Italy, as a single nation state, began only in 1861, after the Piedmont-based Kingdom of Sardinia conquered most of present-day Italy. At that point, titles were recognized to all who held them according to the law of so-called pre-unitarian States. Consequently, the Kingdom of Italy had several different nobility traditions, one for each pre-unitarian State and one for the unified state (that was actually the Piedmontese-Savoyard one). That is why the Italian College of Arms, called Consulta araldica (heraldic council), was organized in 14 "regional" commissions. Common rules concerning all titles were established only in 1926.Through the Royal Decree N. 1489 dated 16 August 1926 which contains the statute of the successions to nobility titles (published in the Official Journal on 7 September 1926, N. 208). That is why a list of Italian marquisates has to be divided into different pre-unitarian lists, plus a unified list for titles granted after 1861.Titles granted by the King of Italy are actually included in the lists of each Nobility region hereafter, with the exception of Sardinia (for the latter, however, no news about titles of Marquis granted after 1861 is known). The latter should be completed with titles granted by the last King of Italy, Humbert II, during his exile and after the proclamation of the republic (1946), until his death in 1983: these concessions base upon the fact that he was not defeated in war and thus remained a king, that is a fons honorum, but this issue is controversial, titles granted by a non-reigning king not being recognized by most noble and royal families in Europe. Only the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the Corpo della Nobiltà Italiana recognize these titles, while the CILANE treats them as mere titles of courtesy.Luigi Michelini di San Martino, "C.I.L.A.N.E. et C.N.I.: que signifient-ils ces deux acronymes pour les nobles italiens? Un demi-siècle au service de la noblesse", in Notiziario dell'Associazione nobiliare regionale veneta, 2010 (II), N. 2, pp. 7–23: p. 14, ref. 10, lines 9–10. Since 1948, the republican constitution states that nobility titles are not recognized.Fourteenth of the "final and provisional rules". It means that public bodies have not the power to use them towards nobility and tribunals have no power to state about their existence or non-existence, even as an interlocutory matter. The main association that privately protects titles and nobility is the Corpo della Nobiltà Italiana (body of the Italian nobility, also known as CNI).

List of marquesses in the Papal States

In Rome, several families hold a title of Marquis (marchese). A couple of them (traditionally four) are called "Marquesses of canopy" (in Italian: marchesi di "baldacchino"), since they hold the privilege of being among those that the Pope could visit and kept in their residence a special throne under a canopy for this aim.The throne is kept with its front towards the wall and its back onwards, meaning that nobody can sit in it but the Pope. It is a historical privilege (the Pope does not visit privates nowadays) that permits these families to rank among Roman PrincesIn Rome, Prince is the upper grade of nobility titles, since there are not Princes of blood royal. and Dukes and let their members – as it happens for all families of Princes and Dukes in Italy – to be styled as Don or Donna before their first name. Since it is a customary privilege, some of them are disputed, especially in cases when a family became extinct and it is not clear whether another family has inherited the dignity.

Canopy marquesses The canopy privilege pertains also to the house of Counts Soderini.

House of Patrizi (Patrizi Naro Montoro), beforehand Naro: the Marquess of Mompeo; House of Theodoli, beforehand Astalli:B. Berthod and P. Blanchard, Trésors inconnus du Vatican, 2001, referred to in this site (page Serlupi, in fine), whose text have been acquired by the Casanate library of Rome. That book has the Cardelli Archive as its source. the Marquess of Saint Vitus and Pisoniano; House of Costaguti: the Marquess of Sipicciano; this house became extinct in 1921 with the marriage of the last Marquess Costaguti's only child, a daughter, with Marquess Afan de Rivera, whose descent have added the surname Costaguti: it is disputed weather Marquess Afan de Rivera Costaguti is actually a Canopy Marquess; House of Cavalieri: the Marquess of Penna; this house became extinct in 1814: it is disputed if the house Capranica had succeeded to the Cavalieri as Canopy Marquesses; Count Gerolamo Riccini: the Marquess of Vallepietra, title granted in 1842 explicitly together with honours of canopy but rapidly extinct;Giovanpietro Caffarelli, I marchesi romani di baldacchino (in Italian), p. 2. House of Serlupi (Serlupi Crescenzi), beforehand Crescenzi:See also their website. Marquess; House of Sacchetti: Marquess of Castelromano (Letters patent 1933)

Other marquesses in Rome Other marquesses include some distinguished families and also many of the Roman princes, who have among their many titles some of Marquess. The latter are non-included in the list hereafter; on the other hand, the list is incomplete also as concerns houses whose main title is that of Marquess. Altoviti-Avila Niccolai Lazzerini: Marquess; Cappelletti di Santa Maria del Ponte: Marquess; Cavalletti De Rossi, Patricians of Rome: the Marquess of Oliveto Sabino; Lepri: Marquess, the Marquess of Rota; Mazzetti: the Marquess of Pietralata, Patricians of Rome; Pellegrini Quarantotti: the Marquess of Casciolino.

List of marquesses in the rest of Latium, in Umbria and in the Marches The list is incomplete. House del Gallo, Noble of Rieti: the Marquess of Roccagiovine. Marchesi Del Monte

List of marquesses in the papal "Romagne" The list is incomplete. Hercolani (Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, Patrician of Bologna): the Marquess of Blumberg; Malvezzi, Patrician of Bologna (1st line, Malvezzi Campeggi): the Marquess of Dozza Malvezzi, Patrician of Bologna (2nd line, Malvezzi de' Medici): the Marquess of Castelguelfo;

List of marquesses in Piedmont Present Piedmont was called the principality of Piedmont and in its territory lie the former sovereign Marquisates of Montferrat (later Dukedom) and Saluzzo. Since it has been ruled by the Duke of Savoy whose sovereign title was that of Duke, the title of Marquis is quite rare and reveals a relevant rank. Hereafter some of the houses holding a title of marquis are listed, in alphabetical order, and the relevant title is indicated with the form of succession. The list is incomplete. Asinari: the Marquess of San Marzano (the eldest male); Birago de Candia e Borgaro: since 1680, Marquess of Candia (all males).Palazzo Borgaro, Libro d'Oro della Nobiltà (famiglia Birago de Candia e Borgaro), Francesco Milizia, Memorie degli architetti antichi e moderni, p.321, 1781. del Carretto (Lords of Ponti and Sessame): Marquess (all males); Cordero (known as Montezemolo): the Marquess of Montezemolo (the eldest male); Guasco (Princes): Marquess of Bisio and Francavilla (all males); Manfredi (known as d'Androgna): the Marquess of Angrogna (all males); Incisa (both lines d'Incisa di Camerana and d'Incisa della Rocchetta): Marquess (all males); Medici del Vascello: Marquess (the eldest male); Mori Ubaldini degli Alberti:House Mori Ubaldini are from Tuscany, Patricians both of Florence and of Siena; this line inherited the title of Marquess of Marmora from the Piedmontese house Ferrero and lives in Piedmont. the Marquess of Marmora (the eldest male); Ripa: the Marquess of Giaglione (the eldest male), Marquess of Meana (all males); Taparelli (known as d'Azeglio): the Marquess of Azeglio (the eldest male); Thaon (Counts of Revel; known as Thaon di Revel): Marquess (the eldest male);

List of marquesses in Sardinia The following section contains the list of all Marquessates that have been existing or have existed in the Kingdom of Sardinia. Titles were created through letters patent by the King of Sardinia, who was also King of Aragon since 1326 (actual creation of the Kingdom of Sardinia) to 1500, King of Spain and of Aragon since 1500 to 1713, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire since 1519 to 1556 and since 1713 to 1720 and Duke of Savoy since 1720 to 1847. The autonomous Kingdom of Sardinia ceased in 1847, when its Parliament asked the King – and obtained – for the unification (Italian: perfetta fusione) with the other States belonging to him, namely the Dukedom of Savoy, the Principality of Piedmont, the County of Nice and the Dukedom of Genoa. Titles granted after 1847 by the kings of Sardinia, who became also Kings of Italy since 1861, are not listed here. Feudalism ceased in the years 1838–1840, when fiefs were redeemed by the Crown, i.e. bought. Afterwards, titles continued to be recognized as honours, and nothing changed to this regard after the unification of Italy. Since the establishment of the Italian Republic in 1946, titles are not officially recognized anymore and they exist as traditional and historical remains. The main associations that privately protect titles and nobility are the Corpo della Nobiltà Italiana (body of the Italian nobility, also known as CNI) and the Corpo della Nobiltà Sarda (body of the Sardinian nobility).

In 14th and 15th centuries, no titles were granted, but only fief possession. Lords of fiefs were called (in Catalan) Barons or Señors, i.e. lords (normally – but not always – the distinction depended on the extent of the power granted with the fief: Barons had the merum and mixtum imperium, meaning civil and criminal jurisdiction, while Lords only the mixtum imperium, civil jurisdiction) without these terms referring to specific titles but indicating just their quality of fief owners. Progressively, as a mark of distinction, a couple of titles of Viscount were granted: the Kings of Aragon were primarily Counts of Barcelona, so the usual title they had granted in Catalonia had been the one below their own rank. Chiefly in the 16th century, most important feudal lords began to receive titles of Counts, in order to emphasize their role. Only since the end of the century titles of Marquess (Marquis) were granted, as a result of an inflation of titles. Titles of Dukes were as rare as only one was granted before the Savoy rule. A few exception to this trend have to be regarded as recognition of quasi-sovereign status: the rulers of Arborea had in different times the titles of Judex Arboreae,Hugo II of Bas in 1322. Count of Goceano,Marian IV of Bas in 1339. Count of MonteleoneBrancaleone Doria in 1383. and Marquis of Oristano,Leonardo Cubello in 1410: see below. while the foremost house of Carroz, admirals and viceroys, had the title of Count of Quirra.Berenguer Carroz in 1363: see below for the upgrading of this fief in Marquessate.D. Scano, Donna Francesca Zatrillas (see sources below).

Since the rank of marquis was theoretically the highest one, marquesses were addressed as "illustrious" by anyone and as "cousin" by the monarch, a concept similar to peerage.When since 1793 the stamento militare (a kind of house of lords of the Sardinian parliament) met to face the revolutionary Frenchmen (and they were actually successful: Sardinia remained the only European land not invaded by Napoleon, together with Great Britain, Ireland, Sicily and Russia) and had a correspondence with the crown, they got quite upset with a king's reply not respecting that tradition in addressing the marquis of Laconi, then the chairman of the house, until the secretary (i.e. the minister for interiors) explained that the marquis had not been addressed by his majesty as "illustrious cousin" due to a mere copyist's mistake. The letters are now published together with the parliamentary minutes in