(10) 1. NERLI, iuniore, Francesco (1636-1708)
Birth. June 12 (or 13), 1636, Rome (1). Of the Florentine senatorial family of the marquises of Rasina. Son of Pietro Nerli and Constanza Magalotti. Nephew of Cardinal Francesco Nerli, seniore (1669).
Education. University of Pisa, Pisa (doctorate in utroque iure, both canon and civil law).
Early life. Canon of the cathedral chapter of Florence. Went to Rome and was named abbreviatore del parco maggiore in the pontificate of Pope Alexander VII (1655-1667).
Priesthood. Ordained to the priesthood (no date found). Canon of the patriarchal Vatican basilica, Rome, September 11, 1661. Vice-legate in Bologna, 1664. Referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace in the pontificate of Pope Clement IX (1667-1669). Abbot commendatario of the Benedictine monastery of S. Lorenzo, Arena, diocese of Mileto. Abbott comendatario of the Cistercian monastery of Ss. Quattri Coronati, Cingoli.
Episcopate. Elected titular archbishop of Adrianopoli, June 16, 1670. Nuncio in Poland, June 27, 1670. Consecrated, July 6, 1670, church of S. Andrea della Valle, Rome, by Cardinal Carlo Carafa, assisted by Giovanni Spinola, archbishop of Genoa, and by Federico Baldeschi, titular archbishop of Cesarea. In the same ceremony was consecrated Francesco Buonvisi, future cardinal. Assistant at the Pontifical Throne, July 13, 1670. Transferred to the metropolitan see of Florence, December 22, 1670 (2). Nuncio in France, April 20, 1672.
Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of June 12, 1673; received the red hat and the title of S. Matteo in Via Merulana, September 25, 1673. Secretary of State, August 1673 until July 22, 1676. Participated in the conclave of 1676, which elected Pope Innocent XI. Resigned government of the archdiocese, December 31, 1682. Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, January 10, 1684 until January 15, 1685. Transferred to the see of Assisi, with personal title of archbishop, October 1, 1685. Participated in the conclave of 1689, which elected Pope Alexander VIII. Resigned government of the diocese, November 12, 1689. Participated in the conclave of 1691, which elected Pope Innocent XII. Participated in the conclave of 1700, which elected Pope Clement XI. Archpriest of the patriarchal Vatican basilica, October 16, 1704. Opted for the title of S. Lorenzo in Lucina, November 17, 1704. Cardinal protoprete.
Death. April 8, 1708, of an apoplexy, in his Roman palace in Quattre Fontane. Exposed in the church of S. Susanna, Rome, where the funeral took place on April 10, 1708, and buried in the church of S. Matteo in Via Merulana, Rome (2). Left his wealth to a hospital for the demented.
(1) This is according to Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, V, 69. Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, VII, 220, indicates that he was born in Florence.
(2) Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, VII, 221, indicates that he was nuncio in Austria and that while in Vienna, he received the news of his appointment as archbishop of Florence. Dictionnaire des cardinaux, col. 1262, says that he was nuncio in Pologne, en Alemagne, en France. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, only mentions, giving dates, his nunciatures in Poland and France. It is possible that he was nuncio extraordinary in Austria.
(3) According to Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, VII, 222, two years before his death he had prepared for himself a tomb in his new title of S. Lorenzo in Lucina, but later, changed his decision and asked to be buried in his former title of S. Matteo in Via Merulana.
(11) 2. GASTALDI, Girolamo (1616-1685)
Birth. 1616, castle of Taggia, archdiocese of Genoa. He suffered from a physical deformity from birth.
Education. (No information found).
Early life. Went to Rome and became solicitor of forensic causes. Serving in the House Coastaguti, was sent in a mission to Spain and was so successful that upon returning he entered the Roman prelature. Referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace, in the pontificate of Pope Innocent X (1644-1655). Commissary general of Health, 1657. Cleric of the Apostolic Chamber and commissary general delle armi della Chiesa. President delle dogane and delle grascia and treasurer general of the Apostolic Chamber in the pontificate of Pope Clement IX (1667-1669).
Sacred orders. (No information found).
Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of June 12, 1673; received the red hat and the title of S. Pudenziana, July 17, 1673. Named legate in Bologna for a triennium, May 9, 1678. Participated in the conclave of 1676, which elected Pope Innocent XI. Opted for the title of S. Anasatasia, September 13, 1677.
Episcopate. Elected archbishop of Benevento, February 19, 1680. Consecrated (no information found). Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, January 15, 1685 until his death.
Death. April 8, 1685, at 4 p.m., Borgo, Rome. Exposed in the church of S. Maria in Vallicella, Rome, where the funeral took place on April 10, 1685. Transferred to the church of S. Maria dei Miracoli, Rome, at 2 a.m., and buried in that church.
Links. His engraving by Giovanni Maria Morandi, and his tomb in S. Maria dei Miracoli, Rome, next to his brother Benedetto's tomb.
(12) 3. CASANATE, Girolamo (1620-1700)
Birth. February 13 (al,, June 13), 1620, Naples (1). His last name is also listed as Casanatta, the Italian form. Son of Tomás (or Matías) Casanate, a member of the supreme council of the kingdom of Naples, and Doña Juana Dalmau, of an old family related to the Casanates. Both his parents were Spanish.
Education. University of Naples, Naples (utroque iure, both canon and civil law, 1635). Received the clerical tonsure in 1633. In contact with the Dominican Friars since childhood.
Early life. Practiced law in Naples. Entered the ecclesiastical state at the advice of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Pamphilj future Pope Innocent X, whom he met while in Rome, where he went with his father on a diplomatic visit. Privy chamberlain, 1645. Governor of the cities of Sabina, 1648; Fabriano, 1652; Camerino, 1653; and Ancona, 1656. Inquisitor in Malta, 1658. Relator of the S.C. of the Sacred Consulta. Referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace. Consultor of the S.C. of Rites. Consultor of the S.C. of Propaganda Fide. Governor of the conclave of 1667. Assessor of the Supreme S.C. of the Roman and Universal Inquisition in the pontificate of Pope Clement IX (1667-1669). Secretary of the S.C. of Bishops and Regulars, 1670.
Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of June 12, 1673; received the red hat and the deaconry of S. Maria in Portico Campitelli, July 17, 1673. Granted dispensation for not having yet received the minor orders at the moment of his promotion to the cardinalate, June 12, 1673. Received the subdiaconate, July 2, 1673. Opted for the deaconry of S. Cesareo in Palatio, December 2, 1675. Participated in the conclave of 1676, which elected Pope Innocent XI. Opted for the deaconry of S. Agata in Suburra, April 6, 1682. Pro-vicar general of Rome, 1682. Opted for the order of priests and the title of Ss. Nereo ed Achilleo, September 16, 1686. Participated in the conclave of 1689, which elected Pope Alexander VIII. Opted for the title of S. Silvestro in Capite, November 7, 1689. Participated in the conclave of 1691, which elected Pope Innocent XII. Librarian of the Holy Roman Church, December 2, 1693 until his death. Prefect of the S.C. of the Index. He founded and endowed the Biblioteca Casanetense, and during his life collected over 25,000 volumes which he willed to the Dominicans.
Death. March 3, 1700, at 6 a.m., in his Roman palace next to the monastery of Ss. XII Apostoli. Exposed in the church of S. Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, where the funeral took place on March 4, 1700; transferred in the afternoon to the patriarchal Lateran basilica, and buried there in the tomb he had chosen. His heart was deposited in the church of S. Maria sopra Minerva, Rome.
Bibliography. Angelo, Maria. Il Cardinale Girolamo Casanate (1620-1700). Rome : Industrie grafiche, 1923.
Links. Biography, in English; his portrait and brief biographical data, in Italian; his tomb in the patriarchal Lateran basilica, Rome; his engraving by Robert van Audenaerd, Museo di Roma, Rome; his engraving by Agostino Masucci, Museo di Roma, Rome; and his engraving by Jacob Ferdinand Voet, Museo di Roma, Rome.
(1) This is according to Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, V, 8, that indicates he died on March 3, 1700, at 80 years and 18 days. the site of The Catholic Encyclopedia, linked above, indicates that he was born on July 13, 1620.
(13) 4. BALDESCHI COLONNA, Federico (1625-1691)
Birth. September 2 (or 4), 1625, Perugia. His first last name is also listed as Ubaldi. Son of Jacopo Baldeschi and Artemisia della Concia. Relative of Pope Clement X (1670-1676). Known as Cardinal Colonna because shortly after receiving the cardinalate, he was adopted by his relative the prince Sciarra Colonna di Carbognano.
Education. (No information found).
Early life. Called to Rome by Cardinal Giovanni Giacomo Panciroli, secretary of State. Governor of the city of Faenza. Governor of the province of Sabina. Governor of the city of Fabriano. Referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace.
Sacred orders. (No information found).
Episcopate. Elected titular archbishop of Cesarea, July 6, 1665. Consecrated (no information found). Nuncio in Switzerland from July 15, 1665 until March 1668. Secretary of the S.C. of Propaganda Fide, May 7, 1668. Assessor of the Supreme S.C. of the Roman and Universal Inquisition, March 22, 1673.
Cardinalate. Created cardinal and reserved in pectore in the consistory of June 12, 1673; published in the consistory of December 17, 1674; received the red hat and the title of S. Marcello, January 28, 1675. Prefect of the S.C. of the Tridentine Council, May 4, 1675 until his death. Participated in the conclave of 1676, which elected Pope Innocent XI. Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, January 11, 1683 until January 10, 1684. Opted for the title of S. Anastasia, April 9 (or October 1), 1685. Participated in the conclave of 1689, which elected Pope Alexander VIII. Entered the conclave of 1691, which elected Pope Innocent XII; he had to leave because of illness on June 29, 1691.
Death. October 4, 1691, at 3 a.m., in the Colonna Sciarra palace, Rome. Exposed in the church of S. Andrea della Valle, Rome, where the funeral took place on October 6, 1691; in the afternoon, transferred to the church of Collegio di Propaganda Fide, Rome, and buried in that church.
Bibliography. Fink, Urban. Die Luzerner Nuntiatur 1586-1873 : Zur Behördengeschichte und Quellenkunde der päpstlichen Diplomatie in der Schweiz. Luzern ; Stuttgart : Rex Verlag, 1997. (Collectanea Archivi Vaticani ; Bd. 40) (Luzerner Historische Veröffentlichungen ; Bd. 32); Karttunen, Liisi. Les nonciatures apostoliques permanentes de 1650 à 1800. Genève : E. Chaulmontet, 1912, p. 266; Re, Nicola del. "I cardinali prefetti della sacra congregazione del concilio dalle origini ad oggi (1564-1964)." Apollinaris, XXXVII (1964), p.122.
(14) 5. BASADONNA, Pietro (1617-1684)
Birth. September 17, 1617, Venice.Of a patrician family. Second of the five children of Alvise Basadonna and Maria Trevisan. Uncle of Cardinal Luigi Priuli (1712).
Education. He was very fluent in Greek (no further educational information found).
Early life. Became a famous orator. Named ambassador of Venice in Spain in 1648. Named ambassador of Venice before the Holy See in 1660 (or 1661). Procuratore di S. Marco, Venice. He was accompanied by Bishop Alberto Badoaro of Crema and his nephew Gianalberto, future cardinal, in his trip to Rome to receive the cardinalitial insignias.
Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of June 12, 1673; received the red hat and the deaconry of S. Maria in Domnica, January 15, 1674. On , June 12, 1673, he was granted dispensation for not having yet received the clerical tonsure at the moment of his promotion to the cardinalate. On the following June 21, he was granted permission to receive the sacred orders outside the Ember days and without time intervals between them; and also granted dispensation for having joined in criminalibus et bellicis activities. Ascribed to the SS. CC. of Bishops, Discipline of the Regulars, Index, Ecclesiastical Immunity, and Sacred Consulta de statu ecclesiastico. Participated in the conclave of 1676, which elected Pope Innocent XI.
Death. October 6, 1684, near 4 p.m., in Rome. Exposed in the church of S. Marco, Rome, where the funeral took place on October 8, 1684; and buried on the left side of that same church.
Links. Biography by Gino Benzoni, in Italian, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 7 (1970), Treccani; his tomb in the church of S. Marco, Rome, Australian National University.
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