Lupis

Coat of Arms of the Head of House Lupis Macedonio di Santa Margherita, 35° Marchese (per discendenza dai marchesi di Soragna) dott. don Marco Luca Lorenzo Rosario Lupis Macedonio Palermo di Santa Margherita (Roma, 1960), jure sanguinis: 13° Duca di San Donato e Policastrello, 12° Duca di Grottolelle, 14° Marchese di Tortora, 11° Marchese di Ruggiano, 10° Marchese di Oliveto, 8° Marchese di Capriglia, Marchese di Villa, Conte Palatino, Conte e Cavaliere del Sacro Romano Impero (S.R.I), 13° Barone di Poligori, 12° Barone di Castania e Cuzzoghieri, 16° Barone di Policastrello, 12° Barone di Roggiano, 16° Barone di Càlvera, 20° Barone di Giungano, 9° Barone di Rutino eMonteforte, Barone di Bisaccia, Barone della Corrija di Badolato, Barone di Amato, 16° Barone dé Mattarellis, 17° signore della Foresta del Cilento, 11° Signore dell'Isola di Nisida, Signore Feudale di Grotteria con Siderno, Martone, San Giovanni e Terre annesse e di metà del feudo di Ragusia (Gioiosa Jonica), Nobile dei Principi di Santa Margherita e Santo Stefano, Nobile dei Marchesi di Calorendi, Nobile dei Baroni di Martini, Mili, Capodarso, Bulgarano etc, Patrizio di Giovinazzo, Patriczio di Amantea, Patrizio di Messina, Patrizio di Antiochia
Coat of Arms of the Head of House Lupis Macedonio di Santa Margherita, 35° Marchese (per discendenza dai marchesi di Soragna) dott. don Marco Luca Lorenzo Rosario Lupis Macedonio Palermo di Santa Margherita (Roma, 1960), jure sanguinis: 13° Duca di San Donato e Policastrello, 12° Duca di Grottolelle, 14° Marchese di Tortora, 11° Marchese di Ruggiano, 10° Marchese di Oliveto, 8° Marchese di Capriglia, Marchese di Villa, Conte Palatino, Conte e Cavaliere del Sacro Romano Impero (S.R.I), 13° Barone di Poligori, 12° Barone di Castania e Cuzzoghieri, 16° Barone di Policastrello, 12° Barone di Roggiano, 16° Barone di Càlvera, 20° Barone di Giungano, 9° Barone di Rutino eMonteforte, Barone di Bisaccia, Barone della Corrija di Badolato, Barone di Amato, 16° Barone dé Mattarellis, 17° signore della Foresta del Cilento, 11° Signore dell'Isola di Nisida, Signore Feudale di Grotteria con Siderno, Martone, San Giovanni e Terre annesse e di metà del feudo di Ragusia (Gioiosa Jonica), Nobile dei Principi di Santa Margherita e Santo Stefano, Nobile dei Marchesi di Calorendi, Nobile dei Baroni di Martini, Mili, Capodarso, Bulgarano etc, Patrizio di Giovinazzo, Patriczio di Amantea, Patrizio di Messina, Patrizio di Antiochia

The Lupis Family: An Ancient and Illustrious Italian Lineage

The Lupis family (also spelled Lupi, Luppis, or de Lupis) is one of Italy's most ancient and noble houses, with probable Frankish-Germanic origins. Its name, evocative of the wolf ("lupus" in Latin), has become synonymous with martial valor, ecclesiastical dignity, and intellectual excellence throughout Italian history. From its legendary beginnings to its imperially sanctioned nobility, the Lupis family stands as a remarkable example of dynastic continuity and territorial influence.

Origins and Legend

According to tradition, the Lupis family traces its ancestry to the Roman consul Publius Rutilius Lupus, who died in 90 BC. From this senatorial root, the lineage evolved into the Gallo-Roman families of the Virii Lupi and Rutilii Lupi, eventually culminating in the Frankish-Gallo senator San Lupo (c. 383–478 AD), bishop of Troyes and legendary opponent of Attila the Hun. Genealogist Ippolito Calandrini (1653) claimed that the family descended from Sisulfo (or Gisulfo), the brother of Saint Lupo, who served as a squire to Merovingian kings. This descent, while part-legendary, is tied to a lineage enriched by imperial military service and ecclesiastical honor.

Imperial Recognition and Nobility

The Lupis family received formal recognition of its noble status from Emperor Leopold I of the Holy Roman Empire in 1683. The diploma, preserved in Innsbruck, granted the titles of Counts Palatine and Imperial Nobles, affirming the family's Germanic origins and its territorial roots in Lorraine and Alsace. The diploma also confirmed the unity of its branches across Parma (Soragna), Bergamo, Padua, Puglia (Giovinazzo), and Calabria (Grotteria).

Feudal Holdings and Sovereign Status

The family's most prestigious possession was the marquisate of Soragna, an imperially immediate territory (i.e., answerable only to the Emperor), which guaranteed sovereign rights, including the minting of currency and administration of justice. The Rocca of Soragna, with its frescoes by the Galli Bibiena and treasures like the gold coin "Scudo di Soragna," remains a testament to the family's grandeur.

Branches and Estates

Numerous branches flourished across Italy. In Parma (Soragna), the Meli Lupi line served as direct feudal lords since the 12th century. In Giovinazzo and Molfetta in Apulia, the family produced prominent ecclesiastics and barons. In Bergamo, they were known as cultural patrons with links to the Guelph nobility. In Grotteria, Calabria, they became holders of Palazzo Lupis and inheritors of the Amato and de Luna d'Aragona titles. Notable family estates include the Rocca di Soragna, Palazzo Meli Lupi in Parma, Palazzo Lupis in Giovinazzo, Molfetta, and Grotteria, and Palazzo Lupis in Ragusa.

Ecclesiastical and Cultural Contributions

The Lupis produced bishops, beati, and scholars. Among them were Blessed Fra Nicolò Lupis of Giovinazzo (1197–1256), Bishop Marino Lupis of Molfetta, Archbishop Domenico Lupis of Conza (1656), and Blessed Caterina Lupis of Costa San Gallo, a mystic and Marian devotee.

Titles and Heraldry

Over the centuries, the family accumulated numerous titles, including Marquis of Soragna (712), Count Palatine and Count of the Holy Roman Empire (1683), Baron of Castania and Cuzzoghieri (1595), Viscount of Condojanni (1781), Patrizio of Giovinazzo (12th century), and Dukes of San Donato and Policastrello (by maternal succession through the Sanseverino). The Lupis coat of arms traditionally features a golden wolf rampant on a blue field, accompanied by a red rose in the dexter chief.

A Living Legacy

The family's legacy endures through its properties, documents, and the noble titles still held by its descendants. The Palazzo Lupis in Grotteria, home to the Lupis-Macedonio line, continues to serve as a cultural center and the seat of the Istituto Internazionale Mare Nostrum. The Lupis family's story remains not only a monument of nobility but a living thread in the tapestry of Italian history.