Mattei family

The House of Mattei was one of the most powerful noble families of Rome during the Middle Ages and early modern era, holding high positions in the papal curia and government office.

In the 1350s the family moved to the Rione Sant Angelo, and they eventually built six residences in the block called the Isola Mattei.

When Pope Paul IV decided to build a wall around the Ghetto in 1555, at the invitation of the Roman Jews who wished to be isolated on the Sabbath, the Mattei were given a key to the gate by the Jews.

The family assumed control over the bridges closest to their ancestral palace during the papal interregnum, levying charges on various types of traffic, including the Jews who lived in the nearby ghetto when burying their dead outside the city.

Other Mattei titles included Duke of Paganica and Marquis di Belmonte.