Sicilian Nobility - Post World War II

&nbsp Post World War II

Carlos is the senior male line descendant of Ferdinand III of Naples & Sicily and as first born rightful heir of the Farnese. Carlos was given the title Infante by King Juan Carlos of Spain by Royal Decree in 1994.

Like many Southern Italian royalty, Carlos il Secondo left the mezzogiorno for pastures new; his family movimg to Spain when he was but one years of age. Carlos currently lives in Madrid with his family. He is a landowner in Toledo and the Spanish region of Ciudad Real as well as major stockholder in Repsol (an international integrated oil and gas company) and Spanish telecom giant, Telefonica. Other Southern Italian royalty have faired less successfully than Infante Carlos, however one common denominator most southern Italian royals share has been their propensity to emigrate.

Many descendants of the famed Ventimiglia family have been traced to wealthy landowners living in Argentina and other parts of South America; fleeing after World War 2. Other descendants of the House of Bourbon have been traced to Italian merchants living in London and Paris.

Forty-one-year-old Baron Marco di Serramarrocco, who until 2000, worked for Lloyd's Insurance in London decided to return to his native Sicily to start his own winery/vineyard on his family's estate. His family had been making their own wine for centuries and bottling it in limited quantities, giving it to family friends, consuming their finest vintages on special occasions etc. The Northern European and North American fascination for wine and all things Mediterranean accompanied with the unique terroir of his native estate gave him the idea to return to his roots and start his own vineyard. several other Sicilian Barons have followed suit, starting their own vineyards and Agroturismi.

The Paternò family, holders of the title Baron of Pettineo, relocated to Vallon, Switzerland, a principality in the district of Broye and canton of Fribourg during the second world war. The family maintains a formal residence in the Swiss countryside around Fribourg, with heirs living in Meribel Motarret, France that operate an established resort, and in Quebec, Canada, where they are also involved in the ski industry. Sadly, a large portion of the family adapted the surname Vallon to conceal their heritage, due to the stigma attached to Italian aristocracy in general and involvement in World War II. !