House of Giorgi

House of Giorgi
De Giorgi, Đurđević

Motto: Everything Changes Nothing Perishes
(Latin: Omnia Mutantur Nihil Interit)
Country Austria-Hungary, Kingdom of Croatia, Kingdom of Hungary, Kingdom of Italy, Republic of Genoa, Republic of Ragusa, Republic of Venice
Estates Palazzo Giorgi, Dubrovnik
St. Blaise's House, Rome
Villa de Giorgi, Lecce
Palazzo De Giorgi, Lecce
Titles
Style(s) His/Her Royal Highness
Founded 1169 (1169)
Founder Jacobus Georgii
Final ruler Savino de Giorgi
(29 January 1814)
Current head Diego Massimiliano De Giorgi
Deposition 1814
Ethnicity Croatian, Hungarian, Italian
Cadet branches House of Bona-Giorgi

The House of Giorgi[1][2] (in the sources also De Giorgi, Georgio, Zorzi, or, during late Renaissance also Latinized as de Georgiis; later in Croatian also Žurgović, more recently Đurđević)[3] is a princely and ruling dynasty and one of the most prestigious noble families of the Republic of Ragusa that first began to gather prominence in Rome and the Republic of Venice. The family is listed in the Almanach de Gotha and is currently one of the oldest European continuous noble lineage and aristocratic families. The House was founded in 1169 and its main branch still survives in Italy.

History

According to an ancient and most reliable tradition the House of Giorgi came to Dubrovnik from Rome, where the family originated and was enrolled ab antiquo among the official nobility. According to Konstantin Jireček they could also have Kotoran ancestry from a source quoted Jacobus George de Catarino (late thirteenth century), also called Jacobus Georgii comitis Triphonii,[4] where comites refers to the title of officials of a province or a county during the Roman Empire.

In 1370 the House of Giorgi officially entered in the Golden Book of the Republic of Genoa after giving a decisive help to the Republic of Genoa winning an important naval battle over the Republic of Venice and, since then, the family established strong ties with the House of Grimaldi, the current ruling family of Monaco. The family was also one of the most loyal allies of the House of Hunyadi. Damiano de Giorgi served Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary and Croatia, receiving the award of large estates and the right to insert the royal crow in the family coat of arms.

The Ragusan branches

Over the centuries, the Giorgi were divided into several branches in Italy and abroad, merging with other noble families of Dubrovnik. A branch of the family joined his name and arms to those of the House of Bona, creating a new branch as Bona-Giorgi.[5] Throughout the history of the Republic of Ragusa, the House of Giorgi were always among the wealthiest and most influential families, serving in the 14th and 15th centuries the 6.50% of all major public offices.[6] Between 1440 and 1640 the House of Giorgi had 109 members of the Great Council, representing 4.95% of the total.[7] In the two hundred years, they also count for 203 senators (6.21%), 163 Rectors of the Republic (6.84%),[8] 173 representatives in the Minor Council (6.33%) and 41 Guardians of Justice (4.99%).
The Almanach de Gotha[9] enumerates them among the eleven oldest native patrician families of the Sovereign Republic of Ragusa still residing in the city in mid-nineteenth century.

One of the branches of the family ceased in Dubrovnik in 1897, the counts Bona-Giorgi in 1902.

The Italian branch

The last ruler of the family, Savino de Giorgi, was deposed in 1814 and after the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the dissolution of the Republic, the De Giorgi family moved to Apulia, in Southern Italy, and later back to Rome, where the family originated. The De Giorgi family still lives in Rome, Italy where some members hold prominent public service positions.

The family seat, St. Blaise's House, is located in the Metropolitan City of Rome, in the municipality of Castel Gandolfo, and serves as the official residence of the head of the House, Prince Diego Massimiliano De Giorgi, as well as home to his private office. The family has maintained strong ties with many royal and noble families all over the world, among which the House of Grimaldi, the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the House of Dlamini.

Purveyors to the House

The De Giorgi family granted the first title of purveyor to the House in 1317 to Barovier & Toso, an Italian company specialized in the manufacturing of Venetian glass.

The title can only be granted by the head of the House and his wife to businesses who distinguish themselves in the provision of goods and services to individuals in the family and enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the House. No other details of what is supplied may be given. The title never expires and is granted at the head of the House and his wife's pleasure and can be revoked at any time. The list of purveyors is updated every year.

Notable people

Various coats-of-arms of the family. The last one is the branch of House of Bona-Giorgi.

Gallery

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Francesco Maria Appendini, Notizie istorico-critiche sulle antichità storia e letteratura de' Ragusei, Dalle stampe di Antonio Martecchini, Ragusa 1803
  2. ↑ Konstantin Jireček, L'eredità di Roma nelle città della Dalmazia durante il medioevo, vol. I, AMSD, Roma 1984, p. 54
  3. ↑ Konstantin Jireček, Op. Cit., vol. I, AMSD, Roma 1984, p. 57
  4. ↑ Konstantin Jireček, Op. Cit., vol. I, AMSD, Roma 1984, p. 58
  5. ↑ Konstantin Jireček, Op. Cit., III, AMSD XI, Rome 1986, p. 71
  6. ↑ Zdenko Zlatar, "Huius... est omnis Rei Publicae potestas": Dubrovnik's patrician houses and their participation in power (1440–1640), in Dubrovnik Annals, 6/2002, p. 51.
  7. ↑ Zdenko Zlatar, Op. Cit., p. 54
  8. ↑ Zdenko Zlatar, Op. Cit., p. 60
  9. ↑ Edition 1865, p. 320
  10. ↑ http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Croatia.html
  11. ↑ http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Croatia.html
  12. ↑ http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Croatia.html
  13. ↑ http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Croatia.html

References


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