Two ancestors (1600–1700) of the current owners were members of the Commission responsible for examining books before they were printed. If not approved, they were placed on the Index and subsequently burnt, as evidenced by drawings and documents in the Archive.
Also on display will be a telegram from the mid-19th century in which Roberto Beraudo di Pralormo, the great-grandfather of the current owner, accepted a marriage proposal and conveyed his daughter’s happiness. The telegram was sent to the Vatican Post Office, as the great-grandfather was Ambassador of the Holy See.
Also on display is a collection of seals bearing the family coat of arms, used to seal letters and documents. The seals were handed down to the sons when they came of age, as the father ‘signed’ through the family coat of arms.
Among the other collections on display are a set of early 19th-century letter papers, bearing the initials of the writers surmounted by crowns in the top left-hand corner; and a collection of leather cases containing letters that children wrote to their parents on special family occasions, also to demonstrate their progress in calligraphy. Children were educated at home by private tutors until the ages of 10–13, then at boarding schools, almost always run by the Jesuits, and finally, some went on to university or embarked on a military career.
Also of interest is the caricature of three girls hidden behind a painter’s easel, depicted from behind as they sketch a naked boy.
This event is part of
- 3 October 2026