__NOTOC__ Orazio Giovan Battista Ravaschieri Fieschi (died 12 October 1645) was a wealthy nobleman and patrician ('patrizio') of Genoa descending from the

Fieschi The Fieschi were a noble merchant family from Genoa, Italy, from whom descend the Fieschi Ravaschieri Princes of Belmonte. Of ancient origin, they took their name from the progenitor ''Ugo Fliscus'', descendants of the counts of Lavagna. The fami ...

Counts Palatine A count palatine (Latin ''comes palatinus''), also count of the palace or palsgrave (from German ''Pfalzgraf''), was originally an official attached to a royal or imperial palace or household and later a nobleman of a rank above that of an ord ...

Lavagna Lavagna is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, Italy. History and Culture The village, unlike nearby Chiavari which has pre-Roman evidence, seems to have developed in Roman times with the Latin name of ''Lavania''. The ...

, in what is now

Liguria Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...

. He was appointed Grand Seneschal of Naples ('Gran Siniscalco del Regno di Sicilia'), and, on 5 March 1619, he was elevated to the title of Prince of Belmonte at Madrid by

Philip III of Spain Philip III ( es, Felipe III; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. As Philip II, he was also King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death in 1621. A member of the House of Habsburg, Phi ...

. Orazio descended from a line of imperial and royal bankers, his great-grandfather Giovan Battista and grandfather having been Treasurers (''Maestri di Zecca'') to

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...

, Holy Roman Emperor, and 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 ...

respectively. Prince of Belmonte was the grandson of Germano Ravaschieri Fieschi and Antonia Scorza, and the son of Giovan Battista Ravaschieri Fieschi, 1st Baron of Belmonte and 1st Baron of Badolato and his wife Maria, the heiress of the feudality of

Girifalco Girifalco is a ''comune'' and town in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of southern Italy. History The first settlements in the area date back to prehistoric times, as evidenced by the archaeological finds discovered in the area and ...

from her uncle Pietro Francesco Ravaschieri Fieschi. Maria was herself the daughter of Torino Ravaschieri Fieschi, Treasurer of

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, and his wife Vittoria Spinola. Upon Orazio's death his titles and estates passed to his son,

Daniele Domenico Ravaschieri Fieschi, 2nd Prince of Belmonte Prince of Belmonte ( it, Principe di Belmonte; es, Príncipe de Belmonte) is a noble title created in 1619 by the Spanish crown for the Barons of Badolato and Belmonte. The name of the title is taken from the fortress town of Belmonte in Calabria ...

See also

References

Further reading