The House of Altieri was an ancient noble family of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, present in the history of the city since the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, yet now extinct. In addition to the title of

Prince A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...

granted by the Pontiffs, branches of the Altieri were also part of the aristocracy of

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of G ...

and of

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. The family consolidated its position in the ranks of the great senatorial and cardinal aristocracy thanks to dynastic marriages with families like the

Colonna The House of Colonna, also known as ''Sciarrillo'' or ''Sciarra'', is an Italian noble family, forming part of the papal nobility. It was powerful in medieval and Renaissance Rome, supplying one pope (Martin V) and many other church and politic ...

, Paluzzi, Chigi,

Odescalchi The House of Erba-Odescalchi () and the House of Odescalchi are branches of an Italian noble family formed by the union of the Erba and Odescalchi families. The Odescalchi family was, since the election of Benedetto Odescalchi as Pope Innocen ...

, Doria-Pamphili,

Ruspoli The House of Ruspoli is historically one of the great aristocratic families of Rome, but is originally from Florence. Following World War II and the fall of Fascism, the newly established Italian Republic officially abolished titles and hereditary ...

Barberini The House of Barberini are a family of the Italian nobility that rose to prominence in 17th century Rome. Their influence peaked with the election of Cardinal Maffeo Barberini to the papal throne in 1623, as Pope Urban VIII. Their urban palac ...

Borghese The House of Borghese is a princely family of Italian noble and papal background, originating as the Borghese or Borghesi in Siena, where they came to prominence in the 13th century and held offices under the '' commune''. During the 16th century ...

and in more recent times the di Napoli Rampolla, relatives of the famous Cardinal Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro, Secretary of State of

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

, not to mention a multitude of princely families of Europe. Their

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of ...

s consisted of the principality of

Oriolo Romano Oriolo Romano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Viterbo in the Italian region Latium, located about northwest of Rome and about south of Viterbo on a hilly area near the ancient Via Clodia. Main sights *''Palazzo Altieri di Or ...

and Vejano and the duchy of Monterano in the '' Alto Lazio''. The Altieri were among the protagonists of the history of the city from the earlier

until the second half of the twentieth century, reaching the apogee of their power with Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, elected

pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

in 1670 under the name of Clement X.

History

Origins

Portrait of Pope Clement X, born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, known as ''Il Baciccia'' The Altieri family, according to a custom quite common in the past among the Roman nobility, claimed to descend from a ''Lucius Alterius'', the legendary founder of the Roman ''Gens Alteria'': to demonstrate that, the Altieri were in possession of an ancient

funerary urn An urn is a vase, often with a cover, with a typically narrowed neck above a rounded body and a footed pedestal. Describing a vessel as an "urn", as opposed to a vase or other terms, generally reflects its use rather than any particular shape or ...

bearing his name. According to the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "human ...

Marco Antonio Altieri, a member of the family, as expressed in his work ''Li Nuptiali'' (the

Libro d'Oro The ''Libro d'Oro'' (English: ''The Golden Book''), originally published between 1315 and 1797, is the formal directory of nobles in the Republic of Venice (including the Ionian Islands). It has been resurrected as the ''Libro d'Oro della Nobi ...

of 16th-century Roman nobility), the family's origins dated back to the gens Hostilia, which perpetuated a lineage already present in the annals of King

Romulus Romulus () was the legendary founder and first king of Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus and his contemporaries. Although many of these ...

and was numbered among the ''gentes originarie'' (the original families of Rome) of

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...

. According to him the ancient surname of the Altieri was ''Lucii'', descendants from the king of Rome

Tullus Hostilius Tullus Hostilius (r. 672–640 BC) was the legendary third king of Rome. He succeeded Numa Pompilius and was succeeded by Ancus Marcius. Unlike his predecessor, Tullus was known as a warlike king who according to the Roman Historian Livy, belie ...

. From this stock, among others, would have descended also the Mancini family, to which belonged Maria Mancini, lover of

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ve ...

and niece of Cardinal Jules Mazarin. But the origins of the family were much more likely Germanic. The name possibly came to southern Italy from northern France through the

Normans The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. ...

. Etymologically, the name ''Altieri'' comes from the old German language, and is made of two words, the first being either ''alda'' ("old", "experienced") or ''audha'' ("riches", "power"), and the second ''haria'' ("to practise"): the meaning would be respectively "experienced person" or "person who works with richness", i.e. jeweler, goldsmith.

15th–16th century

The Altieri in the Middle Ages did not belong to the

high nobility Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's grand duke ...

, but in the second half of the 15th century, they were already owners of huge estates and large flocks of sheep in the ''

campagna romana The Roman Campagna () is a low-lying area surrounding Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy, with an area of approximately . It is bordered by the Tolfa and Sabatini mountains to the north, the Alban Hills to the southeast, and the Tyrrhen ...

''. Moreover, they held several offices in Rome's administration, as those of ''Caporione'' (chief of a '' Rione''), ''Maestro delle Strade'' ( road Master), and ''Conservatore'' (city counselor). The above-mentioned Marco Antonio Altieri (1450-1532), was a humanist belonging to Pomponio Leto's circle, literary in his tastes, a farmer and also a good politician, because in 1511 he arranged the so-called "Pax Romana" among the Roman

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or kn ...

s, ending centuries of fights among the nobility. In his work ''Li nuptiali'', he is a '' laudator temporis acti'', nostalgically comparing the conservative Roman country gentleman of the 15th century, drawing his income from houses in the city and farms and flocks in the ''Campagna'', with the cosmopolitan nobleman of the 16th century, often immigrated from other cities and active in trade and banking. During the 16th century, notable exponents of the family were Antonio Rutilio Altieri, another humanist and rector of the University of Rome, and Mario Altieri, a gifted

canonist Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

, author of the treatise ''De Censuris ecclesiasticis'', printed after his death.

17th century and later

The Palazzo_Altieri_in_Piazza_del_Gesù,_Rome,_commissioned_by_Giambattista_Altieri.html" ;"title="Piazza_del_Gesù.html" ;"title="Palazzo Altieri in Piazza del Gesù">Palazzo Altieri in Piazza del Gesù, Rome, commissioned by Giambattista Altieri">Piazza_del_Gesù.html" ;"title="Palazzo Altieri in Piazza del Gesù">Palazzo Altieri in Piazza del Gesù, Rome, commissioned by Giambattista Altieri and finished by Cardinal Paluzzo Between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries the family produced seven cardinals and reached its zenith with Clement X, Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, born in 1590 to Lorenzo Altieri and his wife Vittoria Delfin, who belonged to one of the oldest families of the

Venetian Republic The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

, which gave to the republic of the Lion a

doge A doge ( , ; plural dogi or doges) was an elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states, notably Venice and Genoa, during the medieval and renaissance periods. Such states are referred to as " crowned republics". Etymology The ...

, several procurators of St. Mark, many diplomats and also a host of cardinals. Emilio Altieri, having taken vows, became

bishop of Camerino The Italian Archdiocese of Camerino-San Severino Marche ( la, Archidioecesis Camerinensis-Sancti Severini in Piceno) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory, seated in Camerino, a city in the Province of Macerata, in the central Italian Marc ...

in 1627, apostolic nuncius in Naples from 1644 to 1652: appointed cardinal in 1669 by

Pope Clement IX Pope Clement IX ( la, Clemens IX; it, Clemente IX; 28 January 1600 – 9 December 1669), born Giulio Rospigliosi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 20 June 1667 to his death in December 1669. Biography Ear ...

, he ascended the papal throne in 1670 with the name of Clement X: he reigned until his death in 1676. But the moment of maximum splendor of the family also coincided with its extinction. Emilio Altieri, now Clement X, last male member of the family, on the occasion of the marriage between Marquis Gaspare Paluzzi Albertoni, belonging to the Paluzzi Albertoni, often related with the Altieri, and his niece Laura Caterina, ensured that the surname of his family, including property and coat of arms, would pass to the Paluzzi Albertoni, whose surname thus became "Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni". The pope, considering that in his family the male element was now extinct, used every possible means to secure the Albertoni connection through this advantageous union, while convincing the father of Gaspare, Antonio Albertoni, and his uncle Paluzzo to change their surname to Altieri: this led to the extinction of the Albertoni family, which for centuries had been politically allied and intermarried with the Altieri. Thanks to the intervention of Clement X, Gaspare became Prince of Oriolo and Viano ( Vejano) and Duke of Monterano. Paluzzo, created cardinal, became the pope's

cardinal-nephew A cardinal-nephew ( la, cardinalis nepos; it, cardinale nipote; es, valido de su tío; pt, cardeal-sobrinho; french: prince de fortune)Signorotto and Visceglia, 2002, p. 114. Modern French scholarly literature uses the term "cardinal-neveu'". ...

, ruling ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

'' the catholic Church as ''Cardinal-padrone'' ( en, Cardinal-master), and making of his family one of the richest of the city. The Altieri had other Cardinals: Giambattista the elder (1589-1654), brother of Emilio, who prepared the ascent to the papacy of his younger brother, and commissioned the family's palazzo in the rione Pigna, replacing the already existing Altieri houses; Lorenzo (1671 - 1741); Giambattista the younger (1673-1740); Vincenzo Maria (1724 - 1800) who became famous for his courageous resignation during the Jacobin Republic; then Lodovico (1805–67) who, after being nuncius at

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

for several years, was part of the

triumvirate A triumvirate ( la, triumvirātus) or a triarchy is a political institution ruled or dominated by three individuals, known as triumvirs ( la, triumviri). The arrangement can be formal or informal. Though the three leaders in a triumvirate are ...

of Cardinals which ruled Rome after the end of the Roman republic in 1849. Appointed Cardinal of Albano, he died of

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium '' Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting a ...

in 1867, while assisting people hit by the epidemics. The family became extinct in 1955, with the death of the last prince, Prince Ludovico Altieri (1878–1955). Nowadays, the descendants of a cadet branch of the family have survived. The founder of the family was Ferdinando Altieri (1887-1966), great invalid of war, veteran of the first world conflict and husband of Irene Riso (1888-1984), scion of the Riso di Colobria barons based in

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The city is noted for its ...

. The couple had three children, including Alberto Altieri (1929 - 2012) spiritual son of cardinal Sergio Pignedoli as well as an official of

RAI RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terr ...

. The aforesaid branch, even though it is distantly linked to the main dynasty, does not hold any noble property.

Chronology of the Princes of Oriolo and Viano

Official Chronology of the nine princes: * Gaspare Altieri, 1650–1720, 1st Prince of Oriolo and Viano * Emilio Altieri, 1670–1721, 2nd Prince * Girolamo Antonio Altieri, 1673–1762, 3rd Principe * Carlo Emilio Altieri, 1723–1801, 4th Prince * Paluzzo Altieri, 1760–1834, 5th Prince * Clemente Altieri, 1795–1873, 6th Principe * Emilio Altieri, 1819–1900, 7th Principe * Paolo Altieri, 1849–1901, 8th Prince * Ludovico Altieri, 1878–1955, 9th (and last) Prince Ludovico, the last Prince, had the following brothers and sisters * Teodolinda Altieri, 1876–1947 * Clemente Altieri, 1877–1886 * Maria Augusta Altieri, 1880–1976 (the last member of the princely family to bear the surname) * Guglielmo Altieri, 1884–1893 * Marcantonio Altieri, 1886–1886 * Camilla Altieri, 1889–1971 * Marcantonio Altieri, 1891–1919

Notes

External links

{{Authority control Families of post-ancient Rome Papal families Pope Clement X