GIOVANNI DELFINO. — Cardinal, born in Venice to Nicola D., general of the Republic, and Elisabetta Priuli on 22 April 1617, nephew of a namesake who was a cardinal bishop of Brescia.
He took part in public life and was a senator when, on 23 June 1656, he was named Bishop of Tagaste and coadjutor to Girolamo Gradenigo, Patriarch of Aquileia, succeeding him on 19 December 1657 and immediately assuming 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 held some importance in the literary life of the 17th century. He studied in Padua and was a member of the Accademia della Crusca; he composed dialogues on philosophical subjects, verse, and tragedies, without publishing anything. His nephew Dionisio, Patriarch, had four of his tragedies printed in Padua in 1733 (on these cf. A. Belloni, *Il Seicento*, Milan 1929, pp. 257 ff.).