D'Afflitto


The d'Afflitto family is an ancient princely family originally from Amalfi, documented since the IX century, and spread throughout southern Italy.
The mythical origins date back to the Roman general Placidus, who lived at the time of Trajan and later became Saint Eustace, but the family is historically documented from the IX century, when Leone d'Afflitto was appointed Duke of Amalfi.
The family fiefdoms were scattered throughout Southern Italy: Sicily, Apulia, Calabria, Basilicata and the Abruzzi. There are records of 5 principalities, 5 dukedoms, 5 marquisates, 6 earldoms, 49 baronies, in addition to the current title of Marquis, Patrician of Amalfi.
Alongside the nobles of Scala, Amalfi and Naples, the family expressed royal officials for the Angevin, Bourbon, Habsburg and Savoy dynasties, as well as jurists, clericals and military commanders.
The d'Afflitto family is regarded as one of the founding families of the Order of Malta, with Landolfo and his son Jacopo travelling and fighting alongside Blessed Gerard in the Crusades in the Holy Land. Father and son are mentioned in Torquato Tasso's Jerusalem Conquered. Don Camponello, Lord of Rodegaldo, was instead Grand Master of the Knights Templar in 1235.
The family is related to several illustrious aristocratic families of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and Southern, and Northern Italy.

The origins: from ''Castrum Pini'' to ''Scala'' (XI and XII century)

Genealogists have considered that the different forms of the surname d'Afflitto, that is d'Africto, de Fricto, de Flicto, de Afflicto, de Afflictis, and their variants, are attributable to the same family.
With regard to the original form de or da Filicto, in particular, it has been more recently proposed to be derived from the term afflictus, as a variant of affictus, with the meaning of tax or income.
One of the first documentary evidence of the family dates back to March 7, 1041. They instead arrived in Scala in the Norman age ; the family became domini, that is, members of the town's aristocracy.
Some bishops from the same city, established as diocese around 1069, also belonged to the family: Orso, Alessandro II, Costantino, Matteo. Later there were Natale Mastini d’Afflitto and Francesco.
In 1280–1282, the d'Afflitto were several times judges of Scala.
In 1144, Bishop Orso donated to the church of St. Stephanie in the same town two silver deer bearing the insignia of the d'Afflitto. The gift would suggest the spread at this time of the tradition about the family's lineage from St. Eustace, a Roman general under Emperor Trajan. An episode in the legend of the Saint is centred on a deer that, during a hunting trip, would have appeared to the Roman general Placidus, who then went down in history as Saint Eustace, carrying the Cross and the figure of Christ between his horns.
From the wills of the members, it emerges, between the XI and XII centuries, the existence of a conspicuous estate comprising palaces and properties in Benevento, as well as properties in Scala and throughout the Duchy of Amalfi.

The family spreads to southern Italy

The family moved to Amalfi in the XII century. In 1157, therefore, Pietro lived at Capo di Croce, while in 1181, Judge Riccardo lived in a Domus located near the cathedral, which still preserves the family tombs.
The presence of the family in Monopoli is documented in 1187, while in Ravello it is attested in 1195. The d'Afflitto from Scala also had marital relations with the most important families of Ravello. In this city, the d'Afflitto family built several palaces, the first in front of the church of Saints John the Baptist and Evangelist. Palazzo d'Afflitto in Ravello houses a renowned hotel. Villa Rufolo was also owned by the family for a short period during the Middle Ages.
They probably came to Naples in the early Swabian age. In the year 1245, under the reign of Emperor Frederick II, Enrico di Scala and his son Federico, probably from Ravello, were among the nobles of the Seat of Nido.
Especially in the Angevin era, in fact, merchants, but also crown officials, belonging to the families of Amalfi, were ennobled and admitted into the ranks of the chivalry.
This branch of the family, settled in Naples, became extinct in the mid-XV century. The d'Afflitto enjoyed nobility in Naples also in the Seats of Porto and Portanova, but their merchant activity is also well documented.
From Antonio, Regent of the Vicariate Curia at the beginning of the XV century, descended Michele, Treasurer of the Kingdom of Naples, in 1496 feudal lord in Gaeta and Abruzzi, Lieutenant of the Sommaria, Grand Chamberlain and first Count of Trivento in 1505. Girolamo, Duke of Barrea, Count of Trivento and Prince of Scanno from 1646.
The members of the family, in the XV and XVI centuries, were engaged in public office, ecclesiastical career and military service, while continuing to carry out mercantile, banking and insurance activities for a long time.
The Family also settled in Tropea, Brindisi and Cosenza.

Main family branches

The family split into several branches, in particular:
  1. Branch of the Counts of Trivento, then Dukes of Barrea and Princes of Scanno, ascribed in Naples to the Seat of Porto, extinct in the Caracciolo di Melissano;
  2. Branch of the Counts of Loreto, extinct into the previous branch;
  3. Branch of the Princes of Belmonte, descended from the aforementioned Bartolomeo in Sicily and extinct into the Ventimiglia family;
  4. Branch of the Barons of Monteroduni and Macchia, also extinct into the Imperiali family;
  5. Branch of the Dukes of Campomele and Castropignano, Marquises of Frignano Maggiore, Montefalcone and Agropoli, extinct into the Nunziante family.

    Key family figures

Condottieri

…il quarto Afflitto,
Del cui maggior la fama ancor non langue,
Che ne’ tormenti fu per Cristo esangue.

The last four lines of the family are these:
  1. the d’Afflitto of Aragon, Patricians of Naples. Descendants of Antonio, who married the noble Camilla of Aragon, extinct;
  2. the Scala Line, Patricians of Scala, whose main offshoot died out with Maria Stefania, Duchess of Campomele, Duchess of Castropignano, Marchioness of Montefalcone, Marchioness of Frignano Maggiore, Marchioness of Agropoli, who married Marquis Riccardo Nunziante of San Ferdinando in 1876; the second-born offshoot of don Bonaventura, Marquis d'Afflitto dei Principi di Scanno, son of Matteo, patrician of Scala also died out. The painter Tamara de Łempicka made two famous portraits of The Marquis don Bonaventura d'Afflitto.
  3. the Ravello Line, Patricians of Ravello, descendants of Diego, born in 1797, extinct;
  4. the Amalfi Line, Patricians of Amalfi, Marquis, to which belonged don Camillo I, son of don Raffaele and Carolina Lanzetta Sforza, from which don Francesco descended, married to the Marquis Bartolommei, from which don Camillo II, from which don Francesco II, from which don Camillo III. The current head of the family is Marquis Cosimo. The renown enologist nobile Nicolo dei Marchesi d'Afflitto from Castel Ruggero is Chief Enologist at one of the top Italian wine-makers Marchesi de Frescobaldi. Nicolo is a third-degree once-removed cousin of Marchesa Bona Frescobaldi through their Bartolommei great-grandmothers.

    Feudal titles

These are some of the family's feudal titles:
Pricipalities: Belmonte 1627, Durazzano, Roccagloriosa, Scanno 1647, Villa dorata.
Dukedoms: Barrea, Bernauda, Casteldisangro, Castropignano, Campomele.
Marquisates: Frignano Maggiore, Lauria, Montefalcone.
Earlsdoms: Civitasantangelo, Lizzanello, Loreto, Nicotera, Trivento, Ventimiglia.
Baronies: Acqua della Vena, Angri, Borrello, Brittoli, Cancellara, Carpineto, Cardito, Casella, Casalpiscopo, Castignano, Castiglione, Civitella, Collare, Ferrazzano, Gratteri, Larderia, Macchia, Molpa, Monteroduno, Mosellara, Muro, Nocciano, Ortona, Papasidero, Pesco, Petranico, Petruro, Pettorano, Pietrapulcina, Pietrarosella, Pizzoferrato, Redine, Roccasassone, Rocchetta, Roccapimonte, Roccaimperiale, Roccamainolfi, Rodegaldo, Rufo, Santangelo in Grisone, Santagapito, San Martino, Sinagra, Somma, Tocco, Torre dei passeri, Valenzano, Villetta.

Historical buildings