Towne

Recent Posts

• An unpublished diplomatic telegram from Baron Carlo Aliotti (1870-1923) on the Austrian attack on Italian troops in Albania (December 1915) November 2, 2025
• NEW from 1660: Philip IV of Spain instructs Niccolò Ludovisi on the defense of Aragon (Part II) August 20, 2025
• NEW from 1660: Philip IV of Spain instructs Niccolò Ludovisi on the defense of Aragon (Part I) August 12, 2025
• The extravagant funerary ritual for the young poet Giacinta Orsini (1741-1759), first wife of Antonio (II) Boncompagni Ludovisi July 24, 2025
• Aid to Allied efforts in WW II: The case of Boncompagno Boncompagni Ludovisi (1896-1988) & his intelligence briefings on Italy’s last king, Umberto II July 9, 2025
• Seventeenth-century Boncompagni nuns at the Convent of S Marta al Collegio Romano in Rome June 25, 2025
• “Made in Italy”: A study on Princess Nicoletta Boncompagni Ludovisi (1891-1931) as fashion influencer June 11, 2025
• New light on Rome under Napoleonic rule: Rewards and reversals for Luigi Boncompagni Ludovisi (1809-1816) March 5, 2025
• New life for Ugo Boncompagni Ludovisi’s 1921 memoir: translator Carol Cofone explains why ‘The Twilight of Rome’s Papal Nobility’ (2025) remains relevant February 27, 2025
• At the 2025 annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, a spotlight on the antiquities of the Villa Ludovisi January 11, 2025
• A TV2000 interview with the curators of ‘Guercino: L’era Ludovisi a Roma’, on view at Rome’s Scuderie del Quirinale through 26 Jan 2025 December 4, 2024
• At Rome’s Scuderie del Quirinale, a blockbuster exhibition ‘Guercino: L’era Ludovisi a Roma’ (31.10.24-26.01.25), with weekend openings of the Casino dell’Aurora October 25, 2024
• Two unpublished accounts of the precocious poet Giacinta Orsini (1741-1759), wife of Antonio (II) Boncompagni Ludovisi September 14, 2024
• At Rome’s Museo Boncompagni Ludovisi, Pietro Gagliardi’s preparatory sketch in oil for an “Allegory of Time” (1855-58) ceiling at the Casino dell’Aurora July 13, 2024
• NEW from 1681: An unexpected glimpse of Antonio I Boncompagni (1658-1731) as a student at the Jesuit College in Sora May 29, 2024
• The provenance of the Ludovisi Pan? A hypothesis March 8, 2024
• NEW from 1707: Six letters from Louis XIV and his family to Ippolita Ludovisi following the death of her husband Gregorio Boncompagni January 28, 2024
• NEW from 1925: The Rome wedding of Princess Laura Boncompagni Ludovisi and Count Annibale Brandolini d’Adda January 27, 2024
• NEW from 1860: Napoleon III of France requests a cast of a coveted Julius Caesar bust in the Boncompagni Ludovisi museum December 9, 2023
• At Kutztown University, an exhibition of unseen WW I photographs by Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi (1886-1955) of Italy’s forgotten Alpine front December 2, 2023
• From the Ludovisi collection, a portrait of the ever-elusive “Shepherd King”, Egyptian pharaoh Amenemhat III (†1814 BCE) October 25, 2023
• At Rome’s Casino dell’Aurora, an overlooked sculptural portrait of Lady Mary Talbot, Princess Doria Pamphilj (1815-58) by Pietro Tenerani (1789-1869) July 31, 2023
• A new study of the Boncompagni Ludovisi family crypt in the church of Sant’Ignazio in Rome May 19, 2023
• Provenance, profiteering, and cultural property: A case study of the Boncompagni Ludovisi collection of gems May 16, 2023
• A new self-portrait of Michelangelo? The statue of Pan at the Casino dell’Aurora in Rome. Part IV: Physical condition & conservation mandates May 5, 2023
• Launching a new student-created database: Provenance Archivio Boncompagni Ludovisi Online (PABLO) April 21, 2023
• Undergraduate research & the Archivio Digitale Boncompagni Ludovisi after a decade: an informal discussion January 25, 2023
• NEW from 1782: Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette write to a Boncompagni Ludovisi cardinal announcing the birth of the Dauphin November 19, 2022
• From 1622, the earliest descriptions of Rome’s Villa Ludovisi and its Casino dell’Aurora November 13, 2022
• A new self-portrait of Michelangelo? The statue of Pan at the Casino dell’Aurora in Rome. Part III: Reception November 5, 2022
• NEW from 1775-1787: A revealing exchange of New Year’s greetings by Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette with Cardinal Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi November 3, 2022
• The legacy of a Princess: (Re)Discovering Laura Chigi (1707-1792) through two unpublished contemporary obituaries October 12, 2022
• New light on the Villa Sora of the Boncompagni Ludovisi in Frascati September 25, 2022
• A new self-portrait of Michelangelo? The statue of Pan at the Casino dell’Aurora in Rome. Part II: Testimonia (sketches, earlier inventories) September 12, 2022
• NEW from 1861: Threatened by Italy’s unification, Pope Pius IX thanks a committee of Rome’s noblewomen for a lottery August 31, 2022
• NEW from 1786/7: Cardinal (& Vatican Secretary of State) Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi receives an urgent request for a matrimonial dispensation August 23, 2022
• Recovering the remains of a princess: the search in Fascist Rome for the body of Eleonora Boncompagni Borghese May 27, 2022
• A new self-portrait of Michelangelo? The statue of Pan at the Casino dell’Aurora in Rome. Part I: Correspondences March 20, 2022
• Stolen letters of the Catholic saint Don Bosco to the Boncompagni Ludovisi (1867-9) recovered & repatriated to Italy: why it matters February 10, 2022
• The historic sale of the Villa Aurora (2022): resources and media coverage February 1, 2022
• Online lecture Thursday 20 January 22 discusses historic auction of Villa Aurora in Rome, recent research January 17, 2022
• NEW from 1854: A self-portrait by Agnese Borghese shortly before her marriage to Rodolfo Boncompagni Ludovisi December 21, 2021
• Interview with Raffaella Morselli in AboutArt Online: “Important news on Guercino at Villa Ludovisi. The sale of the Villa? The estimate is correct, now Italy’s Minister of Culture should promote a public-private foundation” November 28, 2021
• NEW from ca. 1860-1900: A Boncompagni Ludovisi photo album offers unseen glimpses of the noble Choiseul-Praslin, D’Adda Salvaterra and Prinetti Castelletti families October 21, 2021
• New light on the administration of the Museo Boncompagni Ludovisi in Rome September 15, 2021
• NEW from 11 February 1929: Draft of a speech by Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi, as Governor of Rome, announcing the Lateran Accords March 29, 2021
• 2021 marks the 400th anniversary of the historic papacy of Gregory XV Ludovisi. Get ready for what’s in store January 1, 2021
• NEW from 1929: An unpublished letter by Mussolini sheds light on Fascist Rome’s struggle with street begging September 18, 2020
• NEW from the 1680s: Villa Ludovisi account book documents fate of family’s famed art collection September 15, 2020
• The ‘Sallustian’ Obelisk: A Remarkable Journey from the Villa Ludovisi to the Spanish Steps September 11, 2020
• A virtual conference on Pope Gregory XV Ludovisi (1621-1623): Call for papers for 5 Feb 2021 event July 29, 2020
• NEW from 1928: the Vatican gifts a live Capitoline wolf to Mussolini’s Rome June 12, 2020
• NEW from the 2nd century CE: In the garden of Rome’s Casino Aurora, farewell to a ‘hero’ from a philosopher admired by Marcus Aurelius February 21, 2020
• In Cincinnati, a sculpture gifted in 1931 by Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi draws new scrutiny January 9, 2020
• From HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi and Rome’s Villa Aurora, wishes for a happy New Year January 1, 2020
• NEW: An unnoticed portrait of Hadrian’s first heir, L. Aelius Caesar, in Rome’s Casino Aurora? November 15, 2019
• New from 1694-1702: Induction ceremony documents for the Order of the Golden Fleece. Part II (text) August 13, 2019
• New from 1694-1702: Induction ceremony documents for the Order of the Golden Fleece. Part I (background) August 9, 2019
• Some Papal medals of Gregory XIII Boncompagni (1572-1585): Trajanic influences, cosmic aspirations May 29, 2019
• Long presumed lost, funerary monument of Petronia Q.f. Rufina (CIL VI 24047) reemerges at Rome’s Casino Aurora January 23, 2019
• New views of original decoration (ca. 1570s) of the ‘Stanza del Letto’ of Rome’s Villa Aurora January 16, 2019
• New from 1578 and 1581: Honors for Papal son Giacomo Boncompagni (1548-1612) at Orvieto, Ravenna October 12, 2018
• New from 1622: Fray Domingo de Jesús María, the Boncompagni, and the Gesualdo of Naples June 19, 2018
• In Memoriam: HSH Prince Nicolò Boncompagni Ludovisi (Rome 21 January 1941—Rome 8 March 2018) March 25, 2018
• The Dragon’s Tail: “Branding” the Boncompagni family (Part 1 of 3) March 21, 2018
• Last spotted at Villa Ludovisi in 1885, a Roman praetorian’s monument pops up again at Casino Aurora September 25, 2017
• New from ca. 160 CE: Dedicatory inscription of imperial freedman’s temple to Hercules hides in plain sight at Casino Aurora August 9, 2017
• New from ca. 1860: Stereoscopic images of the Museo Boncompagni Ludovisi by the Naples firm of Grillet July 24, 2017
• Twenty-four dwellings of the Boncompagni Ludovisi in Rome (and two elsewhere) June 26, 2017
• New from 1573: the Papal son Giacomo Boncompagni (1548-1612) receives citizenship in Rome April 18, 2017
• Pietro Gagliardi’s Rediscovered Gregorian Calendar Fresco: A Snapshot of Scientific History April 8, 2017
• New from 1929: Attempts to erase “subversive” graffiti in Mussolini’s Rome January 30, 2017
• World Heritage Strategy Forum recap: address by HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi to Institute for Digital Archaeology conference at Harvard September 25, 2016
• IDA conference at Harvard features Villa Aurora film, keynote by Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi September 4, 2016
• Rediscovered Gagliardi fresco cycle in Villa Aurora prompts blanket press coverage in Japan; Dr Mayu Fujikawa explains why August 23, 2016
• New from 1552: An autograph declaration of Ugo Boncompagni (= Pope Gregory XIII) and the threefold legitimation of his son Giacomo, Duke of Sora (1548-1612) [Part II of II] July 4, 2016
• New from 1552: An autograph declaration of Ugo Boncompagni (= Pope Gregory XIII) and the threefold legitimation of his son Giacomo, Duke of Sora (1548-1612) [Part I of II] July 4, 2016
• New from 1855-1858: Masterwork of Pietro Gagliardi for Antonio Boncompagni Ludovisi (Prince of Piombino 1841-1883) rediscovered June 13, 2016
• In Sweden, the rediscovery of a Lavinia Fontana portrait—of Pope Gregory XIII Boncompagni’s daughter-in-law, Costanza Sforza May 27, 2016
• Ex-Ludovisi portrait of Antinous, long split between Rome and Chicago, stunningly matched then reunited through thrilling technology May 20, 2016
• Day into night: the Nozze d’Oro (50th wedding anniversary) of Prince Rodolfo and Princess Agnese Borghese Boncompagni Ludovisi, 31 May 1904 (Part III of III) January 25, 2016
• Day into night: the Nozze d’Oro (50th wedding anniversary) of Prince Rodolfo and Princess Agnese Borghese Boncompagni Ludovisi, 31 May 1904 (Part II of III) January 24, 2016
• Day into night: the Nozze d’Oro (50th wedding anniversary) of Prince Rodolfo and Princess Agnese Borghese Boncompagni Ludovisi, 31 May 1904 (Part I of III) January 24, 2016
• Villa Aurora, Boncompagni Ludovisi subject of ‘The Princess of Piombino’ feature film April 4, 2015
• Some 19th century ‘case’ of the Casa Boncompagni Ludovisi (Part II of II): Foligno July 31, 2013
• Some 19th century ‘case’ of the Casa Boncompagni Ludovisi (Part I of II): Pelago, Bagnarola, Merate, Varallo July 14, 2013
• “The Destruction of Rome”: Herman Grimm (1886) on the development of the Rione Ludovisi July 2, 2013
• Henry James and the Villa Ludovisi (Part I of II, non-fiction) June 6, 2013
• New from the 1860s: a privileged admission list for the Villa Ludovisi, from its Portineria June 2, 2013
• New from 1706: an inventory (and cash assessment) of coins and medals in the ‘Museo Boncompagni Ludovisi’ (Part II of II) May 22, 2013
• New from 1706: an inventory (and cash assessment) of coins and medals in the ‘Museo Boncompagni Ludovisi’ (Part I of II) April 15, 2013
• New from 1581: Giacomo Boncompagni, son of Pope Gregory XIII, receives patrician status at Naples March 19, 2013
• Boston Globe (5 March 2013) highlights restoration of ex-Ludovisi ‘Juno’ at city’s Museum of Fine Arts March 6, 2013
• New from 1858: Forgotten Gagliardi frescoes in the Villa Aurora [Part II] February 22, 2013
• New from 1858: In the Villa Aurora, forgotten Gagliardi frescoes illustrating the pontificate of Gregory XIII Boncompagni [Part I] February 14, 2013
• New from 2012: Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts wins “Acquisition of the Year” accolades for colossal ex-Ludovisi ‘Juno’ February 8, 2013
• New from 2012: Gaetana Enders highlights the Villa Aurora in Spain’s ARS Magazine January 28, 2013
• New from 1896: Designs to purchase the Casino Aurora (or Palazzo Farnese, or Villa Celimontana) for the new American Academy in Rome January 11, 2013
• The 1858 visit of Nathaniel Hawthorne to the Villa Ludovisi, illustrated December 27, 2012
• New from 1701-1714: Royal letters (including from Louis XIV of France) to Ippolita Ludovisi, Princess of Piombino December 21, 2012