The House of Peers, in the Kingdom of Sicily, was one of the two legislative houses of Parliament, from 1812 to 1816 and briefly in 1848; it was a form of peerage based on a model very similar to that of the British Peerage.
History With the Sicilian Constitution of 1812, the feudal regime was abolished, and legislative power was attributed to the Parliament composed of two chambers, one called the "municipal" (corresponding to the state property branch), electable by census and open vote, and the other of the "peers", with a "perpetual, inalienable and hereditary" office.
The "Chamber of Peers of Sicily" appointed by the king, with a life term, was formed by the major former feudal lords, ecclesiastics and Sicilian military men. Although undoubtedly based on the British institution, its historical origins must be sought in the Sicilian Parliament, the ancient assembly established in the Kingdom of Sicily already in the Norman era. The constitution was conceived during the period of English protectorate on the island which referred to Lord William Bentinck.
Chapter XIX of the constitution established that "every proposal relating to subsidies and taxes must be initiated in the House of Commons. The House of Peers will only have the right to assent or dissent, without being able to make any alteration or modification". The king, who convened the two chambers at least once a year, had the power of veto over the laws of parliament. [ 1 ] With the unification of the Kingdom of Sicily with that of Naples in December 1816, and the consequent birth of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, it was effectively suppressed.
With the Sicilian revolution of 1848-49, the subsequent constitution of 10 February 1848 brought about several changes to this assembly institution, first of all excluding from the assembly all those families that relied on titles registered to non-Sicilian families (thus excluding those members of the Neapolitan aristocracy who, through inheritance, had come into possession of a fiefdom "decorated" as a peer). Subsequently, for the peers declared "vacant", the possibility was established that they could become elective through the nomination of a provisional member voted by the Chamber itself.
With the constitutional statute of 10 July 1848, the Sicilian Chamber of Peers was abolished and replaced by the Senate, to which peers could be elected, provided that they signed the declaration of 13 July 1848 which deposed King Ferdinand II.
Composition Kingdom of Sicily (1812-1816)
+ Spiritual peers Seat Holder 1 Archbishop of Palermo 2 Archbishop of Messina 3 Archbishop of Monreale 4 Bishop of Catania 5 Bishop of Siracusa 6 Bishop of Girgenti 7 Bishop of Patti 8 Bishop of Cefalù 9 Bishop of Mazara 10 Bishop of Lipari 11 Archimandrite of Messina 12 Grand Prior of San Giovanni of Messina 13 Abbot nullius di Santa Lucia 14 Commander of the Magione di Palermo 15 Abbot of Santa Maria di Altofonte 16 Abbot of Santo Spirito 17 Abbot of Santa Maria di Maniace 18 Abbot of Sant'Angelo di Brolo 19 Abbot of San Pietro e Paolo di Itala 20 Abbot of San Giovanni degli Eremiti 21 Abbot of Santa Maria la Novara 22 Abbot of Santa Maria la Grotta in Marsala 23 Abbot of Santa Maria di Roccamadore 24 Abbot of San Pietro e Paolo d'Agrò 25 Abbot of Santa Maria di Gala 26 Abbot of Santa Maria di Mandanici 27 Abbot of San Pantaleone in Alcara Li Fusi 28 Abbot of Santa Maria di Mili 29 Abbot of San Michele di Troina 30 Abbot of San Gregorio di Gibiso 31 Abbot of Santa Maria di Roccadia 32 Abbot of San Filippo de Grandis 33 Abbot of San Filippo di Fragalà 34 Abbot of Santa Maria di Bordonaro 35 Abbot of San Nicolò del Fico 36 Priory of Sant'Andrea di Piazza 37 Priory of Santa Croce di Messina 38 Abbot of Santo Spirito di Caltanissetta 39 Abbot of San Nicandro 40 Abbot of Santa Caterina di Linguaglossa 41 Abbot of Santa Lucia di Noto 42 Abbot of Santa Maria di Terrana 43 Priore dei Benefici di San Matteo della Gloria di Messina 44 Abbot of Santa Maria delle Giumbarre 45 Abbot of Santa Maria di Nuovaluce 46 Abbot of Santa Maria del Piano di Capizzi 47 Abbot of San Giacomo d'Altopasso di Naro 48 Abbot of San Martino de Scalis 49 Abbot of San Placido di Calonerò 50 Abbot of San Nicolò l'Arena 51 Preceptor of San Calogero 52 Priory of Santa Maria la Nova di Monreale 53 Abbot of Gangi lo Vecchio 54 Abbot of Santa Maria di Pedaly 55 Abbot della Santissima Trinità di Castiglione 56 Abbot of Sant'Anna la Portella 57 Abbot of Santa Maria dell'Arco 58 Abbot of Sant'Anastasia 59 Abbot of the Santissima Trinità di Delia 60 Abbot of Santa Maria del Fundrò 61 Abbot of San Filippo di Santa Lucia
+ Temporal Peers Seat Title and Fiefdom Family 1 Prince of Butera Branciforte 2 Prince of Castelvetrano Pignatelli 3 Prince of Paternò Moncada 4 Prince of Castelbuono Ventimiglia 5 Prince of Trabia Lanza 6 Prince of Castiglione Rospigliosi 7 Prince of Villafranca Alliata 8 Prince of Paceco Sanseverino 9 Prince of Roccafiorita Bonanno 10 Prince of Scaletta Ruffo di Calabria 11 Prince of Maletto Spadafora 12 Prince of Pantelleria Requesens 13 Prince of Palazzolo Ruffo di Calabria 14 Prince of Leonforte Branciforte 15 Prince of Carini La Grua 16 Prince of Castelnuovo Cottone 17 Prince of Campofranco Lucchese-Palli 18 Prince of Aragona Naselli 19 Prince of Scordia Lanza 20 Prince of Valguarnera Valguarnera 21 Prince of Resuttano Napoli 22 Prince of Partanna Grifeo 23 Prince of Malvagna Migliaccio 24 Prince of Calvaruso Trigona 25 Prince of Monforte Moncada 26 Prince of Palagonia Gravina 27 Prince of Cassaro Statella 28 Prince of Biscari Paternò Castello 29 Prince of Mezzojuso Corvino 30 Prince of Montevago Gravina 31 Prince of Mirto Filangeri 32 Prince of Galati De Spucches 33 Prince of Raffadali Montaperto 34 Prince of Militello Gallego 35 Prince of Cerami Rosso 36 Prince of Campofiorito Reggio 37 Prince of Aci Santi Antonio e Filippo Reggio 38 Prince of Sciara Notarbartolo 39 Prince of Sant'Antonino Bonanno 40 Prince of Comitini Gravina 41 Prince of Furnari Marziani 42 Prince of Rosolini Platamone 43 Prince of Spadafora Spadafora 44 Prince of Ramacca Gravina 45 Prince of San Teodoro Brunaccini 46 Prince of Belmonte Ventimiglia 47 Prince of Ficarazzi Giardina 48 Prince of Mola Villadicani 49 Prince of Camporeale Beccadelli di Bologna 50 Prince of Castelforte Gravina 51 Duke of Bivona Alvarez de Toledo 52 Duke of Castrofilippo Monreale 53 Duke of Palma Tomasi 54 Duke of Reitano Colonna 55 Duke of Montagnareale Viannisi 56 Duke of Piraino Denti 57 Duke of Serradifalco Lo Faso 58 Duke of Sperlinga Oneto 59 Duke of Gualtieri Avarna 60 Duke of Misterbianco Trigona 61 Duke of Cesarò Colonna 62 Duke of Carcaci Paternò Castello 63 Duke of Castelluccio Agraz 64 Duke of Acquaviva Oliveri 65 Duke of Villarosa Notarbartolo 66 Duke of Sorrentino Landolina 67 Duke of Vatticani Termine68 Duke of Bronte Nelson69 Marquess of Marineo Pilo70 Marquess of Giarratana Settimo71 Marquess of Sambuca Beccadelli di Bologna72 Marquess of Montemaggiore Licata73 Marquess of Santa Croce Celeste74 Marquess of Sortino Specchi Gaetani75 Marquess of Motta d'Affermo Castelli76 Marquess of Tortorici Mastrilli77 Marquess of Roccalumera Ardoino78 Marquess of San Cataldo Galletti79 Marquess of Ogliastro Parisio80 Marquess of Lucca Filangeri81 Marquess of Capizzi Paternò Castello82 Marquess of Mongiuffi Melia Corvaja83 Marquess of Camporotondo Natoli84 Marquess of Alimena Fatta del Bosco85 Marquess of Murata Santostefano86 Marquess of Bagni Daniele87 Marquess of San Ferdinando Rostagni88 Marquess of Manchi di Bilici Paternò di Raddusa89 Count of Modica FitzJames Stuart90 Count of Naso Joppolo91 Baron of Ficarra Musto92 Baron of Castania Galletti93 Baron of Santo Stefano di Mistretta Trigona94 Baron of Tripi Cesareo95 Baron of Longi Napoli96 Baron of PettineoPaternò97 Baron of Prizzi Calafato98 Baron of Martini Palermo99 Baron of Rocca Valdina100 Baron of Godrano Marziani101 Baron of Casalnuovo Di Maria102 Baron of Vita Sicomo103 Baron of Tusa La Torre104 Baron of San Carlo Filangeri105 Baron of Vallelunga Papè106 Baron of Gaggi De Spucches107 Baron of Baucina Calderone108 Baron of Ferla Tarallo109 Baron of Gallidoro Vigo110 Baron of Riesi Pignatelli111 Baron of Villadoro D'Onofrio112 Baron of Campobello San Martino Pardo113 Baron of Malinventre Reggio114 Baron of Villasmundo Asmundo Paternò115 Baron of Castelnormando Lucchese-Palli116 Baron of Giardinello Valguarnera117 Baron of Pachino Starabba118 Baron of San Pietro Clarenza119 Baron of Aliminusa Milone120 Baron of Villalba Palmeri121 Baron of San Cono Trigona122 Baron of Burgio De Michele123 Baron of Santo Stefano di Briga De Spucches124 Baron of Belvedere Bonanno125 Baron of Caruso
Kingdom of Sicily (1848-1849)
+ Spiritual peers Seat Title 1 Archbishop of Messina 2 Archbishop of Monreale 3 Bishop of Girgenti 4 Bishop of Patti 5 Bishop of Cefalù 6 Bishop of Caltagirone 7 Bishop of Piazza 8 Abbot of Santo Spirito 9 Abbot of Santa Maria di Maniace 10 Abbot of San Giovanni degli Eremiti 11 Abbot of Santa Maria la Grotta 12 Abbot of Santa Maria di Gala 13 Abbot of Santa Lucia 14 Abbot of Santa Maria di Mili 15 Abbot of San Giorgio lo Gibiso 16 Abbot of San Filippo di Fragalà 17 Abbot of San Nicandro 18 Abbot of Santa Maria di Terrana 19 Abbot of San Martino de Scalis 20 Abbot of San Placido di Messina 21 Abbot of San Nicolò l'Arena 22 Priory of Santa Maria la Nuova di Monreale 23 Abbot of Gangi lo Vecchio 24 Abbot of Santa Maria la Portella 25 Abbot of Santa Maria del Fundrò