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The House of Gravina, then Gravina Cruyllas, was a
The family divided into many branches, of which the main and princely were:
noble family
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...
of Norman origins, with roots stretching back to Rollo
Rollo ( nrf, Rou, ''Rolloun''; non, Hrólfr; french: Rollon; died between 928 and 933) was a Viking who became the first ruler of Normandy, today a region in northern France. He emerged as the outstanding warrior among the Norsemen who had se ...
, the first ruler of Normandy.
History
The house was founded by Silvano, owner of the land of Gravina in modern-dayApulia
it, Pugliese
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, from which he and his descendants took the name. King Martin I of Sicily, on 20 November 1405, formally recognised the family's noble Norman origins by issuing a diploma
A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...
(a form of charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
) upon Giacomo of Gravina. Following the charter, Giacomo chose to relocate the family to Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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, where the King allowed him and his descendants to be buried in the Royal Chapel of Catania
Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...
, now known as Basilica della Collegiata
The Ancient Royal and Eminent Basilica Collegiate of Our Lady of the Alms (in Italian language, italian known as ''Antichissima Regia ed Insigne Basilica Collegiata di Maria Santissima dell'Elemosina''), better known as Basilica della Colleggiata, ...
.
The family acquired the surname Cruyllas, and kept it for three centuries, when Girolamo Gravina, 4th baron of Palagonia, in 1531 married Contessina Moncada Cruyllas, the last heir of a family of Spanish origin, who brought him a very rich dowry including the fief of Calatabiano
Calatabiano ( scn, Cattabbianu) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania in Sicily, southern Italy.
Geography
Calatabiano is located about 60 metres above the sea level. It is located about 42 kilometres northeast of C ...
and that of Francofonte
Francofonte ( Sicilian: ''Francufonti'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily, southern Italy, located about southeast of Palermo and about northwest of Syracuse.
Francofonte borders the following municipalities: ...
.
The family divided into many branches, of which the main and princely were: Palagonia
Palagonia ( Sicilian: ''Palagunìa'', Latin: ''Palica'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo and about southwest of Catania. Palagonia borders the ...
, Ramacca
Ramacca is a ''comune'' (municipality) in a mountainous area in the Metropolitan City of Catania in the Italian region of Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo and about southwest of Catania. It lies west of the Plain of Catania.
Ramacca ...
, Comitini
Comitini ( Sicilian: ''Cuminiti'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo and about northeast of Agrigento. The town is located on a hilly area, above sea le ...
and Montevago
Montevago ( Sicilian: ''Muntivau'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region Sicily, located about southwest of Palermo and about northwest of Agrigento.
Montevago borders the following municipalities: ...
. Their exponents always occupied important positions in the history of the island, but also of all Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, as the case of Federico Carlo Gravina Cruyllas.
Heraldry
The house's coat of arms is emblazoned as ''"Azure, two bends Or, a mullet of ten points in sinister chief Argent".'' Its motto was "Spero", which translates to "I hope" fromItalian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
.
See also
References