Caccia-Club (Circolo della Caccia, Rome)

Overview

The aristocratic gentlemen's club of Rome that Marie calls the «Caccia-Club». The Circolo della Caccia still exists and is described as frequented mainly by the Roman aristocracy (Italia.it, "members club italy"); the founding date 1869 given in the diary footnote at 060.0190 is not checked here.

Relevance to Marie

In spring 1876 it is the club of the young men around her: Pietro Antonelli, Pandola, Zucchini, the baron de Saint-Joseph, Torlonia's friends. Its members take the barcaccia, the big stage box, at the Roman theatres (055/1876-03-10; 059/1876-04-20). Pietro's membership is a political offence in his uncle's eyes: «Le cardinalino dit qu'il est fâché contre lui parce qu'il est entré au Caccia-Club et qu'il fréquente les blancs et salue le Roi, le Prince et la Princesse» (055.0618), and the newspapers make a scandal of «le comte Pierre Antonelli, neveu du cardinal qui était entré au Caccia-Club dont le prince Humbert est le président honoraire» (060.0190). Marie counts it among his «crimes aussi abominables que de se faire soldat» (056.0553). Plowden got in only «à grande peine» (055.1014).

Historical Context

Marie's own text places the club on the side of the «blancs», the court of the House of Savoy, not of the papal «noirs» (055.0618, 060.0190). The footnote at 055.1014 that calls it «essentially restricted to black-nobility Roman families» contradicts this (ledgered for a source fix, 2026-10-21).

References in Diary

• First mentioned: 1876-03-10 (055)
• Key entries: 1876-03-12 (055.0618), 1876-03-22 (055.1014), 1876-03-28, 03-31, 04-01, 04-02, 04-08 (056), 1876-04-12 (057), 1876-04-20 (059), 1876-05-10, 05-14 (060), 063, 071

Sources

• The diary, carnets 055-071 (grep «Caccia-Club», 38 uses)
• Italia.it, "members club italy": https://www.italia.it/en/italy/things-to-do/members-club-italy