Asmundo is an old Sicilian

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Great B ...

family that has played a notable role in the island's political, cultural, and economic history.

Origins

The ancient origins of the Asmundo family are muddled in legends. According to some sources, originating from

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

, also known as Sismondo or Sismondi since the time of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

, the family would have arrived in Sicily at the time of the

Norman conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

by Count

Roger Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...

. In this case, they would be connected with the Pisan Sismondi family, mentioned by

Dante Alighieri Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...

in the ''

Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...

'', which included Sigismondo, who became Prior of the

Republic of Pisa The Republic of Pisa ( it, Repubblica di Pisa) was an independent state centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa, which existed from the 11th to the 15th century. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated ...

in 774, and the legendary heroine Kinzica de' Sismondi. Others think they originated from Malta and moved to Sicily at the time of the

Sicilian Vespers The Sicilian Vespers ( it, Vespri siciliani; scn, Vespiri siciliani) was a successful rebellion on the island of Sicily that broke out at Easter 1282 against the rule of the French-born king Charles I of Anjou, who had ruled the Kingdom of S ...

. Their lineage may be descended from the Asmunds, kings of Sweden before the year 1000.

History

Members of various branches of the Asmundo family occupied important administrative positions in the

Kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily ( la, Regnum Siciliae; it, Regno di Sicilia; scn, Regnu di Sicilia) was a state that existed in the south of the Italian Peninsula and for a time the region of Ifriqiya from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 un ...

, ever since the time of the Aragonese. Adamo Asmundo, doctor in civil law at the

University of Padua The University of Padua ( it, Università degli Studi di Padova, UNIPD) is an Italian university located in the city of Padua, region of Veneto, northern Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from B ...

, was ''rationum magister'' (master of finances) at the Court of Royal Property and '' luogotenente generale''. In 1432 he took part in the special Royal Council that governed the island during the absence of King Alfonso V, who was on his expedition to

Djerba Djerba (; ar, جربة, Jirba, ; it, Meninge, Girba), also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is a Tunisian island and the largest island of North Africa at , in the Gulf of Gabès, off the coast of Tunisia. It had a population of 139,544 a ...

. In the same year he became President of the Realm with viceregal functions until 1435, a position that he would again attain in 1439 and 1449, under King Alfonso. The Asmundo family possessed many titles and fiefdoms, including the castellan domains of Aci,

Taormina Taormina ( , , also , ; scn, Taurmina) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on ...

, and Mazzara, and the fiefs of Jace, Baldirone, Pontalica, Callura, Missanèllo, Lamia, Targia, Xirumi,

Troina Troina ( Sicilian: ''Traina'') is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Enna, Sicily, southern Italy. It is located in the Nebrodi Park. History Excavations have proved that the area of Troina was settled as early as the 7t ...

, Capici, Militello, Alcara, Salomone, Ameda, Salandra, San Giuliano, Campopetro,

Villasmundo Villasmundo ( scn, Villasmundu) is a southern Italian hamlet (''frazione'') of Melilli, a municipality part of the Province of Syracuse, Sicily. Mellili is located and is from Melilli Melilli ( Sicilian: ''Miliddi'') is a ''comune'' (municipa ...

, San Dimitri, Gisira, and Scalarancio. The wealth and privilege of the Asmundos allowed them to play important roles in the political and cultural history of Sicily. In 1434, Adamo Asmundo, along with Battista Platamone, founded the

University of Catania The University of Catania ( it, Università degli Studi di Catania) is a university located in Catania, Sicily. Founded in 1434, it is the oldest university in Sicily, the 13th oldest in Italy, and the 29th oldest university in the world. With a ...

, one of the oldest still extant universities in the world. Among the first lecturers in theology appointed by Viceroy

Lope Ximénez de Urrea y de Bardaixi Lope III Ximénez de Urrea y de Bardaixi, Viceroy of Sicily, fought during the Italian Wars and was involved in the Conquest of Naples, Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in ...

in 1445 was the

Carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

Nicola Asmundo, a graduate of the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in continuo ...

. Bartolomeo Asmundo, a senator of Catania from 1492 to 1532, was a reformer of studies at the city's university from 1495 to 1497. He is considered the first lyric poet of Sicily and one of the greatest poets in the

Sicilian language Sicilian ( scn, sicilianu, link=no, ; it, siciliano) is a Romance language that is spoken on the island of Sicily and its satellite islands. A variant, ''Calabro-Sicilian'', is spoken in southern Calabria, where it is called Southern Calabro ...

. His fame is connected with some '' canzoni'' on sacred and profane themes inspired by

Petrarchism Philosophy of love is the field of social philosophy and ethics that attempts to explain the nature of love. Current theories There are many different theories that attempt to explain what love is, and what function it serves. It would be very ...

, translated from Sicilian into Italian by

Pietro Bembo Pietro Bembo, ( la, Petrus Bembus; 20 May 1470 – 18 January 1547) was an Italian scholar, poet, and literary theorist who also was a member of the Knights Hospitaller, and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. As an intellectual of the It ...

(1470–1547). His achievements include characterizing the ''canzuna'' as a major poetic form as distinct from the sonnet, and promoting Sicilian as a sublime language of poetry. Following the 1693 Sicily earthquake that devastated Catania and the

Val di Noto Val di Noto (English: ''Province of Noto'') is a historical and geographical area encompassing the south-eastern third of Sicily; it is dominated by the limestone Hyblaean plateau. Historically, it was one of the three valli of Sicily. History ...

, Giuseppe Asmundo was a leader in the urban and cultural rebirth in the affected areas. In Catania, among other works, he rebuilt the orphan girls' school Conservatorio delle Verginelle, and contributed, through the prior Bartolomeo Asmundo, to the construction of the church of the Immacolata Concezione ai Minoritelli. In

Noto Noto ( scn, Notu; la, Netum) is a city and in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy. It is southwest of the city of Syracuse at the foot of the Iblean Mountains. It lends its name to the surrounding area Val di Noto. In 2002 Noto and i ...

, he was the commissioner general for reconstruction. Together with

Giuseppe Lanza Giuseppe Lanza, Duke of Camastra, was a 17th-century Sicilian nobleman who oversaw the reconstruction of many Sicilian towns and cities following the earthquake of 1693. He was created 1st Duke of Camastra, and Prince of Santo Stefano. He mar ...

(vicar general for the

), Giovanni Montalto, Sipione Coppola, and the Jesuit architect Angelo Italia, he was one of the architects of the form of renaissance that took the name

Sicilian Baroque Sicilian Baroque is the distinctive form of Baroque architecture which evolved on the island of Sicily, off the southern coast of Italy, in the , when it was part of the Spanish Empire. The style is recognisable not only by its typical Baroque c ...

In 1701, Consalvo Asmundo received from King

Philip V Philip V may refer to: * Philip V of Macedon (221–179 BC) * Philip V of France (1293–1322) * Philip II of Spain, also Philip V, Duke of Burgundy (1526–1598) * Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was ...

a ''licentia populandi'' (concession to populate a fief) to construct a center of habitation near the Villa Asmundo in the fief of San Giuliano. First, construction was begun of the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel, completed in 1711, and then the houses.

, by request of the founder, received legal recognition in 1715. In the first half of the 19th century, Giuseppe Asmundo Cirino di Gisira was one of the members of the Decurionate (city council) of Catania, to whom is owed the completion of the seaport, crucial for the city's economic development and for its economic supremacy in eastern Sicily. Among the works of patronage of the arts by the Catania Decurionate, that of 1819 in favor of the composer

Vincenzo Bellini Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (; 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was a Sicilian opera composer, who was known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania". Many years later, in 1898, Giu ...

has remained celebrated. Michele Scammacca Asmundo and Francesco Asmundo were president and vice-president of the administrative council of the Sicilian Public Works Company founded in 1886. The company began its work building the

Ferrovia Circumetnea The Ferrovia Circumetnea (roughly translated as ''"Round- Etna Railway"'') is a narrow-gauge, , regional railway line in Sicily. It was constructed between 1895 and 1898. As the name suggests, the line follows a route which almost completely enc ...

in 1889. The route around

Mount Etna Mount Etna, or simply Etna ( it, Etna or ; scn, Muncibbeḍḍu or ; la, Aetna; grc, Αἴτνα and ), is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina a ...

that connects

Riposto Riposto ( scn, Ripostu) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Catania area of southern Italy. The small seafront town is located about southeast of Palermo and about north of Catania. History Riposto is both historically and literally conn ...

to the Port of Catania, going through the towns at the foot of Etna, became completely accessible in 1898. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Giuseppe Zappalà Asmundo and his wife Anna Grimaldi Francica Nava were among the promoters of the Sicilian Belle Époque. In 1910, they created the Teatro Minimo in the halls of their palazzo, a rare example of a private theater where shows by Catanian authors are produced, some directed by

Giovanni Verga Giovanni Carmelo Verga di Fontanabianca (; 2 September 1840 – 27 January 1922) was an Italian realist ('' verista'') writer, best known for his depictions of life in his native Sicily, especially the short story and later play ''Cavalleria ...

. In 1934, they donated to the Museo Civico at

Castello Ursino Castello Ursino ( scn, Casteddu Ursinu, lit=Bear Castle), also known as Castello Svevo di Catania, is a castle in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It was built in the 13th century as a royal castle of the Kingdom of Sicily, and is mostly known fo ...

a collection of paintings, archaeological finds, porcelains, majolicas, antique arms, coins, and decorative arts, among which are

Amati Amati (, ) is the last name of a family of Italian violin makers who lived at Cremona from about 1538 to 1740. Their importance is considered equal to those of the Bergonzi, Guarneri, and Stradivari families. Today, violins created by Nicolò A ...

and Goffriller violins. Together with the Benedettini collection and that of

Ignazio Paternò Castello Ignazio Paternò Castello, Prince of Biscari (1722 - 1 September 1786) was an Italian polymath, antiquarian, and patron of the arts, who lived most of his life in his native Catania in Sicily. Biography Born to a wealthy noble family, he studied ...

, the Zappalà Asmundo collection forms a significant part of the nucleus of art works curated by Catania's Museo Civico. Bernardo_Celentano_-_

Asmundo women

In the family's history, the role of the women has had notable significance. Adriana Filingeri, when her husband Adamo Asmundo died in 1459, took over management of their fiefs as the guardian of their son Nicolò Antonio. Ignazia Asmundo was

abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...

of San Benedetto Monastery; under her governance in 1704–1707, construction of the Church of San Benedetto in Catania was begun on Via dei Crociferi. Marianna Asmundo, mother of the writer Federico de Roberto, with her strong and possessive personality, exercised great influence over her son's life and artistic work. In the early 20th century Anna Zappalà Asmundo, niece of Cardinal Giuseppe Francica-Nava, distinguished herself by her philanthropic work in Catania.

Relations with other families

The families that the Asmundos have been directly connected with are, among others: di Castro, Filangeri, Gioeni, Gravina, Grimaldi, Landolina, Platamone, Rizzari, Rosso, Sammartino Pardo, Spatafora, Speciale, Stagno d'Alcontres, and Tedeschi. One of Adamo Asmundo's daughters, Allegranza, married Giovanni Paternò, Chamberlain of the Kingdom of Sicily and 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 ...

, in 1470. With this union began the connection between the Asmundo and Paternò families, continued for centuries with numerous marriages, including those of Francesco Asmundo Cutelli with Olivia Paternò Marchisana (c. 1623), of Michele Asmundo Mendicino with Agata Paternò Lazzari (1654), of Baldassare Asmundo Cutelli with Eleonora Paternò Castello, (1679), of Maria Silvia Asmundo Romeo (Consalvo Asmundo's sister) with Giovan Battista Paternò Abbatelli (1683) from which derives the Asmundo Paternò branch of the family, of Giulia Asmundo Joppolo with Antonino Paternò Castello (1702), and of Silvia Asmundo Asmundo with Giuseppe Alvaro Paternò (1814).

Asmundo Paternò

The Asmundo Paternò family is a cadet branch of the Sicilian Paternò family. Giuseppe Asmundo Paternò (1694–1772), the heir to his maternal uncle Consalvo Asmundo on condition of taking the surname and arms of the Asmundo family, was president of the Consistory Courts and of the Supreme Magistrate of Commerce. Giovanni Battista Asmundo Paternò (1720–c. 1805) was Judge of the Royal Grand Court, honorary ''rationum magister'' (master of finances) of the Royal Property Court, and acting consultant of the Council of Sicily in Naples. In 1787 he became President (assistant viceroy) of the Realm of Sicily.

Emanuele Paternò Emanuele Paternò, 9th Marquess of Sessa was an Italian chemist and is credited with the discovery of the Paternò–Büchi reaction. Biography He was born in Palermo in 1847 as the Marquess of Sessa, in a branch of the House of Paternò. He stu ...

(Asmundo Paternò) (1847–1935) a chemist and politician, was President of the Società Italiana delle Scienze, senator, and vice-president of the

Senate of the Kingdom of Italy The Senate of the Kingdom of Italy () was the upper house of the bicameral parliament of the Kingdom of Italy, officially created on 4 March 1848, acting as an evolution of the original Subalpine Senate. It was replaced on 1 January 1948 by the ...

.Page on the Italian Senate site
/ref>

Other representatives

* Nicola Asmundo, Carmelite prior and theologian,

penitentiary A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correcti ...

of the pope Niccolò V (1449) * Nicolò Antonio Asmundo, Captain of Justice and

Patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

of Catania (1447, 1449, 1454, 1465, 1469, and 1480) * Federico Asmundo, Judge of the Royal Grand Court and ''Rationum Magister'' of the Court of Royal Property (1447) * Girolamo Asmundo, Bishop of Patti (1546) * Francesco Asmundo Spatafora, Captain of Justice (1595–1596) and Patrician of Catania (1601) * Girolamo Asmundo Alessandrano Spatafora e Lanza, Captain of Justice (1634–1635) and Patrician of Catania (1644–1645) * Ignazio Asmundo Amico, Patrician of Catania (1657–1658) * Girolamo Asmundo Paternò, Captain of Justice, Patrician, and Senator of Catania (c. 1669) * Francesco Asmundo Romeo, Captain of Justice of Catania (1680) * Girolamo Asmundo Tedeschi, Captain of Justice of Catania (1707–1708, 1715–1716) * Michele Asmundo Landolina di Gisira, Captain of Justice (1719), Patrician (1725), and Senator of Catania (1727 and 1730) * Giuseppe Asmundo Asmundo di Gisira, Captain of Justice (1741), Patrician (1743), and Senator of Catania (1748 and 1762) * Adamo Benedetto Asmundo San Martino di Gisira, Captain of Justice (1772) and Senator of Catania (1780 and 1784) * Gaetano Asmundo Paternò Castello, Vicar Capitular of Catania (1862) * Antonio Sapuppu Asmundo, Mayor of Catania (1893, 1895, 1899, 1916, and 1925)

Notes

Sicilian noble families Nobility from Catania