Fabrizio Branciforte

Fabrizio Branciforte, 3rd Prince of Butera (1551 – January 1624), also 5th Count of Mazarin, was an Italian aristocrat. He was knighted into the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1607.

Early life Branciforte was born in 1551 into the Sicilian noble Branciforte family. He was the son of Giovanni Branciforte, 4th Count of Mazarin (1538–1556), and Dorotea Barresi Santapau, Princess of Pietraperzia (1532–1590). After his father's death in 1556, his mother married Vincenzo Barresi, 2nd Marquess of Militello. After Barresi's death in 1567, she married Juan de Zúñiga y Requesens, the Viceroy of Naples from 1579 to 1582.

His paternal grandparents were Artale Branciforte, 3rd Count of Mazarin, and Chiara Tagliavia. His maternal grandparents were Girolamo Barresi, 2nd Marquess of Pietraperzia, and Antonia Santapau (sister of Ambrogio Santapau, 1st Prince of Butera). Upon the 1571 death without children or descendants of maternal uncle, Pietro Barresi, 1st Prince of Pietraperzia, the Principality of Pietraperzia and the fief of Alfano, were invested to his mother in 1573.

Career Through his 1571 marriage, the Branciforte thus acquired the possession of the Marquessate of Militello. In 1580, his maternal great-uncle, Francesco Santapau, 2nd Prince of Butera (brother of Ambrogio Santapau, 1st Prince of Butera), who had no children, designated Fabrizio as heir of the Principality of Butera and of the fief of Occhiolà, of which he was invested on 8 December 1591, as well as of the Principality of Pietraperzia, inherited from his mother who died in that same year.

Personal life In 1571, he married Caterina Barresi Branciforte (d. 1604), a daughter of Carlo Barrese, 1st Marquess of Militello, and Belladama Branciforte (a daughter of Blasco Branciforte, Baron of Tavi). Caterina was the sister of Vincenzo Barresi, 2nd Marquis of Militello, who married Fabrizio's mother after his father's death. Together, they had nine children, including: Giovanni Branciforte (d. 1622), the Lord of Santa Maria di Niscemi; he married Giovanna Flavia Branciforte, a daughter of Giuseppe Branciforte, 5th Count of Raccuja, and Agata Lanza Gioeni. Caterina Branciforte (1594–1634), who married Niccolò Branciforte, 1st Prince of Leonforte, a son of Giuseppe Branciforte, 5th Count of Raccuja, and Agata Lanza Gioeni, in 1611.

His wife died in October 1604 in Monreale. He died in Palermo in January 1624.