The Stampa are a well-known family of old

Italian nobility The nobility of Italy (Italian language, Italian: ''Nobiltà italiana'') comprised individuals and their families of the Italian Peninsula, and the islands linked with it, recognized by the sovereigns of the Italian city-states since the Middle Ag ...

that rose to prominence in the 15th century. They were

Grandees of Spain Grandees of Spain ( es, Grandes de España) are the highest-ranking members of the Spanish nobility. They comprise nobles who hold the most important historical landed titles in Spain or its former colonies. Many such hereditary titles are held b ...

, members the Order of the Golden Fleece and owned many estates throughout the Italian Peninsula, including a Castle in Soncino, a Palace in Milan, and countless others in

Muggiò Muggiò (, ; Milanese: Mugg) is a city (municipality) in the Province of Monza and Brianza in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on September 27, 1992 ...

, Melzo,

Gorgonzola Gorgonzola (; ) is a veined blue cheese, originally from Italy, made from unskimmed cow's milk. It can be buttery or firm, crumbly and quite salty, with a "bite" from its blue veining. History Historically, gorgonzola has been produced for ...

, Rivolta d'Adda,

Ferentino Ferentino is a town and ''comune'' in Italy, in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, southeast of Rome. It is situated on a hill above sea level, in the Monti Ernici area. History ''Ferentinum'' was a town of the Hernici; it was captured from the ...

and

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. They are related to some of the most important Italian noble

houses 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 condi ...

, such as the

Doria Doria or Dória may refer to: People Surname * Doria (family), a prominent Genoese family ** Andrea Doria (1466–1560), Genoese admiral ** Ansaldo Doria, 12th century Genoese statesman and commander ** Brancaleone Doria (died c. 1409?), husband ...

Sforza The House of Sforza () was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan. They acquired the Duchy of Milan following the extinction of the Visconti family in the mid-15th century, Sforza rule ending in Milan with the death of the last me ...

, Gonzaga,

Borromeo Borromeo is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * House of Borromeo, an aristocratic family in Milan Members of the House of Borromeo * Andrea Borromeo (c. 1615 – 1683), Theatine priest * Charles Borromeo (1538 – 1584), cardina ...

and

Visconti Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...

Early history

The Stampa trace their ancestry back to Carlo Lanfranco of the dukes of

Étampes Étampes () is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department. Étampes, together with the neighboring ...

, later governor of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

under

Charles the Great Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

. His descendants settled in

and

Gravedona Gravedona was a comune of Como Province, Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory lar ...

, and ruled over the

Val Bregaglia The Val Bregaglia ( lmo, Val Bregaja; german: Bergell, ; rm, ) is an alpine valley of Switzerland and Italy at the base of which runs the river Mera ( lmo, Maira in Switzerland). Most of the valley falls within the Swiss district of Maloja ...

. The best evidence for this is the city of

Stampa Stampa is a former municipality in the Maloja district of the Swiss canton, Graubünden. It is now part of the municipality of Bregaglia. History Stampa is first mentioned after 1354 as ''Stamppa'' and was named so in honor of the Stampa fami ...

, named so by the family in honour of its ancestors. However, historians such as the Count Pompeo Litta do not believe these sources, arguing that it was very common for aristocratic families to trace their ancestry back to France. One of the earliest documents Litta could find dates to 1277, when the Archbishop

Ottone Visconti Ottone Visconti (1207 8 August 1295) was Archbishop of Milan and List of rulers of Milan#Before dukedom, Lord of Milan, the first of the Visconti of Milan, Visconti line. Under his rule, the medieval commune, commune of Milan became a strong Gue ...

became

Lord of Milan The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna. Before elevation to duchy Until 1259, Milan was a free commune that ele ...

: it consists in a register compiled by Ottone himself, granting several privileges to the most influential families of the city, including the Stampa and their progeny. The Stampa decided the destiny of Milan on more than one occasion. The first time was in 1450, when they helped Francesco I Sforza become Duke of Milan. In February the Venetians had sent an ambassador, Leonardo Venieri, to negotiate the city's surrender and help them defeat Sforza. Giovanni Stampa marched onto Milan with his army and killed Venieri on the stairs of

Palazzo Reale This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- Massa ...

, forcing the Milanese to surrender. The

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

was naturally obliged to the family, and rewarded them with many honours.

Stampa di Soncino

The branch of Soncino, arguably the most important of all, originated with the emblematic figure of Massimiliano I Stampa, son of count Pietro Martire Stampa and countess Barbara Crivelli. Massimiliano was a loyal courtier of Francesco II Sforza and castellan of the

Sforza Castle The Castello Sforzesco (Italian for "Sforza's Castle") is a medieval fortification located in Milan, northern Italy. It was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Later reno ...

from 1531. The

held him in high regard, and in 1534 was appointed to accompany the future duchess Christina of Denmark on her first trip to Milan. He also hosted a reception for her in his

Cusago Cusago ( lmo, Cusagh ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about west of Milan. Cusago borders the following municipalities: Milan, Cornaredo, Settimo Milanese, Bareggio, Ci ...

Castle, which he bought that same year. After the death of Francesco II in 1535 the city was about to plunge into chaos, just as it happened when Filippo Maria Visconti died. To avoid disorders, Massimiliano took charge of an embassy and offered Milan 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) * Infa ...

Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperator ...

. In recognition, Massimiliano was created 1st Marquess of Soncino and granted an allowance of 50.000

scudi The ''scudo'' (pl. ''scudi'') was the name for a number of coins used in various states in the Italian peninsula until the 19th century. The name, like that of the French écu and the Spanish and Portuguese escudo, was derived from the Latin ''s ...

. The family ruled over

until 1876, and the city flourished immensely under their guidance. Massimiliano Cesare Stampa, the last Marquess of Soncino, died without children and donated his castle to the municipality. His assets were acquired by the Casati family, thus creating a new branch called Casati Stampa di Soncino.

Marquises of Soncino Stampa (1536–1876)

* Massimiliano I (1536–1543), Count and 1st Marquess of Soncino from 1536 * Ermes I (1543–1557), Marquess of Soncino, brother of Massimiliano I * Massimiliano II (1557–1596), 3rd Marquess of Soncino, son of Ermes I. Married to Marianna de Leyva, aunt of Suor Virginia de Leyva * Ermes II (1596–1621), 4th Marquess of Soncino, son of Massimiliano II * Massimiliano III (1621–1659), 5th Marquess of Soncino, son of Ermes II, sentenced to death for murder * Giovanni I (1659–1678), 6th Marquess of Soncino, brother of Massimiliano III * Massimiliano IV Domenico (1678–1693), 7th Marquess of Soncino, son of Giovanni I * Giuseppe I (1693–1735), 8th Marquess of Soncino, brother of Massimiliano IV * Massimiliano V Giovanni (1735–1769), 9th Marquess of Soncino, son of Giuseppe I * Massimiliano VI Giuseppe (1769–1818), 10th Marquess of Soncino, son of Massimiliano V Giovanni, Grandee of Spain and Member of the

Order of the Iron Crown The Order of the Iron Crown ( it, link=no, Ordine della Corona Ferrea) was an order of merit that was established on 5 June 1805 in the Kingdom of Italy by Napoleon Bonaparte under his title of Napoleon I, King of Italy. The order took its name ...

, married to Princess Carlotta Gonzaga di Luzzara (1767-1823) in 1785 * Massimiliano VII Giovanni (1818–1824), 11th Marquess of Soncino, son of Massimiliano VI Giuseppe * Massimiliano VIII (1824–1834), 12th Marquess of Soncino, son of Massimiliano VII Giovanni * Massimiliano IX Giovanni (1834–1876), 13th Marquess of Soncino, son of Massimiliano VIII and last Marquess of Soncino : ''After Massimiliano IX Giovanni's death, the Casati inherited the title of Marquess of Soncino, which was held unofficially by Camillo Casati Stampa from 1876 to 1892''

Casati Stampa, Marquess of Casate (1876–1970)

* Camillo I, Marquess of Casate (1892–1946), husband of

Luisa Casati Luisa, Marchesa Casati Stampa di Soncino (born Luisa Adele Rosa Maria Amman; 23 January 1881 – 1 June 1957), was an Italian heiress, muse, and patroness of the arts in early 20th-century Europe. Early life Luisa Adele Rosa Maria Amman was born ...

. * Camillo II, Marquess of Casate (1946–1970), son of Camillo I. His infamous suicide marked the end of the dynasty.

Stampa di Ferentino

In the early years of the 18th century

Monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...

Carlo Gaetano Stampa Carlo III Gaetano Stampa (1667–1742) was an Italian cardinal and Archbishop of Milan from 1737 to 1742. Early life Carlo Gaetano Stampa was born on 1 November 1667 in Milan to count Cristiano Stampa and Giustina of the House of Borromeo. H ...

moved to

central Italy Central Italy ( it, Italia centrale or just ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a first-level NUTS region, and a European Parliament constituency. Regions Central I ...

and acquired a beautiful palace near the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

, Palazzo Capponi Stampa. His cousin Pietro Antonio Stampa also settled in Rome and married a

noblewoman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteri ...

from

Frosinone Frosinone (, local dialect: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is located about south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples A1 Motorway. The city is the main city of the ...

, who had a dowry of estates in

and

Alatri Alatri ( la, Aletrium) is an Italian town and ''comune'' of the province of Frosinone in the region of Lazio, with c. 30,000 inhabitants. An ancient city of the Hernici,Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Hernici". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed. ...

. In 1779, with the consent of Pope Pius VI, Pietro Antonio's youngest son Angelo joined the council of the 15 noble families of Ferentino. The titles of

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

and Nobile of Ferentino were recognised in the Libro d'Oro della Nobiltà Italiana. He and his older brother Filippo were loyal servants of the

papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

and had been since

Pope Clement XIV Pope Clement XIV ( la, Clemens XIV; it, Clemente XIV; 31 October 1705 – 22 September 1774), born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 May 1769 to his death in Sep ...

appointed them state administrators of the

Duchy of Castro The Duchy of Castro was a fiefdom in central Italy formed in 1537 from a small strip of land on what is now Lazio's border with Tuscany, centred on Castro, a fortified city on a tufa cliff overlooking the Fiora River which was its capital and ...

in 1770. At the entrance of Palazzo Stampa, now seat of the municipality of Ferentino, there is a plaque in his memory:

"Count Filippo Stampa (1710–1789), scholar and administrator, lived here. A.D. 2001"

Among their many properties the Stampa had

Elba Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano Nationa ...

, an island in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

, which they administered since the Pope granted them the concession on the mine caves. After

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

conquered

and seized the mines, Pope Pius VII offered Angelo's first born Pietro an important job within the

Papal State The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...

s, to compensate him for the financial damage he suffered. Cardinal Mastai Ferretti, later Pope Pius IX, also ensured that Domenico Stampa contracted a good marriage with Paolina Vinciguerra, last heir of the counts Antonini di

. The family continues to exist in Rome and

Palazzo Stampa di Ferentino, epigrafe conte Filippo Stampa

Notable members

Archbishop of Milan The Archdiocese of Milan ( it, Arcidiocesi di Milano; la, Archidioecesis Mediolanensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy which covers the areas of Milan, Monza, Lecco and Varese. It has lon ...

* Massimiliano I Stampa,

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...

and politician * Massimiliano II Stampa, nobleman and writer * Stefano Stampa,

stepson A stepchild is the offspring of one's spouse, but not one's own offspring, either biologically or through adoption. Stepchildren can come into a family in a variety of ways. A stepchild may be the child of one's spouse from a previous relationshi ...

and biographer of

Alessandro Manzoni Alessandro Francesco Tommaso Antonio Manzoni (, , ; 7 March 1785 – 22 May 1873) was an Italian poet, novelist and philosopher. He is famous for the novel '' The Betrothed'' (orig. it, I promessi sposi) (1827), generally ranked among the maste ...

Gaspara Stampa Gaspara Stampa (1523 – 23 April 1554) was an Italian poet. She is considered to have been the greatest woman poet of the Italian Renaissance, and she is regarded by many as the greatest Italian woman poet of any age. Biography Gaspara's fa ...

, 16th century

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

. *

Ermete Stampa Ermete Stampa (died 1526) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop-elect of Novara (1525–1526). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Ermete Stampa was born in Milan, Italy. On 20 December 1525, Ermete Stampa was appointed during the papacy of P ...

Bishop of Novara The Diocese of Novara ( la, Dioecesis Novariensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vercelli.Discalced Carmelite The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel ( la, Ordo Fratrum Carmelitarum Discalceatorum Beatae Mariae Virginis de Monte Carmelo) or the Order of Discalced Carme ...

*Massimiliano IX Giovanni, patriot * George Loraine Stampa, artist

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stampa (family) Noble families Italian nobility Italian noble families