BERTAZZOLI, FRANCESCO. — Cardinal, born in Lugo on 1 May 1754, died in Rome on 7 April 1830. He studied theology in Bologna and took Orders in 1777. He was one of the persons who enjoyed the greatest credit with Pius VII: bound to him by a profound friendship from the time when the latter was bishop of Imola, he assisted him with financial aid when he had to travel to the Conclave of Venice, since the future Pontiff gave half the revenues of his mensa to the poor. Called to Rome by the Pope, 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, who was imprisoned at Savona: a man of the greatest faith, but weak in character, B. was unable to overcome the snares of Napoleonic politics and, together chiefly with Card. Roverella and others, induced Pius VII to make the concessions of Fontainebleu, which, had they not been courageously revoked, would have harmed the authority and prestige of the Papacy. But although the errors of Fontainebleu were remedied, B. must also be credited with his share in this achievement. He exerted himself greatly to secure the retraction of the ill-fated 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 transferred to the suburbicarian see of Palestrina; Pius VIII appointed him his secret almoner. He was a friend of Card. Cappellari (later Pope Gregory XVI), whom he appointed executor of his last will. He was buried in S. Maria sopra Minerva, where a monument was erected to him by his nephew Pietro, the work of Rinaldi.