The Di Sangro family descends from an Oderisio, who was nephew of Berardo "il Francisco", founder of the Berardi family, known as Conti dei Marsi, who inherited the fief of Sangro from his father Rainaldo (today's Castel di Sangro ), located near the homonymous river, becoming the 1st count in 1093 and, thanks to the Lombard law of the time that allowed to change one's surname with the name of the fief owned, changed its surname to Di Sangro.
History
Exponents of the family held both state and ecclesiastical positions; among those who received the ecclesiastical ones we remember an Odorisio, who was cardinal of Montecassino, a Gregorio and a Gentile, also cardinals, a Consalvo and an Alfonso, bishops, and an Alessandro, Patriarch of Alexandria and archbishop of Benevento; among the state offices belonged to the family twelve councilors of state, eight courtiers, two executioners, four generals, five field teachers and two general commissioners of the army.
The family was also added to the Seggio di Nilo dei Sedili di Napoli.[2]
The Di Sangro family owned a total of 6 principalities, 11 duchies, 6 marquisates, 9 counties and 180 fiefdoms.[3]
