ALTIERI, LUDOVICO. - Cardinal, b. in Rome on 11 July 1805, to Paluzzo and Maria Anna of Saxony, d. at Albano on 11 Aug. 1867. After having been a secret participating chamberlain of Leo XII, he was appointed by Gregory XVI secretary of the Congregation of Studies. Elected in 1826 titular archbishop of Ephesus and nuncio in Vienna, with the dignity of pro legate a latere, his mission's principal task was to combat the Josephinist laws. A. succeeded, among other things, in obtaining the restitution of the properties of the Greek-Ruthenian College of Rome. Created cardinal in the consistory of 14 Dec. 1840, Gregory XVI published his appointment only on 23 Apr. 1845 and assigned him the deaconry of S. Maria in Portico, created for him as a presbyteral title. Pius IX appointed him, in 1847, president of Rome and Comarca. At the Pontiff's behest he delivered, the following year, the inaugural address of the Council of the parliament at the Palazzo della Cancelleria. He also held the office of secretary of memorials. In 1850 he was called to be part, together with Della Genga Sermattei and Vannicelli Casoni, of the cardinalitial commission charged with restoring the pontifical Government, and he later became camerlengo of Holy Roman Church (1857), archpriest of S. Giovanni in Laterano, president of the Council of State for finances. In the consistory of 17 Sept. 1860 he opted for the suburbicarian see of Albano, where he carried out fervent pastoral work. When cholera broke out in Aug. 1867, A. immediately reached his diocese, going to assist the sick, carrying the Viaticum barefoot to the dying, generously giving whatever he had in the episcopal palace. Struck by the disease, he passed away serenely. Pius IX, in the consistorial allocution of 20 Sept. 1867, extolled his sacrifice in moving words.

Of A. there remain some discourses delivered at the Academy of Catholic Religion and a dissertation on the centenary of the death of the Sts. Apostles Peter and Paul, published posthumously under the care of Msgr. Agostino Bartolini.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: F. Fabi Montani, Elogio del card. L. A., Rome 1867; G. Spada, Storia della Rivoluzione di Roma, II, Florence 1869, pp. 350-51; P. Romano, Ottocento Romano, Rome 1943, p. 86.

Mario De Camillis

@incollection{ec1_altieri_ludovico, author = {De, Camillis Mario}, title = {Altieri, ludovico}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {I}, pages = {934--935}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1948}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/altieri-ludovico} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Altieri, Ludovico

About this entry