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The Messinese
Patricanship of Stagno The
dignity of Patrician of Messina (Muscati
Falsone/Stagno (??),
origins unknown)
Footnote: A ‘Dignity
of Venetian Patrician’ was claimed in 1878.
In 1878, this dignity was
claimed by the Conte Antonio Stagno
Navarra Muscati.
In this case, it appears that
the claimant did not only not even present any documents in proof of his claim,
but did not even indicate a date when this was supposedly granted. The claim
was dismissed altogether by the Commissioners. (‘Correspondence and Report of the Commission appointed to enquire
into the claims and grievances of the Maltese Nobility’, May 1878,
presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty (C.-2033.)
(See Report Paras. 35-36)). Moreover, elsewhere in
the Report, the same Royal Commissioners dismissed similar patriciates of Messina because
the same Commissioners held that this dignity was a mere municipal honour and not one emanating from a foreign sovereign, or fons honorum. (‘Correspondence and Report of the Commission
appointed to enquire into the claims and grievances of the Maltese Nobility’,
May 1878, presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty
(C.-2033.) (See Report Paras. 237-240)).
Thus, as far as the
Commissioners were concerned, once they regarded this dignity as a municipal
honour, it did not fall within the remit of the Commission because the
Commissioners were of the opinion that once it is a municipal honour it does
not qualify to be registered in accordance with the rules of 1739 and 1795 as
enacted by Grand Masters Despuig
and Rohan.
The actual report says the
following:
“The claimant in the
committee list is also styled ‘Patrizio
Messinese’ and ‘Conte
di Casandola’,
which latter title is presumed to have been granted by Charles II, King of
Spain and Sicily, on the 6th January 1685. The date of the title of ‘Patrizio Messinese’ is not specified in the list, and
no proof of the existence of either of these titles having been made by the
Procurator of Conte Stagno,
we must conclude that the claimant has failed to establish his right to those
dignities”
However, upon a more detailed
analysis about the nature of this dignity, it appears that contrary to what was
held by the Commissioners, that the dignity claimed is in fact a conferral of
nobility because the city of Messina acted as a fons honorum (fountain of honour). See also http://cilialacorte.com/Patriciates.htm.
Sadly, from a reading of the
Report, there is no indication as to who was the original grantee of the
dignity claimed by Stagno Navarra Muscati.
Updated January 2007