TOSTI, Antonio. — Cardinal, b. in Rome on 4 Oct. 1776, d. in Rome on 20 Mar. 1866. Having exercised the priestly ministry with zeal in the Pia Unione of St Paul the Apostle among the clergy of Rome, he devoted himself with success to a diplomatic and administrative career. As chargé d’affaires of the Holy See in Turin, he returned to Rome in 1834 to succeed Cardinal Brignole in the office of general treasurer, then equivalent to that of minister of finance.
He demonstrated qualities of a wise organizer and played a principal part in the measures issued by Gregory XVI for the reorganization of public finances, the execution of important public works, and the promotion of industry and commerce. To his initiative are owed the notification on the increase of the duty on woollen fabrics and the granting of prizes to manufacturers in Rome and the Papal States; the publication of the collection of laws and administrative provisions issued in the Papal States; the norms for the reform of the monetary system; the admission of the Jews of Rome to participate in the distributions of subsidies from the Monte di Pietà; the regulation for the collection of taxes and other revenues pertaining to the Presidency of the Ripe (noteworthy for information on taxes on boats docking at the Porto di Ripetta and the rules on fishing licences); the regulation for internal discipline in the administration of posts and its offices; that for the Cameral Funds; the norms for the execution of the regulation of the Secretariat for Internal Affairs; and the measures directed at the repression of smuggling. He also played a very notable part in the establishment of the Banca Romana and the Cassa di Risparmio of Rome (1836), and earned great merit towards the Pontifical navy.
Created cardinal and reserved in pectore by Gregory XVI in the Consistory of 12 Feb. 1838, he was published in that of 18 Feb. 1839, with the title of S. Pietro in Montorio; at the express wish of the Pope he continued in the office of general treasurer, from which he resigned at the beginning of the pontificate of Pius IX. To justify the activity he had undertaken, he had published the Bilancio generale delle rendite e spese nel decennio dal 1835 al 1844 (Rome 1847).
Greatly devoted to the arts and artists (he was, among other things, appointed by Pius IX librarian of the Holy Roman Church [1854], as successor to Angelo Mai), he restored the Lateran buildings, the churches of S. Pietro in Montorio, of SS Vito, Modesto e Crescenzia, and of
He also revived the Accademia dei professori di musica under the invocation of S. Cecilia with its seat at Carlo a’ Catinari, showing lively concern for the spiritual life of musicians and for the greater advancement of sacred music. Among his writings are to be noted: Relazione dell’origine e de’ progressi dell’Ospizio Apostolico di S. Michele (Rome 1832); A Gregorio XVI. Epigrafi (s. n. t.), a valuable collection of all the inscriptions commemorating the public works of that Pope.