Delfino, Giovanni

DELFINO, GIOVANNI. - Cardinal, born in Venice on 22 April 1617 to Nicola D., general of the Republic, and Elisabetta Priuli, nephew of a cardinal of the same name who was bishop of Brescia.

He took part in public life and was a senator when, on 23 June 1656, he was appointed bishop of Tagaste and coadjutor of Girolamo Gradenigo, patriarch of Aquileia, and he succeeded him on 19 December 1657, immediately taking over the governance of the diocese. On 7 March 1667 Alexander VII created him cardinal of S. Salvatore in Lauro. He visited the diocese, holding two synods there, in 1660 and 1669, the acts of which he had printed together in 1697 (cf. G. Marcuzzi, Sinodi aquileiesi, Udine 1910, p. 286). In the Conclaves of 1669 and 1689 he seemed close to the papacy. He died in Venice on 19 July 1699. He had some importance in the literary life of the 17th century. He studied at Padua and was a member of the Accademia della Crusca; he composed dialogues on philosophical subjects, verses and tragedies, without sending anything to press. His nephew Dionisio, patriarch, had four of his tragedies printed at Padua in 1733 (on these cf. A. Belloni, Il Seicento, Milan 1929, p. 257 ff.).

Pio Paschini