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The House of Altieri was an ancient noble family of Rome, present in the history of the city since the Middle Ages, yet now extinct in the noble line. In addition to the title of Prince granted by the Pope,The title prince was applied to the Altieri fiefs of Oriolo and Viano. branches of the Altieri were also part of the aristocracy of Genoa and of Venice. The family consolidated its position in the ranks of the great senatorial and cardinal aristocracy thanks to dynastic marriages with families like the Colonna family, Paluzzi, Chigi family, Odescalchi, Pamphili family, Ruspoli family, Barberini family, Borghese family and in more recent times the di Napoli Rampolla, relatives of the famous Cardinal Mariano Rampolla, Secretary of State of Pope Leo XIII, not to mention a multitude of princely families of Europe. Their consisted of the principality of Oriolo Romano 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 Middle Ages until the second half of the twentieth century, reaching the apogee of their power with Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, elected pope in 1670 under the name of Clement X.
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, author of the treatise De Censuris ecclesiasticis, printed after his death.
Emilio Altieri, having taken vows, became bishop of Camerino in 1627, nuncius in Naples from 1644 to 1652: appointed cardinal in 1669 by Pope Clement IX, 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 Romano and Viano (Vejano) and Duke of Monterano. Paluzzo, created cardinal, became the pope's cardinal-nephew, ruling de facto the catholic Church as Cardinal-padrone (), 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 Palazzo Altieri 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 Altieri (1805–67) who, after being nuncius at Vienna for several years, was part of the triumvirate of Cardinals which ruled Rome after the end of the Roman republic in 1849. Appointed Cardinal of Albano, he died of cholera 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. The couple had three children, including Alberto Altieri (1929 - 2012) spiritual son of cardinal Sergio Pignedoli as well as an official and director of the photografiphic archive of RAI. The aforesaid branch, even though it is distantly linked to the main dynasty, does not hold any noble property.
Ludovico, the last Prince, had the following brothers and sisters
17th century and later
Between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries the family produced seven cardinals and reached its zenith with Clement X, born in 1590 to Lorenzo Altieri and his wife Vittoria Delfin, who belonged to one of the oldest families of the Venetian Republic, which gave to the republic of the Lion a doge, several procurators of St. Mark, many diplomats and also a host of cardinals.
Chronology of the Princes of Oriolo and Viano
Official Chronology of the nine princes:
See also
Notes
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