ODESCALCHI, FAMILY. - Originally from Como. Its progenitor is presumed to be a GIORGIO, who lived in 1290. Many of its members held important political offices in the Milanese area; later, from the time BENEDETTO became Pope Innocent XI (v.), the family settled in Rome. But LIVIO, son of CARLO, brother of the Pope, had no part whatsoever in the government, and the Pope contented himself with elevating to a duchy the possession of Ceri which he had acquired.
In gratitude for the victory of Vienna (1683), to which the Pope contributed greatly, after the death of his uncle Livio was created by Emperor Leopold I prince of the Empire and duke of Sirmium, concessions that constituted a primogeniture in favor of his heirs. In 1689, then, upon the death of Innocent, he was named general of the Church, and in turn bought from the Orsini the Duchy of Bracciano and the lordship of Palo on the Tyrrhenian Sea. He died unmarried on Sept. 7, 1713, leaving as universal heir BALDASSARRE ERBA, son of his sister Lucrezia, with the obligation to assume the name and arms of the Odescalchi. The latter received from Charles VI the confirmation of the primogeniture, married Flaminia Borghese, thus perpetuating the line of the Odescalchi, and in 1745 bought from the Chigi the Palazzo at the SS. Apostoli, which he completed.
Cardinals were BENEDETTO ERBA, archbishop of Milan (1712), greatly deserving, created on Jan. 30, 1713, d. in 1740; ANTONIO ERBA, created on Sept. 24, 1759, and a few days later (Sept. 28) named vicar of Rome. More deservedly remembered is CARLO, b. in Rome on March 5, 1786, a priest in 1808, who applied himself with zeal to popular preaching; on March 10, 1823 he was created cardinal and archbishop of Ferrara; from 1826 he returned to Rome, where in 1832 he became archpriest of St. Mary Major and in 1834 vicar general, until in the Conclave of Nov. 20 he resigned the purple in order to enter among the Jesuits. He resumed among them the missions among the people. He died at Modena on Aug. 17, 1841 (P. Pirri, Vita del servo di Dio C. O., Isola del Liri 1935).
