The Spanish Marquis de Piro
alt="Marquese de Piro
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Researched By� Marquis Anthony Buttigieg de Piro �
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Anthony The 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 Budak,
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, The 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.
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The De Piro Marquisate was granted by the Spanish Borbons 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.
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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 suppresion 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� 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.
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