Duchy of Sora
Encyclopedia
The Duchy of Sora was a semi-independent state in Italy
, created in 1443 by King Alfonso I of Naples
and dissolved in 1796. It occupied the south-eastern part of what is today Lazio, bordering what is now Abruzzo
. Its capital was first Sora
, later, under the Boncompagni family, Isola di Sora.
. In 1443 Nicola Cantelmo, who was already count of Sora and nearby Alvito, was named the first duke of Sora by Alfonso I. His fief was intended as a buffer between the Neapolitan kingdom and the Papal States
. The Cantelmi struggled in the 15th century for a greater degree of autonomy, often taking advantage of the succession crises that threatened to tear apart the Kingdom of Naples until the early 16th century.
In 1450, during one of these wars, Pope Pius II
, who supported the Aragonese party, sent Federico III da Montefeltro against the Cantelmi. The Soran army was defeated and the duchy pacified. In 1463 howerver the Cantelmi rebelled again. This time the papal commander was Napoleone Orsini
, who captured Isola del Liri
, Arpino
, and a large piece of territory, making Sora a papal fief. Piergiampaolo Cantelmo lost the ducal title. His remaining lands in Alvito and Popoli
were assigned to his brother Giovanni Cantelmo with the title of Count. In 1472 Pope Sixtus IV
renounced his feudal rights over Sora: the duchy of Sora, now separated from that of Alvito and augmented by the addition of Arce
, was given to his nephew Leonardo della Rovere, who married a daughter of King Ferdinand I of Naples
.
in the Marche
) defeated an Aragonese army in L'Aquila
and then defeated Bartolomeo d'Alviano
, who was threatening his northern frontier, near Tagliacozzo
. In 1495 he conquered Ceprano
and Montecassino, bringing the Duchy to its greatest territorial extent. The following year he defended an attack from Prospero Colonna
, but lost Esperia
and Monte San Giovanni Campano
until Pope Alexander VI
recognised him as Duke.
After Giovanni's death, the title went to Francesco Maria I della Rovere
, who was officially invested with the title by the King of France, then a pretendent to Naples, Louis XII
. After defending his lands from Cesare Borgia
's assault, in 1516 Francesco Maria was ousted by Fernando d'Avalos, acting for the Spanish king, Charles V
. He was the last pro-French ruler in the kingdom. The Duchy was then ruled for a short while by William de Croÿ
, but the Della Rovere regained it in 1528 thanks to the efforts of Odet de Foix.
Francesco Maria was succeeded by his son Giulio
, and then by Francesco Maria II della Rovere
.
acquired the duchy for 100,000 scudi
, assigning it to his son Giacomo Boncompagni
. The duchy was also at this time enlarged by the acquisition of Aquino
and Arpino, becoming a truly autonomous seigniory only nominally dependent on the Kingdom of Naples. The creation of an independent state in southern Lazio had been managed by cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte
to counterbalance the expansion of the House of Farnese. Giacomo married Costanza Sforza, who embellished the duchy with buildings, gardens and schools. The Dukes promoted local industry by installing textile factories in Arpino and Sora and a paper industry along the Liri River; they also founded a new town, Colle Drago
, but after Giacomo and his successor Gregorio I, the economical difficulties of the family, caused by such expensive projects, prevented further efforts.
At the death of duke Giovan Giacomo (1636), his brother Ugo had to face the popular rebellion of the brigand Papone, a follower of the republicanism of Masaniello
. He occupied Sora and Cassino
and formed a popular government. Ugo was succedeed by his son Gregorio II
, who married Ippolita Ludovisi
, who added to his lands the principality of Piombino
. The union of the families as the Boncompagni-Ludovisi largely resolved their economical difficulties, but at that time the duchy was facing increased custom taxes imposed by the Papal States on its merchants. Gregorio II's successor, Antonio I, died in 1731, leaving his lands to his son Gaetano, who relaunched a policy of social and economical improvements in the Liri Valley, as well as the embellishment of Colle Drago.
The last Duke was Antonio II, who ceded his state to King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
in 1796.
Historical states of Italy
Italy, until the present era, was a conglomeration of city-states and other small independent entities. The following is a list of the various states that made up what we now know as Italy during the past...
, created in 1443 by King Alfonso I of Naples
Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso the Magnanimous KG was the King of Aragon , Valencia , Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica , and Sicily and Count of Barcelona from 1416 and King of Naples from 1442 until his death...
and dissolved in 1796. It occupied the south-eastern part of what is today Lazio, bordering what is now Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
. Its capital was first Sora
Sora, Italy
Sora is a city and comune of Lazio, Italy, in the province of Frosinone. It is built in a plain on the banks of the Liri. This part of the valley is the seat of some important manufactures, especially of paper-mills....
, later, under the Boncompagni family, Isola di Sora.
Cantelmi counts and dukes
The County of Sora had been constituted in 1399 as a fief of the Kingdom of NaplesKingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
. In 1443 Nicola Cantelmo, who was already count of Sora and nearby Alvito, was named the first duke of Sora by Alfonso I. His fief was intended as a buffer between the Neapolitan kingdom and the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
. The Cantelmi struggled in the 15th century for a greater degree of autonomy, often taking advantage of the succession crises that threatened to tear apart the Kingdom of Naples until the early 16th century.
In 1450, during one of these wars, Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini was Pope from August 19, 1458 until his death in 1464. Pius II was born at Corsignano in the Sienese territory of a noble but decayed family...
, who supported the Aragonese party, sent Federico III da Montefeltro against the Cantelmi. The Soran army was defeated and the duchy pacified. In 1463 howerver the Cantelmi rebelled again. This time the papal commander was Napoleone Orsini
Napoleone Orsini
Napoleone Orsini was an Italian condottiero.The son of Orso Orsini of Bracciano, he fought for Pope Eugene IV against Francesco Sforza in 1443. Later, in the 1450s, he flanked Ferdinand of Aragon in the struggle between the Kingdom of Naples and the Duchy of Milan...
, who captured Isola del Liri
Isola del Liri
Isola del Liri is an Italian town in Lazio, Frosinone. As its name implies, Isola is situated between two arms of the Liri. The many waterfalls of this river and of the Fibreno are used by factories.-History:...
, Arpino
Arpino
Arpino is a comune in the province of Frosinone in the region of Latium in central Italy. Its Roman name was Arpinum.-History:...
, and a large piece of territory, making Sora a papal fief. Piergiampaolo Cantelmo lost the ducal title. His remaining lands in Alvito and Popoli
Popoli
Popoli is a comune and town in the province of Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy.-History:Its Latin name was Castrum Properi , which name was recorded as early as 1016 as the property of Girardo, son of Roccone...
were assigned to his brother Giovanni Cantelmo with the title of Count. In 1472 Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV , born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484. His accomplishments as Pope included the establishment of the Sistine Chapel; the group of artists that he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpiece of the city's new artistic age,...
renounced his feudal rights over Sora: the duchy of Sora, now separated from that of Alvito and augmented by the addition of Arce
Arce
Arce is a comune in the province of Frosinone, in the region of Lazio, Italy. it is an agricultural center located on a hill overlooking the Via Casilina, in the middle valley of the Liri.-History:...
, was given to his nephew Leonardo della Rovere, who married a daughter of King Ferdinand I of Naples
Ferdinand I of Naples
Ferdinand I , also called Don Ferrante, was the King of Naples from 1458 to 1494. He was the natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon by Giraldona Carlino.-Biography:...
.
Della Rovere dukedom
Between 1494 and 1501 Duke Giovanni della Rovere (also lord of SenigalliaSenigallia
Senigallia is a comune and port town on Italy's Adriatic coast, 25 km by rail north of Ancona, in the Marche region, province of Ancona....
in the Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
) defeated an Aragonese army in L'Aquila
L'Aquila
L'Aquila is a city and comune in central Italy, both the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 73,150 inhabitants, but has a daily presence in the territory of 100,000 people for study, tertiary activities, jobs and tourism...
and then defeated Bartolomeo d'Alviano
Bartolomeo d'Alviano
Bartolomeo d'Alviano was an Italian condottiero and captain who distinguished himself in the defence of the Venetian Republic against the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian.-Biography:...
, who was threatening his northern frontier, near Tagliacozzo
Tagliacozzo
-History:Near the modern city was fought the Battle of Tagliacozzo between Conradin of Hohenstaufen and Charles I of Anjou.-Main sights:*The Palazzo Ducale , built by Roberto Orsini....
. In 1495 he conquered Ceprano
Ceprano
Ceprano is a town and comune in the province of Frosinone, in Ciociaria traditional area, part of the Lazio region of central Italy.It is located south of Rome, and c. 127 km north of Naples.-History:...
and Montecassino, bringing the Duchy to its greatest territorial extent. The following year he defended an attack from Prospero Colonna
Prospero Colonna
Prospero Colonna , sometimes referred to as Prosper Colonna, was an Italian condottiero in the service of the Papal States and the Holy Roman Empire during the Italian Wars.-Biography:...
, but lost Esperia
Esperia
Esperia is a comune in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio, located about southeast of Rome and about 40 km southeast of Frosinone...
and Monte San Giovanni Campano
Monte San Giovanni Campano
Monte San Giovanni Campano is a comune of c. 12,800 inhabitants in the province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio, located about 90 km southeast of Rome and about 14 km east of Frosinone....
until Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
recognised him as Duke.
After Giovanni's death, the title went to Francesco Maria I della Rovere
Francesco Maria I della Rovere
Francesco Maria I della Rovere was an Italian condottiero, who was Duke of Urbino from 1508 until 1538.- Biography :...
, who was officially invested with the title by the King of France, then a pretendent to Naples, Louis XII
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
. After defending his lands from Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
's assault, in 1516 Francesco Maria was ousted by Fernando d'Avalos, acting for the Spanish king, Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
. He was the last pro-French ruler in the kingdom. The Duchy was then ruled for a short while by William de Croÿ
William de Croÿ
William II de Croÿ, Lord of Chièvres , later Duke of Sora and Arce, Baron of Roccaguglielma William II de Croÿ, Lord of Chièvres (1458 – 28 May 1521) (also known as: Guillaume II de Croÿ, sieur de Chièvres in French; Guillermo II de Croÿ, señor de Chièvres, Xevres or Xebres in Spanish;...
, but the Della Rovere regained it in 1528 thanks to the efforts of Odet de Foix.
Francesco Maria was succeeded by his son Giulio
Giulio della Rovere
Giulio della Rovere, also known as Giulio Feltrio della Rovere was an Italian Catholic Cardinal of the della Rovere family....
, and then by Francesco Maria II della Rovere
Francesco Maria II della Rovere
Francesco Maria II della Rovere was the last Duke of Urbino.- Biography :Born at Pesaro, Francesco Maria was the son of Guidobaldo II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, Count of Montefeltro and Vittoria Farnese, Princess of Parma...
.
Papal Sora
In 1579 Pope Gregory XIIIPope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII , born Ugo Boncompagni, was Pope from 1572 to 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake for the Gregorian calendar, which remains the internationally-accepted civil calendar to this date.-Youth:He was born the son of Cristoforo Boncompagni and wife Angela...
acquired the duchy for 100,000 scudi
Italian scudo
The scudo was the name for a number of coins used in Italy until the 19th century. The name, like that of the French écu and the Spanish and Portuguese escudo, was derived from the Latin scutum . From the 16th century, the name was used in Italy for large silver coins...
, assigning it to his son Giacomo Boncompagni
Giacomo Boncompagni
Giacomo Boncompagni was an Italian feudal lord of the 16th century, the illegitimate son of Pope Gregory XIII . He was also Duke of Sora, Aquino, Arce and Arpino, and Marquess of Vignola.A member of the Boncompagni family, he was a patron of arts and culture...
. The duchy was also at this time enlarged by the acquisition of Aquino
Aquino
Aquino is a town and comune in the province of Frosinone, in the Lazio region of Italy, 12 km northwest of Cassino.-History:The ancient Aquinum was a municipium in the time of Cicero, and made a colony by the Triumviri...
and Arpino, becoming a truly autonomous seigniory only nominally dependent on the Kingdom of Naples. The creation of an independent state in southern Lazio had been managed by cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte
Francesco Maria Del Monte
Francesco Maria Del Monte, full name Francesco Maria Bourbon Del Monte Santa Maria, was an Italian Cardinal, diplomat and connoisseur of the arts...
to counterbalance the expansion of the House of Farnese. Giacomo married Costanza Sforza, who embellished the duchy with buildings, gardens and schools. The Dukes promoted local industry by installing textile factories in Arpino and Sora and a paper industry along the Liri River; they also founded a new town, Colle Drago
Colfelice
Colfelice is a comune in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio, located about 100 km southeast of Rome and about 25 km southeast of Frosinone...
, but after Giacomo and his successor Gregorio I, the economical difficulties of the family, caused by such expensive projects, prevented further efforts.
At the death of duke Giovan Giacomo (1636), his brother Ugo had to face the popular rebellion of the brigand Papone, a follower of the republicanism of Masaniello
Masaniello
Masaniello was a Neapolitan fisherman, who became leader of the revolt against Spanish Habsburg rule in Naples in 1647.-Name and place of birth:...
. He occupied Sora and Cassino
Cassino
Cassino is a comune in the province of Frosinone, Italy, at the southern end of the region of Lazio.Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Rapido and Liri rivers...
and formed a popular government. Ugo was succedeed by his son Gregorio II
Gregorio II Boncompagni
Gregorio II Boncompagni was an Italian nobleman and the 5th Duke of Sora. He was the grand-nephew of Pope Gregory XIII...
, who married Ippolita Ludovisi
Ludovisi
Ludovisi can refer to:*Ludovisi , a noble Italian family*Ludovisi, Lazio, a rione in the City of Rome* Alberico Boncompagni Ludovisi, prince of Venosa and proprietor of Latium wine estate Fiorano...
, who added to his lands the principality of Piombino
Principality of Piombino
The Principality of Piombino was a state of Italy, which existed from 1399 to 1805, when Napoleon absorbed it into the Principality of Lucca and Piombino...
. The union of the families as the Boncompagni-Ludovisi largely resolved their economical difficulties, but at that time the duchy was facing increased custom taxes imposed by the Papal States on its merchants. Gregorio II's successor, Antonio I, died in 1731, leaving his lands to his son Gaetano, who relaunched a policy of social and economical improvements in the Liri Valley, as well as the embellishment of Colle Drago.
The last Duke was Antonio II, who ceded his state to King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I reigned variously over Naples, Sicily, and the Two Sicilies from 1759 until his death. He was the third son of King Charles III of Spain by his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony. On 10 August 1759, Charles succeeded his elder brother, Ferdinand VI, as King Charles III of Spain...
in 1796.
See also
- History of Sora