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ORSINI

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Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 331 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ORSINI , the name of a See also:

Roman princely See also:family of See also:great antiquity, whose perpetual feuds with the See also:Colonna are one of the dominant features of the See also:history of See also:medieval See also:Rome. According to tradition the popes See also:Paul I. (757) and See also:Eugenius II. (824) were of the Orsini family, but the probable founder of the See also:house was a certain Ursus (the See also:Bear), about whom very little is known, and the first See also:authentic Orsini See also:pope was Giacinto Orsini, son of Petrus Bobo, who assumed the name of Celestin III. (1191). The latter endowed his nephews with See also:church lands and founded the fortunes of the family, which alone of the Guelf houses was able to confront the Ghibelline Colonna. " Orsini for the Church " was their See also:war-cry in opposition to "Colonna for the See also:people." In the 13th See also:century the " Sons of the Bear " were already powerful and See also:rich, and under See also:Innocent III. they waged incessant war against other families, including that of the pope himself (See also:Conti). In 1241 Matteo Orsini was elected senator of Rome, and sided with Pope See also:Gregory IX. against the Colonna and the See also:Emperor See also:Frederick II., saving Rome for the Guelfic cause. In 1266 the family acquired See also:Marino, and in 1277 Giovanni Orsini was elected pope as See also:Nicholas III. When See also:Boniface VIII. proclaimed a crusade against the Colonna in 1297, the Orsini played a conspicuous See also:part in the expedition and captured See also:Nepi, which the pope granted them as a See also:fief. On the See also:death of See also:Benedict XI. (1304) fierce See also:civil warfare See also:broke out in Rome and the Campagna for the See also:election of his successor, and See also:Cardinal Napoleone Orsini appears as the See also:leader of the See also:French See also:faction at the See also:conclave.

The Campagna was laid See also:

waste by the feuds of the Orsinis, the Colonnas and the Caetanis. At this See also:time the Orsini held the See also:castle of S. Angelo, and a number of palaces on the See also:Monte See also:Giordano, which formed a fortified and walled See also:quarter. In 1332, during the See also:absence of the popes at See also:Avignon, the feuds between Orsini and Colonna, in which even Giovanni Orsini, although cardinal See also:legate, took part, reduced Rome to a See also:state of See also:complete anarchy. We find the Orsini again at war with the Colonna at the time of See also:Rienzi. In 1435 See also:Francesco Orsini was appointed See also:prefect of Rome, and created See also:duke of See also:Gravina by Pope Eugenius IV. In 1484 war between the Orsini and the Colonna broke out once more, the former supporting the pope (See also:Sixtus IV.). Virginio Orsini led his faction against the See also:rival house's strongholds, which were stormed, the Colonna being thereby completely defeated. The Orsini fortunes waxed and waned many times, and their See also:property was often confiscated, but they always remained a powerful family and gave many soldiers, statesmen and prelates to the church. The See also:title of See also:prince of Solofra was conferred on them in 1620, and that of prince of the See also:Holy Roman See also:Empire in 1629. In 1724 Vincenzo Maria Orsini was elected pope (Benedict XIII.) and. gave his family the title of Roman princes.

End of Article: ORSINI

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ORSINI, FELICE (1819-1858)

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