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An Unexplored History: The Trastevere Mattei House and its Oak Branch Plaque

Apa, Nadia Jade
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Abstract
A lawyer, an art collector, and the head of a government organization, Ilo Giacomo Nunes was a complex man who has for the most part been forgotten. A single plaque, overlooked by hundreds of pedestrians daily, serves as a solitary reminder of his existence. Located on the Mattei House in Piazza in Piscinula, this marble relief, here called the Oak Branch Plaque, is the point of intersection for various narratives taking place across time. It speaks to the long history of the Mattei House, which extends back to the thirteenth century. It allows for an exploration of Trastevere in the nineteenth century, before the Tiber Walls were installed, and it invites an examination of the Fascists’ twentieth-century medieval revival. Bearing an oak branch relief and an inscription dated to 1927, this plaque serves as a lens through which each of these aspects can be examined by systematically uncovering basic identifying information about the plaque. This paper utilizes primary sources not yet explored in scholarship, as it attempts to be the first comprehensive examination of the plaque, Nunes, and the Mattei House. Through this investigation it has been determined that the plaque is most likely a reused marble fragment originating from an ancient context. It was placed on the house sometime between December 25, 1926, and 1930, and commemorates a restoration to the Mattei House undertaken by Ilo Giacomo Nunes in 1927. Finally, the plaque likely found itself in either Nunes’ personal collection or the Mattei of Trastevere’s collection before being inscribed and placed on the southern façade of the Mattei House where it appears today. Bearing a relief that appears ancient and an inscription that is clearly not, this Plaque’s existence invites questions about its history. From this investigation, the contentious and varied life of both the Mattei House and Ilo Giacomo Nunes will once again be brought to light.
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Master of Arts in Art History -- John Cabot University, Fall 2022.
Date
2022
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Keywords
Trastevere (Rome, Italy), Buildings, Dwellings
Citation
Apa, Nadia Jade. "An Unexplored History: The Trastevere Mattei House and its Oak Branch Plaque". Master's Thesis, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 2022.
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