The House of Mattei was one of the most powerful noble families of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

during the Middle Ages and

early modern era The early modern period is a historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There is no exact date ...

, holding high positions in the

papal curia The Roman Curia () comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See and the central body through which the affairs of the Catholic Church are conducted. The Roman Curia is the institution of which the Roman Pontiff ordinarily makes us ...

and government office. The family amassed significant art collections under art enthusiasts such as Ciriaco Mattei. The Mattei gave eight Cardinals to the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, among them

Girolamo Mattei Girolamo Mattei (8 February 1547 – 8 December 1603) was an Italian Cardinal from the House of Mattei. Biography Mattei was born 8 February 1547, the son of Alessandro Mattei and Emilia Mazzatosta. He was the younger brother of Ciriaco Mattei ...

(1586), Gaspare Mattei (1643), Alessandro Mattei (1803), Mario Mattei (1832), Lorenzo Girolamo Mattei (1833) and (as late as 1875)

Ruggero Luigi Emidio Antici Mattei Ruggero Luigi Emidio Antici Mattei (23 March 1811, Recanati, Marche — 21 April 1883) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Latin Patriarch of Constantinople from 1866 to 1875, and was elevated to the cardinal ...

. The founder of one powerful branch of the Mattei was Giovanni Giacomo Mattei.

History

200px, left, Cortile Mattei di Giove Mattei family lines reportedly went back to an early Roman family, the Papareschi, and their ancestors included

Pope Innocent II Pope Innocent II (; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as Pope was controversial, and the first eight years o ...

(1130–1143). In the 1350s the family moved to the Rione Sant Angelo, and they eventually built six residences in the block called the ''Isola Mattei''. The Mattei established themselves in politics and banking and were closely connected to the politics of the

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

; later to its military conquests. Though they lived in the

Roman Ghetto The Roman Ghetto or Ghetto of Rome () was a Jewish ghettos in Europe, Jewish ghetto established in 1555 by Pope Paul IV in the Sant'Angelo (rione of Rome), Rione Sant'Angelo, in Rome, Italy, in the area surrounded by present-day Via del Porticus ...

, the historic Jewish quarter, they were

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

. When

Pope Paul IV Pope Paul IV (; ; 28 June 1476 – 18 August 1559), born Gian Pietro Carafa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 May 1555 to his death, in August 1559. While serving as papal nuncio in Spain, he developed ...

decided to build a wall around the Ghetto in 1555, at the invitation of the Roman Jews who wished to be isolated on the Sabbath, the Mattei were given a key to the gate by the Jews.

Property

In Rome the Mattei owned five palazzi in the rione, or quarter, of Sant'Angelo (together they formed the so-called "isola dei Mattei": see

Palazzo Mattei The Palazzo Mattei di Giove is the most prominent among a group of House of Mattei, Mattei houses that forms the ''insula Mattei'' in Rome, Italy, a block of buildings of many epochs. Name To distinguish this section from the others it carries th ...

), and one in

Trastevere Trastevere () is the 13th of Rome, Italy. It is identified by the initials R. XIII and it is located within Municipio I. Its name comes from Latin (). Its coat of arms depicts a golden head of a lion on a red background, the meaning of which i ...

. Moreover, they owned ''

Villa Celimontana The Villa Celimontana (previously known as Villa Mattei) is a villa on the Caelian Hill in Rome, best known for its gardens. Its grounds cover most of the valley between the Aventine Hill and the Caelian. Location The Villa Celimontana is situat ...

'' in the rione Celio. The family assumed control over the bridges closest to their ancestral palace during the papal interregnum, levying charges on various types of traffic, including the Jews who lived in the nearby ghetto when burying their dead outside the city. The purchase of the territory of

Giove ; ), or Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element, is the name for two satellites built for the European Space Agency (ESA) to test technology in orbit for the Galileo (satellite navigation), Galileo positioning system. The name was chosen as a tribut ...

in 1597 entitled the Mattei to the title ''Marquis di Giove'' (raised in 1643 to a dukedom) in addition to their older title of Nobile Romano. Other Mattei titles included ''Duke of Paganica'' and ''Marquis di Belmonte''. In 1580–1585,

Muzio Mattei Muzio Mattei (died 1596) was an Italian nobleman of the House of Mattei. He helped the Mattei rise to prominence by supporting political and cultural initiatives of the Pope and the Church in Rome. Political activity Mattei and his family were Ro ...

commissioned one of the most famous fountains in Rome, the

Fontana delle Tartarughe The Fontana delle Tartarughe (The Turtle Fountain) is a fountain of the late Italian Renaissance, located in Piazza Mattei, in the Sant'Angelo (rione of Rome), Sant'Angelo district of Rome, Italy. It was built between 1580 and 1588 by the archit ...

(Turtle Fountain) in front of his residence.

Family tree

House of Mattei family tree during the 16th and 17th centuries:

Differentiation

Like many noble Italian families of the period, sons were often named in honour of their predecessors. It the case of the Mattei, the same

christian name A Christian name, sometimes referred to as a baptismal name, is a religious personal name given on the occasion of a Christian baptism, though now most often given by parents at birth. In English-speaking cultures, a person's Christian name ...

s are given many times over. The ''Alessandro Mattei'' listed in the final branch of the family tree above, though sources suggests he undertook an ecclesiastic career, is not Alessandro Mattei (1744–1820). Ironically though, the latter Alessandro was also nephew to a ''Luigi Mattei''; born in 1702Florida International University - Alessandro Mattei
/ref> who later became a cardinal (not the military

Luigi Mattei Luigi Mattei, Marquis of Belmonte (19 November 16098 June 1665) was an Italian general and diplomat. He led papal forces during the Wars of Castro. Biography Mattei was the second son of Asdrubale Mattei, Marquis di Giove, of the House of Mattei ...

listed above). Though direct relations are not clear, biographies of contemporaries Alessandro Mattei (1744–1820), Lorenzo Girolamo Mattei (1748–1833), Mario Mattei (1792–1870) and

(1811–1883) suggest they were all related.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:House Of Mattei Families of post-ancient Rome M

History

Property

Family tree

Differentiation

See also

References