With a name like Filippo, it’s no surprise to learn he was born in Żebbug. He may also have been mentioned in an Italian newspaper, if my indications are correct.
He is one of my maternal great-great-great-grandfathers.
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Florentina is one of my maternal great-grandmothers. Her life spanned the end of the 19th century and most of the 20th. Her official documents show the slow change in Maltese life from Italian to British influence.
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There is almost no documentation about King James II’s mistress which makes it difficult to even know what her name was.
She is my 12 x great-grandmother.
Helvis was a child-bride at 12 to her step-brother to keep things in the family.
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In 1136, amidst religious and political tensions in Antioch, Bishop Ralph used his influence and deceptive tactics to marry young Princess Constance to Raymond of Poitiers, securing political alliances and reinforcing Latin church dominance over Byzantine objections.
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James I of Cyprus served as regent for his nephew Peter II, before becoming King in 1382. He led a war against Genoese, was imprisoned, and later released in 1385. He is my 15 x great-grandfather
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Carlos Magnus, Charlemagne, or the ‘Father of Europe’, was the first western Holy Roman Emperor after the collapse of the Roman Empire.
He is my 33 x great-grandfather.
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Otto was the son of the King of Italy, yet lived in France. Kidnapped and saved, he warred with the King of France, inherited other titles and made a nuisance of himself.
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Constance inherited titles and, in theory, power but other people controlled her life. She also was kidnapped and forced to marry Raymond of Antioch.
She is one of my maternal 22 x great-grandmothers.
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Pepin was Italian nobility who took sides in the War of Carolingian succession. He is my 30 x great-grandfather.
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The Unexpected Traveller: Stuff you don’t find in guide books