The Cruillas (or Cruyllas) were a noble Sicilian family from Catalonia, of royal origin, descended from the Goths dynasty, extinct in the Gravina family with a Giovanni son of Berengario, last of the Cruyllas. It is known that it came to Sicily during the period of Aragonese domination. The Cruillas obtained extensive fiefdoms in the Val di Noto, especially between Lentini and Vizzini.
With Pietro IV of Aragona, the Catalan admiral Gilberto Cruillas played a significant role in the mid-fourteenth century, and he was also a diplomat, as well as being appointed by the chief king of the army.
In 1402 a Giovanni Cruillas was governor of Messina. During this period a branch of the family moved to Palermo obtaining land in fiefdom where today the Palermo neighborhood of Niccolò Amato di Sciacca stands.
They were Barons of Francofonte and in 1396 they also obtained the barony of Calatabiano, granted to a Berengario who was viceroy of Sicily in the year 1391, and was also a royal chamberlain; with Gerardo di Queralt, Berengario was also martyred ambassador in 1391 at the court of Aragon.
The Gravina are an important aristocratic family of Norman origin whose Italian branch is of ducal lineage, descended from Rollone, first duke of Normandy and progenitor, through William the Conqueror, of several royal dynasties, also currently ruling, for example the current English reigning family.
The progenitor in Italy was Silvano, lord of the castle and of the fief of Gravina in Puglia, from which he took his surname. He was the son of Crispino, lord of Arnes. The belonging of the family to the royal lineage is confirmed by Martino I of Sicily, who, by virtue of a judgment of the fifteenth century, with his diploma of November 20, 1405 sent to Catania granted to Giacomo, progenitor of the Gravina di Sicilia, the burial in the royal pantheon for itself and for all descendants. In this diploma is mentioned Gilberto, who distinguished himself in the First Crusade fighting together with his relatives Boemondo I of Antiochia and Tancredi d'Altavilla. The family weakened as a result of the Angevin domination losing many lands and income, remaining loyal to the Aragonese. Given the loyalty shown Filippo V granted to Giovanni the title of Grande di Spagna.
Altogether the family owned 9 principalities, 5 ducats, 7 marquisates, 3 counties and over 24 baronies.
In the seventeenth century the Gravina-Cruillas, owners of a great territorial heritage, were recognized with the title of principles of Palagonia. In the eighteenth century the current Palazzo Gravina Cruyllas was rebuilt in Catania, home to the Belliniano Civic Museum and the Museo Emilio Greco; in the Chapel of the Sacrament of the Cathedral of Catania, there is an important eighteenth-century monument of the family.
Weapon: Truncated, on the 1st of blue, with two bands of gold, accompanied in the left point of the head by a star with ten rays of silver; in the 2 ° of blue, the band scaccato of silver and of red.Cimiero: the gaipa white bird. Motto: I hope.