ALESSANDRO. - Cardinal, b. at Urbino on 16 Oct. 1692, d. at Rome on 19 Dec. 1779. A nephew of Clement XI, at the age of fifteen he was a colonel in the pontifical army, but he later left the military career for the ecclesiastical one. In 1718 he replaced his brother Annibale as secretary of the Memorials, and in 1720 he had a mission to Vienna to negotiate the restitution of Comacchio, occupied by the Austrians. Created cardinal by Innocent XIII in 1721, he was librarian of Holy Roman Church (he enriched the Vatican Library with medals), ambassador of Austria at Rome, protector of the Kingdom of Sardinia, of the hereditary States of the house of Austria and of the Empire.
During the pontificates of Clement XIII and Clement XIV he was among the cardinals most opposed to the suppression of the Society of Jesus. A patron of the arts and of artists, he had the Villa Albani built and there gathered precious collections of antiquities, works of art, medals and coins. Protector and friend of Winckelmann, he inherited rich collections from the illustrious archaeologist.
Bibliography4 works
Mario De Camillis
GIANFRANCESCO
Cardinal, b. at Rome on 26 Feb. 1720, d. there on 15 Sept. 1803. A nephew of Alessandro and of Annibale, he was created cardinal by Benedict XIV and wore the purple for fully fifty years. Appointed in 1757 protector of the Affairs of Poland, he took part in the negotiations with Catherine II to regulate the situation of Catholics. In 1760 he became bishop of Sabina, in 1773 he passed to the suburbicarian see of Porto and St. Rufina, until in 1775, as dean of the Sacred College, he was bishop of Ostia and Velletri. In 1797, during the French invasion of Rome, he was forced to flee first to Naples and then to Venice, where, on the death of the Pontiff, he took an active part in the conclave from which Pius VII emerged elected.
Bibliography4 works
Mario De Camillis
GIUSEPPE
Cardinal of the same princely family, b. at Rome on 13 Sept. 1750, d. at Pesaro on 3 Dec. 1834. A cleric of the chamber of Pius VI, he was sent to Vienna (1784) to carry the blessed band to the baptism of the archduke Ferdinand, who was later emperor. Having remained in that city for several years, he collaborated with the nuncio Ruffo Scilla in the handling of the affairs then in progress with the Holy See, and, created cardinal by Pius VII on 23 Feb. 1801, he was appointed, a little later (1803), protector of the empire of Austria. In that capacity, in the conclave of 1823, he pronounced the veto against the election of card. Severoli who, as nuncio at Vienna, had intrepidly defended the rights of the Church. Leo XII appointed him, in 1824, pro-secretary of the Briefs and legate at Bologna; Pius VIII, whose election he had greatly facilitated, secretary of State (1829); Gregory XVI, in 1832, commissioner in the Legations to restore order there, an office in which A. displayed great energy and uncommon administrative gifts. He was also librarian of Holy Roman Church and died legate of Pesaro and Urbino.
