Prince of Leonforte
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The Prince of Leonforte (Italian: Principe di Leonforte) is a noble title in Italy held by the House of Borghese, and previously by the families Branciforte and Lanza. The title derives its name from Leonforte, a town in Sicily. Indeed, the town gained its name from the coat of arms of the Branciforte, depicting a strong lion (Italian: Leone Forte). It was originally created in 1614, during Philip III of Spain's reign as King of Naples for Nicolò Placido Branciforte. The title remained in the family until 1812, when Stefania Branciforte married Giuseppe Lanza Prince of Trabia. The family was thereafter known as Lanza Branciforte. The title was recognized by the Kingdom of Italy after the unification of Italy. In 1927, Sofia Lanza Branciforte, who was married to Don Giangiacomo Borghese, later Governor of Rome, was granted the title by Ministerial Decree. The title was thereafter used by her descendants, who are members of the House of Borghese.
House of Branciforte, 1614–1812[1]
| Prince | Image | Death |
|---|---|---|
| Nicolò Placido 1st Prince of Leonforte 1614–1661 |
 |
1661 |
| Giuseppe 2nd Prince of Leonforte 1661–1698 |
|
1698 |
| Nicolò Placido 3rd Prince of Leonforte 1698–1728 |
|
1728 |
| Ercole 4th Prince of Leonforte 1728–1780 |
|
1780 |
| Giuseppe 5th Prince of Leonforte 1780–1806 |
|
1806 |
| Nicolò Placido 6th Prince of Leonforte 1806–1807 |
|
1807 |
| Emanuele 7th Prince of Leonforte 1807–1808 |
|
1808 |
| Giuseppe 8th Prince of Leonforte 1808–1812 |
|
1812 |
House of Lanza Branciforte, 1812–1927[2]
| Prince | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giuseppe 9th Prince of Leonforte 1812–1855 |
 |
31 October 1780 Palermo, Kingdom of Naples son of Don Pietro, 7th Prince of Trabia and Anna Branciforte |
Stefania Branciforte 1805 2 children |
2 February 1855 Palermo, Kingdom of Naples aged 75 |
| Pietro 10th Prince of Leonforte 1855–1855 |
|
4 August 1813 Palermo, Kingdom of Naples son of Giuseppe, 9th Prince of Leonforte, 8th Prince of Trabia and Stefania Branciforte |
Sofia Galeotti 29 June 1832 5 children |
27 June 1855 Paris, France aged 42 |
| Giuseppe 11th Prince of Leonforte 1855–1868 |
|
20 June 1833 Palermo, Kingdom of Naples son of Pietro, 10th Prince of Leonforte, 9th Prince of Trabia and Sofia Galeotti |
Eleonora Spinelli 29 June 1832 3children |
27 April 1855 Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria aged 35 |
| Pietro 12th Prince of Leonforte 1868–1927 |
 |
18 August 1862 Florence, Kingdom of Italy son of Giuseppe, 11th Prince of Leonforte, 10th Prince of Trabia and Eleonora Spinelli |
Giulia Florio 6 December 1885 5 children |
16 October 1929 Palermo, Kingdom of Italy aged 96 |
House of Borghese, 1927–present[3]
| Prince | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sofia 13th Princess of Leonforte 1927–1984 |
 |
3 March 1896 Palermo, Kingdom of Italy daughter of Pietro, 12th Prince of Leonforte, 11th Prince of Trabia and Giulia Florio |
Don Giangiacomo Borghese, Governor of Rome 7 January 1922 8 children |
20 December 1984 Rome, Italy aged 88 |
| Alessandro Romano 14th Prince of Leonforte 1984–1994 |
 |
9 February 1924 Palermo, Kingdom of Italy son of Don Giangiacomo and Sofia, 13th Princess of Leonforte |
Fabrizia Citterio 7 July 1962 4 children |
2 July 1994 Rome, Italy aged 70 |
| Fabio 15th Prince of Leonforte 1994– |
|
7 June 1965 Rome, Italy son of Alessandro Romano 14th Prince of Leonforte and Fabrizia Citterio |
Giacaranda Caracciolo di Melito Falck 22 June 1996 3 children |