浮槎

Aldobrandini

This florentine patrician family enjoyed great privilege and wealth since Ippolito Aldobrandini was elected pope in 1592. Son of an expert lawyer and anti-Medici exile, Ippolito was born in Fano to Lisa Deti (1503-1557) and Silvestro Aldobrandini (1499-1558). Already linked to Paul IV by his father, his elder brother Giovanni became cardinal in 1570, under Pius V, pope Carafa’s creature. He himself was elected pope Clement VIII in 1592, and as a common practice of piccolo nepotism in his time, he elevated his two nephews to the cardinalate and provided them with lucrative positions and rich benefices; his lay relatives, namely Olimpia Aldobrandini and her husband, Giovanni Francesco, became princess and prince of Meldola and Sarsina, which they bought from Pio. The annual income of cardinal Pietro A. in 1600 was 59,000 scudi [1], which could easily buy a large estate[2]. Their estate valued at least 1,258,167 scudi, according to Ferraro[3], and the purchase of land went well beyond the pontificate of Clement VIII. The next generation of Aldobrandini ended abruptly: princess Olimpia died in 1637, and her sons, cardinal camerlengo Ippolito and prince Giovanni Giorgio died within a year. Thus the family inheritance went to Olimpia junior, who married Paolo Borghese the same year, and the couple lived in her palace on via del Corso[4]. Paolo died young in 1646, and she could finally manage her assets, which used to be under control of Marcantonio, her father-in-law[5]. After her second marriage with, and subsequent lawsuit against, prince Camillo Pamphili, nephew of Innocent X, the Aldobrandini wealth eventually went into Borghese and Pamphili families.

However the family would produce two more cardinals: Baccio and Alessandro, both from the florentine branch.

Aldovrandi

Visitors to Bologna would probably adorn the grandiose San Petronio, where a side chapel contains the imposing funeral monument of Pompeo Aldrovandi (1668-1752), a protagonist of the family. This senatorial family of Bologna would produce a conservatore, Ciro, in 1728, six years before his uncle’s elevation to the cardinalate.

Protagonists of civic life in late medieval Bologna[5], the great naturalist Ulisse belongs to this family, whose close relative[6], Teseo, embarked on a career in roman curia, who became preceptor of Ospedale di S.Spirito.

Son of Maria Giulia Albergati and Ercole Aldrovandi, Pompeo was related to cardinals Cesare Facchinetti (1608-1683) and Ulderico Carpegna (1595-1679) by marriage [7]. Protected by Innocent XII and named VSR in 1696, he was auditor of Segnatura di Giustizia, later became luogotenente of Auditor Camerae in 1700, succeeding Curzio Origo[8]. Auditor of Roman Rota since 1706 in place of Alessandro Caprara, pro-secretary of congregation of Immunities from 1711, he was sent to the court of Philip V, king of Spain, to settle the conflict. As nuncio to Spain he aroused suspicion of the pope, and left Madrid abruptly under unclear circumstances. Without further promotion and relegated to Bologna, not until the ascension of Innocent XIII did he return to roman curia, finally receive the cardinal’s purple after becoming governor of Rome[8]. Esteemed by Clement XII and cooperated with Benedict XIV on his reforming project early in his reign[9], he retired to his diocese of Montefiascone after a two-term legation of Ravenna, where he died. He left a conspicuous trace of personal and legal archives[10], now preserved in the state archives of Bologna.

His half-brother Filippo was bolognese ambassador to Rome from 1700 to 1714, and inherited the Marescotti surname from his mother[11].

Alessandri

A Girolamo A. was priore in 1635 and an Orazio A. from Avezzano[12] was conservatore in 1637, who is probably linked to the Barberini family[13]. Their relationship is unclear.

Alessi

A nearly complete list of the forebear’s presence in Rome is here. However more research need to be done on this family name, which probably included several unrelated lineages.

Alicorni

This family held a noble palace in Borgo San Pietro, near the colonnade of Saint Peter’s Basilica, built by Trajano A., a cleric from Milan, who was apostolic protonotary under Clement VII[14]. According to Ameyden[15], they came from Albania, and possessed a house near Piazza del Popolo. They rented the palace to cardinal Agnolo (Angelo) Nicolini in 1566, and sold it to cardinal Matteo Contarelli in 1584. In the church of San Benedetto in Piscinula we can see a plaque placed by Cornelia Alicorni to her sister Lavinia, who died on 20 september 1638 at the age of sixty-three[14]. We also know that Trajano Alicorni issued a fidecommeso on his descendants, which seems to be partly revoked by Giovanni Battista his son when selling the palace in Borgo San Pietro. Cornelia eventually inherited the family wealth, and a decision by Auditor of Rota Aime du Nozet in 1650 left traces on it[16]. She married Stefano Fabi, also member of roman gentry. Other traces of her life were studied by Renata Ago, who noticed her possession of dolls and books[17].

Alimberti

Also spelled d’Alibert. This family was originally French: Jacques d’Alibert, once superintendent of finances to Gaston, duc de Orleans, entered the court of Christina, queen of Sweden, with a recommendation from cardinal Decio Azzolini, her close friend. He married Maria Vittoria Cenci[18] who brought with her a conspicuous dowry, including a house at the Lungara. Also he arranged the first public theater in Rome, the Teatro Massimo or Tordinona, opened in 1671. The family held the title of count.

Alli

In 1705, Paolo Girolamo Agli or Alli, a florentine noble, died. In his will he recognized the roman Alli family as their relative and heir. According to Ameyden, this florentine family stabilized in Rome, where they had a palace in rione Trevi. They would assume the surname and title of milanese Maccarani family, from which they inherited (a more thorough reconstruction is here). In the church of San Marcello al Corso, adjacent to their palace, they possessed a chapel, where tombstones of Stefano Alli (1574), Lucrezia Pitti (1705, m.1636) and cavaliere Giovanni Battista Alli (m.1616?) survives. This family would boast five conservatori of Rome, Lelio (1640, 1646, 1658, 1663), Stefano (1635, 1639, 1647), Silvio (1669, 1672, 1679), Silvio (1709) and yet another Silvio (1790). We will discuss the family more in “Maccarani”.

Altemps

A benefactor of papal nepotism, the Altemps family originated from southern Germany where they were lord of Ems. The Roman line of Altemps family (the Italian form of Hohenems) derived from Marck Sittich von Hohenems, nephew of pope Pius IV, who was created cardinal by his uncle in 1561. They bought Gallese and Soriano from Madruzzo in 1579.

Altieri

Before its accession to the papal dignity, the Altieri family was a local patrician family:

Altopassi

Cesare and Ortensio A. were caporione in late sixteenth century. Diana and Ortensia Altopassi left their will in 1628 and 1644, respectively.

Altoviti

A presitigious florentine patrician family of republican tradition, the Altoviti was divided into several branches, and most of these branches left their traces in Rome. There palace along the Tiber was demolished during the construction of lungotevere, in which the ceiling of a room, by Vasari, is now preserved in Palazzo Venezia. Further east in the church of Trinita dei Monti, near the villa of Medici family, a chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence, was constructed at their expense.

A quick sketch is available thanks to the genealogy by Luigi Passerini. The branch of banker and mecenate Bindo (1491-1557) stabilized in Rome since his father Antonio (1453-1507) married Dianora di Clarenza Cybo Altoviti, niece of pope Innocent VIII, and was named papal treasurer (or in charge of papal mint). Aligned to the french and anti-Medici faction, he rose to further prominence under pope Paul III and subsidized generously to the enterprise of florentine exiles (Although his financing activity was already complex and vast under Clement VII, a Medici pope). With Fiammetta Soderini (whose granduncle Piero was the perpetual gonfaloniere) he had four children, Marietta, Lisabetta, Antonio and Giambattista, who still engaged in anti-Medici activities, demonstrated by marriages with the Strozzi. Close to cardinal Niccolo Ridolfi (Giambattista married his relative), under whose protection Antonio became archbishop of Florence, but not until 1567 was he able to reach his diocese, after their rapprochement with the Medici. Lisabetta (died 1580) was listed as a borrower of Monte di Pieta of Florence, and she was busy in persecuting her creditors, sometimes alongside her brother Giambattista, who was operating his bank in Rome, in 1566. We know that Marietta and her husband, Giovanni Battista Strozzi, returned to Florence, and there is a thesis on their court life.

The wealth of Giambattista Altoviti and Clarice Ridolfi, childless, eventually went to Giovanni di Bernardo Altoviti. Giovanni died in 1592, and had two daughters, Sibilla, Maria, and a son Bernardo, who died young. The inheritance of Giambattista then went to Pierozzo Altoviti (it is unclear the circumstances which the inheritance passed the two daughters of Giovanni: although much restricted, the legal barrier of female heirs remained ambiguous during the period). Also both Bindo and Giambattista were caporioni, and Giambattista was conservatore in 1583.

The branch of Pierozzo descends from Giovanni di Guglielmo, born in 1389. He restored the ancestral monument in S.Croce in Florence, and was conservatore in 1600. Married to Caterina Ubertini, niece of cardinal Giovanni Antonio Capizucchi, he had Elena (died 1680), who married Orso d’Elci, secretary to grand duchess of Tuscany and brother of cardinal Scipione; and Giovanni Battista, papal valet, who married Ippolita Venturi, then Caterina de’Ricci, daughter of Ippolita Macchiavelli. A further intertwinment with papal-tuscan aristocracy was manifested through the marriage of Anna Maria Altoviti (1628-1688) and Donato Acciaioli, brother of cardinal Niccolo (1630-1719). She retained cordial relationship with figures like Francesca Piccolomini Chigi, with whom she attended opera in 1672. Her funeral monument is preserved in the Certosa of Florence.

This kind of relationship is also crucial to a career within the church, as Renata Ago demonstrated. Anna Maria’s half brother Antonio (1633-1695) embarked a prelatial career, became VSR, nominated Consultor of Inquisition, Canonist of Penitentiary and secretary of Congregation of Council from 1681, then secretary of Congregation of Bishops and Regulars from 1689(or 1690). His untimely death prevented him from the cardinal’s purple, a contemporary avvisi noted (his predecessor and successor both became cardinals). A funeral monument was post in the church of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini (but it is at least not in the basilica proper. I visited the church several times and was unable to find it, and its museum is presently unavailable).

Through their brother Giovanni Francesco and Lucrezia Landi, the future generation was born: Caterina who married Giulio Rucellai and Giovanni Battista who married Luisa del Nero then Virginia Guicciardini. From this generation the Altoviti family inherited the surname and asset of Avila family. Giovanni Battista was conservatore.

Virginia Guicciardini and Giovanni Battista Altoviti had seven children, among whom only Vittoria, Giovanni Gaetano and Luigi Innocenzo reached adulthood: Vittoria (1687-1748), a powerful patron of arts and music, married Bartolomeo Corsini in 1705, an endogenous match similar to her ancestors, and Scarlatti composed for their wedding. However Lorenzo, the groom’s uncle, became a cardinal a year later, and was eventually elected pope as Clement XII in 1730. The family’s fortune thus rose further. Luigi Innocenzo (1691-1744) was named VSR, secret valet, became a canon of St.Peter’s Basilica in 1732, then Oeconomus of Fabbrica di S.Pietro in 1734. He became a Cleric of Camera between 1740 and 1743, but died prematurely in 1744. After his death, princess Vittoria left for Florence and seldom went back.

Meanwhile Giovanni Gaetano, described by Passerini as gallant and stormy when he was young, married Sestilia di Flaminio Bardi di Vernio, sister of cardinal Girolamo Bardi. The family returned to Florence, probably during the first half of Ottocento, and prominent figure like algologist Vittoria (1837-1896).

Before his death, Giovanni Battista di Bindo Altoviti first chose Alessandro Altoviti as his successor: but eventually Giovanni Battista thought otherwise because Alessandro was too addicted to gambling. Alessandro remained in Rome, and among his children Francesca stood out: a comprehensive research by Maria Antonietta Visceglia and Irene Fosi on marriage in baroque Rome has demonstrated the peculiarity of their marriage pattern, which is endogenous at beginning, but later bound to their relationship to popes and cardinals, with whom they felt the necessity of balancing the factions within the curia and the Papal States. The Altoviti was crucial to the Sacchetti, although their bank closed in 1590, they transferred wealth and social links to them, further enhanced the career of her children, among them cardinal Giulio Cesare (1587-1663) and papal depository Marcello (1584-1629). We would return to this topic in the article “Sacchetti”.

Twice papabile, the powerful Giulio Cesare did promote his Altiviti relatives: Iacopo (1604-1693) was a curial expert, friend of pope Alexander VII, and became nuncio to Venice and secretary of congregation of Ecclesiastical Immunity. Later in his life he became a vocal opponent of cardinal de Luca’s reform, and was described by Tabacchi as “probably the most intelligent of them”. Also he was at times speculated to become a cardinal, but it did not happen.

Yet another branch, that of Ippolito di Alfonso, went unnoticed by Passerini, and I am unable to find the exact parentage of them and other Altovitis. His son Eugenio was conservatore in 1627. Through the marriage between Ippolito’s daughter Giulia and Vincenzo Muti Papazzurri, their children inherited the asset and archive.

To conclude these people who bore the surname Altoviti, it is important to note Filippo Neri (1634-1702), bishop of Fiesole, born to Margherita Dainelli and Guglielmo Altoviti, became bishop of Fiesole, and died in Rome during his ad limina visit. His tombstone can be seen in the church of il Gesù, on the floor of the left transept.

[1]Ferraro

[2]ibid

[3]ibid

[4]Nussdorfer, Laurie.:

[5]Companion

[6]

[7]Dolfi

[8]Weber; ASR,

[9]Enciclopedia dei papi,

[10]

[11]Corsignani, Pietro Antonio. Reggia Marsicana Ovvero Memorie Topografico-Storiche Di varie Colonie, e Città antiche e moderne della Provincia de i Marsi e di Valeria: Compresa Nel Vetusto Lazio, e negli Abruzzi, Colla Descrizione Delle loro Chiefe, e Immagini miracolose, e delle Vite de’ Santi, cogli Uomini Illustri, e la Serie de’ Vescovi Marsicani : Divisa In Due Parti. Parte II.. Italy: Parrino, 1738.

[12]Morelli, Giorgio. L’Abruzzo nei manoscritti della Biblioteca apostolica Vaticana. Italy: Libreria Colacchi, 1999.