Torlonia (noble family)

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Coat of arms of the Torlonia family

Torlonia is the name of an Italian banking family who immigrated from France, who gained wealth and political influence in Rome from the 18th century, rose to the papal nobility in 1809 and to the princehood in 1814. The Torlonia are still part of the Italian aristocracy and the European nobility .

history

The Torlonia family is the youngest of the royal houses of the Roman-papal high nobility (alongside older ones such as the Aldobrandini , Barberini , Borghese , Caetani , Chigi , Colonna , Doria-Pamphilj , Lante della Rovere, Massimo , Odescalchi , Orsini , Pallavicini , Riario Sforza and Ruspoli ).

The family was active in the silk and fabric trade in the 18th century and had their office in the Piazza di Spagna in Rome. She started a small banking business that later grew and made the family one of the richest in Italy.

The founder of the house was Marin Tourlonias (1725–1785), born in Augerolles (France) as the son of the farmer Antoine Tourlonias from Auvergne . He began as a chamberlain to the abbot Charles-Alexandre de Montgon, who took him to Rome, where he entered the service of Cardinal Troiano Acquaviva d'Aragona (1696–1747). This bequeathed him a small pension, with which he started a fabric trade including money lending under the Italianized name Torlonia .

Giovanni Raimondo Torlonia (1754–1829), bust by Bertel Thorvaldsen

His son Giovanni Raimondo Torlonia (1754–1829) expanded the banking business, became rich through speculation and became one of the greatest financiers of the Roman nobility, who pledged or ceded lands to him for this, including the Duchy of Bracciano and the County of Pisciarelli from the Prince Odescalchi in 1803 , 1809 the Margraviate of Romavecchia and Turrita, 1820 the Duchy of Poli and Guadagnolo from the Conti , 1822 Capo di Monte, Morata and Bisenzio from Prince Poniatowski . He rose to become one of the largest landowners in the Papal States and was ennobled by Pope Pius VII in 1809 and made Prince (principe) di Civitella Cesi (as Princeps Romanus ) in 1814 , tellingly with a rising comet in the coat of arms. He also lucratively advised the Pope on the financial management of the Vatican. From 1797 he built the Villa Torlonia in Rome (later the residence of Mussolini) and in 1820 he acquired the Renaissance palace Palazzo Castellesi in Rome, which is still inhabited by the family today as Palazzo Torlonia .

Giovanni Raimondo married the cloth merchant widow Anna Maria Chiaveri, born in 1793 . Schultheiss , from Donaueschingen (1760–1840); their children married important noble houses and bought an art collection ( Museo Torlonia ). The eldest son, the banker Marino Torlonia (1795-1865), married Donna Anna Sforza -Cesarini and acquired the Villa Torlonia (Frascati) in 1841 and the Baroque palace Núñez-Torlonia in Via Condotti in 1842, which his descendants still live in today. Marino was raised by the Pope to Duca di Poli e di Guadagnolo in 1847 ; this title was inherited in the older branch of his descendants, which his grandson Leopoldo (1853-1918) founded and is now led by Giulio Torlonia, Duca di Poli e di Guadagnolo (* 1962). The younger grandson Marino (1861-1933), 4th Principe di Civitella Cesi, was an important banker and married an American industrial heiress. Her son Alessandro (1911-1986) married the Spanish princess Beatrice Isabel , his sister Marina (1916-1960) married tennis player Frank Shields (grandparents of actress Brooke Shields ). The title holder of this branch is currently Alessandro's son Don Marco Alfonso Torlonia, 6th Principe di Civitella Cesi (* 1937).

The youngest son of Giovanni Raimondo, Alessandro Torlonia (1800–1886), raised Prince of Fucino and Duke of Ceri , married Donna Teresa Colonna -Doria; their daughter Anna Maria (1855–1901) married Giulio Borghese in 1872 , who became the second prince of Fucino and in 1873 took the name Torlonia, thus establishing the Borghese line of the family; they lived in the Villa Torlonia in Avezzano . Her son Giovanni Torlonia (1873–1938) founded the Banca del Fucino in 1923, which is still operated by this line today

On November 20, 2018, the entire inheritance of Prince Alessandro Torlonia (* Rome November 28, 1925), who died on December 28, 2017, was given away due to the unexplained division of property between the siblings Carlo (* 1951), Paola (* 1953), despite his will. Francesca (* 1956) and Giulio (* 1963) were judicially confiscated. These include above all the Villa Albani on Via Salaria in Rome with its rich collection of ancient statues and sculptures, including the two frescoes of the Tomba Francois von Vulci depicting a sacrifice of Troian prisoners of war and a description of battles between Etruscan and Roman warriors the early days of Roman history.

Torlonia Collection

The Museo Torlonia in the Villa Albani was never shown to the public and has remained in the private property of the youngest family line to this day. In 2020, 96 pieces from the collection can be viewed for the first time, after which the pieces will be shown in various museums around the world. In the long term, a public museum is to be set up in Rome for the collection.

Known family members

  • Alessandro Torlonia , Duke of Ceri, Prince of Fucino (1800–1886), banker and large landowner
  • Beatrice Isabel Torlonia , Principessa di Civitella-Cesi, Infanta of Spain (1909–2002), Spanish princess and wife of Don Alessandro Torlonia, 5th Principe di Civitella-Cesi (1911–1986)

See also

literature

  • Daniela Felisini, Quel capitalista per ricchezza principalissimo: Alessandro Torlonia principe, banchiere, imprenditore nell'Ottocento romano , Rubbettino Editore, 2004
  • Roberto Quintavalle: Alessandro Torlonia e Via Nomentana nell'Ottocento. Edilazio, Rome 2008.

Web links

Commons : Torlonia  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Banca del Fucino .
  2. ↑ World's most important private collection of ancient Roman art to go on display for first time