Alessandro Torlonia, 2nd Prince of Civitella-Cesi
Alessandro Torlonia | |
|---|---|
| Born | Don Alessandro Raffaele Torlonia Template:Birth date Rome, Italy |
| Died | February 7, 1886 (aged 86) Rome, Italy |
| Occupation(s) | Aristocrat, banker, art collector |
| Known for | Financing the drainage of Lake Fucino; founder of the Torlonia Collection and Torlonia Museum |
| Notable work | Expansion of Villa Torlonia; acquisition of Villa Albani; creation of Torlonia Collection |
Prince Don Alessandro Raffaele Torlonia, Prince of Fucino, Prince of Civitella-Cesi, and Duke of Ceri (1800–1886) was a distinguished Italian aristocrat belonging to the House of Torlonia. He was the offspring of Giovanni Torlonia, 1st Prince di Civitella-Cesi.
Life
Alessandro was born on January 1, 1800, to Giovanni Torlonia and Anna Maria Chiaveri née Schulteiss. In 1829, he came into a substantial inheritance primarily derived from banking enterprises. From 1832 until 1842, he undertook significant expansions of Villa Torlonia, initially constructed by his father in 1806. His wealth further increased through controlling monopolies on salt and tobacco in the regions of Rome and Naples.
Among his notable achievements was financing the drainage of Lake Fucino between 1862 and 1873. This ambitious engineering endeavor eradicated a major source of malaria and transformed the area into arable farmland under his management. For this accomplishment, King Victor Emmanuel II honored him with the title Prince of Fucino and awarded him a distinctive gold medal.
In 1840, Alessandro married Princess Donna Teresa Colonna-Doria from the Roman Colonna family. The couple had two daughters: Anna Maria, who later wed Giulio Borghese, and Giovanna Giacinta Carolina. Alessandro passed away in Rome on February 7, 1886. His princely designation was inherited by Don Augusto Torlonia, 3rd Prince of Civitella Cesi, while the title Prince of Fucino was transferred to his son-in-law Giulio Borghese.
A family custom established in the early 1800s involved transporting the Santo Bambino of Aracoeli to ill relatives unable to visit the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. Alessandro upheld this tradition by using a carriage formerly owned by Pope Leo XIII, personally delivering bedside visits to those who were sick.
Torlonia Collection
Alessandro Torlonia gained renown as an avid collector of Greek and Roman antiquities, acquiring and excavating numerous sculptures that formed the core of the Torlonia Collection. In 1866, he acquired the Villa Albani, renowned for its extensive Graeco-Roman artifacts originally assembled by Cardinal Alessandro Albani, nephew to Pope Clement XI. He extended archaeological explorations across various Torlonia family properties including Quadraro, the Caffarella estates, Villa of Maxentius, Villa of the Quintilii, and notably at Portus, ancient Rome’s primary seaport, thereby enhancing his collection with significant discoveries.
In 1875, Torlonia inaugurated the Torlonia Museum located on Via della Lungara in Rome, granting limited access to scholars and select visitors. Under his sponsorship, archaeologist E.L. Visconti produced the first comprehensive catalog of the collection. Later editions, revised by Visconti and his nephew Carlo Ludovico, culminated in an illustrated publication released in 1884. Prince Alessandro distributed copies to archaeological institutions and private collectors alike. By that year, the collection comprised approximately 620 items, with acquisitions continuing up to that time.