Erba-Odescalchi
| Company type | Noble family |
|---|---|
| Industry | Banking, Nobility |
| Founded | 13th century |
| Founder | Giorgio Odescalchi (c. 1290) |
| Headquarters | Rome , Italy |
Area served | Italy, Hungary, Europe |
Key people | Pope Innocent XI (Benedetto Odescalchi), Livio Odescalchi, Baldassare Erba Odescalchi, Carlo Odescalchi |
| Products | Banking, Nobility titles, Estates ownership |
The House of Erba-Odescalchi () and the House of Odescalchi represent two branches stemming from the union of the Erba and Odescalchi noble families of Italy. The Odescalchi family gained significant status following Benedetto Odescalchi's election as Pope Innocent XI in 1676, elevating them into the upper echelons of Roman aristocracy.
Odescalchi family
The Odescalchi family began as merchants within the lesser nobility of Como, tracing their ancestry back to Giorgio Odescalchi, born around 1290.
Pietro Giorgio Odescalchi held ecclesiastical positions as Bishop of Alessandria from 1598 to 1610 and subsequently as Bishop of Vigevano between 1610 and 1620.
In 1619, Benedetto’s brother alongside three uncles established a banking institution in Genoa, which evolved into a prosperous lending business. At age 15, Benedetto entered the family enterprise as an apprentice, contributing to the expansion of their financial activities across major Italian and European centers including Nuremberg, Milan, Kraków, and Rome.
Benedetto Odescalchi ascended to the papacy as Pope Innocent XI (1676–1689). His nephew Livio Odescalchi was awarded the Duchy of Ceri and, due to his involvement in the 1683 Battle of Vienna, was granted the Duchy of Syrmia and princely status by Emperor Leopold I. Livio also purchased the Duchy of Bracciano from the Orsini family. Upon his death in 1713 without male descendants, these titles and properties were inherited by his cousin Baldassare Erba Odescalchi.
Erba family
In 1621, Lucrezia Odescalchi, sister to Innocent XI, married Alessandro Erba. The Erba lineage traces back to Enrico Erba, who served as Imperial vicar of Milan circa 1165. Their son Antonio Maria (1624–1694) was ennobled as marquess of Mondonico in 1684. He fathered three sons: Alessandro, founder of the Erba Odescalchi branch; Baldassare, founder of the Odescalchi branch; and Benedetto, who became a cardinal.
Erba Odescalchi line
Although senior in descent, the Erba Odescalchi line did not inherit most of the original Odescalchi estates. They acquired the princely title of Monteleone (Calabria) through the Piatti family in 1749.
Antonio Maria Erba-Odescalchi, great-grandnephew to Pope Innocent XI and nephew to Cardinal Benedetto, earned a Doctorate in Civil and Canon Law in Milan (1733), which facilitated his career within the Papal Court as a canon lawyer. His ecclesiastical appointments included Protonotary Apostolic (1737), Referendary of the Two Tribunals (1739), elevation to cardinal (1759), and service as Vicar-General for Rome until his death in 1762.
The Monteleone branch emigrated to Hungary in the early 1800s and became extinct by 1924. Their titles then transferred to the Cech Erba Odescalchi family, which itself ceased in 1979.
Odescalchi line
The noble titles held by Livio Odescalchi—including prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Syrmia, Ceri, and Bracciano—were confirmed in 1714 to Baldassare Erba, who assumed the Odescalchi surname. His descendants established themselves among Rome’s pontifical nobility.
Roman Line
Cardinal Benedetto Erba Odescalchi, grand-nephew to Pope Innocent XI, held a doctorate in Civil and Canon Law from Pavia (1700). He served as Papal Nuncio to Poland (1712–1714), Archbishop of Milan (1712–1736), and was elevated to cardinal in 1714. He passed away in Milan in 1740.
Carlo Odescalchi, S.J., son of Prince Baldassare Erba-Odescalchi and Valeria Caterina Giustiniani, fled French forces during his youth when his family was exiled to Hungary. Holding a Doctorate in Civil and Canon Law, he undertook diplomatic missions for Pope Pius VII. Appointed Auditor of the Sacred Roman Rota in 1815, Carlo entered the Jesuit order in 1818. Elevated to cardinal and Archbishop of Ferrara in 1823, he later served as Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and Regulars and Bishop of Sabina before returning to Jesuit life. He died in Modena in 1841.
The current family head bears numerous noble titles—Prince Odescalchi (papal and Holy Roman Empire nobility), Duke of Syrmia (Hungarian nobility), Prince of Bassano Romano, and Duke of Bracciano (Italian nobility)—though none hold official recognition within Italy today. The family retains ownership of Palazzo Odescalchi in Rome and Orsini-Odescalchi Castle at Bracciano alongside extensive estates throughout Italy. The Bracciano castle was initially an Orsini stronghold sold due to financial difficulties.
Presently, Carlo Odescalchi (born 1954) leads the family with heir Baldassare Odescalchi (born 1993).
Hungarian branch
Prince Augusto Odescalchi (1808–1848), a younger member of the family, established himself in Hungary, where his lineage was integrated into the Hungarian aristocracy. During the 20th century, Prince Karoly Odescalchi and his son Prince Paul were actively involved in the resistance movements opposing both Nazism and Communism in Hungary.
See also
Sources
- Bianchi, Eugenia (2012). Gli Odescalchi a Como e Innocenzo XI : committenti, artisti, cantieri. Como : Nodo libri.
- Bucci, Ferdinando (2009). Il Castello Orsini-Odescalchi di Bracciano : storia, tesori e segreti. Manziana (Roma) : Vecchiarelli.
- De Syrmia, Edmond (1978). At the head of nations : the rise of the papal and princely House of Odescalchi. Pleasant Valley, N.Y. : Cyclopedia Pub. Co.
- Original 1922 Almanach de Gotha entry for the Odescalchi family
External links
- A. von Reumont, Geschichte der Stadt Rom (Berlin, 1868)