The sight of Mastro Titta crossing the river Tiber struck fear into the heart of Romans.Giovanni Battista Bugatti, better known as Mastro Titta, was the official executioner for the Papal States from 1796 to 1864.Over his 68-year career, he carried out more than 500 executions, earning him a chilling, almost legendary status in Roman history. His name, a Romanesco diminutive of Maestro di Giustizia (Master of Justice), became synonymous with death and gave rise to the phrase "Mastro Titta is coming", historically used to frighten misbehaving children. A long and lethal career Bugatti began his work at the tender age of 17, and his reign as executioner spanned the turbulent periods of the Napoleonic occupation, the restoration of papal rule, and the burgeoning Italian Risorgimento. He served under several popes, from Pius VI to Pius IX, meticulously recording each of his grim assignments in a personal ledger, now preserved in the Historical Archive of Rome. Referred to as Il Libro dei Giustiziati (The Book of the Executed), the ledger provides a stark, factual account of the executioner's work, listing names, dates and crimes. There are 516 victims listed, however two of these were not executed by Mastro Titta: one was shot in jail and the other was hanged and quartered by his assistant. This left Mastro Titta responsible for 514 executions over the course of his career. Methods of execution Mastro Titta employed various methods of execution, reflecting the prevailing practices of his time. Beheading by axe was common, especially for crimes of murder or high treason. For particularly heinous offenses, or for those deemed to have committed sacrilege, the mallet (mazzola) was used, followed by a throat-cutting. Hanging was another frequently used method. One of his most notorious tools, however, was the guillotine. Introduced to Rome during the Napoleonic era, Mastro Titta quickly adapted to its use, employing it for public spectacles that drew large crowds. These executions were often carried out against the backdrops of Roman landmarks, such as Castel Sant'Angelo, the Circus Maximus and Piazza del Popolo. The man behind the axe Giovanni Battista Bugatti was born on 6 March 1779 in Senigallia, a seaside town in the central Marche region, relocating to Rome at some point in his youth. Despite his fearsome profession, Mastro Titta lived a seemingly ordinary life outside his gruesome duties, with his profession listed as umbrella painter. He resided in the Borgo district of Rome, near the Vatican, on Vicolo del Campanile. Mastro Titta was not permitted to cross the Tiber river at Ponte Sant'Angelo into the main part of the city unless it was for an execution. Illustration of Mastro Titta   Tradition holds that when he did cross the bridge, dressed in his distinctive red cape, Romans would quickly retreat indoors, a testament to the pervasive fear and awe he commanded. He was reportedly a devout Catholic and a man of routine. Before each execution, he would attend Mass and pray for the soul of the condemned. He even offered a small gift of snuff to those about to face his blade, a macabre gesture of finality. Mastro Titta was a feared symbol of papal power and stern justice, reflecting a part of Roman life that both repelled and fascinated its citizens. Traditions A curious Roman tradition arose among those who attended the executions: fathers brought their male children to witness the torture and death of the condemned. At the exact moment when a head rolled, or when the victim exhaled their last breath, the boys received a slap as a warning from their fathers. Mastro Titta in literature In addition to appearing in the Romanesco sonnets of Giovanni Goacchino Belli, Mastro Titta featured in Pictures of Italy by Charles Dickens who witnessed one of his executions in Rome's San Giovanni area on 8 March 1845. Recounting the beheading in graphic detail, Dickens described the gruesome event as an "ugly, filthy, careless, sickening spectacle", after which the executioner "retreated to his lair" across the river. Retirement and death When Mastro Titta finally retired in 1864, at the age of 85, he received a monthly pension of 30 scudi. He died in Rome five years later, on 18 June 1869, and his place of burial is unknown. Mastro Titto was not, however the last papal executioner: Vincenzo Balducci, who became his assistant in 1850, continued his bloody mission until the fall of the Papal States in 1870. The last papal executions in Rome were carried out on 24 November 1868 when revoluntionaries Giuseppe Monti and Gaetano Tognetti were beheaded in front of crowds on Via dei Cerchi at the Circus Maximus. Museum The Museum of Criminology, closed temporarily, contains the axe used by Mastro Titta as well as his red cloak (pictured). Ghost Rome legend has it that, just before sunrise, a grim figure wrapped in a scarlet cloak can be seen in the area around Castel Sant'Angelo.

Giovanni Battista Bugatti, better known as Mastro Titta, was the official executioner for the Papal States from 1796 to 1864. Over his 68-year career, he carried out more than 500 executions, earning him a chilling, almost legendary status in Roman history. His name, a Romanesco diminutive of Maestro di Giustizia (Master of Justice), became synonymous with death and gave rise to the phrase "Mastro Titta is coming", historically used to frighten misbehaving children. A long and lethal career Bugatti began his work at the tender age of 17, and his reign as executioner spanned the turbulent periods of the Napoleonic occupation, the restoration of papal rule, and the burgeoning Italian Risorgimento. He served under several popes, from Pius VI to Pius IX, meticulously recording each of his grim assignments in a personal ledger, now preserved in the Historical Archive of Rome. Referred to as Il Libro dei Giustiziati (The Book of the Executed), the ledger provides a stark, factual account of the executioner's work, listing names, dates and crimes. There are 516 victims listed, however two of these were not executed by Mastro Titta: one was shot in jail and the other was hanged and quartered by his assistant. This left Mastro Titta responsible for 514 executions over the course of his career. Methods of execution Mastro Titta employed various methods of execution, reflecting the prevailing practices of his time. Beheading by axe was common, especially for crimes of murder or high treason. For particularly heinous offenses, or for those deemed to have committed sacrilege, the mallet (mazzola) was used, followed by a throat-cutting. Hanging was another frequently used method. One of his most notorious tools, however, was the guillotine. Introduced to Rome during the Napoleonic era, Mastro Titta quickly adapted to its use, employing it for public spectacles that drew large crowds. These executions were often carried out against the backdrops of Roman landmarks, such as Castel Sant'Angelo, the Circus Maximus and Piazza del Popolo. The man behind the axe Giovanni Battista Bugatti was born on 6 March 1779 in Senigallia, a seaside town in the central Marche region, relocating to Rome at some point in his youth. Despite his fearsome profession, Mastro Titta lived a seemingly ordinary life outside his gruesome duties, with his profession listed as umbrella painter. He resided in the Borgo district of Rome, near the Vatican, on Vicolo del Campanile. Mastro Titta was not permitted to cross the Tiber river at Ponte Sant'Angelo into the main part of the city unless it was for an execution.
Illustration of Mastro Titta   Tradition holds that when he did cross the bridge, dressed in his distinctive red cape, Romans would quickly retreat indoors, a testament to the pervasive fear and awe he commanded. He was reportedly a devout Catholic and a man of routine. Before each execution, he would attend Mass and pray for the soul of the condemned. He even offered a small gift of snuff to those about to face his blade, a macabre gesture of finality. Mastro Titta was a feared symbol of papal power and stern justice, reflecting a part of Roman life that both repelled and fascinated its citizens. Traditions A curious Roman tradition arose among those who attended the executions: fathers brought their male children to witness the torture and death of the condemned. At the exact moment when a head rolled, or when the victim exhaled their last breath, the boys received a slap as a warning from their fathers. Mastro Titta in literature In addition to appearing in of Giovanni Goacchino Belli, Mastro Titta featured in Pictures of Italy by Charles Dickens who witnessed one of his executions in Rome's San Giovanni area on 8 March 1845. Recounting the beheading in graphic detail, Dickens described the gruesome event as an "ugly, filthy, careless, sickening spectacle", after which the executioner "retreated to his lair" across the river. Retirement and death When Mastro Titta finally retired in 1864, at the age of 85, he received a monthly pension of 30 scudi. He died in Rome five years later, on 18 June 1869, and his place of burial is unknown. Mastro Titto was not, however the last papal executioner: Vincenzo Balducci, who became his assistant in 1850, continued his bloody mission until the fall of the Papal States in 1870. The last papal executions in Rome were carried out on 24 November 1868 when revoluntionaries Giuseppe Monti and Gaetano Tognetti were beheaded in front of crowds on Via dei Cerchi at the Circus Maximus. Museum The , closed temporarily, contains the axe used by Mastro Titta as well as his red cloak (pictured). Ghost Rome legend has it that, just before sunrise, a grim figure wrapped in a scarlet cloak can be seen in the area around Castel Sant'Angelo.