo Di Calabria, Fulco |
Alternative names |
|
Short description |
|
Date of birth |
12 August 1884 |
Place of birth |
Naples, Kingdom of Italy |
Date of death |
23 August 1946 |
Place of death |
Marina di Massa, Italy |