The founder of the Ottajano line was
Ottaviano de' Medici, who married Bartholomea
Giugni and gave issue to
Bernardetto and Countess Constance,
della Gherardesca of Donoratico. Bernardetto married
Giulia de' Medici, an illegitimate daughter of
Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence, descended from
Cosimo il Vecchio and
Lorenzo the Magnificent of the Medici family's senior line. It was Bernardetto who bought from
Gonzaga in 1567 the fiefdom of
Ottaviano, located near
Naples. Over the centuries, this remaining House of Medici has reached a leading position in the aristocracy of the
Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Among the members of the dynasty are leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, ambassadors, cardinals (
Francesco de Medici di Ottaiano), a pope, and
Don Luigi de' Medici, representative of the Kingdom of Naples at the
Congress of Vienna.
Tuscan succession claim In his book "The History of My Dynasty," Ottaviano de' Medici points to Vatican law at the time and claims that either the Medici Princes of Ottaiano or the Veronese Medici should have inherited the Grand Duchy of Tuscany upon the death of last of the Medici Grand Dukes,
Gian Gastone de' Medici, instead of the
Habsburg-Lorraine line, since both Medici branches were closer descendants than Francis Stephen of Lorraine (
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor), who was a great-great-great-grandson of
Francesco I de' Medici via the female line. However, due to the Habsburg-Lorraine influence, they were able to secure
Florence for themselves.
21st century The branch is still in existence under the current head, Giuliano de' Medici di Toscana di Ottajano, who holds the titles of 14th Prince of Ottajano and 12th Duke of Sarno. The Princes of Ottaiano and the Veronese Counts have common ancestry with most royal monarchies, and the branches are the collateral branch of the
House of Medici. In the modern day, the resulting House of Medici has still maintained close ties with the remains of the
House of Bonaparte. == List of princes of Ottajano ==