The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church

Biographical Dictionary
Pope Alexander VII (1655-1667)
Consistory of March 7, 1667 (VI)

delfinog.jpg

(35) 1. DELFINO, Giovanni
(1617-1699)

Birth. April 22, 1617, Venice. Of a noble family. Second of the nine children of Senator Niccolò Delfino and Isabetta Priuli. The other children were Pietro, Iseppo, Dionisio, Marcantonio, Daniele I, Daniele II, Andrea and Marietta. His last name is also listed as Dolfino, which is its Venetian form. Nephew of Cardinal Giovanni Delfino (1604). Brother of Daniele Delfino, titular bishop of Philadelphia, coadjutor of Aquileia (1659-1689). Uncle of Dionisio Delfino, patriarch of Aquileia (1699-1734). Uncle of Cardinal Daniello Marco Delfino (1699). Grand-uncle of Cardinal Daniele Delfino (1747).

Education. Studied gravi subjects as well as Greek and Latin, in Venice and Padua. Obtained a doctorate in law.

Early life. Served in the government of the Republic of Venice. Worked in the Venetian senate. Ambassador of Venice in Austria and in France.

Sacred orders. (No information found).

Episcopate. Elected titular bishop of Tagaste and appointed coadjutor with right of succession to Girolamo Gradenigo, patriarch of Aquileia, June 23, 1656. The patriarch had requested the appointment. Consecrated, November 30, 1656, church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, Murano, by Carlo Carafa della Spina, bishop of Aversa, nuncio to Venice. Succeeded to the patriarchate of Aquileia, December 27, 1657. Assistant at the Pontifical Chapel, January 10, 1658. Governed the patriarchate through his brother and nephew, who were his coadjutors with right of succession.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of March 7, 1667. Participated in the conclave of 1667, which elected Pope Clement IX. Received the red hat and the title of S. Salvatore in Lauro, July 18, 1667. Abbot commendatario of Rosazzo from 1668 until his death. Participated in the conclave of 1669-1670, which elected Pope Clement X. Opted for the title of Ss. Vito e Modesto, deaconry elevated pro illa vice to title, May 19, 1670. Participated in the conclave of 1676, which elected Pope Innocent XI. Participated in the conclave of 1689, which elected Pope Alexander VIII. Participated in the conclave of 1691, which elected Pope Innocent XII. Author of some literary tragedies.

Death. July 19, 1699, Udine (1). Transferred to Venice and buried in the tomb of his ancestors in the church of S. Michele di Murano.

Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, VII, 181-182; Weber, Christoph and Becker, Michael. Genealogien zur Papstgeschichte. 6 v. Stuttgart : Anton Hiersemann, 1999-2002. (Päpste und Papsttum, Bd. 29, 1-6), I, 317.

Webgraphy. His engraving, works and biography, in English, Wikipedia; brief biographical data, in Italian, Dizionario Biografico Friulano; his portrait by Giovanni Giuseppe Cosattini, ambito friulano, diocesi di Udine, Beni Ecclesiastici in Web (BeWeb); his portrait by Niccolò, Bambini, ambito friulano, arcidiocesi di Udine, Beni Ecclesiastici in Web (BeWeb); his engravings, Araldica Vaticana.

(1) This is according to Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, IV, 35. The same source, V, 94, indicates that he died on July 20, 1699.

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(36) 2. THUN, Guidobald von (1616-1668)

Birth. December 16, 1616, Castelfondo in Welschtirol. Baptized, December 19, 1616, in the church of Sankt Nickolas. Son of Johann Siegmund Graf Thun, governor of Böhmen, and Barbara, neé Thun.

Education. Studied at the Jesuit Collegio Germanico, Rome.

Early life. Named canon of the cathedral chapter of Salzburg, 1633; traveled to France, Spain and England; received seat and voice in the cathedral chapter, 1640; dean, 1644. Later, he became konsistorialpräsident and vicar general.

Priesthood. Ordained, January 22, 1645.

Episcopate. Elected archbishop of Salzburg by its cathedral chapter, February 3, 1654. Preconized, March 4, 1654. Consecrated, September 24, 1654, Salzburg, by Cardinal Ernest Adalbert von Harrach, archbishop of Prague, assisted by Franz von Spaur, bishop of Chiemsee, and by Johann Markus Aldringen, bishop of Seckau. The archbishops of Salzburg have the title of Primas Germaniæ since 1648. Imperial commissary at the Diet of Regensburg fom 1662. Elected to the see of Regensburg by its cathedral chapter, March 7, 1666. In 1666, he received the title of Primas Germaniae, vacant since the secularization of Magdeburg. Preconized, retaining the archdiocese of Salzburg, March 16, 1667. He also had the title of legatus natus, used for the first time, and, from the emperor, he received the title Hochwuerdiger.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of March 7, 1667; never went to Rome to receive the red hat and the title. Did not participate in the conclave of 1667, which elected Pope Clement IX.

Death. June 1, 1668, Regensburg, of blood poisoning from a small cut. Buried in front of the altar of Sankt Franziskus in the metropolitan cathedral of Salzburg (1). The news of his death reached Rome on June 9, 1668.

Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, VII, 182-185.

Webgraphy. His engraving and biography, in German, aeiou.at, Austria-Forum; and his engraving, coat of arms and biography in German, Salzburg Coins Interactive; engravings, Araldica Vaticana.

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

GVIDOBALDVS
EX COMITIBVS
DE THVN
CARDINALIS
PRINCEPS
ARCHIEPISCOPVS
MDCLIV - MDCLVXIII

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(37) 3. VENDÔME, Louis de (1612-1669)

Birth. October 1612, Paris, France. Son of César, duke de Vendôme, legitimized son of King Henri IV of France, and Françoise de Lorraine, duchess of Mercoeur. He was duke de Mercoeur, duke d'Estampes, and later, duke de Vendôme. Peer of France. Prince of Martignes. Other cardinals of the family were Charles I de Bourbon (1476); Louis de Bourbon de Vendôme (1517); Charles II de Bourbon-Vendôme (1548); and Charles III de Bourbon-Vendôme (1583).

Education. (No information found).

Early life. Served in Savoy with King Louis XIII of France, 1630; volunteer in Holland, fought in Lille, 1631; took part in the battle of Avein, Luxembourg, 1635; in the siege of Corbie, 1636; of Hesdin, 1639; and of Arras, 1640. Commander of the French troops, 1649-1651. Viceroy in Catalonia, 1650. Married Laura Mancini (1) on February 4, 1651, Paris. Commander in Provence, charged with repressing the final troubles of the Fronde, 1653. Successfully battled the duke of Modena, 1656. Fought in the Milanais. His wife died on February 8, 1657, Paris, and he retired to a Capuchin convent. At the death of Cardinal Mazarin, he received the abbeys of Saint-Victor de Marseille and Trinité de Vendôme. Governor of Provence, 1665.

Sacred orders. (No information found).

Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of March 7, 1667; received the red hat and the deaconry of S. Maria in Portico Campitelli, July 18, 1667. Participated in the conclave of 1667, which elected Pope Clement IX. Legate a latere to represent Pope Clement IX as compatris in the christening of the Dauphin of France, son of King Louis XIV, January 16, 1668.

Death. August 12, 1669 (2), Aix-en-Provence (3). Exposed and buried in Vendôme. The news of his death reached Rome on August 22, 1669.

Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, VII, 185.

Webgraphy. His genealogy, A15, B1; biographical information, in German. his engraving, Araldica Vaticana.

(1) She was the daughter of Michaele Lorenzo Mancini and Girolama Mazarin, sister of Cardinal Giulio Mazarin. They had a son, Louis Joseph de Bourbon, duke de Penthièvre, later duke de Vendôme and marshal of France (1654-1712).
(2) This is according to Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, IV, 35. His genealogy and his biography, linked above, indicate that he died on August 6, 1669.
(3) This is according to the biographical data linked above. Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, VII, 185, says that he died in Paris, non senza sospetto di veleno nel 1669 in età ancora vigorosa, not without suspicion of poisoning, in 1669 at an age still vigorous.

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(38) 4. MONCADA DE ARAGÓN, Luis Guillermo de (1614-1673?)

Birth. January 1, 1614, Collesano, Sicily. Second child of Antonio de Moncada y Aragón, 6th duke of de Montalto, and Juana de la Cerda, daughter of the 6th duke of Medinaceli (1). He was 7th duke of Montalto, 6th duke of Bivona and 5th prince of Paternò. He is also listed as Luìs Gullèn de Moncada; and his last name as Moncada-Aragón y la Cerda; and as Moncada de Aragón Luna de Peralta y de la Cerda.

Education. (No information found).

Early life. On November 27, 1629, in Madrid, he married María Afan de Ribera y Moura, daughter of Fernando Enríquez de Ribera, 3rd duke of Alcalá, viceroy and captain general of Naples. In charge of a military company, 1629. Commander of the Order of Alcántara, 1630. Acting viceroy, 1636. Viceroy and captain general in Sardinia, 1644. His wife died without having had children. Went to the Spanish court and married Luisa Catalina de Moncada (2), daughter of the marquises of Aytona. Cavalry general in Naples, 1652. Viceroy of Valencia, with the order of Toisón de Oro, annexed to the post. Detested by many Spaniards, especially by the duke of the Infantado, he was falsely accused of treason. An investigation was opened in 1659. The death of his wife in the fall of 1660 helped him end the process. Entered the ecclesiastical state. Majordome of Queen Regent Mariana de Austria of Spain, wife of King Felipe IV, with special dispensation because it was prohibited to an ecclesiastic to occupy such a post, July 1653. Caballerizo of the king. Ambassador extraordinary of Spain before Emperor Ferdinand of Austria. Grande of Spain.

Sacred orders. Ordained in 1667. King Carlos II of Spain asked the pope to promote him to the cardinalate.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of March 7, 1667; never went to Rome to receive the red hat and the deaconry. Did not participate in the conclave of 1667, which elected Pope Clement IX. Did not participate in the conclave of 1670, which elected Pope Clement X.

Death. May 4, 1672 (3), Madrid. Buried in the tomb of the duke of Alcalá in the Capuchin convent of San Antonio, Madrid. His remains were transferred in 1674, according to his will, to the church of S. Domenico Maggiore in Naples, sepulchre of his ancestors, Aragonese sovereigns of that kingdom.

Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, VII, 185-186; Gauchat, Patritium. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi. Volumen IV (1592-1667). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1935; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1967, p. 35; Pilo Gallisai, Rafaella. "Moncada- Aragón y la Cerda, Luis Guillermo." To be published in Diccionario Biográfico Español, coordinated by "Real Academia de la Historia de Madrid".

Webgraphy. Biography by Rafaella Pilo Gallisai, in Spanish, DB~e, Diccionario Biográfico Español; his arms and biography, in English, Wikipedia; biographical entry, in Spanish, Wikipedia; his portrait, Giuseppe Valenza's Album; his engravings, Araldica Vaticana.

(1) In 1626, they agreed to dissolve their marriage and he professed as a Jesuit and she became a nun and died as abbess of her monastery.
(2) They had one son, Fernando de Aragón, born in 1645.
(3) This is according to Pilo Gallisai, "Moncada- Aragón y la Cerda, Luis Guillermo."; Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, IV, 35, indicates that he died in May 1673 and that other sources (not mentioned) say that he died in 1672.

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