Libro D'oro della nobilta Scotti Douglas

The Scotti Douglas di Vigoleno family, an aristocratic lineage centered in Piacenza, Northern Italy, is documented in the Libro d’Oro della Nobiltà Italiana, a private publication listing noble Italian families since 1910. The family claims descent from the Scottish Clan Douglas, a legend asserting that a knight from the clan, possibly named Marius Douglas or Mario Scoto, came to Italy under Charlemagne to fight the Lombards and settled in Piacenza. However, this origin lacks solid documentation, with the earliest confirmed record being Rainaldo Scotti in 1184, a consul of the merchants’ guild in Piacenza.
In 1414, the heirs of Giacomo Scotti were granted the titles of counts of Castell’Arquato, Fiorenzuola, and Vigoleno by Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, who also permitted them to adopt the name Scotti Douglas, reflecting their claimed Scottish heritage. The family’s prominence grew through strategic marriages, such as Giovanni Maria Scotti, Count of Vigoleno, marrying Aloisia Gonzaga in 1475, forming the Scotti-Gonzaga branch. The Scotti Douglas di Vigoleno branch, descending from Bartolomeo Scotti, persists to the present day, while other branches like Agazzano and Gragnano have become extinct.
Notable members include Alberto Scotti, Lord of Piacenza (1280–1290), and Luigi Scotti Douglas (1796–1880), a general in the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. The family’s titles, including conte di Vigoleno, are recorded in the Libro d’Oro, which lists families recognized by the Consulta Araldica of the Kingdom of Italy and those in the 1921 and 1933 official noble lists. The Scotti Douglas di Vigoleno are also noted for their historical roles in military, ecclesiastical, and civil spheres, with figures like Ranuccio Scotti Douglas (1597–1659), Bishop of Fidenza, and Paolo Scotti Douglas della Scala, governor of Piacenza before Italian unification in 1854.
The Libro d’Oro entry for the family would include a brief historical overview, updated family status, and their coat of arms, though specific details like the stemma’s blasonatura are not provided in the available sources. The family’s noble status is further evidenced by their inclusion in historical records and their continued recognition in modern editions of the Libro d’Oro, despite the Italian Republic’s abolition of official noble title recognition post-1946.