Diofebo Meli Lupi di Soragna has died at the age of 85, the last "Prince of the Holy Roman Empire." A member of the illustrious noble family of the Meli Lupi, feudal lords and historic owners of the Rocca di Soragna in the province of Parma, he managed the family's agricultural estate while keeping the castle — an elegant noble residence built in 1385 — open to tourist and cultural visits.
Born in Varese in 1941, Meli Lupi graduated in Political Science from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. Among his titles of nobility were "Prince of the Holy Roman Empire and of Soragna, Marquess, Grandee of Spain, Count Palatine, Venetian Patrician and Noble of Bologna." He was also a Knight of Honor and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a Commander by right of patronage of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, as well as a Knight of Justice of the Constantinian Order of Saint George and a member of the Fondation Cartier.
Unmarried and without children, he is survived by his sister Isabella and his two nephews Maria Consolata and Manfredo Radicati di Primelio. Meli Lupi was also a European powerboat racing champion. The Municipality of Soragna has declared a day of civic mourning for tomorrow, Monday, September 21, to honor a "figure of great worth to our community and to the history of Soragna."
