Ambrogio Santapau was a 16th-century Sicilian nobleman. Originally, marquis of

Licodia Licodia Eubea ( scn, Licuddìa) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Catania, on the island of Sicily, southern Italy. It is bounded by the comuni of Caltagirone, Chiaramonte Gulfi, Giarratana, Grammichele, Mazzarrone, Mineo, Mont ...

, a title he inherited from his father Porzio, in 1563 King

Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

granted him the first title of a prince in Sicily as ''prince of

Butera Butera ( Sicilian: ''Vutera'') is an Italian town and a ''comune'' in the province of Caltanissetta, in the southern part of the island of Sicily. It is bounded by the ''comuni'' of Gela, Licata, Mazzarino, Ravanusa and Riesi. It has a populatio ...

''. He had loyally served the royal interests in Sicily as ''maestro giustiziere'', Captain General, and President of Sicily (1546-1548). He was inducted into the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...

in 1548. As stratigotus of

Messina Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...

, he vigorously defended Torre Faro against a pillaging expedition by Hayreddin Barbarossa. He had no offspring and was succeeded by his brother Francesco Santapau.Della Sicilia nobile
Volume 1, by Francesco Maria Emanuele e Gaetani marchese di Villabianca, Carlo Crispo Moncada, Antonino Mango di Casalgerardo; 1754, page 15. It is likely the Santapau family descended from the branch that included the Catalan admiral Ponce or Ponzio de Santapau.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santapau Date of birth unknown Date of death unknown Sicilian nobility 16th-century Sicilian people