Prince of Biscari ( it, Principe di Biscari) is a title 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 ...

, held by the head of one branch of the

House of Paternò A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

, a major Sicilian noble family, originally a

cadet branch In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, title ...

of the

House of Barcelona The House of Barcelona was a medieval dynasty that ruled the County of Barcelona continuously from 878 and the Crown of Aragon from 1137 (as kings from 1162) until 1410. They descend from the Bellonids, the descendants of Wifred the Hairy. The ...

-Aragona. The title was created by the grant of a

Letters Patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...

from

King Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered f ...

on 21 June 1633, which was bestowed upon the

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

Biscari Acate ( Sicilian: ''Acati'' or ''Vischiri'') is a small town and ''comune'' in the south of Sicily, Italy, part of the province of Ragusa. It is located in the Dirillo River valley, from Ragusa. Until 1938 it was called Biscari, and its histo ...

, Don Agatino Paternó Castello. Gaetani, Francesco Maria Emanuele, Marquis of Villa Bianca, ''Of Noble Sicily'', Palermo, 1754, Book 1, Part
''Of Noble Sicily''
/ref> He is known chiefly for having raised the

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...

out of the marshy valleys subject to deadly

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

History of Acate
/ref> and for marrying the daughter of the Baron Vincenzo Paternó Castello. Agatino did not succeed to the title of baron or prince. He married the heiress of Vincenzo Paternó Castello, named Maria la Restia, and accordingly for their culture and times, assumed the rank and style of the first Prince of Biscari. Their great-grandson, named Vincenzo, would become known for having restored the town, and especially the castle, after severe earthquake damage in 1693. In 1938, the town of Biscari changed its name to

Acate Acate ( Sicilian: ''Acati'' or ''Vischiri'') is a small town and ''comune'' in the south of Sicily, Italy, part of the province of Ragusa. It is located in the Dirillo River valley, from Ragusa. Until 1938 it was called Biscari, and its histo ...

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

displayed by the princes of Biscari is: ''Royal arms of Aragon differenced by a bendlet azure'' (''Or, four pallets gules overall a bendlet azure'') (House of Paternò), impaling the

canting arms Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name (or, less often, some attribute or function) in a visual pun or rebus. French heralds used the term (), as they would sound out the name of the armiger. Many armorial allus ...

of Castello: ''Azure, a castle double-towered argent supported by two dragons''.Castles in Sicily
/ref>

Lords of Biscari

* Matteo Mazzone – 1408 (creation) * Bernardo Caprera – 1410 * Antonio del Castello – 1416 * Corrado – 1453 * Gutierrez – 1465 * Guglielmo – 1479 * Giovanello (grandson of) – 1528 * Vincenzo – 1555 * Ferdinando – 1566

Lords of Biscari (House of Paternò), 1578

Orazio Paternó Castello Orazio is a male given name of Italian origin, derived from the Latin name ( ''nomen'') Horatius, from the Roman gens (clan) Horatia. People so named include: * Orazio Alfani (c. 1510–1583), Italian painter *Orazio Antinori (1811–1882), Ita ...

(son of Giovanello and Francesca del Castello) – 1578

Barons of Biscari (House of Paternò, 1604)

Francesco Paternó Castello Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name " Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), sev ...

– 1604 *

Vincenzo Paternó Castello Vincenzo is an Italian male given name, derived from the Latin name Vincentius (the verb ''vincere'' means to win or to conquer). Notable people with the name include: Art * Vincenzo Amato (born 1966), Italian actor and sculptor *Vincenzo Bell ...

(brother of) – 1609

Princes of Biscari (House of Paternò), 1633

* Agatino Paternò-Castello, 1st prince of Biscari since 1633 (1594–1675) * Vincenzo Paternò-Castello, 2nd prince of Biscari (1630–1675) * Ignazio Paternò-Castello, 3rd prince of Biscari (1651–1700) * Vincenzo Paternò-Castello, 4th prince of (1685–1749) * Ignazio Paternò-Castello, 5th prince of Biscari (1719–1786) * Vincenzo Paternò-Castello, 6th prince of Biscari (1743–1813) * Ignazio Paternò-Castello, 7th prince of Biscari (1781–1844) * Roberto Vincenzo Paternò-Castello, 8th prince of Biscari (1790–1857) * Francesco Vincenzo Paternò-Castello, 9th prince of Biscari (1816–1867) * Roberto Vincenzo Paternò-Castello, 10th prince of Biscari (1860–1930) * Roberto Vincenzo Paternò-Castello, (cugino del precedente), 11th prince of Biscari (1872–1947) *Giuseppe Paternò-Castello, 12th prince of Biscari (1908–...) *Ignazio Paternò-Castello, 13th prince of Biscari (1913–...) *Roberto Paternò-Castello, 14th prince of Biscari (1945– living)

Footnotes

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1633 establishments in the Spanish Empire