LEO XII, pope. — Annibale Sermattei della Genga, born at Castello della Genga, near Spoleto, on 22 Aug. 1760, died in Rome on 10 Feb. 1829. He studied at Osimo and Rome; ordained priest in 1783, he was bishop of Tyre, nuncio at Lucerne and Cologne, sent in 1805 to the Diet of Regensburg, then nuncio at Munich and in 1808 at Paris. He returned to that city to convey to Louis XVIII, restored to power, the congratulations of the Pope. Cardinal of the Order of Priests from 8 March 1816, he was bishop of Senigallia and then
LEO XI, pope — Painting by an unknown artist (17th cent.) — Rome, private collection.
designed by Sangallo, executed by Baccio Bandinelli, in the choir of S. Maria sopra Minerva. — See pl. LXXV.
BIBL.: Pastor, IV, 1; among the many works cited here, in particular, Regesta Leonis X (up to 16 Oct. 1515), Paride Grassi, Giovio, Fabroni, Roscoe, Nitti; for the religious aspect, Hefec-Leclerca, VIII, pp. 389-839; P. Imbart de la Tour, Les origines de la réforme, II, Paris 1909; and the works cited at the V. L'ULRICO. Also A. Luzio, Isabella d'Este ne' primordi del pontificato di L. X, in Arch. stor. lombardo, 4th series, 6 (1906), pp. 90-180, 454-89; id., Isabella d'Este e L. X dal Congresso di Bologna alla presa di Milano, in Arch. stor. italiano, 5th series, 40 (1907), pp. 18-97; 44 (1909), pp. 72-128; 45 (1910), pp. 245-302; A. Ferraioli, Il ruolo della corte di L. X, in Arch. della R. Società romana di st. patria, 34 (1911), pp. 363-91; 41 (1918), pp. 87-110; and La congiura dei cardinali contro L. X (Miscell. della R. Soc. rom. di st. patria), Rome 1919; cf. in this regard Rivo, Storia italiana, new series, 1 (1924), pp. 253-67; G. B. Picotti, La giovinezza di L. X, Milan 1928; A. Mercuri, Aneddoti per la storia di apostoli, in Arch. della R. Soc. rom. di st. patria, 56-57 (1933-34), pp. 368-79; G. Truc, Léon X et son siècle, Paris 1941. Giovanni Battista Picotti