The Barony of Budaq is a title of Maltese nobility.
- Titled: Nicholas de Piro, 9th Baron.
- Heir: (This title can be nominated) His sons; it is assumed that Clement is the Baroninco and the elder son Cosimo is the Marchesino de Piro.
See also A Maltese Palace.
History
The Barony of Budaq was created 6 February 1736 by Grandmaster Ramon Despuig.
The fief of Budaq (originally Budacco) had been granted or sold numerous times during its interesting history as a fief.
The Barba family were granted this fief in 1397, following the Gatto family in 1398, Aulesa also in 1398, following the Inguanez in 1408, the Cilia family in 1644, the Fiteni’s in 1646, following the Passalaqua in 1646.
The Barony fief of Budaq (Budacco) was passed within the families of Barba, Gatto, Alesa and Inguanez. They intermarried passing the fiefdom as a marriage legacy.
Francesco Cilia had purchased the fief of Budaq from Baron Antonio Inguanez on 16th May 1590. For some reason neither father or son ever paid homage to the Grand Master as an acknowledgement of fealty and were consequently never styled Baron. Niccolo was in danger of having his fief confiscated by the order. However he successfully petitioned the Grand Master to be formally recognised as the Baron di Budaq. Cilia died in 1646, leaving no successor, where upon the fief devolved to the Order to be regranted a few months later.
The first Protomedico to be ennobled was Niccolo Cilia, who in 1633 had been appointed to this office. He probably also awarded the "Croce d'Oro" on his appointment. Cilia, however had been aware that he possessed the fief of Budach. His father, Francesco, had bought the lands from Baron Antonio Inguanez for the sum of 2280 onze. The sale had been made on 16 May 1590, and was registered in the acts of Notary Enrico Zarb. When the Protomedico realised that he held feudal territory he wanted to be invested in order to acquire the title and hold a legitimate claim for his fief. Grand Master Lascaris acceded to Cilia's request and concluded a transaction with his protomedico, but only over a part of the fief. On the 18 February 1644, the council of the Order had given the Grand Master permission of the said transaction. After eight days, Cilia was created Baron di Budaq, only two years before his death in 1646. There is no evidence that Cilia had been ennobled because of service to the Order, but his appointment as Protomedico probably had considerable influence in his investiture as Baron, since Lascaris could have claimed this fief in virtue of Cilia's omission to pay homage.
This time the fief went to Cesare Passalacqua, to his daughter and her husband Silvestro Fiteni. Silvestro Fiteni was Capitano della Verga 1644-52, and created a Knight of the Order of St John in 1656. Fiteni left no legitimate heir and so the title became extinct with his death.
The Barony was regranted to Gio Pio de Piro and his wife Anna Gourgion by the Grand Master Perollos on 23rd of April 1716, with the required tribute of two muskets on St. Barbara. The Barony de Budaq was given to the de Piros and his legitimate heirs, males and females, procreatis vel procreandis.
The Baron de Piro could not attend his first Investiture since he was in Sicily and his father paid homage instead. Only three years after de Piro was ennobled he neglected to present his two muskets- to grave concern of his father. Not only Gio Pio's successors was ever invested, but their rights to the Barony was never queried. It may be argued that when a nobleman did not pay homage and present tribute he was in breach of the original oath, which was similar to that taken in 1644, by the feudatory of Budach, who declared:
"I Niccolo Cilia swear and promise fidelity, reverence and observance to your Highness and to Your Holy Religion, recognising you as the true and rightful Lords of the fief of Budach which you and your Holy Convent have honoured me with and to present every year at Easter of the Resurrection a bunch of Roses as rightful recognition in the said fief."
The de Piro family hold this fief to this day.
Note of interest
The remainder of the Barony to the de Piro family, stated "His descendants in perpetuity, each holder of the title having the right to nominate a successor, in default of nomination to the first born male descendant and in absence of male issue, to the first born female descendant. Members of the clergy are precluded from succession by primogeniture."
Wealth therefore becomes an influencing factor in the choice of a prospective "Secreto." The fourteen thousand scudi which Baron Gio Pio de Piro paid out during 1720-21 in his official capacity as Zondadari's administration was less than the private income for the same period of the de Piro-Gourgion family.
The only two sons of Marquis Vincenzo de Piro to marry disregarded the wish of their parents and married partners of their own choosing. The eldest Antonio, married Teresa de Re, a person of his own "nationality but not of equal rank," from whom-it was rumoured, had an illegitimate child. This enraged his father who not only disinherited him, but also his innocent descendants. Five years later, in 1795 Antonio left with his family to live in Rome. The second son, Giuseppe, was nominated, within the space of three years, the future heir to the lucrative Gourgion and the de Piro entails. Rather surprisingly he was not disinherited in spite of the fact that he married Generosa Borg, below his rank.
The title passed from father to son, until the 4th holder, where it was succeeded by his sister, who died in 1877, and nominated her cousin Msgr. Don Salvatore Grech-Delicata to succeed her. But the Court of Appeal overruled this decision in favour of Giuseppe de Piro-Gourgion, the holder of the Primogeniture. Though the senior branch of the de Piros were excluded from succession due to Vincenzo de Piro being born outside of wedlock to the 3rd Baron and his wife Teresa della Re.
On 5 December 1807, in a lengthy judgment, the Courts of Malta upheld the primogenital and fede-commessary right due to Vincenzo and his descendants as members of the de Piro family.
Today, the junior branch still carries the titles of Baron di Budaq and Marquis de Piro (Maltese recognised title), with Nicholas de Piro D’Amico-Inguanez, as the 8th Marquis de Piro, and 9th Baron di Budaq.
Giovanni Pio, 1st Baron of Budaq
Giovanni Pio (Gio’Pio) J.U.D. was the 1st Baron of Budach and 1st Marquis de Piro 1670-1752. He was born in 1673 and studied for his doctorate in Rome. He was appointed ambassador representing the Grand Master and the Università as procurator of wheat. He was created Baron of Budach by Grand Master Perellos in 1716 with tribute of two muskets to be paid on the feast of St Barbara every year. He became a Segreto of the Inquisition in 1720 and in 1728 was Curator of the Holy Office. He was placed in a position of further trust by being appointed Secreto of Malta, Gozo and Comino. His honours increased: he was appointed Luogotenente of the regimental company to which the Grand Master’s famigliari belonged. He was appointed Regio Secreto of Syracuse by the King of Spain.
By 1742 Gio’Pio was Senior Jurat of Valletta and later Lieutenant Governor of Malta. As a stepping stone to his final accolade he was temporally created Viscount Cartely but this title was suppressed in order to raise him further: on November 6th, 1742 Philip V of Spain raised him to the rank of Marquis de Piro in the Kingdom of Castille.
Gio’Pio was an entrepreneur with seemingly insatiable ambition and unflagging energy. He was soon in charge of his family’s business including the transactions involving infidel slaves. The family archives hold a bill for 1,500 Scudi representing one transaction in which Gio’Pio is selling Muslims to a Muslim trader called Rais. But these were early days in his career, soon he would concentrate on other people’s administrations and prove his reliability.
His marriage to Anna Antonia Gourgion considerably increased his worldly assets, and fortune seems to have been showered upon him for the rest of his life. His wealthy father-in-law’s administration fell into his lap: Giovanni Gourgion was a landowner, Magistro di Sala of the Valletta Magisterial Palace and even a patron of Mattia Preti’s. The artist painted both Giovanni and his wife pouring water over the Holy Souls in Purgatory in a great altarpiece at St George’s Basilica in Gozo.
Gio’Pio’s career was a triumph and perhaps the most successful of any Maltese man of his period. He invested in land, ships, and cargoes of textiles, grain, sugar, rice and coffee. He would sometimes insure cargoes and ships on his own account. He sometimes lent money, and quite often to knights resident in Malta including the illustrious Fra Carlo Albani, nephew of Pope Clement XI.
Gio’Pio purchased land all over Malta, and, in Sicily, great tracts in the plains of Girgenti. He kept houses in Valletta, in Medina, and, by the sea in Scicli and also in the hexagonal city of Avola. He also invested in good unions. He married off his daughter to the Baron Ferdinando de Ribera and his granddaughter to Francesco, eldest son of the Duke of Montalto. Both ladies were given conspicuous dowries, the descriptions of which survive in the family archives.
His business affairs were administered with efficiency. The surviving papers, including many of his letters, make the point. He was always aware of what was happening and crosschecked his information through a series of agents in Malta, Sicily, Naples and Rome. His income in later years would certainly suffice for him to buy a palazzo such as Casa Rocca Piccola without any need to touch his capital. He organised the education of his sons through his contacts: Angelo went to Siena and was made to take Holy Orders against his will; Felicissimo Antonio went to Lyons he pre-deceased his father; Vincenzo, his adored grandson and heir, went to Rome, under the tutelage of the Albani.
Gio’Pio was conscientious and even religious. He endowed charities: he helped spinsters, and donated altars and embellishments, he gave oil and legacies for masses to churches. He died in 1752 after his son, and was succeeded by his grandson. He is buried with his wife in his family vault under an intarsio marble tombstone in the main isle of the Church of St Francis in Valletta.
Antonio Felicissimo, Baroncino of Budach and Marchesino de Piro, died before his father. He was Secreto to Grand Master Despuig. He married Elena Grech Balzani as his third wife in 1736 and died in 1738. From this final union was born a son and heir.
Vincenzo, 2nd Baron of Budaq
Vincenzo was the 2nd Baron of Budach and 2nd Marquis de Piro 1736-1799. He became a Jurat and also Procurator of the Inquisition. He was interested in military tactics and operations and was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Royal Sicilian Regiment. He helped to raise the rebellion against the French invaders, and was elected to be one of the four representatives of the people. He had married Maria Testaferrata Abela daughter of the 3rd Baron of Gomerino in 1757. He died in 1799 having nominated his eldest son to the Barony and his second son to the Marquisate.
Antonio, 3rd Baron of Budaq
Antonio, the 3rd Baron of Budach 1758-1806 was not left the Marquisate because of his liaison with one Maria Teresa Speranza Campanella de lo Re. They produced four children out of wedlock, two of whom took Holy Orders. The couple eventually married and were blessed with a legitimate, scholarly, and erudite heir.
Giuseppe Maria, 4th Baron of Budaq
Sir Giuseppe Maria G.C.M.G. was the 4th Baron of Budach, 1794-1870. He was the author of A History of the Plague of 1813 and Pieces of History (both written in Italian). The second book was an impassioned answer to Adolphus Slade’s vitriolic and denigrating commentary on Malta. In his book Giuseppe Maria listed Maltese savants and artists together with their creditable works of merit. He set out to prove that his compatriots had been the principal factors in procuring their emancipation and had voluntarily submitted to England's help; and that the latter, it had to be remembered, had not lost a single soldier in the procurement of Malta.
According to William Hardiman’s History of Malta Sir G.M. was an aspirant to the government of the Islands (p.643). He married the wealthy Antonia Moscati Gatto Xara 3rd Baroness of Benwarrad and widow of Sir Paolo Parisio G.C.M.G. They lived in the Magnificent Palazzo Parisio in Valletta where Napoleon had chosen to spend his days in Malta. It was he who presented the ‘Majmuna Stone’ (now in the Gozo Museum) to the nation. Governor Reid historically appointed him first Maltese Captain Commandant of the Malta Militia. He died without legitimate heirs in 1870 and was succeeded by his sister.
Francesca, 5th Baroness of Budaq
Francesca, the 5th Baroness of Budach was a spinster. She inherited her brother and died 7 years later in 1877. She attempted to leave her title and estates to the Bishop of Gozo. Following a successful claim in the courts by Giuseppe de Piro she was succeeded by him. Giuseppe was the eldest son of her deceased first cousin Carmelo (my great-great-grandfather.
Giuseppe, 6th Baron of Budaq
Giuseppe (Pinu), the 6th Baron of Budach 1845-1916, was a bachelor, a dandy, a keen gardener, and enthusiastic builder and lover of ceremonial. He was a Knight of Cape and Sword at the Vatican. He devoted his energies to building some noteworthy follies, among them a villa in Rome, a neo-Gothic house in Mdina, and perhaps he created the finest garden in Malta attached to his Villa Gourgion in Lija. He allowed his cousins the Marquises Francesco Xaverio and Giuseppe Lorenzo to use the title and indeed even enjoy some of the patrimony; his law suit over the inheritance of Francesca had established him as the senior de Piro heir and he had no desire to upset his cousins. His own heir was not his younger brother (my great-grandfather Alessandro 1849-1899) because Alessandro died first.
Alessandro had married the heiress Orsola Agius Caruana and she brought a great palazzo in Florence into the family. It had been the seat of the Florentine Commandery and Embassy of the Knights of Malta in the days of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. One of their seven sons Monsignor Giuseppe de Piro founded the Missionary Society of St Paul and is now a strong candidate for beatification. Pinu’s heirs were his nephews my Grandfather Igino who inherited his titles and the entails of the barony of Budach and the de Piro marquisate; his younger brother Pio inherited the large Gourgion estates.
Igino, 7th Baron of Budaq
Igino (1874-1942) was the 7th Baron of Budach. He was educated at the Lyceum and the Royal University of Malta. He married my grandmother Nicolina, daughter of Felicissimo Apap Bologna 4th Marquis of Gnien-is-Sultan. He fought in the Boer War and was present at the Siege of Ladysmith (Queen’s Medal three clasps). He was adjutant for five years to 9th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment. He retired to return to Malta. He was elected President of the Senate and served on the Committee of Privileges of the Maltese Nobility. He was the only member of the Maltese aristocracy in the National Assembly to vote in favor of the adoption of the Maltese language as part of the Constitution. He was elected President of the Casino Maltese. He represented Malta at the Coronation of King George VI. A was a keen gardener and stamp collector, his homes were in Valletta, Attard (now the Malta residence of Grand Master Bertie), St Paul's Bay and Florence. His heir was his only son.
Jerome, 8th Baron of Budaq
Jerome, the 8th Baron of Budach, my father, (1914-1996). He was educated at Collège Champittet, Lausanne, Switzerland. He served as a gunner in World War II in the 2nd A.A. Regiment of the Royal Malta Artillery (Africa Star, 1939-45 Star, War Medal 1939-45, Victory Medal). He had been a member of the Committee of Privileges of the Maltese Nobility for 40 years and for a long period its President. On his retirement, he was elected President of the Committee of Privileges Emeritus ad vitam. Jerome represented the Maltese Nobility in the National Congress and in the National Assembly; also, with my mother at the Coronation of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II. He was a Knight of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He married Phyllis Cassar Torreggiani and they had 5 children: Nicholas, Madeleine, Mary, Elizabeth and Margaret.
Other nobles
GIUSEPE 3rd Marquis de Piro d. 1852 was a second son who also inherited the great Gourgion estates. From 15th September 1799 to 8th September 1800 he was captain of the insurgent and heroic troops called ‘Cacciatori Maltesi’. Under British rule he became Colonel of the Royal Malta Fencible Regiment and completed 47 years and 194 days service. A document dated 1888 declares that during the siege of Valletta, ‘Col. The Marquis Giuseppe de Piro C.M.G. was always selected by his colleagues to convey personally the dispatches to Lord Nelson. He was succeeded by his eldest son.
ADRIANO 4th Marquis de Piro 1817-1866 died unmarried, and the next in line was his brother my great-great-grandfather Dr Carmelo de Piro M.D. 1820-1869 however it was his younger brother who was nominated.
FRANCESCO XAVERIO 5th Marquis de Piro 1824-1894 married Adelaide Testaferrata daughter of 5th Marquis Cassar Desain. He was a Member of the Council of Government; sometime President of the Committee of Privileges of the Maltese Nobility; Lieutenant Colonel commanding the Royal Malta Fencible Artillery. He retired in the rank of Colonel in 1884.
GIUSEPPE LORENZO 6th Marquis de Piro was born in 1858 and was educated at Stonyhurst College. He was made C.M.G. on the occasion of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. He was Chamberlain to Pope Leo XIII; A.D.C. to the Governor of Malta; a Knight of Malta; Lieutenant Colonel Commanding the 1st Battalion of the Royal Malta Militia. He became a legend in the Mess due to his gourmandish proclivity and capacity. His brass bed was so enormous that on one occasion when it was moved to his summer residence it was mistaken for a bandstand. He was succeeded by his only daughter.
ADELINA VICTORIA 7th Marchioness de Piro in her own right 1892-1962 used the title by consent of the senior line. She was a renowned beauty and married Kenneth MacPherson. They lived in Lija and Monaco and produced no heirs.
JEROME born 1914 was recognised as 8th Marquis de Piro by the Committee of Privileges of the Maltese Nobility. He relinquished his title in favour of his only son by special permission of the said Committee.
NICHOLAS born 1941 9th and present Marquis de Piro and Baron of Budach. Married Frances Elizabeth Wilson on October 1st, 1970 and has issue: Cosmo, Clement, Louisa and Anton. The family lived at Painswick House in Gloucestershire for 14 years between 1976 and 1990 before returning to Malta. Nicholas is the author of a number of books:
- Lost Letters (with Kenneth Zammit Tabona and others, Pedigree Books London).
- The International Dictionary of Artists who Painted Malta (Said International, Malta)
- Picking Through The Stones, Notions, Nostalgia and Nonsense Poems (Said International, Malta)
- Valletta (Miranda Publications with photographs by Daniel Cilia)
- Medina (Miranda Publications with photographs by Daniel Cilia)
- The Temple of the Knights of Malta (Miranda Publications with photographs by Daniel Cilia)
- Costume in Malta (contributor and joint-editor with Vicki Ann Cremona)
- The Sovereign Palaces of Malta
- The Quality of Malta
- The Innocence of Ina is scheduled for publication before Christmas.
There are four grandchildren: Serafina, Nicholas, Mary Benedicta and Edward.
References
- 1) Said Vassallo, C.M., Unpublished research papers.
- 2) Said Vassallo, C.M., [Charles Said-Vassallo's Research site] and [Maltese Nobility web site].
- 3) Attard Monalto, John., "The Nobles of Malta 1530-1800" Midsea Books Ltd, Malta 1979.,pp35.
- 4) Casa Rocca Piccola web site [1]
- 5) De Piro D'Amico Inguanez, Marquis Nicolas, Family archives.
This research was done by Charles Said-Vassallo
(Text originally based on that of a website by Charles Said Vassallo, by permission.)
