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Title: Patrician
of Messina
Date
created:
20th December 1553
Grant by: the Jurats of
the city or
municipality
of
Messina
Granted to: Nobile
Mariano Testaferrata
Remainder: personal privilegium
Date regranted:
28th August 1792
by: Senate of
Messina
Regranted to: (1)
Marchesi
Don Mario Testaferrata Castelletti, the
brothers (2) Don
Daniele and (3) Don
Pandolfo Testaferrata De Noto,
Knights of the
Holy Roman Empire
, and (4) Barone
Pietro Paolo Testaferrata Abela, all
descendants of Mariano Testaferrata, descendant of Alphio
Capo di Ferro, sive Testaferrata
Remainder: together with their children and descendants.
Present Representatives:
(1) Marquis Mark Cassar Desain (Seniormost
male-to-male descendant of Mario),
(2) Marquis Joseph Philip (Pippo) Testaferrata Bonici
((Seniormost male-to-male descendant of
Daniele),
(3) Marquis Paul Testaferrata Olivier (Seniormost
male-to-male descendant of Pandolfo),
(4) Baron Salvatore (Salvino) Testaferrata Moroni
Viani (Seniormost male-to-male descendant of Pietro
Paolo)
Other notes: Testaferrata (Capo Di Ferro)
Note: The title of Patrician of
Messina
was not recognized by the British Colonial
Government of
Malta
, 1878
Other Title: Moroni-Viani
Paolo
Testaferrata (died
24-3-1714
)
Shield:
Argent a bull Gules: The line of Antonio also carries on a chief Azure three
mullets of six points Or. The line of Giacomo does
not display the chief but instead carries the "Capo del Impero"
(on a chief Or a demi-eagle displayed Sable beaked
and langued Gules crowned).
Other
Titles:
(a) Descent
from Capo di Ferro, Patricians of
Rome
(ancient)
(tradition, see 1792 regrant),
(b)
Patricians
(Roman Senate)
(creation: 1590 in favour of Paolo Testaferrata and others),
(c)
Hereditary
Knights (
Holy
Roman Empire
)
(creation: 1637 in favour of Giacomo Testaferrata),
(d)
Barons
of Castel Cicciano (
Kingdom
of
Naples
)
(creation: circa 1528-1533, Investiture of 1695 in favour of Fabrizio
Testaferrata, Recognition of title by
Britain
1878),
(e)
Barons
of Gomerino (Magistral Principality of
Malta
)
(creation: 1710 in favour of Paolo and Beatrice Testaferrata, invested in 1711:
investiture of 1737 with reference to a primogenitura
in favour of Ercole Martino Testaferrata:
Recognition of title by
Britain
1878, but 1737 investiture
not acknowledged by
Britain
)
(f)
Marquises
di San Vincenzo Ferreri
(
Kingdom
of
Spain
and
Naples
)
(creation: 1716 in favour of Mario Testaferrata: Recognition of title by
Britain
1878),
(g)
Marquises
Testaferrata (
Kingdom
of
Sicily
and Duchy of
Savoy
)
(creation:
1717 in favour of Mario Testaferrata, Creation was not recognized by
Britain
. However in 1883
Britain
recognized two subformations
effective 1745 and 1749 in favour of Gio Paolo
Testaferrata Olivier and Lorenzo Cassar Desain)
(h)
Most
Illustrious and Noble (Magistral Principality of
Malta
)
(creation: 1725 in favour of the Baronessa
di Gomerino Beatrice Testaferrata, the Barone
di Cicciano Fabrizio
Testaferrata and the Marchese
di San Vincenzo Ferreri
Mario Testaferrata: Title modified by
Britain
to “Most Noble” 1886),
(i)
Barons
of Tabria (Magistral Principality of
Malta
)
(creation: 1728, Investiture of 1784 in favour of Giuseppe Testaferrata Viani:
Recognition of title by
Britain
1878).
The
Testaferrata family are all descendants of the Nobile
Milite Arphio
Capo di Ferro who changed his surname to Testaferrata after settling in
Malta
during the late 15th
century. Tradition holds that Arphio was descended
from the Capo di Ferro family of
Rome
, as is described in the
1792 document.
Mariano
Testaferrata had two sons Giacomo and Antonio.
The
1792 regrant identifies four main branches: (1)
Testaferrata Castelletti, from whom descend the
Testaferrata Viani (agnate line now extinct), Testaferrata ‘di Marnisi’
(agnate line now extinct) and Cassar Desain, (2)
Testaferrata de Noto, from whom descend the
Testaferrata Bonici, (3) another Testaferrata de Noto,
from whom descend the Testaferrata Olivier and Testaferrata de Noto,
(4) Testaferrata Abela from whom descend the Testaferrata Moroni Viani and
Testaferrata Abela.
In
addition there are many cognate branches.
Full
text of the 1792 regrant may be found at (Warning:
this is an external link, read disclaimers: http://www.saidvassallo.com/SME/maltesenobility/patricansofmessinatestaferrata.htm
and a translation at http://cilialacorte.com/TestaferrataPatricians.htm
This title was not recognized by the British Colonial Government in 1878.
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