A Jacobite Gazetteer - Italy
Orvieto |
The city of Orvieto is located about one hundred kilometres north of Rome. It is the home of the Gualterio family who for many years were associated with the Stuart court. Cardinal Filippo Antonio Gualterio was King James III and VIII's Ambassador to the Court of Rome. His brother Giovanni Battista Gualterio was made Earl of Dundee by King James in 1705. In 1723 they hosted King James III at their villa in Porano Palazzo Gualterio
In 1725 King James III and VIII and Queen Clementina visited Orvieto and stayed in the Palazzo Gualterio. In the Palazzo Communale can be seen a Latin inscription recording the visit: 1
QVOD CVM CLEMENTINA CONIVGE VRBEM VETEREM XII KAL: IVN: MDCCXXV INGRESSVS IBIQ: TRIDVO COMMORATVS EO BENEFICIO MA= GISTRATVM ORNAVERIT VT IN PHILIPPI AN= TONII S·R·E· CARDINALIS GVALTERII ÆD= IBVS CONFALONERIVM TVNC TEMPORIS IOSE= PHVM ALBERICI ID MVNVS EXERCENTEM CORA= M CAROLO M~RIA EQVITE POSCIA ET IO: PETRO VITI CONSERVATORIBVS APPLICITO AD HVMEROS ENSE EQVITEM APPELAVERIT CÆTERIS QVIBVSLI= BET EAMEDEM DIGNITATEM ADEPTVRIS PERPETVO HONOREM HVNC IMPERTITVS· ANGELVS AVVEDVTVS CONFALONEQVES ET BELISA= RIVS SANVITANVS CONSERVATOR PACIS VRBE VET: POPVLO PRÆSIDENTES OBSEQVENTISSIMI· G · A · M · R · P · KALENDIS SEPT: MDCCXXV· VANNONVS CANC~VS·
CattedraleOn the right side of the cathedral of Orvieto is the very famous Signorelli Chapel. On the left side of this chapel are the tombs of the Gualterio family. On the wall is a black tablet with a Latin inscription to the memory of Cardinal Filippo Antonio Gualterio, King James III and VIII's Ambassador to the Court of Rome and later Cardinal Protector of England:
PHILIPPVS ANTONIVS On the floor is a very wide Latin inscription to the memory of Giovanni Batista Gualterio, whom James raised to the Peerage of Scotland as Earl of Dundee:
Notes 1 Private communication from Lynda Rouse, November 20, 2007. Image 1 (Palazzo Gualterio): Commune di Orvieto, "Palazzo Gualterio", http://www.comune.orvieto.tr.it/i/39D10935.htm. Image 2 (Inscription from Palazzo Gualterio): © Lynda Rouse 2007 (Key to Umbria: City Walks). |
This page is maintained by Noel S. McFerran (noel.mcferran@rogers.com) and was last updated December 7, 2007. |