BERTAZZOLI, FRANCESCO. - Cardinal, b. at Lugo on 1 May 1754, d. at Rome on 7 Apr. 1830; he studied theology in Bologna and in 1777 received Holy Orders. He was one of the persons who enjoyed the greatest credit with Pius VII: bound to him by deep friendship ever since the latter was bishop of Imola, he assisted him with financial help when he had to go to the Conclave of Venice, since the future Pontiff gave half the revenues of his table to the poor. Summoned by the Pope to Rome, he was appointed bishop of Montalto, canon of S. Maria Maggiore, secret almoner and, in 1808, archbishop of Edessa in partibus. In 1811 he was part of the mission sent from Paris to the Pontiff imprisoned at Savona: a man of very great faith but of weak character, B. was unable to overcome the snares of Napoleonic policy and, together with Card. Roverella, chiefly, and with others, he induced Pius VII to make the concessions of Fontainebleau, which, had they not been courageously revoked, would have struck at the authority and prestige of the Papacy. But if the errors of Fontainebleau were repaired, one must also acknowledge B.'s share of merit. He labored very greatly for the retraction of the ill-omened concessions, and this was the best proof of his good faith in the preceding events. He returned to Rome with the Pontiff and was created cardinal of the title of S. Maria sopra Minerva on 10 March 1823. Under Leo XII he passed to the suburbicarian bishopric of Palestrina; Pius VIII appointed him his secret almoner. He was a friend of Card. Cappellari (later Pope Gregory XVI), whom he left as executor of his last wishes. He was buried in S. Maria sopra Minerva, where a monument was erected to him by his nephew Pietro, the work of Rinaldi.
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Gabriella de Stefano