The ancient House of Lupis or de ‘Lupis, the “LuporumStirpe“, has a Franco-Germanic origin and comes from the Marquis of Soragna, then passing in Giovinazzo, near Bari, where he was ascribed to the local “Patriziato”since the XII century and finally settled in Calabria and Sicily.

Roberto or Eberto, son of Guido I de Lupis, Marquis of Soragna in 1198, moved to Apulia for his appointment as Imperial Judge of the Emperor Federico II, as well as his son Simone (b. In 1170) and the son of this too, Lupone (1210-1271 ), also Imperial Judges. Antonello di Pietro de Lupis, in 1390 had the “familiarity” of King Ladislas and the family was registered among the noble families of Molfetta on King Charles I Register, already qualified at the that time as most ancient and “de genere mílitum, nobili antiquissimi, dei Nobili dell’antique famiglie nobili de Giovenazzo”. The historian F. Carabellese in his work “La Puglia in the fifteenth century, Part II” sets the Lupis of Giovinazzo, next to the Spinelli, the Perrese, the Framarino and the Sasso families, “among the families most illustrious and wealthy, and not only of the province of Bari but in whole Apulia, which competed (…) in civil and economic challenges in the Renaissance times. ”

With Imperial Privilege delivered in Vienna on January 19, 1683, now preserved in the Innsbruck State Archives, Leopold II of Austria, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, granted to Lupis and all descendants and collateral, the title of Palatine Counts of the Higher order and Counts of the Holy Roman Empire (SRI), the “Nobility of the Imperial Court” and the knighthood of SRI, asserting even in formal and definitive way (as public and official act, and not private) the common origin of the different branches of lineage, that of Parma (Soragna), of Bergamo, Padua (from which came the Lupis family or Lupati), Apulia (the branch of Giovinazzo) and Calabria (the branch of Grotteria), with these solemn words:

“Nunc igitur considerantes pervetustam tuam Horati de Lupis familiam ex Nobili Germanorum sanguine natam et ab immemorabili tempore viros toga, sagis, et sacerdotiorum infulis conspicuos in diversis Italia locis, Parma, Roma, Apuliumq(ue) Calabria, videlicet Patavij et precipui Bergomi progenuit…”

In sixteenth century a branch settled in Calabria in Grotteria (Reggio Calabria), moving from Giovinazzo, and another in Sicily, in Ragusa, where Paul had the feud of Carrozziero, near Lentini. In August 23th, 1721 they had their Nobility of the Holy Roman Empire reconfirmed. The current representatives of the family descend from Paul’s brother, Vittorio, who was the first Baron of Castania and Cuzzoghieri in the territory of Grotteria.

Among the personalities who gave more prestige to the House here are undoubtedly the writer Antonio Lupis (1620-1701), a prolific author, especially for his time. He published several historical novels, that encountered a major success with the public. Great friend of the mysterious painter Evaristo Baschenis and Francesco Loredan, he was one of the most prominent exponents of the “Academy of Incogniti”.

The nobility of Lupis of Grotteria has been recognized, among others, by the Souverain Order of Malta (SMOM) who proved their Nnbility in the admission process of the noble Donna Maria Teresa Scaglione, Lady of Honour and Devotion, daughter of the Baron Giacomo Scaglione and Donna Anna Lupis Crisafi.

The family is allowed to add and inherit the surname of Princes Palermo, with its noble predicate of Princes of “Santa Margherita”, and the surname of Dukes Macedonio, Dukes of Grottolella, Marquis di Ruggiano, Oliveto etc., recognized with two state judgments, both final, the first by the Ministry of Justice and the second bv the Council of State (the Supreme Organ of the Italian State in the field of civil law), by judgment of the Council of State no. 515 of June 3, 1997 and subsequent decrees of the Minister of Justice on 11 February 1998 and 5 February 2000.

The Lupis family is entered in the Libro d’Oro della Nobiltà Italiana and  Associazione Storica della Nobiltà Italiana (ASNI).