A Jacobite Gazetteer - Rome

Chiesa di Sant' Andrea al Quirinale

The church of the Jesuit novitiate in Rome is located at Via del Quirinale 29.

In the first chapel to the left of the high altar (the Cappella della Crocifisso) is the tomb of King Charles IV (King Charles Emanuel IV of Sardinia). The funerary monument was commissioned by his younger brother, King Charles Felix of Sardinia. According to one source it was designed by Angelo Testa; ¹ according to another, by Felice Festa. ²

Tomb of King Charles IV

Bust of King Charles IV

The base is a polychrome marble plinth decorated with the arms of Savoy surmounted by a royal crown and surrounded with the collar of the Supreme Order of the Annunciation. To the left of the arms is a sprig of oak leaves and acorns; to the right of the arms is a sprig of olive leaves and berries. Atop the polychrome marble plinth stands a white marble stele with an inscription. Atop the stele is a bust of the king. To the left of the stele is an angel who bears the Jesuit monogram (IHS) on his breast; to the right, a mourning woman holding in her right hand a gold crown of thorns. The Latin inscription authored by Carlo Boucheron ³ is highly abbreviated: ⁴

Tomb inscription

KAROLVS · EMMANVEL
R · VICT · AMED · F · R · KAR · EMM · N ·
R · VICT · AM · PRON · SABAVDUS · REX
SARDINIAE · CYP · HIER · N · AVG · TAVR ·
VIII · K · IVN · A · MDCCLI · REGNVM
ADEPTVS · TEMP · INIQVIS · SANCTE
GESSIT · AN · SEX · CLOTILDE · F · VEN ·
VIDVATVS · ABDICAVIT · A · MDCCCII ·
PRIVATVS · VITAM · VIXIT · OMNIBVS
VIRTVTIB · REFERTAM · VTI · VERO · SE
VNI · DEO · MANCIPARET · PACATVM
SECESSVM · APVD · SOD · IGNAT · SIBI
DELEGIT · DEMVM · PLVRIMO · MORBO
TACTVS · ANIMO · INVICTVS · VITA
CESSIT · PR · NON · OCT · MDCCCXVIII ·
H · S · E · VESTITV · AMICTVS · VT · IPSE
IVSSIT · RELIGIOSO · POMPA · REGII
FVNERIS · T · VETITA · QUO · ETIAM
I>>I>> · SCVT · N · HOSPITI · SOD · LEG ·
REX · KAROLVS · FELIX
FRATRI · OPT · B · M · PIETATIS · CAVSSA

Upstairs in the parish offices hangs a portrait by an unknown artist of Charles IV. He is dressed as a Jesuit in black robes, resting his hands on a table next to a crown and a skull.

Portrait of King Charles IV

The church is open Wednesday to Monday from 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon, and from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.; closed Tuesday. (Telephone: 39.06.4744801).

Notes

¹ G. Giachia and G. Matthiae, S. Andrea al Quirinale (Rome: Marietti, 1969), 57.

² Maria Sofia Lilli, Aspetti dell'Arte Neoclassica: Sculture nelle Chiese Romane, 1780-1845 (Istituto nazionale di studi romani, 1991), 79. Felice Festa also designed the funerary monument for Charles' younger brother Prince Maurice of Sardinia, Duke of Montferrat (1762-1799).

³ Carlo Emanuele Maria Boucheron was born at Turin in 1773, and died in the same city in 1838. He taught Greek and Latin at the university in Turin.

⁴ The unabbreviated text is as follows:

KAROLVS EMMANVEL
R(EGIS) VICT(ORII) AMED(EI) F(ILIVS) R(EGIS) KAR(OLI) EMM(ANVELIS III) N(EPOS)
R(EGIS) VICT(ORII) AM(EDEI) PRON(EPOS) SABAVDUS REX
SARDINIAE CYP(RI) HIER(OSOLYMAE) N(ATVS) AVG(VSTAE) TAVR(INORUM)
VIII. K(ALENDAS) IVN(IAS) A(NNO) MDCCLI REGNVM
ADEPTUS TEMP(ORIBUS) INIQVIS SANCTE
GESSIT AN(NOS) SEX CLOTILDE F(EMINA) VEN(ERABILI)
VIVATUS ABDICAVIT A(NNO) MDCCCII
PRIVATUS VITAM VIXIT OMNIBVS
VIRTVTIB(VS) REFERTAM. VTI VERO SE
VNI DEO MANCIPARET PACATVM
SECESSVM APVD SOD(ALES) IGNAT(IANOS) SIBI
DELEGIT DEMVM PLVRIMO MORBO
TACTVS ANIMO INVICTVS VITA
CESSIT PR(IDIE) NON(AS) OCT(OBRES) MDCCCXVIII
H(EIC) S(EPVLTUS) E(ST) VESTITV AMICTVS VT IPSE
IVSSIT RELIGIOSO POMPA REGII
FVNERIS T(ESTAMENTO) VETITA QUO ETIAM
I>>I>> SCVT(ATORUM) N(VMMVM) HOSPITI SOD(ALITATI) LEG(AVIT)
REX KAROLVS FELIX
FRATRI OPT(IMO) B(ENE) M(ERENTI) PIETATIS CAUSSA

In the third to last line the number "I>>I>>" is a representation of the number "MM", where the second, third, fifth and sixth letters are backward letter "C"s; this is a not unusual way of displaying a Latin number.