Thinning the Nobility

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 608, 9 March 1929, Page 19

Thinning the Nobility

Mussolini's Rigour N no country in Europe |jrsjS| until recently were titled IfjlJ tiful as in Italy. The Fascist Government has y>>J| undertaken to reduce the plethora ot' Italian nobility by the wholesale suppression of all uncertain and doubtful titles. In the future all duly authenticated noblemen who have paid a tax proportionate to their rank will be allowed to bear titles, while those who assume them without the approval of the heraldry commission will be heavily fined. Titles of nobility were as abundant as the proverbial sand on the seashore. They have been lavishly bestowed in the course of many centuries by the different rulers of the numerous States into which the coun-

try was divided, and instead of being exclusively borne by eldest sons or other heirs, they have been extended to practically every member of each noble family. The Popes, the Holy Roman Empire, the Norman, Swabian, Augevine, and Spanish rulers of Naples, Sicily, the Visconti and Sforza, grand dukes of Lombardy, the Republic of Venice, the Medici, the Bourbons in Tuscany, the Princes of Savoy, Napoleon, and the Austrian Emperor, ennobled hundreds of thousands of Italians, and their descendants, whose number is legion, retain these titles to-day, multiplied a hundredfold. Since Italy became united the ranks of the nobility have swelled to such an extent that the extinction of commoners was threatened. The comparatively small number of Italians unable to claim noble descent often assumed extinct or false titles. It ’as safe to add a handle to one’s rame, and become a duke, a marquis, cr a count, because an understaffed heraldry commission lacked authority, inclination, or time to verify the PROLIFIC NOBLES Italian uoblemen are notably prolific. It is ou record that Francesco S ff >rza. Duke of Milan, who died in 1186, had 33 sons. In the course of a tew generations they formed largo families, which, uniting, became clans. Attempts to revise Italian nobility ''ith the object of reducing the number of titles were unsuccessful. The revision attempted by the Empress -taria Theresa in 1766 failed of its purpose because no coercive measures were adopted. in 1924 the present revision, which ls now nearing completion, was started by the Fascist Government. simple and practical method to reduce the number of noble titles was adopted, while at the same time, as u w ould have been manifestly unfair T ° burden taxpayers with the cost of revision, the parties interested were |axed for the expenses of authentifica10n and recognition of their titles • ‘he heraldry commission. The following tariff was fixed, and ' ae Payment in advance of the amount ,0r the different ranks of nobility *as rendered compulsory before the each claimant was accepted or examination by the heraldry comAs a result, the number of claimants has been considerably reduced, 51 nce obviously those whose titles ere not genuine, or otherwise doubtw*ere not keen on paying the tax a nd running the risk of having filenames omitted from the official list the Italian nobility shortly to be Fiblished. Anyone bearing a title included in the list -will be fined