Giovanni I Chiaramonte

Giovanni I Chiaramonte
Chiaramonte coat of arms
Bornc. 1270s
Sicily (probably Girgenti/Agrigento)
Died1339
Spouse
  • Lucca Palizzi
Issue
FatherFederico Chiaramonte
MotherMarchisia Profoglio (Prefoglio)

Giovanni I Chiaramonte (c. 1270s–1339), also known as il Vecchio (“the Elder”), was a Sicilian nobleman of the Chiaramonte family and the younger brother of Manfredi I Chiaramonte. A supporter of Frederick III of Sicily during the War of the Sicilian Vespers, he distinguished himself in the defence of Syracuse (1298–99) and Palermo (1325), and in 1307 began construction of the fortified Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri, establishing the family’s seat and power base in the capital.