Do any of you know that the Capece roots in Sicilia and Napoli go all the way
back to 1054-1056A.D.?
That we came as nobility with Hugh Capet of Normandy when he was given the
Crown of the two Sicilys?
That we were Norman French before that time and the name was spelled the same
as now, but has one of those French backward "c" accents under the second c
in Capece? This makes the pronounciation Cap-ess rather than Capay-chay. We
were minor nobility in France, and had land in the Normandy region.
That three brothers of the Capece ( Conrad, Morino, and James, or Diego) were
involved in a rebellion known as "The Sicilian Vespers", which took place in
the mid 1200's? Conrad, who was the leader in Sicily, did well for a while,
then he was sold out by his Germanic allies and he and his brothers were
excecuted at there stronghold in Sicily. The name is still known and honored in
parts of Sicily and Naples around the Yacht Club.
We have a family chrest/coat of arms, though I haven't ferreted out the
Motto"
"On a field Sable (black) A lion rampant Or (gold), crowned of the same."
This comes from the Dizionario Nobiliari D'Italia.
Prior to this we were Viking stock...Norsemen...hence Normandy.
I guess that's why my part of the family has Ice Blue to Green eyes...two of
my aunts were Red headed with very fair skin...My grand daughter (who is 1/4th
Sicilian, 1/4 Chinese, and 1/2 Mexican) Has Copper-Red hair and Slate Blue
eyes and very fair skin like my aunts had...in the Genes: )
Frank Michael Capece...Richmond California...formerly of Altoona PA