The Palazzo Muti (officially the Palazzo Muti e Santuario della Madonna dell' Archetto) is a large townhouse in the Piazza dei Santi Apostoli,

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, built in 1644. Together with the neighboring

Palazzo Muti Papazzurri Palazzo Muti Papazzurri is a Baroque palazzo in Rome, Italy. It was built in 1660 by the architect Mattia de' Rossi, a pupil of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It is thought it was constructed for the newly married Pompeo Muti Papazzurri and Maria Isabe ...

, it originally formed part of a complex of adjoining palazzi and other houses owned by the Muti Papazzurri family. During the 18th century this entire range of buildings was, by courtesy of the Pope, the residence of the exiled

Stuart dynasty The House of Stuart, originally spelt Stewart, was a royal house of Scotland, England, Ireland and later Great Britain. The family name comes from the office of High Steward of Scotland, which had been held by the family progenitor Walter fi ...

while in exile in Rome. They were recognised by the Catholic Church as the rightful kings of Great Britain and Ireland. The Palazzo Muti should not be confused with the

in the Piazza della Pilotta which was designed by Mattia de' Rossi in 1660.

Architecture

The Palazzo Muti stands on a street corner, and is constructed on four floors. The architect was Mattia de Rossi who had been commissioned to build a residence for Giovanni Battista Muti Papazzurri, a member of one of Rome's patrician families. The principal facade, today painted

ochre Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...

and decorated only by

quoin Quoins ( or ) are masonry blocks at the corner of a wall. Some are structural, providing strength for a wall made with inferior stone or rubble, while others merely add aesthetic detail to a corner. According to one 19th century encyclopedia, t ...

ing is of just three

bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a narr ...

, with the main entrance to the palazzo, leading to an inner courtyard, at the centre on the ground floor. The size of the courtyard, dictated by the narrow rectangular dimensions of the palazzo is in reality little more than an open

lightwell In architecture, a lightwell,light well, light-well sky-well,skywell, sky well or air shaft is an unroofed or roofed external space provided within the volume of a large building to allow light and air to reach what would otherwise be a dark or ...

. The entrance itself is flanked by ionic columns, once surmounted by a Baroque pediment, this has since been replaced by a

balcony A balcony (from it, balcone, "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor. Types The traditional Maltese balcony is ...

. The architrave of the entrance has engraved upon it the name "Balestra", a family who once owned the palazzo. The top floor is concealed from sight by a broad cornice. The top floor is architecturally interesting, although hidden from sight at street level its three windows are divided by double

pilaster In classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the ...

s. That such an architectural feature should be hidden insinuates that the whole facade may at one stage in its history been of a more ornate design than is apparent today. An 18th-century drawing of the building (left) shows the top floor was originally lower and decorated in the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

style with

statuary A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

. However, even if its severe design the façade betrays some internal secrets, the first floor is obviously a

piano nobile The ''piano nobile'' (Italian for "noble floor" or "noble level", also sometimes referred to by the corresponding French term, ''bel étage'') is the principal floor of a palazzo. This floor contains the main reception and bedrooms of the hou ...

, as a hint of the importance of this floor is indicated on the exterior by, not only tall

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...

ed windows but also above them

blind window A blind arcade or blank arcade is an arcade (a series of arches) that has no actual openings and that is applied to the surface of a wall as a decorative element: i.e., the arches are not windows or openings but are part of the masonry face. It is ...

s indicating the double height of the reception rooms behind them. The house originally formed part of a complex of family properties which included two other palazzi and two more houses, one of the palazzi was the

which faces into the Piazza della Pilotta.

History

Muti Papazzurri family

The Muti Papazzurri are

document A document is a written, drawn, presented, or memorialized representation of thought, often the manifestation of non-fictional, as well as fictional, content. The word originates from the Latin ''Documentum'', which denotes a "teaching" or ...

ed in Rome from 1435 when the will of Giovanni Paolo Muti mentions a casa complete with a

tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...

on the site, and a painting from the early 17th century shows an older family house, with a large roof terrace, on the site of the present palazzo. In addition to their palazzi in Rome the family also owned a

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...

in the

Province of Viterbo Viterbo ( it, provincia di Viterbo) is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Viterbo. Geography Viterbo is the most northerly of the provinces of Lazio. It is bordered to the south by the Metropolitan City of Rome C ...

The Muti Papazurri became extinct with the death of Raffaele Muti Papazurri in 1816. The palazzo then passed through female descent into the family of the Marchese

Livio Savorelli Livio is both a masculine Italian given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name: *Livio Abramo (1903–1993), Brazilian artist *Livio Agresti (1508–1580), Italian painter *Livio Bendaña Espinoza (born 1935), Nicaragu ...

, who assumed the additional names of Muti Papazzurri. The family name used during the 19th century was "Savorelli Papazzurri", at this time the family also owned the far larger Villa Aurelia on the Janiculum Hill in Rome (used by

Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as ''Gioxeppe Gaibado''. In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as ''Jousé'' or ''Josep''. 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, patr ...

as his headquarters) which is now the American Academy in Rome. The palazzo acquired its long and religious name "Palazzo Muti e Santuario della Madonna dell' Archetto" following an event in 1796 when a

sacred Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

image of

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

in a

niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...

in the narrow alley to the rear of the Palazzo was said to have moved her eyes, another version says she was weeping because the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...

were being invaded by France. This

phenomenon A phenomenon ( : phenomena) is an observable event. The term came into its modern philosophical usage through Immanuel Kant, who contrasted it with the noumenon, which ''cannot'' be directly observed. Kant was heavily influenced by Gottfried W ...

was acknowledged by a

papal The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

decree in 1797. Thereafter the statue became known as "''Madonna dell'Archetto''". The image had been painted circa 1690 by Domenico Muratori for the Marchesa Savorelli Papazzurri who lived at the Palazzo. By 1850 the painting (sometimes called the "''Mater Misericordiae''" had overcome her distress at the invasion of the Vatican states and was now performing miracles involving divine intervention. The Madonna had become one of the most visited sites of the Virgin Mary in Rome,Brumildi as a result of this in 1850 the owners of the palazzo Count Alessandro and Countess Caterina Papazzurri Savorelli had the architect Virginio Vespignani build the neoclassical, domed Church of the Madonna dell’Archetto around the shrine. Today this is Rome's smallest functioning church. The Muti Papazzurri are buried in Rome at the Church of San Marcello al Corso, where their Baroque tombs and memorials still exist.

Stuart occupancy

The Muti Papazzurri complex of residences was rented in its entirety at the expense of the Pope through the Apostolic Camera from the Marchese Giovanni Battista Muti and his widowed mother the Marchesa Alessandra Millini Muti in 1719 for James Stuart (the "

Old Pretender James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs, was the son of King James II and VII of England, Scotland and Ireland, and his second wife, Mary of Modena. He was Prince of Wales fro ...

"), and Maria Klementyna Sobieska as their Roman residence. The Popes

Clement XI Pope Clement XI ( la, Clemens XI; it, Clemente XI; 23 July 1649 – 19 March 1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 November 1700 to his death in March 1721. Clement XI w ...

and

Innocent XIII Pope Innocent XIII ( la, Innocentius XIII; it, Innocenzo XIII; 13 May 1655 – 7 March 1724), born as Michelangelo dei Conti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 May 1721 to his death in March 1724. He is ...

considered the couple to be the rightful and, more importantly,

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

King and Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland. The cousin of Pope Innocent XIII, Francesco Maria Conti, from

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...

, was here the ''Gentiluomo di Camera'' (

Gentleman of the Bedchamber Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain. A Lord of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Household; the term being fir ...

) in the little Roman Jacobite court. For over two generations it remained the seat of the Stuart court-in-exile. It was the birthplace of James's two sons,

Charles Edward Stuart Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and ...

(or 'Bonnie Prince Charlie') in 1720, and

Henry Benedict Stuart Henry Benedict Thomas Edward Maria Clement Francis Xavier Stuart, Cardinal Duke of York (6 March 1725 – 13 July 1807) was a Roman Catholic cardinal, as well as the fourth and final Jacobite heir to publicly claim the thrones of Great Brit ...

(later Cardinal, Duke of York) in 1725. James Stuart died in the Palazzo in 1766 and Charles in 1788. After Charles' death, the tenancy passed to Henry, the last of the Stuart pretenders, who died in Frascati in 1807.

Alternative names

The various names given to the Palazzo can be confusing, especially as the Muti Papazzurri family built other residences bearing their name in Rome. The Palazzo is most often referred to by Romans simply as the ''Palazzo Muti'' or the ''Palazzo Balestra'', the Balestra being a family who lived in the palazzo for a time. The Balestra had their name carved on a keystone above the entrance. ''

Balestra Balestra may refer to: * Balestra (surname), a list of people * Palazzo Muti or Balestra, a 1644 townhouse in Rome * ''Balestra'', an Italian Navy Ariete-class torpedo boat of World War II * In fencing, a type of forward step, usually followed by a ...

'' is Italian for

crossbow A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an elastic launching device consisting of a bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar fashion to the stock of a long fi ...

, and it is likely that the Balestra crest of a crossbow lent its name to the adjacent alley "via dell'Archetto" (Archetto being Italian for bow). Thus the connection to the Balestra appears in two differing names of the palazzo. During and after its occupancy by the Stuart Family it has sometimes been referred to as the ''Palazzo Stuart''. This is given further weight by the existence of a large plaque documenting the Stuart period of the palazzo. This tablet is situated in the corridor from the main entrance leading to the courtyard. Today the palazzo is used as offices, but the public is permitted to walk into the courtyard.

References

Muti Muthi is a traditional medicine practice in Southern Africa as far north as Lake Tanganyika. Name In South African English, the word ''muti'' is derived from the Zulu language, Zulu/Xhosa language, Xhosa/Northern Ndebele language, Northern Nde ...

1644 establishments in Italy