In 1870, the Papal States were occupied by the Italian royal family of Savoy, against the will of the Pope. Those Italian noble families who rejected the Savoys and remained loyal to the Pope are known as the Black Nobility. The Colonna family belongs to the Black Nobility. The Sicilian branch of the family, however, was closely linked to the Savoys. In 1946, the Kingdom of Italy was dissolved and the Savoys were deposed because they had supported the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. In addition to the abolition of the monarchy, titles of nobility were also abolished in Italy. The members of the papal nobility, including the Colonnas, were allowed to keep their titles of nobility and hold them to this day.
Guido Colonna di Paliano (1908-1982) represented Italy as a diplomat in New York, Toronto, Cairo, Stockholm and London from 1933. At that time Italy was a fascist dictatorship led by Benito Mussolini. After the Second World War and the end of the dictatorship, Guido Colonna was the general representative of the Italian delegation to the Marshall Plan negotiations. From 1948 to 1956 he was the first Deputy Secretary General of the OEEC and thus deputy head of the international organization. The OEEC was the forerunner of today’s OECD. Guido Colonna held a leading position in the Italian Foreign Ministry and was Italian ambassador to Norway. From 1962 to 1964 he was Deputy Secretary General of NATO and thus deputy head of the world’s most powerful military alliance. He chaired the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s most important decision-making body. He was also a member of the EEC/EEC Commission in the 1960s. It was the forerunner of today’s EU Commission.
Guido Colonna di Paliano founded the Trilateral Commission in 1973 together with the American David Rockefeller. This influential think tank facilitates exchange between the elites of North America, Western Europe, and Japan. Many business leaders and politicians are represented in the Trilateral Commission. Guido Colonna would have known the Dutchman Max Kohnstamm, as he was also a co-founder of the Trilateral Commission. Kohnstamm was a friend of the Dutch royal family. Kohnstamm was also a co-founder of the Bilderberg Meeting and is considered one of the founding fathers of the EU.
After giving up his career as a diplomat, Guido Colonna di Paliano entered the private sector. He served on the board of the Italian automobile group Fiat. The company was founded by the Agnelli family, which still controls it today. The Agnellis are considered the most powerful family of the Italian business elite and married into several Italian aristocratic families. Guido Colonna knew Giovanni Agnelli, the family’s head. They were active together in the Trilateral Commission.
Guido Colonna di Paliano was on the board of a large Italian electrical company controlled by the US conglomerate General Electric. Guido Colonna was also on the board of the chemical company Solvay. Solvay is one of Belgium’s largest companies and is still controlled by the billionaire founding family.
Guido Colonna di Paliano at the European Communities Rey Commission (1967-1970), upper row 2nd from left
Prince Ascanio Colonna di Paliano (1883-1971) was a diplomat from 1908 onward. He represented Italy in England, Turkey, Denmark, Sweden, and Hungary. After the First World War, he was part of the Italian delegation to the Paris Peace Conference. From 1938 to 1941, he served as Italian ambassador to the United States, representing the Italian dictator Mussolini in the USA. In December 1941, he delivered Italy’s declaration of war on the USA to then-US President Roosevelt. That same day, Prince Ascanio resigned from his position as ambassador because he opposed war with the USA.
Ascanio’s brother, Prince Marcantonio VII (1881-1947), married Isabelle, a member of the Lebanese Sursock family. Through the marriage, Isabelle became part of Roman high society. She and her husband were loyal to the Vatican. Isabella received Vatican citizenship, which only a few hundred people possess. In her palace, Isabella received influential figures from around the world. The Sursock family was once the wealthiest family in Lebanon and produced Freemasons. The international family also married into the Irish, Muslim, and Thai aristocracy.
Until 1968, numerous Vatican offices were held and inherited by noblemen. Since the 16th century, the Colonna family had enjoyed the privilege of having a family member sit on the right side of the papal throne during papal ceremonies. Prince Aspreno Colonna di Paliano (1916-1987) was the last member of the family to receive this honor. With his 35 titles of nobility, he was one of the most distinguished members of the high aristocracy.
