(15) 1. TONTI, Michelangelo (1566-1622)
Birth. Towards the end of 1566, Rimini. Of a modest family originally from Cesena.
Education. Studied at the University of Bologna, where he obtained a doctorate in law; he also studied music.
Early life. Went to Rome and became organist at the hospital of S. Rocco a Ripetta. Procurator of causes of Francesco Borghese, brother of Cardinal Camillo Borghese, future Pope Paul V. Auditor general of Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli-Borghese. Auditor of the Apostolic Chamber (?). Canon of the patriarchal Lateran basilica, Rome.
Sacred orders. (No information found).
Episcopate. Elected titular archbishop of Nazareth, retaining his canonship for three months, November 5, 1608. Consecrated, Sunday, November 16, 1608, Sistine Chapel, Rome, by Fabio Biondi, titular Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, assisted by Metello Bichi, bishop of Sovana, and by Giambattista Leni, bishop of Mileto.
Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of November 24, 1608; received the red hat on November 29, 1608; and the title of S. Bartolomeo all'Isola on December 10, 1608. Archpriest of the patriarchal Liberian basilica, Rome. Datary of His Holiness for three years. Transferred to the see of Cesena, retaining the titular see of Nazareth, March 11, 1609. Left the Roman Curia and went to Cesena when he fell from grace with Pope Paul V, in 1612, until the pope's death; established in the Shrine of Loreto, in his diocese, a chaplaincy with the obligation of offering a daily Mass in suffrage of Pope Paul V, his former benefactor. Participated in the conclave of 1621, which elected Pope Gregory XV. Opted for the title of S. Pietro in Vincoli, October 13, 1621.
Death. April 21, 1622, Rome. Buried in the church of Santissimo Nome di Gesù, Rome (1).
Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, VI, 145-147; Combaluzier, Fernand. "Sacres épiscopaux à Rome de 1565 à 1662. Analyse intégrale du Ms. «Miscellanea XIII, 33» des Archives Vaticanes." Sacris Eruduri, XVIII (1967-1968), p. 164; Gauchat, Patritium. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen IV (1592-1667). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1935; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1967, pp. 11 and 48.
Webgraphy. Biography by Chiara Quaranta, in Italian, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 96 (2019), Treccani; his engraving, portrait and arms, Araldica Vaticana; his prosopography, Requiem Datenbank.
(1) This is the text of his epitaph, taken from Requiem Datenbank, linked above:
(16) 2. VERALLO, Fabrizio (1560-1624)
Birth. 1560 (1), Rome. Grand-nephew of Cardinal Domenico Giacobazzi (1517). Nephew of Cardinal Girolamo Verallo (1549). Uncle of Cardinal Fabrizio Spada (1675). Relative of Pope Urban VII. His last name is also listed as Varallo and as Veralli.
Education. Obtained a doctorate at the University of Perugia.
Early life. Canon of the patriarchal Vatican basilica, March 16, 1590. Inquisitor of Malta in the pontificate of Pope Clement VIII. Referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace.
Sacred orders. (No information found).
Episcopate. Elected bishop of S. Severo, Mary 5, 1606. Consecrated, May 28, 1606, church of S. Cecilia, Rome, by Cardinal Roberto Bellarmino, S.J., assisted by Camillo Sozombene, bishop of Pola, and by Camillo Beccio, bishop of Acqui. Nuncio in Switzerland, June 10, 1606 until June 24, 1608.
Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of November 24, 1608; received the red hat on November 29, 1608; and the title of S. Agostino on December 10, 1608. Protector of Ireland in 1608. Resigned the government of the diocese before March 23, 1615. Participated in the conclave of 1621, which elected Pope Gregory XV. Participated in the conclave of 1623, which elected Pope Urban VIII. Abbot commendatario of S. Agnese fuori le mura, Rome.
Death. November 17, 1624 (2), Rome. Buried in his title, S. Agostino (3).
Bibliography. Biaudet, Henry. Les nonciatures apostoliques permanentes jusqu'en 1648. Helsinki ; Suomalainen tiedeakatemia, 1910, p. 291; Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, VI, 147-148; 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); Gauchat, Patritium. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen IV (1592-1667). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1935; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1967, p. 11, 40 and 313; Katterbach, Bruno. Referendarii utriusque Signaturæ a Martino V ad Clementem IX et Praelati Signaturae Supplicationum a Martino V ad Leonem XIII. Città del Vaticano 1931. (Studi e Testi 55), pp. 229, 235 and 261.
Webgraphy. His tomb in the church of S. Agostino, Rome, Requiem Datenbank; his engraving and arms, Araldica Vaticana.
(1) This is according to his epitaph linked above, which says that he died in 1624 at 64. Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, VI, 148, indicates that he died at 58 in 1624.
(2) This is according to Gauchat, Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen IV, pp. 11 and 40. Biaudet, Les nonciatures apostoliques permanentes jusqu'en 1648, p. 291, says that he died on October 17, 1624.
(3) This is the text of his epitaph, transcribed from Requiem Datenbank, linked above:
(17) 3. LENI, Giambattista (1573-1627)
Birth. 1573, Rome. Of a patrician family. Second of the five children of Girolamo Leni and Licinia Caffarelli. The other siblings were Camillo, Tarquinia, Lucrezia and Antonia, both nuns of Ss. Domenico e Sisto. Cousin of Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli-Borghese (1605), on his mother's side. His last name is also listed as Lenius.
Education. (No information found).
Early life. Referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace, February 1606.
Sacred orders. (No information found).
Episcopate. Elected bishop of Mileto, July 4, 1608. Consecrated, July 20, 1608, Rome, Dominican church S. Caterina a Magnanapoli, Rome, by Cardinal Ottaviano Paravicini, assisted by Marco Cornaro, bishop of Padua, and by Diego Álvarez, archbishop of Trani.
Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of November 24, 1608 (1); received the red hat on November 29, 1608; and the title of S. Sisto on December 10, 1608. Member of the SS. CC. of Rites and of Bishops and Regulars. Transferred to the see of Ferrara, August 3, 1611. Protector of the Canons of S. Giorgio in Alaga, 1612. Opted for the title of S. Cecilia, March 5, 1618. Protector of the Order of Saint Benedict (Benedictines), 1620. Participated in the conclave of 1621, which elected Pope Gregory XV. Participated in the conclave of 1623, which elected Pope Urban VIII. Archpriest of the patriarchal Lateran basilica, after the resignation of Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli-Borghese; opened and closed the Holy Door of the basilica in the 1625 Jubilee Year. Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, January 7, 1626 until January 27, 1627.
Death. November 3, 1627, Rome. Buried in the chapel of S. Giovanni Battista, which he had built, in the patriarchal Lateran basilica, Rome. With his death, the family was extinguished. His only and universal heir was the church of S. Carlo ai Catinari, Rome.
Bibliography. Ait, Ivana ; Vaquero Piñeiro, Manuel. Dai casali alla fabbrica di San Pietro : i Leni uomini d'affari del rinascimento. Roma : Roma nel Rinascimento, 2000. (Pubblicazioni degli archivi di Stato. Saggii ; 59; RR inedita ; 17.; Saggi); Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, VI, 148-149; Gauchat, Patritium. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen IV (1592-1667). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1935; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1967, p. 11, 40, 50, 186 and 242; Katterbach, Bruno. Referendarii utriusque Signaturæ a Martino V ad Clementem IX et Praelati Signaturae Supplicationum a Martino V ad Leonem XIII. Città del Vaticano 1931. (Studi e Testi 55), p. 249; Weber, Christoph and Becker, Michael. Genealogien zur Papstgeschichte. 6 v. Stuttgart : Anton Hiersemann, 1999-2002. (Päpste und Papsttum, Bd. 29, 1-6), IV, 642.
Webgraphy. His arms, engraving and biography, in Italian, Cathopedia; His engraving and arms, Araldica Vaticana; his prosopography, Requiem Datenbank.
(1) Ait, Dai casali alla fabbrica di San Pietro : i Leni uomini d'affari del rinascimento, p. 67, citing Amayden, La storia delle famiglie romane, II, p. 8, says that he owed his promotion to the cardinalate to his family relation with the Borghese because he was uomo di poche lettere e compensé il poco sapere con la bontá della vita, a man of little letters and compensated his little knowledge with the goodness of life.
(18) 4. MARGOTTI, Lanfranco (1559-1611)
Birth. Probably in September 1559, Colorno, Parma. Son of Astolfo Margotti. He had at least three brothers: Ottavio, Giulio and Giovanni Francesco. From a poor and obscure family. His last name is also listed as Margozio.
Education. (No information found).
Early life. Went to Rome at a young age; was introduced into the family of Cardinal Cinzio Aldobrandini and was his assistant of chamber and later, his secretary. Chamberlain and later, secretary, to Pope Clement VIII. Protonotary apostolic.
Priesthood. Ordained (no further information found).
Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of November 24, 1608; received the red hat on November 29, 1608; and the title of S. Callisto on December 10, 1608. Legate in Avignon (?), 1608 (1).
Episcopate. Elected bishop of Viterbo, January 26, 1609. Consecrated, February 15, 1609, Sistine Chapel, Vatican, by Pope Paul V, assisted by Cardinal Domenico Pinelli, bishop of Ostia e Velletri, dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals, by Cardinals Fabrizio Verallo and Michelangelo Tonti. Assisting cardinal deacons were Andrea Baroni Peretti Montalto and Luigi Capponi. Governed the diocese through a vicar. Opted for the title of S. Pietro in Vincoli, January 11, 1610.
Death. February 28, 1611, after a brief illness produced by a sore in an arm, Rome. Buried in his title, S. Pietro in Vincoli (2).
Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, VI, 149-151; Gauchat, Patritium. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen IV (1592-1667). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1935; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1967, p. 11, 41, 48 and 371.
Webgraphy. by Marco Maiorino, in Italian, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 70 (2008), Treccani; his tomb in the church of S. Pietro in Vincoli, Rome, Requiem Datenbank; his engraving and arms, Araldica Vaticana.
(1) Cardella Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, VI, 150, indicates that Abbot Angelo Personeni in his book written in defense
of Cardinal Cinzio Aldobrandini, says that Cardinal Margotti was named legate in Avignon after his promotion. But no other source mentions that legation.
(2) This is the text of
his epitaph, taken from Requiem Datenbank, linked above:
(19) 5. CAPPONI, Luigi (1583-1659)
Birth. 1583 (1), Florence. From a patrician family with several senators. Third of the four children of Senator Francesco Capponi and Ludovica di Ristoro Macchiavelli. The other siblings were Pier Maria, Filippo and Simona. He is also listed as Aloysius Capponius.
Education. Went to Rome when he was very young to attend the Seminario Romano; then, he studied in Perugia; and later, he returned to Rome and studied at the Archgymnasium of Rome (La Sapienza University), where he obtained a doctorate in law.
Early life. Papal prelate. Treasurer of the Apostolic Chamber, April 1605.
Sacred orders. (No information found).
Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of November 24, 1608; received the red hat on November 29, 1608; and the deaconry of S. Agata alla Suburra on December 10, 1608. Legate in Bologna, August 27, 1614; he had the special responsibility of coordinating the various initiatives planned by the pope to reclaim the territory of the Po delta and regulate the waters of the rivers of the region; he fell gravely ill and on December 2, 1619, Cardinal Giulio Savelli was named legate for a triennium. Opted for the deaconry of S. Angelo in Pescheria, January 13, 1620. Participated in the conclave of 1621, which elected Pope Gregory XV.
Episcopate. Elected archbishop of Ravenna, March 3, 1621. Consecrated, Sunday March 14, 1621, church of S. Biagio in Montecitorio, by Cardinal Roberto Ubaldini, assisted by Orazio Ottavio Rodolfi, bishop of Ariano, and by Alessandro Scappi, bishop of Campagna. Granted the pallium on March 29, 1621. During his episcopate, he worked with great zeal in the pastoral care; repeatedly visited the parishes of the diocese; convoked a diocesan synod in 1627; and a provincial one in 1632; beautified the metropolitan cathedral; and restored and expanded the archiepiscopal palace; he acted as a peacemaker between two parties that divided the city, that were called the "Guelph" and "Ghibelline", and that with their struggles had troubled the economic life and the tranquility of the citizens. He had a great devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary and to her dedicated many homilies. Opted for the order of cardinal priests, April 19, 1621; and opted for the title of S. Carlo ai Catinari, May 5, 1621. Opted for the title of S. Pietro in Vincoli, May 2, 1622. Since 1623, he was a member of the Congregation of the Cardinals who ran the office created by Pope Gregory XV to coordinate missionary activity, which became the Congregation of Propaganda Fide; when Cardinal Antonio Barberini, iuniore, who was the prefect, was forced to flee to France because of the hostility of the new Pope Innocent X, Cardinal Capponi, on the nomination of the other cardinals who directed the congregation, assumed the functions of pro-prefect, which he did not give up when Cardinal Barberini returned and resumed his office. Participated in the conclave of 1623, which elected Pope Urban VIII. Opted for the title of S. Lorenzo in Lucina, August 20, 1629. Cardinal protoprete. Co-legate of Bologna, Ferrara, and Romandiola, with Cardinal Antonio Barberini, iuniore, December 1, 1642. Participated in the conclave of 1644, which elected Pope Innocent X. Prefect of the S.C. of Rites and Ceremonies from February 1645 until his death. Resigned the government of the archdiocese of Ravenna in favor of his nephew, Luca Torregiani, on September 18, 1645. Prefect of the S.C. of Propaganda Fide, October 27, 1645. Named librarian of the Holy Roman Church, ad vitam, on August 4, 1649; not being a man of letters, he chose appropriate collaborators and worked so that the library realized better its function. Participated in the conclave of 1655, which elected Pope Alexander VII. He redacted his will in 1655 and in it left part of his wealth to the Congregation of Propaganda Fide to build and equip a printing press.
Death. April 6, 1659, Palm Sunday, between 10 and 11 a.m., in his Roman palace. Buried in his title, S. Lorenzo in Lucina (2).
Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, VI, 151-152; Combaluzier, Fernand. "Sacres épiscopaux à Rome de 1565 à 1662. Analyse intégrale du Ms. «Miscellanea XIII, 33» des Archives Vaticanes." Sacris Eruduri, XVIII (1967-1968), p. 189; Gauchat, Patritium. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen IV (1592-1667). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1935; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1967, p. 11, 41, 44, 48, 51 and 292; Weber, Christoph and Becker, Michael. Genealogien zur Papstgeschichte. 6 v. Stuttgart : Anton Hiersemann, 1999-2002. (Päpste und Papsttum, Bd. 29, 1-6), III, 174; 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. 153, 155, 251 and 545-546.
Webgraphy. Biography by Luciano Osbat, in Italian, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 19 (1976), Treccani; biography, in Italian, Wikipedia; biography, in English, Wikipedia; his portrait, engravings and arms, Araldica Vaticana; his portrait, secolo XVIII (1700 - 1799), archdiocese of Naples, Beni Ecclesiastici in Web (BeWeb); his tomb in the church of S. Lorenzo in Lucina, Rome, Requiem Datenbank.
(1) This is according to Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, VI, 152, and the epitaph in his tomb linked above, which
indicate that he was 76 when he died and, therefore, he would have been born in 1583. His biography in Italian, linked above says that he was born in 1583. Gauchat, Hierarchia
Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, IV, 11, which says that he was 77 at the time of his death in 1659.
(2) This is the text of his epitaph, transcribed from Requiem
Datenbank, linked above:
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