=The Marquis Buttigieg De Piro=

Title: Marquis

Date created: 1742

Grant by: Spanish Bourbons

Granted To: name and not in connection to land to be held in feudal tenure

Rep: Present Holder: Anthony Buttigieg de Piro

Anthony, Marquis Buttigieg de Piro, Hereditary Marquis De Piro in the Kingdom of (Castille) Spain, Hereditary Noble Patrician of Rome and Messina, Hereditary Knight of the Holy Roman Empire, Segnieur of the Noble Fief of Pietralunga, of the Marquises Testaferrata of the Marquises Leone, of the Counts de Guevera, of the Counts de Alagona, of the Barons of Budaq, of the Barons of Gomerino, of the Barons of Castel Cicciano, of the Barons of Friggenuini, of the Barons of Ortigos and of the Noble Gatto-Inguanez Feudatories.

The Marquis Anthony Buttigieg de Piro is a direct descendant of The Most Illustrious and Noble Antonio De Piro Testaferrata, The Marquis De Piro in the Kingdom of Castille, Baron of Budak, Hereditary Knight of The Holy Roman Empire and a Captain of Cavalry of The Order of St. John, through his first born natural son Vincenzo who was officially 'legitimated' when his parents got married four years after his birth.

When Don Vincenzo's birthrights were challenged in court twelve years later by a relative, the Court ruled in his favour. The Judges unequivocally stated "We judge and rule that not only has Illustrissimo Domine March. Vincenzo De Piro and his descendants the right to bear the Noble name and arms of the Illustrious De Piro family but that furthermore we command and decree that no one has the right to deny Ill. D. March. Vincenzo De Piro and his descendants their primogenial and fedicommissary rights". It is worth noting that Don Vincenzo distinguished himself in battle at Porto Ferrajo on the Island of Elba against the French in 1803 when he was a commissioned officer (Ensign), at the age of fifteen and a half years, in the Maltese Light Infantry raised by His Brittanic Majesty. He had volunteered for action overseas. There is ample documentary evidence from both his British Commanding Officer and the General in command of all the British units (including a 300 strong Company of "Maltese light infantry", also known as "The Maltese Chasseurs" also known as "I Cacciatori Maltesi" they had a legendary reputation as sharp-shooters) and their Tuscan Allies. He had also much impressed his subordinates with his dash and courage in spite of his very young age. In the first attack on a defensive position with a moat in front he was one of the first to go in carrying the colours and when orders came for the Maltese Light Infantry to cover the tactical retreat of their Tuscan Allies and fight a rearguard action, the last two men to wade back across the moat, both with swords unsheathed after a lot of close quarter fighting were the Commanding Officer Major Weir and Ensign Vincenzo De Piro who some weeks later lost an eye in an other engagement and carried on soldiering in other British and allied Italian, Sicilian and Spanish units long after the Maltese Light Infantry was disbanded. When he came back to Malta from the wars, still a very young man, to raise a family , the British Crown gave him a pension for having lost an eye on His Brittanic Majesty's Service.

The De Piro Marquisate was granted by the Spanish Bourbons in 1742. It was granted on the name and not in connection to land to be held in feudal tenure. It was unquestionably specified however that it was a "Title of Our Kingdom of Castille" rather than one of the several other Kingdoms both in Spain and other lands His Spanish Majesty possessed.

The Marquisate was put into abeyance and also suppressed by the Spanish Royal Hacienda a number of times since those who had the indisputable right to succeed were either loathe or possibly incapable of paying the dues of succession to the Royal Hacienda. The situation was saved twice by junior members of the family coming forward and lifting the suppression in their favour by clearing the dues and going through the right legal procedures according to Spanish Law.

The last member of the family this time belonging to the most senior branch but not necessarily the most senior member of that branch, saved the Marquisate as far as Spain its origin is concerned.

Anthony Marquis Buttigieg de Piro who legally and financially took up the matter with the Ministry of Grace and Justice in Spain some sixteen years ago and after four years was advised by a decree from the General Registry of the same Ministry that the rehabilitation of the Nobiliary Title of "MARQUES DE PIRO" has been expedited, finalised and regulated in his favour and is now his.

On 8 November 2001 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. of Great Britain in her capacity as the Souvereign Head of the Most Venerable Order of Saint John of Jerusalem has most graciously sanctioned the promotion of the Deputy to the Grand Chancellor, The Marquis Buttigieg de Piro, CStJ, KCLJ, (Malta) from Commander to Knight. This promotion will be published in the "London Gazette".
The Marquis Buttigieg de Piro is also Corps Commander of the Saint John Rescue Corps - Malta, a voluntary para-military organisation (trained in Rescue and first-aid) under The Order of St. John.
Honoring his contribution in Rescue on 15 March 2001 His Royal Highness Oskar Prince of Prussia, Herrenmeister of the (German) Order of St. John (Balley Brandenburg des Ritterlichen Ordens St. Johannis vom Spital zu Jerusalem) awarded The Marquis Buttigieg de Piro the "Ehrenzeichen am Bande" (Medal of Honor).


Also view the Maltese Title of Marquis de Piro.

External links and where parts of Texts have been taken from

Libro d'Oro di Melita

A detailed site on Nobility

Foreign Titles Association

Acknowledgement including the Marquis Buttigieg De Piro's acceptance of use. The Original article was posted on www.maltesenobility.org and www.maltagenealogy.com. Searchmalta.com was one of a number of places where postings of this article was placed.