The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church

Biographical Dictionary
Pope Benedict XIII (1724-1730)
Consistory of February 8, 1730 (XII)
Celebrated in Rome


(29) 1. SALVIATI, Alamanno (1668-1733)

Birth. March 21, 1668, Florence (1). Fourth of the six children of Giovanni Vincenzo Salviati, marquis of Montieri, and Laura Corsi. The other siblings were Antonino, Giovanni, Averardo, Francesca and Filippo. Other cardinals of the family were Giovanni Salviati (1517); Bernardo Salviati, O. S. Io.Hier. (1561); Antonmaria Salviati (1583); and Gregorio Salviati (1777).

Education. Studied under distinguished professors Pascasio Gianetti and Giuseppe Averani; obtained a doctorate at the University of Pisa in 1696.

Early life. Travel throughout Europe visiting royal courts and literary academies; then, returned to Florence and devoted himself to study, reunions with the erudite, and assisting the poor with alms and visits in their homes when they were ill. On June 20, 1690, he became member of Accademia della Crusca, in Florence, where he developed an important literary and linguistic activity. After the death of his brother Giovanni, a prelate in the papal curia, his friends persuaded him to go to Rome. Protonotary apostolic participantium, September 18, 1707. Referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace, September 24, 1707. In 1707, he was named nuncio extraordinary in France to bring the fascie benedette to the son of the duke of Bourgogne (2). Vice-legate in Avignon, August 14, 1711 until March 1717; while in Avignon, he received James Francis Edward Stuart, who claimed the throne of Great Britain as James III and who was on his way to Rome. President of the Reverend Apostolic Chamber, May 14, 1717. President of the legation of Urbino, 1717-1728; he then returned to Rome; during his absence in Rome, Filippo Carlo Spada, bishop of Pesaro, substituted for him; he retained the title of president of Urbino until his promotion to the cardinalate.

Sacred orders. (No information found).

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of February 8, 1730. Participated in the conclave of 1730, which elected Pope Clement XII. Received the red hat and the title of S. Maria in Aracoeli, July 24, 1730. Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature of Justice, July 27, 1730. Protector of the Benedictine Congregation Vallombrosana, August 17, 1730. Legate in Urbino, February 17, 1731; resigned legation, June 18, 1732.

Death. February 24, 1733, at 8:30 p.m., Rome. Exposed in his title, where the funeral took place on February 26, 1733. Later, according to his will, his body was transferred to Florence and buried in his family's tomb in the chapel of S. Antonino in the church of S. Marco (2).

Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1794, VIII, 242-244; Notizie per l'anno 1736. Rome : Nella Stamperia del Chracas, presso S. Marco al Corso, 1736, p. 201, no. 8; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen V (1667-1730). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1952, p. 39; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen V (1667-1730). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1952, p. 46; Weber, Christoph and Becker, Michael. Genealogien zur Papstgeschichte. 6 v. Stuttgart : Anton Hiersemann, 1999-2002. (Päpste und Papsttum, Bd. 29, 1-6), II, 840; 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. 135, 419 and 888.

Webgraphy. His engraving, arms of the Salviatti family and biography, in Italian, Wikipedia; his engraving, Araldica Vaticana; his tomb, Requiem Datenbank; his engraving and tomb, Wikimedia.

(1) This is according to Notizie per l'anno 1736, p. 201, no. 8. Other sources indicate that he was born on April 20, 1668, and on March 20, 1668.
(2) "Fascie" in Italian means a long band of strong white linen, with which newborn infants are tightly swathed during the first months of their life. However ungentle this practice may seem, it is kept up in Italy even in our own days, as the people believe they impart more firmness of limb to their children by swathing them in this manner. The habit of the papal court of presenting these fascie to the eldest born of a royal house dates as far back as Pope Clement VIII. This pope gave them, for the first time, in 1601, to King Henry IV of France, whose second wife, Maria de' Medici, had given birth to the dauphin, the future Louis XIII. The fascie were entrusted to a special ambassador, Maffeo Barberini, who afterwards became Pope Urban VIII.
(3) This is the text of the inscription in his tomb, taken from Wikimedia, linked above:

ALAMMANIS TITULI S· MARIAE IN ARACŒLI
S·R·E· PRESB· CARDINAL· SALVIATI FLORENT·
APUD GALIAR· REGEM EXTRAORDINENM NUNCIUS
AVENIONIS PROLEGATUS URBINI PRÆRÆSES
ET MOX AMPLISSIMA DIGNITATE LEGATVS
AC SIGNATURÆ jUSTITIÆ PRÆFECTUS
OBIIT VI· KAL· MART· ANN· DOM· MDCCXXXII
ANN· ÆT· SUÆ LXIII MENSE XI DIE II

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