The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church

Biographical Dictionary
Pope Pius VIII (1829-1830)
Consistory of July 27, 1829 (I)

(1) 1. NEMBRINI PIRONI GONZAGA, Cesare (1768-1837)

Birth. November 27, 1768 (1), Ancona. Of the marquises Nembrini of Ancona. The family was ascribed to the patriciate of Ancona in 1639. On October 31, the duke of Mantua, Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga, gave the marquisate of Nembrini the right to add Gonzaga to its name. Son of Marquis Alessandro Nembrini (1736-1818), gentiluomo di Camera of the duke of Modena, and Maria Trifoni (1741-1809), daughter of the marquis of Trionfi, a noble family of Bergamasque origin. He had four brothers, Giuseppe, Raffaele, Luigi and Francesco; and three sisters, Anna, Lavinia and Livia, all of whom entered the religious life. Cousin of Cardinal Antonio Maria Cadolini, C.R.S.P. (1843). His nephews related themselves, by marriage, with the families of Pope Pius VIII and of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Zauli (1816). Several members of the family were canons.

Education. Studied at Collegio of Recanati; at Collegio of Montalto; at the University of Bologna, where he earned a doctorate in utroque iuris, both civil and canon law, on June 10, 1791; and at the Pontifical Academy of Ecclesiastical Nobles, (diplomacy), from 1792 to 1796.

Early life. He obtained the benefice of the Pironi prelature in Ancona and took its name. Entered the Roman prelature as domestic prelate before January 7, 1797. Referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace, January 12, 1797. After the French occupation of Rome, Pope Pius VII named him relator of the Sacred Consulta, October 30, 1800. He was one of the founders of Accademia della Religione Cattolica, February 4, 1801. Governor of Ascoli, May 21, 1802 until February 1807.

Priesthood. Ordained, June 5, 1803. Governor of Campagna e Marittima, May 5, 1807 until June 1808. He retired to Ancona during the French occupation of Rome. After the restoration of the papal government, he was named delegate in Perugia, May 4, 1814. President of the province of Faenza, March-November 1815. Pro-legate in Romagna in Forlì, ca. February 27, 1816. Apostolic delegate in Macerata, December 11, 1816 until 1818. Cleric of the Apostolic Chamber, prefect of the archives and vicar of the patriarchal Vatican basilica, October 1, 1817.

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Ancona e Numana, May 24, 1824. Consecrated, June 7, 1824, choir of the canons of the patriarchal Vatican basilica, Rome, by Cardinal Pietro Francesco Gallaffi, bishop of Albano, assisted by Giuseppe della Porta Rodiani, titular Latin patriarch of Constantinople and viegerent of Rome, and by Filippo Filonardi, titular archbishop of Atena, papal almoner.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of July 27, 1829; received the red hat, July 30, 1829; and the title of S. Anastasia, September 28, 1829. Participated in the conclave of 1830-1831, which elected Pope Gregory XVI.

Death. December 5, 1837, Umana. Exposed and buried in the cathedral of Ancona. He willed his library to Ancona and his possessions to the poor. He was the last surviving cardinal of Pope Pius VIII.

Bibliography. Boutry, Philippe Souverain et Pontife : recherches prosopographiques sur la curie romaine à l'âge de la restauration, 1814-1846. Rome : Ecole française de Rome, 2002, p. 433; LeBlanc, Jean. Dictionnaire biographique des cardinaux du XIXe siècle : contribution à l'histoire du Sacré Collège sous les pontificats de Pie VII, Léon XII, Pie VIII, Grégoire XVI, Pie IX et Léon XIII, 1800-1903. Montréal : Wilson & Lafleur, 2007. (Collection Gratianus. Série instruments de recherche), p. 673-674; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi. Volumen VII (1800-1846). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1968, pp. 23, 40 and 73; Weber, Christoph and Becker, Michael. Genealogien zur Papstgeschichte. 6 v. Stuttgart : Anton Hiersemann, 1999-2002. (Päpste und Papsttum, Bd. 29, 1-6), II, 664; Weber, Christoph. Legati e governatori dello Stato Pontificio : 1550-1809. Roma : Ministero per i beni culturali e ambientali, Ufficio centrale per i beni archivistici, 1994. (Pubblicazioni degli archivi di Stato. Sussidi; 7) pp. 125, 185 and 800.

Webgraphy. Biography by Roberto Regoli, in Italian, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 78 (2013), Treccani.

(1) This is according to Boutry, Souverain et Pontife, p. 433; Ritzler, 73; Leblanc, Dictionnaire biographique des cardinaux du XIXe siècle, p. 672; and his biography in Italian, linked above. Weber, Genealogien zur Papstgeschichte, II, 664, says that he was born in 1766.

Cool Archive

(2) 2. CRESCINI, O.S.B.Cas., Remigio (1757-1830)

Birth. May 5, 1757, Piacenza. Son of Pietro Paolo Crescini-Malaspina (1721-post 1772), governor of Guastalla (1765) and advisor to the Supreme Magistracy (1772), and Giovanna Bacciocchi. He received the name Giuseppe at his christening. His brother Dionigi (ca.1750-1845) was governor (French) of Piacenza (1796-99) and president of the provisional government of Parma (1814).

Education. Entered the Order of Saint Benedict (Benedictines) at the monastery of Montecassino; studied at that monastery (no further educational information found).

Priesthood. Ordained, in Monte Cassino (no date found). Lector of theology. President general and abbot of the Benedictine monastery of S. Giovanni Evangelista, Parma. Rector of Collegio dei Nobili, Parma.

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Parma, June 23, 1828. Consecrated, July 6, 1828, Rome, by Cardinal Giuseppe Spina, bishop of Palestrina, assisted by Federico Guarini, O.S.B., bishop of Venosa, and by Peter Augustine Baines, O.S.B., titular bishop of Sigus.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of July 27, 1829; received the red hat and the title of S. Giovanni a Porta Latina, July 5, 1830.

Death. July 20, 1830, of a stomach disease while staying at the Aquila Bianca hotel of Montefiascone, on his trip back from Rome to receive the red hat and title. Exposed and buried in the church of S. Bartolomeo, Montefiascone (1). A cenotaph in his memory was later erected in the chapel of Saint Agatha in the cathedral of his diocese of Parma.

Bibliography. Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi. Volumen VII (1800-1846). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1968, pp. 23, 41 and 299.

Webgraphy. His engraving and portrait, Araldica Vaticana.

(1) This is the text of the inscription on his vault, kindly provided by Mr. Eman Bonnici, from Malta;

CORPVS HIC POSITVM
REMIGII CRESCINI DOMO PARMA
PATRICIA NOBILITATE
PRESB. CARDINALIS PONTIF. PARMENSIVM
MAGNI PRIOR ORD. CONSTANTIN.
QVI ADOLESCENS SODALITATI CASINENSI ADSCRIPTVS
EAM VNICE DILIGENS
MAXIMAS PRO EADEM CVRAS SVSCEPIT
SVMMIS IN IPSA HONORIBVS ENITVIT
INTER SVOS IN PATRIA ET ROMAE GRAVIORES DISCIPLINAS
IN PATRIO ARCHIGYMNASIO SACRI IVRIS ANTECESSOR
PERDIV MAGNAQVE CVM LAVDE
DOCVIT
PERPETVO IVVANDI STVDIO EXARSIT
VIGIL MODESTVS CONSTANS FVIT
LABORES NVMQVAM RECVSAVIT PACEM VBIQVE PROMOVIT CONSERVAVIT
DVM PVRPVREO GALERO ROMAE VIX ACCEPTO
OBFIRMATO ANIMO IN PATRIAM TENDIT
PRAECONCEPTO STOMACHI MORBO CONFECTVS
HEIC MORTEM OMNIB. BONIS ACERBISSIMAM
SANCTE OPPETIIT XII KAL. AVG. A. MDCCCXXX
ANNOS NATVS LXXIII. M. II D. XVII.
DIONYSIVS ET CAESAR FRATRI TANTO
SOLAMINIS NESCII P. C.


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