Twilight of Rome's Papal Nobility

UGO BONCOMPAGNI LUDOVISI (1856–1935) was the eldest son of Rodolfo Boncompagni Ludovisi and Agnese Borghese Boncompagni Ludovisi. A twice-widowed husband and father of five children, he was the founder of the Scacciadiavoli winery and progenitor of the current Boncompagni Ludovisi dynasty. Following the death of his second wife, he joined the priesthood and ultimately held the influential position of Vice Camerlengo at the Vatican.CAROL COFONE is a translator and assistant director of the digital humanities project Archivio Digitale Boncompagni Ludovisi.

• Contents Forewords by HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, T. Corey BrennanTranslator’s Note by Carol CofoneINTRODUCTION To My Few Readers CHAPTER I Casa Borghese My Grandfather’s Wedding-My Mother is Born The Death of my Grandmother, Guendalina My Mother Always Remembers This Death My Grandfather’s Second Marriage My Mother Up To the Age of Twelve The Revolution of 1848 Pius IX Departs from Rome From My Mother’s “Journal:” Pius IX and the Borghese in Gaeta The Borghese in Naples The Miracle of San Gennaro The Devotion to the Sacred Heart-The Doria The News from Rome The de Ligne The Taking of Rome Pius IX in Portici and the Borghese in Vico Two Small Volumes of MemoriesHer Mother Her Father The “Journal” of Her mother The Borghese Return-My Mother’s Education is Completed CHAPTER II “L’entrÉe dans le monde” of My Mother...My Mother’s Entry into the World The Engagement and a Misunderstanding with the Porter The Marriage Letters of My Grandfather Borghese Travel to Paris and England My Birth Other Letters from My Grandfather Borghese My Brother Luigi is Born A First Excursion Aunt Princess Doria Dies My Sister Guendalina Political Events-Francesco II in Rome Don Bosco and Francesco II at Villa Ludovisi Letters of Francesco II One of My Audiences with Francesco II Family Relations-Some Names My Sister Maddalena and My Brother Giuseppe are Born My First Communion A Warning That is Almost a Prophecy Three Trips to Paris In Mentone, in Switzerland, in Bavaria We Do Not “diamo del tu” Anymore In Belgium, in Cologne, and Again in Paris I Get Lost in the Garden of the Exposition Return to Rome and Meetings with the Countess Pianell, Monsignor di Canossa and the Garibaldini A Trip to Mentana and the De Charette La Quiete The Institute of the Blind The Charity Bazaar My Mother’s Serious Illness-My Sister Maria is Born My Uncle and Aunt Venosa at La Quiete The Faith of My Mother Une MatriarcheHer Faith and Affection for the Roman Pontificate Gregory XVI Pius IX Leo XIII Pius X Benedict XV The Political Philosophy of My Mother, The Division in Roman Society I Fall Sick A Deficiency in the Education of My Mother A Faithful Cook Providential Care of the Staff The 20th of September, 1870 My Mother, the Pontifical Prisoners and Two Courtly Officers of the Bersaglieri The 20th of September and Several Years Spent at La Quiete A Few Among the Visitors of La Quiete in Those Years Don Bosco The Chapel of La Quiete and the Sacred Heart Other Visitors at La Quiete-Abbott Lisi and Abbott Ancaiani A True Tridentine Patriot A Train Accident-Aunt and Uncle Bomarzo at La Quiete CHAPTER III Vittoria Patrizi A Thought about Marriage My Marriage The Death of Princess Adele Borghese The Wedding of My Sister Guendalina My Little Guendalina and My Mother Alton Towers Castle in the Past The Religious Vocation of My Sister Maddalena and My Mother The Departure, the Investiture of My Sister in the Letters of Monsignor Czaski and My Mother Isabella Rondinelli Marries My Brother Luigi La Quiete, Its Visitors Cardinal Pecci and Cardinal Nina Two Oratorians Sacred to La Quiete: Monsignor Fabiani, Father Agostino da Montefeltro The Death of My Vittoria, My Sorrow, the Affection of My Mother My Mother and San Francesco San Francesco-His Shrines-Franciscan Festivals My Grandfather Piombino Dies Laura Altieri At Palazzo Piombino in Piazza Colonna A Great Sorrow: the Death of Her Father My Mother’s Thoughts on Maternal Authority A Very Small Book Where She Wrote Down Her Memories About Her Children Little Political Newspapers October 20, 1886, a Very Happy Day for My Parents My Father on the Verge of Death and Guido Baccelli Arduina di San Martino Marries My Brother Giuseppe The Palazzo in Via Veneto and My Mother My Mother and the Memories of Casa Boncompagni My Laura Dies-My Mother and Extreme Unction Our Serious Financial Difficulties; Charity, the Fortitude of My Mother’s Soul A Look at Her Affection for My Father That Manifested Itself More in The Days of Suffering The Sorrow of My Mother Over the Death of Princess Teresa Borghese My First Mass and The Long-Standing Prayer of My Mother in Loreto Three Great Sorrows, Three Perished...My Brother-In-Law Cattaneo Dies My Grandmother Piombino Dies My Son-In-Law Malvezzi Dies The Last Party At La Quiete-The Wedding of My Guglielmina It Is the Hostess Who Makes the Salon The Golden Wedding Anniversary The Canon Don Andrea Muzzarelli A Good Friend, Today Bishop of Noto My Francesco Marries Nicoletta Prinetti. Their First Child My Mother and Her Affection for Her Husband in His Last Years The Death of Our Father; The Great Sorrow of MammÀ CHAPTER IV Her Vision; The Painful Privations That It Imposed Conversation Is a Welcome Relief The Loss of a Beloved Sister and Two Dear Brothers The Grandmother and Her Affection for Her Grandchildren The Heart of My Mother, And My Son My Daughter Guendalina, Her Grandmother and Her Social Work My Mother’s Thoughts About the Work of Women The Congregation of San Vincenzo in Foligno A Son Respected for His Love for His Mother Activities Aimed at Spiritual Improvement Belfiore and the Children of The Workers The Turchine and Some of Her Ways of Carrying Out Charity The First Communions-The Last Hundred Lire My Mother Gave Mons. Faloci and the Charity of My Mother Going Back to My Mother’s Characteristic Qualities My Mother and Culture-The Book Another Loss-Her Last Sorrow She No Longer Goes To La Quiete Mother Savina Petrilli and The Last Summer Seasons The Last Summer Seasons in Her Letters The “Sisters Of The Poor”- The Dear One Of My Mother -“Leonetta" Gleaning Among the Reading Done “With Pen in Hand” Charity and Manual Work What Those Who Knew Her Write Maddalena Patrizi Father Martens Carlo Santucci The Count of Linange Raffaella Conestabile Monsignor Di Somma Matilde Fiorilli Return To Rome! Her Life in The Last Months Everything Is in Order My Sisters Tell Me Always Full of Life ... But Life Is Near Its End! Last Days-The Sacraments-Memories-Goodbyes Last Hours-The Prayers of The Dying I’m Standing in That Room! She Breathes Her Last! ... It’s Five Minutes to Midnight. Notes on ContributorsAppendix: Who’s WhoForeword xvHSH Princess Rita Boncompagni LudovisiT. Corey BrennanTranslator’s Note xxvCarol CofoneIntroduction: To My Few Readers 1Chapter 1 3Casa Borghese 3My Grandfather’sWedding-MyMotherIs Born 5The Death of My Grandmother,Guendalina 6My MotherAlways Remembers This Death 7My Grandfather’sSecond Marriage 11My MotherUp to the Age of Twelve 13The Revolution of 1848 15Pius IX Departs from Rome 18From My Mother’s“Journal”: “Pius IXand the Borghese in Gaeta” 19“The Borghese in Naples” 28“The Miracle of San Gennaro” 36“The Devotion to the Sacred Heart-TheDoria” 38“The News from Rome” 40“The de Ligne” 42“The Taking of Rome” 43Pius IX in Portici and the Borghese in Vico 44Two Small Volumes of Memories 45Her Mother47Her Father50The “Journal” of Her Mother54The Borghese Return-MyMother’sEducation Is Completed 55Chapter 2 59“L’entrÉe dans le monde” of My Mother(My Mother’sEntry into the World) 59The Engagement and a Misunderstandingwith the Porter 62The Marriage 63Letters of My GrandfatherBorghese 66Travel to Paris and England68My Birth 71Other Letters from My GrandfatherBorghese 73My BrotherLuigi Is Born 74A First Excursion 74Aunt Princess Doria Dies 75My SisterGuendalina 76PoliticalEvents-FrancescoII in Rome 76Don Bosco and Francesco II at Villa Ludovisi 77Letters of Francesco II 79One of My Audiences with Francesco II 82FamilyRelations-SomeNames 83My SisterMaddalena and My BrotherGiuseppe Are Born 86My First Communion 87A Warning That Is Almost a Prophecy 88Three Trips to Paris 88In Mentone, in Switzerland, in Bavaria 89We Do Not “Diamo del Tu” Anymore 90In Belgium, in Cologne, and Again in Paris 91I Get Lost in the Garden of the Exposition 92Return to Rome and Meetings with the CountessPianell, Monsignor di Canossa, and theGaribaldini 94A Trip to Mentana and the De Charette 96“La Quiete” 97The Institute of the Blind 98The Charity Bazaar 100My Mother’sSerious Illness-MySisterMaria Is Born 104My Uncleand Aunt Venosa at La Quiete 106The Faith of My Mother106Une Matriarche 108Her Faith and Affection for the RomanPontificate 108Gregory XVI 109Pius IX 109Leo XIII 111Pius X 112Benedict XV 113The PoliticalPhilosophy of My Mother,the Division in Roman Society 113I Fall Sick 114A Deficiency in the Education of My Mother115A Faithful Cook 120Providential Care of the Staff 121The 20th of September 1870 123My Mother,the Pontifical Prisoners, and TwoCourtly Officers of the Bersaglieri 124The 20th of September and Several YearsSpent at La Quiete 125A Few among the Visitors of La Quiete in ThoseYears 129Don Bosco 130The Chapel of La Quiete and the Sacred Heart 132Other Visitors at La Quiete-AbbottLisiand Abbott Ancaiani 134A True Tridentine Patriot 136A Train Accident-Auntand UncleBomarzoat La Quiete 139Chapter 3 141Vittoria Patrizi 141A Thought about Marriage 142My Marriage 143The Death of Princess Adele Borghese 143The Wedding of My SisterGuendalina 144My LittleGuendalina and My Mother145Alton Towers Castlein the Past 145The Religious Vocation of My SisterMaddalenaand My Mother148The Departure, the Investiture of My Sisterin the Letters of Monsignor Czaski, andMy Mother149Isabella Rondinelli Marries My BrotherLuigi 153La Quiete, Its Visitors Cardinal Pecci andCardinal Nina 154Two Oratorians Sacred to La Quiete:Monsignor Fabiani, FatherAgostinoda Montefeltro 156The Death of My Vittoria, My Sorrow,the Affection of My Mother158My Motherand San Francesco 158San Francesco-HisShrines-FranciscanFestivals 159My GrandfatherPiombino Dies 163Laura Altieri 163At Palazzo Piombino in Piazza Colonna 164A GreatSorrow: The Death of Her Father164My Mother’sThoughts on Maternal Authority 166A Very Small Book Where She WroteDown Her Memories about Her Children170LittlePoliticalNewspapers 17220 October 1886, a Very Happy Day forMy Parents 174My Fatheron the Verge of Death andGuido Baccelli 174My SisterMaria Marries Francesco Caffarelli 175Arduina di San Martino Marries My BrotherGiuseppe 179The Palazzo in Via Veneto and My Mother179My Motherand the Memories of CasaBoncompagni 180My Laura Dies-MyMotherand ExtremeUnction 182Our Serious Financial Difficulties; Charity,the Fortitude of My Mother’sSoul 183A Look at Her Affection for My FatherThatManifested Itself More in the Days ofSuffering 185The Sorrow of My Motherover the Deathof Princess ThÉrÈse Borghese 188My First Mass and the Long-StandingPrayer of My Motherin Loreto 189Three GreatSorrows, Three Perished . . . MyBrother-in-LawCattaneo Dies 190My GrandmotherPiombino Dies 191My Son-in-LawMalvezzi Dies 192The Last Party at La Quiete-TheWeddingof My Guglielmina 192It Is the Hostess Who Makes the Salon 193The Golden Wedding Anniversary 194The Canon Don Andrea Muzzarelli 199A Good Friend, TodayBishop of Noto 201My Francesco Marries Nicoletta Prinetti.Their First Child 202My Motherand Her Affection for HerHusband in His Last Years 202The Death of Our Father;the GreatSorrow of MammÀ 204Chapter 4 207Her Vision; the Painful Privations ThatIt Imposed 207Conversation Is a Welcome Relief 209The Loss of a Beloved Sisterand TwoDear Brothers209Grandmotherand Her Affection forHer Grandchildren 211The Heart of My Mother,and My Son 212My DaughterGuendalina, Her Grandmother,and Her Social Work 213My Mother’sThoughts about the Work ofWomen214The Congregation of San Vincenzo in Foligno 215A Son Respected for His Love for His Mother216Activities Aimed at Spiritual Improvement 217Belfiore and the Childrenof the Workers 218The Turchine and Some of Her Ways of CarryingOut Charity 218The First Communions-TheLast HundredLire My MotherGave 219Mons. Faloci and the Charity of My Mother220GoingBack to My Mother’sCharacteristicQualities 220My Motherand Culture-TheBook 222Another Loss-HerLast Sorrow 223She No Longer Goes to La Quiete 224MotherSavina Petrilli and the Last SummerSeasons 225The Last Summer Seasons in Her Letters 231The “Sistersof the Poor”-TheDear Oneof My Mother-“Leonetta” 235Gleaning among the Reading Done “withPen in Hand” 238Charity and Manual Work 244What ThoseWho Knew Her Write 244Maddalena Patrizi 245FatherMartens 245Carlo Santucci 247The Count of Linange 248Raffaella Conestabile 248Monsignor Di Somma 249Matilde Fiorilli 251Return to Rome! 254Her Life in the Last Months 255EverythingIs in Order 258My SistersTell Me 259Always Full of Life . . . but Life Is Near Its End! 260Last Days-TheSacraments-Memories-Goodbyes262Last Hours-ThePrayers of the Dying269I’m Standing in That Room! She BreathesHer Last! . . . It’s Five Minutes to Midnight 271Who’s Who in The Twilight of Rome’sPapal Nobility 275Notes on Contributors 281

"An intimate memorial to Agnese, who became wife, mother, and matriarch of a Roman aristocratic family in the tumultuous decades between the mid-nineteenth and the early twentieth century. From memoir to wider family history, Ugo's account intertwines the fate of the Boncompagni Ludovisi with the making of a new unified Italy. Cofone's translation captures the spirit of the now vanishing world of Roman aristocratic culture." - Caroline Castiglione (author of Accounting for Affection: Mothering and Politics in Early Modern Rome) "Cofone's translation offers an extraordinary glimpse into the lives and mental world of the nineteenth-century Roman aristocracy-intensely Catholic but increasingly international and, from a social position of certainty that would prove mistaken, intellectually curious. The economic ups and downs of the Boncompagni Ludovisi family, an astoundingly rich papal family which would topple from its great height by the end of the century, are the backdrop for marital alliances and travels, and the life of Agnese Borghese Boncompagni Ludovisi as written by her son was, in its own way, a gigantic adventure in which we can now participate." - Anthony Majanlahti (author of The Families who Made Rome: A History and a Guide) "The Twilight of Rome’s Papal Nobility filters Agnese Borghese Boncompagni Ludovisi's life through the eyes of her son and biographer, Ugo. The exceptional encounters both she and the family at large had with elite members of the religious and secular establishment are combined with touching episodes of everyday life events. The biography exists at the crossroads of Italy's remarkable history, including Ugo's musings on the Risorgimento and the expropriation of his family's Villa Ludovisi, making Cofone's translation a truly fascinating read.”- Pierette Kulpa (associate professor of art history at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania)