According to some, it derives from the Counts of Ventimiglia in Liguria, descended from the Lascari emperors of Constantinople; according to others it seems that it descends in a straight masculine line from the Norman Norman rulers of Sicily. It is believed that the first to go to Sicily was a William, Count of Ventimiglia, in 1242, father of an Henry who, for reasons of dowry, was in Sicily, the first count of Geraci in his family, owned the two Petralias, etc., he was viceroy in Naples and died in 1265 with the rank of general army captain of King Manfred. Before noticing the individuals of this family that most excelled for the virtues of which they were adorned, for the covered positions, for the titles, for the fiefs possessed, we mention the main feudal possessions of this family: the principalities of Belmonte, di Buonriposo, of Castelbuono, of Grammonte, of Ventimiglia; the duchy of Belviso, the marquisates of Geraci and Regiovanni; the counties of Catanzaro, of Collesano, of Geraci, of Ischia, of Naso and of Prades; the baronies of Barchino, Bordonaro sottano, Raulica and Artesina, Bonanotte, Rovitello, Miano and Tavernola, Burgio Millusio, Calcusa or Fontana Murata, Caltavuturo, Canetici, Casale di Pietra, Casalvecchio, Castelluzzo, Ciaramita, Cavallaro and Casalbianco, Ciminna, Culcasi and Mangiadaini, Diesi, Mulocca and Bruchali, Friddi and Faverchi, Gibellina, Gratteri, Gurgo, Celso Manchi and half of Scala, Isnello, Leonforte, Lo Monaco, Montemaggiore, Mussomeli, Pettineo, Pietranera, Vultano and Viviano, Pionica and San Martino, Pollina , Racalciditi or San Benedetto, Regiovanni, Resuttano, Rachilebri and Raxafico, Riesi and Cipolla, Rupi and Calabrò, Sambuca, Sanagia, San Benedetto, San Mauro, Santo Stefano di Bivona, Santa Venera, Sinagra, Sperlinga, Tripi, Verbumcaudo, Vescara, Vicars, etc. etc. A Francesco was Count of Collesano, in 1305 and is noted in the role of feudal lords under King Federico as owner of Sperlinga, Pettineo, etc .; another Francesco, count of Ischia, count of Geraci, etc., was strategoto of Messina in 1355 and, for privileges of 20 June 1354 and of 5 January 1358, he was authorized to use the title Dei Gratia, he hindered King Federico III on the occasion of the marriage of said king with Constance of Aragon, in 1371 saved the same king from an attack, he obtained concession of the city of Termine and Cefalù and of the earth of Isnello, it was count of Mistretta in 1388 and one of the four vicars of the kingdom of Sicily during the minor age of Queen Mary; a Giovanni was a praetor in Palermo in the year 1370-71; an Antonio, Count of Collesano, lord of the two Petralias, etc., was a chamberlain major of the kingdom in 1392, followed the party of the Martini against that of the Chiaramonti, then for his felony was closed prison in the castle of Malta losing the assets; a Guarneri was a praetor of Palermo in the years 1405-6, 1416-17; a Federico held the same office in that city in the years 1410-11, 1411-12, 1422-23; a Giovanni was archbishop of Monreale in 1418; a Francesco was captain of justice in Catania in 1434-35 and patrician in 1437-38; a Giovanni Ventimiglia and Aragona was count of Montesarcio in Calabria, first marquis of Geraci, for privilege given by king Alfonso, he was captain general of the weapons of the Roman Church, had the city of Bitonto, was viceroy in Naples and in Sicily in 1430, 1432 , great admiral, etc. etc.; a Ughetto was a captain of justice in Palermo in the years 1447-48 and 1448-49; an Antonio, baron of Sinagra, obtained, with privilege given to November 13, 1452, executed July 30, 1453, confirmation of a privilege of Queen Bianca given to Taormina on August 16, 1411, with which he allowed him, in the name of his wife Eufemia of the sister-in-law Bonadonna, daughters of Guarneri Ventimiglia, baron of Alcamo, could demand and ask all the paternal, maternal and fraternal rights and goods even if in the power of the royal government; Antonio Ventimiglia and Prades, marquis of Geraci in the year 1473 was Count of Catanzaro, vicar general, great admiral of Sicily, etc .; a Simone Ventimiglia and Cardona, marquis of Geraci, was viceroy in Sicily in the years 1516, 1534, 1541 and deputy of the kingdom in 1522; a Francesco was a praetor of Palermo in the years 1501-502 and 1504-505, strategot of Messina in the year 1506-507, lieutenant in the office of master executioner, deputy of the kingdom in 1511; a Giovanni, Marquis of Geraci, was strategist of Messina in the years 1508-9, 1532-33 and praetor in the years 1542-43, 1549; an Antoninus was captain of justice in Caltagirone in the year 1540-41; a Simone, Marquis of Geraci, was strategoto of Messina in 1550-51; a Ferdinando was captain of justice in Caltagirone in the year 1551-52; a Sigismund held the same office in Palermo in the year 1553-54; a Carlo, baron of Regiovanni, was a praetor in that city in the years 1568-69, 1569-70, knight of the order of San Giacomo della Spada, deputy of the Kingdom, and, with privilege given to 26 May 1575, executed at 2 June 1582 , obtained concession of the title of count of Naso; a Pietro, baron of Gratteri, was a magistrate in Palermo in the year 1586-87; a Peter, a knight of Malta, is noted in the noble mast of Mollica; a Francesco Giorgio, baron of Passaneto, from Catania, with privilege given to August 26, 1589, obtained concession of the title of royal knight; a Giovanni Ventimiglia and Ventimiglia, Marquis of Geraci, etc. was strategist of Messina in 1591, vicar general in the Valleys of Noto and Mazzara, president and general captain of the kingdom in the years 1595, 1598, 1608, and, with privilege given to February 3 executorialto 22 May 1595, he obtained concession of title prince of Castelbuono; a Beatrice, daughter of Giovanni, first prince of Castelbuono, obtained, with the privilege given to May 7, performed at 31 August 1627, concession of the title of prince of Ventimiglia; a Luigi was a captain of justice in Palermo in the year 1647-48; a Lorenzo, baron of Gratteri, held the same office in that city in the years 1651-52, 1673-74, and, with privilege given to May 19, executed on July 27, 1661, obtained concession of the title of Count of Prades; a John and a Joseph were judges of the Great Court of the kingdom, the first in the year 1662-63, the second in the year 1676-77; an Antonio (Girolamo), of the Counts of Prades, Theatine, a missionary in the Indies, was bishop of Lipari in 1694; a Giovanni Ventimiglia and Di Giovanni, Marquis of Geraci, etc. obtained for such title the treatment of great of Spain of first class with privilege given to July 22, 1710, was gentleman of room of Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoia, knight of the supreme order of the Santissima Annunziata (22 March 1714), and, with privilege given September 27, 1723, he obtained the title of prince of the Holy Roman Empire, with the treatment of height and with the authority to batter money and medals with his name and use the title Dei Grazia, he was gentleman of chamber of Charles III of Bourbon, knight of the San Gennaro order in 1738, etc .; Antonino Ventimiglia and Valguarnera, count of Prades and prince of Grammonte, was the grand prefect of the supreme magistrate of commerce, deputy of the kingdom in 1728, gentleman of room, captain of justice in Palermo in 1729, knight of the order of San Gennaro; a Giuseppe Emanuele, prince of Belmonte, was captain in Palermo in the years 1736-37, 1756-57 and 1757-58, praetor in 1744, 1748; a Fortunio Ventimiglia and Valguarnera, of the princes of Grammonte, was an inquisitor of the court of the Sant'Uffizio, deputy of the kingdom in the year 1741; a Giuseppe Emanuele Ventimiglia and Alliata, of the princes of Belmonte, was commander of the order of Malta; a Luigi Ruggero Ventimiglia Sanseverino and Aragona, prince of Castelbuono, marquis of Geraci, etc. he was a knight of the order of San Gennaro in the year 1759, etc .; a Giuseppe Emanuele Ventimiglia and Statella, prince of Belmonte, etc. he was a knight of the order of San Gennaro, ambassador to the Republic of Venice in the year 1760, major butler of Queen Maria Carolina and King Ferdinand, great of Spain of first class for privilege given to February 23, 1772 performed February 20, 1780; a Salvatore Ventimiglia and Alliata, of the princes of Belmonte, was deputy legate of Ravenna in 1782; a Giovanni Luigi Ventimiglia and Spinola, prince of Grammonte, etc. he was rector of the San Bartolomeo hospital in the year 1765, governor of the Monte di Pietà of Palermo in the year 1769, senator of the same city in the years 1781-82-83, gentleman of room, knight of the order of San Gennaro; a Luigi Ventimiglia and Sieripepoli, prince of Grammonte, etc., was senator of Palermo in the year 1795-96, gentleman of room in 1800; a Salvatore Ventimiglia and Statella, of the princes of Belmonte, was bishop of Catania, archbishop of Laodicea, inquisitor of the Holy Office, died in 1797; a Giuseppe Emanuele and Ventimiglia e Cottone, prince of Belmonte, was a chamber gentleman in 1790, knight of the order of San Gennaro, deputy of the kingdom in 1806, etc. etc. By royal decree of 23 October 1868 the titles of prince of Castelbuono, count and marquis of Geraci, count of Ventimiglia and baron of Pollina and San Mauro in the person of Corrada Ventimiglia (of Francesco, of Giovanni Luigi), wife to Pietro Mancuso were recognized ; dead which was registered, in the official definitive list of noble and titled families of the Sicilian region, with the said titles and with that of prince of Buonriposo, the sister Giovanna.
Weapon: inquartato: in the first and fourth of red, with the head of gold (which is from Ventimiglia); in the second and third of blue, to the split band of two rows of silver and red (which is of the Normans). Cimiero: a lion crowned with gold, holding a silver sword with his right hand. Stands: two golden lions, crowned with the old one, flashed red. Currency: DEXTERA DOMINI FECIT VIRTUTEM, DEXTERA DOMINI EXALTAVIT ME.