SAVELLI, FAMILY. - It appears in history with Aimerico, who was the father of CENCIO, papal chamberlain and cardinal of S. Lucia in Silice in 1192, Onorio III (v.); at the same time another CENCIO S. was cardinal priest of S. Lorenzo in Lucina from 1191, was consecrated bishop of Porto by Onorio III in 1217, and died in the following year. A Tommaso, cardinal of S. Sabina (1216-43), and a Bertrando, legate in France (d. 1223), were erroneously assigned (cf. Eubel, I, p. 2 ff.) to this family.
In 1368 the S. succeeded the Pierleoni in possession of the theatre of Marcello (Monte Savello); they had a residence near S. Sabina on the Aventine, which they fortified, and houses in Parione (vicolo S.); outside the city they held dominion over Albano, Castelgandolfo, Ariccia and the surrounding places, Rignano, Cesano (Civita Castellana), Scrofano, Turrita (Nepi), Castelleone and Monteverde (Sabina), and Palombara.
They had their burial places at the Aracoeli and at S. Alessio on the Aventine.
LUCA S., nephew of Onorio III and senator of Rome, headed the popular uprising of 1234, for which he was excommunicated and removed from office by Gregorio IX. He died in 1266 and was buried at the Aracoeli. His children by Vanna Aldobrandesca were GIACOMO, made cardinal deacon by Urbano IV on 17 Dec. 1261 Onorio IV (v.), PANDOLFO, podestà of Viterbo in 1275 and senator of Rome, who stood beside Onorio in ensuring tranquillity and order; and GIOVANNI, who was custodian of the Conclave at Viterbo in 1270 and was made marshal of the Church and custodian of the conclave by Gregorio X; he also served Carlo d'Angiò and received from him the county of Venafro.
In the struggles of Bonifacio VIII, the S. sided with the Colonna; but in the 14th century they supported the Church and took part in the government of the Urbs; GIACOMO was senator and vicar of King Roberto d'Angiò; likewise his son GIOVANNI, who also appears as marshal of the Church. PAOLO was a man-at-arms and died in Venice in 1405.
The S. family re-entered the Sacred College with GIOVANNI BATTISTA, who, created cardinal deacon by Sisto IV on 15 May 1480 despite the opposition of the Orsini, was legate of Perugia on 16 June 1480 and was sent to Genoa (2 Dec. 1480–30 June 1481) on the occasion of the dissensions in that city and the preparation of the fleet against the Turk. Imprisoned in Castel S. Angelo on 21 June 1482 and held hostage, together with Cardinal Prospero Colonna, during the Pope's disputes with the Colonna, he did not leave it until 15 Nov. 1483. Under Innocenzo VIII he was subsequently legate in Ancona (1484) and at Spoleto (31 Aug. 1492). In the Conclave of Alessandro VII he supported the Borgia and received in commendam the bishopric of Maiorca (31 Aug. 1492–27 March 1493) and the legation of Bologna. He died at Castel Gandolfo on 18 Sept. 1498 and was buried at the Aracoeli; his brother MARIANO had commanded the papal forces under Sisto IV.
GIOVANNI BATTISTA of Palombara fought for Clemente VII against the Colonna and was viceroy of the Abruzzo for Carlo V; under Paolo III he fought against Perugia, commanded the cavalry against Ascanio Colonna, and was with the papal troops in Germany in 1546; he died in Florence in
(by courtesy of the Direction of the Salesian Works)
SILVIO S. of Ariccia, formerly cubicularius of Gregorio XIII, bishop of Rossano and then patriarch of Constantinople (28 March 1594) and vice-legate of Avignon, was created cardinal by Clemente VIII on 5 June 1596, but was already dead on 22 Jan. 1599.
GIULIO, of the Albano branch, nuncio in Savoy, was created cardinal by Paolo V on 2 Dec. 1615; legate at Bologna in 1619; by appointment of the King of Spain he received the archbishopric of Salerno on 28 Jan. 1630 and held it until 15 Sept. 1642; meanwhile he had become bishop of Frascati on 28 March 1639; he died in the Curia in July 1644.
His nephew FABRIZIO, who was archbishop of Salerno following his uncle's resignation (15 Sept. 1642), was created cardinal on 7 Oct. 1647, then legate at Bologna (15 Jan. 1648); he died in the Curia on 26 Feb. 1659. The last of the S. cardinals was PAOLO, created on 14 Jan. 1664, who died in the Curia on 11 Sept. 1685. With his brother GIULIO, who died in 1712 at the age of 87, the family became extinct in all its branches; his daughter MARGHERITA brought its property and rights to the Sforza-Cesarini. Owing to debts, however, the S. had been obliged to sell Castel Gandolfo to the Apostolic Camera in Dec. 1596 (Pastor, XI, p. 625), Albano to the Panfili in 1650, and Ariccia to the Chigi in 1661. By virtue of their office as marshals, they maintained the «Corte Savella», through which they judged laymen accused of minor offences, and there they kept judges, notaries, and a few constables. In order to alter the prison system, Innocenzo X had taken from the S. the court with its associated prisons between Monserrato and Via Giulia in 1652, and built there the New Prisons, which were completed by Alessandro VII in 1655; with this, the Corte Savella ceased to exist. The office of marshal passed to the Chigi in 1712.