Style(s) His/Her Royal Highness | Founder Jacobus Georgii | |
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Country Austria-Hungary, Kingdom of Croatia, Kingdom of Hungary, Kingdom of Italy, Republic of Genoa, Republic of Ragusa, Republic of Venice Estates Palazzo Giorgi, Dubrovnik
St. Blaise's House, Rome
Villa de Giorgi, Lecce
Palazzo De Giorgi, Lecce Titles Prince of Ragusa
Duke of Segna
Marquess of Lovinac
Count of Novigrad
Count of Šipan
Viscount of Curzola
Viscount of Ledenice
Baron of Hungary
Baron of Vinodol
Patrician of Genoa
Patrician of Rome
Patrician of Venice Founded 1169; 848 years ago (1169) | ||
The House of Giorgi, also Georgi, De Giorgi, Georgio, Zorzi, de Georgiis, Žurgović or Đurđević, is a princely and ruling dynasty and one of the most prestigious noble families of the Republic of Ragusa that first began to gather prominence in Rome and the Republic of Venice. The family is listed in the Almanach de Gotha. The family was founded in 1169 and its main branch still survives in Italy.
Contents
History
Tradition links the Zorzi to the origins of the city of Venice. In 1817, Antonio Longo wrote that they came from Moravia and Silesia; entered Italy in 411 AD and took up residence at Pavia; and after the invasion of Attila in 453 AD were among the founders of Venice.
The first documented mention of the family dates from the tenth century: in 964 Gregorio di Andrea de Georgii was bishop of the island of San Pietro di Castello, formerly known as Olivolo, in the Venetian Lagoon.
One tradition is that the Giorgi came to Dubrovnik from Rome, where the family originated and was enrolled ab antiquo among the official nobility. According to Konstantin Jireček they could also have Kotoran ancestry from a source quoted Jacobus George de Catarino (late thirteenth century), also called Jacobus Georgii comitis Triphonii, where comites refers to the title of officials of a province or a county during the Roman Empire.
The House of Giorgi officially entered the Golden Book of the Republic of Genoa in 1370 after helping the Republic of Genoa winning an important naval battle over the Republic of Venice. The family established strong ties with the House of Grimaldi, the ruling family of Monaco, ever since. The family was also the most loyal ally of the House of Hunyadi. Damiano de Giorgi served Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary and Croatia, receiving the award of large estates and the right to insert the royal crow in the family coat of arms.
The island of Curzola has been a fiefdom of the family since 1254.
The Ragusan branches
Over the centuries, the Giorgi were divided into several branches in Italy and abroad, merging with other noble families of Dubrovnik and continental Europe. A branch of the family joined his name and arms to those of the House of Bona, creating a new branch as Bona-Giorgi. Throughout the history of the Republic of Ragusa, the House of Giorgi were always among the wealthiest and most influential families, serving in the 14th and 15th centuries the 6.50% of all major public offices. Between 1440 and 1640 the House of Giorgi had 109 members of the Great Council, representing 4.95% of the total. In the two hundred years, they also count for 203 senators (6.21%), 163 Rectors of the Republic (6.84%), 173 representatives in the Minor Council (6.33%) and 41 Guardians of Justice (4.99%).
The Almanach de Gotha enumerates them among the eleven oldest native patrician families of the Sovereign Republic of Ragusa still residing in the city in mid-nineteenth century.
People
Notable members of the family include: