Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

COLONNA

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V06, Page 715 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

COLONNA , a See also:

noble See also:Roman See also:family, second only to the See also:Gaetani di Sermoneta in antiquity, and first of all the Roman houses in importance. The popes See also:Marcellinus, See also:Sixtus III., See also:Stephen IV. and See also:Adrian III. are said to have been members of it, but the See also:authentic See also:pedigree of the family begins with Pietro, See also:lord of Columna, See also:Palestrina and Paliano (about Imo), probably a See also:brother of See also:Pope See also:Benedict IX. His See also:great See also:grandson Giovanni had two sons, respectively the founders of the Colonna di Paliano and Colonna di Sciarra lines. The third, or Colonna-Romano See also:line, is descended from Federigo Colonna (1223). In the 12th See also:century we find the Colonna as See also:counts of See also:Tusculum, and the family was then famous as one of the most powerful and turbulent of the great Roman clans; its feuds with the See also:Orsini and the Gaetani are a characteristic feature of See also:medieval See also:Rome and the Campagna; like the other great nobles of the Campagna the Colonna plundered travellers and cities, and did not even spare the pope himself if they See also:felt themselves injured by him. See also:Boniface VIII. attempted to break their See also:power, excommunicated them in 1297, and confiscated their estates. He proclaimed a crusade against them and captured Palestrina, but they after-wards revenged themselves by besieging him at Anagni, and Sciarra Colonna laid violent hands on His Holiness, being with difficulty restrained from actually murdering him (1303). In 1347 the Colonna, at that See also:time almost an See also:independent power, were defeated by Cola di See also:Rienzi, but soon recovered. Pope See also:Martin V. (1417—1431) was a Colonna, and conferred immense estates on his family, including See also:Marino, See also:Frascati, Rocca di Papa, See also:Nettuno, Palinao, &c., in the Campagna, and other fiefs in Romagna and See also:Umbria. Their goods were frequently confiscated and frequently given back, and the See also:house was subject to many changes of See also:fortune; during the reign of Pope See also:Alexander VI. they were again humbled, but they always remained powerful and important, and members of the family See also:rose to See also:eminence as generals, prelates and statesmen in the service of the See also:Church or other See also:powers. In the See also:war of 1522 between See also:France and See also:Spain there were Colonna on both sides, and at the See also:battle of See also:Lepanto (1571) Marc See also:Antonio Colonna, who commanded the papal contingent, greatly distinguished hin,self.

A detailed See also:

record of the Colonna family would be a See also:history of Rome. To-See also:day there are three lines of Colonna: (I) Colonna di Paliano, with two branches, the princes and See also:dukes of Paliano, and the princes of Stigliano; (2) Colonna di Sciarra, with two branches, Colonna di Sciarra, princes of Carbagnano, and See also:Barberini-Colonna, princes of Palestrina; and (3) Colonna-Romano. The Colonna See also:palace, one of the finest in Rome, was begun by Martin V. and contains a valuable picture and See also:sculpture See also:gallery. See A. von See also:Reumont, Geschichte der Stadt Rom (See also:Berlin, 1868), containing an elaborate See also:account of the family; F. See also:Gregorovius, Geschichte der Stadt Rom (See also:Stuttgart, 1872) ; Almanach de See also:Gotha. (L.

End of Article: COLONNA

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
COLONIAL OFFICE 		[next]
COLONNA, GIOVANNI PAOLO (circa 1637—1695)

Site © 2006 - Net Industries