Matteo Chiaramonte

Matteo Chiaramonte (1330s^[b] — 1377) was a Sicilian nobleman of the Chiaramonte family who held the title of Count of Modica. A member of a prominent aristocratic lineage in 14th-century Sicily, he governed during a period of political instability marked by tensions between the Aragonese crown and the local feudal barons.

Matteo Chiaramonte
Chiaramonte coat of arms
Count of Modica
Tenure	c. 1363 – 1377[a]
Predecessor	Federico Chiaramonte
Successor	Manfredi III Chiaramonte
Born	1330s[b]
Died	1377
Spouse	Giacoma (Jacopella) Ventimiglia
Issue	Federico "Federichello" (died young) Costanzella Agata Enrico (illegitimate)
Father	Federico Chiaramonte
Mother	Costanza Moncada

Origins and family

Matteo was the son of Federico Chiaramonte and Costanza Moncada. His father served as Count of Modica.^[1]

He had at least one sibling, Luchina Chiaramonte, who in November 1352 married Enrico Rosso, count of Aidone; contemporary and modern sources record the match and name Enrico as Federico’s son-in-law.^[1][2]

In November 1352, the Steri at Agrigento hosted the wedding feast. According to the Cronaca of Michele da Piazza, Federico Chiaramonte met his son-in-law outside the city and returned in procession amid music, dancing, and cheering crowds. In the palace’s piano nobile a sumptuous banquet was served on silver platters with gold cups, while bread and wine were distributed in the square for nearly three days—a display of Chiaramonte magnificence aimed at cementing urban support.^[3]

Career

After his father’s death in 1363, Matteo is recorded as castellano and captain for life at Agrigento, residing in the local Steri and also using the Palazzo Chiaramonte in Palermo and the family residence at Favara.^[1]

This attestation suggests he had already succeeded to the county by that point. Standard reference works record that Manfredi III Chiaramonte received royal investiture for Modica in 1377 following Matteo’s death, though some modern lists begin Manfredi’s effective rule in the late 1360s.^[4]

Family life

Matteo married Giacoma (Jacopella) Ventimiglia, a daughter of Francesco II Ventimiglia, count of Geraci; the match tied the Chiaramonte to one of the island’s leading houses.^[1] They lived mainly at Agrigento, where documents refer to the Chiaramonte residence as the local Steri.^[1]

The couple had three known children: Federico (nicknamed "Federichello", who died young), Costanzella, and Agata. Matteo also acknowledged a natural son, Enrico (from Naro).^[1][5]

Death and succession

Some modern scholarship places his death around 1370,^[c] but standard reference works have him dying in 1377 without legitimate male heirs, after which his cousin Manfredi III Chiaramonte succeeded him as count of Modica.^[1][6]

Gallery

• 
  Castle of the Counts, Modica
• 
  The Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri in Palermo
• 
  Map of the County of Modica, centred on southeastern Sicily
• 
  Succession of the Counts of Modica

Notes

1. Federico died in 1363; Matteo is attested immediately thereafter in senior offices, and Manfredi III succeeded on Matteo’s death in 1377.
2. Exact year unknown; he is attested in office by 1363 after his father’s death, and his sister Luchina married in 1352, so a birth in the 1330s is probable.
3. Sardina suggests 1370 on the basis of Ventimiglia family wills and related documents.