- Pio di Savoia
Pio di Savoia, an ancient noble Italian family, first mentioned by good authorities in the
14th century . From the house ofEste they received the lordship ofCarpi , and later they acquired thefief s ofMeldola ,Sassuolo , etc. Many members of the family were distinguished as "condottieri ",diplomat s andecclesiastic s.Alberto Pio obtained from the house of
Savoy in 1450 the privilege of adding "di Savoia" to his name as a reward for his military services. Another Alberto Pio (1475 -1531 ), who was Frenchambassador inRome , won fame as a man of learning, andCardinal Rodolfo Pio (1516 -1564 ) was a trusted adviser toPius III and helped to establish theInquisition atMilan . Ascanio Pio (d. 1649) was a dramatic poet of some merit.Spain conferred the title of prince on the family, and one branch of it is to this day established in Spain.References
*P. Litta, "Le Famiglie celebri italiane" (Milan)
*G. Campori, "Memorie storiche di Marco Pio di Savoia" (Modena, 1876)
*A. Ceriani and G. Porro, "Il Rotolo epistografo dei principi Pio di Savoia", in the "Archivio storico lombardo", ser. II. an. XI. fasc. I; ser. III. an. VIII. 96, and ser. III. an. XIX. 453.*1911
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