Andrea Chiaramonte

Andrea Chiaramonte (died 1 June 1392) was the last Chiaramonte to hold the County of Modica. Succeeding in 1391, he led the anti-Aragonese baronial resistance and, after the fall of Palermo, was arrested and beheaded outside the family's Steri, with his estates confiscated.

Origins and family Andrea Chiaramonte belonged to the powerful Chiaramonte lineage of 14th-century Sicily. He succeeded to the comital titles only in March 1391 on the death of Manfredi III Chiaramonte, inheriting Modica together with Chiaramonte and Malta, and the offices of vicario generale and admiral of the kingdom.

His precise parentage is uncertain. Older summaries often call him a son of Manfredi III. However, Manfredi's will (1390) mentions only daughters and provides for a hypothetical future son or, failing that, a male nephew, which strongly implies he had no recognised son at that date. The Aragonese advanced rapidly—Catania fell—and Andrea concentrated the baronial resistance in Palermo. On 17 May 1392 he presented himself before Martin in Palermo; on the following day he was arrested, together with Manfredi d’Alagona and his son Giacomo, while the archbishops of Palermo and Monreale attempted mediation.

Arrest and execution (1392) Brought to trial, Andrea was condemned for rebellion on 22 May.

On 1 June 1392 he was executed by beheading in the square outside the Steri in Palermo, a public act intended to mark the suppression of baronial autonomy. With his death the Chiaramonte patrimony was broken up: on 4 April 1392 the county of Malta had already been promised to Guglielmo Raimondo Moncada; on 5 June the county of Modica was granted to Bernardo Cabrera; and on 22 June Chiaramonte and Caccamo were assigned to Galceran de Queralt.

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