The House of Torlonia is the name of an Italian princely family from Rome, which acquired a huge fortune in the 18th and 19th centuries through administering the finances of the Vatican. The first influential member of the Torlonia family was Marino Torlonia (Tourlonias; 1725 – 21 March 1785), who rose from humble origins in the Auvergne region of France to become a very rich businessman and banker in Rome.
Marino was born with the French name of Marin Torlonias, the son of Antoine Torlonias, a merchant and laborer.[1] Marin's great-uncle was the parish priest of Augerolles, who procured for him a position as aide to an influential abbot. Marin eventually settled in Rome, where he became a cloth merchant and money lender near the Piazza of the Trinità dei Monti. This became the foundation of the family bank established by his son, Giovanni Torlonia.
The Torlonia family were one of the few Italian aristocratic families to have survived the reconstruction of the Papal Court in 1969 by the motu proprioPontificalis Domus. Until recently the only hereditary honours still in use at the Vatican are that of hereditary Prince Assistants to the Papal Throne. This honour was until recently held by Prince Alessandro Torlonia,[4] Prince of Fucino, and Prince Marcantonio Colonna, Prince and Duke of Paliano. The Torlonia family was appointed in 1958 (its title dates from 1854 also), in succession to Prince Filippo Orsini, whose family had held the position since 1735.
A poem quoted by Ignazio Silone in his novel "Fontamara" (1930),[citation needed] at the height of their power translates as:
The head of everything is God, the Lord of heaven
After Him comes Prince Torlonia, lord of the earth
Then comes Prince Torlonia's armed guards
Then comes Prince Torlonia's armed guards dogs
Then comes nothing at all. Then comes nothing at all.
Ponchon, Henri (2005). L'Incroyable Saga des Torlonia: des monts du Forez aux palais romains. Olliergues: Les Éditions de la Montmarie. ISBN2-915841-08-X.
Paul Theroff's Online Gotha.
Rendina, Claudio (2004). Le grandi famiglie di Roma. Rome: Newton Compton.