Salvatore Family

""Everything is coming up Salvatore, so much so that I have decided to turn over a new leaf!""

- - Damon to Stefan in Live Through This

The Salvatore Family (Ancient Greek: Σαλβατορε, Modern Greek: Salvatoros, Latin: Salvatorus, Late Roman: Salvator, Italian: Salvaturi, Salvatorio, or Salvatore, Feminine: Salvatrice or Salvatora; [derivative of Xavier]; translates as "Saviour" in Italian) is one of the main families in The Vampire Diaries. The Salvatore Family is one of the Founding Families in the series. The family originally comes from Florence, Italy, as evidenced by the Florentine seal on some parts of the Salvatore Boarding House. The Salvatore Family has been linked with the Gilbert, Lockwood, Bennett, Fell, Meade, and Forbes families since the mid 1800's.

Like the Petrova family and Meade family, the Salvatore family is also known for having a bloodline of Doppelgängers, known as the Salvatore Doppelgängers.

Damon, Stefan are the last living members of the Salvatore family along with Damon's children Stefanie and Grayson as well as Stefan's son, Alexei. Stefan was made human again by Bonnie Bennett, and married Christine Meade. Damon eventually married Elena Gilbert.

Family Members

 * Giuseppe Salvatore: Giuseppe was Lillian's husband and the father of Damon, Stefan and an Unnamed Salvatore. He was born October 9, 1810, presumably in the United States. He was sometimes known as Papa Salvatore. Giuseppe raised his sons on his own after his wife, Lillian, had died of consumption in the year 1858. After his wife passed away, Giuseppe seemed to use alcohol as a coping mechanism. Flashbacks suggest that he was very abusive towards Lillian and Damon in particular. Giuseppe was seen to be a very controlling, authoritative, stern father. From the flashbacks, Giuseppe has very different relationships with both of his sons. He openly expresses extreme disappointment in his eldest son, Damon and as a result, he shared a very tension-filled and strained relationship with him. Flashbacks also show that Giuseppe was extremely abusive physically and emotionally towards Damon and that Giuseppe and Damon have had a very volatile relationship since Damon's childhood. However, from what flashbacks show, Giuseppe had a closer relationship with his youngest son, Stefan. Giuseppe probably showed Stefan favoritism because he felt that Stefan was a more upstanding, responsible, ambitious, and dutiful son than Damon was. There is no flashback to suggest that Giuseppe was abusive towards Stefan in the same manner that he was towards Damon and Lillian, however, it is strongly assumed that Giuseppe was a very strict and over protective father towards Stefan. Giuseppe uncovered vampires in Mystic Falls, along with the other founding families in the town, including the Lockwoods, the Gilberts and the Forbes. He hated vampires with an undying passion, and was a member of the Founder's Council, which was started as a main purpose to kill all the vampires within Mystic Falls. After witnessing his sons helping Katherine escape, he shoots them and is visited by Stefan, who was in the middle of vampiric transition, that evening. After being injured after Stefan defends himself from Giuseppe coming to attack him and kill him with a stake, Stefan is unable to control his blood lust as a new born vampire and he feeds on his blood (although Giuseppe died from being mortally wounded and a loss of blood). It was revealed in Season Three that Giuseppe had another child, a son who is unnamed, by his secret lover, who is said to be a maid, possibly of the Salvatore Estate.
 * Lillian "Lily" Salvatore: Lillian was Giuseppe's wife and the mother of Damon and Stefan Salvatore. She was born February 27, 1820, presumably in the United States. Not much is known about her, her background or her family, but according to Stefan's Diaries, Stefan said that she is of French-American descent. She died in 1858 when Stefan was eleven years old and when Damon was seventeen years old. She is buried alongside Giuseppe in Mystic Falls, Virginia. According to Damon, she died of consumption, which is another term for tuberculosis.
 * Damon Salvatore: Damon is the oldest child of Giuseppe and Lillian Salvatore. He is the older brother of Stefan. Damon is a very distant descendant of the world's first immortal man, Silas. He was born on June 18, 1839 in Mystic Falls, Virginia. During his human years, Damon was seen and described to be rebellious, carefree, emotional, independent, troubled, insecure, misunderstood, principled, impulsive, competitive, and irresponsible and seemed to lack a general sense of direction. People of the town of Mystic Falls even described Damon to be irresponsible and cowardly, including his own father Giuseppe. The reason for this is because Damon rebelled against the town's and his own father's wish, by leaving the Confederacy on his own terms during the time of the Civil War. However, the reasons for Damon leaving the Confederacy is unknown. In his human years, when it came to love, Damon was always seen to be the chaser and the pursuer, the opposite of Stefan, who appeared to be harder to get and challenging with women, especially in regards to Katherine. Damon during his human years, also displayed womanizing tendencies with the opposite sex. Damon and his father, Giuseppe, never got along or had a good, close relationship and Giuseppe frequently expressed extreme disappointment and resentment in the elder Salvatore. Despite his very strained relationship with Giuseppe during his human life, Damon was very close to his younger brother Stefan and they shared a very close relationship and bond. Damon described Stefan as his best friend or companion and the person who trusted the most. However, the brothers eventually became strained after Katherine Pierce came into their lives and both brothers started to compete fiercely for Katherine's affections, with both of the brothers not being aware of Katherine playing them against one another. He was turned into a vampire in 1864, when he was 25 years old, after he drank Katherine Pierce's blood willingly and was shot by his father, Giuseppe, after attempting to save Katherine from being buried in the tomb. He is now one of the last living members of the Salvatore Family along with Stefan, his daughter Stefanie and Stefan's son Alexei. He was also made into a human again by Stefan and married Elena Gilbert.
 * Stefan Salvatore: Stefan is the youngest child of Giuseppe and Lillian Salvatore. He is the younger brother of Damon. He was born on November 1, 1846 in Mystic Falls, Virginia. During his human years, Stefan was seen as being compassionate, kind, noble, honorable, intelligent, athletic, responsible, academic, dutiful, and a gentleman. In other words, he was definitely seen as the "golden boy" and he had the admiration and respect of the entire town of Mystic Falls and most of all, of his father Giuseppe. In The Turning Point, Stefan revealed to Elena that he was an aspiring doctor during his human life and that this was his profession or career of choice before he was turned into a vampire. In his human years, when it came to love and romance, Stefan was liked, admired by and popular with women. He was seen to be chivalrous, gallant, romantic, well-mannered, courteous and polite, traits which made Katherine Pierce fall deeply for the younger Salvatore. In regards to Katherine, Stefan was much harder to get and challenging unlike Damon, who persistently chased and pursued Katherine as much as possible. Unlike Damon, Stefan had a very close relationship with his father Giuseppe and Stefan was Giuseppe's favorite son. Stefan was turned into a vampire in 1864 along with his brother, Damon, when he was the tender age of seventeen years old. Stefan was turned into a vampire after he was compelled to drink Katherine Pierce's blood and after he was shot by his father for attempting to save Katherine, alongside Damon, from being buried in the tomb. He and Damon were extremely close with one another during their human lives. Damon was his best friend during their human lives, until the two had the extreme differences concerning their lover, Katherine Pierce, who turned both Salvatore brothers into vampires. Both Stefan and Damon were in competition for Katherine's affections, although Katherine has always genuinely loved and preferred Stefan over Damon. Stefan unintentionally hinted to his father, after being compelled by Katherine, about a vampire being present in Mystic Falls, with him having concerns about trapping the vampires and suggesting that his father may be wrong about all vampires and that there may be some vampires who are good. As a result, his father grew suspicious and concerned and unknowingly to Stefan, he drugged Stefan's drink with vervain. When Katherine bit him, she was weakened as a result of the blood within Stefan's bloodstream and Giuseppe caught both Stefan and Katherine, who was weakened. Katherine was then taken to be destroyed. Damon was devastated and furious with Stefan, feeling ultimately betrayed by his own brother, as he had made him promise not to tell their father about what Katherine was. Stefan ended up feeling extreme guilt and remorse for his betrayal of Damon, feeling bad that he deeply hurt his brother after Damon put so much faith and trust in Stefan. Stefan continued to feel this guilt about what had happened in 1864 until this current day. In the year 2009, Stefan unexpectedly saves the life of Elena Gilbert, who coincidentally bears a striking resemblance to his past love Katherine, after she and her parents were in a tragic car accident at Wickery Bridge. Stefan was able to save Elena, but sadly, he was unable to save her parents. Since Stefan became a vampire before he could have any children of his own. He is now one of the last living members of the Salvatore Family along with Damon, Damon's children, and his son Alexei.
 * Zachariah's Father: This unnamed Salvatore is the paternal half brother of Damon and Stefan Salvatore. As once said by Damon in Season Three, 1912, the family name had to go somewhere. Giuseppe Salvatore had illegitimate son with one of the maids, presumably after Lily had "died". Since Damon and Stefan didn't have children and both were turned into vampires by Katherine in 1864, that made them unable to reproduce and continue the family bloodline and name. So therefore, that means that Stefan and Damon had a paternal half brother who was human and had children of his own to continue the Salvatore family bloodline and name.
 * Zachariah Salvatore: Zachariah was the grandson of Giuseppe Salvatore. He was killed by Samantha Gilbert in 1912.
 * Joseph Salvatore: Joseph was a distant nephew of Stefan and Damon Salvatore. He was killed by Damon on June 12, 1953. It is said that he was the main supplier of vervain for the Founder's Council, cultivating it in the basement, and continuing it on as a tradition of the family, according to Zach.
 * Joseph's Unnamed Son: He is the unnamed son of Joseph Salvatore and is the father of Zach Salvatore.
 * Zach Salvatore: Zach was a distant nephew of Stefan and Damon Salvatore, although Stefan and Damon used to refer to Zach as their uncle, since he was human and appeared older than the two brothers. He lived in the Salvatore Boarding House. Zach was seen to like, trust and respect Stefan but disliked, distrusted and disrespected Damon. Zach was also the main vervain supplier for The Founder's Council, but after he died, Damon took over his responsibilities within the council. His ancestor and distant great uncle Damon killed him.
 * Alexei Salvatore: Alexei Salvatore is the son of Christine and Stefan. He is presumably a fairy since the gene is passed down from family member to family member. He is named after Alexia "Lexi" Branson who was Stefan's best friend and Stefan's brother, Damon.
 * Stefanie Salvatore: Stefanie Salvatore is the daughter of Damon and Elena. She is presumably human like both of her parents, and named after Damon's brother Stefan.
 * Grayson Salvatore: Grayson Salvatore is the son of Damon and Elena. He is presumably human like both of his parents, and named after Elena's adoptive father, Grayson.

Relatives

 * Christine Meade: Christine is the wife of Stefan Salvatore. She is the daughter of Sydney Carton and Adele Meade, and the adoptive daughter of Callan and Meghan Blake. She met Stefan when she was 17 and they remained friends for a while. Stefan helped her learn more about her real family and her heritage as a fairy, becoming closer in the process. They started dating after Elena and Stefan broke up. After finding a cure for vampirism, Stefan took it and he and Christine eventually got married and lived a long and happy life.
 * Elena Gilbert: Elena is the wife of Damon Salvatore. She is the daughter of John Gilbert and Isobel Flemming, and the adoptive daughter and niece of Miranda Sommers and Grayson Gilbert. She met Stefan when she was 17, and they dated for a time, before they broke up and she began dating Damon. She was turned into a vampire, but then took the Cure and turned human again. She then lived a long and happy life with Damon, who she eventually married.

Family Tree
This is The Salvatore Family Tree which contains all known members of this family.

Surname

 * Salvatore means "Savior" in Italian. It is commonly used as a masculine first name, although the name can be used as both a first name and as a surname.
 * Other variations and spellings of the name Salvatore include Salvador, Salvator, Salvidor, Salvino, Sauveur, Salvadore, Salvatorio, Salbatore, Soterios, Salvian, Salviano, Salviatus, Salviyo, Salvattore, Xalvador, Xalvadore, Xalvadoro, Xalvadorio, Xalbador, Xalbadore, Xalbadorio, Xalbadoro, Xabat, Xabatt, Xabate, Xabatio, Xabato, Xavier, Xabier, Xaiver, Xavaeir, Xaver, Xavian, Xaviar, Xavior, Xavon, Xavyer, Xever, Xizavier, Xxavier, Xzavier, Zavier, Xaviare, Xaviore, Xaviere, Xabiere.
 * It means literally "saviour save you" and was used in honor of the Christ. The origination is from the Latin word Salvius, which seems to have been in some way used in the Iberian Peninsula, before it became fashionable in Rome.

Trivia

 * In both the novels and on the show, the Salvatore family is of Italian origin and descent.
 * The Salvatore family is descended from Greek/Latin/Roman origin, but eventually becomes a family of Italian heritage.
 * In the books, there are three known members of the Salvatore family, which include Conte Di Giuseppe Salvatore, Damon Salvatore and Stefan Salvatore.
 * From Rebekah's research from Carol Lockwood, wood from the Salvatore Mills helped to build most of the town of Mystic Falls.
 * Giuseppe's lover is mentioned by the Salvatore brothers, but she doesn't appear.
 * The Salvatore family is primarily male dominated and almost all of the known members of the Salvatore family happen to be men.
 * This family has the responsibility of providing vervain within the town of Mystic Falls.