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The Archives of the Priory of Rome

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Rome, Magistral Palace
190 items

The Priory of Rome, established in 1214, is one of the priories that make up the langue of Italy. Most of its priors were papal appointees, usually relatives of the reigning pope. The priory and its personnel served as the Order's representatives and embassy at the papal court. Their reports, preserved in the diplomatic correspondence, provide insight into European diplomacy through the early modern period. The Priory of Rome was expropriated in 1808 and restored in 1816. In the mid-19th century, Pope Gregory XVI ordered the Convent of the Order to relocate to the site of the Priory of Rome in the Palazzo Malti. Since then the priory buildings have served as the headquarters of the Order, and the Palazzo enjoys extra-territorial status.

In 2005, the Malta Study Center of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library formed a partnership with the Grand Magistry of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to begin digitizing the archives of the Priory of Rome.  The archives, which are located at the site of the Grand Magistry, contain records of visitations to the Order's European properties, the minutes of the meetings of the Sovereign Council after 1798, diplomatic correspondence between the Grand Master of the Order and the Order's ambassadors to the papal court, and the patents of nobility, the genealogical records candidates presented in order to join the Order. The work is being done onsite and under the supervision of the Order's employees. As part of its agreement, HMML will digitize and archive the documents that predate the year 1904.  Samples, or in some cases the entire document, will be available online through Vivarium. The Library of the Grand Magistry is also digitizing research publications of the Order that are difficult to obtain elsewhere and making them available in digital form.

Initial handlist of digitized materials. Last updated 10 November 2009.

Alberi Genealogici (96 mss)

17th and 18th-century hand-colored proofs of nobility, submitted to the Priory of Rome by prospective members.

Cabreo (13 mss)

Accounts and audits of commanderies pertaining to the Priory of Rome, dating from the 18th-early 19th century. Sample images are available for some of the manuscripts.

Cabreo 36 (click for image)

• Author: Camposelli della Rocca, Nicolas
• Supplied title: Cabreo della venerabile commenda di Ponte Corvo, Fondi e Gaudea fatto rinovare dall'illustrissimo Signore Commandatore F. D. Franconi Patrizio Napolitano
• Languages: Italian; Latin
• 636 ff
• Land-Survey of the Commendary of San Giovanni a Gaudo di Ponte Corvo, Fondi e Gaeta
• Date: 18th century (1739 October 27)
• Dimensions: 49x38.6x9 cm
• SMOM Cabreo 36

Cabreo 93 (Click for image)

• Author: Diolovede, Giuseppe
• Supplied title: Cabreo, Inventario, e Descrittione di tutte le terre, case, e chiese della commenda di S. Cassiano del Lago Trasimeno e di S. Croce di Perugia Porta dellla Sacra
• Languages: Italian; Latin
• ff. 142
• Land Survey of the Commandary of San Cassiano del Lago Trasimeno e di Croce di Perugie Porte San Pietro
• Date: 18th century (1723 December 30)
• Dimensions: 43.4x29.1x2.4cm
• SMOM Cabreo 93

Cabreo 191 (Click for image)

• Author: Flori, Mutio
• Supplied title: (Land Survey of the Commandary of San Luca di Perugia
• Languages: Italian; Latin
• 226 ff
• Date: 17th century (1639 June 28)
• Dimensions: 351 x 242 x 22
• SMOM Cabreo 191

Cabreo 255 (Click for image)

• Author: Darii, Domenico e Andree
• Supplied title: Land Survey of the Commandary of San Marco di Fano
• 472 ff
• Date: 17th century (1656 May 19)
• Dimensions: 42.2x28x7 cm
• SMOM Cabreo 255

Casetta (4 mss)

18th-century records of the Priory of Rome's Casetta delle incurabili (House of the incurables). Sample images available on line.

Casetta 1 (Click for image)

• Supplied title: Notizia della Sacra Infermeria e della carica delli commissari delle povere inferme.
• Language: Italian
• 52 ff
• Regulation of the Casetta delle incurabili
• Date: 18th century
• Dimensions: 27x20.1x.6 cm
• SMOM Casetta 1

Casetta 2 (Click for image)

• Supplied title: History of the Casetta delle incurabili
• Languages: Italian; Latin
• 48 ff
• Date: 18th century (?)
• Dimensions: 31x22.5x.5 cm
• SMOM Casetta 2

Casetta 1726 (Click for image)

• Supplied title: Report of the organisation of the Casetta delle incurabili
• Languages: Italian; Latin
• 12 ff
• Date: 18th century
• Dimensions: 28.5x20.4x.1 cm
• SMOM Casetta 1726

Casetta 1743 (Click for image)

• Supplied title: Historical notes of the Casetta delle incurabili
• Language: Italian
• 4 ff
• Date: 18th century (?)
• Dimensions: 33.2x22.6.0.1cm
• SMOM Casetta 1743

Manuscripts

SC 1803 (Click for image)

• Bullarum Liber 1803
• Latin
• i-ii, 342 ff.
• Papal bulls (documents from 1803-03-11 to 1803-12-26
• 19th century (1803)
• 30.8x22x2.6 cm
• SMOM SC 1803

MS 144 (Click for image)

• Libro de segnali de vascelli di Malta
• Languages: French; Italian
• 30 ff
• Book of signals for the Order's vessals
• 18th century (17.9x11.5x.16 c)

Miscellanea (28 mss)

Miscellanea 15 (Click for image)

• Liste des Francais et Dames Francaises autorisès par le Roi à Porter l'Ordre de Malte
• Language: French
• 300 pp
• List of French knights and dames authorized by the king to wear the decoration of the Order of Malta.
• 18th/19th century (38.6 x 27.2 x 2.1 cm